Her First Love

Elijah

A fter our make-out session, we get back on the road. Her agreement still felt like a satisfying victory, which did nothing but boost my ego. Getting a woman is easy, getting a woman like Red, now that feels like an accomplishment.

And I can't help but smirk cockily.

"Seriously, what is with that cocky look?" She rolls her eyes as she adjusts the air conditioning.

"No reason, Red. Just basking in the fact I can get whatever I want."

She scoffs, clearly not going to praise me like the normal girls. "Get off your high horse, let's just hope you're worth it."

I snicker at that. "We both know I am. You'll be screaming my name soon enough."

Her heart skips a beat and I smirk as she blushes. "I never took you for the shy type, Red."

She rolls her eyes, but my smirk only grows when she has no comeback to my remark.

We fall silent again and I glance at the map on the screen.

Her father's pack is near the town of Kendal, surrounded by dense green forests that make up most of the pack lands. From what research I have done, it is an impressive pack with over 1,500 members. Although the Alpha does not have the best reputation, he's said to be ruthless, cold, and brutal.

It is a total of nearly six hours driving from our pack territory.

"So we'll stop in Lancaster for the night; it's close to Kendal. We'll grab some dinner before we travel up to the Desert Storm Pack tomorrow," I say quietly, now serious.

She nods and we fall silent. We know it's risky, going to a pack of that size with just the two of us. And as an alpha, it's a fucking death wish. You don't go into another alpha's pack like that but at the same time, I know what this means to her.

Without backup, the chances of something bad happening are high, but there really isn't any other solution without letting Dad know. He's still in charge. And I know if I didn't agree to help her that she'd do this alone, which would be even more fucking reckless.

The rest of the journey after our little heated conversation has been pleasant. We stop at a service station – grab crisps, chocolates, and drinks; chatting while I drive. Night has fallen and the further up north we get, the cooler it becomes.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take over?" Scarlett asks, biting into a salt and vinegar crisp.

"I'm good. And after what you did to your own car… I don't think so," I tease, making her glare.

"For your information, that was because of those dumb dogs," she reminds me, licking her lips. My gaze dips to them, wanting to taste those sexy lips again. But as much as I want that, I know I need to keep driving.

Chuckling, I cock a brow. "You know it's an insult to call a wolf a dog?" I ask, amused.

"It's actually an insult to a dog to call those idiots dogs," she counters, smirking slightly. She offers me the packet, but I open my mouth instead and she rolls her eyes, popping one in for me.

"So, tell me, what's your dating history? I mean, a girl as hot as you can't be a virgin," I say, making her frown before she scoffs.

"That's so sexist! Seriously. What have my looks got to do with me being a virgin? I don't think men should even have the right to ask such a question. I mean, you don't see us women going around and saying ‘You're not a virgin', right? Or judging you guys for being fuck boys?"

"Chill out, feisty pants. I was just saying that because I know many of the men in our pack are into you, but I also heard you're never interested."

"Well, that doesn't mean I'd sleep around like you," she huffs.

I smirk, curiosity growing. "But that doesn't answer my question, Red…"

She sighs softly, turning away and gazing out of the window, but I manage to catch a glimpse of her forlorn expression.

Just when I think she won't reply, she speaks, her voice barely above a whisper. Barely audible over the music that plays softly in the background.

"I did actually have a boyfriend once…"

I turn sharply.

"What?" But I'm more taken by the sadness in her tone, feeling a pang of jealousy towards… I don't even know who.

My voice is level when I speak. "Who was he?" I ask, masking my emotions.

"A human."

I turn my head sharply. That was not what I was expecting to hear. Not even knowing what to say, I remain silent.

Relationships with humans are not really approved of unless they are your mate, which is a rare phenomenon among wolves, but it does happen. Two wolves in our pack are mated to humans. Even then, the procedure to deal with these matters is delicate and has to be handled with care, and the mated wolf has to be patient.

There are several reasons not to date a human if they are not your mate. It puts them in the line of danger. More questions are bound to arise and the risk of them finding out the truth that we exist increases.

Although we attend human-run schools, there are strict rules that we have to follow to keep our identities a secret. Even if we don't have a wolf at that age, the strength and speed we possess is a lot more than the average human.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when Scarlett sighs softly and continues speaking.

"His name was Aiden. I was fifteen when I first met him. I was crossing the road and I was so lost on my phone with my headphones on, I didn't notice a car speeding towards me. He pushed me out of the way and was hit instead." She takes a shaky breath and the emotions that show on her face make me wonder if she still has some kind of feelings for him.

"I would have healed but he was a mess. He ended up in a coma after his heroic act. I visited him a couple of times a week, talked to him, threatened him that he better wake up, that I did not want his death on my head for the rest of my life." She laughs weakly and I frown slightly.

I've never seen her look so… vulnerable. I almost reach over, tempted to stroke her hair, but I keep my hand on the steering wheel, running the other through my tousled hair.

"Then what happened? Did he have any family?" I ask.

She nods, "He had a mom, but she was working overtime to pay the hospital bills. They had moved to England for a better life and because they weren't British citizens the healthcare was not free. So I took up tutoring and waitressing as well. I wanted to help. He was in that state because of me, and although his mom never blamed me, that just made me feel worse." She rests her head back, staring vacantly out into the darkness, clearly remembering memories from long ago.

"I guess that must have been tough. You're a good person for sticking around," I say, glancing out at the road again.

"Mmm… She told me he was an aspiring footballer. His dream was to play for England one day. When he finally woke up, after three dreaded months, we became friends. It wasn't… like what we have. It was different. Sweet, pure, welcoming. Maybe it was because I was just fifteen, I don't know… Anyway, he and his mum refused to take money from me, and he said that if I'm truly sorry and wanted to make it up to him, I should go out on a date with him. I agreed, and he looked really shocked when I did." She smiles softly.

"We hit it off and began dating for real. Those were four beautiful months. I gave myself to him on his seventeenth birthday, and it was perfect. Although his dream of becoming a footballer was ruined thanks to that accident. He had some severe injuries that would never allow him to compete as a professional athlete."

She looks at me and sighs. "But he never let it dampen his spirit. I wish I could have healed him, wish I had the power to help him. But through it all he kept smiling and never once blamed me or felt bitter about it." She stops, taking a shaky breath, and I'm shocked to see that she is fighting back tears.

"So, what happened to him?" I ask, feeling as if there's more to it because she clearly doesn't seem to be fully over him. So why did they break up?

"He was selfless, loving, and one with a damn pure heart. But being the hero he was well, his goodness was his end." She wraps her arms around herself and closes her eyes. "He…" Her voice breaks and I'm about to reach over when she curls into herself. "He jumped into a canal to save two young boys who had fallen in. The weather was terrible that night. He saved them, but he himself didn't make it," she whispers, fighting back her tears, but it's futile as a soft sob leaves her.

She clamps her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle any sound. "We-we were supposed to meet up that evening to go to the movies, it… it was hard meeting without Mama and Dad getting suspicious; I had to always be careful." She closes her eyes.

"You know… he had told me he loved me so many times but I never said it back. That night, I was ready to say it… but he never came. I was so mad. I was cursing him, leaving him angry voice messages, threatening that I was going to break up with him, not knowing the police were trying to find his body. When I heard that something had happened in the nearby canal, I got a bad feeling and I ran towards the scene. I got there just when they pulled him out of the water. His gorgeous dark skin looked grey and even before they confirmed it, I knew he was gone."

Her voice breaks completely as she chokes up, sobbing softly. No matter how much she tries to hold back she isn't able to and she bends over, pressing her chest to her knees as she lowers her head, trying to control the pain that she obviously coped with all alone.

I reach over, placing my hand on her back which suddenly feels fragile and small, and rub it gently. Guilt washes through me, remembering when I had returned home two summers ago. She had been colder and more withdrawn. Lashing out more.

Did that one event change who she was?

But now, knowing her story, I realise she has grieved and suffered in silence for years. Like she did with what happened with the pack members who assaulted her.

What else are you keeping inside, Red? Why not fucking share your emotions?

"I don't know what to say but I'm sorry…" I murmur.

She is so much more than just a gorgeous woman. I want to know everything about her, and not just the sexual side of her. I realise now that I've never actually known the real her; I've just barely touched on the base of what she lets others see. I want to know what makes up the feisty temptress that she is. Her thoughts, her scars, her heartbreaks… everything that she keeps shielded from the world and those who care about her.

We drive in silence, but I don't remove my hand from her back. Even when she stops crying, I don't, knowing she needs the comfort that she is too prideful to ask for. She doesn't lift her head and I know it's because she's embarrassed that she showed emotion she didn't want to.

It's only once we enter Lancaster that she lifts her head, looking at the glittering streetlights that line the quiet roads. It is past 11:30pm and the streets are pretty dead.

"There should be a Premier Inn around here," I say, glancing at her, glad she looks normal as she nods, but she's avoiding my gaze.

"There it is!" she says, pointing at the familiar purple sign and unbuckling her seatbelt.

I park and massage the back of my neck, rolling it to get the kinks out. Sitting in a car for that long does make your body all stiff. I observe her as she gathers up her phone and belongings.

"Red…"

"Yeah?" she asks, glancing up at me for a second, about to look away when I take hold of her chin, making her heart race. She gazes back into my eyes, a hint of vulnerability lingering in those gorgeous sage eyes as she tries to hold my gaze.

"You're one of the bravest people I know, Red. It's ok to feel. I may not have known him but he was one lucky fucker to have captured your heart," I murmur softly, caressing her cheek tenderly with my thumb. "I want you to know that."

"Elijah-" Not letting her finish, I lean in, pressing my lips against hers.