Small, jostling movements gradually lulled me into consciousness. Soothing warmth emanated from the wall my side was pressed against, and the way my body was positioned was oddly comfortable. What is so warm?

The weird feeling of being elevated overcame me. The gentle rocking of my frame was a rhythmic motion, as if I was walking, but not touching the ground.

With each mild shake of my body, spirals of sharp pain danced down my spine from the movement, making my head spin. What happened? My entire being felt tingly, as if poison ivy was rubbed all over my body and I couldn't get rid of the itch. Flexing my fingers to see if my body still worked, the familiar movement of my fingers stretching before settling again calmed my worried mind.

Slowly, a constant high-pitched ringing faded from my head and the constant sound of shuffling of leaves became apparent along with the songs from birds pleasantly chirping.

Squeezing my eyes shut from the unexpected amount of light shining through my closed eyelids rather than dark blackness, I felt the wall I was secured against vibrate in response.

"Hey, Kenneth... I think she's waking up," The wall my head was rested against rumbled uncertainly. While concentrating on the small tremble of the heat source, the recurring sound of a heartbeat filled my ears and clouded my head.

"That can't be possible," A voice retorted a little ways from my curled position, similar sounding to the voice above my head, "those tranquilizers are extra loaded with chemicals for large animals. It will take all day for a small thing like her to work the dose out of her system."

The constant thumping noise was actually quite nice to listen to. It reminded me of when I fell asleep in between my brothers; their heartbeats hushing me to sleep while they made me feel safe from any dangerous predators lurking in the forest.

Wait... heartbeat?

Flinging my eyes open and ignoring the glare of the sun filtering through the leaves above, I was greeted with a burgundy coloured material covering the wall which had rumbled only moments ago. Furrowing my brows in confusion, the wall rose and fell with even breaths, almost in pace with the jostling. Shock sparked in my mind once realizing it was a broad chest.

And I was secured against a man's chest.

All at once, my memories crashed back into my head like Atticus bowling me over.

Pine Meadows.

The fawn.

The hunters.

Escaping.

Getting shot from the trees.

The hunters surrounding me.

Seeing him...

Terror flared to life inside of me and I shoved as hard as I could against the brawny chest, thrashing my legs out in the process. Letting out a surprised yelp by me suddenly springing alive in his arms, the man released his iron hold and I dropped to the ground landing in a crouch. Soil squished in between my toes as I drove off my feet, propelling me away from the man. Just as I was about to stand to full height and sprint, a hard body intercepted, colliding with my own and sending me sprawling to the ground on my stomach. Dirt roughly scrubbed against my face and my hair fanned around my head as the person kneeling on my mid back held my wrists tightly above my head with one hand. My hands grated into the ground as he applied pressure onto his hand, holding me firmly in place. His other hand palmed the back of my head, slightly leaning on it to keep my head from moving.

"I got her," a masculine voice breathed, who was the one pinning me down.

Panting wildly like a caged animal, my chest threatened to explode as the adrenaline pumped through my blood and I desperately looked for an escape.

I wrestled wolves that couldn't hold onto me easily and I'd be able to wriggle free, I wasn't used to have my limbs seized nor having someone closer to my size pinning me down.

I didn't like it.

"I'll bound her wrists," the burgundy man muttered sternly, still dazed at the fact I sprung out of his grasp and not seeming too happy about it.

Noticing the arm holding my wrists was dangerously close to my face, and idea sprung into my head.

Mustering all the courage in my body and reining in my panic, I sagged my body in defeat. If they thought I gave up by seeing me relax, maybe the hunter on top of me would loosen his hold. That could be my moment to escape.

All was still until a few seconds later. I felt the ground jostling underneath me as one of the men drew closer. As the hunter's weight on top of me lessoned seeing his companion nearing to help, his hand pressing on my head released slightly.

Now was my chance.

I swung my head sideways and bit down hard on his arm. His skin was soft between my teeth and within a second he was ripping both his hands back in shock from their solid positions. Swiveling on the ground so I twisted onto my back, his knee lost grip and with a thrust of my hips I successfully bucked him completely off. Scrambling to my feet before I even knew I would get this far, a sickening crack was heard as my fist collided with his jaw, sending the light-brown haired guy sprawling across the forest floor.

For once I was able to use my enhanced strength. Seff would be so proud of me.

Without a second thought I bolted for the cover of the thick-limbed trees. Hoping, praying they wouldn't be able to keep up.

Reaching up to grasp an oncoming branch to swing myself to safety, the breath was snagged from my throat as a familiar, pine-needle thin sting punctured my leg sending warmth washing over my limb. Instantly, my leg collapsed underneath me once the fluid entered my system, sending my body tumbling to the ground. Fear now rightfully claiming my body, I desperately clawed at the ground in order to push back to my feet. In order to escape.

I need to get away! I need to get away! I kept urging myself, trying to find every bit of confidence to flee from the group of hunters in pursuit again.

Rocks and roots gritted against my knees painfully as I struggled to my feet, determined to not give up. Gripping anything from roots to ferns that could give me leverage, I hauled myself up onto my good leg and frantically hopped to the nearest tree. Only a few feet away, dread overwhelmed my mind.

I felt the familiar tingle before it happened. My hips went numb from that strange bullet and it sent me crashing to the ground at the base of the tree in a mangled heap. Like a fire being doused, my adrenaline disappeared along with my confidence and left me a useless, shameful, terrified mess. Looking over at the hunter running my way, a small cry slipped past my lips as my throat constricted when my vision clouded over for a second time that day. My chest tightened and knowing my worst nightmare would be here soon, I felt the disappointment cloud over me and pitiful tears stung my eyes.

I failed.

With nothing left to do but wait for them to retrieve my body that would be unconscious soon, I reached pathetically for my unusable legs. Gripping the bend underneath my knees, I weakly hauled my smooth legs close to my chest. Tucking my head near the top of my knees, another cry pierced the air around me once my spine tingled until my back felt like it wasn't a part of me anymore.

Shaking my head slightly so my long brunette hair would fall around my face to conceal my blurred view of the closing-in hunters, I willed myself to fall into oblivion.

I didn't want to feel their hands touch me again. I didn't want to be in the hands of Mother's murderers and potentially join her so soon. I didn't want any more pain and suffering to befall my family who are safely tucked up North with other wolf packs finding their lifelong mates.

Fate seemed to have other plans for me.

The hair on the back of my neck tingled as the aura that I could pick out from hundreds of others engulfed my body comfortingly in a way I hated. In a way that made me feel as if I was close to my pack. Except I was dead wrong because the hunter I'd encountered many times before kneeled in front of my small figure, my carefully crafted arrow hanging from his shoulder snapped in half. Peering fearfully through my messy strands of hair dangling over my eyes, he held a long, strange looking silver machine with those tiny pine-needle end like objects clicked onto the side of it. Seeing the cursed strange bullet, that was the no doubt the gun that launched those numbing bullets. And he was holding it. He had shot me.

Yet again. A growl threatened to rumble deep in my throat at the idea.

Groaning, my mind began to throb with that heaviness I had been feeling too often and I dropped my eyelids shut. Just hurry up and take me! End this torture. I don't want to know what happens next. My teeth bit down onto my lip as I mentally cursed the darkness that seemed to be hovering just out of my reach; forcing me to endure this never felt before terror raging inside me like a storming ocean.

"It did not have to come to this," his voice that melted my insides murmured coldly, barely loud enough for me to pick up with my dimming hearing. "If you just cooperated it would have been easy," He spoke more harshly, as if scolding me for my attempt at escape, while shuffling around by my head to no doubt get more comfortable until I was knocked out by the strange chemicals in those bullets.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I prayed for the butterflies in my stomach to settle at the simple sound of his comforting voice sweeter than the raspberries by the ocean. Ignoring my wishes, the graceful winged insects continued to flutter obnoxiously around, uncovering sensitive emotions that were fossilized inside me. I felt angry at myself I was letting this man affect me so much.

"We won't hurt you."

Letting out a shuddering breath in defeat, a tear dripped freely from my eye and was absorbed into my hair limply splayed across the ground beneath my head. Something in me listened to his four words because the block preventing the blackness hanging in my mind to devour me, lifted and I tumbled into oblivion for the second time that day.

* * *

Groaning as a headache pounded in my head mercilessly and my body heaved from my body overheating, I pressed my head into the soft material underneath me and rolled over to my side with a thick fabric sticking to me in the process. Sweat beaded on my skin, strands of my hair matted onto my forehead sheened with perspiration. A quiet groan rumbled from my chest at the nauseous feeling sulking in the pit of my stomach. Gripping the material tightly in my hands when my stomach lurched, all grogginess previously in my head vanished.

Snapping my eyes open, I threw whatever covered me off and jerked into a sitting position. Wildly, I kicked at the large white material with my feet that I had recently thrown off, but yelped in surprise when my feet sunk into the plushness. Scrambling away from the alien object now morphed into a bunched clump of white, I drove myself into a corner closest to me. Pulling my clammy bare knees to my chest, I wrapped my arms around my shins and tried thrusting myself away from the small room I found myself trapped in.

I was sitting atop of a weird, cushioned surface elevated off the floor with a fluffy white object beside me where my head was lying. The clump of white fabric was hastily shoved to the end of the surface I was sitting on and the walls imprisoning me looked to be made of logs. Sunlight beamed in from a window to my right, and a fairly large, wooden square-like object was directly across me pressed against the wall with a strange article sitting on it. Breathing quickly with my heart thrashing fiercely in my ribcage, I took in the air which was warm with a lingering flowery scent as well the familiar smell of pine mixed in.

Flickering my eyes towards footsteps nearing from another room connected to the one I occupied, my pulse seemed to pound in my ears. Subconsciously, I dug my nails into my shins anticipating one of the hunters to burst into the room with a loaded gun, but I barely noticed the slight sting of my nails when I watched wide-eyed as a semi-tall woman emerged from the other room.

My breath seemed to hitch in my throat.

She was beautiful.

Long auburn hair cascaded over her pale slim shoulders in light curls, just reaching her peach dress neckline. With the low neck dress, I could see she had been blessed with great breasts which no doubt complimented her slender curves hugged by the light pearl coloured dress flowing down to her ankles, concealing her long shaped legs. Freckles were sprinkled over the bridge of her button nose and a little around her nose, accenting her pale blue eyes that watched me with a startled expression. Drawing her full lips into a taught line, I didn't miss how her eyes skimmed over my body apprehensively.

After living with wolves for my whole life, it never really bothered me to be nude in front of them, but in front of this goddess of a woman, I felt incredibly self-conscious and insecure. I didn't know what kind of body or facial features men looked for in women, but I could almost guarantee this beauty standing sternly in the doorway had it all. Squeezing my knees closer to my chest in attempt to try and conceal my pathetic breast size compared to hers, she must have noticed the movement because her pale eyes flicked to meet my own and she seemed to snap out of her scrutinizing moment.

All at once, her composure changed from a ridged stance to a comforting, uplifting posture accompanied with a warm smile as she caught my panicked eyes watching her with unease.

"Oh, you are awake!" She beamed slightly surprized, her eyes sparkling at my newly awoken self. Continuing to watch her, I didn't respond. Was she with the hunters as well? Would she pull out a gun any moment and kill me? Glancing over her body once again, she didn't look like she could put up much of a fight considering she had minimal muscle underneath her flawless skin. Then again, looks can be deceiving.

I caught her body shift before she took a few steps towards me nonchalantly.

Anxiety flared inside of me at her sudden closing-in figure and I shoved myself as far from her as I could into the wall, the logs pressing unpleasantly into my bare back and my head pounding relentlessly. My chest rose and fell faster as I warily eyed her figure that halted at my instinctive reaction. Once I saw her body movement completely stop, I casted my attentive stare back to hers that seemed to gaze at me with shock before her facial expression turned into pitiful one. I flinched as she gently folded her hands together and let them hang against her lower stomach.

A few tense moments passed before her angelic voice filled the empty space of the room, "You've never been this close to a lady before have you?" She questioned sympathetically, tilting her head slightly to take in my response. Not moving from my wary position, I didn't dare move a muscle in case it would suddenly set her off, leaving her calm atmosphere in the dust. Taking in my body language, she seemed to know my answer and nodded her head in understanding. "I guess that would explain why you seem slightly bewildered and shocked..." The woman trailed off glancing at the white fabric dishevelled at the end of the bed then up to look over my rigid state. Blowing out a deep breath, her plump lips twitched back into a small smile; the pity on her face altogether vanished. "Well then, I guess an introduction would be a good start," She nodded to herself in agreement, "my name is Brydene Chasseur, or Mrs. Chasseur... but you can call me Brydene." Grinning with a stunning smile that showed off her pearly white teeth, I felt the tension in my body slowly ebb away.

From the way she held her body, the tone in which she spoke, and her friendly features smiling welcomingly at me, I deduced she wasn't a threat. However, that didn't inspire me enough to respond to her happy nature.

A sigh pushed past her lips at my continuous lack of response, and I could tell she was forcing herself to try and keep an uplifting mood when I was being a stubborn mute. But who could she blame for me acting the way I was when I have never encountered a human face to face on a pleasant occasion, and also haven't uttered a word towards a race so close yet distant to me.

"Do you have a name, darling?" Brydene asked gently, trying to coax me into speaking. Except I could hear an edge creeping into her voice at her slight frustration at my silence. Huffing out loud while pouting her lips subtly, it was clear she gave up on getting me to mutter anything. "That is fine if you don't want to speak, but at least let me check on your temperature... Please," She asked desperately, her eyes holding my own sincerely in a silent pleading. Clenching my teeth together and mentally scolding myself for ever allowing it, I slowly nodded my head.

I heard a sigh of relief escape her mouth and she cautiously strolled over, carefully watching for any signs I might lash out at her on little notice. Gripping my shins to hold my racing heart still, I forced myself to stay calm as the cushion dipped, her body crawling onto the material with me. Only a few feet between us, her arm outstretched and I bit the inside of my cheek once I felt the warm tenderness of her hand press lightly against my forehead.

Not a second later she pulled back and I opened my eyes not realizing they had closed to meet her worried expression deep in thought.

Climbing off the large cushion, she looked solemnly at me, wiping the sweat from my forehead onto her peach dress while righting herself.

"Your fever has gotten significantly worse since yesterday and I'll need you to take some medication that will help with your temperature," Brydene informed, slightly on edge as she waited for my reaction.

Fever? Medication? What did she mean when she said I had a fever? Was it a sickness? I remember from a long time ago when I was young, how I'd ate a poisonous berry and didn't get out of the Den for a week because I kept throwing up and feeling nauseous. But this didn't feel anything like that food poisoning did. And what was this 'medication' she wanted me to take? Was it some sort of food? What if it wouldn't help me? What if she was with the hunters and was trying to poison me with it.

Blowing out a shaky breath, I decided to at least see what she was talking about and again, nodded my head while pursing my lips. Not waiting for me to change my mind, she bustled out of the door way into the room connected, before returning a few moments later with a strange clear object filled with a liquid and small, white oval shaped items laid on a cloth in her palm. Walking over to me confidently, she sat down on the edge of the cushion, ignoring my figure jerking away and motioned the items to me.

"Drink this after..." She instructed, indicating the liquid, "swallowing these. But don't chew them, they don't taste the most pleasant." With a gentle laugh at the advice she learned from experience, she held the items out towards me expectantly. Watching me with patient, big hopeful eyes, I felt stupid once I realized I didn't know what to do. Did she want me to grab them from her hands? Did humans consider that rude? What if I took them and it was in fact poison and I ended up being killed?

I jumped in surprise as I felt her hand enclose around mine that was wrapped tightly around my shin. Drawing my hand away from my leg, she slowly turned my hand so my palm was facing up and dropped the items into my hand.

"They are called pills and certain pills are used to treat different illnesses that the people of Avalin catch the odd time. In your case, they will bring your temperature down to normal and make the headache I know you have go away. Now swallow them," She ordered more firmly, but amusement was clear in her light voice. Before tipping my head back and choking down the pills that got caught in my throat, I didn't miss the fact she said they were used to treat people in Avalin. Meaning I, was in Avalin. Maybe that was the reason I choked. Before I could muddle on the thought and began to panic, she picked up the container of liquid she had set down before and pushed it into my hand. Once seeing I had firmly grasped the item cool to the touch, her hands dropped to rest in her lap.

"The clear container is called a cup. It is a glass cup to be precise and glass is what windows are made of. And I'm sure you already know what water is," Brydene teased lightly, hoping to draw a smile from me. Concentrating on not spilling the water, I didn't comment on her small joke nor react to it. Raising the cup to my lips, the weird feeling of glass being pressed against my lips shocked me, before I timidly tipped the back end of the glass up. Water trickled out of the glass and into my awaiting mouth, feeding the parchment in my throat I didn't know I had. Greedily gulping down the rest of the water, I held the empty glass out to her which she took gratefully once seeing its emptiness.

"Your headache should be gone in a few minutes, except your temperature may take a while to drop but that is normal," she said easily, while sloshing the few droplets of water in the bottom of the glass around. "Hopefully the pills will work the same way for you as they do for us. I don't know how the medication will affect you since Kenneth said your body recovered from the tranquilizer dart chemicals unnaturally fast..." She trailed off, her brows furrowing as she thought about how the medication would possibly affect me.

Tranquilizer dart... I don't know what in me knew, but I was almost positive that was the red-ended bullet that made me fall unconscious twice.

Narrowing my eyes once I realized she must have knew about the forest incident to know I was shot by a tranquilizer, I recalled what she just told me. She mentioned a name... Kenneth. Why did that name sound so familiar? Where had I heard it before? The answer dawned on me almost immediately; I heard that name at Hollow Falls on that dreadful day. He was one of the six hunters trying to capture me. Which also meant this woman, Brydene, was with them or had a close connection to them. How was it possible this sweet, kind, beautiful lady was a part of their group?

"He also told me that in order to bring you safely back to the village without you freaking out like you had apparently done to Wesley and Christopher, they used an extra dose dart which is why you were unconscious for the rest of yesterday and partially today," She continued, totally oblivious to the realization that had fallen upon me. "Ugh, I'm sorry I am blabbering... I have a bad habit of doing so. I guess I'm forgetting this is your first time seeing another female close up, I'm just getting excited. I can't help it, you are so gorgeous and intriguing!" She gushed cheerily, looking up from the glass to catch my transfixed state.

At her last statement, I couldn't help but glance up from the white fabric of the cushion to meet her pale blue eyes full of life and looking at me with curiosity. Without any exchange of words, her gaze intensely held mine but I soon realized she wasn't looking at me, but observing my eyes. Not knowing how to react, I awkwardly sat there in my bare form pressed against the wall. After a few seconds of analyzing me, she finally broke the silence, "Your eyes are so unique and beautiful..."

Suddenly, I felt my cheeks heat up and I looked down at my knees hauled to my chest, flustered. I had heard that compliment multiple times before from my family, but hearing it come off her lips was like hearing it for the first time all over again. I didn't understand. Shuddering a small breath, I ignored the voice in the back of my mind screaming at me to stay cautious of her, to block her overly nice form out that gave me some comfort from the frightening past few days I experienced. Squeezing my eyes shut, I held my breath.

"Dawn. My name is Dawn."

~~~~~~~~~

<Picture on side is her dress>

I feel repetitive for saying this, but I hope you liked it!

Please leave a comment anywhere if you enjoyed it :) Really makes my day!

Happy Reading ^-^

x_FireLight_x