The Voice

*Sage POV*

“Wake up little dove,” a voice called out to me. Who did this voice belong to? I was about to find out.

“Who said that?” I asked. My eyes were closed, but I could hear things going on in whatever room I was in. However, it didn’t feel like the voice was coming from the room itself.

“Don’t be afraid. I am a part of you that you have been expecting. I am your wolf, Storm. I am with you now, and will be with you always. You need to wake up, there are people worried about you. One person in particular. Stay close to him. He will protect you always,” she said.

Him? Who could she be talking about? I haven’t really interacted with many of the boys since coming to ShadowFen, and the only two that I have been around a lot were Draven and Gavin. Could it be one of them?

I began to open my eyes, and once they began to focus, I winced at the bright lights.Once I was able to focus,my eyes met the most gorgeous amber colored eyes. The ones I have looked forward to seeing every day since I got here. 

“How are you feeling? You have been out for quite a while now,” Draven said softly. I tried to sit up, but the pain in my head caused me to lie back down. 

“I feel like my head is about to explode. I don’t even remember hitting my head. How long was I out exactly?” I asked.

He moved to a cabinet, and took some pills out of a bottle. He then grabbed a bottle of water from a cooler, and brought them to me.

“Here, take this. It’s Ibuprofen, and will help with the headache. You were out for about four hours. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you need. I’ll stay with you if you would like me to,” he replied. 

I took the medicine, and laid my head back on the pillow. I wanted to know how I was going to stay safe in this school knowing that I have been attacked twice within two weeks time. 

“Draven? Where do we go from here? I’ve been attacked twice since coming here, and the people who have attacked me were just told to go on their way. That doesn’t make me feel very protected like I should as a residential student of this school,” I explained.

He told me that we would discuss it once I started feeling better. That right now wasn’t the time. I think that decision should be up to me. I need to know, otherwise when I turn eighteen, I will just leave the school. I would rather not finish school than continue to be bullied and beaten up.

“No, now is the time. It has to be. Otherwise, I leave ShadowFen in four days, and I won’t look back. So, please, let’s discuss this. We can leave this room if we have to, I would rather be in my room anyway, but this is something I need. I don’t feel safe,” I said. 

He ran his hand through his disheveled hair, and nodded. 

“Alright. Let me let Margie know I’m taking you to  your room. We will discuss it there,” he finally agreed. 

I sat up, and hung my feet over the side of the bed. I closed my eyes hoping it would cause the dizziness to subside, and it worked as long as my eyes stayed closed.

“OK, let’s go. I want you to continue to rest,” he said as he walked back into the room. 

He sat down in the chair he had been sitting in, and helped me with my shoes. He then stood up and took my hands to help me up. I took one step and the dizziness overwhelmed me. 

“Are you sure you are alright to leave? Maybe you should stay. I’m pretty sure it’s a concussion and so does Margie,” he asked. 

I nodded. “I’m alright, I promise. If I start feeling worse, I will have someone take me to get checked out by a regular doctor,” I replied.

He seemed satisfied with my answer, and we slowly made our way to my room. Students in the hallway would whisper as they passed by us, and I could hear the awful things they were saying. 

Apparently people think I am having a relationship with Draven, others think it’s just sex. No matter what it was they were saying, it made it seem like I was a trashy girl. 

“Ignore them. They don’t know what they are talking about, and it just shows their immaturity. If we feed into it, they will continue to talk. If we ignore it, they will move on to something else. People are going to think what they are going to think. We can’t control that,” he stated. 

I don’t know how he knew it bothered me hearing what they were saying. However, he was right that people will always find something to talk about. So, I’m going to take his lead, and just try to ignore them. 

When we got to my room, he helped me as I gathered pajamas, and stepped out so I could change. I told him he could come back in, and I wet a wash cloth to wash my face before pulling my hair up in a bun. 

I climbed onto my bed, and he pulled my desk chair up next to it. That was when he told me everything that transpired with Candy. 

“You won’t have to worry about Candy any longer. She has been fired from all positions, and has been required to leave the school. There have also been charged with assault on a minor, and was escorted out by pack police. My uncle is basically the judge that will oversee her case, and he has no tolerance for violence committed on children. So, she won’t be getting just a slap on the wrist. If this was the first time, things would be different, but you were definitely not her first victim. As far as Remi, she has been warned. One more infraction, she will be expelled. I just need you to speak up if you are being bothered by her or anyone else,” he explained.

I was shocked when he told me about Candy facing charges. I mean, it was her own fault, but then again, I thought that they were a thing.

“Thank you for holding them accountable. I remember walking to lunch, and the next thing I knew someone jumped on me. I fell to the ground, and my head started being pounded on the floor. I was on my stomach so it was hard to fight back, but I tried. I felt her get off of me, and then she grabbed my hair and pulled me up. I was punched a few times before being thrown down the hallway. I hit my head really hard on the floor, and that’s the last I remember. I only knew it was Candy and not Remi because of the other students cheering her on. I don’t know what I have done to anyone here for them to hate me so badly, but honestly, it hurts,” I admitted as I explained what I remembered.

He sat silent for a moment, and I could see he was in deep thought. When he looked up at me finally, he leaned forward.

“Sage, how would you feel about going with me to Silver Springs? It would help me assure your safety, and it would give you some peace to be away from all the chaos of the school. My sister will be there, and I just know you will love her. You have a lot in common. Plus we could have a huge celebration for your birthday. Would you like that?” he asked.

It was then that I knew for certain that the “him” that Storm spoke of was Draven.