18

It was a slow walk home.

I had decided to take the long route back, telling Hayden I needed to walk alone so I could clear my head and prepare to face my dad. Mum had come to my room last night and had a long chat with me, but I hadn't seen Dad yet. This morning, when I went downstairs, Mum told me Dad had already left for work. I felt the urge to bite my nails worriedly. Mum had detailed the events of last night to me, but she hadn't explained how Dad was feeling now.

The wind picked up a little, forcing me to pull my jacket closer around me. I attempted to prepare something to tell my dad when I saw him; needless to say, with all of the new doubts and scenarios popping up in my mind every passing second, I failed.

Finally, when I reached my front door, I glanced behind me to see Hayden's silhouette outside the shroud of forest behind him. He nodded at me, almost encouragingly, and I responded with a brief smile. Breathing deeply, I pushed the key into the lock and turned it, stepping inside the house.

Instantly a delicious smell invaded my nostrils, and I followed the scent like a zombie, heading into the kitchen. My body froze when I recognised Dad standing at the counter, staring at a cook book with Roxy lying at his feet.

"Dad?" I reached out.

He turned around and smiled— a genuine smile —at me. "You're home! Mum's out with Ryan and Sydney. I wanted to make us a special dinner."

I was taken aback. Has he been hypnotised or something? "Uh... Sure.. Special occasion?"

He turned around to face me and leaned against the counter. "Okay, here it is. I'm still in shock from what your mother told me, but I suppose I understand. And since you have to move out now, I want us to have some quality time together," he said, hesitantly. I suppressed a grin and wrapped him in a hug, murmuring a "thank you". I felt him shaking a bit, and I looked up at him to see him holding back tears.

"Don't cry, Dad," I pleaded.

"I'm sorry, I just can't believe you're moving out so soon."

"Believe me, Dad, it was news to me too."

He took a deep breath and wiped eyes quickly, before smacking his hands together and rubbing his palms. "Right, I have to finish this steak," he announced and turned away from me.

I took a seat at the table and stared at my hands, processing the sudden change in my dad's attitude.

"We packed up your stuff," Dad piped up suddenly. So that's why he was home so early.

"My room?"

"Not all of it. Just some clothes, toiletries, stuff we thought you'd need."

"Oh... Thanks, Dad." Hearing that put it in reality. I was really moving out. There was no going back.

The rest of the evening I was withdrawn. I told my dad everything, how I was feeling, what I wanted to do, how Hayden treated me. But between conversations, I would drift into the embrace of my thoughts. Doubts and worries overwhelmed me. What happened if Hayden and I fought? Where would I get space? It was a lot to think about. Not to mention the privacy issue. I was still a girl, with girly needs. Living in the same room and sharing bathroom with a guy set my nerves on edge.

Halfway through dessert, Mum, Ryan, and Sid returned. As soon as the door opened Sid bounded into my lap and gave me a tight hug, whereas Ryan sped off to his room and Mum gave Dad a kiss. She shot me a smile and I returned it happily, before she slid into a seat beside Dad.

"Sydney, sweetheart, go watch some TV upstairs, okay?" Mum smiled encouragingly at Sid. Oh no. Adult talk. Sid clambered off me and skipped upstairs, and I looked expectantly at my parents.

"Your stuff is in the bag outside your room. Are you leaving tonight?" Mum asked, looking sad.

"I think I have to, Mum," I said.

She nodded quickly. "I know, I know, sweetheart. It's just hard to see you go."

"Hayden's coming in about an hour to pick me up," I told them.

"So soon?" Dad interjected.

"Dad, just because I'll be sleeping there doesn't mean I won't see you. I'll drop by every day after school and on the weekends to see you, maybe eat dinner with you and then go back to Hayden's."

"We're always close by if you need us," Mum said.

"I know, Mum."

After we cleared away the dishes, I curled up with my parents in front of the TV, with Sid and Ryan joining us soon afterwards. I was going to miss living with my family. I felt my eyes start to droop closed, but they were jolted open by the sound of the doorbell ringing through the house. Hayden!

I ran to my room and picked up the bag in front of the door, while Dad went to let Hayden in. Making sure I had everything packed, I stepped further into my room to look around, ensuring there wasn't anything I left behind. I knew I could always come back; I would be here everyday. But moving everything out all at once made it seem more...real. My heart almost flatlined when I remembered my sketchbook tucked under my mattress. I hadn't looked at it since I unwillingly drew that picture, keeping it hidden for safekeeping. Picking it up gingerly, I slipped it into my bag and headed downstairs, where Hayden immediately swiped the bag from me and insisted on carrying it.

"Bye Dad," I sniffled, hugging him.

"Bye Dawn," he replied, squeezing me. "No sex. I don't care if it's part of being a werewolf or whatever. No sex until you're eighteen." I held in a laugh as I noticed Hayden's lips purse.

"Don't worry, Dad. I'll make him wait," I giggled. Mum came around me and cuddled me tightly.

"I'll miss you sweetheart."

"I'll be here all the time, Mum."

"I know. I'll still miss you."

Sid didn't understand why I was leaving, but wrapped her little arms around me and squeezed me as tightly as she could anyway. Ryan gave me an awkward pat. Stupid brother. Roxy licked me and I cuddled her like a lunatic. Cute-ass dog.

"Bye everyone," I called, pulling the front door shut behind me. I heard the echo of my family's goodbyes silence as the latch locked. Hayden offered me his hand, and with intertwined fingers we walked back to his house. Our house.

As soon as we opened the front door, Jackie pounced on me.

"Oh, poppet, you're part of the family!" I hugged her back and laughed. Hayden pulled her off me, chuckling.

"Mum, she needs to unpack," he told her.

"Of course! Go on, you two, I'll bring up some cookies in a bit. They're in the oven," she smiled and pushed us towards the stairs. I had a feeling I was going to get fat living here.

Up in our bedroom, I pulled out my toiletries and places them in the bathroom cabinet, then slipped my sketchbook onto the desk of my art corner. The rest of the things in my bag consisted of my phone, laptop, school books and DVD's. I put them all away slowly, contemplating how long it would take to properly settle in here, to call it my home.

"Here." Hayden took the now-empty bag from my hands and stuffed it under the bed, making me laugh.

"Is that how you treat all of your things?" I asked him. Slowly, he pressed up closer to me, his head ducking to reach my lips.

"Not all of them," he said, and crashed his mouth to mine, forcing me to step back as I struggled with my balance. I quickly reciprocated, though, tangling my fingers in his hair and letting him turn us around and push me back onto the bed. I landed with a bounce, giggling. Within seconds he was back on top of me, but holding his weight off of my body. I closed my eyes expecting a kiss, but felt nothing.

Cracking my eyelids open, I looked up at him. Hayden stared down at me, a slight smile tickling his lips; he looked content, his eyes twinkling with an emotion I couldn't place.

"Hi," I whispered.

"Hi," he whispered back. I felt uncomfortable with him studying me so closely, so I wriggled beneath him and refused to meet his gaze, a blazing fire igniting in my cheeks.

"Don't be shy," he murmured, tracing my chin with his thumb.

"Can I get up?" I asked softly. A growl burst from deep in his throat, and his weight pressed on me a little more.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I want to look at you."

"You can look at me standing up."

"I want to look at you like this."

"What's so special about me lying on my back?" I heard a deep breath whistle in his throat. His fingers gently tugged me hair, which was fanned out around my head.

"Your hair isn't covering your beautiful face," he started, and his knuckles brushed my cheek. "Your cheeks are pink," he smiled, moving his touch to my chest, just below my collarbone. "And I can feel each breath you take."

"What's so nice about knowing I can breathe?" I rolled my eyes.

"Because it means you're real." I didn't respond, simply staring back up at him. My mind was racing to figure him out, to understand exactly if it was him saying this, or his wolf. I gently pushed him away and stood up, a thought leaping to the front of my mind.

"You... you wouldn't care if I wasn't your mate, would you? I mean, I'm real, my feelings are real, but yours aren't. Yours have been programmed into your brain by a second personality that shouldn't even exist. And I don't know how to feel about that." I said quietly, and escaped to the bathroom to immerse myself in hot water. I didn't know why I said it, ruining our moment, but it occurred to me. He wouldn't look twice at me if he wasn't a Wolf Shifter, if I wasn't his mate. I wouldn't be anything. And I had always dreamed about someone falling in love with me for me, because they wanted to, not because fate— or some sort of Goddess —decided it.

Hayden

I tried to figure out what I had said to make her think that. Did I do something wrong? Was this too fast for her? I mentally scolded myself. Of course all of this was piling up on her shoulders; moving in so quickly— at the age of sixteen as well —was hard enough without me acting as though she loved me back. I had grown up into this society; the young mothers, the lifelong romances, the brisk escalation in the relationships were... It was all normal for me. But it wasn't for Dawn.

"Dawn," I whimpered through the door, but my plea was drowned out by the burst of sound from the shower. Pushing the handle, I found the door locked. Dammit, Dawn! Speak to me! Looking down, it occurred to me that the lock was one that could be forced with something slim and wide. A flat key, maybe? Worth a shot. Racing to the bedside table, I rifled through the drawer in search of my keyring. Upon finding it, I returned to the bathroom door ad prized the lock open. It unlocked with a satisfying click. Yes!

Stepping inside, I made sure to cast my eyes at the floor and face the door as soon as I had shut it. Sure, I'm a guy, but I'm not a pervert. I respected Dawn's privacy.

"Dawn," I started.

"Shit!" she squealed. "Get the hell out! I locked the door, how-"

"I'm not looking, but I'm not leaving until you talk to me."

"I swear, Hayden, if you don't get out right now I'm going to kick your ass."

Whoa, I didn't know she could be so feisty. I suppressed a laugh. "I'm not leaving this room until we communicate."

"Communicate? We are communicating! I am communicating to you to get out right now!"

"Please, Dawn."

I heard a sigh and the sound of rushing water stopped abruptly. "Hayden...if I wasn't your mate- if you weren't a Wolf Shifter...you wouldn't want me. You wouldn't know me. You wouldn't care. I guess I just wanted a relationship where you aren't being forced to want me." Her voice was barely a whisper. Hurt flickered in my chest like a bullet; how could she think like this?

"If you weren't my mate, I would still be with you. I would still be in your life, I would still care for you with all my heart, but I would love someone else. But you are my mate for a reason, because you were always meant to be. And even if I weren't a Wolf Shifter, I would love you just as much as I do now, simply because I could."

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

It was deafeningly quiet. I had to fight the desperate urge to turn around, to pull Dawn into my arms, to read her expression.

And then, almost unnoticeably, two small arms ghosted around my waist, feathery and soft, squeezing me with a surprising strength. I felt wet hair tickling my back through my growingly damp shirt, and the tip of a nose snuggling into the base of the back of my neck. A breathy sigh escaped my lips, granting me a relieved peace.

"You're quite a charmer, Denny. Had lots of practice?"

"More than enough, I'm ready for the real thing. For you." I murmur. "Can I turn around?"

She hummed a short tone of approval. I slowly turned to face her, shifting in her arms. She was wearing a towel, the corner of which was tucked under itself to stay in place. I pulled her to me sharply, inhaling her intoxicating scent.

"You can be difficult sometimes, Danny."

"It comes with being female."

"Then maybe I should have been gay," I teased.

"Maybe. Maybe then all those girls would still be virgins," she teased back. Touché.

"Wouldn't you miss me?"

"I'm sure I'd survive."

"Oh really?" I cocked an eyebrow. "How can I change that?"

"Make me cookies."

As if on cue, Mum called us from the bedroom.

"There are your cookies," I smirked. She smiled and picked up the pile of clothes sitting on the bathroom counter, before opening the door and pushing me back into the bedroom.

"I don't know why you're smiling, Jackie made them, so Jackie takes the prize," she grinned, her eyes twinkling with laughter, before shutting the door.