(Rian's pov)
I reluctantly forced my eyelids open, sunlight consuming my field of vision. Groaning from the slight aches throughout my body, I dragged myself out of bed, as I tried to take in my surroundings. The room I was in was familiar, but I couldn't quite remember how I recognised it. Hold on, this is my bedroom.....how did i forget that??? Looking outside the window, i noticed that the sun was just barely peeking over the mountains in the distance. It was way too early to be awake. However, there was no way I would be able to fall asleep again; I had been having that same nightmare as before. Deciding to try and clear my thoughts, I headed downstairs and took a stroll around Ashborne.

It was so peacefully silent. All that could be heard was the gentle rustling of the trees, swaying in the chilling morning winds. The sky was seemingly on fire, with hues of red and orange blended into one bright flame. My hair was being blown around by the suddenly strong winds, which were giving me goosebumps on my skin. Up above, even the sacred tree was moving due to the swift weather change. Arriving at its base, I sat down, using one of the large roots as a backrest. I leaned backwards, allowing the darkness to pull me into a slumber.

(Devin's pov)
I stepped outside of my house, only to find Bri and Austin waiting for me. We all decided to head over to Ashborne, so I flew ahead in order to stretch my wings. As I reached the town, I folded my wings behind ny back, diving downwards at full speed and pulled up seconds before I hit the ground. Once my feet were firmly on the dirt, I took in the scenery around me. Everything was normal, until I noticed a certain werewolf sitting at the bottom of the sacred tree. I managed to get a closer look, confirming that Rian was there.

His face was relaxed, which was quite strange to see from him. Wait is that a faint smile I see? Wow it is. That's kinda cute.....
I was rudely torn away from my thoughts by Austin charging through the town's gate, Bri following closely behind. Both of them run to my side, only just noticing Rian.
"Is he asleep?" my bandmate asked, whilst raising her left eyebrow.
"Yes, so try and be quiet." I hissed in response in a hushed tone.
Unfortunately, I had failed to notice Austin sneaking over to the sleeping werewolf. He opened his mouth to probably shout something stupid, but I quickly darted over to him and covered his face with my hand. Stumbling backwards, it took him a moment to pull himself together. Pushing me off of him, he gave me a look of utter confusion, matching the expression on Bri's face.

"What was that for? Come on I was just joking around." He began to speak rather loudly, but lowered his voice as he spoke, for I was giving him a death glare. Without even realising what I was doing, I let out a menacing growl.
"Alright, alright, I won't wake him up." Austin threw his hands up in the air, admitting defeat.
"Why are you so defensive over him?" I jumped at Bri speaking so suddenly from directly behind me. I felt my face heat up and I was at a loss for words.
"I uhhhh......w-well you see....no...wait...."
Both of them stared at me, before bursting out laughing. I was so distracted by my embarrassment, meaning I completely forgot about Rian being asleep behind us. That was until we all heard a quiet groan.

Spinning around, I watched him open his eyes wide, probably wondering how we all appeared in front of him.
"What are you guys doing here?"
His voice sounded deeper than usual and he didn't seem to have much energy. Most people would've brushed this off, assuming this was just because he was still waking up, yet most mornings he chased Austin all around the town. It seemed I wasn't the only one to notice this.
"You alright Ryan?" Bri had now walked over to the rest of us.
"It's RIAN not-" he started to cough uncontrollably before he was able to finish his sentence.
Before I could react, Austin was by his side, gently patting him on the back.

Once Rian stopped coughing, he let out a small whimper that made my heart stop. I found myself holding my breath for no reason. After a few moments, I had to force myself to function again.
"Woah take it easy there buddy." Austin looked concerned, which was something I didn't even think he could feel. Bri crouched down next to them, reaching out to comfort Rian, only to cause him to flinch away from her touch.
"Sorry, I'm just worried, that's all." She gave him a soft smile and he sheepishly nodded.

He began to cough again and once again Austin comforted him, all of us waiting for him to finish.
"That's it your going back to bed."
Me and Bri nodded in agreement, as Austin got to his feet, offering him a hand to pull him up. Rian shook his head, helping himself up, despite how shaky he was.
"There's no need to make such a big fuss. I'm perfectly fine."
He spent the next ten minutes trying to reassure us all, though none of us believed him. In the end, I walked over to him, scooping him up into my arms, before launching us into the sky. I spread my wings, allowing us to gracefully glide towards his house, landing right outside his door. He seemed too quiet, so I glanced down to check if he was alright. Rian was asleep.

He was snuggled close to my chest, practically clinging onto me. I smiled at this sight, heading upstairs and carefully placing him on his bed. As I turned around to leave, another whimper sounded out from behind me. I felt something grip onto my wrist. Facing Rian again, I saw the pleading look in his eyes. I pulled his hand away from me and placed it down beside him on the bed. Walking away once more, I heard yet another whimper, but this time he didn't try to reach me. Instead of going downstairs, I went up into the attic to grab a chair I had seen up there a few days prior. When I put it on the floor next to his bed, Rian's eyes lit up with pure joy.

Seeing him happy made me feel warm inside, uplifting my whole mood in seconds. We talked for the next half an hour, until I didn't receive a response from him and saw he had fallen asleep once more. I pulled his blanket over him, tucking him in. Sitting in the almost silent room, all I could hear was Rian's quiet breathing whilst he slept. I was left alone with my thoughts, wondering what we really meant to eachother. We are just friends. Well, is that the way to describe it? What if he just sees me as a way of getting more power?

I glanced over to him, remembering the look on his face when I chose to stay with him. In his own way, I think he really cares for me; even if he doesn't show it.

(Author's note)
Hope you all enjoyed this! Especially because the last couple chapters have been happy and the next one....not so much, so mwahahhaha! Okie bai bai