“Don’t stop running!” the woman panted, dragging her son with her. The boy was scared and crying. He didn’t understand why his sister and father were not running with them. They ran for the hidden cave in the side of the mountain.

“It’s a little further, son,” his mother said as she tried to reassure him.

They made it to the river and she paused long enough to pick the small child up and leap over. She landed gracefully, set the child down and they continued to run.

She finally saw the barely visible cave. The child slid in first, followed by his mother. Following the path that she had taken many times, she found the room that was often used as a hideaway when things went wrong.

An hour had gone by and the woman started to relax. The child had cried himself to sleep a while ago; repeatedly asking for his father and sister. The mother started to cry now too. She would never see her daughter or husband again. The hunter had seen to that. With a mixture of grief and exhaustion, she fell asleep as well.

“Wake up beast!”

The woman jumped and grabbed for her son, but he was gone.

“Where is my son?” the woman screamed. She stepped towards the red cloaked figured.

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” a man standing in the entryway said. He was holding her son.

“Why are you doing this?” she cried.

The red cloaked figure closest to her slid the hood back, exposing her long red hair.

The woman gasped, “No! What have we done to deserve this? Why have they sent you to kill us? We have lived peacefully in that village for years. We’ve never harmed anyone.”

She was crying now because she knew all was lost. There would be no saving her son.

“Because you’re a monster,” the red headed woman hissed , drawing her sword.

“No, mommy!” the child screamed.

“It’s okay baby. We are going to be okay,” she said, as she tried to soothe her child.

She began to shift into her true form and growled at the woman, “No Little Red, you have it wrong. You’re the monster here.”

She jumped at the hooded woman, but it was no use. With her silver sword already in hand, the woman stabbed the werewolf through the heart. The wolf howled as it fell to the floor, and with the next blow she took its head.

The child started screaming; the screams turned into howls of pain.

As she cleaned the blood off her sword she said, “Klaus, kill the child before he bites you.”

Bishop Lucius was standing in front of the window in his study. His study was above the sanctuary of the oldest church in Sweet Creek village. It had been built by the first settlers three generations ago.

“S-s-sir, th-they’re back and Cordelia is ri-right outside waiting to s-s-see you,” the Deacon said in his normally soft stuttering voice.

“Well, bring her in John. I’m sure she is tired and would like to get clean and eat,” the Bishop said , walking towards the door to greet her.

Deacon John scurried out the door and told Cordelia to go inside. The woman was obviously tired and in desperate need of a bath and her bed. She was still wearing her red, blood stained traveling cloak.

“Cordelia, I’m glad to see you made it back alive. Were there any casualties?”

Cordelia pulled her hood back and knelt in front of the bishop, placing her head against his ring.

“Thank you, sir. I am sad to report we lost Will, Thomas, Edward, and Luke.”

Looking up at the bishop she added, “We were successful in destroying the monsters we were sent to destroy, and on the way home we even stumbled upon a lair of six. Of course they are no longer among the living.”

Beaming with pride, he pulled her to her feet. “Oh Cordelia, it was a wonderful blessing the day the Lord seemed fit to send you to us.”

The Bishop released her and walked back to his desk. “I assume you have destroyed the bodies of the four you lost.” It was a statement not a question.

“Yes sir. We brought back a few of their belongings to give to their families. The men are all downstairs waiting for me to return. Cade will deliver the news and the items to their families.”

“Good, good. Tell Cade we will have a service for those brave souls tomorrow. Now, go tell the men to collect their pay from Deacon John and then go celebrate their return with their families,” the Bishop said, dismissing her.

“Yes sir,” she bowed her head and turned to leave.

“Cordelia?”

She turned back to the Bishop. “Yes, sir?”

“Tell the men to leave Deacon John alone. He is such a nervous little man. It took him weeks to recover from your last return.” His voice was stern but there was a smile in his eyes.

She tried her best to cover the grin. “Yes sir,” she said, and left to get the men paid.

Cordelia was the head of a special army in the village designed by the church. It was their job to eliminate werewolves. She was not the only woman on the team, but she was the smallest; 5’6 with a slender build. 5’6 is not that short, but when you are standing next to men that range from 6’3 to 6’5 and other women that are at least 6’0, it makes you look little.

They all wore red cloaks as a symbol of the blood they were willing to shed to save themselves and their families from evil. The red cloak and her small size is how she had managed to earn the nickname, Little Red Riding Hood.

By the time Cordelia made it back to the sanctuary, the men were already harassing John. They weren’t physically touching him; they would never do that. Instead they were telling him tales of their adventure.

That might have been worse for John then actually touching him. Most of them had grown up with John so it was all in fun. He was always so small and timid; a very sickly child that wasn’t able to learn a trade. Joining the church was his only logical choice.

“Alright that’s enough!” Cordelia snapped as she stepped off the bottom step. “Leave the Deacon alone, he doesn’t want to hear any of your stories. Do you John?” she asked, putting her arm around him. He was a few inches smaller than her and had never quite filled out like the rest of the men.

He shook his head rapidly and he allowed her to lead him away from the group. “N-n-no Cordi.”

They were all laughing. The excitement at being home was touchable in the room.

“John, if you would be so kind as to pay this lot, we will be out of your hair.”

She walked over to Cade to pass along the message from the Bishop. Cade was Cordelia’s second in command and very loyal. He was also huge. Cade was the tallest in the group with strong broad shoulders and very long muscular legs.

He was an extremely handsome man and if she was ready to settle down, Cordelia would have definitely gone after him. Their timing never seemed to match up. But he understood better than anyone else the way of their life.

His blondish red hair was matted with blood and other things you don’t want to know about. It was impossible to kill as many werewolves as they had without getting bits all over.

Cade was sitting in a pew waiting for his turn to get his money. He grinned at Cordelia when she sat down beside him. “Um, Cordelia you have a bit of fur on your ear,” he said , reaching up and taking it off.

He held it up and laughed, “Maybe I’ll give it to John when it’s my turn.”

Cordelia couldn’t help but laugh too, “Don’t do it, he would probably pass out.” Becoming serious again she said, “Look, the Bishop wants you to tell the families that services will be held tomorrow.”

He looked solemn and older than his twenty-four years. “I hate this part of the hunt.”

“Do you want me to do it?” she asked, hoping this time he didn’t say yes.

Cade sighed loudly and shook his head. “You ask me this every time and every time I tell you no. Besides, you know just as well as I do, everyone already knows we are here and who made it home. They are just looking for confirmation, and their loved ones items.”

He rose slowly, looking tired. “Come on; let’s go get our money so we can get cleaned.”

After guaranteeing that everyone was paid and sorted, Cordelia walked through the church and out the back to her home. She lived in a cabin at the edge of the woods on the church’s property. She would have to go into the village to get food and supplies. Cordelia had been gone so long there wouldn’t be anything there for her to eat, but she couldn’t face anyone at the moment.

When she unlocked the door, she caught the smell of something so delicious it made her stomach tighten. Sitting on her kitchen table was a pot and a note,

‘Hello Cordelia. I saw you guys return and I took it upon myself to bring you some of my famous chicken soup. I also drew you a warm bath on your back porch so hurry up and get in there girl, before it gets cold. Love, Helen’

Cordelia smiled fondly at her neighbor’s note. Helen always seemed to know everything, and at that moment she couldn’t have been more grateful for her elderly, nosy neighbor.

She washed her hair in a separate bucket and it took her three washes before it was finally clean. It wouldn’t take so long if she would just cut it short, but she liked having her hair long. She always had to be tough, and she was surrounded by so much death and violence that her long hair was the one thing that kept her feeling feminine.

Finally she was able to climb in the tub. It was nice to soak in silence and not have to worry about being picked on or seen by the boys. Traveling with that many guys and only four other women, being naked wasn’t an issue. No one could afford to be shy.

Cordelia made it a personal rule never to mess around with the men under her command. Hell, she made it a rule not to mess with anyone. To be fair none of the men under her command would even think about her that way because of Cade. There were plenty of them in the village that would take her up on an offer if she made one, but she never made one. She knew that Cade would marry her; hell everyone knew that Cade would marry her, but she wasn’t ready.

The water barely covered her small round breasts and she ran her hand over them; pinching them, thinking of Cade. A soft sigh slipped through her lips, and her eyes closed. It had been a long hard trip and Cordelia needed the release. By the time her hand dipped down under the water and over her swollen clit, she was beyond ready to come. Her right hand was gripping her breast, pinching her while her left rubbed quickly over her sex, needing the release that was building. She felt her body tightening and with another hard pinch to her nipple, she came. With a deep shuddering breath, she slid under the water.

The water was quite cold by the time Cordelia finally decided to get out, but the soup was still warm and she made a large bowl. Their food supply had run low because it had taken a little longer than they thought it would. She hadn’t eaten the last couple nights to guarantee there would be enough.

It was wonderful to be home. As she crawled into her cold bed, she began thinking about how she got to be where she was now. The story she had been told was that her mother had come running into the church carrying her and she was covered in blood.

Cordelia’s family had been attacked just outside the city by a werewolf. Apparently, her father and grandmother were both killed in the woods. She was two at the time of the attack, so she wasn’t sure of the details. Her mother had also been attacked but managed to kill the wolf and get to the city. She died later that night from her wounds.

“God was looking out for you Cordelia. It was His hand that brought your family to us. And out of tragedy comes great opportunities,” Bishop Lucius would say to her.

Cordelia was raised in the church with the help of her neighbor, Helen. She grew up with a strict routine. The Bishop was conditioning her to be the best hunter they had ever seen. Even as a small child, she would wake up early and start her day with drills, and then it was off to school followed with more drills.

She was expected to help prepare dinner and clean up afterwards. Nights usually ended with a bath, followed by nightly prayers, then bed. Whenever she tried to avoid something, she would hear the Bishop saying, “Idle hands are the devil’s playground, Cordelia. Remember that, or you might be tricked into believing the devil’s lies.”

That was something she always believed in. She worked hard, and by the time she was fifteen she was able to take down most of the other recruits. Most, but not Cade, he was the only one she could never bring down. She made it her mission to bring him down.

Five years later they had their last round of competitions so the Bishop could make his decision on who moved up into the special army. It came down to Cordelia and Cade. They were best friends and had trained together daily. They were equally matched in everything except strength and speed. Of course he had the strength, and she had the speed.

“Remember keep it clean!” Bishop Lucius called from his seat high above the field they were sparring on. Leaders from other villages and older guards that were retiring or already retired were there on the sidelines to heckle them.

“Are you ready Cord?” Cade asked as he crouched down and started to circle her.

She smiled a wicked little smile, “Absolutely.”

Thankful for her speed and her size, she used them both to avoid getting caught by Cade. He was all strength and she would be finished if he got his hands on her. This was not to say he wasn’t fast because he was. He was a lot faster than most guys his size.

After a few missed swings Cade backed up and looked at her. She had a moment to brace herself. She planted her feet apart and crouched down low. Cordelia knew he was planning the best way to grab her and she was not going to let that happen.

She couldn’t just sit there and let him attack her on his terms , so she decided to taunt him. “What are you waiting for Cade? Not scared are you?”

People in the crowd cheered and yelled teasing insults at him.

“I’m just a small little girl, and you can’t even beat me?”

Cordelia saw his muscles tighten seconds before he charged and was ready for it. She jumped to the left and rolled out of the way. She swung her sparring stick as he plowed past her, and it caught him on his thighs and then she swung with another one just below the back of his head. By the time he spun around to face her, she was back on her feet ready for him when his stick came at her. She jumped, and Cade pulled his stick high catching her right calf. It stung, knocking her to the ground and throwing her off balance. Cordelia’s stick was already in motion, trying to hit his stomach, but instead it caught him in the throat.

Cade grabbed his throat; for a brief moment he was truly angry, and he charged her again. In a split second decision, she charged him too. Cade reached for her but missed as she dropped down and slid between his legs, bringing her stick up catching him on his spine.

Spinning around, Cordelia watched as he dropped to his knees and she used that opportunity to kick him in the back. The blow had knocked the wind out of him and his face hit the dirt.

Cordelia jumped on top of him, and pulled his head up by his hair so she was able to place the stick across his neck. Cade had not had time to catch his breath before she cut his airway off. Her legs were on either side of him hooked around his arms, pinning them down. With her grip slipping, she began to change her position, that’s when she felt him no longer fighting her. She loosened her grip and his head hit the dirt.

There was silence throughout the crowd and then they erupted with clapping and cheering. Catching her breath Cordelia looked up, and as she slid off Cade, she noticed that even the Bishop was standing and clapping.

Joe, one of the older retired guards, came over to them and threw a bucket of water in Cade’s face. “Get up you big lug.”

Cade slowly lifted his head , spitting water and dirt out of his mouth.

Cordelia brushed his hair out of face and wiped some of the dirt and water off. “Are you okay?” she asked. “I didn’t mean to get you in the throat. Honest.” It was very red and would be bruised in the morning.

His voice was raspy when he spoke, “I think I will be if I get up slowly.” He sat up slowly and shook his head as if he was trying to shake away the fog.

“How the hell did you do that?” he asked, rubbing his throat.

She smiled at him, “Luck.” Was all she got out before the Bishop started to speak.

“Well, it seems we have our new leader!” he said loudly to control all of the talking.

“Go get your well-earned promotion,” Cade whispered, smiling at her and she knew they were okay.

Cordelia smiled back at him and stood up as the Bishop walked towards her.

Bishop Lucius held his hand out and she bowed , placing her forehead on his ring, waiting for him to speak.

“Rise Cordelia, and take your place alongside the other Leaders. You have two days to choose your team, and until tomorrow night to choose your second in command. Choose wisely Cordelia, they will be the people you will have to trust with your life.”

He was silent for a moment, and then placed his hands on her head. “Rise now and welcome to the League of the Red Hoods. Serve us with grace and honor. Most importantly never forget you serve the Lord and the work you do here on earth is all in His name.”

Cordelia stood and the applause was deafening. She couldn’t hide her smile as she went to join the other leaders that came from different villages to meet the new captain.

The larger villages had their own teams. As the teams got older or died off, they were replaced with new members. Boys and girls were always training with hopes of becoming a Red Hood one day.

That had been three years ago and of course, no one had been surprised when she named Cade as her second. She believed that she got lucky that day and if she had not caught Cade in the throat, he would have won. She had mentioned that to him on several occasions. He always just smiled and said, “Cordelia, you were born to be the leader. Besides you are way more ruthless than I am.”

Cordelia was the youngest leader ever of the Red Hoods. Along the way, she had also received the reputation has being the most dangerous. Three years in, and she had already racked up the highest kill rate.

The Bishop had done his job of raising her to be a vicious warrior. Werewolves were monsters and had no place in their world. Whenever Bishop Lucius received word that werewolves have been discovered, he never worried that she would fail. Failure was not acceptable to him, or to her.

She spent most of the next day getting supplies that she needed for her house. She knew that she had at least two weeks at home, because word of new Weres never came until after the full moon.

Werewolves were able to change whenever they wanted, but during a full moon they had to and that is usually what allowed them to be seen by their neighbors or friends. Sometimes, however, it was a stranger unlucky enough to come across one.

That evening, there was a celebration in honor of the fallen men. The whole village was there. There was food and music and the wine was flowing. Cordelia never liked coming to these celebrations, so she had several glasses of wine and was finally starting to relax.

She hated losing men and women under her command because their deaths played over and over in her head. Always wondering if there was something she could have done differently. For her though, what was even worse than losing someone, was looking into the face of their family members. She hated that part and would never come to the celebrations, but Cade said it made her look harder than she was. He said it would look disrespectful if she didn’t come, so she came.

Cordelia was deep in thought, arguing with herself about going home, and had finally made her mind up to leave when someone behind her yelled, “Cordie!”

It startled her enough that she dropped her drink and drew her sword even before she’d finished turning around. The tip of her sword stopped against Helen’s neck.

Helen pushed the sword away, grumbling, “Now don’t you point that thing at me. I had to get your attention somehow. I had been calling your name and you weren’t listening.”

“Sorry Helen, habit,” Cordelia said, smiling at the older woman.

“Yes of course, habit,” Helen shook her head and mumbled something else about scaring an old woman. “Well, I didn’t just come here to get a sword pulled on me. You remember me telling you about my sister Sara?”

It took her a minute to focus on what Helen was saying. Apparently, she had had more to drink than she realized.

“Yes, the one that passed away two years ago?” Cordelia said, sitting down.

“Yes, that’s the one. Well, I would like you to meet her son. Cordelia, this is my nephew Micah.” Helen’s face was beaming with pride.

She looked up to meet the man that had just stepped into her line of sight. She could have sworn she felt her heart stop for a moment. The smiling man in front of her was beautiful. Normally men were not described as beautiful, but she was at a loss for a better word.

He was tall, almost as tall as Cade. He had black hair and big green eyes surrounded by thick long lashes. High cheek bones made his face have a more feminine edge to it, but you could never mistake him for a female. Making her way down his face she saw that his lips were full and looked soft, and they were also moving. He had been speaking to her.

Smiling at her, he repeated himself, “Hello Cordelia, it’s nice to meet you.” His voice was smooth with just enough bass.

“Hello. I’m sorry your name was what again? It’s a little loud.”

He leaned into her, “Its Micah.”

He was close enough to her that she felt his breath warm on her neck. Her own breath caught and a shudder ran through her. He must have seen it , because he grinned as he turned his head away.

“I’m going to get another glass,” Helen said. “You two get to know each other.”

“May I?” Micah asked, gesturing towards the wood pile Cordelia was sitting on.

“Sure,” she said, and slid over to give him enough room.

“I never knew Aunt Helen drank. Is this new?” Micah asked.

Cordelia giggled. “No not at all. Don’t get me wrong, she is not the village drunk. She just enjoys celebrating like the rest of them,” she said, motioning towards the crowd.

There must have been a look on her face because he asked, “You don’t like to celebrate?”

“If I have something to celebrate, then yes. I just don’t believe in celebrating the loss of a life, especially if that life was lost under my lead.”

“Oh, you’re with the Red Hoods? I should have guessed by how quickly you pulled your sword.”

Helen came back before Cordelia could answer, and she had brought Cordelia another mug. She took it and took a big swallow to calm her nerves.

The band started playing a tune that she loved and she began to hum. Cordelia had loved to dance when she was a little girl. It was one of the non-training things the Bishop had taught her. Her feet were tapping to the beat when Cade walked up to them.

“Would you like to dance?” he asked, extending his hand to Cordelia.

She took his hand and allowed him to lead her towards the other dancers. He placed his hand on her waist, and away they went. For the first time that night, Cordelia enjoyed herself. Cade knew her better than anyone because they had been with each other almost every day since they were two years old.

Cade’s mother felt bad for Cordelia and had offered to raise her, but the Bishop had said no. Instead, Cade’s mother had come to the church to help with her. As she and Cade got older, his mother was their teacher. Cade’s mother had always told him, “Cordelia needs extra prayers and she needs someone to watch over her. You do that for her Cade, you watch over her. She needs a friend and family, you try very hard to be both.” Cade had done his best to be both.

Cordelia’s position had made her harder and lately she had grown distant. There was nothing she felt passionate about, and she never showed emotion while on a hunt. She could kill a werewolf child just as easily as a grown male. That was why the werewolves were afraid of her. Cordelia was their monster, and deep down she liked it that way.

When the song was over, she bowed to him and he took her back to Helen.

“I’m glad you still know how to dance. It’s been awhile,” Helen said. “Oh Cade, let me introduce you to my nephew, Micah. Micah, this is Cade. Micah is visiting me for a week. He had business to tend to in a village close by.”

The men shook hands and it looked like they were sizing each other up. There was suddenly tension in their little group.

“Cade, how is Lisa doing?” Cordelia asked. Lisa was Will’s wife and Thomas’s sister. So she had lost two family members at once and had just given birth a month ago.

“Lisa is okay. Well, as okay as she can be. I’m sure she would like it if you came and saw her,” Cade said with more than a hint to his tone.

Cordelia was instantly mad. It was not that she didn’t like Lisa, she did; she just didn’t want to go see her. Deep down Cordelia didn’t feel anything for the four men she had lost, and wasn’t sure if she could fake the emotion enough to fool anyone.

“You know why I won’t go see her.”

“I know Cordelia, but you should.”

“I know Cade.” The tone of her voice let him know to drop it. She didn’t want to sit here with him anymore. “I think I want to dance again.”

Cade stood up and offered his hand again. This time she didn’t take it, instead she turned towards Micah. “Would you like to dance?”

He looked between her and Cade. Still looking at Cade, Micah stood and took her offered hand. “Of course, I would love to dance with you.”

She led him out onto the dance floor. There was an electric spark that went through her when Micah placed his hand on her hip. Their eyes met and she knew he felt it too. His hand holding hers was warm and strong. Micah was an amazing dancer. They glided around and moved easily through the crowd of other dancers.

When the song was over Micah kissed her hand and thanked her for the dance. As they walked back , Cordelia could tell that Cade was upset because he was glaring at Micah. She decided that she was not staying there to deal with whatever issue Cade was having.

They reached the wood pile and Cordelia said, “I’m going home now. Have a good night, Cade. Micah, it was pleasure meeting you and thank you for the dance. Good night, Helen.”

“Cord!” Cade called out, but she didn’t stop walking. She had a lot to drink and her head was too fuzzy to listen to his nonsense.

She heard Helen call out this time and she stopped, but didn’t turn around.

“Child, wait a minute I’m heading home too, we can walk together.” Helen hooked her arm around Cordelia’s arm and Micah fell in silently beside her.

Helen rambled on and on about different things the whole way home and Cordelia had to laugh at her. She loved Helen and loved listening to her ramble after she’s had too much wine. She was even funnier to Cordelia tonight because she had too much wine too.

“Well here you go Helen, your home. Micah, again, it was nice meeting you and I hope to see you again before you leave.” Whispering to him, she asked, “Are you going to be alright getting her in the bed?”

Micah watched Helen stumbling to her house, “Maybe,” he said with a grin.

Just then Helen tripped and fell.

“Oh no, Helen are you alright?” Micah and Cordelia yelled and ran to help her. They were shocked to find the older woman giggling.

“I’m fine. My knee hurts, but I’m fine,” she said in between giggles.

Micah shook his head and lifted Helen and carried her to her house.

“Could you get the door?” he yelled back.

“Sure,” Cordelia said. She opened the door and lit a candle as Micah carried Helen into her room and put her on the bed.

“Her knees are scraped, could you bring some water and a rag?”

Cordelia filled a bowl with water, and then grabbed a rag and some bandages. Micah was removing Helen’s shoes and Helen was softly singing. She sat on the edge of the bed and cleaned the older woman’s knees.

Helen placed her hand on Cordelia’s face. “You’re a good girl, Cordie. You get out of the Red Hoods and settle down before you get hurt. It’s making you hard, and I don’t like it,” her voice was soft and slurred by the time she finished.

Cordelia didn’t bother responding because she could hear the soft snores where Helen had passed out.

She could feel Micah looking at her, but she didn’t turn around to look at him. She finished cleaning and bandaging Helen’s knees, and then took the bowl and rag to the sink. Micah followed her into the kitchen and leaned on the wall, still watching her. She finally turned to stare at him too. The energy between them had changed, it was tense, and Cordelia needed some air. She motioned for them to go outside so they wouldn’t wake Helen.

“She loves you,” Micah said the moment the door closed.

She smiled at him. “I love her too. Your aunt is a great woman. When is the last time you saw her?”

“Hmm, it’s been about five or six years now. It was on one of her visits to my mother’s. My mother and she were very close. Well, they were the last time I talked to my mother before she passed away.”

“Were you and your mother close?”

He gave her a sad smile. “We were when I was younger, but we had a fight about four years before she passed, and we hadn’t talked since.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Did you at least get to tell her goodbye?”

He shook his head, “No. My mother had been dead for six months before I found out she was even dead. How about your family? Does your family live in this village too?”

It was her turn to give him a sad smile. “No, I don’t have any family. My family died when I was very little. I don’t even really remember them.”

She stood up and started pacing around the porch. Things had gotten too serious for her. He tracked her every movement, watched her every step. She stopped and leaned back against the railing of the porch and Micah moved to stand in front of her.

“That man I met tonight, Cade, is he your boyfriend?” Micah’s voice was soft.

“No, we grew up together and are just friends.” She figured there was no reason to get into all the details about her and Cade’s complicated life.

He took a step closer and smiled. “Good.”

They stood staring at each other. Micah’s eyes started to roam over her face and to her body. When he brought his eyes slowly back to her face, Cordelia blushed because of the heat in his eyes. It was obvious that he liked what he saw.

Feeling brave because of the wine, Cordelia figured if he could look then so could she. She looked at his beautiful face and then slowly looked over his broad, muscular chest. Her breath caught when she realized he was happy to have her looking at him too.

Micah was in front of her before she realized he had moved. His arms were around her waist and he lifted her onto the railing so they were suddenly eye level. Their hearts were beating so loudly Cordelia didn’t know whose was whose.

“I want to kiss you,” he growled.

She couldn’t think of a reason not to, so she put her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. Cordelia had never been so bold before, especially not with a stranger. And Micah was a stranger she had only met a few hours ago.

The kiss was amazing. She had been kissed before, but it never felt like this. Every nerve in her body seemed to come alive. Micah wrapped his arms tighter around her, pulling her closer against him. She felt her bottom slip off the railing and automatically wrapped her legs around his waist. He pressed himself harder into her and she felt him hard and eager for more.

A sound escaped her lips and that sound snapped her back to herself. ‘Oh my God what am I doing?’ she asked herself.

Pulling away from him she panted, “Micah stop. I’m sorry, we can’t do this. I can’t do this. I don’t know what happened.”

He didn’t answer her, and he didn’t move his body, but his eyes shut and he breathed deep. Without opening his eyes he nodded his head and stepped back to let her go.

Cordelia hopped down and walked to the steps. ‘You will not run,’ she ordered herself. Once she was down the steps she turned back to look at him. Micah’s head was down and, his hands were gripping the railing.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, and walked away.

She wasn’t sure why she kept saying it. What was she sorry for? Sorry for the fact that she wasn’t going to have sex with a strange man on Helen’s porch? That was never going to happen. Was she sorry that she had led him on? Had she led him on? He started it.

‘I should be angry not feeling guilty,’ she huffed.

Cordelia brooded about this the whole way home. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice the man on her porch until he spoke.

“Can we talk?”

She jumped and squealed.

“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you make that noise before.”

“Shut up Cade. What are you doing here?” she snapped.

Cordelia was angry with herself for allowing that kiss to happen with Micah, and now looking at Cade she felt embarrassed. She had never been embarrassed by her actions before. She never allowed herself do anything to be embarrassed over.

“Sorry,” he said, putting his hands up. “I wanted to talk to you and find out if you’re okay. I’ve been sitting here for a while now. I was getting ready to come look for you. Where were you?” His tone was trying for casual, but it didn’t quite make it.

“I was helping Micah with Helen. She had too much to drink tonight, and fell down on the way home. She scrapped her knees pretty bad, so I was cleaning and bandaging them. She finally passed out, but she will probably be in pain in the morning. She’s not as young as she used to be.” She was rambling and forced herself to stop. She felt guilty about what happened with Micah, even though there was no reason to feel guilty.

Of course Cade had noticed. “Are you alright? I’m worried about you; I have been for a while now.”

“I’m fine Cade. I’m very tired and I’ve had too much to drink, but I’m fine.”

He patted the porch beside him. “Talk to me for a minute, just a minute.”

She sat down beside him, and turned her body to face him. He was nervous about something, and she should have seen it coming. There wasn’t any reason for her to have missed the signs, but she did.

Cade leaned in and kissed her. He kissed her softly at first, and when she didn’t move away, he kissed her a little harder. She was in such shock, but when she felt his tongue part her lips she pulled back and pushed him away.

“Cade what are you doing?” Her voice was a little higher than normal.

“I’m sorry,” he said. Then Cade stood up and ran for home.

Cordelia touched her lips.

‘What is going on?’ she thought. ‘I have not been kissed in three years and now I’ve been kissed twice in less than an hour. I need to go to bed and end this insane day.’

She got ready for bed and said her nightly prayers, but when she crawled in the bed her mind started racing. She tossed and turned for about an hour. She couldn’t stop thinking about Cade and Micah and the two very different kisses.

She knew sleep wasn’t coming, so she finally gave up. Cordelia slipped her clothes and shoes on, and pulled her long hair up on top of her head. She did the only thing she thought would help. She went for a run.