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"That's twice in one day! What in the world were you thinking?!"

I sat cross legged on the plush white covers of my bed with my eyes cast down in guilt as Brydene towered over me and chastised me for taking off yet again. After I had a small mental overwhelming breakdown once realizing Tarrin's capability to sense the charm in me, I had begun trailing after him with no exchange of words as he escorted me back to Brydene's.

Based off her arms flailing accusingly in my face for scaring her, her posture stiff with stressed exhaustion from the tiring day and her pale eyes glowering angrily at me... I'd say she was more than a little upset.

"I needed air," I responded meekly, already knowing that her stubbornness wouldn't accept my excuse she didn't believe. Then again, it wasn't entirely wrong. I severely needed to clean out my lungs and refresh my mind with everything that had been going on and weighing on my shoulders. I guess it just happened the time came twice in the same day.

"I don't buy it," she all but barked with a quirk of her shaped brow and cock of her hip. Grimacing at her clipped tone drowning in impatience as she refused to even consider my answer, I looked up when warm skin firmly grasped my bare shoulders in desperate need of washing.

Meeting Brydene's very firm stare, I couldn't help but feel like I was being scolded by Father. Of course he reacted much more rigorously, but none the same I could never get away from being disciplined. Maybe my irrational split-second decisions had something to do with it.

"Whatever your ridiculous excuses are, does not change the fact that you need to stop running away," she snapped harshly, pressing her long fingers into my shoulders for affect to emphasize her point.

"I came back didn't I?" I questioned smartly. With a raised brow and smirk planted on my face, I held in a chuckle at her teeth clamping shut in agitation and her brows pulling to make frustrated lines appear between them.

"That isn't the point," she huffed defensively, clearly diverting my question away and tracking back to where her argument was strongest. "The point you fail to see, is you'll be moved under someone else's supervision if you keep running off like that," she said, her composure seeming to dampen at the idea, as if the thought of me housed somewhere else saddened her greatly and crushed her light mood. "And I have really grown to enjoy having your company around here all the time," she murmured softly, her gaze softening and gaining almost a protective flare to them. It was clear by the way her eyes pleaded with mine that she desperately wanted me to cooperate.

"Alright, I promise it to not happen again."

But even as the words left my lips in an array of sunshine that brought peace and relief to her mind, I already knew they may need to be broken if the drastic measures came. The thought upset me knowing that I knew well beforehand I may not be able to keep my word, which was something I never did and it bothered me.

"Great. Now, to more important matters; how did Tarrin find you in the forest?" She chirped enthusiastically, a smile lighting her features as she completely forgot her previous gloom. The bed dipped beside me as she plopped down and clasped my hands sitting on my lap into her own.

I laughed at her eagerness but nonetheless felt my chest tighten at the events that played out in my mind. Quickly skimming through the scenes of Tarrin and I in the forest, I deemed it safe to tell most of it. Other than my deeper reasoning for leaving, my attack on him and my new found discovery of his ability of course.

But in that moment, I was slightly shocked when remembering Brydene was also connected to the hunter's group through Kenneth, so she likely heard many withheld secrets many do not get the privilege of hearing. This could be one of them, because there was no doubt all the hunters knew about this information since Tarrin seemed to be the only one with this acquired gift and led their hunting group.

"Dawn?" Brydene chirped, her innocent pitched voice drawing me away from my thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, right. Um, well he was already out there and we just happened to run in to each other I guess," I recalled once wrapping my mind around her question, and slightly twisting the fact I was blatantly stalking him.

Brydene nodded her head in understanding as her eyes casually casted down to follow her finger that lightly traced patterns into the back of my palm, as if this information wasn't odd for her to hear.

"Tarrin often disappears into the forest most of the day," Brydene stated with her bright smile faltering into more of a solemn line.

Thinking back to all the times I found or felt his presence in the forest, it was easy to say I had come to that conclusion myself but didn't comment because from the look in her eye, she had more to say and I sure wasn't going to stop her.

Brydene glanced up from our entangled hands to peer out the window at the trees no basking in the darkness of the night. Having a few moments of silence to collect her thoughts, she inhaled a deep breath and continued with sorrow as well as tenderness lacing her eyes.

"It's his way to not only mourn his fiancé, but the person he used to be," Brydene let a sad smile adorn her features as she spared a glance in my direction to see me listening and watching attentively before pressing on. "And I know this is may seem hard to believe..." she chuckled, her pearls of teeth peeking through as she thought about what she was about to say. "But it was impossible to wipe that permanent smile off Tarrin's face at the time," she grinned, obviously quite fond of that memory. "Heck, he was smiling all the time ever since he was an energetic little boy, and as he grew up, he became one of the most admired men in the village and rightfully so. He was a kind gentleman that had the courtesy of a prince. He greeted everyone at any hour of the day and helped out around Avalin with tasks that burdened the villagers without expecting anything in return. The tender mannerism he had was incredible, especially towards children and this one little girl named Lilith," she spoke almost awe like as she flickered her weighted gaze now filled with long lost memories of Tarrin's former self to the window.

Lilith. That was the young girl with round doe eyes and golden locks who approached me on the grass this morning. She was an incredibly innocent, sweet girl and the thought of Tarrin with a face of stone having a soft spot for children and especially her, had me taken aback. I would've never guessed it in a million decades. Yet another secret of his that baffled me.

"And boy, could he dance. He made the ladies of Avalin swoon with his graceful moves that swept them off their feet... Maybe even myself for a while." Her face lit up and I couldn't help but share some of her happiness that was contagious while also holding some of my own disbelief.

"You liked Tarrin? Like... really liked?" I asked in disbelief as I felt my eyebrows raise at the same time. It was hard to imagine Brydene swooning over anyone except her beloved husband she adored and would do anything for.

"Yes, believe it or not. We were actually best friends and were with each other almost every day so it made it quite easy, but when Kenneth moved to Avalin and I first laid eyes on him..." she trailed off, her eyes filling with admiration as she adverted her gaze from the window to me and she squeezed my hand. "I was sure he was the one for me and I lost feelings for Tarrin quickly. Thankfully, Tarrin never acquired feelings for me so mine and Kenneth's relationship didn't affect us and only added another person to our tightly knit friendship that lasted throughout the years," she finished, grinning ear to ear to mimic my own giddy expression.

"That's adorable, but I'm glad you and Kenneth found each other. You're perfect for each other," I complimented, earning a flustered blush to stain her freckled cheeks.

"Why thank you, I'm more than glad as well," she added with a small grin, switching her content gaze to look down once again at her thumb twirling circles on my hand. "But anyways, back to where I was heading; everyone had very warm memories of Tarrin back then and after he met the woman he was going to marry, his warmth reached out to surround her too and they instantly had a connection. Also what girl wouldn't be easily attached to a man like that," she explained, her voice slowing and beginning to become sunken with signs of grief from before. "And eventually, Tarrin proposed and she said yes..."

Brydene's eyes were permanently fixated on her hands by now and the slow circular movements had stopped with her thumb paused on my skin. Her hair hung limply around her face like leaves without a breeze to whisk passed them and I could see her chin ever so slightly quivering.

I realized she was crying.

"And soon after," she croaked, "she was killed."

A glisten of light from her cheek caught my eye as a single teardrop fell and shattered onto my hand. And in that instant, it was like I could feel her sorrow melting through me.

Biting my lip, my heart wrenched from seeing her like this and I removed one of my hands from her loose grip to reach up awkwardly and settle my hand on her shoulder in an attempt at comfort. I didn't know how humans comforted each other, but I could do it my way.

Focusing, I gently closed my eyes and concentrated on moving the aura surrounding me, feeling myself sway as the strong pull of it lurched to seep through and around her like a blanket of love and sympathy.

Her body racking with anguish filled sobs noticeably lessoned as I continued to engulf her with my aura like I did to my family when we suffered through Mother's passing. It was strange that I could control my aura so well. My family never fully gained that skill and for once, I felt special that I could use a quality of my abnormality that separated me from everyone to use. Especially if it meant cheering Brydene up.

When the last hiccup from Brydene's vibrated through the air and her breathing returned to normal, I unhurriedly began withdrawing my aura back to its comfortable, natural position around me. Fluttering my eyes open, I was met with a rosy cheeked Brydene that had glassy eyes with astonishment swimming in their depths.

Drawing back my hand, I clasped it over our pile of hands and held her gaze searching mine intently.

"Was... was that you?" She breathed in awe, her lips parting in amazement.

"Yes," I answered honestly, seeing her brows scrunch in confusion.

"How...?" She murmured, more to herself than me but I was thankful when it didn't seem she was expecting an answer.
We all have our secrets. If only I could just open up and tell her my real capabilities and true being.

"If you don't want to continue your story you-"

"No-no, I do, really. I want you to know," she said hurriedly, but not before sending an apologetic look my way for interrupting. "Once her funeral passed, the hardest part for everyone was seeing Tarrin completely self-destruct. The enlightened glint in his eyes torturously ebbed away along with the shining smile he once wore like a trophy. He refused to accept anyone's consoling words and began resenting the pitied looks everyone in the village sent him as well as the people. I tried, oh I so desperately tried to reach him, to help him... but there was no use. He was gone. Just a body with no mind or purpose. And that Lilith, who adored him, was utterly crushed at this new person and even failed touch his heart suffocating in anguish. And now, well, you know how he is," Brydene said in defeat, watching me closely with glassy brimmed eyes. "It's only on occasion we see glimpses of his old self hiding underneath that cold expression he wears all the time pretending he doesn't feel a thing. That is until he's alone," Brydene grimaced, and I could tell she was not wanting to think about what he went through when alone to dwell in his mind.

But I knew what happened when he was alone at least to some extent. I had seen the emptiness pooling in his eyes like blackened gorges; seen the grief overwhelm his body and the saddest thing, was he let it. The sight sickened me with sadness for him.

"And now he has gone into that forest almost every day since a year ago. Whether to mourn for his fiancé, himself or to hunt, he does and for a ranging period of time," Brydene finished, adverting her gaze to the treeline as if imagining his body disappearing into its haunting dark land.

"I had no idea he had gone through that," I said sympathetically, peering down at my lap where Brydene's fingers had wound through my own. I didn't know what to think; my mind was blank.

"It isn't a pleasant subject," she agreed. "I just wish I could see him how he once was again... you know?" She thoughtfully said, throwing a gentle closed-mouth smile my way.

Drawing my lips into a firm line, flashes of his mischievous grin, lively eyes and playful mood in the forest came to my mind. To think he was like that all the time, no wonder people had adored him so much. And now, to see how much he had changed...

"Brydene!"

The short, deep vibrato of Kenneth's voice rumbled groggily from the bedroom down the hall as if he had just woken up from his nap.

"We can talk another time," Brydene said as she hoisted herself from the bed that lifted with her weight gone. Just about to leave, she abruptly swiveled and engulfed me in a tight embrace that stunned me before I wrapped my arms around her to return the affection. "Thank you, for listening... It means a lot," she said appreciatively, almost in embarrassment as if she didn't talk about things like that to anyone. It seemed that conversation had been burdening her for some time as well as myself.

With that, she pulled herself from my embrace and with hurried steps, retired for the night to her room where Kenneth had summoned her.

Hours later, when the house was still and the odd floor board creaked as they settled, my eyes fluttered open as the veil of sleep lifted when the sound of a door clicking shut woke me. Groggily, I winced as I sat up from my muscles already seizing up. Reaching up, I rubbed my palms against my eyes to try ridding of the sleep still wanting to cling to my mind like dew.

With a yawn, I turned my head to squint my blurry eyes at the clock hanging on the wall that read 12:00. Now why did I feel like I wasn't supposed to fall asleep?

It felt like I was staring dumbfounded at the clock for an eternity before my eyes shot open and I rocketed out of the bed.

The meeting!

That must had been Kenneth leaving and him closing the door behind him. Silently, I thanked myself for not being a heavy sleeper.

Swiftly, I rushed to the door and as silent as an owl, swung the door open, exited and shut it. Immediately, icy chills sprang down my back from the cool air biting my skin that was once warmly sheathed by the plush covers and for a split second, I contemplated running and diving back under the covers. I was so getting spoiled by these humans. Weeks ago, the cold would have never bothered me, but now that I was accustomed to a feathery bed and covers, the wind scraping at my skin covered my flesh in goosebumps and made my hair stand on end.

But even though this treatment was nice, I couldn't deny that I missed the luxury of my family's radiating heat and soft fur pressed against me in the Den to lull me asleep.

I padded down the steps, grimacing as my feet hit the cool soil of the earth. Sucking in a sharp icy breath, I quickly scanned the area to find any signs of life. The village was dead.

The air around me seemed to hang abnormally still from the lack of birds chirping and cricket's songs that usually filled the silence. Darkness shaded every building in a coat of black and made shadowed corners of houses seem like endless pits. Everything was drenched in the will of the night and not a single thing illuminated the village. Glancing above me, even the moon that was supposed to be kissing the landscape with its whitish luminescent glow was obscured by blackness.

My eyes widened at what this meant. It was the new moon.

Meaning I had already been here in Avalin for half of a month.

Shaking off the small bit of worry of my family coming home early and finding me not there, I ducked into the covers of the shadowed night and threw my senses out to find where Kenneth ran off to.

Within a few seconds, I zoned in on his heartbeat and began following its trail like a bloodhound. Leaping over fences with white paint chipping off, my muscles began pumping me faster to catch up to his figure maneuvering through the village at a brisk pace. Suddenly, his heartbeat slowed and stopped distancing itself from me. He had stopped.

Slowing my pace, I was about to see where Kenneth had halted before my baby toe erupted in fiery pain and I grunted loudly. My hand immediately flung to clamp over my mouth in shock. Grimacing at my clumsiness, I peered cautiously around the corner of the log house to see Kenneth across the road standing rigidly on the doorstep of a small cottage piping smoke from its chimney; completely clueless to noticing my groan of pain when I stubbed my baby toe against the corner of the house.

I dropped my hand, giving my foot a good shake to rid of the pins and needles in my toe, before the door in front of Kenneth creaked open and allowed a stream of light to blaze across his emotionless face.

Trying to see passed Kenneth's large form, I made out the silhouette of another much shorter figure across from him holding the door open. Inaudible murmurs passed between them and just as Kenneth was about to walk in, his heart accelerated and his face flooded with noticeable fear.

Immediately, my stomach plummeted like a rock thrown into a pond. I was not getting a warm feeling about this.

A click resonated to my ears as the door latched shut, stealing back its source of light. Blowing out a shaky breath, I waited a few seconds and listened intently. A quiet eeriness deafened my ears.

Lowering my body, I took the chance. Body rocketing out from the safety of the house, I sprinted across the lawn with my target in sight. Adrenaline began gushing through my body like a broken dam as I pumped my legs to get me closer to the dark shadows that would conceal my form. Taking one last bound, I sucked in a breath before cool strands of grass tickled my feet and the blackness absorbed my form. With my breath coming out in short pants, I quickly flitted my scrutinizing gaze to my surroundings for any hint of change. Nothing.

I pressed my back against the wooden siding that might've shocked my skin before with its coolness, but with my heart rapidly pounding against my ribcage, adrenaline coursing through my veins as plentiful as blood and my mind racing with possible consequences and outcomes of tonight, I didn't notice.

You made it. You made it. Calm down. I told myself, trying to sooth my savage heart trying to rip of out my chest. The unrelenting hammering of the vessel made it hard to concentrate as my ears rung with the clamour. You can do this. You can do this! I repeated, hoping my mental confidence would magically appear if I kept telling myself I had some.

Resting my eyelids shut for a moment, I released a steady torrent of breath. Time to go. Slipping out from the side of the house, my body was concealed by the lush bushes decorating each side of the steps like useless guards. With a keen eye on my surroundings, I deemed it safe before glancing at the door that Kenneth once stood in front of. Swallowing down the surge of fear riddling my mind, my hand jerked back at the sudden coolness of the metal door handle seeping into my skin. Tugging my lip into my mouth nervously, I held my breath as I gripped the handle with a tight grasp and winced as the handle let out a groan in protest when I began turning it.

Stilling my movement, the thrashing of my heart made it difficult to hear if anyone inside the house had heard the creaks. Reaching my senses to span the property, I was met with several heartbeats all cluttered underneath the house where the hunters had gathered.

Breathe Dawn, breathe.

Right about to continue turning the handle, it suddenly refused to budge further. Furrowing my brows, I cautiously turned it the opposite way. It held the same outcome: locked.

I should've known. Obviously the hunters wouldn't be stupid enough to keep the door unlocked when having their secret gathering. Nonetheless, it was worth a shot.

Slinking back behind to my previous spot to the side of the cottage, I started to panic. How was I going to get in? They probably already started their meeting and I was missing potential detrimental information! I definitely did not think this through.

Trailing my gaze up the logs of the house, I almost scoffed when rewarded with the sight of a window propped open invitingly. That'll work.

Hands clasped around the edge of the open window, a grin beamed triumphantly across my face as the window glided open at my will, allowing easy access into the cottage. My muscles tensed as I hoisted myself onto the sill with finesse, swinging my legs over into the room that engulfed my body in wall of dusty air lacking any light from before. Cool hardwood pressed against my feet sending shivers creeping up my legs as I gently eased myself into the living space. There was minimal furniture occupying the space; a worn couch along the far wall, a coffee table with an empty mug on it and a fireplace layered with dust hinting it hadn't been used for a while. Noting that the temperature of the room was considerately not warmer than outside, I believed I had guessed correctly. The walls were bare of any paintings, pictures, or shelves decked with figurines that Brydene had plenty of, leaving the room to feel quite deserted and impersonal.

Except for the lifeless wolf skull hanging ominously above the door. As if to remind the hunters of their purpose every time they walked out this door.

Tearing my gaze away from the horrid bones that once used to have muscles, flesh and a soul attached, I couldn't ignore the fresh set of goosebumps trailing over my arms and raising the hairs on the back of my neck. Overall, this place gave me the creeps. Something felt... off. Somewhere within me, a voice screamed at me to turn back; to leave while I could. The smart choice would had been to comply and get out of here since it was filled with hunters wanting to kill my kind, but instead, I squished that voice like a puny ant. I had come too far to turn back. I was committed to this.

Steadying my breath so I wasn't raggedly breathing like a crazed animal about to get speared, my ears suddenly perked and my stomach churned at the muffled murmurs emanating from the beneath the cottage.

Silently, my feet carried me over the flooring, following the voices until I stopped in front of a wooden door that looked as ordinary as any other door I had seen. The voices became louder. With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I wrapped my fingers around the handle and twisted my wrist, successfully pulling the door open. What appeared in front of me shocked me.

Stepping into the ordinary looking bedroom, the smell of pungent musk, metal and an unnatural scent invaded my senses. My head suddenly thumped and my limps began feeling sluggish as if I had just woken up from a long slumber. Scrunching the bridge of my nose in disgust, I ignored it and carried on sweeping the room with my eyes, which didn't take long since it was relatively small.

The queen sized bed was pushed against the wall across from me, with a small black nightstand nuzzled beside it adorning a lamp. Along the right side of me, a brown desk with papers and a pen strewn over it in an unorganized mess sat untouched and to my left, a large mirror that acted as a sliding door for a closet stood tall.

Leaving the door open behind me, the sound of an object thumping against a wall caused my skin to pulse with the urge to shift. Focusing on keeping my nerves at bay, I disregarded the feeling and carefully moved towards the growing voices. I found myself face to face with a replicated image of myself.

Taking in my legs coated with remnants of dirt from earlier in the forest, my gaze shifted to my outfit covered in grime that hugged my body. Trailing my scrutinizing stare up more, I frowned at the mess of brown hair atop my head clearly uncared for, before I was startled at the silver eyes watching me intently. I couldn't help but gawk silently at the shining orbs swimming with confidence, but also fear. Fear for the things I might hear tonight. Fear for the threatening consequences if I get caught. Fear for my family and my life that will be in danger if this night goes horribly wrong.

A shattering crash sounded near the voices and I jumped back in alarm. The disturbing noise rattled my ears and as I drew closer to the mirror that reverberated the sound, the now angered voices boomed louder. Whatever was behind this door, was where all the hunters had gathered.

Creeping forwards with nerves simmering in trepidation, my fingers lightly grazed the flawless surface of the mirror that reflected back my terrified yet determined image. Cool glass pressed against my skin in warning before my fingers slipped into the groove of the mirror frame and pushed it aside. Like a well-oiled machine, it glided across its tracks without a groan of protest.

Settling my eyes on the gleaming iron door looming menacingly in front of me, I couldn't help but stare in awe. The door was wide enough to fit three grown men in its doorway, and upon stepping closer, I noticed the running wolves etched into the border of the intimidating door in a scroll like font. Reaching out, the rough edges of the engraved wolves scraped against my fingers and I couldn't help but shudder at the growing unease within me.

Trailing the pads of my fingers gently across the magnificent creatures, my movements suddenly halted when coming to the edge of a deep engravement. Heart spiking, my skin seemed to sizzle unnervingly as it brushed cautiously over the multiple gashes savagely engraved into the tough metal. The claw marks of a very distressed animal.

Gulping down the urge to turn and run, I retracted my hand easily, not wanting to think too much about what inflicted those marks even though I had a good idea of what caused it.

It was terrifying to picture a distraught wolf being forced through here desperately trying to fight back against the hunters dragging it to the end of its life. And to think this intimidating door elegantly carved was strong enough to stand against this animal, had my mind reeling with what they had hidden behind its guard.

Dragging my wary gaze from the threatening gashes in the metal, I noticed a small shining keypad flickering red bolted beside the door. Afraid to touch it, I scanned over its small physique flashing an outline of a hand. Reaching out, I rapidly jerked back as a loud bang rattled behind the door leading to the basement followed by a loud voice.

"Someone tell me where those damn mutts went!" The authoritative voice boomed, reverberating through my ears like someone yelling into a cave.

Creeping closer, I cautiously placed my palms onto the metal door before closing the distance between my ear and the cool metal. I held my breath, anxiously waiting for someone to speak. For a few seconds, only silence followed.

"I'll repeat myself; someone tell me where the hell those damned Charm wolves went!" From the venomous tone taking over his voice and the authoritive, threatening manner he spoke in, I believed he was head master of the hunters. Drake... His name popped into my head from the few times I had overheard the hunters speaking of him. Now what concerned me, was the vague trace of familiarity his voice rung inside of me.

"Sir, there hasn't been any sightings of them let alone traces of the Charm wolves for miles into the forest. We've looked for them everywhere and even extended our hunting boundaries. The wolves are gone," a gentler voice explained, trying to diffuse the situation yet having a clear underlying amount of fear in his voice. I soon recognized the soothing voice as Christopher's; the youngest hunter in the group I had punched in the nose.

An eerie silence followed before a dull thud resonated.

"Anyone else want to give pathetic excuses as to why you haven't brought any mutts to my doorstep?" He dared menacingly, obviously not one to reason with.

Images of Kenneth's beaten form snaked across my vision and the thought of Christopher getting the same treatment had me itching to rip open the door and tear the man to shreds who inflicted them such wounds. Eyes widening at that idea, I shook my head to rid of those thoughts. These were hunters, Dawn, I reminded myself. They are trying to kill you and your family.

I gulped nervously.

"No one? How disappointing," he clucked sadistically.

A sharp wail of pain raked at my ears followed by another as Christopher's cries trailed up from the basement. Grimacing, I tried to block them out but deemed it impossible until Christopher's wails turned into groans and his groans dissipated into silence.

"Now," the ruthless voice said breathlessly. "How is it possible six hunters find nothing after almost three weeks of tracking!?" He bellowed furiously, his tone rising in volume as anger poured into his voice. "I'm not paying you useless scumbags to frolic in the forest to find make belief fairies! So someone tell me where those blasted wolves went or there will be hell to pay," He threatened maliciously.

"The last sighting of any Charm wolf was the white one on West Coast that Mark almost shot when it was about to attack Tarrin," a tight voice belonging to Wesley answered reluctantly. "That was three weeks ago," he mumbled stiffly, hoping that would be enough to satisfy the enraged man.

I fidgeted nervously at the mention of my appearance as memories of finding Tarrin sleeping on the shores of West Coast riddled my mind. He had looked so serene and calm until he was flooded with thoughts of his dead fiancé and the other hunters came barreling down the beach to his 'rescue'. I wanted to scoff. I was not in the least aggressive towards Tarrin. He was the one threatening me.

"Then why don't we ask prince over here if he's witnessed anything more on his pathetic 'excursions'?" A despicable voice sneered accusingly and I automatically recognized him as the one who wanted to kill me so badly at Hollow Falls.

"Mark, unless you want a bullet in your thick skull I'd advise for you to watch your words more carefully," Kenneth said warningly. "Now Tarrin, have you encountered anything else to do with this white wolf apart from the West Coast incident?"

"No, nothing."

Like a cord plucked on a harp, Tarrin's unemotional voice rang into my ears and made my chest tingle with confusion. He hadn't told the others of our previous encounters? Surely that would be the first thing to bring up at these meetings that would lead to solving the 'missing Charm wolves'. So why hadn't he?

"Are you sure about that, pretty boy?" Mark taunted, clearly trying to egg Tarrin on. "You're in those woods an aw-"

"Enough!" The head master's voice boomed. "I don't have time for your child's play. Find me those blasted wolves and don't come back until you've found something other than useless shit!" He roared in frustration.

Panic stoked through my veins as footsteps started shuffling in my direction and I was about to bolt before Wesley spoke up.

"Wait! Sir, there is a slight problem in your request."

"And what is that?" The head master growled heatedly, his voice rekindling with anger.

"Tarrin can't feel the pack anymore."

"What?!" He yelled in outrage.

The hairs on my arms raised and my heart beat spiked when the walls jostled at the sound of a body shoved being shoved into them, hard. Squeezing my eyes shut, I prayed it wasn't Wesley. I didn't want to think of him adorning the same injuries Kenneth had, I couldn't.

"Would you like to repeat that?" The infuriated man seethed, his voice barely reaching my ears. Wincing at the choking, wheezing sound coming from none other than Wesley, I forced myself to stay and listen this through. I couldn't miss any important information even if it raked at my conscience and screamed for me to leave.

A few seconds later, the cringe-worthy sounds stopped and a body was dropped onto the floor, no doubt unconscious.

"Is this true?" The head master questioned daringly, his voice now projected threateningly towards a single individual.

"Yes," Tarrin answered, his tone deadpan. "I can no longer feel the pack. It seems they have left the vicinities of Avalin and the surrounding forest."

"All of them?!" The man bellowed incredulously.

A pause.

Don't say it.

A few more moments passed.

Please, don't say it.

"There could be one."

Ice chilled the blood in my veins. My ears went silent as my heart seemed to still.

Why mention my me now? Was he confused as to what he should and shouldn't say? Except that still didn't make sense. If he was to hold back the information of actually encountering me on more than one occasion, why would he tell them there is still one wolf here when he knew it was me? Not only that, but why hasn't he told them he could sense me in my human form as well? Unless they already knew...

No, don't think that yet.

"The Charm from this particular wolf is slightly less compared to the majority of the pack, which makes it harder to sense," Tarrin informed, his tone sounding begrudging. "I haven't felt the strong Charm in this wolf for some time now. The pull from the Charm seems to be very faint or hidden."

I clenched my teeth together in aggravation. Without him realizing it yet, he almost had discovered that my Charm dims when I am in my human form, which is why it seems 'hidden'. The fact he was much closer to the truth than he realized, had my skin crawling as if spiders skittered across my neck fell down my back.

"When was the last time you clearly sensed this wolf?" Kenneth inquired with interest, his mind no doubt reeling with new questions to probe out of Tarrin that might get them further ahead than before.

The room seemed to wait for his response as well as myself pressed anxiously against the iron door.

"The West Coast incident."

Silence met his remark as the hunters began putting small pieces of the large puzzle together.

"I guess this narrows it down to the white wolf that has slightly less Charm than the others," a new voice spoke up, one I recognized to be the man Wesley had tried to prevent me from encountering when wandering through Avalin.

"Which would explain why this Charm wolf didn't vaporize on East Point View with the golden Charm wolf," Kenneth explained eagerly. "This white wolf doesn't have enough Charm to vaporize, but has enough to hide its scent because the dogs couldn't follow it."

The hunters began hurriedly murmuring incoherent things I strained myself to hear, but I deemed it futile when the unknown voice spoke above the others.

"But why would this white wolf have any less Charm than the other Charm wolves? They are all a part of the same pack," the man stated deeply, his confusion evident in his voice.

Because I am a half breed, I thought to myself, which was followed by a small lash of sadness. If I had just been a full Charm wolf I could have left with my family and this whole hunter incident might have died out. Or better, if they had just killed me when they found me. Killing me would have saved me from this life in between Charm wolves and humans that slowly ate away at my being. This life of being alone.

"Maybe it is younger and hasn't fully matured yet?" Mark replied unsurely, not at all convinced by his own words.

"Maybe, there is something more to this than what we see," Tarrin murmured more to himself, so quietly I questioned if the other hunters had heard it. It seemed as if he was subconsciously speaking from his thoughts rather than participating fully in the hunters' conversation. As if he preferred piecing together the situation by himself.

After a few minutes of the hunters mulling over ideas of why I didn't have as much Charm as my pack members, I felt like grinding my teeth together at the pitch of Mark's voice.

"What about Dawn? Has anyone else noticed the disappearance of charm wolves ever since we found her? What is going to happen with her?" Mark asked coldly, seeming reluctant to touch base with other discussion topics even if they—meaning me—aren't in his magnificent things to talk about.

"Dawn is presumably more involved with this than we originally thought, meaning we cannot afford to let her go. Because of this, she needs to be held under closer guard and removed from Kenneth and Brydene's care," the head master spoke, his words quick and stern leaving no room for negotiation. "She will be moved to someone else's supervision."

Biting the inside of my cheek, I willed myself to stay silent and not ram one of their guns into the back of his head.

"Brydene will not take kindly to this. She has grown quite close to Dawn and I believe it is likewise," Kenneth said straightforwardly, surprising me with the sudden caring manner to his voice when mentioning his wife and myself. My heart swelled at the thought of Kenneth also acquiring a soft spot for me from the past few weeks of me being here. Other than my family, Kenneth and Brydene have accepted me and cared for me as if I was just like them. As if I was purely human.

"Brydene has no say in this matter. Dawn needs to be under a careful watch for any mysterious behaviour and needs to be supervised by someone able to contain her if she tries to escape again. Brydene nor yourself have proven to fit this job, so Dawn will be placed under someone else's watch," the head master said with disappointment layering his words. He was clearly unimpressed by Brydene and Kenneth's lack of ability to contain me. "On top of this, whoever undergoes this responsibility will be relieved of tracking shifts for the time being. Consider this your new full time responsibility," he said evenly. "Any volunteers?"

"I will," Mark piped strongly. "I don't trust that huntress with anything in me so it will be easy to keep a watchful eye on her at all times."

I had never felt such a strong will to release an arrow into someone's head before, until now. The thought of having a hunter watching over me at all times was already unnerving, and even considering Mark as this hunter had my fingers twitching for my hickory bow and deadly arrows.

"I do not believe that is a good idea," Kenneth chided quickly, shutting down his suggestion and making me want to give him a relieved hug. "From experience, I have noticed Dawn listens and acts better towards people who are kind and accepting of her. Since you lack any desire to befriend or trust Dawn, I believe you are not the best option," Kenneth explained, his reasoning stealing any possible excuse from Mark.

"What about Christopher?" the man I didn't know the name of suggested.

"He is not strong enough," Mark rebutted with irritation, his tone revealing he was soured from being refused.

"Brycen?" Kenneth offered hopefully.

"I can take up this responsibility. I am easily strong enough to control her and compassionate enough to get to know her better as well," Brycen agreed assertively, whose voice belonged to the man I ran into with Wesley. The one who resembled Tarrin.

"You'd try to get to know her too well," Wesley grumbled snarkily, unimpressed with the idea. "Dawn doesn't need a mutt trying to hump her leg every two seconds. She needs a supervisor. With that being said, I can take up the task. I've already befriended Dawn and I have the requirements to handle her."

Thinking about Wesley strolling at my side at all times, living in his small cozy house and seeing his hazel eyes constantly shine with happiness, had me actually excited for the switch of 'supervisors' soon to happen. Of course the thought of not being with Brydene all day caused my heart to pang guiltily. She said I would get moved if I continued disobeying her and Kenneth, but I didn't listen. Then again, I could still visit her. I had no doubt Wesley was lax enough to cave to that idea seeing as she was one of my only friends in Avalin.

Low murmurs of agreement filled the basement as they thought out possible scenarios of which all Wesley could manage. Eventually, the head master's commanding low voice rang through the basement and to my ears, "Then it is settled. Wesley will take up the position as Dawn's full time supe-"

"No."

Tarrin's voice biting through the head master's words made my heart stall at his forceful rejection. "Wesley is not fit for the task."

"Yes I am," Wesley quickly interjected. "I have the strength, intelligence, and manner to deal with her appropriately," he explained confidently while sounding peeved by Tarrin's refusal.

"You will get too attached to her," Tarrin muttered bitterly with an icy jab to his tone. "You already are."

"I treat her civilly as any human should be treated. There is a difference," Wesley defended coldly.

"You treat her as one of us, because you are manipulated by her. She knows you are easy to persuade and has already taken advantage of this fact by escaping your house at night when you openly trusted her. Which I ended up fixing by the way," Tarrin growled irritatedly. "You are blinded by her act of innocence and can't foresee the actual threat she poses and this will continue until you are completely at her mercy if you already aren't. The huntress has to be viewed as our prisoner, nothing more, and she should be treated as such."

I didn't know if my breathing stopped from his level of understanding of my true intentions, or by the heavy drop of my heart sinking into my chest from him verbalizing his true thoughts of me.

Prisoner...

Nothing more...

Why did this bother me so much?

"With that mentality she will never trust nor listen to anyone," Wesley muttered, the fight almost diminished from his voice. He knew Tarrin was right.

"Then it is a good thing this isn't about her trust nor willingness," Tarrin bit out harshly before the head master's voice filled the air heavy with tension.

"I have made my decision of who will take over the responsibility of Dawn, which will be final," he spoke with authority that reverberated off the walls of the basement into the ears of the hunters and myself.

I held my breath.

I knew who he would say.

I knew what it meant for me.

I knew I was doomed the moment the words left his lips.

"Tarrin, you will collect Dawn in the morning. Meeting dismissed."

My body ignited.

Terror.

Dread.

Panic.

Horror.

Blood surged through my veins fueled by a tidal wave of emotions as dizziness crashed into my head and almost forced me to my knees.

Tarrin would be picking me up tomorrow morning.

Tarrin would be my supervisor.

The sound of footsteps pausing behind the large iron door caused my mind to abruptly shift into overdrive and without thinking, I bolted from the room. My feet barely skimmed the floor as my legs and arms pumped me towards the window hanging open as the iron door screeched open.

Faster!

"Someone's been in here!"

My nerves crackled with fear at Mark's furious voice and with a hard leap, I hurled through the air, pushed open the window and slipped through the opening onto the grass below before breaking into a hard sprint to the shadows that engulfed my form.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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