Dawn

26

I was a bullet.

Everything was blurred; all my surroundings morphed together into a stream of colour. I was flying through a pool of tones and textures, of shadows and shapes and swirls. The wind's soft fingers gently slid through my fur and pushed me forward, cooling my heated skin.

As I darted through the trees, I felt invincible. My vision was impeccable: despite the speed I bolted through the woods at, I could clearly see every detail, every tree. Everything in the background was a muddle of blurry images, but in the foreground... it was like nothing I'd ever seen. I could literally describe the detail of every wrinkle on the finest leaf laying on the soil.

In a moment of brief excitement, I let my tongue flop out into the wind, shook my head around a little like a dog. I giggled in my mind.

My paws were moving at such an extraordinary pace that all I could feel was the pressured air surrounding them- caressing them. I couldn't feel the ground's impact at all; I was racing on a cloud.

And I felt strong.

With a final huge leap, I burst through the final barrier of trees and landed swiftly, immediately finding the stage we had used earlier occupied by Dylan, Jason, Ryan, my parents, and Sid. I couldn't see what they were doing, but below them, it was a battleground. Wolves and bears flew at each other, crashing together with such force and violence that I cringed. To the right, Shifters scattered into the woods, usually following a wolf that scurried off into the trees. I couldn't see Hayden, Jackie, Ash or Harvey anywhere, and that scared me.

"Dawn, let me take over. I promise I will free our family and save our mate and his family. Trust me- there is no need to be scared."

Shockingly, I wasn't surprised or frightened. I was perfectly calm as I spoke into my thoughts, "You're my wolf aren't you?"

I felt a warmth in my mind, like... like she was smiling. "Yes. I will guide you through everything, but for now, I need complete control to save this situation."

Usually, I would have handed over control. I would have felt as though she could do a better job than I ever could. But today, it was different. I felt different.

"I'm sorry, but I think I should be the one in control. The Goddess trusts me to do this, and I know exactly what to do," I thought firmly.

And, to my surprise, I felt that warmth again, but now it made me feel stronger, prouder, and happier. "The Moon Goddess was right to choose you. You are special," I heard her whisper in my mind. New strength flooded through my bones and I knew my wolf was chipping in as much as she could without being in total control. I liked her- I liked that she tested me to see if I was a leader or lazy and submissive.

It felt like rocket boosters were attached to me; I flew through the air suddenly, barrelling towards the fight. My main goal was to get on that stage and rescue my family. Then a thought hit me: if I get to Indie and have her accept Dylan, the battle will stop! Dylan, Jason and Ryan will snap out of it!

My eyes scanned the crowd, looking desperately for any sign of Indie. I knew that her wolf had a burgundy coat, but my wolf suddenly pitched in, "Don't focus on the colour of their fur- I can recognise their wolves like you can recognise their human forms. I will tell you when we see her- just keep running!"

So I did.

Finally, I reached the battle. I pushed my weight onto my back legs, preparing for a fight, but to my surprise, everyone stopped. It was like the world had suddenly frozen, and there was no sound. All I could make out was the heavy breathing of the animals surrounding me.