A Wolf Among The Sheep

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"I'm sorry Dase but... Lyle's right. We can't let that shit happen again to Tate - what if she decides to fuck off again? She'd pick Tate up just to drop him on his ass again, an' that's if he let's her in again." Gio shook his head, arms still firmly crossed against his chest, "An' now with this kid? What if Tate get's into it an' she decides things ain't enough?"

He hesitated at the mention of Sasha, unsure as to how his mate would see the situation. Since their own baby arriving four months ago, things had been exhausting. They had been trying relentlessly for a child during the two years Luana had been gone, and then obviously before then. Gio thought he knew everything there was to know about looking after a pup, but he had definitely been in for a shock.

As if on cue, the door to his and Sasha's hut opened and his mate peered out, rubbing her eyes as if just waking from a nap herself. The baby in question remained inside, still evidently snoozing by the lack of crying or child in her arms.

"Fuckin' hell, you can smell the testosterone rollin' around the place," she drawled, approaching the group with a raised eyebrow. However upon noticing Daisy's tears and the irritation and anger still written on faces, her light-hearted joking came to an end. "What-- what did I miss?"

Gio glanced to Daisy, pausing briefly before looking back at his mate, "Clarissa came back."

Sasha blinked, lips parting and jaw dropping open to close and then open again in her shock, "Clar-- w-where is she?" She asked, her reaction much like Daisy's as her head swivelled and eyes searched for any sign of the other young woman, "I-Is she still here? H-Has she gone to rest up?"

Wincing, since it hadn't been the reaction he expected from his mate, Gio rubbed the back of his neck while Chester snorted with an eyeroll, spinning on the ball of his foot to stalk off toward Lyle. "No. She ain't here. We-- we sent her off. Told her she ain't welcome-- cause she ain't. She ain't, Sasha. You saw how fucked up Tate was, you know how long it's taken him to get back to normal--"

"You... sent... you sent her away?" Sasha looked to Daisy and then turned to face her mate, "Are-- are you fuckin' jokin'? W-Why did you do that? W-Why didn't you--"

"Cause it's been two fuckin' years, Sasha! Two fuckin' years without a word from her! She's fuckin' hurt every single person here with what she's done. And she didn't look like she had missed us one fuckin' bit. Lookin' all strong and healthy and shit. It looked like she had a fantastic fuckin' time while Tate was 'ere, wastin' away, searchin' for her--" Gio was cut off by a finger being held up by Sasha, which trembled slightly.

"And-- and you didn't... you didn't even think to... to for all of you... to just fuckin' talk to her?" She demanded, glancing to Daisy too before peering back to her mate, "What if that was our son, Gio? Would you've turned him away without fuckin' question? We're all fuckin' angry with her, G. We've all got somethin' we wanna fuckin' say to her. But somethin' should have been done. Not all of you crowding around her and tellin' her to fuck off again--"
 
"Or we respect the fact Tate doesn't want her here. This is his fuckin' pack an' he doesn't want her showing her face 'round here. If you want to hang out with her, go trek through the woods an' find her then, Sasha - 'cos she didn't bother leaving Daisy any instructions on how t' find her and she didn't once mention you, so she really can't be that keen to keep in contact. She's a bitch, it's more than obvious," grunted Lyle as he found himself incapable of remaining quiet. He knew that he probably shouldn't intervene between the mates, particularly when Sasha was speaking and probably didn't want to be interrupted with an opinion that would contradict her own, but he couldn't stand back and let Gio handle it alone.

If the last two years had proven anything, it was that the siblings pulled together when one of them needed the support. They always had done, of course, but Tate's situation had brought them closer than ever in their shared desperation to bring him out of the state he had wallowed in for months. Thus, Lyle didn't feel comfortable standing back and letting Gio take the heat when that was his big brother; he deserved to have someone at his side, defending him and showing Sasha that he wasn't the only one who held the strong opinions about Luana.

That everyone in the pack felt that way, and it was just her and Daisy that seemed to harbour a different idea about it.

"What is this, anyway? You ain't gotta stick by her side - she's done fine without 'ya, Sasha. You girls don't have to stick together, it's fucking dumb--"

"I-- I'm not defending her fucking actions! Sh-She hurt Tate and Anders and all of us a-and I can't forgive her f-for that, but-- g-god, she didn't even have a chance to explain herself without you all ganging up on her, threatening her-- she's got a kid, Sasha. She had a kid. That was why she was away," whispered Daisy as she turned to her sister-in-law in relief and gratitude that she had someone who seemed to share her opinion; someone who might be hurt by Luana's actions but was able to see that things weren't just black and white. She might have hurt them but that didn't mean she had done so intentionally, and she deserved the right to explain herself.

They didn't need to forgive her, but they could try and understand her motivations. Daisy did, at least, and she would defend Luana's right to act in a way that she thought was best for her child as strongly as she could.

"She-- was worried. She had a kid that she knew Tate wouldn't accept. What was she gonna do? Turn up with a newborn and expose the kid to fuckin' hatred? She-- she took a risk comin' here and you all treated her l-like a villain, it ain't fair. You've got a kid, Gio. You'd do anythin' for him. So did Luana; she-- she fuckin' stayed away from us to put her kid first. How's that make her the enemy again?--"

"You're really twisting this to make her look like the victim, ain't 'ya? I could feel bad for her, sure, but then all I gotta do is remember Tate fucking wasting away in his hut and going weeks barely eatin' for that sympathy to go out the window. You don't turn your back on Tate like this, Dase, that ain't right. He gotta come first. Luana didn't care about him so all he has is us," shrugged Lyle again in response, biting his lip hard to keep himself from becoming venomous to his little sister - even if he was becoming irritated by what he perceived to be misplaced loyalty. "...Whatever. She ain't comin' back and she didn't leave you a location to find her at so it's done; that chapter's closed permanently now. Fuck 'er."
 
"Clearly we do have to fuckin' stick together. Y'know, I'm fuckin' fed up of all of you not listenin' to me. Or to Dase. Just cause we ain't got a dick between our legs don't mean we can't have good ideas or opinions too." Sasha snapped, stepping closer to Daisy and gently wrapping an arm around the girl.

She froze at the mention of a kid, looking down at Daisy with widened eyes as she tried to compute what she had just been told. Slowly, her head lifted back to look at Gio and Lyle, cheeks flushing with anger. "So you're tellin' me, that Clarissa - our Clarissa - finally came back to rejoin our pack, who travelled from fuckin' god knows where, with a kid, just for you to send her packin' again?" She seethed, looking between the two males, "You made her leave with a kid, who is probably fuckin' terrified now, and cold and tired... just because you-- you didn't want to hear her side of the story?" Her hand gently rubbed Daisy's back, scoffing in disbelief.

"Oh shut the fuck up, Lyle. All you fuckin' do is run your mouth with your opinions and never let anyone else try to tell you otherwise. You ain't got a clue what Clarissa might've gone through all cause you didn't stop to talk to her. You don't know she ain't missed Tate. She had a fuckin' kid! Now I know you ain't got one of those yet, but it's fuckin' hard work raisin' one with two parents. Never mind doin' it alone. Ask Anders. He'd tell you." Sasha shook her head, "I don't suppose he did much either, when she turned up."

Gio hesitated, not particularly enjoying listening to his mate getting worked up and also knowing he wouldn't be hearing the end of this long after this conversation was over. "We can't just bring her back, Sasha. Tate-- Tate made it clear he don't want her--"

Sasha waved her hand, clearly not interested, "Yeah, I get it. I get that Clarissa put him through hell, but you're all forgetting what they both went through before she left. She left hopin' it would give them time to calm down. Now Clarissa said and did some shit, she may have stayed away for too long, but he wasn't perfect when she left either." She exhaled, "It would have taken a year to have the kid and recover as it is, we all fuckin' know that. An' then to know your mate don't want it? None of us know how she would have been feeling durin' all that. I-- I would have been fuckin' terrified, but I would have done anythin' to protect my pup."

Sniffing, the woman quickly blinked a few times just thinking about what it would have been like if she and Benji had been in that position. "You should have heard her out. Gave her the c-chance to explain. Things could have been done better, should have been done privately. B-but I bet none of you even thought that. Too fuckin' caught up in yourselves."
 
"Yeah, well, we can't bring her back even if we wanted to. Which we don't. So like I said, let it fuckin' go 'cos it's over. She's gone. We can get back to normal now," muttered Lyle, apparently being capable of easily waiving away Sasha's criticism of him without taking it to heart. He could have been offended and retorted but there had been enough bitterness going around the pack in the last few minutes; he didn't need to perpetuate an argument with his own family when things were already tense between them.

He didn't enjoy the split going on, with his sister and Sasha on one side and everyone else -literally the rest of the pack- on the other, but he also didn't see a need to continue witnessing that divide when Luana had left again. Why continue arguing over her when she was out of their lives again? This time, they could at least have the closure they weren't afforded before and move on properly from that rather difficult chapter. The fact his sister continued to glare at him and Sasha proceeded to rant made him want to roll his eyes at them, but he resisted that urge.

Ridiculing them was hardly going to help bring things down from the simmering tension they were all caught up in experiencing, after all.

He only eased from his annoyingly indifferent stance when Leah came back into view, trudging down the decline to the main area of the clearing with a faint smile to the dozens of pairs of eyes glancing at her for word about their alpha's current state, and whether they ought to be wary of a potential return of how he had been for most of those two years. She took a deep breath in an attempt to ignore the mounting pressure resting on her for an update, unable to say anything while she was still as surprised by Luana's reappearance as everyone else... and understandably terrified that it would have a detrimental effect on her partner's mental and physical wellbeing.

Again.

"He-- He wanted to be alone, said nobody's to go and see him while he's thinkin' stuff through," she eventually offered as she reached desperately for the jug of water, pouring herself a cup and downing it almost entirely in one go to give herself a few more precious seconds of time to recuperate from the shock and ease her inevitable anxieties.

"Has-- Have they gone then?" She continued with a glance around to ensure that they weren't still present. She didn't harbour a searing hatred for the woman - she was understandably upset but she hadn't got to personally know Luana like others had, so felt no intense desire to see her expelled from the pack with venomous insults shouted after her as she went. But she cared about Tate, deeply. Luana's presence only seemed to hurt him, so for that reason, she knew it was best for the woman to leave - and she sighed in relief once Lyle nodded in confirmation.

"R-Right, that's... that's f-fine-- I-I don't know what to do or say to him. To Tate. Wh-What do I do to make him feel better? To make sure h-he doesn't-- just-- go back to how he was? I don't know how I'm going to f-fix this."
 
Sasha stared at him, blinking a few times, "How-- how could you say that? Alrigh', maybe about Clar c-cause... I get it, I have some things to say to her too... but... but to your own niece. Our niece, G. W-we can still go after her, go an' get her. Keep her in one of the huts until-- until we're ready to talk to her." She looked to her mate imploringly, not bothering to work on more on Lyle, viewing him as too immature and too set in his ways. Gio, meanwhile, shuffled from foot to foot, hating the guilt he was beginning to feel as his mate brought their son into the mix.

"This-- this is different. Our situation, is different. You can't go comparin-" Gio began to answer before being sharply cut off, "I'm not comparin', I'm just asking for you guys to share some fuckin' compassion. Show some empathy." Sasha retorted, pulling back from the hand that Gio had reached out towards his mate.

A flash of hurt was clear to see on Gio's face at his mate's rejection, but he knew better than to push it. Sasha was fiery and protective at best, and things had just gotten worse since Benji had been born. However he was struggling to stay firm in his stance, especially thinking over the terrified wide eyes of the auburn haired child on Luana's back.

However he was kept from thinking about it any further as Leah returned to the group, and he was grateful for it. Less talk about Clarissa or Luana or whatever she called herself these days.

Gio quietly shrugged, shaking his head, "Just... we just gotta do what we did the last time. At least we'll be prepared for it this time, if it happens again. We know what to do, we know what works and what doesn't." He reached out to gently squeeze Leah's shoulder, "You can only do what you can. We all can."



Meanwhile Luana sat with Tala between her legs near one of the waterfalls not far from the pack, but still far enough away to not be accused of trespassing. She had forced them to stop, anxieties and emotions getting the better of her to a point where her breathing was too short and irregular to continue. Another one of her panics threatening to overcome her. Instead of allowing it to show, for the concern of scaring Tala, she used the excuse of Ronan needing to change his shirt. She didn't want to return and incite a riot. She would be sure that any ill-feeling toward her old pack would be quenched, but that didn't mean she would flaunt what had happened.

"Mumma? M...mumma." Luana opened her eyes, swallowing hard as a hand lifted to wipe away tears. "Yes baby, what is it?"

Tala had twisted to look up at her, a frown so similar to her father's on her face that it made Luana's chest hurt, "Why go? People no'nice. Make Mumma cry. Hurt... Unc-Ronan."

Guilt and pain immediately blossomed and the young woman quickly scooped her pup up into her arms. Ronan paused in the washing of his shirt in the stream, quietly watching the exchange.

"I know-- I know. Mumma's so sorry. So sorry, baby. Mumma thought... hoped... they would be nice." She explained simply, pulling back and brushing some hair from Tala's face. "Scary. T-they scary." The toddler confirmed and Luana bent her head to gently rest her forehead against her pup's, "I'm sorry baby. I'm sorry."
 
The unwelcome stares that had been sent to her from Luana had been far from subtle, though Leah wasn't some temptress who had been patiently waiting for a crack to appear in the alphas' relationship to make her move. She had always thought that Tate was handsome, ever since they were teenagers, and she had never once failed to admire his dedication to the pack, but she had never seen him as a romantic prospect. She had admired him from afar but they were friends and nothing more - a fact confounded when he found himself bonded to Luana and proceeded to explore that.

The last thing she had ever expected was to feel... attracted to him; to want to be at his side and explore her own feelings, but it had happened and she couldn't deny how right it felt when Tate reciprocated those affections. She had purposely waited to admit to them until he was out of the worst of his depressive state, just so she couldn't be accused of taking advantage of him - she wanted to be with him but she had prioritised his health first and foremost, and only when he was back on his feet did she pose the idea of... something more to him.

And though moving on wasn't anything Tate could have predicted in his future, he didn't want to deny himself a chance of happiness when it presented itself to him in the form of Leah.

...Yet, though her loyalty was undeniably with Tate, she couldn't help but frown to herself the more Sasha spoke. Perhaps she was expected to be the fiercest voice in the crowd against Luana. That was her lover's former partner; the mate he was supposedly destined to be with for the rest of his life, and she had apparently birthed him a child too. Perhaps everyone expected her to hate Luana because of it and angrily declare her some sort of traitor who deserved to wallow in the pain of rejection for an eternity.

But she didn't; she couldn't feel that way because she ultimately wasn't a bad person. She didn't feel any sense of jealousy for Tate's former partner, nor wanted to see her hurting because of that former bond. If anything, she was more sympathetic to her cause than she was understanding of Tate's reaction - she knew he had been vociferous in his refusal to have children (a rant he had had with her before they began dating) but it was hard to understand how he could just... reject the child that had stared up at him with eyes that bore a striking resemblance to his own.

And yet, how could she offer a hand to help Luana -which she knew was the right thing to do- without hurting the man she loved? She was the person he had relied on most during those two years, so how could she risk hurting him and leaving him to cope with the latest revelations alone? It was a headache she was unprepared for, causing her chest to tighten and hands to shake as she considered the conundrum further.

"...She-- She's right though, isn't she? Luana, I mean. She-- She was right to come here. T-To tell Tate. Maybe it came a bit late but that's his daughter, Gio. Sh-She looks just like him, she's a cute little thing," she whispered with a teary smile, forcing herself to hold her knees to stop them unsubtly shaking together in her anxiety.

"N-No, no, I-- I have to go and find her, she can't just-- wander through the woods. Her pack must be a distance away and it'll be a cold one tonight; a storm's brewin'. I ain't havin' them trekking through these fuckin' woods and risking death 'cos that isn't-- they don't deserve that. Think about the kid if nothing else - she's innocent in all this an' she's probably tired. We got food, warm shelter, blankets, water... let her stay a night until mornin' at least, when the storm's ended."
 
Sasha's mouth opened to argue against what Leah had said, only she paused, realising that the other woman was actually agreeing with her and Daisy. The woman glanced down at her sister-in-law, as if to make sure she was hearing everything right, and eventually looked back to Leah. "W-wait... you're... you're actually siding with us on this." Sasha questioned, unable to hide her disbelief. Not that she thought less of Leah. The woman was one of the kindest she had ever met, and Sasha had seen first hand just how much of a help she had been to Tate, how much of a support she had been not just to Tate, but to the rest of the family.

Gio also stared on in his surprise, arms slowly unfolding from where they returned originally, to shove his hands into his trouser pockets. He then stepped forward, shaking his head, "I don't think it's a good idea--" He began only to be cut off with a growl from Sasha, "So you want to leave a child in this storm? What if it was Benji, G--"

"If you let me finish, Sasha." Gio muttered, frowning heavily at his mate who reluctantly backed down, "I was goin' say that I don't think it's a good idea if you went to fetch her, Leah. She don't know you, an' won't trust you. You saw her face when she saw you next to Tate, holdin' his hand an' all." He shook his head, exhaling tersely. He may hate Luana now for what she had done, but there was no denying the devastation that crossed the other woman's face when she saw her mate with another.

A hand raised to rub his forehead, attempting to think the situation through. He also couldn't deny Leah's beliefs that Luana was right to come back. While he despised her for being gone so long, and the affects her disappearance had caused, he knew that she was in the right to come back and tell Tate about his child. He took simply couldn't understand the quickness in which is brother rejected the little girl.

"I can go." Sasha answered eventually, quietly, simply grateful that her mate was finally seeing reason. If somewhat slowly. "I'm a familiar face, I also didn't spout insults her way," she sent a pointed look to Gio who awkwardly avoided her gaze. "I can go... try an'--an' convince her to come back. If you lot ain't done enough fuckin' damage as it is."

Gio reluctantly glanced to Leah and then Daisy to get their confirmations, feeling a headache build the more this option was considered, "An'... whose goin' tell Tate? He's gotta know what's... about to happen. We don't need him goin' off on one again-- or Anders for that matter. The kid's goin' to have been through enough as it is, we don't need another bloody nose, or worse."

"And the pack, for that matter... if they really reacted the way they did toward her... they ain't goin' like her comin' back already. Taking up a hut, eatin' our food... even if it is only for one night." Sasha agreed, "Maybe... maybe one of the spare huts on the outskirts. Can sneak 'em in through the back door? That way no one needs to see them, and we don't start another riot."
 
Leah breathed out slowly once getting how she felt off her chest, knowing that keeping it to herself would make her feel dreadful in the long run. Besides, she couldn't hold back her support and expect Daisy and Sasha to understand that later on - they had been brave enough to stand up to their family and remain true to what they believed regardless of the difficulty in doing so, so she had to show a similar bravery now. It wasn't easy to overlook how upset Tate would be should he ever discover that she was willing to help his former partner, but it was a risk she had to take.

He would undoubtedly be crushed by it, perhaps even end things with her in feeling like he had been betrayed by the person who claimed to love him, but this wasn't a case of not loving Tate enough to stick at his side. That was blind loyalty and not the sort of bond she wanted to have with him. It was pointless agreeing with him no matter what just because he happened to be her boyfriend; she didn't see there being a problem in having different opinions to him, especially when it concerned the health of three werewolves who were no doubt tired after a long trek and needed to rest from the storm.

Especially when one of that party was a mere toddler who could perish if the storm was as ferocious as she had begun to feel it might be. If Tate found out then all hell would break loose, but she couldn't sit back and keep quiet. This was the right thing to do - even if it was shrouded in secrecy and felt duplicitous in nature, she was willing to see it through and take whatever consequences came her way later on down the line.

She could at least rest easy knowing that she had taken a stand and done what was right.

"We'll keep it between us; nobody has to know she'll be staying here for the night. Nobody should know. It's... easier to keep it a secret," she confirmed as she peered up with a nod at Sasha's suggestion. As eager as she was to do the right thing and collect Luana herself, she knew she wasn't best placed to do so when she was dating Tate. She didn't like the thought of anyone disliking her, especially not when she didn't have any issues with Luana and was risking her relationship in order to help her and do what was right... but now wasn't the time to convince her that she had no bad intentions. Hell, there probably wouldn't come a time for that when it wasn't a priority; just getting Luana in a hut and safe from the storm was.

"...You're doin' the right thing, Leah. We've got your back, alright? If Tate ever finds out, I'll defend 'ya. Don't feel guilty about having a fuckin' heart, okay?" Daisy smiled as she reached out to offer Leah's shoulder a squeeze once recognising the fear riddled in her eyes. It was inevitable that she would feel panicked, risking the trust of the man she loved, but she had at least earned Daisy's respect. Perhaps it wasn't much, but seeing her take a stand for what was right by helping her boyfriend's former partner, the one that had hurt him so badly... Daisy couldn't help but respect Leah more than she already did.

With a careful breath out, the youngest wolf turned to Sasha with a smile.

"If anyone asks, I'll say I sent 'ya to collect me some calendulas for a medicine I'm workin' on. Just-- tell 'er about the storm, make sure she knows that she ain't got an option an' that-- we'll make sure she's safe. She won't come back if she thinks it's a risk for her pup s-so make sure she... she knows that it'll be in secret an'-- an' we'll protect her from harm if they find out and--"

"...She'll bring her, don't worry," reassured Leah quietly, reaching out to take Daisy's hand to repeat the support shown to her. "I'll-- I'll make some food for them; they'll want somethin' to eat."
 
Meanwhile Luana was already aware of the storm that was beginning to brew. In the few miles out that they had managed to cover, with many more to go, the wind was beginning to pick up. When she looked up, the sky was darkening, and not because it was closing in on the evening either. Tala was now held against her chest thanks to a carrier, sleeping soundly despite the whistling caused by the wind whipping between branches and leaves. Luana had composed herself just enough to focus on getting their little group home, but her eyes and nose were red from the moment she had alone to gather herself. Ronan had stayed quiet, not daring to question if his alpha was alright. It was clear the events of the day had hit her harder than she wanted to admit.

"We need to find shelter somewhere... and soon." She commented, voice still thick as her face remained tilted to the sky. At her words, a fat drop of rain landed on her forehead before trickling down her cheek. "We ain't gettin' back before this hits." She looked down to Tala, wondering how she could have made such a big mistake to bring her pup with her. Perhaps her old pack was right: what kind of mother was she?

"There won't be very many caves around here. Near one of the waterfalls maybe but we're a good half hour away from that now." Ronan observed, reaching into their bag of clothes to pull out a coat for each of them. He handed one to Luana, who was quick to pull it on and start buttoning it up over Tala. "I can't shift either, she's completely out of it. She won't be able to hold on to me."

Further raindrops continued to fall, thick and heavy, the threat of the storm within them.

At the sound of rustling behind her, Luana turned to face the noise, a hand resting protectively against Tala's back as Ronan took a defensive stance in front of his alpha and her daughter.

However, Luana took a step forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, eyebrows knitting together, "S-Sasha? Wh-what are you doin' here?"

The other woman paused, taking in the sight of her old friend. She couldn't help but notice the difference, as Tate did, in her physical appearance. Leaner, sharper features... even her hair had been cut. Different, but still Clarissa. She also couldn't help but notice the red-rimmed eyes and the rosy cheeks. Crying. She'd been crying.

"Those idiots didn't think to get me out of bed to see you, when you got here." She spoke, taking a few hesitant steps forward, "I-- I heard what happened. That ya got a kid now... how they sent you packin'." Luana took a step back as her friend got too close, the reminder of how the pack reacted causing her to go protective over the pup in her arms. Instantly Sasha stopped, holding up her hands to show she meant no harm, especially with the warning growl from Ronan.

"Look, I got plenty to say to ya, we all do. B-but we ain't about to let you get lost in this storm that's comin', Cla-- Luana. We might be angry at ya, but we ain't about to do that to you." She explained, looking between the two adults in front of her.

Luana scoffed, body partially turning away in an instinct to keep Tala away, "You ain't about to let that happen? Whose 'we', you and Dase? I've obviously caused enough fuckin' upset, Sasha. I ain't about to put my kid through anymore than she's already had to see. They saw us off with words and a punch this time. I ain't goin' to go back to risk them seeing us off with teeth and claws."

"That won't happen. Dase, me, Leah-- even Gio... we're... it'll be a secret. No one has to know--"

"Leah. I'm guessin' that's the new girl Tate's moved on with?" Instantly Luana locked onto the name, swallowing hard, "I don't want anythin' from her. Besides, I ain't about to ask the rest of you to-- to go behind Tate's back." She shook her head, taking another step back, "Was good to see ya, Sasha, an'-- an' I really hope you're doing well. But I-- I can't go back. I ain't riskin' that. They've made it perfectly clear. All of 'em. 'Specially Tate." Her head bowed to check on Tala under the coat, who stirred but once more nuzzled into her mother's chest.

"So you'd rather take a risk out in a storm where your pup could get seriously ill or hurt or worse?" Sasha's words made Luana freeze, head slowly lifting to look at the other woman, "Don't be stupid, Claris-- Luana. Just-- just please. Come back. Just for one night until the storm has passed. Get some hot food into your pup, keep her warm. Don't do it for you. Do it for her."

Luana battled within herself on what to do, struggling furiously on the best course of action. She knew that Sasha was right, that the storm that could felt and even smelt in the air was going to be a nasty one that night. She didn't want Tala to get cold and wet, potentially getting ill. She was a werewolf, but still young and vulnerable. But the threat she now saw the pack as... she couldn't just ignore that. She couldn't trust any of them, anymore. Perhaps except Daisy... and Sasha. She couldn't trust any of them to not try and hurt her, Ronan or Tala.

"F-Fine! Fine. But I swear, if any one of them lays a tooth or nail on Tala, I will murder them." Luana threatened, words heavy with the truth of that statement.

Sasha breathed a sigh of relief, shoulders sagging as a result of the agreement. "Alrigh'... alrigh'. We'd best be goin'. We're goin' get you into one of the cabins on the outskirts, sneak you in through the back door. We'll get you food, blankets, water... whatever you need. Ain't no one goin' to know but me, Dase, Leah and Gio."

Glancing to Ronan who looked less than convinced, Luana began to make a move after her old friend, with the male werewolf moving soon after. As they made the trek back - most of it running with Luana attempting to jostle Tala as little as possible - the rain grew harder, and the wind began to blow even more fiercely. Luana didn't dare peer inside her coat, knowing her pup would already be feeling the damp, and not wanting to subject her to even more cold.
 
For the duration of Sasha's absence from the pack, Daisy had done the absolute best she could to avoid letting anyone gain so much as an inkling that something was going on; that Sasha was off executing a quickly put-together plan to spare the person the pack, at the moment, hated so venomously. She proceeded tending to the young boy's scraped knee, her duty to him having been interrupted when Luana made her reappearance back amongst them, but now everything had settled after that tumultuous event and people were left to believe that she had gone for good, Daisy calmly collected the basket that had been kicked over by her brother and proceeded to get on with her job as best as she could.

Not that it was easy to do so when the dominating topic of conversation was, perhaps inevitably, Luana. Daisy had to sit quietly and endure the horrid insults and criticisms being spewed about her close friend, someone she recognised as a sister to her, because she feared she would only let something slip if she rose to anger in defence of her. She wanted nothing more than to protect her... but that was precisely why she had to allow the topics to continue.

If she spoke out against them and inadvertently let anything slip from her lips that could provoke suspicion in the pack, then she wouldn't be protecting Luana whatsoever. In fact, she would be doing the opposite and putting her at risk; putting her innocent pup in anger. However horrified she was at the lack of consideration for the pup from her pack members, many of them having pups of their own, she bit her lip and remained dedicated to her duty - as Leah did as she sat by the various pots bubbling away on the makeshift stove beside the fire, throwing herself into her cooking responsibilities to avoid anyone engaging her about Luana and the entire situation that had horribly played out in front of them all.

Eventually, Daisy casually got up from her spot beside the fire and made her way towards a spare hut on the outskirts of the settlement, choosing her moment carefully to avoid wandering eyes following her. Confident that she had managed to avoid such a thing, she made use of her time in the hut by preparing blankets for the three and setting down the bowls of food that Leah had discreetly passed along to her - Leah, after all, had decided that it would be best to keep her distance and simply help from afar when she was expected to. The last thing Luana needed was further stress, which she naturally assumed her presence might cause her.

Daisy had just set down a few spare pillows on the bed when she heard the rustling of approaching footsteps clearly doing their best to remain quiet. Without hesitation, she moved to creak the door open (again, as quietly as she could) and smiled brightly at the sight of Sasha's success. She knew the other wouldn't just leave them out in the storm no matter how forceful Luana's rejection of the idea might be, but it hadn't stopped Daisy fretting that perhaps Sasha wouldn't even be able to find them; that they had found shelter somewhere out of view before she had a chance to collect them.

Fortunately, things had worked out the way she wanted them to and rather find a cave to camp out in in the cold and drizzle, she could usher Luana into the warm hut, offering the same smile to Ronan once recognition of tending to his wounds two years prior finally hit her.

"...You'll all be safe here tonight, I promise. There's food over there, and I'll bring more water later on if you need it. There are plenty of blankets and... and I'll bring you whatever else you need-- we couldn't leave 'ya out there, Cl-- Luana," she corrected once catching herself about to misname her again, smiling apologetically as she peered back gratefully at Sasha.

"We'll look after 'ya tonight an'... you can go in the mornin' before anyone notices. Gio's on board so-- ain't nothing to worry about. Ain't no harm gonna come to you or-- or Tala. I-- I've set some dry clothes on the bed for you all; for Tala too, so get out of the wet clothes as soon as you can before a cold sets in."
 
Luana became more and more tense the closer they got to the pack. Her anxieties rising way beyond the levels she experienced when she first arrived, and a lot more fearful for her pup. She and Roman could easily handle themselves in a fight if it came to it, but if they were overpowered and Tala was left alone... Luana felt sick at the multiple ideas of what could happen to her child. She thought she knew the pack, had considered them merciful at least when it came to children. Teddy was proof of that. Now, however, she couldn't be so sure.

She was tentative upon entering the hut, being sure to capture the scent of it out of paranoia that she wasn't walking into some trap of some kind. But with a lack of Lyle's, Anders' or Tate's scent on the building, Luana reluctantly clambered inside, grateful to get out of the rain.

The warmth that greeted them immediately burned her face, but in a good way, and she could hear Ronan sigh with relief behind her. She was quick to peel off her coat, exhaling softly and peering down to Tala, whom she immediately become concerned about. The pup was still sleeping, but was restless and shivering.

She gave Daisy a grateful smile, but didn't really hear much about what was said as she strode over to the bed to release Tala from her carrier and lay her out in the bed. She was quick to begin stripping off the cold, wet clothes from the toddler, reaching for the dried ones near by.

Ronan, meanwhile, looked to Daisy and Sasha awkwardly, rubbing his hands quietly together. "Thank you... For doing this. We... can only imagine how much trouble you'll be in with your alpha if he finds out." He said, sincere in his words. "Y-yes... Thank you both. Thank you." Luana was finally able to talk, having changed Tala and tuck the toddler into a nest of blankets.

She strode over to them and instantly pulled them into a hug, body trembling with tears as she refused to hold them back. "I know-- I know I hurt you both, hurt all of you, beyond believe but I'm....I'm so grateful to you for doing this. I know... You're riskin' a lot, doin' this. But I... I'm so grateful for you lookin' our for my pup." She sniffed, pulling back from hugging Sasha to look between the two women. "I... I honestly don't know how I'm goin' repay you. I really don't but-- but I will. I will some day. I promise."

Ronan stepped forward, placing a hand on Luana's shoulder, "Why don't... You get changed an' take a nap with Tala. She could do with the body heat right now, I reckon." He suggested quietly, watching as his alpha took a deep, shuddering breath in and nodded. She glanced to Daisy and Sasha again, smiling weakly, "I'm... I know I'm not out of the woods an' I... I really wanna explain everything, to both of you. Since you twos are the only ones who'll do that," she rubbed the back of her neck, "An' hear everythin' you wanna say to me on return. I-I know I deserve it. But she... She never did." She glanced to a slumbering Tala, eyes beginning to water again.

"Lu... Go change." Ronan nudged her gently again and the young woman sucked in a deep breath, nodding before she finally forced herself back into action, actions jerky and stiff as she grabbed some of the dry clothes Daisy brought to change into.

Ronan looked back to Daisy and Sasha, smiling a little again, "We're both real grateful for this," he repeated, "So... So thank you."
 
It struck Daisy the moment that Luana began to speak after settling Tala down that she was extremely aware of the hurt she had caused. Not that Daisy believed she would ever be oblivious to that, but she knew that many in the pack had somehow chosen to believe that she must be clueless about it or she would have arrived back sooner, or at least sent someone along to reassure them of her circumstances.

Had they taken just a moment to consider the difficulties she had gone through long enough to let her get a proper word in, then maybe they would understand that she evidently felt dreadful about how things had played out - or she wouldn't be on the verge of tears over a simple act of kindness from the two people that still saw her as family, as though she wasn't deserving of it.

In the pack's eyes, she probably wasn't; she had put them through hell so apparently deserved to be insulted viciously and turned away despite a young toddler cooped up in her arms, needing rest and warmth. Their alpha's own daughter had been overlooked as though she was as guilty as her mother for hurting them all.

It would only serve to make Daisy angrier the longer she dwelled on how unfair it all was, and so, though she wanted to rant further about how idiotic her pack were being in not allowing Luana to offer up her side of things and make them fully aware of the fact she knew of her own wrongdoings, she forced it aside in order to prioritise her comfortability.

"...Don't even think about that right now, it ain't important, Lu. Just go get changed, tuck into some food an' warm yourself up, alright?" Daisy encouraged as she poured out the glasses of water helpfully. She had plenty of things she had wanted to get off her chest, but they no longer felt as important to her as they had earlier. She hated the fact that Luana had left for two years without any word, given she had no way of knowing if she was even safe in that time, but she didn't have the desire to make her aware of the pain she had endured.

What mattered to her more was focusing on never allowing a similar situation to take place; to keep in contact with her for the benefit of their friendship... and to ensure she got to play her part in Tala's life, given she had already missed out on two years of that quality time with her niece.

"You've got no need to thank us, it's... it's literally what anyone should do. The storm was comin' in an' I wouldn't let anyone trek in those woods, 'specially not family. And 'specially not if they're hurt," she replied with a quiet glance at the bruising across Ronan's nose. Though it was evidently healing, she couldn't imagine that the pain had disappeared entirely, which then reminded her of the tea she had specifically brewed for the man.

"It's calendula tea; it'll help with the bruising," she explained as she handed over the still steaming cup of tea, her brows furrowing together the longer she took in the sight of the bruises and realised just who had been at fault for the cause. It made no sense to her for Anders to react in the manner he did when he had no gripes with Ronan specifically - his anger ought to be at Luana if anything, not Ronan.

"...I'm sorry for the way my brother reacted to you, I... dunno why he hit out at 'ya. Makes no sense, 'specially when he ain't even a violent guy. I... guess he just didn't feel right hitting Luana? I... I don't know, I haven't got answers for 'ya."
 
Since no fire could be started in the fear of being found out, Lu was struggling to think of ways to help warm her daughter up quickly. In the end, she settled for transitioning once she had towelled herself dry, and curled up around the bundle of blankets Tala was lost within. She knew it was probably rude of her to do so, and she had so much to catch up on with Daisy and Sasha, but her pup was her priority, and she was sure they would understand.

So the outcasted alpha nosed her muzzle into the gap left for Tala's face to peek out of so she was sure the toddler could breathe properly, and curled in as tightly as she could, tail sliding across the bed to tuck in too. She kept her wolfen head pointed towards the group, however, with her eyes open so they knew she was listening in. Her own needs could wait, as they had done for the past two years.

Sasha moved hesitantly toward the bed that mother and daughter were wrapped up on, keeping her hands where Luana could see them. She knew first hand what a protective werewolf mother was like, let alone one in wolf form, and didn't make any sudden movements until she sat on the bed. Her hand reached out to offer some reassuring strokes between Luana's ears, a soft huff escaping the wolf whose eyes fluttered shut against the motion.

Watching on, Ronan quietly rubbed the back of his neck as he debated nagging his alpha to shift back and eat. But he had learned about Luana's stubbornness, especially when it came to Tala, and eventually conceded that there was no point in bothering.

He looked back to Daisy, "Ah... this? S'nothing. I've had a lot worse, I'm sure you remember." He smiled quietly, referring to when she had to patch him up all those years ago. He still took the tea, humming immediately at the warmth it provided. "Thank you... seems you've learned a lot over the past two years. Your pack is... lucky to have you." He complimented, bringing the tea to his lips to take a sip.

His face fell, however, at the mention of Anders and instantly his eyes dropped to the liquid within the cup. He knew Daisy didn't have the answers, because he did. Both he and Anders knew why he had reacted in such a way. And Luana, for that matter.

So badly did he want to explain, about why Anders had landed such a brutal punch on his face, and he knew if he did offer answers, then if it ever got out, Anders would never forgive him. But then what did it matter? It seemed like their relationship was already in ruins anyway.

"S'mystery... that's for sure." Ronan answered vaguely, avoiding eye contact as he took another sip of tea, "But it's fine. I-- I'll get over it."
 
"You'd think so, wouldn't you? But do they give me any gratitude for it? Psh, no. The kids do, though. They're always scraping their knees or tripping during a game of tag so they're always super sweet but I swear everyone else just overlooks me. Story of my life," the other laughed in reply as she quietly collected the wet, discarded clothes to hang over a chair near the window in the hope they dried by the time morning came around. They would have to be taken back with Luana when she made her leave in the morning, after all, and it would help if they were at least dry by then.

Ideally, they wouldn't have had to change out of their clothes because the thought of them leaving behind even so much as a single sock made Daisy nervous. It would strongly hold their scent, and if anyone found the item, they would inevitably put two and two together pretty sharpish.

She reached for a cup of water and dropped in a few spare herbs to calm herself down - it would have worked better with hot tea but she wasn't prepared to rush out back to the fireside and bring attention to herself.

"I mean, it... it really is. I don't want to defend 'im to you when you probably hate him but he really ain't a bad guy, usually. I-- I just think he's been through a lot an' it all reached boiling point when he saw Luana. I... I dunno. He was out of order with that an' what he said so I ain't gonna defend him too much," she shrugged as she settled back at the small table, resting her head in her hands and taking a moment to press her fists lightly against her eyes to ease the ache in them, no doubt brought along by the amount of crying she had done since Luana's arrival earlier that day.

She felt guilty about not going to check on Anders and especially Tate, even if he had demanded not to be disturbed. The prospect of either of them being badly affected by the day's events unnerved her, considering she had seen Tate at his lowest point and constantly feared a return of it. She disliked his behaviour to Luana and his heartless rejection of Tala but that was still her big brother and she loved him, dearly. She wanted to be at his side, helping him through whatever he was suffering with before it worsened.

But she couldn't, not when emotions were still running high and definitely not when Luana was in her presence. She had spent two years away from her - she naturally wanted to take in as much time with her now while she could, even if she was in her other form and wasn't able to hold a conversation. Her presence alone was more than enough for Daisy.

"...Sasha and Gio have a kid now," she murmured quietly as she peered up from her hands with a renewed smile, desperate to speak about things that Luana had missed that weren't going to be spat with hatred or negativity. Luana had missed milestones in their lives, but Daisy wasn't going to inform her of them with an insult attached - she just wanted to share something positive that had happened, regardless of how upset she might be that Luana had missed out on experiencing it.

"Benji. He's the cutest little thing," she continued with a proud grin across at her sister-in-law. "And Teddy's three now - we don't know that for certain, we just sort of made an educated guess, gave her a birthday and hoped for the best, y'know? But she's thriving - she was such a quiet baby but she doesn't shut up now, she's a right lil' chatterbox. An' Tala's-- she's adorable, Lu. You've clearly done a great job, I'm proud of 'ya. We both are, ain't we, Sash?"
 
"I don't hate him... I don't think I'd ever be able to hate him." Ronan murmured into his mug, frowning slightly at the prospect. Of course he could be upset, or mad, at Anders for reacting the way he did. Just like with Luana, Ronan's mate hadn't waited to hear his side of the story and had casted him out immediately. While Ronan didn't have a pup to think about like Luana, he knew Teddy would have been in one of the huts nearby. An adopted daughter he was supposed to raise with Anders. Now that was a dream... A fanatical, hopelessly romantic dream.

However, he quickly became aware that his words probably wouldn't make sense to Daisy and hastily thought of a way to continue as if to explain himself, "I'm sure he was just reacting to the feelin's of your pack. Not like our packs of got the best histories now, do they?" He took his mug to sit on the foot of one of the beds, gaze averted again and soon he was lost within thoights of Anders.

At Daisy's announcement regarding Sasha and Gio, Luana's head lifted, wolfen eyes sparking in surprise at the news. Her tail thumped lazily against the mattress and she turned her head to nuzzle into Sasha who laughed a little, cheeks flushing red. "Took long enough but we got there eventually. Think Gio's just chuffed it was a boy... A sister and a mate was enough for him to be protective of." Luana huffed, a soft version of a laugh in this form as she looked back to Daisy, asking her with her eyes to continue.

She could see the emotion in the young girl's face as she sat there, listing off some of the things that Luana had missed. And her head hung slightly lower as she came to realise just how large of an impact her disappearance had had at least in Daisy.

She viewed the younger girl as a little sister, especially after losing her fake baby sister in the village attack. So the idea that Daisy was well and truly hurt, it didn't sit well with Luana.

Turning her head to look at Tala, and relatively happy that her pup's body temperature was back to normal, Luana carefully moved off the bed to transition back. She pulled the clothes that Daisy had provided on, breathing a sigh of relief at the warmth and dryness of them, before sitting back down on the bed beside Sasha who smiled in agreement at Daisy's insistence that they were proud of her.

"Sometimes I wonder..." She confessed, shoulders falling slightly, "Sometimes I wonder if that person in the pack has a valid question, y'know? What kind of mother am I? I-- I should have been better. I should have known not to bring her today." Luana swallowed thickly, clearly on the verge of another breakdown as her breathing quickened, "A-and for Tate to just... Turn away from her. As soon as he rejected her, the whole pack did. I knew this would happen. I knew it would happen but I-I still came back, h-hoping... hoping..." She reached for the glass of water Sasha offered, taking it and raising it to her lips, the water dancing around within the glass.

"Wouldn't... Wouldn't it be amazing if none of this happened. Imagine where... Instead of this... Teddy... Benji... Tala... They could all play together some day. Be happy." Luana mused quietly, head turned to look at her pup with a small smile, "But I ruined that, for all of us... a-an' for that I'm... I'm so sorry." She glanced to Sasha, and even to Ronan, before looking at Daisy, "I want you both to be in her life... For the rest of it. If-If I tell you... Where you can come to see her... W-will you? W-we can meet halfway sometimes, that'll be easier. Or you could come-come to the other pack for the weekend. They won't mind."
 
Even after he had attempted to clarify his statements, Ronan's body language alerted Daisy and caused her to stare at him quietly for a few moments in the hope of clearing the sudden curiosity that had fallen over her in response. She didn't want to interrogate the guy after all he had gone through that day but something about how sad he seemed only caused her curiosity to spark. It wasn't the normal sadness of someone who felt sympathetic for a friend and left disappointed after their hopes had been so cruelly dashed. He seemed just as personally let down by the circumstances that had played out as Luana was...

...And it had only really occurred when she had broached the topic of what Anders had done to him. She knew the two must have interacted when Anders had first been kidnapped, so she was left considering whether a friendship had sprung up between the two. It would explain the reaction Anders had had; the personal pain marked on his face as he launched a punch at Ronan.

She wasn't going to assume that friendship was anything more, but it was enough for her to leave the topic where it was. There was evidently a reason Ronan had backtracked and covered up any admission of befriending Anders in the past so she wasn't about to intervene and make everything more difficult for him. He had been through enough and deserved a moment of quiet to gather himself together.

Besides, her attention had drifted when noticing Luana transition - though her smile faltered at the conversation that followed it. She hadn't spent much time around Luana as a parent but she didn't need to spend months with her to determine just how natural a mother she was; how she had probably taken to the role like a duck to water. The love, protectiveness and care she had for Tala was unsubtle and all Daisy had witnessed from her friend was the hallmark of a fantastic young mother who, evidently, would do everything she could to protect her baby from harm.

She had sacrificed friendships and her own mate in order to put her daughter first; prioritise her well-being until the time felt right to alert Tate to her existence... and that made her a mother Tala was fortunate to have looking out for her.

"...Don't you dare doubt yourself because of those-- assholes out there," she huffed, pausing before the cuss to ensure Tala was asleep and wouldn't be awake to hear and possibly repeat it. With a smile in reassurance, she eased forward a little in seriousness. "Lu, I ain't gotta spend years with 'ya to see that you're a great mother to her. All you've done is protect 'er. You... put her first before us all an'-- that was the right thing to do. For your kid. Don't doubt yourself 'cos them assholes criticised 'ya. They don't know shit and don't care to try and understand but you don't need 'em to tell you what sort of mother you are. You know you're one of the good ones."

She sat back once doing all she could to reassure the sudden doubts that had appeared, her anger flaming briefly at the idea that a mother as devoted as Luana had her doubts arise as a result of the cruelty from Daisy's own pack; from people who she saw as friends who she had never expected to come out with such vitriol. There was nothing she could really do other than hope that Luana wasn't going to let their cruel words affect her more than they had already; that she was capable of just putting it aside and moving on from it.

"...Of course we'll visit, are 'ya kidding? I'd love that, I ain't gonna say no. You'll be sick of the sight of me, I swear," she laughed as she let her eyes drift to Tala fondly. The thought of having watched her grow from a baby, at Teddy's side, made her heart hurt. They ought to have grown up beside one another, and continued to do so into adulthood. Tala should have shown the same excitement at Benji's arrival as Teddy did, eager at the prospect of a little cousin to look after. But things hadn't worked out that way and it wasn't fair, far from it.

Though she didn't see a future on the horizon; not when Tate was as stubborn as he was and had rejected his own daughter without even considering the idea of welcoming her in. At the very least, however, Daisy would be as present a figure in her niece's life as she could be.

"I'll... work on Anders, try and get him to come around. That way, Teddy can meet her cousin an'... they could get to know one another. But it relies on Anders calmin' down an'... hearing 'ya out, Lu. I can't guarantee that'll happen anytime soon, but-- I'll work on it."
 
Luana's head turned to look down at Tala as Daisy spoke, fingers tight around the glass of water she held in her hands. Still she worried, still she doubted. She had feared this sort of reaction, and it seemed like she had a right to. She had been too unrealistic, too hopeful in what she had thought could be her return to the pack. Too idealistic. She had to be a mother now, she should have been realistic instead, and thought things through more. Perhaps she should have returned without Tala... at least then her pup wouldn't have had the reception she did, and could have carried on peacefully unaware.

But unfortunately that wasn't how things went, and now Luana had to live with it. And hope that Tala didn't suffer the consequences, both of the aggression showed by her old pack but also by being caught in the storm.

One hand had moved, without Luana noticing it, to gently scratch at a spot on her other lower arm. However the deeper she got lost into her thoughts, the harder the scratches became. Luana didn't even realise she had fallen back into her old habit until Sasha reached out to gently take hold of her hand, stopping her from continuing.

She looked across to the woman, a light frown on her features until she realised what she had been doing and cleared her throat, turning her attention back onto Tala.

"I-- I'll have to explain it to you. Or I can write it down b-but then you'd have to burn it. I might be paranoid, but I ain't about to be the reason the other pack gets attacked 'cause one of them lot finds it, realises what it is an'-an' then decides to throw a full on attack or somethin'." She explained, reaching to begin unravelling some of the blankets. Tala's face now a rosy red, showing the pup had become warm once more. She didn't want to overheat her now.

Luana then winced at the idea of Anders, folding the two blankets she had removed from Tala's nest. "N-nah. Don't bother. I-I've never seen him that mad, not even when he found out about me an' Tate. No point in... in you dealin' with that anger an' potentially losin' your relationship with him over it. I just... it's my mess an' I... I gotta live with the consequences."

It was hard to think that she had lost everyone. Except for Daisy and Sasha of course. She knew she and Tate had parted on not-so-good terms, and he had moved on now, and he clearly wanted nothing to do with her or his own child... but she still missed him. Deep down still loved him. She couldn't deny that. And because of that love... she knew she would do whatever it took now to make him happy. If her... being out of the picture and him moving on with Leah secured that happiness, she wouldn't get in the way. As much as that innate part of her wanted to claim back what was hers... the human side of her knew she had to remain out of the picture for the rest of his life.

Swallowing hard, Luana lifted her gaze to focus on the group, clasping her hands together and trapping them between her knees to keep them from shaking.

"Thank... Leah for me, will you? An'... an' I guess Gio. I want them to know how grateful I am... even if they might not necessarily believe it." She finally spoke again. Her eyes moved to Ronan, who put the tea down on the floor near the bed and moved to pick up one of the spare chairs in the room.

The male carried it over to the front door, and angled it against the door handle. Luana nodded in his direction, appreciating his actions. "One way in, one way out. Unless someone really barges that door down... we won't get a nasty surprise." He mumbled as if in explanation to the two other women as he returned to his seat.
 
Violence hadn't been unheard of between the two packs in their history, specifically from Tate's pack. They had retaliated in the most vicious of ways in response to the other pack's kidnapping actions, thinking nothing of storming into their territory and decimating their population through the most brutal of methods. It oughtn't have surprised Daisy that the likelihood of them reacting in a similar fashion should they discover the piece of paper with directions to Luana's pack, but the younger girl couldn't help but grimace at the fears nonetheless.

She had grown up with these people, cherished the tight-knit community spirit that they collectively created, so it was horrendous to take in their recent actions. She hadn't been a proponent of their murderousness two years ago but at least then she could understand that it had been driven by desperation to get back their loved ones - and in that situation, Luana's pack had hardly been innocent themselves. Not deserving of having their members killed so ruthlessly, but not all that innocent either.

This recent situation was... different. They weren't propelled by desperation. Sure, they were hurt and pained by Luana's reappearance when it brought up two years of feeling abandoned and betrayed by the alpha that had parted from them but that was hardly an excuse for dismissing her; cruelly rejecting the fact she had a young pup who was there to witness every horrid word flung at her mother.

Daisy had always thought that her pack had been sympathetic to children; realised that they were wholly innocent and deserving of a life free of hurt and upset. And yet they had allowed Tala to witness the ferocity her mother received, thought nothing of belittling her despite the young pup clinging to her leg in fear of the new environment with its furious inhabitants.

She had thought her pack better than that, and been let down in the cruellest of fashions.

"I'll... thank 'em, yeah. But-- you can't give up on everyone comin' around, Lu. Gio came around pretty quickly 'cos Sasha talked to him, an' he was furious with 'ya earlier today so it ain't impossible that I can work on Anders and... Chester? Lyle's not gonna budge but Chester might; he's more sensitive than Lyle so... so I'll give it a go, I promise. It's gotta be worth a try," she smiled as she absently reached for a slice of the bread that Leah had spared for them.

She knew that trying to talk Anders around wasn't going to be easy, same went for Chester, but she was determined to try; to do something to try and help Luana's case. Otherwise, she would be left doing nothing and feeling helpless, and such feelings didn't sit well for Daisy.

"Nobody's gonna know you're here, but-- I guess it's good to be on the safe side," she agreed as she watched Ronan at work, hoping and praying that they never had to deal with someone barging at the door. As terrifying as it would be for them, her sympathies would go immediately to Tala - she had probably been scared enough already; she didn't need to be traumatised by someone angrily bursting through into the cosy hut. "...I... should go before anyone notices I'm missin' though. Don't need 'em searchin' around for me."
 
"I can, an' I will. I'm-- I'm sorry, Dase, but I will. I-I'm lucky to have both of you supportin' me and doin' this for me, but I ain't about to push my luck an' hope that anymore will turn around an' think the same as you two." Luana shook her head, "Sasha probably gave Gio a bollockin'," she then tried to joke lightly, glancing to the other woman who chuckled weakly and shrugged, "S'different now. Once I reminded him about Benji... he kinda crumbled." She confessed and Luana looked to Daisy motioning in Sasha's direction, "See? Chester... he don't have anyone that can be hypothetically be put in my place. Anders... well..." She trailed off, not daring to look at Ronan in that situation.

Ronan continued to move around the hut, trying hard not to pay attention to the conversation as he laid out the wet clothes. His eyes flickered briefly to Luana at the mention of Anders, knowing what she probably wanted to say.

Anders had the double whammy. Losing both his closest friend and his mate in the same situation for the same period of time. It, of course, was hard for everyone, but Anders had the pain of losing Luana but also losing someone he expected to have a long and happy life with. Yet with that loss, he couldn't even talk to anyone about it, and had to suffer through that loss all by himself. He couldn't be as explosive or verbal about it as Tate was.

Ronan appreciated that, and had come to realise that the punch had been those two years of pent up hurt, upset, rage and frustration.

"Yeah well, we thought no one would punch me in the face today, but there we are." Ronan murmured, sitting down on the free seat and finally picking up his bowl of stew. Exhaling heavily, and with a pointed look from Luana, he raised his eyes to Daisy, "Sorry. Ignore me."

Sasha finally released Luana's hand as Daisy spoke about leaving, standing with a nod of her head, "Same goes for me too... people'll be wondering why Gio's still lookin' after Benji an'... he'll be needin' a feed soon too." She commented, moving across the hut to stand by the back door.

"You'll have to tell me all about 'im, when we next see each other. I--I'm sorry about tonight... I've just whined an' cried about myself and Tala. I didn't mean to I just..." Luana trailed off, rubbing her hand against the tops of her thighs. Sasha smiled quietly, sympathetically, "S'fine... now... we know how to find each other... there'll hopefully be plenty of time to catch up."

Luana provided a small smile in return, nodding once. "It'd... it'd be nice to see you both before we go in the mornin'... but I'll understand if it's too early for ya. I... I guess we'd probably head off at dawn, if the weather's cooled off by then. Hopefully... hopefully it would've."
 
"I'll make sure I'm here at dawn, don't worry. I ain't got a baby to keep me exhausted throughout the night so I ain't got any reasons not to come and see you guys off," responded Daisy with a quiet smile towards her sister-in-law in realisation that she would probably want to have as much sleep as she possibly could, while she could get it, and so wouldn't hold it against her if she found she couldn't come by and say her goodbyes.

Besides, it wasn't a permanent goodbye; just a temporary one until they found the right time and had a reasonable excuse in place to meet up with Luana in the hopefully near future. That didn't mean parting with her come morning wouldn't be difficult - it would hurt Daisy to have to watch them sneak out of the pack that Luana had once belonged to, but what other choice did she have but to leave again?

The pack had already made it crystal clear that she wasn't welcome.

Staying any longer than she currently had to would just lead to disaster.

"...Get some food down you and have some rest. You need it after trekking here. The storm will clear by mornin', I'm sure. I... I'll see you at dawn, Lu," she continued once realising she had remained silent for several long seconds, bringing herself out of her momentary daze with a smile. She would find herself drifting off in contemplation over how to fix problems often, the healer in her wanting to do everything she could to patch up troubles amongst her pack, and though this situation was a great deal more complex and wrought with emotion than what she was used to dealing with, she still yearned to resolve it.

Even if there wasn't much she could do alone. Even having Sasha, Leah and Gio on her side, they couldn't overturn the opinions of a pack that had spent two years letting their disappointment with Luana simmer into hatred. And if they could, it certainly wouldn't happen anytime soon.

The realisation that there was nothing she could do to resolve it soon was hard to accept, but she forced herself not to let it get her down too much. If she stood any chance of changing people's minds, she had to be confident of it, not let insecurities and feelings of hopelessness damage her.

"Nobody comes near this hut so you should be safe but-- keep a ear out, be alert, just in case."
 
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