17

The next day, apprehension was all I could feel. I didn't know where I stood with Hayden; were we a couple now? Was it a secret relationship? How would I look just getting out of one relationship and jumping into another?

I leant my back against my closed bedroom door— I was back at my parents' house —and shut my eyes, steadying my breathing. With all these secrets I was keeping, how could I possibly face my family? My dad? Finally, I inhaled deeply and swung my door open to find myself locked in the gaze of glowing hazel eyes.

"Hayden?" I questioned. He grinned and pushed me back into my bedroom, shutting the door behind him. "Uh, who let you up here?"

"Hall window," he mumbled into my neck, breathing into my hair. His arms encircled me and pulled me to him as he drank my scent like an alcoholic with a beer bottle. My eyebrows shot up.

"How...?"

"I charmed it with my good looks and dashing smile," Hayden smirked sarcastically. I simply crossed my arms and arched an eyebrow. He relented, "Okay, so I have a little bit of super-strength. No big deal." I shook my head at him, smiling. He was pretty amazing.

"What are you doing here, Hayden?"

"I missed you, Danny," he murmured, still nuzzling my neck.

"It's been one night," I pointed out.

"I know, but now that I have you I don't want to let you go," he whispered.

"Stop being so cute," I teased.

He gasped, "I am not cute!" His voice deepened ridiculously and he flexed his muscles. "I am manly," he announced.

I let my eyes roll and leaned up to kiss his nose. "Still cute," sliding my hand down his arm, I squeezed his bicep, "but you've got some good genetics."

He nodded grudgingly and held me tighter. "I guess I can't argue with that."

I laughed, and my thoughts from earlier returned, "Hayden?"

"Mmm hmm?" he responded, his face buried in my hair and his nose tickling my skin.

"Are we a...couple or...?" I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Or is this going to be secret?"

His eyes darkened angrily as his grip on my held stronger. "We are a couple, Dawn. I won't let you go to school with males thinking you are single and available to them. You are mine."

I nodded. "Good," I breathed. His eyes softened at my response and he cuddled me closer.

"You are too good for me," he whispered into my ear. I pushed back to look at him, cradling his face in my hands.

"Hayden... I..."

"What?"

"...Nothing," I mumbled, and slipped my jacket on, sliding my bag onto my shoulder. Grabbing his hand, I pulled him towards the door. "Let's go," I said, not missing his confused expression.

At school, I climbed out of Hayden's Range Rover and made my way towards the bleak building that facilitated my 'learning'. Ugh, I hate Mondays. A hand slipped around my waist and held my close to the perpetrators toned body, making me smile. Gasps from around us spread through the groups of people, and I suddenly felt nervous.

Hayden stopped and turned to me. "Hey," he whispered, forcing me to look up at him.

"Yeah?" I said, gnawing on my lip.

"Don't worry. I'm right here, okay?"

I sighed, "I know. I'm okay."

We carried on through the students milling around outside, up the steps and through the front doors. As we approached my group of friends, I realised how it would seem to Caitlyn if I turned up in Hayden's arms the day after their date was cancelled. I pushed Hayden away from me and ignored his low growl of protest.

"Come here," he commanded, his eyes black.

"No, if Caitlyn sees us, she'll hate me! You cancelled on her yesterday, remember?"

He pouted childishly, "But I want to hold you."

I couldn't help but grin and blush. "Please, Denny. Give it time," I pleaded.

He sighed, "Fine..." I leaned up and swiftly pecked him on the cheek, making sure no one was looking. Then I headed towards my unsuspecting friends with Hayden following behind me like a scolded puppy.

"Hey," I grinned at my friends.

"Dawn! Guess what! I spoke to that guy in the bookshop!" Sheila pounced on me, and I chuckled. Sheila was always going on about the guy who worked at the nearby bookshop, and the only time she spoke to him was when she was paying for books that she only bought so she could see him. Her pocket money was trickling away and her room was gradually overflowing with brand new books she never bothered to read. Maybe I should encourage her to sell them on Ebay, I wondered idly.

"I can see wedding bells, Sheila," I teased, and she laughed. In a way, she knew that her little crush was a bit ridiculous, and I liked the fact that she could laugh at herself. "Anyway, how was your date yesterday, Caitlyn?" I asked, changing the subject and feigned innocent interest.

"Oh yeah, how was it?" Macy pressed.

Spotting Hayden behind me, Caitlyn focussed her gaze on him as she spoke, "Hayden was sick, so he had to cancel."

I whirled around to him in fake shock. "Really? Why didn't you tell me?"

"My parents looked after me, so I feel much better today," Hayden shrugged coolly.

"Oh, well then maybe we can reschedule for this weekend?" Caitlyn suggested hopefully.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Hayden, who was fidgeting uncomfortably. "That sounds grea- oh, wait, I can't. Damn, my parents are making visit some family friends a few hours away." Smooth, Hayden, smooth.

"Aw, well maybe-"

"Oh my gosh, you guys, I need to tell you something!" Indie interrupted suddenly, looking a little unsure of herself. I glanced over at my friend, who winked at me slyly.

"What is it?" Macy questioned, curiosity and excitement lacing her voice.

"I, uh, got a boyfriend!"

"What?!"

"Where?"

"How?!"

"But," she continued, "it, uh, was only a dream...?" I burst out laughing as the others looked annoyed but a little amused. As Caitlyn was opening her mouth to speak, the bell sounded.

Phew, saved by the bell.

The whole rest of the morning Hayden and I were followed by whispers of curiosity. Were we a couple? How long had we been together? Everyone was asking the same questions.

To be honest, as long as Caitlyn had no idea about Hayden and I's relationship, I was floating on a cloud. No one had definitive proof that Hayden and I were together— most people knew we were close before anyway, so seeing him with his arm around me didn't really affect many people's perceptions.

"Hey!" I chirped when I noticed Amy waiting for me outside my classroom, shifting on her feet impatiently.

"Have you heard?"

I raised my eyebrows, "Heard what?"

"...Hayden just got in a fight," Amy winced. What?!

"What the hell do you mean?" I demanded.

Amy cringed, "You'd better come quickly." She grabbed my arm and led me through the hallways, stopping at the staircase at the back of the building. I stared at her questioningly when she gestured towards the double doors leading to the landing and the stairs attached to it.

Shouting behind them alerted me to what was going on; quick as a flash, I bolted through the doors and looked up to see a huge group of people standing on the landing above and opposite me, attached to the flight of stairs to my left.

From my vantage point, I could make out somebody's back being pressed aggressively against the railings, their head leaning back over the gap. A familiar face belonged to the man gripping to the suspended boy's shirt, looking livid.

"Hayden!" I yelled, rushing up the stairs as I heard Amy push through the doors behind me. I desperately fought through the crowd— who were definitely enjoying the situation far too much.

"Stop it!" I screamed as the person I was grabbing for pushed his opponent even further over the railing, snarling aggressively. "Hayden, stop!" I screeched in his ear when I reached him, clutching to his arm and desperately trying to pull the boy back onto the landing.

"Fuck off, Dawn! This has nothing to do with you!" Hayden growled, his eyes transfixed on his prey.

I breathed a gasp, but frowned angrily and grabbed his frightened opponent by his shirt, yanking with all my might until he landed on his two feet. When he did, Hayden let go and turned away, breathing heavy, strangled breaths through his flared nostrils.

I recognised the boy as Matthew, a boy in the year above Hayden. He was muscular and athletic, but I knew that even he couldn't beat and angry Hayden Hunter. My older cousin, Marcus, had been close friends with Matthew before he had left for university. Matthew and I had spoken on a few occasions because of their friendship, and he seemed nice enough.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned, checking Matthew for any serious injuries. He had a bleeding lip, swollen nose and a small cut on his cheekbone, but it was nothing an ice pack couldn't fix.

"I'm okay, thanks, Dawn," he replied sincerely, smiling kindly at me before glancing hatefully at Hayden and stalking off.

"You know what?" I glared at Hayden venomously. "Fuck you."

I ran downstairs after Matthew; grabbing his shoulder and Amy's arm, I pulled them both with me.

My eyes were fighting off tears as my mind ran through what just took place. Hayden scared me. He had been violent, aggressive, and vicious....even towards me. Had I done something wrong? I stopped him from potentially killing someone for— what looked like —no reason at all.

"Come on, let's get you to the nurse," I told Matthew, and he shot me a grateful smile. I ignored Amy's stare until I'd dropped Matthew off with the nurse, then returned her gaze.

"What the hell was that, Dawn? Hayden was about to kill that poor guy. What if he had thrown him off the stairs? He would've been carried off on a stretcher."

I exhaled deeply, "I don't know, Amy. He was angry, so he lashed out." I didn't know why I was defending him. He'd just hurt me, why was I excusing his actions? "And he was an asshole to me too, you know. He yelled at me to fuck off."

Amy studied me, her eyes flicking over my face. "I know. I'm sorry about that, by the way. That's no way to treat his girlfriend."

I coughed loudly, "Girlfriend? What are you talking about?"

"Come on." Amy crossed her arms over her chest. "Both Macy and I have noticed it— the way you look at each other, the secret looks. You two are an item. Admit it."

I feigned innocence, "I rea-"

"Admit it, Dawn," she sighed.

My thumbs twitched nervously and I shuffled my feet, before finally letting out the breath I'd been holding to let my head hang. "Yes, we are."

"Good, you admitted it. And don't worry, I won't tell Caitlyn."

I snapped my head up to face hers. "You won't?" I asked, confused.

"Nah," she shrugged. "You suit him better."

A sigh of relief was my only reply. I would've smiled, but under the circumstances, I wasn't sure how I was feeling about Hayden.

>>

"Night, sweetheart," Mum called through my closed bedroom door. I rolled over in my bed, feeling too hot and bothered to keep still.

"Night, Mum," I replied monotonously. She'd tried and failed to cheer me up earlier; she must've finally got the message.

Once again, I tossed and turned under my bed covers, my thoughts racing and my body in overdrive. My body grew hot and angry whenever I thought about what had happened earlier.

I couldn't bear it.

Grumbling under my breath, I crossed my dark bedroom and pushed my window open, welcoming the freezing night air for once. As I returned to my bed, my phone lit up with yet another next message from Hayden. He'd been calling and texting me all afternoon— he even came over to try and talk to me. My mum told him that I needed time to calm down, that sometimes I held a grudge, then sent him away.

I was more comfortable now, the cool winter breeze calming down my hot skin, and I slowly gave myself up to sleep's embrace.

>>

Thump.

My eyes flashed open, and I slowed my breathing in fear. I could hear somebody in the room with me; I could hear their breathing, their quiet footsteps. It could have been Sid, Ryan, or maybe one of my parents, but I was desperately scared that it was a stranger— I had left my window open before I'd gone to sleep. Damn! I couldn't bring myself to move an inch, and I was having an internal battle about whether I should pretend to be sleeping or not.

Okay, Dawn, just sit up, switch the light on, and if it's a murderer, scream as loud as you can. Then run.

In a moment of courage, I shot up in my bed, fumbled quickly for the switch on the lamp beside me and scanned the room for the intruder.

"Fuck!" I whisper-screeched when I noticed Hayden standing sheepishly at the end of my bed. My hand flew to my chest as I tried to calm my nerves. "You can't just creep into my room when I'm sleeping, you asshole!" I hissed, my breathing heavy and rushed.

"Sorry," he said simply.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get out of my room!"

"I want to say sorry."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, exasperated. "It's the middle of the night. Get out of my room, before I push you out the window myself. We are not having this conversation right now."

"But-"

"Go!"

His eyes darkened and he crossed his arms. "No," he growled.

"I'm not in the mood for this, Hayden."

"I'm not going until we talk."

I slipped out of bed and looked him straight in the eyes, standing up as tall as I could. "You want to talk? Okay. Why don't we talk about the fact that you're an asshole? Or how you're a complete animal, shoving Matthew off the stairs like that? Or what about the fact that you told me to fuck off, that it wasn't my business, when you— my supposed mate —were about to kill an innocent guy for no reason?" I snapped.

His jaw clenched. "You can't just jump to conclusions when you have no idea what happened. Just because you caught me at a bad moment doesn't mean you have any right to defend him."

My jaw dropped. Was he hearing himself? "A bad moment? No right to defend him? Okay, Hayden, did he threaten your life? Did he tell me to fuck off? No, he didn't. And I'll bet that he didn't do anything to you; you just picked a fight."

"Stop acting all self-righteous. You swore at me too!" he hissed childishly.

"I'm not dealing with you right now. Grow up and get out of my house."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, looking pained. "Okay, this was not what I came to do. I'm sorry, Dawn, I really am."

I scoffed, "Go fuck yourself, Hayden."

His hand caught my arm and he pulled me closer to him. "Please, Dawn, I promised you that I would show you that I'm a good guy but I keep messing it up. Please, will you forgive me? I don't know what came over me, I can't believe that I spoke to you like I did." He buried his face in my hair and sighed sadly. "But I miss you so much, baby, please forgive me. Can't we pretend that this didn't happen? I'll do anything."

I was tired, and pissed off, and confused. But I nodded slowly, and watched his face light up with happiness. I couldn't help it; as much as I wanted to kick him out and teach him a lesson, something inside me was nagging me, telling me not to. I felt a connection to him that I couldn't explain. My mark, I suddenly realised. My mark is muddling up all our emotions.

"Thank you," he whispered, pulling me close and kissing my forehead.

"I'm sleepy," I murmured softly.

"Can... Can I lie down with you?" he asked quietly. I considered it. I wasn't completely happy with him, but I was missing his company too, I was missing his electric touch.

"Yes," I whispered, and I slipped into bed, Hayden following suit. My eyes fluttered shut as his arms slipped around me, pulling me to his firm chest, and he pressed a kiss to my neck.

"Goodnight, baby."

>>

I gasped when I woke up. "Hayden!" I hissed, shaking his heavy shoulder. "Get up!"

"Hmm?" he hummed groggily, cracking his eye open.

"You need to leave! School starts in an hour!" I told him, trying desperately to push him away. His body was draped over me, his lips pressed to my collarbone, his legs tangled with mine, and his arms clasped tightly around my waist. As if shocked, he suddenly jumped out of bed and slipped his shoes on.

"Shit! How do I get out?" he asked desperately, eyeing the revealing morning sunlight that shone outside the window.

"Um... the window in the bathroom! No one will see you, you just have to jump over the garden fence and run back to your house." No doubt with his Wolf Shifter abilities, he would make it back to his house with plenty of time to spare.

I stuck my head outside my bedroom door and grinned when I saw the hallway empty, and the bathroom door wide open. "Go, go, go!" I urged, pushing him across the corridor and into the bathroom, yanking open the window.

"See you later," he smirked, before disappearing into the garden.

I sighed in relief and returned to my room to get ready for school, a hint of a smile tickling my lips.