Page 5 of Red's Beast

She scoffs, but then she looks down and her snooty expression changes. Realization flashes in her eyes. “I guess I should tell him to calm down. He gets a little too excited when I’m here. Anyway, get done and get out. You know what tonight is.”

I dip the brush into the bucket and then slam it down on the floor. “Like I said, I will gladly get done and get out of here.”

As I look down, I hear her heels click as she walks off and I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s probably going to take me all day, but I definitely don’t want to be here tonight. Corbin usually sneaks off with Ophelia and comes home.

I just don’t want to know what they get into. Not my wolf, not my business.

My hands clutch the brush hard as I scrub the floor and think about tonight.

When the moon is at its fullest, Alpha Nigel will lead the pack on the monthly run. All of us participate, except for me and my grandmother.

In some ways, I’m glad we don’t. I personally think it’s foolish because it’s not like we can actually sprint on the path in the woods that is near the territory line. It’s been around two hundred years since anyone has done that, which is why I find the run pointless.

Instead, they run within ten feet of the woods while remaining in the village’s clearing, so nothing can reach out and snatch them.

“You are annoying, did you know that? Did you even hear what I just said?” Speaking of the devil lady, there’s her voice again.

I stop brushing and sit on my heels again. It seems like the only peace I will ever feel is when I’m dreaming or while I’m at my grandmother’s cottage. “Yes, Ophelia. I heard your nonstop screeching. The floors will be clean and I will be gone, but you have to leave me alone so I can get my job done.”

“How dare you talk to me like that? When I'm the alpha female, you won’t be here. Your time is limited.” She snarls and stomps off, her heels clicking again across the floor.

I snicker under my breath as I realize she is gullible enough to believe Corbin. Maybe if she wasn’t so full of herself, then she might know when someone lies to her. She couldn’t even tell that I lied when I said I heard every single word.

Over the next while, I frantically scrub the floors as I try to get them done as quickly as I can. Of course, I have to refrain from gagging as I scrape and scrub the puddles of liquid that seem to be hardening on the floor.

Once I work myself backward into the kitchen, I carefully examine the room and feel satisfied with how it looks. Then I toss the brush into the water bucket.

Before I can even get up on my feet, Corbin comes in with muddy boots from behind me and leaves a trail of it toward the stairs near the doorway. He heads up them with the biggest smileacross his face because he knows what he has done and is proud of the mess.

“I hate this,” I whisper under my breath.

Instead of scrubbing the entire floor again, I move the bucket with me as I walk on my knees to the boot prints. I clean them one by one until I reach the stairs.

Clicking in the kitchen alerts me to Ophelia’s arrival again. She must have come through the kitchen door. The sound of her heels stops somewhere in the kitchen where I can’t see.

I finish up the last spot right as I hear heaving breathing, followed by a loud crashing sound and then a banging against the wall.

My face heats as I realize what is going on. I hurry to put the bucket in its place and stand to grab my things.

There are a few more bangs in rapid succession and I can’t get out of the house fast enough.

I throw on my cloak. “You have got to be kidding me,” I say as I tie it under my chin. “I’m still here, you idiots.”

I do one last check around the floor before considering it complete, then head for the front door. After throwing the door open, I step outside and inhale fresh air into my lungs.

Oh, beautiful, clean fresh air.

I gulp it down greedily and am so thankful to no longer be in the house with all the weird smells.

Without a second thought, I quickly race toward my small cabin in hopes that I can get things ready before heading to grandmother’s cottage. My house is only about a hundred feet from the alpha house so I make it in no time and open the door.

I take one step inside, but feel chills running up my spine. My gaze moves toward the woods, even though they seem peaceful right now. Oddly, I feel a lingering presence there, like something is watching me from them.

Something inside of me pulls, almost as if there is someone in the woods beckoning me to come to them. My eyes flutter as I fight the feeling and shove it away. “No, there’s nothing there. Grandmother is right and I’m crazy to believe the rumors.”

Beast

I watch on from the woods, uncertain of what I’ll see today. Normally, the only thing I witness is the pack members bustling around and mostly enjoying their day to day life. Sadly, all I can do is watch from my prison in the woods.

---