At Dawn, in the Forest

Chapter 16

Aiden had come to her just before she went to bed. He had asked if she ate dinner and when she confirmed she did he relaxed. Aiden told Dawn that if she got another nightmare she was more than welcome to wake him up and told her how to find him. Dawn thanked him and tried to sleep.

It was hard.

Nightmares kept her awake, but she was afraid to bother Aiden. So she stayed up. Watching how the ceiling changed colors as the sun rose up. Dawn was happy when it was time to get up. Lying in bed reminded her too much about her recovery days in the lab. But with no clear permission, she could wander the packhouse during the night she stayed put.

Around nine in the morning, Dawn made her way downstairs and she could hear some uproar in the living room. Carefully she observed from the corner of the grand opening to the said room. It was her brothers. Caspian and Elias were roughhousing while Finn encouraged his youngest brother.

Dawn didn't know what to think of it. Emotions roared inside of her. Emotions she couldn't define. Eventually, it turned into frustration and she had to take her eyes off the scene in front of her. Just as she tried to sneak off, Aiden betrayed her presence and suddenly three pair of eyes were on her. "Good morning, Dawn."

Aiden came from behind her and came to a halt when he noticed they weren't alone. "And good morning to you all."

The boys all greeted him back. Caspian and Finn looked with an uncertainty at their sister. They could see the jealousy and envy in her eyes. Elias hid behind his big brothers. The boy had no idea who this mystery sister was and the only impression he got from her was an angry one. It also didn't help his mother bad-mouthed her in his presence as well.

Dawn felt offended by her younger brother's actions and walked away as Finn tried to ask, "How did you sleep?..."

Dawn headed for the kitchen. They were setting up breakfast. She could feel how hungry her body was but the thought of having a group breakfast didn't sit with her well. Turning on her heel she came eye to eye with Aiden again. "Where are you going? I believe breakfast is soon to be ready."

"Not hungry," Dawn muttered.

"Still, it might be good to join us."

Dawn disliked Aiden for the first time since she met him. She didn't want to see her family all together just to feel like an outsider. She didn't like that confrontation. She didn't want to see how Elias had taken her place.

At the same time, she couldn't say no to Aiden. He had done so much for her. So ten minutes later she sat between her family members and pack members of the Red Wood Pack. That was the name of this pack she was currently staying in she had learned.

There were other reasons why she disliked sitting together for a meal besides her own family. It was the children of Larisa and Mateo who were the most annoying. Their eldest daughter, Lisa (sixteen years old), made fun of her often. Dawn had trouble holding the cutlery. It was the same problem as with the pen. She wasn't used to the motions and holding anymore and had to relearn it. But Lisa found it apparently funny to see Dawn struggle.

Then you had her older brother, Lars (seventeen years old), and younger sister, Lyla (thirteen years old). Lyla copied what Lisa was doing and Lars just thought Dawn exaggerated her trauma and should just man up.

Larisa tried to scold her children for their behavior but it was futile. And today was no different. As Dawn had trouble cutting her eggs both Lisa and Lyla were mocking her and Lars rolled his eyes. Again her appetite was gone.

But the three little devils weren't the most annoying encounter at the table. It was Rue. She had wept and wept all night. "My whole left side of my pillow case is now wet with tears." Her words. She, apparently, couldn't shake off the horrible stories she heard from her son about her daughter. Rue couldn't believe people were so evil. "How can you possibly hurt someone's daughter like that? I can't believe it." And this went on and on during breakfast, asking for attention from everybody. Larisa, Boaz and Mateo consoled her. But whenever they thought Rue had let the topic go, she went on about how she couldn't sleep a wink because of the crying again.