Red

Chapter 1: Wannabe

Parking my bike out front, I pulled my hood tighter around me, scurrying into the bar and away from the rain as it steadily picked up. In the bar I kept my hood drawn and a hand beside my messenger bag. Sliding into a stool the bartender looked up at me and smiled. He reached under the counter and placed small heavy box on the counter.

Nodding I slid the box into my bag. "So, you ever going to tell me what you're hunting with them silver bullets, Red?" A small chuckle escaped my lips as I shook my head. "Alright then. Can I get anything else for ya?" he wondered, leaning back on the shelf behind him.

"Something to warm me up maybe?" I dared.

His head shook. "I may not know much, but I do know you're under aged." I just shrugged at him.

"Can't blame a girl for trying."

The door flew open and a rowdy group of guys shoved their way around each other and into the stools to my left. I could see it. The predatory glint in their eyes. "Hey friend, our truck broke down a little ways back. Think you could give us a hand?" They asked Tony the bartender. No. Not him.

Before he could respond I did. "I'll give you a hand." Their eyes snapped to me, looking me over slowly as if noticing me for the first time.

"Yeah alright." One smirked sickly while his buddy snickered behind his hand.

Tony frowned at me, looking at the guys warily. "Hey Red, I'll do it. You should probably be getting home anyway." He was worried. That's so sweet. Too bad.

Hopping off my stool, I shook my head. "You're right." The guys frowned. "That's why I should help them because it'll be on my way home." Before he could argue further, I was walking out the door. "Night Tony!" I called over my shoulder, waving.

I could hear all five men follow me out. Their breath became uneven the farther I walked. They didn't show me the way because they didn't really have a truck. They were werewolves. Rouges, preying on humans.

When I stood beside the forest I turned to face them. We were on the edge of pack territory, but that wouldn't be a problem. "Stupid little girl." One snarled, his eyes flashing wildly and dangerously.

My fingers wrapped around the hilt in my bag. As soon as my wrist flicked out silver blades pierced two of them in the chest, striking them without warning. The two howled out in agony. "Stupid mutts." I snarled back. The two crumpled, left for dead by their companions who focused on me now with a more sever intent.

The three erupted into their wolves, giving me time to reload, this time with two guns.I shot the first one in the heart, but the other two leapt. I dove out of the way, but one of their claws raked down my left arm. The gash was deep, blood trickling out already, but I didn't have time for that. When I rolled back on my feet only one wolf remained? I knew there were two.

I aimed for the last when a bullet whistled past my head. Reflexively I shot back at the source within the trees, before I heard a muffled cry of pain. The wolf chose then to leap at me from behind, but I shot him without looking.

That was when five boys about my age, seventeen to twenty, burst out of the trees. One had a cut on his arm, and I immediately recognized it as where my bullet had grazed him. They each had varying weapons, none of a good quality.

A frown etched itself onto my face. The tallest one had dark blue eyes and short black hair, surveying the scene warily. A shorter boy with blonde hair and brown eyes ran over to me. "Hey are you okay?" My eyes darted to him warily. His eyes reached my arm and bulged. "Hey Carter, she's bleeding pretty bad, seems to be in shock."

The dark blue eyes nodded and one of his friends leaned over to whisper to him, but I still heard it. "We must have missed the other hunters. Should we take her to a hospital?" That time I rolled my eyes.

"I don't need a damn hospital." I told him, hand on my hip. The boy looked shocked I heard him. "You boys look like you need help though. Go home, and leave the hunting to the big kids." I told them, pulling my knives out of the men's chests and wiping the blood on my jeans.

Standing up too quick, a piece of my hair fell out and the guys began to mutter and chuckle amoungst themselves. "Another Red wannabe?" Wannabe? Who's a wannabe?

I took the knife in my hand and in a split second stood before the dude, fear in his big green eyes. "How do you know who I am?" My tone was calm, and that was even more frightening.

"No way." My eyes darted to the blond who had been looking at my arm. "You can't be Red. You're maybe our age. Red has been around for-"

"Five years, I know." I cut him off with a look. "Been hunting longer than that boys." They had unbelieving looks on their faces.

Sighing, I crouched down bedside a body. My fingers pushed into the bloody wound before pulling out the bullet. Tossing it to the front man I watched as he wiped of the blood, leaving only the cursive R carved into it stained red. It was my mark. It was how they knew the kills were mine.

Wonder filled the boys faces just as a snarl ripped through the trees. The fifth wolf. He leapt straight for the blond boy who stood frozen in fear. Taking my knife I launched it full force, grabbing the boy and pulling him to the ground with me, away from the falling body of the massive wolf.

When we'd landed my arm had been pinned under me and I recognized the feeling of my shoulder being knocked out of place. Stupid boy. Clenched teeth, I stood up, using my good arm to pull him to his feet before I went off.

"What are you stupid? What kind of hunters are you?! The wolf was aimed straight for you! Never mind that you came from pack territory!" They all just stared at me.

"Well sorry, we aren't all great hunters." One muttered harshly.

Really? He wanted to go there. "That's not what this is about. Who trained you?" None of them spoke.

The tall guy walked over to me, looking pissed. "No one trained us. We all watched someone we cared about killed by these monsters and decided not to sit around. Not all of us do this for sport." He spat the words at me like venom.

It fell deathly silent. "This is not a sport. You have no right to say such a thing to me, and no place doing such a thing." His face contorted with anger. "But I know you'll do it anyway. Come with me." Turning I grabbed my bag and began walking.

"Why should we follow you?"

Stopping I didn't bother looking at them. "One, I just save your friend's sorry butt. Two, I'm the only one who can teach you want you need to know and how to use that knowledge. Now lets go." They silently followed me back to my apartment, my bike left to be retrieved later.

My apartment was a one bedroom one and a half bath, with a decent living area and kitchen. Flicking on the lights revealed the simple black, white and gray theme. "I expected . . . more?" That dude is starting to get on my nerves.

In the closet I pulled out all the spare blankets and sheets, tossing them on the couch. "You can stay here, but it is an one bedroom apartment so you'll have to get over that." They all shrugged and started fighting over my pullout couch, and two plush chairs.

I turned to my door and silently went inside, locking it. I bound my wounds and replaced my shoulder.

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A/N

Hello everyone! Thanks for reading. This story had gotten up to seventy pages on my computer and I really liked it as well as the plot so I decided to post it. For all of you who are banking on the romance read on and meet the love interest next chapter. See you there :)