Betrayal & Redemption

Betrayed

Caroline's POV

I was staring at myself in the mirror, my eyes trailing down my body and back up to my eyes. I didn't recognize the woman in the reflection in her deep green dress that cut off at the thigh, courtesy of the Luna. That couldn't be me, could it? Yesterday I was a gawky teenager with skinny chicken legs and messy hair. The woman looking back at me in the mirror was all woman. My breasts had filled out, my hips were wider, my legs were still thin but I was shapely, not rail thin and scrawny. I looked strong, beautiful, and ready for anything. 

"Caroline, let's GO!" my mother yelled. 

"Coming!" I quickly shoved a few things into the purse that matched my dress. 

When I opened the front door, I was shocked to see a sleek black car in front of our house. It had red interior and looked, well, expensive. I looked at the man holding the door and stupidly asked, "Uh are you sure that this is for us? Do you have the right house?"

He looked at me and then looked at the empty nothingness that surrounded our house and replied, "I'm not sure how I could have mistaken this place for the neighbors. Are you not Caroline?" 

My cheeks flooded with head and I stammered out a simple "Yes." He smiled and gestured towards the car. I watched my step in the black wedge heels I had been given. I was never the most graceful person ever, but I was determined to not let our Luna down by not wearing them. My mother subtly grabbed my elbow and supported me, both of us making our way to the car. I noticed that it had a trident on the grille, which I had never seen before. We slid across the smooth red leather seats and my mother squeezed my hand. 

"You know I love you, right sweetpea?" she asked me. My brow furrowed. She never called me that before...

Maybe she's worried we will find Mate, Rae said. 

Hmm....maybe... She is shaking slightly, I said, feeling my mother tremble beside me. 

It didn't take long and we pulled up to the house. The driver stopped and eyed my mother in the mirror. His eyes glazed over and I knew he mind-linked her. She nodded, her eyes not leaving his, and then she turned to me with tears in her eyes and a forced smile. 

"Mama, what's happening?" I asked, my voice trembling. 

"Nothing, baby. You're just all grown up and I-" 

"No. Mother, what did he tell you? What's happening?" I cut her off. 

She sighed, "Sweetheart, I cannot really explain much right now. But you will understand one day, okay? Let's get going, you don't want to be late." 

I studied her eyes for a moment in shock. She had never lied to me before. I turned and got out of the vehicle and an array of smells hit my nose. I could smell everything. I walked up the porch of the pack house, not prepared for what I saw. There were male wolves everywhere... Talking to other females, playing video games on the couches, hanging out in the kitchen, sitting on the stairs, and I could even hear some moans upstairs and the creak of a bed. I dropped my eyes, walked quickly to a cooler, bent down to grab a bottle of water, and turned to make my way outside. As I turned, a sour smell hit my nose and I ran into another person. 

"Oh I'm sorry, excuse me," I said and tried to make my way around the smelly, greasy dude I ran into. 

"Where do you think you're going, dressed like that?" He sneered. 

"I was just going to go outside and sit with my mom," I said, amazed I didn't stutter the sentence out, "Please excuse me." 

He moved out of the way but I could feel eyes on me as I left the pack house. I went over to a table under some trees that was deserted and out of the way. My mother came and joined me a few minutes later. 

"Where have you been?!" I hugged her tightly and held back tears, "There's too many people here, please can we leave? I don't want to be here. I don't like this. Something isn't right." 

My mother's eyes glazed over and she mind-linked someone. Suddenly there were two warriors next to me. 

"We cannot leave, Caroline. Not until the ceremony is over. Okay?" She asked, her jaw clenched. I stared at her in disbelief but nodded my head. The warriors didn't leave us and we were sitting in awkward silence when the ceremony song began. 

Finally we can get this over with and go home, I told Rae. Oddly, she didn't respond. 

We made our way around the house to the "stage" that was actually a deck off the back of the house. The Alpha and Luna were standing, holding microphones. I was directed to a long line of girls, each one more solemn than the next. I was put up at the front of the line, since my birthday was one of the first. 

"Welcome everyone to our humble abode!" The Luna began, "as some of you may have noticed, we have a few new faces here- welcome the BloodMoon unmated wolves! As a new treaty goes into effect, we are starting a new tradition today. As many of you know, the BloodMoon pack has been hit with a mate curse. None of these strapping young wolves have been able to find their True Mates. Therefore, as a sign of dedication to our treaty, we are offering up our youngest and newest wolves to these poor young men who have gone too long without a mate. We do have a few rules, however. Not all of these young women are available-  only those whose parents have agreed to let their daughters go will be chosen. There will be no immediate marking on these lands, you must take your mate back to your own territory. You may only choose one, you cannot take two. And the last rule is- if more than one wolf wants to choose a young woman, we will go into an auction situation where you will bid on her. Proceeds will be split between the pack and the child's family. Any questions?" 

My heart stuttered out a beat. My mother wouldn't have...sold...me.. Would she? I look out into the sea of faces and find hers. Our eyes meet for a moment before she looks away. 

I think she may have, love, Rae tells me. I cannot hold back the tears anymore. They fall to the ground and I feel a hand slip into mine and give it a squeeze. 

"Don't let them see you cry," the girl next to me whispered, "They like it and it will make the most abusive of them want you. Be strong and stand defiantly- they don't like that." 

"How long has this been going on?" I ask her. 

"It was proposed a while ago but nobody ever thought the Alpha and Luna would allow it. However, as their finances took a nose dive, they need the money..." she trailed off as a warrior came and stood behind us. She dropped my hand when he cleared his throat. 

I didn't realize the Luna had stopped talking until my name was called. 

"Caroline will be our first lovely girl up for the taking today," the Luna said happily. 

I walked up on stage and she smiled at me. I stared at her and my eyes narrowed. She laughed at me and said to the audience, "Looks like we have a fighter here, folks." She squeezed my shoulder hard and continued, "This is Caroline, daughter of a warrior who gave his life for this pack. She has Alpha blood running through her, she is strong, fast, and should bear strong pups. At her mother's request, the price for her will start at $10,000. Is anyone interested in taking Caroline home as their mate?" 

Several men stood up in the crowd. I stared down all of them in turn. 

"Oooh, quite a few. Very well. The bidding starts at $10,000," Luna said. 

"Fifteen thousand," and old man in the front shouted. 

"I have sixteen!" said another. 

"Sixteen five!" said the smelly guy from inside the pack house. A chill ran down my spine. 

"Twenty thousand." said a voice from the back. A hairy man with long hair and dead, black eyes stepped through the crowd. "And if anyone wants to bet against me, I will increase it to fifty thousand and buy the girl outright." 

"Do we have any takers?" The Luna asked excitedly. How sick that this woman was getting such pleasure from selling another human being. The rest of the men sat down, defeated. The Luna's face fell in disappointment. "Sold. There will be a vehicle out front loaded with her and her things. Be sure that she rejects the pack as her own prior to crossing the border." 

I gasped and two warriors came up on the stage to escort me out. We rounded the building out of sight of everyone and I yanked my hands away. I braced one hand on the wall of the building and the other wrapped around my belly. I then proceeded to vomit the pancakes I had eaten all over the side of the house. I stood and wiped my mouth on my arm and that's when I smelled it, 

That is wolfsbane, Rae growled, your mother tried to weaken you. We couldn't smell it probably because of the chocolate. 

No. No no no no. She wouldn't! I insist. 

 Caroline, she SOLD us. She would and she did. Rae insists. 

Stupid mutt. I look at the faces of the warrior watching me. The other must have run off when I puked. He took a step closer to me and his eyes meet mine. He holds out his hand. 

"Here. Take these. Inject them in the neck and run. Be sure you expel yourself from our pack first- Alpha and Luna will have no hold over you after that," he dropped two syringes into my hand and I quickly stuff them into my purse. The other warrior jogs up to us holding a bottle of water. He hands it to me and his eyes glaze over as he looks at the other guard. They nod at each other and escort me over to the car. The driver is in the front already, and doesn't so much as peek at me when I get into the vehicle. I am sitting and staring out the window away from the pack house when the door opens again and the man who purchased me gets into the vehicle holding a bottle of champagne. He smiled at me, set the bucket of champagne on the floor and pulled me into his lap. I made a noise of disgust and tried to shove him away from me, but all that accomplished was a laugh and him pulling me closer to bury his face in my neck. 

"You smell delightful," he murmured, not moving his face. I looked down and saw his neck fully exposed. 

Do it NOW! Rae urged. 

I unzipped my purse discreetly, and pulled out the syringe. I ripped the top off and pushed the plunger into his neck, then quickly whipped around with the other and shoved it into the neck of the driver. The car gradually came to a stop miles away from the pack house. I opened both doors and dragged them out of the car, and continued onto the border, the pedal all the way to the floor. Thank Goddess mother taught me how to drive, I thought. Then the memories of her face flooded my mind. She f*****g sold me.