Chapter 15
We were all sitting around Hayden's living room; and by all I mean Hayden, Gemma, Chad, Olivia and I. It seemed like torturous eons that we've waited so far to hear any updates about the Blood Dawn Pack, my friends and family.
I looked down, covering my face with my hands to hide the tears as they spill over the brims of my eyes.
Hayden's watching me, I can feel his eyes burning a hole in my head, but I ignore it and keep mine lowered. A tear drops from my cheek down and onto my jeans, leaving a circle of salt water.
"Arleigh, will you come upstairs with me?" Hayden asks me, his voice gentle and as much as I'd rather stay down here and hide my face and not be alone in a room with him, I find myself nodding and following him up and into his room. I sat on the edge of his bed, biting my bottom lip as the tears begin to flow. He clears his throat, "Are you--uh-- are you okay?"
He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly and if I wasn't in this situation I would've laughed at his discomfort, but I was in this situation so I didn't laugh. Instead, I just look down to my folded hands that sit in my lap.
Hesitantly, he sits down next to me on the bed, not too close, but not too far either.
Taking in a shaky breath, I knew that I should tell him, explain to him how I'm feeling and share my thoughts about this stupid war. I guess I was the war's metaphor-- stupid, stupid me.
Hayden sighed impatiently, "Listen, if I'm going to help, you're going to have to explain things to me. You have to open up. Trust goes both ways, Arleigh."
The way he was talking right now, that's the type of mate I'd always dreamed of, the one who would openly talk about feelings with me, the one who cared about how I felt and wanted to help me through it. Something about the way he was right in this very moment, well, it made my heart clench and then melt like lava.
"I just don't want to fight my friends and family," I finally answered him, my voice disappointingly meek and small.
He took in a deep breath, "Do you still want to go back to them?"
"Are you serious?" I guffaw, jumping up and whirling around to face him.
Standing up, his face morphed into a confused expression, "What do you mean?"
"You're patronizing me before you're about to go and fight the people I love!" I exclaimed and the tears just kept coming. There goes the melted heart cooling off right back to solid stone.
"No, that's not what I meant," he shook his head. "I meant like, how you're feeling about the whole, like-- uh."
"No really, keep going, you're doing great," I spat sarcastically.
He growled, "I was just trying to gather the facts, like which pack you'll be fighting for!"
I took in a steadying breath, "You want a fact? Well here it is; I don't want to fight at all. How's that for you?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose before calmly taking me in, the calm before the storm is what I recognized this as, "Arleigh, it's not my decision to fight. It's your father's, okay?"
Was he seriously blaming all of this on my family?
"If you hadn't kidnapped me, we wouldn't be in this mess!" I shouted, exasperated at his stupidity.
Rolling his eyes, he shook his head, "Now you're blaming me?!"
"Yes!" I exclaim.
Our argument was once again interrupted by a knock on the door. Hayden sighs, "Come in."
Chad walks in, a grim expression on his face, "They're here."
"Okay, form the flanks and once we come down we'll start marching over," Hayden orders and Chad nods in understanding. He turns to me, "Arleigh, can you promise me you won't do anything stupid?"
"Probably not," I answer with a shrug before walking out, Hayden groaning and then following behind me.
We lead the flanks, Hayden and I, as we begin the march through the woods and to the spot where the Blood Dawn Pack is waiting for us-- waiting for war.
As we march, Hayden's hand and mine find each other's and even though I'm pissed at him and I'm sure he's probably upset with me, I don't complain and he doesn't make a move to pull them apart.
a/n: I'd like to apologize for how short this is, I know it's terrible, but the next chapter is normal length! I just had major writer's block for this and I couldn't really get into it. idk i don't even really like this chapter :/ I like the next one much better...
SPOILER FOR NEXT CHAPTER: let the fighting begin... flashback to the prologue ;)
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Behind Enemy Lines
Werewolf"I don't trust you," I told him, refusing to go. He smirked, "You shouldn't." Arleigh Blackburn has always dreamed of the day she would meet her mate. She imagined he would be her knight in shining armor, smiling down at her with love in his ey...
