Little Red Riding Hood Never Forgives

Choices

Just want to say thanks for all the reads and comments...they make my day! Love you guys :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8

A cool breeze drifted through the woods where Scarlet, Alex, and Sin were resting, having been once again delayed in their journey to get Nick and Ariel back.

"So, you're not going to go crazy at the smell of my blood?" Alex grinned ruefully as he swung his gaze to Scarlet.

She smirked, "That's sharks, and unfortunately for you, not all girls swoon at the sight of your blood."

He cocked a brow, "Why would they? Aren't most girls afraid of blood?"

Scarlet shrugged and leaned back, her sore back resting on a tall oak tree. "Some girls sigh at the sight of a man taking his pain so bravely."

"Are you sighing?" Alex leaned back as well, mimicking Scarlet's actions. "I didn't think so."

Once again Scarlet shrugged, "Every girl is different."

"So what does make you swoon, pup?" Alex narrowed his eyes and moved closer to Scarlet. A few feet away, Sin was rolling her eyes.

Scarlet poised her head so that it was a mere couple inches away from Alex's. "You want to know what makes me swoon? Grown men who cry." Scarlet burst out in laughter and jumped up.

"Smooth, Al. Real smooth." Sin muttered and continued scooping up the anesthetics that she had used on Scarlet and Alex.

"Right, like I'd tell you." Scarlet turned to face Alex and flashed a quick smile.

He rolled his eyes and stood up beside her, "Guess I'll have to find out on my own."

Sin stood up abruptly, "Okay, you two need to rest for a while. Maybe 'till mid-day. The bullet wounds are pretty bad but the medicine should help a lot. Of course the medicine will also make you guys sleepy so you should rest now before you pass out." She smiled sheepishly and pulled two sleeping bags out of a small canvas bag.

Scarlet fell asleep swiftly, perhaps it was the drug or maybe just exhaustion, but for once in quite a while, she slept peacefully. Alex slept a few feet away from her and Sin was hunting for some lunch.

Scarlet awoke before Sin had a chance to wake her. Sin wasn't present and Scarlet assumed she was still hunting. Alex seemed asleep but she couldn't be sure. She curiously walked a few paces from the temporary camp and faced a looming tree. Tiring of the fresh cleanness, she found a small nook in the tree and used it as a foothold. She carefully climbed the rugged tree, animal-like joy pulsing through her excited veins. Climbing trees was a favorite pastime of hers, because no matter how low you start, you can always get to a higher place.

As her hand grappled a branch and she swung her legs up onto the next branch she heard a twig snap and peered around in the leafy canvas that now surrounded her. Nothing emerged from the shadows and Scarlet, shrugging it off as a squirrel or some kind of bird, continued up the tree.

"I think I know now," A voice whispered in her ear.

Scarlet's grip was lost momentarily but as soon as she saw that the voice belonged to Alex, she regained her bearings.

"Know what? Oh, and just so you know, I nearly fell to my death." Scarlet hissed and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Alex smiled softly and spoke again, "I know what makes you swoon."

Scarlet rolled her eyes and balanced herself on a branch so her legs swung in the air. "Right, and so what does make me tick?"

"A guy who cares about you and shows it, but still presents a small challenge to keep. A guy who'd risk his life for you and you would do the same. A guy with a tender soul but a wicked sense of humour. A guy who looks at you and feels...happy. A guy who you'd die for, a guy who can be teased and tease back, a guy whose quiet but speaks his heart." Alex flicked his slightly coy gaze up to Scarlet's, which was slightly shocked.

"I...I guess so. Yeah, that sounds about right." She whispered quietly. Her eyes narrowed, "But why do you care?"

"Because...because I think I could be that guy...for you." He whispered and cupped his hand under Scarlet's chin.

Surrounded by trees as the sun reached its peak and the branches swaying softly as the breeze bristled its leaves, Alex leaned forward until his forehead was pressed against Scarlet's. His golden eyes stared lovingly into Scarlet's. She flinched at his sudden closeness but a soothing calmness overtook her and she couldn't help but sigh softly.

Scarlet's breath mixed with Alex's and his lips were mere inches away. A slight movement and Scarlet could do what she had been secretly yearning to do; kiss Alex. It was as if the moment was frozen in time, her heart pounding against her fluttering chest and his fingers trembling as sudden nervousness took over his system. He had never felt this nervous before, Alex had always been the one on the other side of the kiss, waiting to receive it. He felt what he could only recognize as love, which was insane considering the circumstances. He was a werewolf hunter and yet against all odds he had fallen in love with the enemy, a werewolf. Only she wasn't just a werewolf anymore. Now she was a beautiful girl with a dreadful curse.

Scarlet, on the other hand, didn't understand what she was feeling. Was it love? Or was this emotion just a strong animal instinct? Ever since she had let go of herself that one time it was becoming harder to distinguish between the two types of emotions. She wanted to kiss Alex so badly that it almost hurt to be inches away from kissing him and yet not. She didn't know what to do.

Alex couldn't wait any longer, he felt the need to move forward. His head dipped closer and he opened his eyes for a moment, meeting Scarlet's eyes again. She looked almost as if she was in a panic but her eyes couldn't be torn from Alex's. He figured it was just the wolf nerves acting up from the sudden strong emotions. More confident now, Alex moved even closer until his nose was touching hers.

His eyes shut automatically and Scarlet's fluttered shut and just before their lips met, Scarlet felt a sudden pull. Betrayal screamed through her mind and she jerked her head away from Alex's grasp. Adrenaline started building up, causing a sharp pain to echo through Scarlet as a sudden Change began. Alex, still in momentary shock, hadn't felt the burn of rejection yet. He reached out for Scarlet again but she batted his hand away.

"I can't. Please, just stop." She whispered, each word bringing pain to Alex's ears. With one last look filled with all the overlapped emotions Scarlet had locked in her vastly changing body, she leaped off the tree. Clothes were shredded as a now transformed Scarlet raced through the woods, getting as far from Alex as she could.

Alex stared at the space where Scarlet had been just moments ago, about to kiss him. And he sat there and stared as Scarlet sprinted through the woods, leaving all her conflicting and confusing human emotions behind.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Author's Note)

Well, this was my first kiss scene. Or should I say almost-kiss scene? Thanks again for reading, tell me in the comments if you're team Alex or team Nick (even though he hasn't been in it much). Thank you all so much!