Rejected, Rebirth, and Revenge

Chapter Five:A New Plan

I ran to catch up with them and all the while, I asked myself what on earth I was doing.

The first face I saw was Dixon's, and his expression shifted from one of surprise to one of pure vexation at the sight of me. I counted quickly; there were seven of them. They were all dressed in a combination of denims and leathers, and a handful of them were sporting tattoos on the exposed parts of their bodies.

I had a sinking feeling in my gut because, technically, they looked dangerous. But I had to trust my gut on this one. If they were twisted and evil, they would have finished me off when they first saw me.

"Look who has a death wish," Dixon commented.

"Did you do it?" I asked, but none of them answered me. I added, "Kill the Alpha, I mean."

Behind Dixon, someone scoffed. "Is she serious right now?"

"Why?" Dixon asked, tilting his head. "Do you want to blackmail us? If so, that makes you just about the dumbest blackmailer I've ever met in all my life."

"It's not that," I insisted, stepping closer to them. This was it. This was the only opportunity I would have to present to them a plan that I hadn't even formed well in my mind yet. I prayed to the goddess for strength and took a deep breath before saying, "I can help you."

They were silent and looking at me expectantly for so long that I wasn't sure if I had even said the words.

"Help us how?" someone beside Dixon said. I recognized him as Anthony.

"So, you haven't killed him yet?"

"Get to the point," Dixon said, still not answering my question. His eyes roamed my body and settled on my bare feet. I had the instinct to hide them under the dirt but ignored it ultimately.

I realized that I must look (and sound) like a raving lunatic to them. But this was the only plan I had in my mind. If I missed this opportunity, I wouldn’t know what to do. I didn’t have anywhere to go. With this new face, I would only shock my mother. She would never believe it was me.

No, what I needed was time. Time to figure this out. Time to find the best strategy to approach her. But until then, I would focus on my plan for revenge, and these guys were the perfect solution.

I would join their group, find a way to get revenge, and have a place to stay at the same time.

“I know this pack,” I told them, coming up with the lie as I spoke. “My parents were killed by Alpha Desmond. He believed that they were traitors because they didn’t support his reign.”

Dixon stepped closer to me and tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

I didn’t know what I meant. I was making things up. “I’m not sure. I was only a kid when it happened and I’ve been roaming the woods ever since, all on my own.” I gestured at my dress, which was incredibly dirty. “I stole this off someone’s laundry line. That’s how I survive.”

I realized that this explanation would help me convince them why I looked so unkempt. And I had a good motive to want the Alpha dead. When I noticed their hesitance, I said, “I’m not a snitch. I just want to avenge their deaths.”

“What’s your name?” Dixon asked, stepping forward.

“Scarlett,” I said.

“Scarlett what?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t remember my surname. I was too young.”

They exchanged a look. I didn’t want to risk making one up that didn’t exist. They’d undoubtedly try to confirm my story somewhere. I had to be smart.

“And you never had the opportunity for revenge?”

“No,” I admitted. “But after what I saw tonight, I thought that I might join you guys. That I might be of some help. I know how this pack operates. I watch them all the time. I know everything about them. Names. Routine. I could help with that.”

“Has anyone ever seen you?”

“I don’t think so,” I said. They didn’t know this new face, that was certain. “I stay hidden well. If they had, I might be dead.”

“That’s true,” someone said behind him.

“They hate rogues,” I commented.

“Is that what you are? A rogue?”

I gestured at my clothing and by appearance. Right now, I looked more like a rogue than ever. Granted, I’d never met a rogue before—these guys were the first ones—but I assumed they’d be unkempt because they didn’t have packs.

“I don’t see how you can help us even though we have a common goal,” Dixon said ultimately. “We need help, not another liability.”

“Hunter,” someone said behind him. He spoke in a low voice, but I heard everything he was saying. I didn’t know his name yet. “Think about this, man. She can be of help. Even if it’s to add to our numbers.”

“No,” he said. “I’m sorry. We don’t have enough room.”

“I could infiltrate the pack for you,” I said to his back. He stopped dead in his tracks and then looked at me over his shoulder.

“How?”

“There’s a student exchange program,” I offered, which was true. “Sometimes, students from other packs join us for a semester. It would be a good opportunity.”

“And how would a bunch of rogues pull that off? They’d obviously only take people from renowned packs.”

“That’s where you come in,” I said. I was starting to lose hopes. This was the only card I had left to play. “If you have any connection with anyone from another pack, we could make it work. I mean, I’m the right age. Nobody else in your group seems to be.”

“She’s calling us old,” someone commented, and this was followed by chuckles.

Dixon or Hunter or whatever his name was, raised a hand impatiently, and they all fell silent. The others seemed to be in their mid-twenties to early thirties, but Dixon was young. He seemed to be about my age. Maybe a bit older. It was impossible to tell.

“I might have a connection,” he said, and my heart soared. “But that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll do a good enough job.”

“Trust me,” I said with determination, balling my fists, “I’ve been angry for long enough. I can definitely pull this off. Besides, I know how this pack runs. I know how they act. You get me that connection, and I’ll infiltrate this pack and do with it what you want me to.”

There was a heavy silence in the air. I didn’t take back my words. I knew now that the goddess guided me and brought me to this exact place. This couldn’t be a mere coincidence. I had to be here for a reason, which meant that he was here for a reason.

We were meant to work together.

He looked around at his group before giving me an answer. They all nodded. He then sighed and looked back at me. In his eyes, I saw pure boredom. “Alright, then, Scarlett. Come with us. I can’t promise you much, but I’ll give you a shot.”

I was beyond happy. I managed to pull this off. But with my feeling of triumph came devastation, as I knew that I wouldn’t be seeing my mother anytime soon. And she would be worried about me. She would be heartbroken when she found out that I was missing.

I wondered how things would work out. Nobody ever went missing in our pack. Well, in recent times, was what I meant. There were always reports of missing people in the past, which made me wonder if they shared the same fate I did, only I was privileged enough to be reborn. Maybe they weren’t.

I didn’t know.

I followed behind their group. Nobody spoke to me. I didn’t know the part of the woods we were walking through—it was too far from where we were allowed to venture. It seemed to me like it was going to be a long walk and my feet were already killing me.

But I focused on revenge. That was my strength and backbone. I concentrated on how it would feel like to infiltrate the pack with a brand-new face, one I had to admit was prettier than my old one. My body was stronger. More toned. I was a bit taller. My voice was different—sultry, almost. It would take some getting used to, but the point was that I would succeed. I knew I would.

When I returned to Dawn with a brand-new face, they’d all pay.

It was almost dawn when we reached our destination, and the irony wasn’t lost on me. We’d walked the whole night and I was sure that my feet were bleeding from stepping on things barefoot.

To my surprise, we headed straight to a motel, one whose sign was still flashing in the semi-darkness. It was almost covered in mist, and it was enormous and had two floors.

Dixon said to me, “Welcome to your new home, fox.”