Red

"I can't believe you fucking did that, Red!" Anna shouted at me in the middle of the streets. "We could've gone home, we could've started a new journey, we could've convinced Cordelia to leave us but you had to fucking ruin everything!" I watched her anger flare up the second we walked out of the cafe, it was something I expected anyway.

"What difference does it make? Didn't you see her? Cordelia was heartbroken, she deserves to be happy, she saved me—" I tried my best to calm her down.

"Not me, Red, she didn't save me. I don't need to give her anything." She reminded.

I shut my mouth close and nodded, "I'm sorry,"

"No, you're not fucking sorry. God, I'm tired of this place. All I wanted to do was leave and get marked already." She stormed ahead of me, curling her fists up.

It finally made sense. Anna was in heat. "Wait, you're in heat?"

"I've been in heat since the first day I met Ben." She snapped. "And now that I'm satisfied with him, I wanted to get marked but this is no place to get marked. I can barely touch him with servants roaming around in the house and I don't want to get marked on a bed that has been given to me out of pity." The grief in her voice grow, her eyes turned hollow and her hair swirled in the gusting wind.

"I'm sorry." I understood what she felt and there was no reason I wanted to put her up in this. "You can leave if you want to. I'll take care of things here." I suggested. The last time someone was dragged into a mess with me turned to be Lisa and I didn't want Annabeth to feel the same.

"Just don't." Her head shook and so did her hands and she walked to the other end of the street, leaving me alone. I expected her to not return so I called up Luciano to pick me up and drop me off to Dillion's house.

Being in heat was horrible and it surprised me how Anna was still holding it all together. I was happy that she had made her decision at last.

Luciano pulled up on the same, narrow street moments later, he rolled down the window of his car and I got inside with a frown over my face.

"What happened? Didn't things go well with Cordelia and where is Annabeth?" He asked, driving away while glancing all around.

"Anna left, I pissed her off and things went well with Cordelia. But, my ineffable emotions got the worst out of me and I told her I'll help her in winning Dillion." I stopped, took in a deep breath and continued immediately, not giving a Luciano a chance to yell or speak. "I know, I know, it was something stupid but I just felt like helping her."

"Why?" He asked, in a wild tone.

"She bought me to life."

"And you repaid her by telling her about Marissa, right?" He cocked a brow at me.

"Yes," I shrugged and then groaned before falling on the car seat. "But I wanted to give her more, more than just a mere name."

When Luciano stopped at a traffic light, he turned and looked at me in a soft, delicate way. "So, what do you want to do now? Dillion is mad over his dead wife—"

"Wait. What?!" My eyes struck wide. Wife? All along we thought it was a girlfriend or a lover.

There was a shift of emotions in Luciano's eyes, "I mean—his wife died years ago and he still loves her, therefore, he doesn't wants to be with Cordelia or anyone else for a matter of fact. You can't force people to love someone, Red." He added, his face still pale as if something went wrong.

"I know." I mumbled, glancing away from him. "But there is something in that one room in the East Wing. Maybe whatever is inside it isn't allowing Dillion to move on." My heart skipped a beat when I mentioned the room. The scent in there was too strong and it still lingered in my nose.

"Fine. I'll try getting the keys sometime later today and we will check it out."

When we reached Dillion's house, we parted ways and entered from two separate doors of the mansion before colliding down in the same bed. Luciano got on the top, over me, and he held me down before focusing all of his attention on my lips. His eyes glistened and his thick lashes fluttered when he leapt down and kissed me.

My heart beat quickened and I placed a finger over his mouth before moving his face away from mine. "Wait. I need you to get me something."

"Anything, princess."

I told him what I needed and he agreed to getting it after he left the house. It was something small I could give to Anna after pissing her off.

"I'll be more than happy to do that for you. Are you sure that is what Anna wants?" Luciano asked.

My hands reached up to his face and I nodded, "I know. She'll be happy."

He lowered his mouth down and lightly licked the corners of my lips before whispering, "And then you'd be happy." I parted my lips, giving him access to my mouth and he dwelled in, devouring it all.

Between the wet, slick kisses and groans, I said, "I'll be always happy whenever I am with you."

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