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I huddled back against the shower block wall, draped in the towel that Luis had left me. The delirium made my muscles twitch uncontrollably. I was numb again and tired. Exhaustion swallowed me up as I blacked out and sank into unconsciousness.

My mind was dominated with the scent of pine and the musk of the wolf inside me. I was stood in the middle of a great expansive woodland. Tall, narrow, white trees reached up all around me to the Heavens. The skies were a pale, pale pink. The ground was blanketed with thick, powdered snow.

What was this place?

I stared around at the great woodland and could hear the sound of heavy paws crunching through the snow.

I whirled around and watched as my wolf padded toward me, snaking between the trees with a liquid ease, like this collossal beast had memorised this woodland a long time ago and it was like second nature to him. His great size, covered in that powder-white pelt as he watched me with pale blue eyes, my pale blue eyes.

He stepped in front of me and leaned his great head down, bumping gently against my chest. I raised my hands and carressed that thick fur. The beast murred and cuddled against me.

It felt so natural to be here, to be with the wolf that resided inside me.

"Why did you bring me here?" I whispered against his muzzle.

The wolf looked at me with my eyes and it was like he had opened up his emotions for me to feel; fear, fear soaked in insecurities. He didn't like Haven. He didn't like that we both allowed ourselves to be dominated by wereanimals like Hal. He was a proud creature, but he admitted that Eckhardt was too strong, too frightening for the wolf to handle.

He feared the weresnake and his followers.

I cuddled the wolf once more and then felt the dream begin the breakdown, fade back into nothingness. I looked him in the eye and vowed, "I will find a way out of here. Lend me your strength and I will find a way to escape Linus. I swear."

A nod from the wolf's great head and then the dream shattered.

I opened my eyes and found I was lying in my dorm room's bed. I was dressed in my pyjama bottoms and shirt, both black with Haven's logo emblazoned on them. I was snuggled down against a mound of pillows, while the sheets and quilt were drawn up to envelop me around the shoulders.

I pushed back the heavy material and rubbed my eyes lazily. My muscles ached as I stretched and let a deep yawn spill from my mouth.

"That's twice now I've had to carry you to bed, you know?"

I looked up and found Lian stood across the room, sat in an armchair set against the wall beside the door. Dressed in his uniform, his hair curled softly and golden over one shoulder, bound in a braid. He'd abandoned the crevat, no tie either, his collar opened and his scars on show.

"How long have I been unconscious for?" I asked.

"Three days."

"Three days?!" I repeated.

Lian nodded and smiled. "SD deliriums a bitch, isn't it?"

"Mega-bitch," I added as I stretched again.

I thought back to the dream. The wolf inside me was frightened. That couldn't be a good thing, could it? Then again, who wouldn't be frightened of this place? I shuddered at the thought and pushed it down. I swung my legs out of bed and ran my fingers through my hair.

Lian stood and crossed the room. He held out a clenched hand to me. His fingers opened and revealed my five silver piercings sat, clustered in his palm. I took them and smiled up at him.

"Figured you were the kind of man who felt more secure with his piercings in place."

"Thanks."

I threaded them through their respective openings one at a time. Luckily, because it had been silver, the piercing openings wouldn't heal wereanimal quick. Lian was right, with them fastened tight I felt more secure, more solid in myself. I smiled and could feel my muscles loosening.

I stood and wavered a little. Lian touched a hand to my shoulder for balance and then faltered. His hand fell away.

I suddenly remembered what had happened before I'd blacked out.

"Isaiah."

Lian looked at me a little wide-eyed and then looked down as sadness thrilled through him.

"Where's Isaiah, Lian?"

"Jack, no one's seen him since Linus took him away just before your Initiation with Hal." Lian's words fell like a stone.

Cold spread through me, nothing physical, it was an emotional cold. Did I care so much for Isaiah that his disappearance would make me cold to the touch? It had been three days!

"Luis told me that Isaiah was alive. Has he been missing for three days?" I stammered.

Lian frowned at me and said, "You believe Luis? Linus will have had him killed. Plain and simple." It sounded cold.

I doubted Lian's words and trusted Luis' more. "No, no Luis told me he'd beaten Isaiah, but he'd left him alive."

"Jack, please-"

"Isaiah is alive!" I snapped back.

"Jack! Stop!" Lian snarled, "He's gone! Accept it! Why do you care so much?"

"W-What?"

"You've known him a few days, Jack! Your acting like a dog in heat or something!" he spat back at me, "He's dead and gone. Fucking accept it!"

"Why are you being like this?" I asked with too-wide-eyes.

"I just don't understand...why him? Why so interested in him!" Lian snarled at me.

"Leave."

"W-What?"

"Leave! Isaiah isn't dead. Luis is a lot of things, but I don't think he lied to me. Your not helping me look, so leave!" I growled as I pointed to the door.

Lian looked at me defiantly for a moment, he growled back, "I could call Initiation right now and fuck you where you stand! Don't forget that!" And with that the werelion stalked out. He never looked back. He'd threatened me. I'd thought he was a friend, someone I could trust even, but I had also only known him a few days as well. Maybe I didn't know him as well as I thought, no matter what traumas we all shared, I still didn't think I could let myself get too close to the werelion. He was after all an Elite, a wereanimal sent to abuse me emotionally and physically.

At that moment I needed to focus on one thing; Isaiah wasn't dead. I was certain Luis hadn't lied, almost.

It was then stood across the room from my window, as the afternoon sunlight spilled inside, I glimpsed the lake just before the woodlands edge that surrounded the entire estate. Isaiah had been missing for three days. Luis had indicated he was wounded, not dead. So where would he go if he was wounded? I smiled and got dressed.