Chapter 13: The Red Hoods Are Coming

Dawn broke brightly over the tent. Willow squinted against the glare. She looked over and realized that she was pressed against Garin’s back. They must have moved together sometime during the night as if attached by a magnetic force.

Part of her didn’t want to leave. There was something fragile and tenuous between them here. Their families didn’t seem to matter. Who and what they were didn’t matter? It was just them. The few minutes she had spent alone with him had been more electrifying than the many years she had spent with anyone else.

The initial danger that she had felt when they first met was gone. Perhaps it would be the death of her, but she found she didn’t care. Sitting beside him last night, almost kissing him, made her feel more alive than she ever had. Perhaps it was the forbidden nature of him that so drew her to him. She knew that nothing good could come from it but here she was, playing with fire.

She peeked outside of the tent. It was light enough for them to get going. She awkwardly reached out a hand and grasped his shoulder. He jolted awake, his eyes searching the tent until they rested on hers, a smile automatically stretching across his lips. The lips she so craved to touch.

“We should probably get going before they send out a search crew,” she said, stuffing her sleeping bag back into its sack.

“Ah, yes. That,” he replied and helped pack up the rest of the camping gear.

“Are you feeling well enough to walk?” she asked and slung the backpack over her shoulder. He was touched by her concern and gave her a smile with a nod. “Great, let's go! Here!” she tossed him a protein bar.

He ate it while they walked, enjoying the quiet of the mountain morning. A few birds sang in the neighboring trees but other than the river rushing below them, they were alone. Willow studied him slyly as they descended down the winding path, less treacherous now that it wasn’t raining.

“Where did you go to college?” she asked him.

“Hmm?” she had pulled him from his thoughts.

“College, where did you go? For your undergrad?”

“University of Montana. I studied Literature much to my parents’ chagrin,”

“Oh?” she said, interested to hear more about him. She knew with each step they were getting closer to town and farther from her fantasy.

“Yeah they wanted me to be a lawyer,” he said with a grimace.

“Criminal defense?” she asked teasingly. He chuckled.

“I wish. Corporate of course. More money,”

“Gotcha,” she said, turning inwards again.

“What about you?” he asked, increasing his stride to walk next to her now that they were off of the cliff.

“I didn’t go to college,” she said, a note of sadness in her voice.

“But you wanted to?” he asked, curious. She bobbed her head. “Why didn’t you go?”

“The time was never right and then I opened the café,” she stated. Garin was enthralled with her. She didn’t seem to feel sorry for herself at all, rather just accepting things as they happened. He found her fascinating. He wanted to know more about her. An image of a man passed through his mind.

“That woman with you, is your sister?” she asked, her cheeks flaming. He grinned widely.

“Yes, she is older than me by three years and very nosy.”

“How many siblings do you have?” she asked, even though she knew the answer. She just wanted to keep talking to him.

“Three Two brothers, one sister. What about you?”

“Only child.”

“What are your parents like?” he asked her. No one had mentioned them since he had been in town and he was curious. A spasm of hurt passed through her eyes.

“I never met my dad. He died before I was born, and my mom passed away when I was four. I was raised by my grandmother,”

“I’m so sorry,” he said, his hand reaching for hers. She let him hold it and gave him a sweet smile.

“It’s okay. It’s been a long time.”

“Soooo, that guy you were with the other night,” he said, his own face beet red as he stared in the other direction.

“Oh, Lyall? He’s…it’s complicated. I’ve known him my whole life. He is a friend of the family,” she replied quickly.

“So, you two aren’t together?”

“Not willingly,” she replied with a scowl and he let out a bark of laughter. She giggled and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Well, that is good news, I suppose,” he replied. She suddenly stopped. He walked a few steps forward before he realized that she had frozen behind. “What is it?” he asked, his eyebrows drawing together in concern. She closed the distance between them, and he reached for her hand again.

“This is going to sound weird and I don’t want to get into it now, but I smell something,” her eyes were clouded with worry.

“Like what? A bear?” A harsh laugh escaped her.

“Worse, your family,” his body stilled, and he could hear them now. Their voices bounced off of the walls on either side of them. “They’re close,” she knew she wouldn’t be able to run away in time without shifting but she wouldn’t violate the treaty. Instead, she just had to wait.

####

Weyland was tired of hiking. He was furious with Garin, going off on his own so close to enemy territory. That boy was an idiot. It was bad enough he shirked the family duties but to flaunt his disregard so openly…his blood boiled.

His two other sons walked behind him, their eyes trained on the trees, their bows at their sides.

“See anything yet?” he asked them. They both shook their heads slightly.

“The storm washed away any tracks. I doubt that he would have made it this far. Garin isn’t exactly the outdoors type,” Silas said, snidely. Miles chuckled.

“Let’s just hope he hasn’t been eaten, shall we?” their father snapped back, and they quieted. Weyland still held hope that his middle child would come around to their family legacy eventually. Maybe once he finished with his ridiculous educational pursuits. Ava had suggested giving him one of the new apartments they were building in town. Perhaps that would work.

“Do you smell that?” Silas said, stopping his father. He froze and lifted his head. The wind carried a very subtle scent. A spicy, dangerous scent. They knocked their bows and Weyland drew his small pistol from his waistband.

“Come on. Hopefully, it is just one of them.” He said and they started forward, cautiously walking around a bend in the river. Twenty feet ahead was Garin! And one of them. Weyland's eyes roved from his son to the fact that his hand was clasped between the dirty fingers of a shifter.

“Garin!” he roared. The shifter’s eyes snapped to his and withdrew her hand quickly from Garin’s taking a small step back. He knew she wouldn’t change now. It was forbidden and he didn’t think they wanted to break the treaty

“Go, it’s fine,” she whispered in his ear and disappeared into the thick forests. He watched her go before facing his glowering father and brothers.

“We have to talk,” his father snapped and turned around, his pistol still at the ready.