The road home

The next morning came earlier than I expected. Aunt Agnes had woken me up before sunrise, shoving clothes into a duffel bag like we were fleeing the apocalypse.

“ Do I really need this many sweaters?” I asked, watching her shove the second one inside.

“Wolves don’t care much for fashion, but they respect preparedness.” She said. “ and besides, it gets really cold out there”

I sighed. “ I would have stayed here where I bother less about the cold.”

“You’ll survive.” Came the reply.

When Caroline’s car honked outside, my jaw dropped. She was punctual of course, bright, cheerful and ready to torment me where, and whenever.

I hugged aunt Agnes goodbye, her embrace tight and warm.

“Remember.” She started. “Don’t close yourself off. Just…..observe. Let the universe show you what you’ve forgotten.”

I nodded, pretending to pay attention, while in reality I wasn’t.

Caroline waved from behind the wheel. “ come on slow poke! We have to be there before sunset.”

I entered , throwing my bags at the back seat. The car smelled like vanilla and pine, very her.

“ You look thrilled.” She teased , pulling onto the highway.

“This is all your fault.” I frowned. “ This isn’t a fun vacation, this is me facing my childhood trauma.”

She grinned. “ I’ll make sure to take pictures of your panic attacks for the scrap book.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help laughing. That was one thing about Caroline, she had a way of making every dread feel manageable.

The city melted away faster than I expected. Skyscrapers gave way to forests, and asphalt to dirt. It was strange how quiet everything became once we left the him of traffic behind.

As the trees closed in on both sides of the road, I felt something stir within me. It was a flicker of familiarity deep under my skin, more than fear of the unknown.

It began like an echo of a memory I didn’t ask for, then played into the picture of my parents bloodied bodies.

Caroline noticed my silence. “ are you okay?”

“I’m great.” I lied.

She gave me a side glance. “ You always do that thing with your jaw when you’re lying.

I touched my jaw defensively. “ I do not!”

“You do.” She said smirking. “Relax, no one is going to bite you.”

I gave her a stern look. “ you think that’s funny huh?”

“Serious though.” She said more calmer now. “You’ll be fine, things have changed since you left. My brother is the new alpha now since dad died. Things have changed, it’s……calmer now.”

“Liam “ I murmured, remembering his name faintly. Liam was mean as a child, and other pups kind of avoided him. “ He was a hell of a pup back then.”

Caroline laughed. “ yeah, not so much anymore. He’s about his pack duties these days, and has become quite the gentleman. You’ll see.”

“Sounds delightful.” I snorted.

She grinned. “ Don’t worry, he’s not as scary as he looks. Unless you break a rule, or challenge him, or breathe wrong in his presence.”

“Caroline “

“Right, sorry.” She said,chuckling. “But you’ll be fine, probably.”

We drove for hours. The tree grew denser, extremely taller, and their branches like ribs closing over the road. Somewhere along the way, I realized the air smelled fresher. It was wilder and different.

When we finally passed a wooden arch carved with the words “BLOOD MOON PACK TERRITORY “ My chest tightened.

The land spread wide beneath the scorching sun with rolling hills, forests, and scattered log cabins nestled among the trees.

Wolves ran along the grass, their bodies slender, sleek and powerful. I couldn’t tell if they were in human forms or not, but the sight made my pulse quicken.

“Home”

The word slipped into my mind uninvited.

No, this is not my home, it’s just a place I used to know as a child and nothing more.

Caroline smiled as we drove through the dusty road. “ welcome back Marilyn. You see what you’ve been missing now?”

I just nodded, pretending the sudden rush in my chest was out of excitement and not dread.

We soon got to the pack house, a big timber structure that looked bigger than the rest of the houses there, and more modern. The people went about their businesses, some skinning meat, while the children played about.

Caroline parked and turned to me. “ Okay, deep breath. They’re friendly Marilyn.”

“You think?” I raised a brow.

She winked. “ You’ll see.”

I noticed their eyes locked on me immediately I stepped out of the car. I carried a scent they were unfamiliar with, and that caused them to stop and stare.

Even though I kept my chin high, the sweat running down the sides of my head could be noticed.

“Just ignore them, you’re with me now.” Caroline said, holding my hand firmly.

“ I feel wired, these people are staring at me like a billboard sign.” I said nervously.

She laughed. “ You’ll soon fit right in.”

Inside, the pack house was warm and smelled like cedar and freshly baked bread. A group of omegas passed us, nodding politely but with open curiosity.

I felt like an exhibit at a museum.

Caroline led me up a wide staircase. “You’ll stay in out of the guest rooms near mine, and don’t worry, Liam is always too busy to worry about guests.”

“That’s better.” I said, relieved.

“ But he did ask about you when I said you were coming.” She gave me a sly smile.

“Why would he do that?”

“Because he remembers you. You were the girl who bit his hand when he tried to show you his toy sword!”

I cover my face, feeling embarrassed.

That was a long time ago.

“Yeah, he still has the scar though.” Caroline laughed. “Anyway, unpack your things. Dinner is at seven, try not to hide in your room the whole time. Promise?”

“I can’t promise that .” I mumbled.

When she left, I sat on the bed and looked outside the window. This place was beautiful and green, with the forest stretching endlessly beyond the horizon.

I was starting to feel at home, at least for now. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and the people seemed welcoming. At least for now.

I hugged my knees tightly whispering.

“ It’s just a visit, what could go wrong?’’