Red Hood. (Complete)

Chapter V

Gresham watched the light flicker off before pulling his car out of the driveway and towards his father’s house. Diana sat in the middle of the backseat, tapping her fingers on her knee and humming the wolf tune. The drive from Scarlett’s house to his dad’s was a good thirty minutes; he hoped Scarlett would be okay tonight alone. Because he had the worst feeling in his gut that something bad would happen, but the way Diana kept glancing at him in the rearview mirror he decided not to express it.

“I know you’re worried about her, Gresham. But she’ll be fine. I mean, she got those scars on her face and she obviously killed the werewolf that did it.” She smiled and looked down at something in her hand. Glancing in the rearview mirror he tried to see what it was, but could only see her hands.

“What’s that?” He looked back at the road and heard the small sound of a clinking chain.

“It’s Scarlett’s necklace, she gave it to me.” Diana replied curtly. She refused to answer any more questions until they pulled up to his father’s house. Liam stood in the doorway, watching as his son and Diana pulled their bags out of the car and walked towards him.

“She kick you out?” Gresham narrowed his eyes and pushed past his father, Diana following closely behind him.

“No, she didn’t. We’re here for dinner and it’ll be dark by the time we get done so she decided that we should just stay here for the night in case the person who saved me lived in that neighbor hood because it’s dangerous to travel at night.” Diana growled and exchanged a glance with Gresham.

“Di, why don’t you go into the living room and watch TV? I’ll help my dad with dinner.” She nodded; dragging her bag behind her she disappeared into the shadows.

“Odd girl.” Liam whispered as he walked towards the kitchen, Gresham following. “Have you learned what Scarlett’s been hiding underneath that hood of hers?” Gresham tensed for a second and turned towards the window, to look at the orange horizon.

“No, she won’t take off her hood.” Gresham lied easily and turned back towards his father. “What are we making?” Liam stared at his son, confused as to why he had just been lied to.

“Gresham, you don’t have feelings for her do you?” Gresham’s eyes darkened and his lips set in a straight line.

“That doesn’t answer my question.” He sneered and heard the sound of the TV being turned on. “What are we making for dinner?” Liam sighed and turned towards the ingredients he had set out.

Diana turned the sound on the TV down low and listened for any sounds from the kitchen. Gresham had avoided the question from his father but she knew he wouldn’t be able to for long, if he was asked again, surely he would tell his father the truth. She looked down at Scarlett’s necklace and frowned as she felt the interwoven protection spells course through it. Scarlett knew what she was doing when she had this made, but why she had given it to Diana when it was so obvious she needed was a mystery to her six-year-old mind. Her gaze traveled back up to the TV as she watched a pre-view to a new werewolf movie.

In the trees behind Scarlett’s house, a man slunk in the shadows as he watched the sun finally touch the horizon. Soon, he’d be able to quench his thirst for the blood of the one who had killed his brother ten years ago and he could not fool her with her new smell or her new giving nature. She’d still be the same red cloaked, cold-eyed killer to him. Feelings like his never changed, when a wolf was this powerful he needed to make his big kill the most tantalizing, enjoy the feel of her blood wash over him, have it coat his fur for days so that he could remember the smell of her. He wanted to feel his claws slide through her ribcage, pierce her heart and have them slowly come out of her chest. Watch the light leave her eyes; with her last breath she would say his name before he tore her limb from limb, letting that damned cloak be torn to shreds in her living room so that they would know that she too was dead. Then he could go after the little girl she had depraved him of earlier, he could already taste the small child already, more tantalizing then her brother.

The song of the wolf called to him, glancing over at the horizon he saw that the sun was gone, raking his eyes across the sky he saw the red moon rise for the last time. Smiling, he felt his bones break and readjust, hair sprout from every pour, his jaw elongate and his teeth grow. The song haunted him, sending a wave of hunger wash over him.

Diana sat at the dining table, across from Gresham and near Liam, though she sat at the far side of her chair. She had clipped the necklace around her neck and she noticed the stares that Liam kept sending it.

“If there’s something you need to say then say it sir. I’m only six.” She turned her now light blue-green eyes on Liam and bared her teeth in a manner she had learned from her short time alone with Scarlett.

“Where did you get that necklace? No one should have that necklace, it disappeared ten years ago with Hood.” Gresham froze and dropped his fork; he didn’t so much as move when it clattered noisily onto his plate. “Goodness, Gresham! Pick up your fork and close your mouth.” He stood up and raced towards his coat on the hanger, grabbing the keys, Diana hot on his heels, a giddy smile on her face. “Where are you going?”

“To go talk to Scarlett. She has some explaining to do.” He spat and ran towards his car, barely giving Diana enough time to jump in before he peeled out. “Diana you’re staying in the car, do you hear me?” Diana opened her mouth but Gresham interrupted her. “I don’t want to hear it. I have some things to say to her and I don’t need you in there.”

Diana rolled her eyes and unclasped the necklace. She leaned forward and held it out towards Gresham over the console. “You might need it. It has a lot of protection spells on it.” Gresham took it and looked at it, bringing his gaze back to the road.

“I know.” He shoved it in his pocket and took a sharp turn, cringing when he heard Diana hit the back of her seat. “You okay?” She nodded and Gresham stopped at a red light.

“You’re really obeying the law for a red light?” He nodded and Diana shook her head.

Liam watched as his son peeled out of the neighbor hood and picked up his phone, after pressing his speed dial he raised it to his ear. It was picked up on the first ring.

“He’s heading where you want him to. I hope you’re happy. You might just get my only son killed.” He grounded out and collapsed into his sofa.

“I’ll never be happy about this. But he deserves to know the truth. By the end of the night, your werewolf infestation will be done and I’ll be gone. He’ll know I was under his nose this whole time and I won’t be able to explain it to him.” Her voice hit him like a ton of bricks and he heard the cocking of a gun. “It’s the way the game plays out.” Her voice held no feeling and Liam cringed.

“How can you be so heartless? You used to love him, you let him believe that bullshit for ten years and now you go ahead and let him know the truth and disappear? He’ll be devastated.”

“I never said I stopped loving him.” Her voice broke and she took a deep breath before continuing. “Besides, it’s the only way for him to find out the truth from me. It has to be this way. He has to realize we would never happen. Just make sure he gets that video I made for him.” She paused and Liam ran a hand over his graying hair.

“What if you do make it out?” She chuckled at Liam’s ignorance.

“If I make it out, I will take your son up on his proposal and marry him.” She chuckled a moment longer before sobering up. “Not that he’s made it already. And I’ll give you five healthy grandchildren.” She hung up leaving Liam to listen to the dial tone.

“That bitch better make it out alive.” Liam grabbed the photo behind his head and looked at his long dead wife, Gresham and Hood. She had been like a daughter to him and this new discovery had been a gift to him, if only he had been allowed to tell Gresham. His son would probably not be going to watch the only person he’d ever love die all over again. “Damn it, Hood. You make everything so difficult!”

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Ahhhh! Next chapter's a fight, then we have some flashback chapters & one present day & finally an epilogue and this is finished. Comment/vote/fan/add/recommend. Thanks guys!