Calli

"Calli?! Oh my God Calli please tell me you're alive." Layla yells frantically from the other side of the room. I groan in response and push myself up to a sitting position.

"Well I can still hear you so I'm assuming I'm alive, Luna." I say sarcastically and she huffs out a laugh.

"Oh thank God. I'd hate to make it out of here alive only for Finn to kill me." She responds and I look over at Paul's still form.

His eyes are open and blank, and half of his skull is missing where the bullet tried to exit. The back wall is splattered with his blood and brain matter, as well as half of Layla.

The image of his skull exploding from impact will stay with me forever.

"Let's get the fuck out of here. I hate this place." I murmur and Layla nods.

"Yes, please." She responds and I walk over to her to help boost her off the bed.

She stands and slings her arm around my shoulder as I help her to the door. I turn around to survey the inside of the cabin one last time before I close the door for what I know will be the last time.

We start the slow trek towards the car, it seems so much further away now than when I originally parked it. I have no idea how long I've been here, but it's still dark and the wind on this hill is strong and bitterly cold. I feel my limbs begin to shake and my teeth clatter audibly. Layla wraps both of her arms around me and rubs against my shoulders.

"Sorry, I'm so weak I barely have any extra heat to spare." She says as she tries to push herself towards the car faster.

"No offense, but ever since meeting you werewolves I don't really like nature anymore."

"I can't say I blame you." She chuckles a little then groans.

"Are you hurt?" I ask her eyeing her with concern and she shakes her head.

"No, but he gave me wolfsbane. It's practically a poison for werewolves. That's why I'm so weak. I should have been able to tear through those ropes no problem." She says and I see her eyes begin to brim with tears.

"Did he..." I start to inquire and she shakes her head vehemently.

"No. But he did... touch me. I feel so dirty, Calli. I swear I can still feel his hands all over me. How is Ian ever going to be able to look at me again?" She sobs as I help her into the back seat of the car. I take her face in mine and wipe her tears away before forcing her to look at me.

"I know exactly how you feel, Layla." Her eyes pop up to mine, wide in disbelief.

"Really?" She asks and I nod.

"Yes. And let's just say he actually got what he wanted with me." She cocks her head to the side and fresh tears fall down her face.

"Oh, Calli. I'm so sorry. You must think I'm so pathetic for being upset about his wandering hands." I shake my head firmly and pierce her with a firm stare.

"No. I'm not minimizing your suffering. What you went through is traumatic. But I want you to see with your own eyes that it does get better. We never forget, but we can move on. Ian will still love you no matter what. He will still accept you and think you're beautiful. All he wants is to have you back." She nods and takes a shaky breath before wiping her eyes and sliding back into the car and laying down on the passenger seat.

"Can we go home, Calli?" She asks me quietly and I nod.

"I would appreciate it if you would put on a seatbelt though. If I went through all of this effort to get you back only to have you die in a car accident, I'm gonna be pretty pissed." She laughs before sitting up and clicking her belt into place and leaning back against the seat.

I sit for awhile and let the car warm up before making sure all of the snow is cleaned off of the windows. I'll need all of the visibility I get. I start down the hill slowly, losing control a couple of times and nearly sliding into some trees. I merge carefully onto the highway and drive slowly with my high beams on, trying to make it back to the pack in one piece.

"I can't link Ian, Calli. I'm too weak. Can you get Finn?" Layla asks from the back seat, slowly sliding down so she is laying across the seat again.

At least she has a seatbelt on.

"Um, I don't know." I respond while avoiding eye contact with her.

"What do you mean you don't know?" She furrows her brow while trying to sit up. She fails and goes back to laying.

"I think I inadvertently put up a block. I'm so mad at him Layla."

"Why?" She asks.

"Because I tried to tell him where you were and he didn't listen." I say and she sighs heavily.

"I understand. But he was probably following Ian's orders or-"

"Layla, please." I cut her off as gently as possible. "Please don't try to justify his poor decisions." I say and she nods.

We descend into silence as I focus on the road. The closer we get to the pack, the more my nerves fray. My whole body is shaking despite the blazing heat the car is pushing out. My heart rate has yet to return to normal and my palms are so slick with sweat I struggle to hold on to the wheel.

It takes nearly an hour to get back, due to the poor road conditions which only make my nerves worse. As soon as we pass the pack border, I feel the normal feeling I do when returning.

Normally it reminds me of coming home, but tonight it's tinged with bitterness and anger. Finn was always my home, and now I feel like I never knew him or our bond at all.

"It feels so good to be home." Layla says wistfully from the backseat.

All I can muster is a nod and an "mmhmm." in response.

I drive by the alpha house first, but it's dark and there are no cars or even guards wandering about so I think it's empty.

"Should we try the packhouse first or the beta house?" I ask Layla and her brows furrow.

"Your house." She responds and a pang of sadness goes through me.

Is it my house? Is it really? Because Finn hasn't made me feel like his equal the last few weeks, that's for damn sure.

I pull into the driveway and the front door of the house flies open as I open the car door for Layla.

"Layla! Oh my God Layla!" I hear Ian cry as he jumps down the stairs and runs towards the car.

He rips Layla out of the car and wraps her in his strong arms falling to the ground as he cradles her and they cry together.

Seeing that Layla is safe again, I can no longer deny the shock my body has entered. I walk to the front of the car and vomit all over the ground, lowering myself to my knees as hot tears stream down my face.

"Calli!" I hear Finn call. His voice brings me no comfort or relief. I hear his heavy footsteps approach me and turn to look at him.

He looks like shit.

Good.

He reaches for me and I recoil from him.

"Don't you fucking touch me." I seethe through clenched teeth.

His eyes widen in shock and concern. Hurt flashes across his face and he lowers his hand to his side.

"Baby, are you ok? I was so worried about you." He says quietly and I can't stop the humorless laugh that bubbles out of me.

"Am I ok? Are you fucking serious, Finn? Am I ok? I just left the house where I was held captive and raped after murdering the man who did it. That blood on Layla? That's his. I watched his fucking brain splatter against a wall and one of my best friends after I shot him in the head. So no. I'm not ok. Because you wouldn't listen to me, Finn. I have been telling you for weeks something was going on. I tried to tell you where she was. I NEVER should have been put into that situation. You promised me, Finn. You promised me that we would be a team. That we would be equals, that you would do anything to protect me. That you would never hurt me. But you lied. And now after years of work to move past my horrific past, here I am back at square one!" I finish screaming at him and pant heavily, trying to catch my breath.

Finn's face is crestfallen as tears drip from his chin. His fingers twitch as if he longs to reach out and touch me, but I make no moves towards him.

"You're right, sweetheart. You're right and I am so sorry." His voice is hoarse, like he's been crying for awhile, but I can't find any sympathy for him in my heart right now.

"I can't do this right now. I need to go." I say as I climb back in the truck. Finn looks at me horrified and tries to stop me.

"Please baby. Please don't leave me. Please don't do this." I turn the key and the ignition springs to life.

"I need to be alone right now." I say with a hard look and slam the door before slamming on the gas.

I don't look in the rear view mirror, but I hear the thumping of paws on the ground as they catch up to me. I look over and see Titan through the window and the pain in his eyes wrecks me. I begin to sob, but I don't slow down until I'm over the pack boundary line.

Where I know he can't follow me.