Red Is for Traitor

The area bordering the Moonshadow territory was becoming more prone to attacks with each passing week. The villagers and wolves were becoming more paranoid and on edge. Fights were beginning to break out. Some shouting, some physical. Every so often I would steal away so I could breath for a little while before venturing back to the tense atmosphere. Even Sindri was beginning to be effected by the way everyone was acting. The only one who seemed to be able to keep his head was Corbin and the more experienced Alphas. It was one such time that Sindri was grating on my nerves that we had our first public fight. We had fought before over minor things, but never in the presence of others. It was never their business to watch, but this time it was doomed to spill into the public eye.
I wanted to return to my cottage since I had not prepared salves in over half a week and needed to resupply. With how often hunters were attacking nearby, Sindri did not want me to leave the Den. I understood that he was concerned for my safety, but the cottage was not that far away. A stubborn Beta should never try to stop a stubborn independent woman from returning to her home where she felt she would be of the most help. I had just informed him I would be spending the night at the cottage when he told me I was not. Instinctively I rolled my eyes and told him he could not stop me. With that I closed my bag and walked out.
Not backing down he followed after me and growled, "You are not staying at the cottage alone. You're staying here."
"I am a grown woman, I can stay in my cottage alone."
"Macha."
"Do not 'Macha' me, Sindri." I glared at him for treating me like a child. Our argument caught everyone in the area's attention as our voices raised and our glares became more intense. If I had realized how loud we were I may have been embarrassed, but at the moment all I cared about was Sindri telling me no. He had no right telling me I could or not do. He may have been the Beta, but he was not my Beta. He did not out rank me thus he could not force me to stay at the Den.
"Listen here Wolf, you cannot tell me when I can and cannot return to my home. I am going to the cottage where I will be preparing salves and medicine so you, the other wolves, and humans do not die. So back off!" I growled right back at him my eyes still staring into his.
"You are so stubborn! Fine, but if hunters attack I will not come save you, Red." He snapped back.
"Good!" I threw my hands up in the air before turning to leave. As stalked away, I paused next to Sage. "Would you mind escorting me home?" The wolf sneezed his agreement and started trotting with me. As I left I smirked when I heard Sindri growl in frustration. I never said I would not take an escort to and from the cottage. I just wanted to be home.
As Sage and I walked back to my house, the Den area was silent after the fight. One of the younger Alphas blinked in surprise. "I thought Beta Sindri and Miss Macha were mates."
"Oh, they are." Corbin replied while shaking his head at his Beta and me.
The Alpha looked at Corbin appalled. "The way they talk to each other would indicate otherwise. He called her Red, and she to him Wolf!" Most times it would have been considered derogatory the names we called each other.
Corbin chuckled, "Not in this case. Sindri started calling her Red long before he knew who she was and this war started. They had met in the woods, she was wearing a red cloak, so he called her Red when he knew not what else to call her. She reciprocated with Wolf to show that she knew what he was but didn't care. They may be mad at each other, but if they're using Red and Wolf then they're fine. They'll make up when Sindri stops being an overprotective wolf and Macha stops reacting to him by being stubbornly independent."
"You sure? Their argument was pretty heated."
"Yes. If you pay attention, they usually use those names affectionately. This fight won't break them apart. If anything, Arawn will probably yell at Sindri and Ivy may scold Macha. But in the end those two will make up like nothing happened."
"I've never seen a human ballsie enough to stare a Beta in the eyes and yell. Miss Macha is a terrifying woman."
"I don't believe she would do that with anyone other than Sin." Corbin tilted his head in thought. "Well, maybe if she believed the Beta to be seriously wrong and as a last resort."
"I would not want to be on her bad side, that's for sure. Or your Beta's, he was equally as terrifying."
"Pray you never are. I have only been on the receiving end of his temper once and that was before he was my Beta and I was his Alpha. He is not one to cross."
"Noted."
"Come, we have training to oversee." The two Alphas walked leisurely to the training grounds where a large group of wolves were practicing on one another. It started out one on one but eventually they decided to have them work in groups. They split the groups in half and then split them further so four were in the middle as defenders and the rest were attackers.

Two days later Sindri and I still had not made up. Sage kept me company, alert to any danger or for when Sindri decided to come over and apologize (I was not in the wrong). When he did not come by the first day, I became even more annoyed at him for not trying to resolve things. I knew I could have easily walked to the Den and talked to him, but I had to stand my ground. He could not treat me like a defenseless creature that needed protecting all the time. It was stifling. I had grown up protecting myself with the occasional help from Arawn. Although I did not mind him protecting me, he needed to understand that there were times I needed to do my own thing. He had his duties that took him away from the safety of the Den, and I had mine. All of my ingredients were at my cottage and it was not like I lived at the Den. Part of me was not even sure I was technically part of the pack. I was aware Sindri was courting me, but that did not mean I was officially pack. It hurt my head thinking about technicalities sometimes.
On the second day Sage and I headed into the village to talk with Dr. Pent and hand out some of the salves to the Red Cloaks. It was soothing to be around humans instead of werewolves. I never thought I would be admitting to that, but it was nice. They did not demand I be protected at all times, that I be careful not to get in between a fight, or anything that showed that I was in fact a weaker species. Humans understood that although I was not as strong as a werewolf I could take care of myself. I could survive without a werewolf constantly watching over me. Granted Sage was there, but I knew he demanded nothing more than being careful not to hurt myself too badly.
I was able to catch up with the Red Cloak's progress and trained with them a little. Mostly I talked with Rami about what we wanted to do. What were the goals we wanted to accomplish during the course of this war. We attended most of the meetings, but there were times where we decided it would be more productive if we honed other skills than sitting in a meeting all day talking plans out. We were still working the idea of not killing every hunter we come across and try to show them mercy. Many of the wolves (especially those new in the village) wanted to kill every last hunter or harm them in some shape or form. It was exhausting trying to reason with vengeance hungry packs. Sometimes it was easier to take a day or two off and then go in refreshed. I suppose similar to what I was doing with Sindri.
Nearing the evening, I was talking with Rami and Dr. Pent when some of the wolves came back from hunting. I did not turn, thinking nothing of it. I rarely knew any of the hunting party outside of the fact that most were visiting wolves. Thus I was surprised when Rami stopped talking midway through a sentence. I cocked my head in confusion and received a smile. "I believe you have a... gentleman caller." He nodded his chin behind me.
"Wha-" I turned to see Sindri trotting towards me. Once close enough he placed whatever was in his jaws on the ground and nudged it towards me before stepping back a little. My eyes dropped from his burning eyes to his present. My mouth opened a little in surprise to find half a dozen dead rabbits waiting patiently for me. With a small smile and cheeks tinting a nice red, I knelt down to his height. "Thank you, I have not been hunting in quite a few days." Without flinching, I picked them up and placed them next to me so I had better access to him. "I am sorry I yelled at you, Sindri." I placed my hand on the side of his face. He let out a soft whine as he pressed into my touch. His eyes closed for a second as he nuzzled my hand before stepping closer rubbing up against my cheek. My arms went around him as I pulled him into a hug. "Thank you for my gift. They are some fine rabbits you hunted for me." Sindri rumbled at my praise, licking my cheek and trying to get as close to me as physically possible. It was a beautifully intimate moment (one that caused both the doctor and Rami to turn away to give us privacy) that was ruined when another wolf arrived and dropped a buck next to me.
Within seconds, Sindri turned to face the other wolf and bared his teeth letting out a fierce growl. All I could think of was 'Well fuck' while the surrounding area went still. Everyone wore a weary expression as the tension between the two wolves escalated. "Sindri?" I whispered cautiously. He did not stop his growling as he backed up into me, trying to create distance between me and the other wolf. I rocked back onto my feet just in case I had to run or move out of the way. My eyes shifted upwards as a few bystanders disappeared. Most likely to inform an Alpha. The tension in the air became more intense until the other wolf finally made his move. Lunging forward, he tried to latch onto Sindri's throat. Having quick reflexes, Sindri dodged out of the way and counter attacked without leaving a gap between me and him. Having no desire to be in the middle of two male wolves (or wolves in general in this manner) I stood and went to stand by Dr. Pent and Rami.
The fight was vicious. The snarls ran shivers down your spine and blood leaked onto the ground with every snap of the wolves' jaws. There were times the two wolves seemed to melt together and form a giant ball of fur and anger. Even I, a human, could sense the sheer desire to destroy the other radiating from the fighters. I had complete faith Sindri could take this wolf on, I had seen him kill a rabid, but this was terrifying. I didn't want him hurt. He got hurt enough as it was, why did this have to happen?
"What's going on?" Interrupted my thoughts. I turned to find Corbin looking at the fighting wolves in annoyance and flight fear.
"Sindri and the grey wolf are fighting," My eyes moved back to the fight. "Because the grey one offered me a buck."
Corbin inhaled sharply, "Oh dear." He then sighed as covered his eyes with his hand. "I or any of the Alphas can do nothing."
"Why?" Rami inquired.
"This is a fight over a mate." He gave me a sympathetic look. "For Sin it is to keep his right to court Macha, while the other wolf it is to claim the right to court her."
I crossed my arms, "Do I not have a right to decide?"
"After they fight, yes you do... Sort of."
"What does that mean!?"
"It means that if the grey wolf wins, Sindri must forfeit his right as your courter."
"But what if I want him to court me?"
Corbin shrugged, "He can't unless he challenges the wolf for the right."
"Where do I have a say in this?"
"If Sindri loses, the grey wolf may ask to court you. You do not have to accept, but you can't go back to Sindri."
"Can I not ask Sindri if I could court him?"
Corbin shook his head, "It doesn't work like that."
"Let us hope Master Sindri wins then." Dr. Pent shook his head at the viciousness before him.
I snorted, "He will win." The three men turned to look at me. "He fought off a rabid wolf, I think he can hold his own again a sane wolf who is not another Beta or higher."
"Do not be so sure." Alpha Merrick of the Stormhold pack said, stepping up beside me. "Denic may be a Theta, but he is one of our best fighters. He won't go down easily and always goes for places that will cause crippling injuries."
I growled to myself, "Can we not have one day where something does not go wrong?" I tensed for a second when I felt someone pull me into a hug. When I recognized it was Corbin, I wound my arms around his chest and mumbled, "I feel helpless."
"Everything will be fine." He squeezed me for a few seconds before releasing me. We continued to watch until finally Sindri managed to flip Denic on to his side and then lock his jaws around the grey wolf's throat. Sindri growled his demand that Denic surrender, but the wolf continued to fight shredding his neck. Unable to watch anymore or seeing either of them get any more hurt, I decided it was time to intervene.
"Sindri, please do not make this a fight to the death." My wolf rumbled his reply but did not remove his jaws. I walked passed him until I was near the other wolf's head but not within snapping distance. I knelt down and stared at the grey wolf. "I thank you for your... kind offering, but I decline. I request you leave my relationship with Beta Sindri alone and stop interfering."
Denic growled his dismay, struggled, and then shifted back to his human form. Mostly human form, he still had pointed teeth and silver eyes. "How can you accept him as a mate over me?" He cried. "He brought you rabbits." He spat the animal's name out as if it had rotted and turned moldy in his mouth. "How is that a more acceptable gift than mine? I offered you a buck!"
"You did and it is a fine buck, but I do not need it. I am a terrible cook and can only manage rabbits to turn out edible. Ask anyone who has eaten a stew cooked by me." Some of the people around us muttered an agreement or nodded their heads. "It would go to waste and I am against that. I do not doubt that if I needed a fowl, deer, buck, or even a bear that Sindri could or would try to hunt one for me, but anything larger than small animals would go to waste or end up in a vile stew. He has hunted for me something that I can use. I am but a simple medical woman, I need not something grand to appreciate a gift."
"I could be so much better for you! I am bigger, stronger!"
"I am sorry, but I decline your offer." I stood, no longer wishing to deal with this wolf.
"What does he have that I don't!" His mouth was frothing in anger.
"First off, he has my feelings for him. You may possibly be 'stronger' than him, but you besting him would never sway me to like you more than him. Most importantly however, he is my best friend and confidant. Unlike him, I have no desire to talk to you about my fears, joys, and secrets. Please leave both of us alone, we do not need fighting among us while there are hunters and humans trying to wipe out your kind." I stepped back and waited, but my decline caused him to thrash more.
When Denic did not stop, his Alpha finally stepped in. Using his commanding voice, he demanded, "Theta Denic Stop! Submit to Beta Sindri and leave him and his mate alone." Unable to refuse his Alpha's command, Denic thrashed two more times before stilling and surrendering.
Knowing Denic was no longer going to cause him trouble, Sindri released the wolf's throat and stepped away. He gave Denic a warning growl before turning and trotting to my side. I smiled down at my wolf and whispered, "Let us get you cleaned." He nuzzled my leg as I bent down to pick up my pile of rabbits and together we left the group. Not wanting to be disturbed, we did not stop until we came by the river in the woods. Only then did I place the rabbits down and sit on the bank so Sindri could cuddle me. He whined softly as he scented me. I was not sure if he cried because he was hurt, he thought he was going to lose me, or both. "Alright you, please shift back so I can take care of your wounds." A second later, Sindri sat before me with a bashful look.
I had seen him hurt many times. The first time we met he was wounded, and yet I had never experienced the feeling swelling inside me any of those countless times before. I bit my lip as I carefully cleaned every wound Denic made on him.
"Macha." His voice was not higher than a whisper, but it sounded so loud in the silence that had fallen between us. I did not look up from where I worked on the last cut on his hand. Only when I had finished did his hand move to my cheek where he wiped away stray tears I did not know were gliding down my skin. I held my breath at the realization. Slowly I raised my eyes from where his hand used to be to his strange yet beautiful eyes. My calm cracked as I launched myself at him. Sindri easily caught me with an arm around my waist and the other holding the ball of my shoulder. I buried my face into his neck crying.