Heartless Angels

Chapter 6 – Oakley

Chapter 6 – Oakley

About midday, I can’t continue anymore. I’ve driven nearly 1,000 miles, stealing a new car in a different city every few hours.

Surely that’s far enough for me to have a sizable lead to get away from Levi. I’ve thrown enough kinks in the way that they won’t be able to find me, right? At least not anytime soon.

Looking at the road signs, I see that the city of Corinth has an exit in 10 miles. Ever since I had heard the story about the

creation of the werewolves in that diner, it has been swirling around in my mind. Even with the radio on to my favorite station, my mind keeps going back to the words of the story… Selene and the merchant of Corinth, Theos. their two sons..the 10 grandchildren given immense power.

I don’t know why the story won’t leave my mind, but when I see the sign for Corinth, I know that I have to go there. Something about the synchronicity between the city name and the story draws me to it.

If I remember correctly, Corinth used to be the capital city of the continent. But the capital city was moved about 100 years ago for a reason they taught us in history, but I can’t remember. I do remember that Corinth is a werewolf city now. The humans left when the capital left and never returned. Regardless, I need a place to stay and Corinth is close.

I follow the exit into the city, looking for a place to get some food and find a decent place to stay. After a good night’s sleep. I’ll figure out my next steps. Maybe find a human city and disappear. With my wolf dead, I don’t have to worry about it shifting suddenly

I stop at a McDonald’s, going inside to see if I can find anyone to direct me to a safe place to stay for the night.

I’m fairly surprised at how quickly my appetite is returning now that I’ve left Silver Lake territory. I get a double. cheeseburger meal before grabbing a booth two down from a nice looking older lady. She smiles at me, a friendly look that ! can’t help but return.

“Are you out here on your own, dear?” she asks.

I know better than to answer that one truthfully. I might be a weak wolf, but that doesn’t make me a stu pid one. “Oh, I’m meeting a friend from out of town.”

“Well, that sounds like a lot of fun,” she says, but I think she can tell that I’m lying. “Are you girls going to do anything fun?”

I wrinkle my brows at her. I didn’t say that I was meeting a girl, but if that makes her feel more comfortable about me, then sure. “Um, we’re just gonna hang out. Catch up with each other.”

“Oh, you really should do more than that, dear. You’re young. See, I own a bed and breakfast that has a spa. Why don’t you and your friend come to stay with me? I’m sure that we could make your time together so much more interesting.”

Ok, now I’m starting to get scared. Why the hell is this old lady being so pushy? “Um, thanks for the invite but ”

“There you are! I thought that we were meeting an hour ago! Took you so long I thought you were standing me up.” A short girl about my age with light brown hair and pale skin steps between me in the now creepy old lady. She’s holding up a napkin so that only I can see it that says “Play along. That lady is creepy as f uck.”

Well, she’s not wrong about that. That lady is creepy. Maybe interference would be helpful.

“Hey!” I cry out like I’m so happy to see this woman. I jump up I hug her like we’re long lost friends. “I’m so sorry. I hit traffic and my phone died.”

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Chapter 6 – Oakley

The girl pouts before grabbing a fry from my tray. She smiles impishly before shoving the fry into her mouth. “You can pay

me back by giving me half of your fries.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Fine. Come on. Let me grab a bag for my food and we can hit the road. Do you have the hotel

reservations?”

“Of course. If we leave you in charge of these things, we’d be searching for a place to stay. Hurry up. Georgie is supposed to meet us for drinks at 7. We’ve gotta hurry if we’re gonna get that soak in the jacuzzi that you’ve been going on and on about.” This girl is a great actress.

Thurry to get a to-go bag, gather my food, and head outside with this girl who I’m already starting to like. Neither of us turn back to look at the creepy old lady on our way out.

Once outside, we both look at each other and start laughing. I actually have to sit on the ground because I’m laughing so hard, while the girl is bent over with her hands on her knees, trying hard to breathe in as she laughs her a ss off,

“Oh, Goddess,” the girl says through deep, ragged breaths. “That was hilarious! I can’t believe we just did that.”

know, right?” I laugh back. “That woman was creepy as hell, though. What was her problem?”

“Oh, yeah. We should probably get out of here. That woman’s a known human trafficker,” the girl says, coming out of her laughing fit.

My laughing immediately stops and I stare at the girl with my mouth open.

She busts out laughing again. “I have no idea. She’s probably just lonely. Come on! You got a car?”

“Uh, yeah, I draw out.

“Well,” she stares at me like I’m an idiot. “Let’s get out of here in case she really is a human trafficker.”

“Right! Right! Um, let’s go.” I quickly stand, grabbing my keys and running to the driver’s seat.

The girl hops in the passenger seat and directs me down the street. “I’m Cas sandra, by the way. But you can call me Cas sle.”

“I’m Oakley,” I respond, looking both ways before pulling out into traffic.

“A pleasure meeting you, Oakley. You got a place to stay? I’ve got a room over at the Best Western and they’ve got

vacancies,” Cassie rambles. This girl can talk a mile a minute.

“I don’t know…I just had one person try to traffic me. I don’t know if I want the possibility of dealing with another,” I reply a little tartly. The second I do, I wish I could take it back. I just accused this girl of being a human trafficker.

Instead of being offended, though, Cassie laughs. Like, head back, full blown belly laugh, “Sh it, girl. You’re feisty! I like it. I’m not gonna hurt you, but I get why you’re worried. If you want, you can just drop me off and head off on your own.”

I guess I need to trust someone, right? And she did help me before. “Nah. I’m dead on my feet. I need to get some sleep.”

Cassie smiles at me. “Alright then. Turn at the next right. You should see the sign soon after the turn,”

I slept for an entire day. I woke to pounding on my door and I groggily make my way there. Cassie is standing there with two coffees and a bag that smells like pastry heaven.

irt you look like sh it! How long have you been in here?”

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Chapter 6 – Oakley

“The last time I saw the outdoors was when I first got here.” I gratefully take the coffee from Cassie, taking a deep, healing. and scalding, sip of the magic bean water.

“You slept for an entire 24 hours? Oakley, what were you doing before I found you?” Ca ssle looks at me worriedly as she pulls bagels and cream cheese out of the bag.

They’re still warm and smell like heaven. I quickly cut mine open before slathering it with so much cream cheese that I might be embarrassed if I actually cared. “I drove for about 20 hours before I got here.”

“No sh it? Why?” Cassie doesn’t put as much cream cheese on her bagel as I do, but she’s still got it smeared in the corner of her mouth after taking a bite of her bagel.

I don’t want to get into the whole thing, so I just give the condensed version. “My mate was an alpha and we rejected each

other.”

“Are you kidding me? Why did you reject him? Cassie’s voice has risen an octave in her surprise and I’m scared to think what might happen if her eyes get any wider.

“He was a total d ick. He didn’t want me as his ma

mate, but he said that he would keep me as h

his breeder.”

“Are you sh itting me? I didn’t think people did stuff like that anymore!”

I

“Well, apparently my ex-mate wants to bring it back,” I grouse before biting into my bagel. “My family too, since they wanted to take his deal. I rejected him three months ago. He beat the sh it out of me and my family kept me locked up for three months until I healed just for him to take me against my will. Solleft”

“F uckers Cassie says.

I chuckle dryly. “Yeah, you can say that again.”

We sit in silence for a few more minutes before Cassie asks, “So how good of a fighter are you?”

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