Betrayal & Redemption

Bare Necessities

Caroline POV 

I try not to overhear the saleswoman shamelessly flirting with Jackson to no avail. It's like my body is attuned to his voice and his presence. I don't even realize that I have been staring at him until he turns and his eyes meet mine. I quickly avert my gaze and look down at a pair of jeans that are three sizes too big. 

Smooth, Rae says, chuckling. 

Shut up you mutt, I tell her. I get more laughter in response and roll my eyes. 

I suddenly feel his presence behind me and continue looking at the clothes on the rack, ignoring the tingle in my belly. 

"Find anything else you like?" He asks, and I jump. 

"Uh not quite yet.." I tell him. Truth be told, this place is way too expensive. I wish he had just let me spend $50 at Goodwill. 

"There's that look again. What are you thinking about?" He whispers in my ear, making my knees weak. No. This man will NOT have this effect on me. 

"These clothes are expensive as hell," I tell him. 

"But I'm bu-" he begins but I cut him off. "No, this is a loan. I lost all of my things in an automobile fire and I need new things. That's all this is," I tell him, looking into his eyes and clenching my jaw. He has the audacity to laugh. 

"Well well, aren't you just the little spitfire," he tells me. My face goes tomato red and I turn back to the clothes, angrily throwing them aside. It takes a few minutes before I realize I already looked at all these. "Oh come on. Think of this as a gift. When is your birthday?" He asks me. 

My face falls and my eyes fill with tears again. Thank God my back is to him, he probably thinks I'm some insane girl with messy hair who never showers and cries all the time. "Um...it w-was...yesterday..." I mumble a response so quiet that anyone without wolf hearing wouldn't have even figured out I was speaking. 

"Well happy fuckin birthday, then," he says and stalks off towards jewelry. Thank f**k he's gone. I bite my lip and take a deep breath. I will not cry. I will NOT cry. Nope. Not gonna cry over people who don't deserve it. I pull out a few shirts, a couple pairs of shorts, and a short, tight skirt. My mother would have never approved of something like this- well, apparently she would if she was getting paid for it. I curl my lip in disgust and add it to the increasing pile on my arm. I am so engrossed in the clothes I don't hear Jackson come up behind me until he slips a necklace around my next and almost chokes me. 

"What the hell are you doing?!" I ask him, pulling away. 

"Oh s**t, sorry. I was trying to surprise you. I bought you a necklace," he says, putting it around my neck and closing the clasp. I look down at the howling wolf, and then back up at him. 

"This is beautiful," I tell him, "but I can-" 

"It's so you don't forget me," he cuts me off. "It's supposed to be like a silver wolf- so you remember me and Arlo." 

Goddamnit that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard, I tell Rae, blinking back tears. 

Yeah, sure. Fall for everything the little player says- get the clothes, get cleaned, and come up with a plan, Caroline. don't get hooked on a guy who doesn't even know your real name "Cassie", I can tell he affects her too, but she's trying not to let it. I pile the clothes in his hands and he picks up the skirt. 

"Got a hot date you ain't told me bout?" He asks, wiggling his eyebrows. 

"Not yet, you perv," I tell him, fighting a smile. "Alright, I just need a pair of shoes and we're done." 

"Better make that two pairs- can't have you wearing a skirt like this with out some nice heels to make your ass loo-" I slap him in the mouth before he can finish. He grins at me and shakes his head. "You sure you're a wolf? That was pretty weak- I would say more like a hamste-" this time I punch him in the stomach and I can hear the wind knock out of him thanks to Rae. 

He's cuter when he's silent, she snips. 

Don't tell him that. He might never speak again, I respond, chuckling. I walk over to peruse the shoes  and I'm surprised that I actually find a couple pairs on sale. Much to Jackson's pleasure, there's even a pair of black stiletto heels. He insists on getting them, telling me that they come in handy, even as a weapon. 

"Fine, but that's it. Nothing else!" I insist. 

"Well, almost nothing else," he says and walks over to a set of suitcases. "You'll need something to carry all this in." 

"You think of everything, don't you?" I tease. 

"Well, when you live like I do, you have to be practical," he tells me and then a look crosses his face like he didn't mean to say it. 

Jackson POV

Shit, I should not have said that, I told Arlo. 

Eh, you can trust her, he tells me. 

How could you know that?  I ask him, but he just laughs instead. f*****g mutt. 

"What do you mean by that?" I realize Cassie is still staring at me. 

I ran a hand through my hair. s**t. "I uh. I moved around a lot when I was younger," I tell her. Not technically a lie- I was younger 3 years ago. And now. I'm older now than I was when I said that. 

Wow. Strong justification, I can almost see Arlo rolling his eyes. I just ignore him. 

I grab the set of suitcases for Cassie and bring them over to the register as she brings the shoes. As soon as the sales lady rings up the skirt, a shirt, and a pair of shoes, Cassie takes them and disappears into a dressing room. 

"So are you guys like a thing?" the saleslady asks me. 

I sigh, knowing it's coming. "No, we aren't. She's just a friend," I tell her reluctantly, and I feel a pang in my chest at that.

"Well then maybe you might be up for something tonight?" She says, her voice raspy, and she runs her fingers up and down my arm. 

I move my arm away from her. "No. Thank you. Could you ring us up please? We have dinner plans," I say, and she pouts. I roll my eyes and she finishes scanning, loading up the suitcases. Cassie exits the dressing room and I am hit with that scent again. She walks up to me with a smile and my mouth almost drops. The skirt she chose hugs every curve of her body, and her t shirt has a perfect V. I didn't watch when she picked out bras and panties- I didn't need to be walking around with my c**k at attention, but boy did she do a good job. Her ample cleavage is peeking out of the v in her shirt. She hands me back my clothes with a smile and I throw them over my shoulder, discreetly inhaling the smell on the clothes. The repelling scent is there on my clothes. 

What is that? Arlo says. 

I inhale deeply again and get slightly lightheaded. Can't be...wolfsbane? Someone trying to poison me? 

That or she's been loaded up with so much that her sweat smells of it. That would take years of microdosing her, though, so that she wouldn't feel the effects, Arlo tells me. 

Hmm. Let's put a pin in that for now. She may need more protection than she realizes...maybe we shouldn't just send her packing, I tell him. 

"You ready to go?" She asks me. 

"Uh yeah. Yeah." I set a suitcase on the floor and pull the handle up for her, then grab the other and lift it off the counter. 

"Don't forget your receipt," the lady says, leaning over provocatively against the counter. I look at the receipt and see her number is on it then look back at her and she winks. I roll my eyes. 

"Nah. I get statements in the mail. I'll know what this is for. Thanks," I tell her and rush towards the door. I hear her stomp her foot as her eyes bore into the back of my head. Ain't nobody got time for that s**t. I go to Cassie who is standing by the trunk of the car. I walk up to her and pop the truck. 

"Hungry?" I ask, setting her bags in the trunk gently. 

"Starved," she tells me. I feel her eyes on me and look over. She's staring at me with her lip between her teeth. f**k, if that ain't the prettiest sight I've ever seen.. 

"Lets go then," I tell her, trying my best to look at anything but her. I drive to the dive bar I usually go to, and she gets out, adjusting her skirt. "On second thought- we could just order in. You can get a shower in and everything..." 

Might wanna wipe up that drool, boy, Arlo chuckles. 

If I could, I would turn you into a f*****g throw rug, you obnoxious beast! I yell at him in my head. 

She bends down and peeks her head in the car, her skirt riding up slightly. "Are you sure?" she asks. 

"Yup. Get in. I have menus at my place- we can get whatever you want," I tell her. She slides in, and I look out the window. Lacey will call me in an hour or so if I don't show up. f**k. I back out of the spot and we head off to my shithole broom closet apartment. 

You could get her a room at a hotel, Arlo says. 

Yeah and sit outside the door all night so nobody f*****g touches her, I growl. 

How's the no-attachments thing working out for you? He asks me and I can feel him retreat into the far recesses of my mind. Yeah, you little s**t, fuckin run. 

I look over at Cassie. She's starting out the window, deep in thought. I park in the alley behind my apartment. "Hey Cass, you good?" 

"Caroline," she tells me. "My name is actually Caroline." 

"Caroline? Why did you lie?" I ask, getting angry. 

She sighs, "Well, I didn't know you..and I don't know who might be looking for me... So I gave you a fake name. I wasn't sure I could trust you." 

I laugh at that, "So you came all the way here, looking for ME, and then you tell me that I can't be trusted? Is the irony not lost you on you?" She lets out a giggle and I swear I've never heard anything so sweet in my entire life. I would go to the ends of the earth to hear that f*****g laugh. I grin at her. "Alright. Get upstairs and shower. There's a rack off to the side of the shower with folded towels- they're all clean. Anything NOT folded, though, probably isn't and I probably wouldn't touch it if I were you." I smirk, letting the words sink in. 

"EWW YOU PERVERT!" She says, hitting me lightly. "Wait. Why aren't you coming in?" 

"Ah. Yeah... This place is f*****g tiny. I don't have a separate room for the shower. But I mean..if you're offering a show, I'll be glad to come in," I reach for the door handle and she screams, jumping across me. 

"NOOO! No. You can stay here," she says, her face bright red. I hand her the keys to the apartment. I'll be right outside on the stairs. Lemme in when you're done and we can order food from somewhere." I get out of the car and pull out a cig, lighting it and inhaling deeply. Haven't needed one of these in months. 

Good. Stop poisoning me, you asshole, Arlo chimes. 

Two words, mutt. Throw. Rug. I tell him, and sit on the stairs, taking another drag. My thoughts drift to Cass- Caroline in the shower. Caroline. Gotta get used to saying that one now. An image appears in my head of her wet, naked body and I lay back against the stairs, my hands behind my head. Water running down her porcelain skin, her wet hair, down her back, her rubbing her hands all over her curves and that sweet ass... My c**k strains in my pants. f**k.