5| Pack town.

Oliver and I cross into the human world looking tattered and in shambles. We start walking down the road, hoping to find any form of help since we're clueless about how people live here.

 

Back in the pack, we had a community. Everyone knew who they were and who their children were going to be. But I'm sure humans live differently from us. I just wonder how different.

 

All my hands and feet hurt, and I'm still traumatized from what just happened minutes ago. I try not to seem bothered by it all, but of course Oliver notices.

 

"Isla..." He trails off after calling my name.

 

"Yes?" I try to stabilize my voice, but it comes out as shaky as ever. A clear proof of how shaken I am by what we experienced and what we will soon experience.

 

"Are you okay?" He asks in the softest tone, and I take in his features. There's nothing angular or sharp about them, nothing like Harry's.

 

Even thinking of his name makes me angry and sad at the same time. I push the thoughts of him out of my head and focus on Oliver. Kind and sweet Oliver saved me from living a wretched life in the pack.

 

Oliver, who has the kindest blue eyes I've ever seen with cute dimples by the sides of his cheeks, Oliver actually cares for me and asks how I am.

 

"I'm going to be okay." I reassured him, nodding my head.

 

I have to be okay, not just for myself but for him as well. He risked his entire life and put his future on the line for me. The least I can do is be okay with everything that's happening and is going to happen.

 

"Are you sure?" He asks, and I start to nod my head and tell him that I'm fine again, but he beats me to it.

 

"I know that leaving the pack must've been the hardest thing you've ever done, but trust me. You're going to be fine. This life, here, is where we are now. This is the best thing that could ever happen, and you shouldn't feel bad or guilty for finally having a life of your own." Oliver says to me, and I listen intently.

 

He's right. I shouldn't let useless thoughts weigh me down. I'm here, I'm safe, and everything is going to be fine.

 

"So, do you have any idea where we're going to go now?" I ask Oliver, and he gives me a meek smile as he scratches the back of his neck.

 

"Er... I have a plan?" He says it, and it comes out as a question. I raise a questioning brow at him, and he lets out a nervous laugh.

 

"I planned that we'd ask for directions from the first person we saw and book a motel for the night." He says that, and I widen my eyes as my mouth opens. He rushes to speak again, raising his hand in midair to stop me.

 

"First thing tomorrow, I'll be out scouting for houses and a job also. I have enough money with me to sustain our upkeep for a whole while." He explains, and I let out a sigh of relief.

 

"Thank you, Oliver. Thank you so much. I have no idea what I would've done without you." I say this sincerely before going in for an unexpected hug.

 

He stiffens at my touch at first but eases into the hug as he wraps his arms around me and I rest my head against his chest.

 

"You're welcome. You deserve happiness, and I'd be a fool not to give it to you." He murmurs into my hair.

 

Just then, headlights glare at us, and we immediately disentangle from each other. It's a red truck coming at us at full speed. Oliver is quick to raise a thumb up to alert the driver of our existence.

 

Thankfully, the driver of the red truck slows down and his headlights dim as he stops next to us. We see an old-looking man wearing a blue trucker hat with a happy-to-help look on his face.

 

"How can I help you?" He asks in a southern accent, and Oliver speaks up.

 

"Hi there, we're new to this town, and we're hoping you'll be able to direct us to the closest motel so we can pass the night off there." Oliver says, flashing the man a dashing smile, and of course the man is charmed.

 

"Sorry, folks, but I can't tell you where the nearest motel is," the man says, and our faces fall.

 

"Why would I want to tell you when you can hitch a ride with me and I'll take you there?" He asks in a cheery voice, and both Oliver and I let out sighs of relief as our faces mirror happy expressions.

 

"Really?" I ask too excitedly, and the man shrugs.

 

"It's the least I can do for new couples that come to town." The man says, Oliver and I give each other weird looks.

 

"Oh, we're not—he and I, we don't—we aren't—"

 

"We aren't together." Oliver saves me from the embarrassment, and my cheeks heat up. "We're just friends." He adds, looking at me, and something flashes in his features, but it vanishes too quickly for me to decipher what it is.

 

The man raises his hand in surrender. "If you say so." He says, and I don't miss the hint of humor and disbelief in his tone.

 

"Come on in." He changes the subject, and as he opens his passenger door, I'm the first to climb in, with Oliver closely next to me.

 

"By the way, I'm Pete." The man says this as his engine comes to life and he starts the drive.

 

"I'm Isla," I say and gesture to the man next to me. "He's Oliver." I speak for the both of us.

 

"Where are you all moving from anyway?" The man asks, and I have no answers.

 

We can't tell him about the pack. Humans aren't supposed to know about the existence of werewolves. It's how it's been done and how it'll always be done.

 

Pete waits for me to answer, and I'm about to start ranting unintelligently. Thankfully, Oliver comes to the rescue for the umpteenth time today.

 

"We're from a small town in the East; you probably would never have heard of it." The lies slide off his tongue so easily, and I'm tempted to ask how he's so cool about this.

 

"Really? Try me." Pete says in an entertaining voice, like we're playing a game with him.

 

"Pack Town." Oliver says easily, and I choke on a laugh.

 

Pack Town? Really? That's the best he could come up with?

 

"Huh, I've seriously never heard of it." Pete bemuses himself as he uses one of his hands to scratch his chin.

 

"Yeah, it's a really tight-knit community, and people that live there rarely leave." Oliver continues to lie to the nice old man, and I'm starting to feel a bit guilty for lying to someone who's helping us.

 

But I should know better; it's not like we can tell him the truth anyway.

 

"So why did you two leave?" The man asks, and I answer this time.

 

"That place wasn't for us." I say it in a whisper, clutching my chest as I remember what happened to me in the pack. How cruelly they have always treated me.

 

Thankfully, Pete doesn't ask any more questions on the road. A few miles later, we're pulling up in a parking lot, and Pete is turning off his engine. We're parked in front of a motel that has the word 'Lolly's' in cursive writing on top of it with red and blue neon lights.

 

"Thank you for the ride," Oliver says as he offers Pete money. Pete raises his hands and veers back, shaking his head.

 

"Nah, keep your money. I'd be ashamed if you guys think you owe me." Pete says, and my heart melts for the nice old man.

 

"Now come on, go in, and get some rest. You two look like you deserve it." He says, and I give him an appreciative smile.

 

"Thank you," I say to him with the utmost sincerity.

 

“You're welcome." He smiles back at me.

 

Oliver gets down from the truck, and I follow suit, shutting the door after. Pete starts up his engine again, and we wave him off, still thanking him, before he drives off into the night.

 

"He was so nice." I turn to Oliver, and he nods in agreement.

 

"I hope everyone is like that here." I mutter to myself as we start to walk into the building.

 

"Everyone can't be nice." Oliver says it as if it's a fact that I'm supposed to be aware of.

 

Perhaps I should be. But sadly, I don't think I am.

 

There's a teenage girl at the front desk with rainbow-colored hair, chewing gum loudly, and staring at her phone. Oliver and I make our way to her. She bursts a huge bubble before looking up to speak to us.

 

"I'm Rita; welcome to Lolly's. What can I do for you today?" She says everything monotonously, like someone is forcing her to speak.

 

"We want to book a room for the night. Two beds." Oliver says, and she glances at him and I curiously.

 

"That'll be twenty dollars." She smacks her gum loudly, and I almost flinch.

 

Oliver pays her with cash, and she hands him a key: "Down the hall, last room to your left." She instructs, then her intention drifts back to her phone as she starts to type away on it.

 

Oliver and I give each other discreet looks before finding our room. When we get there, he turns in the key and opens the door. Thank the moon goddess that the room is neat.

 

We both step into the room and choose beds of our own.

 

"We made it." I say breathlessly before laughing.

 

"Yeah, we did." He says in the same tone, and we stay in that moment, where both of us are at our happiest. Nothing can ruin this small leap of triumph for us.

 

That is, until something rises up in me and I run into the bathroom.