Free Red: Through the Dark by Sophie Stern Page A

right now.
    He deserves better than me.
    He deserves a wolf.
    I wrap my red cloak around myself, shivering despite the warmth of the day. I need to keep moving. I need to go. I can hitch a ride to town and get money from the bank, then I can go create a life somewhere. Anywhere.
    I know if I went back to my old legal firm, they’d offer me my job back. I wasn’t the world’s best paralegal, but I was pretty good at what I did. I was thorough. Maybe I can go back to my old town and try to make a life for myself.
    Only I know even as the thought passes through my mind that it’s useless.
    Nash was the only thing I ever wanted and I’m just no damn good for him.
    I pull my cloak tighter around myself and keep moving. The woods still aren’t familiar to me. Part of that’s because I’m not a wolf, but part of it’s because I’ve spent too much time inside. Instead of worrying about our mating ceremony and whether or not my dress will fit, I should have been running wild outdoors, spending time chasing squirrels or looking for cool rocks or something.
    Anything.
    I walk carefully, but quickly, keeping up a steady pace. Soon it starts to rain. The clouds drizzle at first, but soon the sky opens up and the rain begins to pour. Even the thick branches covered in leaves that fill the forest can’t protect me and I start to run, looking for a place to seek shelter.
    I’m going in the opposite direction of the cabin I once hid inside. It’s a pity because the cabin would be perfect for a storm like this. The wood exterior is strong and durable and I know for a fact the roof doesn’t leak. It’s only a matter of minutes before I’m soaked in spite of my cloak. As it turns out, my red cloak is good for keeping out the cold: not the rain.
    I move faster.
    Soon I spot what looks like a tiny opening between two large boulders. I don’t know if it’s a cave or just a small space, but I’ll take it. Anything is better than staying out in the rain. Moving quickly, I hike my cloak up so the edges don’t catch on the rocks and I slip into the little opening. To my surprise, it does open into a tiny cave, though I doubt anything has ever lived there. The cave is only about three feet by three feet. It’s not even enough room for me to lie down in.
    Instead, I sit down with my back against the back of the cave and my feet pointed toward the entrance. I don’t have so much as a knife to protect myself. I was in such a hurry to run away from my life I didn’t even think to bring a weapon.
    Just another way the forest life isn’t for me.
    I feel like I used to be stronger than this. I used to not let things bother me. I used to be better, more durable. Now I’m weak. Now I let a group of people who hate me tear me away from the one person who loved me more than anything else.
    And even though I know Nash is better off without me, I let myself cry in the cave. The sounds of my sobs are drowned out by the rain, and I close my eyes.

Eight
    Nash
     
     
    The rain cuts our adventure short. When it begins to pour, all the wolves head back to the caves. We all shake just inside the entrance. Once we’ve gotten as much water as possible off of ourselves, we shift back, then head further in.
    “Quite a storm,” Ryder comments. I know this is his way of respectfully asking why I didn’t cancel the run when I smelled the storm in the air.
    “Thought we’d be back in time,” I mutter. The pack is already dispersing and I turn to head toward my sweet, but Allison Martin appears in front of me and looks terrified. Ryder smirks at me and I know exactly what he’s thinking: if Ali wanted to marry me all those years ago, who’s to say she doesn’t want to now?
    Maybe she’s the one behind all the trouble we’ve been having. Maybe she resents Red and the relationship I have with her. Something tells me this isn’t Allison’s doing, though. She may have had a crush on me, but she was never vicious. If anything, Allison was always