Little Red (27 page)

I receive two extremely hard kicks; so hard that it is nearly unbelievable.

Her belly is harder and rounder, and the twins are obviously much bigger and stronger
than I remember.

I push myself slowly against her as I rest my hand on her belly.

How could I have not realized just how pregnant my Red has gotten? I was so caught
up in the Kentucky pack, the rage, and the fight to protect her.

How could I have forgotten just to love her? I bury my face in her hair and inhale
deeply.

I fight myself not to think.

I close my eyes as I receive a few more kicks to my hand.

I relax myself by the calmness of her breathing and the kicks that I receive from
the babies as I drift to sleep next to her

* * * * * *

I wake to the sound of Red stirring in the bed.

A dusty blue light from the rising sun is finally starting to settle in the room as
she lets out a little groan

“Ian?” Her voice is soft and quite comforting.

The only hurt I feel is that she said my brother’s name and not my own

“Red.” I feel my own husky voice crackle as she slowly moves to turn

“Ethan,” she breathes as she gazes around the room, “Where’s Ian?”

“He’s asleep, right against the door,” I say.

“I feel him.

He never left you.”

“Ethan.”

I shake my head.

“Please, don’t.

I’m so sorry, Red.

I should have sensed you were overwhelmed.

I should have paid more attention to you.

Anyone in their right might would have gone nuts, too.

You just needed time to yourself,” I say.

“Ian understood that, when I didn’t.

I should have never said what I said.

If you want to just smack me, I understand.”

She shakes her head.

“I don’t want to smack you.”

I sigh with relief.

“I’ve missed so much, Red.

My focus should have been on you.”

“It was,” she says finally

I shake my head.

“Not that way.

About being with you, the twins.” I feel my voice crackle.

“I’m in love with you, Red,” I finally say.

“I love you.”

Her mouth drops slightly, and I can suddenly tell that was the last thing she expected

“I...Ethan, I…” She pauses and her blue eyes find mine.

“I love you, too.”

I can no longer contain myself.

I engulf her lips with mine and throw my arms around her.

I feel a kick from her belly to my own as I run my hands up to her hair.

I hear her let out a soft sigh as she pulls away

“Ethan,” she says, “you really can never do that again.”

“I know.

I’m an asshole, and I wish I could take it all back,” I tell her.

“I should have never said what I did to you, or Ian.”

“I’m serious, Ethan.

I can’t do this again,” she repeats, giving me a serious look that I have never seen
from her before

“And, you should never have to,” I tell her.

“I was a complete idiot.”

She gives me a little laugh that makes me relax.

“Is Ian really outside the door, or did you kick the life out of him?”

“I swear,” I say, leaving my spot in the bed.

“Look.” I open the door and side step as Ian, still fast asleep, crashes to the floor

“Christ, Ethan!” he yells groggily.

“What the hell are you doing?”

I laugh, looking down at him.

“When this one makes a promise, he makes a promise.”

I hear Red laugh as she looks down at Ian.

He finally rolls to his belly to pull himself up.

“What time is it?” he asks

“Too early,” I say

He looks at Red.

“You doing okay?”

She gives him a slight nod.

“Yeah.

I feel a little bit better, anyway.”

“Are we all lovey-dovey in this room?” Ian asks.

“Because if not, I will steal her from you, Ethan.” He points a finger at me

I laugh.

“We’re all lovey-dovey.” I look at Red.

“At least, I really hope we are.”

She smiles and finally gives me a nod.

“But, if you mess up again, I’m taking him up on his offer.”

I laugh.

“I won’t mess up again.

It’s Red and the babies first.

But, we have to keep them safe,” I say.

“And next time you need a minute alone, Red, don’t be afraid to ask.”

She gives me a nod

“That still doesn’t take care of the full moon in just a few nights,” Ian says, “and,
the Kentucky pack.”

I nod and let out a breath.

“I know.”

“Their scent could be mixing well, since they’ve been here so long,” Ian points out

“I know.” That’s the scary part, I think

I get a surprise when we finally trail downstairs and James has a cup of hot tea waiting
for me.

I sigh and happily accept it as he helps me sink into his recliner

“It’s lavender and chamomile; should help you stay relaxed.” I feel his fingers lift
my chin as he finally inspects my marks.

“Going to be hard to keep our control with these guys,” he says, looking at Ian and
Ethan

“Our biggest concern is Ethan,” Eli says, trailing from one of the hallways.

“He has to hold the boys before the curse will be broken.” I look up and into Eli’s
eyes.

He and Maggie both want a family.

They want children of their own, so deeply it hurts, but he couldn’t bear to pass
such rage on to his own.

Their entire future is riding on Ethan and his self-control

“Ethan will be fine,” I say.

“I know he can do this.” I finally have a sip of the tea that James was kind enough
to make

“That blonde one,” Colt says.

“I messed him up pretty badly.

They won’t stand for that.

He’s the youngest.

He’s their Ethan.”

“The Alpha won’t stand for it,” Trent says.

“I can feel that much.

But, he’s older… much older.

I have a feeling he’d be a weak one in a fight.”

“A fight?” I ask.

My eyes shift from one brother to the next.

“You can’t actually be planning to fight them!” I cry out, standing up as quickly
as I can.

“Are all of you completely insane?”

“Red,” Trent starts, “we have to stand our ground.

We have to be willing to defend our territory.

Ethan has to show them he will stand up to them.

He will defend you as his.”

“Is that really what has to be done?” I ask.

“Can’t you just try to talk it out?”

“Talk it out?” Ethan finally speaks.

“One of them tried to rape you, Red! And, would have done God only knows what else.”
He shakes his head.

“Did you see what he did to you, Red?’

I look at him and see the rage flash across his eyes.

“See.

That’s why you can’t let him fight.

You can’t.”

“You just said you knew I could control myself,” he tells me

“That was before I knew you were going to purposely fight them, Ethan!” I look down.

“Do you know what they could do to you? To any of you? What would happen to the babies?”

“Okay,” Trent says, walking over to me.

“We all need to relax.

Just calm down,” he says, making me sit down in the recliner again with a light push.

“We’re grown men.

Obviously, these guys were out for a fight to begin with.

But, they won’t stand for what Colt did to their own.” Everyone’s eyes lock on him.

“We have to hunker down.

Watch Red like a hawk.

We’ll only fight if they call us out.”

James nods.

“I think he’s right,” he says.

“We don’t need to over excite her.

She’s too pregnant.”

Ethan’s eyes lock on mine, and he nods.

“I’m relying on you all to keep her and my sons safe.”

“Sons,” Ian huffs.

“We’ve been through this.

They’re girls.”

I laugh as I reach for Ian’s hand.

At this very moment I couldn’t be more thankful for him and the other brothers.

Not only do they have to protect me, they have to watch Ethan, too

It’s truly amazing what the full moon can do to people.

Mine and Ethan’s house is so filled with testosterone that I can barely see straight.

The pull that the moon has on the twins is strong enough that I have to force myself
to be calm.

To make matters worse, I feel quite strange.

My back has an almost unbearable ache.

My lower belly is beginning to show signs of an unusual cramp.

Not to mention, I’m just simply uncomfortable

I feel James’ hand on my shoulder.

“You okay, honey?”

“It’s just my back,” I say.

“Carrying these two around is hard work.”

He laughs as he pushes Ethan over to me, who sits on the couch next to me.

He guides me to where he can easily rub my lower back, and I immediately feel relief

“That’s a whole lot better.” Trent laughs

I give them a nod as I stare at the TV.

Ian has been mindlessly flipping channels.

Eli and Trent have been running over the piles of books that Ethan has collected.

Aaron and Colt have positioned themselves at the windows and haven’t moved an inch
to my surprise.

James and Ethan have been spending their time making me comfortable.

After Ethan’s rage episode, the past few nights have been quiet and peaceful, and
he’s been more than attentive.

When the strange tightening hits my lower belly again, I manage to push through it
but make a strange face

“You sure you’re okay, Red?” I hear Ian say, who seems to be the only one who caught
my strange, twisted face

I nod.

“Just sore is all,” I say.

“I am thirty-five weeks pregnant.

That’s enough to make anyone sore.”

Ethan laughs as he begins working more on my lower back.

I look at the clock; it can’t possibly happen tonight, not now.

Ethan hits such a wonderful spot that I open my mouth and push out a long sigh

“Keep that up, and you’re giving us all back rubs,” Aaron jokes from the window

I look up to see Trent pass James a strange look.

I’m careful enough to watch James pass the look to Aaron and Colt, who become more
vigilant on the windows.

Eli gives Trent a discreet nod, who in turn passes the little nod to Ethan, who gives
my spot a push filled with relief

I shake my head.

“I’m not stupid.” I look at Trent.

“I see what you’re doing!”

“Red, they’re here,” Trent says

I shake my head.

“No, no, no.

Not tonight.” I turn slightly to face Ethan.

The corners of his lips point downward.

“Not tonight.”

“Honey,” I hear James say.

“They’re here.

We have to.”

“You don’t understand,” I say.

“Not tonight.”

“I know, Red, but I have to go.

But, I’m not leaving you alone.”

My mouth drops.

“Ethan, please, you don’t understand.”

He touches my face tenderly.

“I can’t let them hurt you.”

I feel the strange tightening again, which causes me to make another face

“Red, I’ll be fine.” I hear Ethan’s voice in my ear as his arms envelop me.

He brushes the hair from my face and stands with his brothers

“Ethan,” I say

“I’ll stay with Red,” Ian says.

“I’m not leaving her.”

Ethan gives him a nod as they begin trailing down the stairs from the loft one by
one.

I scurry to my feet and follow with Ian a few steps behind me

“Ethan, you can’t.

Not tonight,” I say again

“I know, it’s the full moon,” he tells me.

“But Red, we have to.

I have to.

They are expecting me.”

My eyes shift to James, whom I expect and hope to talk some sense into Ethan.

“Honey, he’s the one they’re calling out.”

“We’re only his back up,” Trent says.