Hayden
I hoisted Dawn into a more secure grip in my arms once again, speeding through the trees at a superhuman pace. Branches lashed out at me and so did Dawn's hands, clawing at my arm and shoulder before breaking into helpless sobs. She'd been betrayed- not by a friend or an acquaintance, but by a family member. Family. Someone part of the only group of people she knew she could really trust.
"Just hang on, babygirl, everything will be alright," I said breathlessly, keeping my eyes focused on the path ahead of me. Dawn simply sighed sadly and sniffled, stifling tears I knew she wanted to shed.
Finally I reached the telltale oak tree hosting the treehouse located high up in the branches, concealed by a dense canopy of leaves. The only way I could recognise it was by the barely noticeable, square, random patch of daffodils to the right of the tree that never seemed to wither. Ash and I had never figured out what keeps them alive- in all the time we'd spent here, not once had we seen a flower out of place.
"We're here," I told Dawn, panting a little, before setting her down on the soft grass. I kept a gentle hand on her forearm to make sure that if she decided to return to her family's aid, I could keep her from leaving, and keep her safe. She struggled a little to go back, but eventually slumped and leaned against me, rolling her face into my shirt.
"How could he? How could he do that? His own father and little sister? Oh, Sid, poor Sid," she weeped, her tears soaking into the material of my top.
"Shhh," I murmured, stroking her hair. Pushing her face away and cradling it so she'd look me in the eyes, I whispered, "I know it hurts, it hurts so much. But we're going to get through it; I promised you that everything will be okay, and it will. You just have to trust me, alright? I love you so much, and I know that you want to go back, but I can't let you, because I love you. I want to keep you safe, I don't want to lose you. I won't let them take you away and do who-knows-what to you. I can't Danny, I can't. So you need to go up to that treehouse, sit down, and wait quietly for me to get back. And I will be coming back."
Her eyes glazed over with unshed tears, but she nodded. She turned her head away from me, a silent tear rolling down her smooth cheek.
"Hey," I murmured, tugging on her chin, "hey, look at me." I craned my head to face her properly. "Promise me you'll stay here, Dawn. You promise me right now, or I'm not leaving you. And a pack cannot fight a battle properly without the soon-to-be Alpha present, can it? Promise me, Dawn."
Dawn's eyes flickered up to mine, and for a brief moment, all her emotions were swirling in her chocolate brown irises. Fear, grief, anger, resentment, concern- but also love. "I... I promise," she whispered. I grinned at her, but it was more sorrowful than happy. I'd give anything to stay here with her, to hold her and kiss her until our problems flew away, but I had to face reality.
Taking her hand, I led her over to the huge tree and tugged on the thickest vine on it. Like the daffodils, all of the plants growing on the tree never seemed to wither or die- but they never grew either. They had stayed exactly the same since Ash and I found the tree, and all throughout our use of it. Once I tugged hard enough, a small rope ladder fell out of nowhere and the bottom landed on a branch just to the right of my head. I grabbed it and straightened it out, then turned back to Dawn.
"Where did that come from?" Dawn questioned.
I shrugged, "When I found it there was a small hole in the trunk with the cover- a piece of bark- attached to it with a spring. I don't know who put it there, but it works by tucking the bottom of the rope ladder into the hole, and the cover closes up over it. This vine is attached to it and when you pull it, the cover opens and the ladder falls out. I don't know who made it, but it's always been that way. Okay, now listen, Dawn. As soon as you get up there, you pull up the ladder and stuff it in the hatch." I pointed up to the barely-visible hatch in the centre of the tree. "You do that and you wait until I pull it down to get you, okay? Do not come down."
She simply nodded, and turned away, raising her foot to climb the rope ladder. My hand jumped out and clutched her shoulder, spinning her back to me. Dawn turned, a questioning look glinting in her eye, and before she realised what was happening I slammed her back into the tree and kissed her with everything I had.
I poured my soul into the kiss, merging our lips together like pieces of a puzzle. She responded instantaneously, like she had been expecting our mouths to crash together, and I could feel the emotions streaming through her lips into mine; mine flooding into her in a tidal wave of proclamations of love and adoration. The kiss was a promise, but also a goodbye. I cradled her head in my hands and tangled my hands in her beautifully soft hair.
Electricity fizzled between our bodies and I knew that even if this phenomenal creature was not my mate, I would find a way to be with her, to love her.
She was made for me.
"I'll be back," I murmured as I broke away, not wanting to separate our lips but knowing that I had to go.
She leaned her forehead against mine and returned my gaze with her penetrating eyes, her brown orbs that were so intense the colour almost looked like a dark, deep red. "Be safe," she whispered.
And she was gone, climbing up the tree. I waited until she had reached the top, and turned away when I saw the rope ladder disappear into the leaves and branches.
I started running, heading towards a war zone that I knew would test my abilities and my logic. Because in truth, I had absolutely no idea how I was going to deal with Ryan, and save Dawn's family.
Ryan was Dawn's flesh and blood. I couldn't hurt him, I couldn't punish him.
What could I do?
Dawn
When I was safely in the treehouse, I immediately ran to a small, discreet window and stared out, sighing at the sight of my mate sprinting towards the danger. The treehouse was small but oddly beautiful, the leaves casting shadowy patterns on the floor and the walls, the light streaming in through the three windows, illuminating the huge tree trunk slicing through the middle of the room and continuing up through the ceiling. Everything about the place was bright and vibrant, every colour seeming ten times more intense.
I slipped my hand onto the trunk and traced the bark as I walked full circle around it. The room, otherwise, was empty except for two beanbags and a small table. Pictures, I noticed suddenly, were taped up to some walls, depicting crayon and coloured-pencil versions of the nature surrounding the tree. They mostly showed the daffodils at the base of the tree, but all of them, despite the childish nature of the art, were captivating.
Deciding to sit down, I pulled one of the beanbags into the corner, where no windows could reveal my presence. My eyes darted back to the tree trunk, where they stayed. There was something about it, something intriguing, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was like looking for something hidden in plain sight; my eyes swept over it but seemed to miss whatever was calling for my attention.
I sighed and relaxed into the beanbag, intent on not stressing out about it. I was paranoid.
And that's when I saw it. A hand print. In the tree.
Immediately, I leaped out of my seat stared at it, pushing my face as close as possible to it, studying every mark and dent. It was so completely odd.
The print was covered in emerald green moss, blending in with the rest of the tree, but I could clearly see it. It looked so natural, like the tree grew that way, grew into the shapes and curves of the hand print, not as though it was carved or forced. I didn't know how to explain it.
What is this?
That's when I noticed the other one. This one was beside the first one, separated only by a small gap, but a thick vine wrapped around it.
That's probably why I didn't see it.
Frowning, I tugged on the vine until I felt some slack, and pushed it down a little so it wasn't covering the handprint. Curiosity got the better of me.
Raising my left hand, I pressed it into the first handprint I had found, gasping when I saw how perfectly it fit into the imprint. Trembling a little, I tried to push away any thoughts that this tree was different to others. I knew I would kick myself and feel a little embarrassed after I pressed the other hand into the other print and nothing happened. So I raised my right hand and, confidently, I slapped it into the comforting hold of the moss coating the handprint.
Boy, was I wrong.
I was frozen, paralysed. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I could't even tell if I was breathing. I was stuck. And, after what was merely seconds but felt like hours, the tree began to buzz. I could hear it softly humming, like the sound of bees bumbling around in their nest, the noise slightly muffled by the thick walls of the hive. Soon after, the buzzing became louder, and the array of colours splashed all over the tree seemed brighter, even more vibrant that they already were. That's when it hit me: the tree was glowing.
How is this happening?
Oddly enough, I wasn't even that surprised. Considering what had already happened to me and what was taking place a short distance away, it didn't shock me as much as it should have. But then again, I was frozen to the spot. I wasn't in the position to be judging if my thoughts were even coherent.
"Dawn, my child...you have come home, to the place I created for you."
What the...?
A booming feminine voice echoed in the treehouse, making my bones rattle. From the stillness of the rest of the room, though, I knew that her voice was only affecting me. And, with a jolt, I recognised the voice. Artemis. If I could move, I would have been shaking in fear. The last time I ran into this goddess, the pain she put me through was excruciating.
"Please do not be afraid, you are one of my children. I apologise for the pain you experienced before the Marking and my rather... rude instructions. I'm afraid that I was slightly flustered, worried about your kind... I didn't know if you would make the transformation in time for today. But you did," she laughed loudly, and it sounded like the most captivating bird song I had ever heard.
My kind?
"Right in the nick of time, actually, with you completing the Mating only two days ago. But you did it, my child, you proved yourself. I don't want to hurt you today, I want to help you. I cannot control the actions of the Bear Shifters; they were created by a... an ex-follower of mine. As a punishment for her deceitful and disgusting actions, I cursed her to be a bear for eternity. However, I did not know that she would fall pregnant, and give birth to a son. A Bear Shifter. Thus, the Bear Shifter race was born. Following my actions with the Bubonic Plague I created to form warriors that would slay her children, she also created the Bear Shifters. Your entire purpose was originally to slay the Bear Shifters, but over time... your kinds have merged. I knew that this day would come, and I made sure that you would know about it- through your ancestor, I exposed the prophecy to the Wolf Shifter world. And I waited for you to be born, the one who will ensure the survival of our race, and the destruction, or at least reduction, of the Bear Shifters.
"The first Sign was your birthmark. The second prophecy was a little confusing, I must admit, but you figured it out. By 'in your possession' I meant the Luna birthmark printed on your skin, which I also mentioned, and you realised what I meant. The Luna birthmark didn't lead directly to the final Sign, but a string of small clues. I do not blame you for not understanding what you are yet. You have been experiencing things that are strange for a human, and that is because you are not human. I locked your wolf side away a long time ago, in every member of your family on your mother's side. You, alone, however, are my most valuable Wolf Shifter. You are stronger than the others, you have powers never known to the Wolf Shifter kind, and your wolf is more beautiful than any other I have created. That is because your wolf is a mirror version of mine.
"I am deeply proud of the strength you have shown. You need to know that Callisto, the creator of the Bear Shifters, is working through the boy after you, Dylan. This boy, he's different. He is not naturally this way, he was once human. His family was chosen by Callisto to possess the strongest Bear Shifter blood. No one in his family has the memory of being human, and never will they. Dylan was left alone by Callisto until recently, when he became ill tempered and, eventually evil. This was her doing. His entire family is under the same illusion. I have put measures in place, though, to counteract this. These people did not deserve to be forced into a race they did not belong to, nor do they deserve to face the guilt of the actions they are destined to perform today. So I have tied one of your kind to Dylan, to be his mate. Your friend, Indie. She is to be his saviour. When she accepts him, he will once again become human, with no knowledge of anything that has happened. So will your brother, who is also under Callisto's persuasion- do not blame him for his actions. You should know that, unfortunately, once Indie accepts Dylan, she too will become human- she will remember everything, but she will no longer stay with the pack.
"You know everything you need to know; I do not neglect my children. Now it is time for you relinquish your body to your wolf's, and finally unlock your power. I am usually associated with hunting dogs because of your race, but that is wrong. You are not dogs, you are wolves. Beautiful, mysterious, magnificent wolves. And I will make your transformation painless.
"Now, go and be a wolf."
Everything snapped.
The room snapped back to it's usual colours; my free will snapped back to my body; my mind snapped back to my head; Artemis snapped back to her world, and most of all, my bones snapped.
Everything was moving in my body, shifting around and finding new places to settle. My bones were compacting and stretching, slipping and sliding, my hair becoming fur and my nose becoming my snout. My hands and feet became paws. My vision became enhanced. My skin became a glistening wolf's hide. Everything was painless, though; all I could feel was a warmth tingling on my flesh, like an invisible blanket was stitched to my skin.
And then, all of a sudden,
I was a wolf.
I turned my head slightly, seeing my fur out of the corner of my eye.
It's gold. And it's shimmering.
With an unexpected howl, I felt a wave of power and strength crush me, before it pushed me up and injected a feeling of euphoria into my bones. I was strong, and I was ready. I had a purpose.
I knew what I had to do, and I was determined to do it. Clinging to the sense of fulfilment, I leaped out of the treehouse window, landing on my four paws in a glittering patch of daffodils.