Dawn’s POV
The morning arrived without bringing any rest. I had spent the entire night tossing and turning, my mind consud with thoughts of my friends back at the destroyed base. Sleep had been impossible when all I could think about was their fate.
Guilt weighed heavily on my chest as I realized I hadn’t even tried to contact them after reaching this place. The opportunity had slipped away, and now it might be forever lost.
If anyone had managed to survive that horrific attack, I had no way of reaching them. No way of letting them know I was alive, or finding out if they were safe.
My only hope was that sohow they would discover my location and make their way here. This base could offer them sanctuary, and I was certain the leadership wouldn’t refuse other Hunters who desperately needed shelter and training.
I made a ntal note to bring this up with Corbin when I saw him today.
Walking into the dining hall for breakfast, I took my regular spot at an empty table. The familiar isolation greeted like an old friend. The other Hunters still kept their distance, their conversations flowing around but never including .
I remained an outsider in their eyes, soone they hadn’t quite decided whether to trust. The established groups here were tight-knit, their bonds forged through shared experiences I hadn’t been part of.
Breaking through those social barriers was going to be an uphill battle.
But before long, Asher appeared with Nico and Koa trailing behind him. They settled around my table, and I felt a spark of gratitude. At least we had ford our own small circle, the newcors banding together in this unfamiliar territory.
Asher chose the seat directly beside , and imdiately his signature cologne hit my senses. That rich, masculine scent made sothing stir inside , and I found myself unconsciously leaning in his direction.
What was happening to ? This wasn’t like at all.
But then my thoughts drifted back to the ruins of my forr ho, to the friends whose fates remained unknown. I desperately tried to redirect my mind toward anything that might distract from the dark possibilities.
I had to believe they had escaped safely. I had to believe those savage werewolves hadn’t caught them all.
They were resourceful. They were fighters. They had to have made it out.
I just wished I had told them how much they ant to before everything went to hell.
When Corbin finally approached our table, I imdiately straightened in my seat.
"Any updates?" I asked, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice.
"The identification process is going to be extensive. There are nurous casualties, and they’ll need to match dental records for positive identification." Corbin’s expression was grim.
"What exactly did those beasts do to my people?"
"The entire facility was burned to the ground, along with all the victims. But the fire ca after they were already dead. They didn’t experience that suffering. From what we can tell, most deaths appeared to be swift. Fletcher was different though." Corbin paused uncomfortably.
"Different how?" I pressed.
"His heart had been torn from his chest. Whoever killed him harbored intense personal hatred. Any idea why soone would target him specifically?" Corbin asked.
Plenty of people had reasons to despise Fletcher, but werewolves wouldn’t know about those personal grudges.
"I can’t understand why they would spend extra ti on him instead of the others. He ant nothing to them personally. I would have expected them to focus their rage on Gardner instead." I replied.
"Gardner definitely suffered torture, but not to the sa extent as Fletcher." Corbin confird.
"What’s this about?" Asher interjected. I suddenly realized our conversation had drawn attention from nearby tables.
"Werewolves launched a coordinated assault on my forr base yesterday evening. Current reports suggest there may be no survivors." I struggled to keep my voice steady and hide the devastation threatening to overwhelm .
"They’re conducting a thorough headcount to determine if anyone is unaccounted for. I’ll update you as more information cos in." Corbin assured before returning to his duties.
"An entire Hunter stronghold was eliminated?" Nico asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Yes. I was there just days ago. There were no warning signs that suggested an imminent attack of this magnitude." The reality of it still felt surreal.
Asher’s hand ca to rest on my back, sending an unexpected shiver through my body. But rather than making uncomfortable, his touch had a surprisingly soothing effect. The gentle pressure actually helped clear the fog of panic from my thoughts.
I didn’t want him to pull away.
After we finished eating, Corbin found us again and offered to give the day off to process everything.
But I declined his offer. I needed sothing to occupy my mind, sothing that would prevent from spiraling into dark thoughts about my friends’ fate.
Staying busy was my only defense against despair.
Understanding my need for distraction, Corbin led our group to a section of the compound I hadn’t explored yet. We entered a spacious building dedicated entirely to physical training.
The facility was impressive. Thick mats covered most of the floor space, while various pieces of weight training equipnt lined the walls. The center of the room remained open, clearly designed for hand-to-hand combat practice and sparring sessions.
This was exactly what I needed. Physical exertion would help channel my anxiety and grief into sothing productive. Here, I could push my body to its limits and maybe find so peace in the exhaustion that would follow.
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