Out of everything Redd was expecting when she walked through her door, it definitely was not this. Confusion, fear, sadness, any of those would have done, she was ready for it. What she wasn't ready for was Granny and some guy to be sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for her.

Redd walked in the house, and set her bag on the floor, and made her way to the fridge.

"Granny, I'm-…" Redd stopped mid-sentence and looked between the two. "Who the hell are you?"

The man looked up from his coffee mug, at Redd.

Granny looked at Redd and laughed slightly. "What are you wearing, Redd?"

Redd took an involuntary step back, her jaw clenching, and a rush running through her. There was something about his eyes that made Redd's skin crawl. She wasn't sure yet if it was good or bad.

"Redd? That your name? Hello, I'm James."

James had bright, forest green eyes and a strong build.

The way that Granny was looking him over made Redd's stomach flip.

Redd focused back on James and crossed her arms, her hip popping out in a standard annoyed-female kind of way.

"What are you doing in my house, James?" Redd sneered and for some odd reason, really wanted Hayden at her side.

James set his mug down and stood, towering over the teenager. He was at least six inches taller than her and he wasn't afraid to use his overbearing ability against Redd. After all, she was going to be in his way, one way or another.

"This is your Grandmother's house, kid. Not yours. You just live here."

Redd held her ground as James walked closer to her. Her eye met his and she felt a sharp spark jolt through her spine. She had to bite back a growl. He was right, this was Granny's house, not hers, but that didn't stop her from thinking of it as her territory, and he was on her turf and attempting to claim it. Her wolf knew that and was begging to rip him apart. Redd wasn't sure what she wanted to do. All she knew what that she had to talk to Granny, and that this guy pissed her off with one sentence. He had to go, so she could talk to Gran.

James just smiled at her lack of response. "Thought so…" his tone was mocking.

Redd's body flushed with angered heat as she glared up at the man in front of her. The only thing she wanted to do right now was punch his lights out.

She pictured herself knocking him to the ground and punching his face in until there was nothing left but a bloody mess. But she knew if she did, Granny's wrath would be worse. Hell hath no fury, and this guy was pushing it.

James laughed and looked back at Granny. "Well Marie, I should really be off. I have matters to attend to."

Granny quickly stood and waved goodbye. "Goodbye James! I hope to see you again very soon, D-…" Granny gave him an uneasy laugh as he pushed past Redd, nearly knocking her over, and left.

Once the door slammed shut Redd rounded on a love-struck Granny. "What the hell was that? Who the &%$ is he and why, for the love of the gods, are you so hung up on that ^$(#^$% prick anyway?" Redd, needless to say, was irate.

Granny blinked in surprise at her granddaughter's outburst and tilted her head slightly. Granny's eyes flashed with an anger Redd had never seen and she stepped back, her hands half up ready to block anything that might happen.

"Katherine, I suggest that you watch your tongue about that man. He is more than you think and you owe him."

Redd stood straight up again and let her arms hang to her sides, her hands clenched into fists.

"Bullshit, Granny. I owe him nothing." Redd stood her ground, which is something Granny was not expecting.

Granny walked out of the room. She was used to Redd letting things go when she was mad. She walked down the hall in to her room shutting and locking the door. She sat on her bed and sighed, looking down at her hands. Was she seeing things, or did Redd have yellow eyes? It must have been a trick of the light, because Redd had golden brown eyes, not yellow. Granny puffed out another sigh as she opened her side table drawer and pulled out a picture frame with a picture of a young man in it. The man was smiling, cheerful. He had dark hair and kind eyes. A young woman was standing next to him, she had blonde hair and was staring up at the man lovingly.

Redd waited until Granny was out of ear shot and threw a fist into the wall, leaving a hole. Redd's golden eyes faded to their normal honey-brown and she stared, surprised, at the hole she had just made in the wall. Redd couldn't stay in the house any longer. It still reeked of James' scent and it was only angering her again. She took off her red hoodie and stepped outside into the chilled air. She looked down at the clothes she was wearing and scowled. They were still the ugly baggy clothes from the Lost "N" Found at school. She tore off into the woods, her bare feet hitting the ground silently, and she ran aimlessly until she had to stop from the fire in her lungs. She looked around at her surroundings. They were familiar, sort of. Maybe. She felt a surge of hot moist air hit the back of her neck and blow her hair around, in front of her face. Redd stiffened and turned around to come face-to-face with a large dirt-brown wolf with dark green eyes. "Oh, shit…" Redd stepped back, the wolf advancing on her.

Time to teach the new pup a lesson in manners. The wolf growled and laughed darkly as it started to circle her.

Redd never took her eyes off the wolf, even as her pulse started to race once more.

I can hear your heart beat. You're scared aren't you? He laughed again, and Redd thought she recognized the voice. There was no wind so she couldn't get a scent off of him. Redd lowered herself into a defensive stance and growled. "Sorry mister, but you're out of luck if you think I'm going to make this easy."

The wolf seemed to grin. I'm hoping you don't.

Something about that statement gave Redd chills.

Chills? Wait? "James?"

Redd barely had enough time to get the name out when the wolf jumped at her.

"Yipes!" Redd ducked and took off running again the wolf chasing after her. She couldn't shift as quickly as she needed to. Damn it.

When was this day going to be over?