Ahh! I know, I'm back again! This one-shot was suggested by SmileBecuaseItHappened, so thank you so much! I'm super glad to be back and writing and ready for more fics. Enjoy, lovelies!
Cinder knocked lightly on the door before sliding open the door to reveal a small room with two bunks on opposite sides of the room. This was where Scarlet and Cress bunked, but Cress was in the cargo bay with Thorne and Kai, and Scarlet…
Scarlet was still on Luna.
Though Scarlet was on Luna and not on the Rampion, her bed was occupied by a depressed Wolf. He spent most of his days and nights laying there, Scarlet's red hoodie clasped tight in his hands. His eyes trained forward, focused on nothing in particular. He refused to socialize with anyone on most days. Occasionally he'd nod and shake his head while Cinder spoke to him. Maybe a word or two, but he was very quiet.
Cinder tried to relate to how he was feeling. Scarlet was gone. Cinder didn't know the extent of how far their relationship went, but he certainly cared a great deal for Scarlet. More than Cinder had thought.
She entered the room quietly. Wolf lay with a pillow under his head, his face buried in the red hoodie of Scarlet's.
"Wolf...?"Cinder padded quietly over to the side of the bunk where he lay. She knelt down beside him, frowning. He was unresponsive.
Cinder sighed and sat cross-legged, putting her hand on the bunk. He took deep, shuddering breaths. He must have been crying. Cinder knew he did cry, though it was silent. He didn't let anyone see him while he was weak and low. One night though, the week before, she had gotten through to him.
Cinder had woken up to a loud crash. There was a big thud, and then a howl. She jumped out of bed and threw on a t-shirt over her thin camisole, then left her bunk. She made her way cautiously to the cargo bay.
Three wooden crates were torn apart, boards on the ground beside them, as well as the contents of the crates. Canned goods were smashed and opened, all over the floor. Torn paper and fabric also joined the remains on the ground. Cinder tip-toed around the mess, and entered the hallway that led to the med bay.
Wolf was on his knees in the middle of the hallway, panting, his chest rising and falling extremely fast. He wore no shirt, and his jeans were ripped. Cinder could see blood on his fists, on his sharp nails. The wound on his arm from the month before was almost fully healed, and left a small scar. His head was on the ground, his arms bent on either side of his face. Not only was he a bloody mess, but he was crying.
Cinder was hesitant. She had heard his howl, so she didn't know whether the Wolf before her was entirely aware of his actions. She wasn't sure if he was himself, or a monstrous wolf-human-hybrid.
She loaded her finger dart quietly, just in case. With her metal foot first, she started towards the shaking, bleeding man.
Wolf's head snapped up towards her.
Cinder stopped immediately, eyes widening in fear. His eyes were full of rage and hatred, his teeth barred towards her. She knew that face. That was the face of a rabid animal, not of a human. She took a deep breath and swallowed. Cinder had known his bloodthirsty fury more than any one of her companions. Sybil had gotten him to attack her more than once, and she was nearly killed the second time. He was capable of snapping her neck before she could even take a breath. His strength, agility, and speed were terrifying.
While Cinder stood frozen in place, Wolf's eyes changed. Within seconds they were no longer fierce, but concerned and dazed. His face quickly restored to his normal features, his teeth now hidden behind closed lips.
Wolf slowly sat up, placing his back against the metal wall of the hallway. He wiped the tears from his face, smearing the blood from his hands onto his cheeks. His dark eyes were now sad, terribly sad and disappointed. Cinder removed the tranquilizer dart from her finger and put it back in its compartment in her palm. She made her way over to him as he steadied his breathing and dug his fingers into his skull.
"Hey, Wolf, it's okay." she whispered quietly. Cinder sat down beside him, placing a hand gingerly onto his shoulder. He let out a struggled sob and sucked in a breath.
"No, it isn't." The frustration in his voice was utterly heart-breaking.
Cinder frowned. This man had been in a perpetual distress since Scarlet had been taken. His smile had disappeared and his motivation had packed up with it. He had a breakdown every time he even heard someone speak about tomatoes. The once unbreakable, strong man had become a fragile, weak boy.
"We're going to get her back. We have a plan in the works and we will find her, Wolf. She's not dead. Don't lose hope." Cinder tried to comfort him the best that she could, but he was certain they had killed her or tortured her or locked her away.
He was positive that she was hurt and in pain and he couldn't bear it. The thought of her being prodded or burned or choked or worse drove him mad. His mind couldn't, wouldn't accept it. It was his job to protect her. They had established that. She was his alpha female. It was an instinct to keep her safe and protected and with him. But Scarlet was gone and dead or worse and he couldn't take it. It was his fault. And he couldn't live with himself.
Wolf didn't reply to Cinder, he just simply sniffed and took more deep breaths. Cinder got up slowly and went to the med bay for bandages. She returned shortly and sat in front of him, taking his hands into her lap. She began cleaning them.
"Tell me why you love her." Cinder said, her eyes not looking up from his bloody fingers. She used tweezers to remove the splinters he had gained by breaking the crates.
"How do you know if I—"
"You wouldn't be this distraught if you didn't love her. I know better than that, Wolf." Cinder glanced up at him and he sighed, training his eyes up at the ceiling.
"She's my alpha female—laugh all you want, but it's the truth. I…I was created to kill, to destroy. But she showed me that I didn't have to kill. I could defend and fight for what was right. Scarlet gave me a whole new perspective on things. I realized that I can take control and choose my own path. I didn't have to be a puppet, I could be the puppeteer. Not only did she help me find out who I truly was, but she cared about me. No one had ever cared about me. I was always just another lycanthrope operative. A soldier, destined to kill and be killed. And, then everything fell into place. I realized that I cared about her too. She was always stubborn and easily tempered, but I didn't care. Scarlet would get frustrated over the littlest things and I enjoyed arguing with her." He sighed, running a hand along his face.
"She's my alpha female and it's my job to protect her. If she's dead, then I failed her."
Cinder finished wrapping the bandages around his hands. She held them in hers and gave them a squeeze.
"She's lucky. When we get her back, I'd like to see anyone try to reach her before you do." she said, trying to lighten the mood. Cinder smile at him, letting go of his wrapped hands. She stood up. "We're going to need to clean the cargo bay, but that can wait until the morning. You should really get some sleep."
Wolf nodded silently, standing beside her. Cinder patted his shoulder before heading down the hallway.
"Cinder?"
She turned to look at him from the opposite of the hallway. "Yes?"
"Thank you." He scratched his ear and smiled weakly at her. Cinder beamed.
"Anything for the alpha male," she winked and went to return to her bunk.
After that night, Wolf was a lot more comfortable around Cinder. She was the only one who could convince him to join the group meetings, go to dinner, and even eat some food. They're bond as friends had grown a lot stronger than before.
"We got her." Cinder said, softly. "Thorne was successful in retrieving her. She's in the med bay now."
Wolf's head lifted. The red hoodie fell to his lap as he sat up. He watched Cinder quietly as he put the hoodie on the bed and stood, leaving the room without a word.
He padded down the hallway towards the med bay. Thorne and Cress were standing in the hallway, right in the doorway to a room. Thorne's hand gripped Cress's tightly.
She's in there, was all he could think. Wolf took a deep breath and picked up speed, reaching the end of the hall and muttering and "excuse me" before entering the small room.
His eyes had to adjust to the stark white room. White walls, white floors, white bed, white sheets, white chair, white table, white machines. But in the midst of all the white was a pop of color.
A girl with bright red hair wearing jeans and a bloody blue t-shirt.
Wolf's breath caught as he stared at her. His legs quit moving and his eyes quit blinking. He swallowed and tried to speak, but no words formed. He was mute. His eyes kept running all over her, making sure she was really there. He blinked. Scarlet was there.
Scarlet was here.
She glanced up at him after he had stood there for a moment. Her face lit up, a grin replacing her indifferent expression. Iko was wrapping a bandage around her right hand and on her left side. Wolf tentatively stepped forward and Scarlet put her hand on Iko's, whispering a few words to her. Iko nodded and smiled at her, exiting the room. The door clicked shut.
Scarlet stood from the bed, trying not to wince unsuccessfully. Wolf practically ran to her side, placing a hand onto her waist gently, holding her steady. He was in shock. He was touching her. She was real!
Wolf turned his head towards hers and she looked back at him, her eyes searching his.
"Hi."
Wolf's face lit up like the sun. He let out a sound of disbelief and spun her towards him, gripping her tightly. Scarlet was in an immense amount of pain in her side, but she wrapped her arms tightly around him, inhaling his scent, burying her face in his shoulder. Wolf was nearly in tears, elated. His hands held her, terrified she would disappear. He was scared her body would disintegrate into nothing or fall apart entirely. But she was there. She was real.
Scarlet sniffed and held onto him for a long, long time.
"You're never leaving me again." Wolf said, sternly. "I don't care if it's for a minute or a second. You're never leaving my side ever, ever again." His eyes brimmed with tears. He took a deep breath and relished in their reunion. She smelled the same. Like vanilla. He spent countless nights holding that hoodie and basking in her scent.
Scarlet laughed and pulled back from him to see his face, but Wolf held on to her. He was never going to let go of her again.
But Scarlet pulled away from him enough to crash her lips onto his.
And it was like time had slowed.
Wolf's hands made their way into her curls, as Scarlet's cupped his face. They were the only two people in the entire world. Wolf had waited for this exact moment. He had dreamed of this day for over a month. His heart had ached for weeks, just wanting to be with her. Even if it was only for a second, he just wanted to see her, hold her, kiss her. He couldn't explain the joy he felt in this moment.
Scarlet pulled away and Wolf rested his forehead on hers, his breathing quickening. "I love you, Scarlet. I'm so sorry I never told you, but I love you. More than anything."
"I love you, too." Scarlet grinned, and Wolf's expression mirrored hers. Their breaths mingled in the short space between the two of them as Cinder, Thorne, and Cress quietly came into the room.
Cinder was smiling, as well as Cress. Cress hugged Thorne's side, who looked slightly unamused.
"So, what, are you married now?"
Woo! Hope you guys liked it! Sorry if Wolf was too baby-ish, I tried to incorporate how much pain he was feelings, so he was very dramatic, ahaha. But thanks for reading! I love hearing your opinions and ideas for new stories, so review! I love you all!