Page 33 of Red's Beast

After that, everything went dark, and I woke up in this form on the ground by the creek. Natalia was gone, and so was the cloak.

I searched high and low, even stumbling all the way to my family’s house, only to find it abandoned.

Everything I knew and loved was gone in an instant.

I glance down at the scars on my paws through the fur. Those are from trying to escape my forest domain. It took a while, but eventually I gave up and now I’m left with only reminders. The only comfort I have had over the years is thinking that a white wolf will save and the dreams of Lillian since.

As I let out a deep sigh, I look at the alpha house. If only I could tell her what happened to me.

Something catches my attention between the houses. It’s only a glimpse of a cloak, but it’s dark and almost smoke in color, something like Natalia once wore.

I haven’t seen her since that night, but sometimes I swear I catch glimpses of her, like right now.

Eventually, the cloaked individual appears in between the houses again and I watch her head straight for the alpha’s house. Only then does she flick back the hood and I see Alana, Nigel’s mate.

For the first time, I see her in a new light and wonder why the sudden change.

I shake my head to dismiss the intrusive thoughts.It’s nothing. I’m only thinking of Natalia because of my trip down memory lane.

Lillian

It takes about an hour for Corbin to return and find an old basket in their cabinets. The poor thing is riddled with dust, but he cleans it off and packs some things from their refrigerator.

He grabs my hand and finds a blanket on the way out the door.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask as he pulls me out the kitchen door and into a private yard.

He rolls out the red and white checkered blanket without saying a word. It takes him a few minutes before he looks at me as he smooths it out completely.

Corbin motions for me to come join him on the blanket. I do so, but slowly, before dropping down to open the lid of the basket. There is a various assortment of meats and cheeses and off to the side is dessert.

“You brought cheesecake?”

He plops down on the blanket and stretches out his legs before glancing up at me. “Yes. I heard it is something you enjoy.”

Just as I’m about to ask a question, I notice the intensity of his gaze, which causes me to close my mouth.

“Nothing to say to me, little alpha?” His gaze moves down from my face and lingers on my body for a moment before he jerks it back to meet my gaze. “You could simply say thank you.”

“Thank you,” I whisper.

They tumble out of my lips before I can stop myself. I’m in a state of disbelief, and just not myself.

He has caused me so much torment over the years, but here he is now, being nice to me.

Most days, I’d rather cut off a certain body part of his than look at him.

My wolf surges to the surface, surprising me. She is extremely displeased with me being here.

I allow my gaze to drift to the side as I distract myself before she intrudes further. “It looks like you have thought of everything, including napkins.”

“I can do some things, you know? You may think differently because of what my father has put you through, but it’s not like that at all.”

I simply nod as I glance into the basket and grab some plates. Once they are on the blanket, it seems like he busies himself straightening a corner out.

After I dig everything out of the basket, I sit back on my heels and wait. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do, and it’s not like I have ever eaten first around anyone except my grandmother. Normally, I am one of the last ones who gets a plate, if I even get one.

But then it was strongly suggested that I shouldn’t attend pack events, so I stopped going entirely.

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