Betrayal & Redemption

New Beginnings

Caroline's POV

I drove and bumped along the road for another 15 minutes until I saw the pack's border. A warrior was waiting for me. I pulled up slowly and stopped, rolling the window down. It was Jasper, another friend of my father's. 

"Caroline, you did it," he said with a smile. 

"I-I...I guess. What is happening?!" I asked him. 

"I cannot explain right now. Do you have your phone with you?" He asked. I pulled it out of my bag and handed it to him. He handed me an ancient flip phone. "Put this somewhere safe. I will dispose of your other phone. Hurry, the next truck should be leaving the pack house soon. You need to get to a town called Holly Hollow. There's a man there named Jackson- he will protect you. Don't let him brush you off- get there, find him, do not leave his side." 

"Jackson. Okay got it. Jackson. Shouldn't you write this down?!" I ask. 

"Time to denounce us as your pack Caroline. I hope our paths cross again, my dear. Repeat after me, okay?" 

I nod. 

"Say 'I Caroline Steele, denounce Full Moon Pack and their Alpha and Luna as my own'," he says. 

Tears well up in my eyes "I, Caroline Steele, denounce Full Moon Pack and their Alpha and Luna as my own," I say. 

"'I hereby cut all ties, blood or otherwise with Full Moon'," he says. 

"I hereby cut all ties, blood or otherwise with Full Moon," my voice is trembling. A shudder shoots through me and I know that I am no longer part of my home pack. Jasper hands me a dagger and a gun. 

"There are 10 silver bullets in there. Use them wisely," he leans forward and kisses my forehead. "Goodbye my dear. And good luck." 

I hit the gas and speed pas the pack border. Holly Hollow. Hollow Holly? Ugh why couldn't someone write this down!!

Go right, love, Rae says, and I turn the wheel to the right. We continue bumbling on for a while until I see a main, paved road. Finally. All the jarring from being on dirt is finally over and I can get some speed. As soon as my tires hit the pavement, I floor it and we take off. 

Follow this for 10 miles, then turn left, Rae says. 

"How do you know that?" I ask her. 

Wolves have good sense of direction, love, she said cryptically. 

"Fine, don't tell me," I respond to her. I turn the radio on surf through the channels until I hear comforting saxophones fill the car. We ride for another 7 miles, and I have the radio turned up so loud that I don't hear the beeping in the car. All of a sudden Rae takes over my body, opens the door and bails out of the car, clutching my purse with the gun and the new phone in it to my chest. I roll into the trees and duck down. An explosion rings out around me. 

What the f**k was that, Rae?!?! I yell at her internally. 

Shut the f**k up and stay down. You still have that masking spray?  she asks. I pull it out. Good. Spray it all over,  she instructs. I do as asked. 

What the f**k is going o-

Get the f**k down now, she says again. I duck down into the brush and watch as the world around me changes. Three more SUVs pull up to my now burning one. A few of our- I mean Full Moon's pack warriors exit them and rush up to the flames. They open all the doors and one yells out "She's not here! Someone must have taken her. Too bad that rich f*****g prick can't remember anything. Hard to believe that little girl over took both him and his warrior who was driving." 

"Fuckin idiots man. If I had a little thing that like, she wouldn't want to over take me. I would have her purring like a kitten," another laughed. 

"Sweet little virgins, man. And our f*****g Alpha is just selling them off to the highest bidder. What about OUR needs, man?" yet another said. Suddenly a big scary lookin dude comes up to him and grabs him by the throat. 

"How dare you speak out against our Alpha and Luna," he says in a hoarse voice. He is fighting keeping his wolf at bay. Then he does the unexpected. He tosses the guy into the burning mess that was my car. The smaller man screams and screams, and everybody just hangs there heads in silence. It isn't until the screaming stops entirely that they extinguish the flames, get back in their cars, and leave. I stay on the ground, too stunned to move. 

We need to keep moving, love. Rae tells me. I nod, my body refusing to listen to me and stand. 

We need to go NOW, Rae insists. 

I jump up to my feet and brush myself off. No use, I am covered in dirt and mud, my knees are bleeding, and don't even get me started on my hair. I pull my shoes off and start walking in the direction of the road. 

What are you doing? Rae asks me. 

WALKING MUTT, I tell her. 

She scoffs, Fine. Go ahead and be found. Let them take you back to that disgusting excuse of a werewolf. 

I stomp my foot. "FINE GENIUS. WHERE am I SUPPOSED to f*****g go?!" I ask her. 

She growls in my head. I don't care, it's not like she can hurt me anyways. 

All of a sudden I walk right into a tree. 

Think again, dearie, Rae says. 

"UGH!!!!! I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU. JUST TELL ME WHERE TO GO AND GET ME OUT OF THESE GODFORSAKEN WOODS!!" I yell at her. 

She rolls her eyes. Sure. Alert everyone where you're at, 'genius', she mocks me. 

"If you're not going to help me, then just shut up," I tell her. 

Get undressed and stuff your dress in your bag if you can, Rae tells me. Undress. In the middle of the woods. The Goddess must think I'm unworthy for pairing me with such a strange, nudist wolf. 

Suddenly, my bones shift and crack, my dress rips around me as I bend in half. My spine elongates and my legs shrink, bending backwards, and my arms do the same. My dress falls to shreds on the floor. I bite back a scream as my teeth all lengthen and a snout makes its way out of my face. I drop on all fours and the purse lands with a thud next to me. 

Just relax, love, and I will get us where we need to go, Rae says. It does sound nice...but how? 

Just focus on a small part in the back of your mind. Think happy thoughts. Trust me, she says. I do as instructed and Rae picks up my purse in her mouth.  Then we take off. We fly through the woods and I have never experienced anything like it before in my life. We go over, under, right, left, and suddenly I realize I am sleepy. All that adrenaline that kept me going has drained me. 

Sleep my dear. It'll all be okay, Rae assures me. 

I wake up naked, sunlight streaming down on me. I'm on a bed of leaves, my arm cradling my head. I sit up, stunned. 

Rae?! Where the hell are we??!!