Chapter 17

Red blinked her eyes open, rolling over, groaning in her sleeping bag as she looked into the eyes of Wolf. They danced in the upcoming light, fangs showing as he spoke, "Red, come on. Get up," he whispered.

"What? What is it?" she asked, sitting up, yawning. "Is something wrong?"

Wolf took a brief moment to look over her. After all, it wasn't every day you saw her without her hood on.

Answering, he shook his head. "No, well, not really. I just," he pressed his lips together, "I wanted to talk to you."

Hearing the serious note in his voice, Red furrowed her brows for a moment before nodding. "Okay. Give me a second."

More than happy to oblige, Wolf darted from the tent, heart pounding much too loud.

Red changed out of her pajama bottoms into her clothes, strapping her hood over her head. She jumped through the tent flap, greeted by the warm smell of dawn approaching.

Wolf faced her in his usual blue hoodie, the hood drawn up over his own head, giving him an innocent look. Red laughed to herself. He blinked. "What? There's not something on my face is there?"

She chuckled quietly, bumping him with her shoulder, "It's nothing."

He didn't press the matter, leading her through the forest, "Follow me," he whispered, nimbly jumping through the thickly twined trees. He expertly grabbed branches, leaping over wet ferns and dodging rocks. Red kept up with him fine, a little excited by this morning adventure.

At last Wolf stopped. Red came up to him, calm as ever. She couldn't see his face, being blocked by the hood and some strands of hair in the way.

"Wolf?" she murmured, stepping a little closer. "Is everything okay?"

He sighed, giving a quick flick of his head so the hood fell back to his shoulders. He took a moment to breathe in the fresh morning air. It revived him for a moment, giving him the energy to speak. "I-I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" she asked gently, placing a hand on his arm.

For a moment, fear scratched over his features. He cleared his throat quietly, licking his lips. With a tremulous voice, he murmured out, "It's my fault."

Red blinked, "What's your fault?"

Wolf clenched his fists. He grit his teeth together, the tips of his fangs pinpricking his lower lip. He breathed out, "Your parents."

The girl stared. "Yeah. So? What about them?" What would her parents have to do with anything?

"It's my fault," he repeated slowly, as if she didn't understand, because to be honest, she didn't.

Red furrowed her eyebrows down. "Wait. What are you talking about?" Her hand slid from Wolf's arm, confusion beginning to clot her mind.

As if frustrated with the truth, Wolf gained the courage to look her right in the eyes. "I'm the reason your parents are dead."

Her eyebrows took the rollercoaster ride up her forehead, "Wolf you weren't even there. How would you have done something that made them die?"

He grabbed her shoulders, as if trying to make her understand by this movement alone. Shocked, Red stared in confusion. Wolf spoke out roughly, "Red, you don't understand. Remember that wolf that jumped out in front of the car, chasing the deer?"

Realization dawned on Red's face. The shock contorted into an instant fury. "You're sick, Wolf. Sick. Why would you even say that?" She brushed away from him, stalking back towards the forest. "I opened up to you about my past and you're just going to shove it in my face? Wow. I thought you were better than that!"

Wolf stared at her in shock, not expecting this reaction at all. She turned away. As she did, Wolf had a sudden fear he would lose her forever. She needed to know. She needed to understand that it was his fault. But how could he-

"Red, wait. Come back," he called.

"No way. I'm going back to camp."

Wolf swallowed, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Red," he called, voice a whimper. "Please."

"Good bye, Wolf." She didn't look back.

Leaning back his head, holding back his instinct to howl in grief, he spoke in a near whisper, "Anne. Please listen to me."

Red stopped. The muscles in her arms tightened, aching as she spoke with deliberate slowness. "What did you say?" she whispered.

"Anne, please."

Carefully, Red turned back to him, tears forming in her eyes, "How do you know that name?" She tried to make her voice hard with authority, but it came out a weak murmur. "I haven't been called that since, since-"

"Since after your parents died? Since you asked your granny to stop calling you that?"

Red felt her throat clamp up as she took a step back. "How would you know-"

"A week after your parents died, I went to the grave site to beg for forgiveness from them. You and your granny were there. That's when you asked her to stop calling you Anne." Wolf stepped forward, bare feet sliding over the earth as he continued, "It's when you began to wear your hood all the time, because your mother made it for you, right?"

Wolf met teary eyes to Red's, whispering out, "I know because I was there, Red. I saw everything. Ever since that day with the crash I've never been able to shake the guilt. I-" he swallowed, choking on his words, "I'd do anything for you, anything to repay what your parents did for me. I was so, so stupid." He placed his hands over his face, "I regret every second since I've lived. They had lives to live, a kid to raise and I took that away from them all because I wanted to impress some she- wolf. I'm not even supposed to be alive."

He could have gone on for hours, trying to explain himself to her, confess on how much he owed her parents. He could tell her of when he swore to do everything to protect her after they joined the HEA, and how fast it took him to figure out she could hold her own.

"Red, I know I can say sorry, but sorry just isn't enough. Nothing will ever be enough." She stared at him in shock as he got to his hands and knees in front of her, staring intently at the ground away from her eyes. "But on my knees I beg for your forgiveness. Please." His trembling hands grabbed the bottom her pants, fist curling. "I know I can't pay my debt, not through all the pain you've been through, but I'll do anything."

Trembling at this revelation, Red sat down where a stump conveniently sat. She looked mechanically to Wolf, who finally lifted his teary eyed gaze to stare at her, eyes pleading, begging for closure.

"Thi-This is so much to take in," she whispered.

His eyebrows scrunched together as he moved his head down to touch it to her knee. "I understand," he whispered.

Without realizing it, Red moved her hands forward, her fingers smoothing through his slick hair. His shoulders deflated down at her touch, his hand grabbing her calf as if trying to stabilize himself. He waited, trembling in fear of her answer, wondering how he would be received.

Wolf stiffened, breath softly catching as her hands held his face. Bending down, Red pressed her lips to his head, kissing his hair.

Tears began to flow down his face as she whispered out two words, "Thank you."

Wolf began to shake as he cried on Red's knees, crystal tears trailing from his eyes. Red tilted Wolf's head, kissing his temple with feather soft lips. "I'm glad you told me this Wolf. I feel like I can move on now, move forward from their death. They can be at peace."

She brushed his bangs behind his ears, speaking gently to him, "Wolf, I forgive you."

Lifting his head, Wolf looked in her large, gentle eyes. She groomed her fingers through his bangs again, looking lovingly to him. "You're not mad at me?" he whispered.

"At a face like that?" she teased, her hand resting on his cheek. "Never."

Suddenly Wolf's eyes opened wide. He heard a voice in his mind, speaking gently to him, "You need to be the decider of your own fate, of course, but remember one thing: Love will always find a way to throw someone in your life, whether you want it or not."

Wolf blushed upon this thought. Why all of a sudden did he want to kiss her?

Brushing aside this notion, he laid his head on her lap.

(**)

"Where's Red and Wolf?" Jack asked as he helped Granny and Twitchy with the camp.

"Don't know, but they're around," Granny answered, not really minding to Jack's fretting.

Jack suddenly dropped his sleeping bag, eyes hardening down when he saw Red and Wolf come in through the thickness of the trees.

"Hey guys, sorry we kind of ran off without telling you. We just wanted to scout the area."

"Oh, that's fine kids," Granny said, "as long as you make dinner tonight, all is forgiven."

"Sure Granny," Red smiled, her hand held firmly in Wolf's. She grinned up to him, his hand tightening around hers, neither worrying about his claws that gently scratched her palms.

(**

the result of me reading shojo manga before writing this xD

fluff and emotions spewed from my mind onto my computer, everywhere. xDDD