Dawn

25

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."