Red

The moon was full.

We clothed ourselves before trying to sneak out of the rooftop without anyone noticing us. The creeping across the mansion quickened my heartbeat, it was another thrill for me and Luciano as we both weren't in a position like this, ever.

We stopped walking when we reached the backyard, it was crystal clear there as the guards were on the other side. I let out a loud breath after tip toeing and whispering for the past hour.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Luciano while holding his hand tight, and never letting it go.

"I was looking for you. It lead me here. Please tell me that Annabeth is around." His eyes lingered on the stretched, wide windows of the mansion.

"Yes. She's with me." It reminded me that I had to go back to my room before she suspected anything and ringed the Alpha that I was missing. It was dumb but again, it was something she would do.

"Oh, good." He sighed out of relief but the tension quickly drove back to him. "It can't be a coincidence that we both are here, at this old man's house, at the same time."

"It is!" I giggled at the ways how things turned. "Well, Anna brought me here when I was a wolf, she found me back in the States. There is a woman named Cordelia, she bought me back to life and in exchange I've to find some secrets for her. Apparently, the Alpha here had an affair with her or something." I explained quick while staring at his eyes where the night sky reflected along with calmth.

Something I missed.

Luciano rubbed his fingers at his temple. "Ah, that old man, Dillion."

My brows raised and my expression tightened. "Wait. Do you know him?" I asked, hoping he did. If so, it would be an easier way out of here for both of us.

"Yes, some old ass dude that is going to die soon with my hands." He sounded frustrated.

"Luciano."

He turned serious quicker than I thought. "I don't know him and the only thing Dillion knows about me that I came here with Ben and we both are homeless, little wolves searching for refugee."

A cackle of laughter pushed past my lips and I threw my head back before slapping my hand over my mouth. "Wait. Ben? And, doesn't he knows that you are the King." The words slipped out of my mouth before I could even think. Only after finishing them, the past few weeks flashed through my vision and I remembered what had happened.

The smile turned into a frown. "You left the throne?" I wanted to hear it from Luciano.

"Yes. I couldn't bear the pain." His voice trembled a little.

An overwhelming wave of guilt coursed through me and I grabbed his hand before stepping in closer. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that all." I muttered.

"It's over. I've found you and now, we are going to head back—"

"I can't." I interrupted him. "I've made a deal with the woman who bought me back and until I don't complete it, she wouldn't allow me to leave. I know, it seems horrible but Anna assures that it isn't going to be for long." I explained to him.

As much as I wanted to go back, I just couldn't, not unless I wanted another Gretel in my life. The cold wind brushed down my arms and I shivered. Luciano gave me a look filled with frustration before his eyes rolled back.

"Come on."

"It's just a while."

"Red—"

"Maybe a month or two. But, I need to do this for her. It wasn't easy to find someone who could turn me back into a human. Trust me." I whispered, keeping my voice low so no one could hear us, not even the walls.

The backyard was still empty, only filled with green trees and a large swimming pool that went on for yards. However, the water inside the pool was ice cold, almost frozen with the weather and I believed no one had been in there for a very long time.

Luciano's arm circled around my waist. "All right. I'll be around anyway, probably closer than you can think but as soon as this is all over, we will head back." He rubbed a finger across the tip of my cold sore and my face scrunched.

"How's Fiona? Who's taking care of her? Is she fine?" My nerves quickened and I panicked. "You need to go back, Luciano. Fiona needs to have someone. She can't know that we both went missing." It was a second later I realized how fucked up things were. Our daughter never got a chance to be with either of us and when she was finally found, we both were gone, on the other side of the world.

"No," Luciano shook his head and managed to keep his tone stern. "My Mother is taking care of her. I can't leave you alone, Red, not even for a second, either of you. But, wherever you are, I'm going to be there as our daughter is being taken care of. She won't remember of any of this as she still is young."

A vexation gripped me. "No. We can't let her be alone for any longer. She will know." The tears were at the corner of my eyes, ready to spill as I continued to think about my daughter and the separation she had to face since she was born.

It was going to affect her.

One day.

"Hey, hey," He slipped a hand behind my hair. "It will be okay. It's just a little while more and then we will all be together." I found fear inside his eyes while he spoke to me, it was inevitable to believe that everything was going to be okay after this.

My throat tightened and thoughts gnawed my mind. I closed my eyes, let out a small whimper before pressing my head against his chest and in the midst of all, hearing the tranquility in his beating heart.

Luciano moved his hands away and they reached for the back of his pants. He pulled out a phone and I heard a few taps before it started ringing.

"Speak to my Mother. It will make you feel better about Fiona if you don't believe me." He stated, handing the phone over to me.

With the shaking off my hands, I took the phone from him and bought it close to my ears, hearing the silent rings going through until Jacqueline picked it up.

"Luciano?" She said.

"It's me." I replied. "Red."

She let out a surprised gasp. "Oh, Lord."

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