23

Dawn

A bright light was shining beyond my eyelids, forcing me to fully wake up and take a look around. I found the curtains open and Hayden leaning over me, watching me with a content smile.

"Hey," I murmured groggily, yawning.

"Hey," he whispered back, smiling wider.

"It's Thursday," I noted.

"I know," he said.

"What time?" I asked, knowing he'd understand what I'm talking about.

"Around five-thirty," he replied. I nodded. He pecked my nose, then my lips, and rolled off of me. I smiled briefly and sat up, shielding my eyes from the bright sun. Padding over to the open window, I held my hand out and detected the suffocating heat pulsating the air outside. It thickened the air in my lungs and made it more of a task to breathe deeply, and before I knew it, sweat was beading on my forehead.

I slammed the window shut.

"What are we going to do today?" I questioned, as Hayden wrapped his arms around my waist. He kissed my neck softly, mumbling something incoherent against my skin.

"Hmm?" I hummed.

"We'll train, and we have to make an announcement to the pack. Then I'm taking you somewhere."

I turned around, raising my eyebrow questioningly.

"Somewhere we can spend quality time together." I knew that when he said 'quality time' he meant 'time we may never get back if one of us dies later on'.

"That sounds nice," I sighed, upset about the prospect of Hayden getting hurt later.

"Hey," he murmured, gently pushing my chin up to look into his hazel orbs, "don't worry. Everything will be fine."

I wish I could believe that.

"Come on," he smiled, taking my hand and leading me to the shower, where he stripped us both and lifted me into the cubicle, plunging us both under the stream of water. I sighed contentedly as he lathered me in soap, stopping me when I tried to do it for myself.

When we were done, he lifted me out of the shower and wrapped me in a fluffy white towel, working on drying me. He got on his knees and got to work on drying my legs, making me giggle. Suddenly a wave of dread hit me like a truck and my eyes started to smart. "Hayden," I whimpered.

Immediately his eyes shot up to see my worried expression and he shot up, wrapping me in his arms and rocking me against him as I wept. I didn't know what brought on this inescapable array of emotions, but it was tearing me apart. it felt like everything I felt was heightened; it was all more intense, more severe, more painful.

"Shh, Danny, I swear I will never let anything happen to you, okay? No matter where we are or what situation we are in. And I will never leave you. Ever. Even if it seems like I'm gone, I will always come back for you, okay?" Hayden vowed. I clung on to him tighter, pressing my lips to his jaw softly.

It was like we had both just realised how serious the situation was. Everyone had always ignored the Prophecy, but it felt more and more real each day.

I knew who would be coming for Sid and I, I wasn't clueless. But it seemed like, despite everything, Hayden or I saying it aloud would make it real, like we'd finally have to face it and accept it. It hurt too much.

But it was time to face the facts. "Do you think Jason knows what he's going to do? Or is he just influenced by Dylan?" I asked softly.

Hayden stilled for a moment, then breathed out a long, steady breath. "I don't know. Either way, it's not good. If he's thinking for himself, he'll be determined to take Sid. But if Dylan is pushing him to do it, then he won't back down so as to prove himself to his older brother, his idol. I know that kid."

I didn't say anything.

"It's... It's a lose-lose situation," Hayden finished.

"...I know."

We headed outside to the training grounds, a clearing in the woods that 90% of Hayden's pack's population had crammed into in order to fight.

Despite them all being being wolves, they— and I — all knew how formidable of an opponent on angry Bear Shifter was, let alone a few of them; no doubt Dylan would bring backup. Bear Shifters often had an advantage over most wolves, due to the fact they were fast runners on all-fours but could stand up tall, a significant problem for Wolf Shifters. However, with Shifters like Hayden, who's wolf was absolutely huge, it was possible to defeat Bear Shifters.

Not only were Bear Shifters large, but they were also extremely short-tempered. I had never noticed it with Dylan or Jason, but apparently the slightest thing could set one off and drive them wild. Their bear sides were often aggressive and irrational, causing a lot of disagreements and disputes between the two types of Shifters all throughout history.

"Dawn!" Indie called over to me from where she was sparring with Michael. He seemed to be struggling, and looked relieved when Indie stopped attacking him to focus on me. I shot him a wink and pulled Indie away to train with me more, watching Hayden make his way over to his father; Harvey was definitely the most experienced fighter in the pack.

"What do you want to learn?" Indie questioned, bouncing on her feet.

"How to overpower an animal— I want to know the weak spots," I told her.

"Okay, well, first of all, bears don't have weaknesses like us. You can't just bite them in the neck or scratch their ribs. There are three things you should know.

"First of all, they are unbelievably curious. If you have the opportunity to lure them into a trap, do it. You can attract them with noise, cars, anything. Unlike us, they can think with their human side when the shift. But with their bear sides, their sense of morality, judgement...just general knowledge is warped. They have a different perspective.

Second: they can't stand it when their muzzle is attacked. It's a huge no-no in their world. If you need a quick hit, slam your fist down onto their nose and jam your knuckles into it's snout. It will completely knock it off guard.

Lastly: bears prefer to stand on two legs and swipe at you, bite your head or neck and smash your spine. If you let them get too close, they can wrap their arms around you and stop you from moving, which lets them have a good bite at the nape of you neck and slash your spinal cord. If you're going to lure them anywhere or encounter one, make sure you run and attract them to a slope or a drop, like into a lake. They can't balance properly and will have to go on all-fours, which makes it easier for you to get to their head. They also can't stand being off balance, it sends them into a frenzy and makes them flustered, which is the perfect time for you to attack. If you get them at the right time, you can overpower them."

I stood for a moment, trying to digest the information. After a few minutes, I finally nodded and committed the facts to memory, knowing that it would come in handy.

"Let's practise," Indie grinned.

>>

"Christ, it's hot," I cried, collapsing on the floor and groaning. The heat was causing me to sway under the sunlight and making my vision blurry.

"You did well, Dawn," Indie smiled, squatting down beside me and offering me some water. I gladly took it and practically drowned myself in liquid heaven, feeling happily nourished.

"You seem stronger," Indie commented, almost questioningly.

I shrugged, panting, "Try living with Hayden. It puts some muscle on you."

Indie laughed and helped me stand up, leading me over to a shady patch of grass that provided shelter from the sweltering afternoon. It was already two-fifteen, and I was getting more anxious by the second. I sat down and leaned against a huge apple tree, Indie following suit.

"Are you scared?" she suddenly asked. I looked at her, holding her gaze as I considered the question. I wasn't particularly scared of Dylan and Jason; I was more scared of what might happen to Hayden, to Sid, to innocent pack members.

"In some ways," I replied. She seemed to know what I meant and we slipped into silence.

"Dawn!" I heard, and my eyes found Hayden, beckoning me. I told Indie I would see her later and jogged over to Hayden, who immediately wrapped his arms around me and kissed me softly.

"Go get ready, we have to make the announcement in twenty minutes," he told me.

"What is this announcement?" I asked curiously.

"We're just going to be giving the pack a pep-talk, showing them that we won't let them down."

I nodded, "Okay, I'll be down soon— are you coming?"

"I'll be up in five minutes, I just need to tell everyone to gather in the Pack Village central." Understanding, I jogged upstairs and took a cold shower to cool me down. Swiftly changing into some denim shorts and a light cami top, I slipped on some sandals and brushed my hair out. When I came out from the closet, Hayden was in the shower. My phone beeped with an email and, seeing it was junk, I deleted it and stuffed my phone in my pocket as Hayden emerged from the bathroom to quickly dress in the walk-in. He came out wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. He took my hand and pulled me up to walk with him.

"I wish you wore something more... conservative," he commented as we walked down the path to the Pack Village.

"Well, I'm sorry but I like to dress myself," I retorted, annoyed that he didn't like what I was wearing.

"You think I don't like it?" Hayden growled, sensing my disappointment through our mate bond.

"Clearly you don't," I mumbled. Suddenly I was slammed against a tree and Hayden's face was in my neck, his arousal pressing into my thigh.

"You're driving me wild, Dawn, by wearing that. Don't you think the unmated males will feel the same way?" He growled.

"I— uh, oh," I whispered as his nose trailed down my chest towards my cleavage. Abruptly, his head shot up and he licked my mark, sending waves of pleasure and excitement coursing through my system.

"Don't make me drag you back to the bedroom," Hayden murmured huskily. I swallowed.

"Hayden, t-he meeting-"

"I know, I know. Come on sexy, let's go," he said, pushing away from me and pulling me towards the gathering. I couldn't help the fantasies that slotted into my head, images appearing in my mind of Hayden's body flush against mine, of him pressing me up against that tree. From his sudden growl and dark look, he could tell where my thoughts had descended to. I shook the traitorous pictures away and scolded my naughty mind.

This boy is turning me into an animal.