A Wolf Among The Sheep

Nodding in understanding, Luana watched the two women leave. She wanted so badly to keep them with her in the hut for longer, to hear from Sasha everything there was to know about Benji and how she was doing. She wanted to know all the newest things in Daisy's life, what new things she had learned regarding her healing or if there was anyone special in her life. But she couldn't keep them there; all that would have to wait until they were safely away from the pack. There was genuine fear in Luana's heart now, regarding what would happen if she, Ronan and Tala were caught in the hut.

For the rest of the night, Luana ensured that Tala was comfortable, warm and well fed. The pup was confused as to where they were, and things were too complicated to explain. Though she did her best in terms the little one would understand. She mentioned how her two aunties had helped them and were giving them shelter, but how they had to be reeeeeaaaally quiet because it was a secret hideout spot for them.

It seemed to work, for the time being, and Tala was happy enough to eat her stew and snuggle into her mother.

Luana remained sat up on one of the beds with Tala, keeping watch while Ronan took the time to get some sleep. As Daisy had said it was unlikely, but still to keep an ear out, the two adults decided it would be best for one of them to be awake at all times, so would take it in turns to sleep. Rain hammered against the window ferociously, as if demanding to be let in, and the wind whistled even within the hut due to the few nooks and crannies. Luana kept her head turned toward the window, fingers gently stroking over Tala's head as the toddler slept at her side.

However, a loud clap of thunder, followed by a streak of lightening had Tala startling awake. The second growl of thunder had the pup screaming and clambering into Luana's lap. The young woman's eyes widened and she held the pup tightly to her, head snapping in the direction of Ronan who had abruptly sat up, instantly alert to any danger.

"Shh... baby, baby... Tala... it's okay, it's okay sweetie." Luana hastily worked on calming her pup down, making soothing noises and shushing her gently.

But the young child continued to cry, trying to bury her face deeper into Luana's chest, fingers clinging onto her mother's sides. A flash of lightening brightened the hut again, and another crashing roll came from the storm, dragging out another scream from Tala.

Panic flooded Luana, who prayed to beings she didn't believe in that the thunder of the storm, and the heavy rain, kept the screams hidden.

"Tala, baby... it-- it's okay. It's just the storm, sweetie. Nothin'-- nothin' can get you. Mumma's got you, an'-an' Uncle Ronan's here. We both got you. The storm ain't goin' to hurt you. Baby-- baby please. I-It's okay."
 
Tate had found it hard to sleep for most of the two years that had passed.

In the first few months of Luana's absence, he had struggled to sleep because he missed her. He was riddled by guilt that he had played a part in her feeling like she had no choice other than to leave in the first place, and so much of his nights had been spent laying in bed in a futile attempt to sleep, staring pitifully at the empty space beside him as her scent on the pillows faded more and more with each passing day.

As the months progressed and the realisation dawned on him that Luana wasn't going to be returning to the pack, to him, anytime soon, he struggled to sleep - either because the depression hit him harder at night or because he was just too angry to allow his body to relax enough for sleep to wash over him.

Only very recently had he found a routine again and returned to sleep without trouble. Gone were the sleepless nights motivated by hurt or anger; he had finally reached a point in his life where he had let go of Luana completely and allowed himself to see a future ahead of him without her in it... and thus, sleep had returned to him as a result. He couldn't have predicted his mate just appearing out of the blue again, disrupting his life in the worst of ways, but he could have predicted the effects it would have on him as every emotion he had fought back returned to the surface.

Thereby meaning sleep was, once again, difficult to achieve.

And so, after literal hours of trying his best to relax, he had finally reached the decision to just get out of the hut and take a walk around the pack's settlement in the hope it would allow him to unwind, physically and mentally, and tire him out enough to get just a few hours rest. Leaving Leah to sleep peacefully in the bed, oblivious to her boyfriend's decision, Tate braved the storm as he stepped out into it and proceeded on his walk. The rain pelted him and the wind was ferocious but he needed it; he welcomed the stormy weather because even though it battered him, it was a good distraction from his thoughts and relaxed him more than gentler weather could ever manage to.

The flash of lightning, followed by a boom of thunder, caused his heart to race - though it beat harder at the child's scream that followed it. He assumed, at first, that it was Teddy, though that belief faded for two reasons. Firstly, he knew that his niece wasn't the type to be terrified of storms. She was three and ought to have found them as terrifying as any other child her age would, but surprisingly, she found it fascinating, often pestering Anders with questions about it to feed her curiosity. Secondly, the scream had arrived from the opposite direction to his old family's hut, peering further down the clearing at the group of unused huts near the periphery of the boundary.

Because they were unused, he assumed he was just hearing things; that his mind was running wild after such an emotional day and causing him to hear things. But then a second scream cried out and rather than drown it out, the wind seemed to carry it to Tate, causing his confusion to confound as he stared at the huts that he knew for a fact the scream had arisen from.

As alpha, he knew he had a duty to check the noise out and so, without hesitation, he marched his way down the decline to the huts, entering a handful through the front door to inspect their interior - without finding anything. With each hut, he began to laugh to himself in ridicule, the idea that he had imagined it growing stronger and stronger again - until he came to the hut Luana occupied, the inability to enter through the front door causing his eyes to widen in realisation that someone was definitely inside.

Someone who didn't want to be disturbed.

Rather than make a noise and barge his way in, Tate moved around the hut to the back door. He assumed that one of his pack members had left their hut in favour of one of the unoccupied ones, and while the reasons might be personal (an argument with a loved one or a mate, perhaps), he felt the need to inspect nonetheless. He might be going through his own emotional turmoil, but he was still the alpha; he still had the duty of care over those that looked to him for guidance.

And so, with just one deep breath in to prepare himself for the situation he might be walking into, Tate tried the back door handle and entered the hut as quietly as he could manage.
 
"Tala, please baby... it's okay."

Luana continued to desperately calm her pup down, now standing and walking with the toddler wrapping herself around her upper body. Arms around her mother's neck and legs clamped down around her waist.

"Someone's coming." Ronan muttered from the window, having been keeping watch through the curtains that covered the glass. "Can't make out who... looks like a male. They're checking the other huts, won't be long until they're at ours."

A coldness settled over Luana, and after the events of the day, all she wanted to do was curl up under the bed and hide. But she knew she couldn't do that. Whoever was checking the huts would come into theirs, and if they didn't see them, they would notice the scent. Regardless of the storm, the hut would be searched thoroughly and a witch hunt would be created. She just hoped there was no burning of the so-called witches.

Swallowing hard, she halted her pacing, staying still as she thought and felt Ronan's eyes on her. Tala continued to whimper in her arms, tears dampening Luana's shirt.

"We'll hide by the door. When they realise they can't get in the front way they'll either leave or check the back. One of us needs to stand either side of it. Get some of the blankets Daisy brought. And tear strips of material from one of them, or one of my shirts, anything. We-- we're goin' just have to tie them up until mornin'." She released a shaking breath, still gently patting Tala's back, "When they come in, we'll chuck one of the blankets over their heads, force them into the seat and tie 'em up before they have a chance to think. Get some material to stuff in their mouth too - so they can't yell for help. If they can hear Tala, who knows what other people might be able to hear."

Nodding rapidly, Ronan set to work while Luana worked on calming her daughter down.

When the time came, Luana was forced to set Tala down in the corner closest to the side of the door she was going to be standing on. She gave her daughter a pillow to cling onto, not enjoying letting go of her pup while she was in distress for even a second. However, as the door creaked open and she and Ronan jumped into action, that protective nature was the only thing she could focus on.

Struggling with the investigator, Ronan and Luana fought to pin arms down and keep the blanket over the stranger's face. Her heart was racing, and adrenaline coursed through her body in ways she had never experienced before.

It was definitely a fight to get the person in the chair, forcing their arms down on the chair long enough to tie their wrists, and forearms down with multiple strips of thick material. They also ensured to tie their ankles to the legs of the chair, for maximum safety. From there, Luana counted down silently while looking at Ronan for them to whip the blanket from the strangers head, and shove a gag into their mouth.

When all was said and done, Luana took a step back, panting heavily. Only for her eyes to widen and body to stumble a few more steps back at the sight of Tate.

Immediately her eyes went to Tala in the corner, not wanting her daughter to witness yet another rejection or sense any possible hatred from Tate either towards her, or her Mumma. Ronan noticed the gesture, and immediately went to Tala to pick the toddler up, who was still holding on oh-so-tightly to the pillow she had been given.

"T-This-- This is just-just until mornin'. I-- I know what you said an'-- an' I meant what I said about-- promisin' to leave you like ya wanted. B-But-- Tala... the storm... you-- you can't be heartless enough to want y-your own daughter to-- to suffer through this storm." Luana stuttered, the strength and confidence she possessed in front of the pack gone. "If it were--were just me I'd have done gone through it. B-but she's-- she's just a kid, Tate. A-An' she don't deserve any-- any of this. I-- I know you h-hate me but... but she's... she don't. She's your daughter. You-- you gotta understand."
 
One moment, Tate was silently heading into the hut, expecting to see one of the members of his pack with their young child seeking to get some rest away from their actual home (for whatever reason that may be), but the next, the alpha's vision became obscured and he became aware of the grappling pairs of arms restricting his movement and forcing him down onto a chair.

His mind couldn't focus on who might be the perpetrators of the abrupt attack because it wasn't the priority for him in that moment; escaping their confines and getting to freedom, alerting his pack for support to take down the culprits, was.

And so he fought against their attempts from the moment they first laid their hands on him, snarling threateningly and struggling difficultly in the hope that they would either back off at the demanding tones from the alpha or loosen their hold on him for long enough to ease from their grasp and call for his pack for backup.

Eventually, neither of his efforts paid off. He knew that there were at least two perpetrators involved and as strong as he was, however dominant his scent as alpha was, however much he commanded their respect... he wasn't going to be able to fight against them when they had obscured his vision and especially not when they began to tie him to the chair he had been forced to sit in. By the time the gag was forced into his mouth, he had no choice but to accept that he wouldn't be able to escape - at least not easily.

He continued to struggle against the bands tying his wrists to the arms of the chair regardless, clinging to the hope that he might loosen the fabric enough to snatch a hand free or rip it off him entirely in the struggle. The guttural growling from the back of his throat, communicating both his anger at the situation and a demand to be let free, continued to sound threateningly in the quiet of the hut, even against the backdrop of the fierce storm outside of it... but everything fell silent the moment he recognised the strong scent filling the hut.

And his fears were confirmed when the blanket was tugged from his head, his eyes locking immediately on an equally surprised Luana. For a moment, all was still as he struggled to accept that she was stood before him; that she had had the audacity to ambush him like she had. Even if she didn't know it was him, she would have done the same to whoever had entered the hut that night and the thought of her daring to lay a hand on any member of his pack caused the flash of anger to spark in his eyes - he didn't need words to let her know how enraged he was.

Especially considering he had made it crystal clear earlier that day that she wasn't to remain in his camp settlement for a second longer. She wasn't alpha of the pack anymore; she had no jurisdiction in it nor any right to disobey a direct order from its actual alpha. The fact she had decided to remain offended him as much as it did anger him. Not that she was in it alone - he knew all at once that she would have had help from someone, his mind immediately jumping to the memory of Daisy fiercely defending Luana earlier that day.

And the betrayal he felt from his own sister caused him to slump back against the chair in horror.

A scoff sounded from beneath the gag as his eyes rolled hard at the stammered defence, settling intensely on Luana moments later. He didn't care about the excuses - she had chosen to trek to the camp despite the threat of the storm that night. It was her decision to arrive so she would have had to face the consequences of that on the return home. Unless, of course, she thought he would welcome her back in with open arms and allow her to remain amongst them for the night, that idea causing a low rumble of laughter to sound in his throat in disbelief.

He only seemed to pause at the references to Tala. For a moment, he didn't dare glance in her direction in case he provoked the protectiveness from Luana like he had earlier that day - and if she chose to attack him now, there was very little he could actually do to defend himself. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but to peer across at the little girl despite himself, his jaw tightening in refusal to let any expression show on his face, positive or negative.

Instead of reacting to her presence and the emotional imploring from Luana regarding her, he set his eyes back on his former girlfriend in the expectation to be released - or to at least have the gag removed before he got any angrier than he already was.
 
At his lack of reaction regarding Tala, Luana's shoulders slumped quietly and her gaze dropped to her hands. They fiddled together awkwardly before they started to twist was a harder and tighter grip. "I've always had to put her first, Tate. I-I don't think you understand that. I also know you don't care, so I don't even know when I'm bothering to tell you all this." She scoffed humourlessly, finally peering up but not to look at him, but to check on Tala. Her daughter's whimpers had quietened down now, becoming few and far between, to a point where she was beginning to wonder if the pup had cried herself out and fallen asleep in her Uncle's arms.

"I couldn't... I couldn't come back while I was pregnant. Could you... Could you just imagine me trying to walk the distance I needed to while six months pregnant? Or then with a new born?" She finally looked at him again, swallowing hard as she took a step closer. Luana noticed his pointed expression, and immediately knew what he wanted.

She shook her head, "I-- I'm sorry but... But I can't. Tala-- she's cold... Tired... She'd die out there, Tate an'--an' you might not care about that but I do. She's my daughter. I ain't about to lose her to a storm. If-- If I let you go, or even ungag you... I know what you'll do. You-- you'll kick us out into the storm an'-- an' I ain't risking my baby." Perhaps she should have been calling Tala their baby. But it was already clear to her that he wanted no claim on his daughter. So what was the point in trying to get through to him that way.

So Luana looked to Ronan and nodded her head once, the gesture more than enough to have the male move back to the bed she shared with Tala, the one she was stood just in front of, and lay the pup back down. He pulled blankets back over her, and Luana took a step to the side to keep the pup from Tate's sight.

The longer she kept her eye on Tate, the more she began to realise how she could have it out with him. Finally give her side to things without him interrupting or possibly attacking her.

"W-What're you doing?" Ronan asked, watching his alpha move the spare seat to just in front of Tate and slowly, tentatively, lower herself onto it.

"He's going to hear my side now. He thinks I didn't hurt. He thinks I left him and didn't want to know. He thinks I'm heartless and selfish and a bitch." Her eyes remained on Tate, but not hardened and cold like before. "S'time he realised I ain't the villain he wants me to be."

Ronan looked between the two, hesitating as he contemplated if it was a good idea to let Luana go ahead with this. But he knew better than to argue, so moved toward the back door to shut it once more.

Luana quietly leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees as she watched Tate almost nervously, eyes dropping once or twice to the restraints before returning to his.

"I'd fully planned to come back to you... Within six months, Tate. I had... Had my parents train me on how to be an alpha so I could... Be at your side in more than just the mate sense. I learned how to fight, so I didn't need to rely on you to protect me. I got fitter an' faster an'-an' tougher." She swallowed hard, "Then... then I found out I was... that I was... pregnant. I-- I was so happy. So... unbelievably happy. An'...then I remembered. How you felt. That you didn't want kids. I... I knew... I was scared, Tate. I was terrified for a reaction that... that you gave me-- us, in the end anyway."

She pulled back, releasing a long and shaking breath, "I-- I didn't know what to do. I-- I couldn't come back. You'd be expecting somethin' I wasn't. But I knew... you were waitin' for me. But again... how could I just send a note without a reason? An'-- an' I couldn't tell you over a carried message. So I... I did what I thought was right. I-- I know I made the wrong choice but... I didn't want to... lose you. Or have our daughter rejected."

A bitter, humourless laugh then escaped her, the noise quiet and flat, "Somehow both those things've happened anyway. Perhaps I should've spared myself the misery an' done this all earlier, hm? Or just... not come back at all." Her gaze lowered down to her hands, which rubbed together but tremors could be noticed from time to time which she detested.

"I-- I missed you. More than you would ever believe. An'-- an' Tala reminded me of you every single day, sometimes it hurt to look at her. I just... I thought you deserved to know about her. Because she's just... She's so amazing, Tate. The sweetest, bravest little thing. When-- when I saw you with... with that other woman... I didn't know whether to rip her away from you or... just cry. But I still..." With her voice breaking, Luana quickly stood, suddenly frowning, "N-never mind. Not like you'd believe me anyway. I'm goin' to be the villain now, with you and I bet with Tala in a few years when she wants to know why she doesn't know her own father. I'll get the blame, for all of it. " She continued, voice rough and shaking slightly.

Luana reached out to turn his chair so he wasn't directly facing her and Tala, "Like I said, we'll be gone first thing in the mornin'."

What was the point of telling him everything she had gone through alone while raising Tala? He'd never believe her, he would always think her wholly responsible. He may have gone through his own anxieties and depression, but so had she, and developed bad habits to suppress them, such as the scratching the Sasha had stopped her from doing earlier. The past involvements in the habit resulting in a few scars on the inside of her forearms.

"I'll take next watch," Ronan commented weakly from his spot near the window once again as Luana climbed into the bed with Tala, back turned away from the two males as she pulled her pup in close and took in a deep breath of Tala's now comforting scent.
 
The last thing Tate wanted -or needed- was for Luana to explain herself. As necessary as it was for her to unload everything from her chest and get it all out in the open between them after two years being incapable of explaining to her mate her circumstances, the simple fact of the matter was that Tate didn't really care to hear them.

He couldn't bear to watch her seat herself opposite him and proceed to explain her justifications for remaining away as long as she had; explain thoughtfully every fear and insecurity she had held and, inevitably, how she had to put Tala before anything else; prioritise the welfare of the most important thing in her life despite the consequences that would arise from those actions. He couldn't stomach hearing the emotional explanations and the visible reactions such confessions had on her, which only caused the alpha to finch somewhat and tilt his head to the side to avoid looking at her, his eyes instead focused on a corner in the darkness.

...Though it wasn't because her emotional outpourings tugged at his heartstrings. This was his mate and he ought to have felt something at the sight of her stammering her way through her explanations; felt sorry and sympathetic for the emotional trauma she herself had undergone as a result of her actions, which , apparently, she hadn't had too much choice in executing. He did feel something in response to it all but it certainly wasn't an understanding or a sympathy for her plight. The flinching of his head and the grimace barely concealed by the gag in his mouth weren't out of guilt that he had exacerbated her troubles by rejecting her, nor in upset that she had suffered like he had done all because she was fearful of his reaction to the news of the child.

No, rather than feel anything of the sort, he only found himself growing more outraged by her course of actions. If she was as aware of the hurt she would inevitably be causing those back at the pack, then there truly was no justification to be had. He would have been just as furious with her had she arrived back unaware of the extent of the pain she had caused them all, caused him, but at least that was an excuse. There really was no excusing her absence if she knew that the pain she felt at having to remain away was heightened tenfold by those that remained back in the pack, not having any idea where she was or how she was.

He couldn't sympathise for her for even one second when he just recalled the nights he had wandered in the woods looking for her, or the mornings he would curl up in bed and fear that the person that should be at his side could be dead. Though she evidently had reasons for not sending so much as a letter to them, they weren't reasons he could agree with.

At least if she sent a letter explaining even in the vaguest terms that she wouldn't be returning, he could find closure and spare himself the months upon months of agony he had endured, physical as well as mental. But she hadn't. Though she had her reasoning, she had ultimately allowed him to go through that pain and he couldn't just forgive her because her voice wavered as she attempted to get her point across.

It was just a point he refused to accept and sympathise with, simply because he couldn't.

A visceral reaction was, however, shown when she referenced Leah as 'that woman', a storminess brewing behind his eyes at the disrespect he felt was shown. He could understand how difficult it might have been for her to step into camp and see his hand in some other woman's... but she also didn't have a right to be upset about it. What did she think was going to happen? That he'd spent two years waiting for her despite no word returning to him about a reappearance anytime soon? Besides, Leah had helped him much more than anyone else; she had been at his side helping him through the tough moments even when he didn't want anyone to help him. That alone demanded her more respect than the remark she was given.

In response, a warning growl quietly sounded from his throat to alert her that he didn't appreciate the disrespect towards his own girlfriend whose presence he respected and cherished. That was the only reaction she really managed to prise out of him because nonchalance to her story had remained in place before it. If he did feel anything towards the gushing over their daughter, he certainly refused to show it.

Though given the open rejection and refusal to look at her unless he absolutely had to, the likelihood of him feeling anything towards Tala was, seemingly, slim.
 
Ronan had waited a while at the window, silently furious with the response that Tate had provided. Or the lack of it, in his case. He had watched Luana torture herself with what she ought to do in the two years that had passed, watched as she scratched at her arms mindlessly while in thought until she bled. He had watched her raise her child alone, and without the help and support of a mate as one should have done, all because she had been scared to tell anyone. Scared to tell Tate for obvious reasons, and reluctant to tell any of her friends in case something got back to her mate. He had caught her on the edge of the pack boundary, multiple times, staring out to treeline that surrounded them, and listened to the messages she tried to get carriers to take to her pack.

"You're an asshole." Ronan murmured, once he was certain his alpha had fallen asleep, albeit a restless one now knowing who was in the room with them. "You're being an absolute asshole. She's been through shit too, but if you're bein' all salty cause you think she doesn't realise what she's put you through... Then maybe you should've told her before you sent her packin'." He stood, moving across to the alpha to stand in front of him with his arms folded, "It... ain't her fault that our messengers couldn't find you guys. You happened to kill our best tracker two years ago."

He glanced over his shoulder to Luana and Tala, shaking his head as he looked back, "You're pissed, we get it. But we all heard the fuckin' fight you both were havin' before shit went down. Yeah you both said some hurtful shit, but what do you expect when you tell your mate you'll look for someone else? Or that puttin' up with them is bullshit. Or forcin' them to realisin' that submittin' to you is the only way you fuckin' listen? She was your equal, you were just too fuckin' proud to admit it to yourself."

The rain continued to hammer down, the thunder having rolled it's way over the camp now but the lightening still remaining. Tala rolled over with a soft snuffle, and even in her sleep, Luana curled up around her pup to spoon her.

"An' now you're too much of a coward to accept your own daughter. An innocent party in all of this. That you helped create, but Luana is dealin' with. You're walkin' away freely after all this, to begin a clean slate with Leah. But Luana's always goin' be reminded of you. And one day I bet Tala will end up hatin' her too, when she should be hatin' you because you were the one who decided you didn't want to pull your head out of your ass to be a part of your daughter's life." He paused in his rant, nails now biting into the skin of his upper arm the angrier he became, "I'm never goin' to get that chance now... To see my daughter, to help raise her. You've got her mother offerin' you the chance to be a part of her life... An' all you can do is look at her in disgust. A toddler. What a big fuckin' man you are."

A muscle in Ronan's jaw jumped, eyes having narrowed as he spoke before he scoffed, "I hope she allows herself to move in like you did. Though I suppose it's easier when you ain't got a kid to look after. Maybe that's why you don't want to accept a kid as amazing as Tala. You ain't got the balls."
 
When Luana eventually drifted to sleep, Tate was at least certain that he could have some peace.

He could fight against the bounds tying him to the chair but he knew the effort would ultimately be futile - they were too tight to loosen or burst out of, and even if he managed to, Ronan would remain awake to notice and restrain him before any move to escape or alert his pack could be made. And so, ultimately, he knew he just had to accept his current circumstances and wait until someone came looking for him, even if that looked like it might have to be in the morning, when the three left for their own pack upon the storm's clearing.

He rested back against the chair in an effort to relax his body enough. Sleep wasn't going to happen for him (if he couldn't fall asleep in a comfortable bed beside his girlfriend, he certainly wasn't going to drift asleep when tied up to a chair) but he wanted to try and relax, clear his mind and ease his headache with the silence provided to him after Luana went asleep. After all, her yelling and emotional outpourings had had an effect on him - if only because it brought on a headache he didn't want to have to deal with. In her silence, he could work on relaxing and easing the aches and pains, that genuinely being his only focus.

Until Ronan began to speak, the alpha's eyes shooting over to him in a mixture of surprise and annoyance. He didn't want the silence broken by anything, let alone some random man he didn't even care about enough to know the name of. He hadn't bothered to know his name when he had dragged him to his pack two years ago, and he certainly didn't care to even acknowledge his presence in the room until he began to talk. Or rather, rant disrespectfully at him for his apparent cowardly actions.

If Luana hadn't managed to make any progress with Tate, then some random werewolf he considered entirely inconsequential wasn't going to either. In fact, Tate couldn't even find himself responding with anger at the insults or at the disrespect that was on offer. Gradually, as Ronan continued to enlighten him on how much of an asshole he was being, Tate became visibly more and more amused by it until, finally, low rumblings of laughter could be heard from the back of his throat, a smile widening on his face as much as the gag would allow it to.

He couldn't really take anything seriously from someone he didn't care about or even know beyond vague memories of him being tied up on the periphery of his settlement just two years prior. No words would hurt him nor allow for a realisation - all they did was amuse him and if he had the facilities to speak, he would have ridiculed Ronan in that amusement.

He wasn't going to change his mind just because some stranger told him he was a coward and an asshole. Perhaps he was, but he didn't deem his flaws as hurtful as Luana's had been - she could cry and emotionally explain her case but he didn't care to hear it when her betrayal felt too vicious to just brush aside. He despised her and, from the way Ronan was going on, he was starting to dislike him just as much.

His eyes rolled at the latter comment, a faint scoff sounding in dismissal. He could rise to anger, but what was the point? He didn't care enough about the man to even find himself growing angry - instead, his eyes lazily focused on him with a shake of his head, evidently deeming Ronan to be pathetic and not worth a second of his time or interest.
 
Ronan studied the other male werewolf, bristling slightly at the lack of reaction and the blatant disregard he had for what was said. It was there he started to think that Luana had dodged a bullet, that this mate of hers hadn't changed the way she had been hoping after all these years. He knew how much she worried about that, hoping that her putting herself through the rigours of training to be a better alpha for her pack and a better mate for Tate, just to have it all thrown back in her face. And for him to be no different.

"I bet you never even cared for her at all, did you? Perhaps she was right to leave, and to stay away from you." Ronan then mused, unfolding his arms and shoving his hands into his pockets.

It angered him how the other didn't seem to care. All Luana did was care about what Tate would think, worry about his reaction, and was nervously excited about seeing him again. And the male could barely even look at her. Or his daughter. With a final scoff and shake of his head, Ronan returned to his place at the window.

It would be another handful of hours later before anyone else spoke up. With Luana still asleep and Ronan briefly having a lapse and dozing off himself.

The little body cocooned by blankets and her mother's figure propped herself up with a series of huffs and snuffles, small hands rising to rub at her eyes which were a little puffy from the crying they were subjected to earlier. Just about to wake her mother up to tell her that she needed the toilet, the toddler went still at the sight of a new person tied up in the chair. Her head tilted as she looked on, fingers reaching out for Luana's shirt and tangling into the material.

"Who you?" Tala questioned, frowning lightly, not understanding the concept of the gag in the person's mouth. When no answer came, the toddler slowly lowered herself off the bed, sliding down the side and then tentatively making her way over.

"Who you?" She inquired again, sitting down on her bottom in front of the figure, uncertain as to if the person was asleep. "What'chu doing?"
 
The hours that passed, once Ronan had concluded his abrupt tirade against him, had been relatively peaceful for the alpha. Despite resenting the fact he was stuck in a hut with the person he despised most in the world for the hurt he had put her and his pack through, and though he was restrained in a chair and in a position that wasn't necessarily the most comfortable to spent hours in, he had gained the silence he had so craved.

Other than the whistling wind outside breaking his concentration every now and then, the alpha spent much of that time simply... thinking. The topics were varied, considering how much he had on his mind in the current circumstances.

He thought about the basics of being the leader and how to resume his duties effectively without people doubting he would be up to it.

He thought about how to assure Leah specifically that he was fine and hoped beyond hope that they could continue their relationship smoothly without this proving to be a bump in the road for them.

And inevitably, he thought about the entire situation with Luana. No matter how much he tried to see her side of things and understand that she had suffered in those two years too, forgiveness wasn't something he was willing to offer her when two whole years of pain had undeniably cut him far too deep for him to just waive aside. He doubted he could ever properly forgive her for the torment she had inadvertently put him through - after all, he hadn't delved into the details about how badly he had suffered. He could have done if he really wanted to hammer the point in; to let her realise just why he wasn't prepared to forgive her.

But he didn't see it as a relevance. She didn't get to hear about those emotional, vulnerable moments anymore. Once, she was the only person he could confide in, the only person who would get to see him in that state. Now, he refused to give her any inkling about just how bad things had been because in his eyes, she didn't deserve to.

The hours didn't bring him many conclusions - there was nothing he could do or say to stop his pack or Leah specifically worrying about him, and the only definitive answer he could draw from his dwellings regarding Luana was that he remained certain of the hatred that he felt towards her. Nothing was as certain to him as that ill-feeling towards her, unable to even hear the soft snores from her without grimacing in disgust.

Though his eyes were shut, he remained awake as he tried to at least ease the aches behind them. His appalling sleep schedule from the past was bound to kick in again and though headaches were bound to occur as a result, he wanted to try and ease them before they worsened. His efforts at relaxing were hindered at the movements from the bed, realising from the faint huffs that they belonged to Tala - as her question then proved. The idea of interacting with her made his stomach twist in some indeterminable emotion so he kept his eyes firmly shut, hoping that the young toddler would assume he was sleeping and leave him be.

But then he heard her footsteps make their way across the cold floor towards him, the sound of her taking a seat before him making him cringe - and when she proceeded to question him in that innocent, curious way that children did, he groaned under his breath in annoyance and opened his eyes. He could have remained silent and continued to feign sleep, of course, but apparently, he had acted before that thought occurred to him.

Tate didn't despise children. He had a niece and a nephew who he cherished - he was one of the first to hold Benji other than the baby's parents, and he would indulge Teddy's adventurism by regaling her with stories of his hunts and explorations in the woods. He had just never yearned to fulfil a parental role in his life because he knew he would inevitably let any child he had down with his prioritisation of his alpha role - he wouldn't be able to be hands on with them when his job would always come first; he would let them down time and time again because he valued his duties more than anything else, or so he believed.

He could be a great uncle because he wasn't their father; he had a more hands-off role that he felt suited him. A role a child of his own just wouldn't be satisfied with. He had gotten it into his head from an early age that he would never be a good father because of that dedication, and so had decided that it was simply better for his lifestyle not to bring children into the world.

And yet here was Tala, staring up at him with the same colour eyes he possessed. He had rejected her existence with cruel dismissiveness the previous day when he was at the height of his anger, with Luana's conscious presence doing little to convince him to act differently, but she was asleep and unaware of the interaction. Without her awake and irking him simply by being present, he was at least able to glance down at the child and not react adversely to her presence, for the first time really being able to take in her features and... acknowledge that she was a part of him, however much he hadn't wanted to admit it beforehand.

With some effort, he managed to spit the gag out from his mouth and, once his jaw adjusted from not having it stuck there, he offered the toddler a smile; one that was almost uncharacteristically gentle for him.

"I'm just... 'aving a rest. I got kinda scared of the storm out there so your Mumma let me stay in here with you guys," he murmured in a whisper. He could have used the moment to confuse the child and tell her that her mother had tied her up, but what was the point? He despised Luana... but he wasn't cruel enough to try and turn her own daughter against her, and nor was he heartless enough to confuse and scare an innocent child who evidently had been through enough. He might not have wanted her present in his pack the previous day... but his anger was at Luana; not a kid who had done nothing but be born.

Which was why he wasn't sure if he should just blurt out to the child that he was her father... especially not when he wasn't entirely sure he could say it aloud to himself just yet, either.

"...What's your name then, sweetheart? Tala, wasn't it? That's a nice name; sounds a lot like mine, y'know. I'm... Tate. Do you... know who I am? Has your Mumma told you anythin' about me?"
 
A soft giggle escaped her as he spat out his gag, innocently unaware of what exactly the object was. To her, the man was just being silly. Her legs, resting straight out in front of her, lightly bounced as her hands pressed against the floor either side of her thighs. "I scared too. But s'okay now. Mumma always helps. Mumma pro--pro-dects." She raised a hand, rubbing the back of it against her one eye with a small yawn, "It stopped now. So you happy again?" She asked, head tilting quizzically, as if concerned and eager to ensure he was.

"Tate... Tala..." The toddler repeated, body swaying a little to a silent beat the names created in her head. She then paused, blinking a few times, "Mumma... Mumma said I meet dada today. B-but we didn't meet dada." She looked over her shoulder to the bed, despite not being able to see her mother, and then glanced back around to Tate.

Her eyes went round and she leaned forward, whispering as if sharing a secret: "It scary. So many mad, mad people. Yellin' at Mumma." Her frown then reappeared, bottom lip pushing out in a pout, "Made Mumma cry. Don't like Mumma cryin'." She yawned again, arms raising for forearms to wipe over her face. They then flopped down, hands coming to rest in her lap as her feet knocked together.

"So who you? You... You told Mumma off too." She then giggled, despite her earlier words, "You said naughty words. Made Mumma say naughty words." She shuffled a little closer on her bum, head tilting back to look up at the stranger, "Why? Why fightin'?"
 
His determination not to say what he really wanted to say about Luana in order to spare the little girl was difficult to keep intact but Tate knew that he wasn't a bad person. Regardless how Ronan seemed to view him and no matter how Luana herself had chosen to see him after his initial rejection (though that had mostly been in anger at Luana's decision to keep it from him for two years rather than towards the toddler herself), he wasn't the sort of man who could scare or upset a two year old child with the ferocity of his anger towards Luana.

As any child should, the girl clearly adored her mother and when she had been the only parent present in her life since her birth, Tate couldn't -and wouldn't- start to belittle Luana in her presence. She, as the child, had to be spared from that, however difficult it was for him not to even visibly react in disgust. It wasn't a case of everyone just ganging up on Luana for no reason, but through the eyes of a child understandably unaware of the situation and the hurt her mother had caused (as she should be), that was probably how it had appeared.

And Tate would never be cruel enough to start telling the child that her mother wasn't innocent and had hurt a lot of people, including himself. He may feel that way, and he may hate her with every fibre of his being... but he wasn't about to confuse and hurt her daughter over it.

"...I know, I kinda did say a lot of bad words, huh? It wasn't good, I shouldn't 'ave said 'em. Don't you go repeating any of them, alright? Or your Mumma will just get mad at me," he laughed quietly as he rested his head back against the chair to take just a moment or two to consider his words as carefully as he could. The emotional strain of even talking to the girl was starting to pain him, his chest feeling tighter than ever - even if he wasn't sure whether he was just getting angry over the fact he had been out of the girl's life for two years, whether he was annoyed that he even had a child, or if it was something different entirely; the fact that he might be... enjoying the interaction more than he was willing to admit to himself.

The emotion, though undeniably present, was one he was willing to leave undiagnosed... chiefly because he wasn't sure he was ready to learn the answer to it when he had enough on his mind to deal with.

"Your Mumma an' I are old friends an' we just had a little disagreement, tha's all. It don't matter now," he eventually murmured, knowing that he was limiting the years of hurt to the incredible understatement that it was just a 'disagreement' but he couldn't tell Tala precisely what it was. No responsible adult would do such a thing.

What he ought to do was admit that he was her father, but the words wouldn't leave his mouth because admitting it aloud was a step he wasn't sure he could make.

"I'm just-- I ain't nobody interestin', just a... an old friend of your Mumma's. I... I'm sure you don't even need your Dada in your life; your Mumma's done a great job lookin' after 'ya all by herself, hm?"
 
"Mumma can't be mad. She said naughty fings too." Tala pointed out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. However, telling a toddler not to say something wasn't probably the best, as a mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes and she grinned, "Fuckin'. Dat's what you said. An' Mumma. Fuckin', fuck, fuckin'." The barely-two year old then proceeded to giggle furiously, palms pressing to her lips as if in awe at what she had said. "Naughty words. Naughty Tate. Naughty Mumma." She added through her giggles, hands clapping together.

Finally her giggles came to an end, and Tala ended up sat once more with hands in lap and socked-feet knocking together. Her eyes dropped to his arms and ankles, noting the ties but not fully understanding their purpose. However, instead of asking about them, she blinked back up to Tate through the darkness.

"Ol' friends? Mumma talked about a lot of ol' friends. But never Tay." She informed him, frowning once more. Of course Luana wouldn't refer to Tate by his name, ever speaking to her daughter about him under the title of daddy. "There was Day-Day an' Saa, an' An-ers an' GG an' Ly an' 'Ester. B-But no Tay."

Unable to say all their names in full due to still learning different sounds, the child had shortened them to words she was capable of saying, and thus providing all her aunties and uncles with nicknames.

"So are you lyin'? Cause Mumma never mentioned a Tay. An'-- an' if you lyin' then you're a stranger an'-- an' I'm not to talk to strangers. Mumma said that's dangerous." Tala then turned very serious, going as far as to fold her arms across her chest with a stern look on her little face, lips pouting and this causing her chubby cheeks to poof out more.
 
Tate had had experience when it came to children - he had been the eldest of six siblings, so he knew better than anyone that telling a child not to do something only made them inclined to disobey and proceed to do that very thing. It was an easy enough mistake to make, however, when he was understandably a little on edge, unsure how to act around the child. He didn't even want to admit that the girl was his daughter for his own reasons, but that fact was nonetheless present as he tried to interact with her.

Which meant he did find himself trying to be a little stern with her when it came to the prospect of her repeating the swear words he had let run wildly from his mouth the day before. He had a right to involve himself in Tala's life and teach her the rights and wrongs - he might be at fault for Luana deciding to stay away, but he couldn't be entirely blamed for her actions. At the end of the day, he had missed out on two whole years of a child's life through no choice of his own - and while he still found it hard to admit that the toddler in front of him was his flesh and blood, he found himself falling into a parental sort of role without even realising he had done so.

Though he did grin to himself at the girl's repetitiveness. He ought to have perhaps corrected her so Luana didn't have to deal with a rebellious toddler spouting the cusses from that day forth, but the cheeky smile on her face made it difficult for him not to reciprocate the expression on his own face, the identical grin pulling at his lips.

It did falter just slightly when she proceeded to question just who he was. The lesson not to talk to strangers was obviously a good one, but the fact his own daughter had no idea who he was made that indeterminable emotion twist back in his chest once more - only this time, he had more of an inkling what it indicated. He just didn't want to focus on it too much or he knew he would display emotions that would confuse the poor kid more than she was already.

"...Your Mumma's right, it ain't good to talk to folks 'ya don't know. But I ain't a stranger, I... what would you say if I told 'ya I was your Dada? That that was why I was a little angry at your Mumma yesterday; 'cos I only now got to meet 'ya?" He asked softly, his smile gentler as he broke the news to her. It had taken literally every ounce of emotional strength he had to admit the words aloud, and once he had done so, the pain in his chest only seemed to increase in the realisation that he had a daughter; one who he hadn't been able to even know existed until now.

However she justified it, however reasonable she thought her actions were at the beginning, there was no excuse for Luana not informing him of the fact he had a child. Even if he rejected her, even if her fears came true, he still had a fundamental right to know that he had a child out in the world. Hell, if anything, her fears about his reaction were inherently incorrect - he wasn't cruelly rejecting the child now Luana wasn't interjecting and exacerbating his anger. Alone with the girl, just the two of them, he was able to connect with her and not be the asshole that Ronan apparently thought he was.

Of course his own fears over being an awful excuse of a father remained in place for the future, but he wasn't about to just shove the girl aside and reject her over a future that wasn't a certainty; that could always change if he worked at changing it. He had never wanted children and never saw it as something he would have to contend with... but now it had, those ideas had obviously changed. He couldn't pretend that Tala didn't make his heart swell everytime she smiled at him, or deny that the idea that she was a part of him made him prouder than anything else had.

And he didn't think he could ever actually forgive Luana for denying him a chance to feel that rush of love from the very start; for not giving him a chance when Tala was in the first few weeks of her life. He had missed out on every milestone because of her and while he had proclaimed he hadn't wanted children, he hadn't even been given a chance to show that he was capable of changing his mind when confronted with proof that he was going to have one of his own; that he felt that rush of love most parents felt. He would have inevitably felt it when Tala was born - but he had to apparently live with the fact that Luana hadn't given him the chance to experience it.

"See, this is my pack, I'm kinda in charge 'round here. Your Mumma used to live here but she left an'... she only now got a chance to bring you to see me. I've... waited a while to meet 'ya, Tala. But it's worth it, huh? 'Cos you're so much cooler than I could have imagined; you take after me, I reckon," he teased lightly as he cast a glance back behind her at the bed to ensure the two werewolves were still resting - he wouldn't be able to engage with Tala this freely and open himself up like this if he thought Luana was listening in.

"...You know, I really want us to get to know each other prop'ly 'cos... Dada loves you lots, you know. I ain't great at... being like Mumma and sayin' that I love people so when I say it, I really, really mean it. An' I... I'm sorry I didn't get to see 'ya until now. I bet you were the cutest baby, huh?"
 
Tala blinked a few times at him, just as Luana did when surprised, and pressed her hands together in front of her chest, seemingly trying to compute the information he had just provided her. "You-- you Dada? Buh--But you so mad earlier. Now... Happy? Dada happy now? Mumma said be family but... But you no happy yest-day." She kept her large eyes on him, sniffling a little, "Dada no happy with Mumma. No happy with Tala neither? S-s'it 'cause Tala said naughty words? C-cause Tala's sorry. Really really sorry."

Quietly the toddler pushed herself to her feet and meandered the last few steps to his chair. Her hands reaching out to hold his knees once she got there. They patted against him softly, eyes still studying him quizzically as she tried to make sense of this news. Then Tala climbed. Pulling herself up, and huffed and puffed as a child would when climbing up something a little higher than they were used to, face marked with a frown of concentration and tongue poking at as she did.

Eventually she was kneeling in Tate's lap, happier with her new vantage point. Her hands raised to gently hold his cheeks, softly pinching and then running two fingers down his nose and then his chin. She then tangled fingers into his hair, ruffling it slightly before they swept down over either side of his face, her eyes roaming over all his features as if trying to see bits of herself in him.

"Mumma said that it dangerous to get back here. S'why we had to wait till I was a big girl to come. Cause--cause I had to ride on Mumma's back. It warm there. She's all floofy and silly." She smiled broadly at the thought of Luana's wolf form, lowering herself so she was sat in Tate's lap now instead of kneeling, "S'why we didn't come sooner. Mumma said." She repeated, yawning a little again.

Luana had slowly woken by this point and while the first initial panic had risen when she didn't feel her pup at her side, she relaxed at the sound of Tala voice at the foot at the bed so had stayed still, breathing normal, as she at first believed her daughter to be talking to Ronan. However at the sound of Tate responding, her body went cold. But then she heard what he was saying, about loving Tala, about wanting to know her properly.

Yet the mother werewolf stayed still, not daring to break the moment between father and daughter when it was exactly the kind of reunion she had dreamt of. Even if she wasn't supposed to be privy to it. So Luana remained curled up, unmoving, but chest tightening and heart squeezing at what she was listening to.

"Does-- does you? Dat why you gave us dis place?" Tala asked, hands pushing together again, "Buh-- Mumma was sent away... An' Unc Ronan. I--I still don't know how we here. C-cause no one else wanted us here. The mad people don't wanna know me. They... They scary." She then smiled again, despite her previous words and reached for his cheeks again, moving his head tenderly from side to side before stopping the motion, "Tala loves Dada too. Tala really really mean it too."
 
"Hey, that-- that's not why I was upset; I'm never gonna be upset with 'ya, okay? If I was mad, it's 'cos I... didn't agree with your Mumma on some things but I wasn't upset with you. I could never be upset at you," he reassured swiftly, a frown falling on his face at the innocent words. In that moment, he became acutely aware of how regrettable his behaviour had been yesterday - not because Luana deserved a more sympathetic response from him (he reserved the right to remain furious and hateful of her) but because a child had been present witnessing it all.

His child.

Other children in the pack had been present too, and while it still wasn't fair on them to witness the outburst of anger, they were at least in a community they knew, among faces they loved. Tala was a stranger to it all - she had walked into a pack she had no personal interaction with before and they had reacted viciously within seconds. Of course she would think that she was the cause of that, or the partial cause at least - and only now did Tate really find himself regretting how he had acted if only for the sake of the girl who had been forced to watch it all play out.

Nothing he could say could alter the past, but he was at least determined to do his best to reassure her that his quarrels lied solely with others, and not her. Because that was the truth and always had been. The initial rejection had been borne from confusion, hurt and anger, a disbelief that he had spent two years being unaware of his child's existence. Disbelief that he even had one in spite of all his years convincing himself he wouldn't ever hold that role.

But she was here now and he wasn't capable of rejecting his own flesh and blood. He had thought he would be able to but when he was in that position, looking at his own child, he realised that he couldn't; that he felt an instantaneous need to protect and care for her he hadn't felt as strongly before.

He arched a brow at the girl's sudden scrambles up his legs, wanting nothing more than to move an arm around her to ensure she didn't fall back and hurt herself. That desire to free himself took on a different aspect when she was settled in his lap, wanting to move an arm around her solely to have that father-daughter show of affection that he hadn't been able to experience until now. He did try to wriggle his wrists in that desperate attempt to loosen the ties but to no avail - to give Ronan some credit, he had done a great job at restraining him.

"The, uh... the mad people won't go yellin' if I tell 'em not to. And they'll love to get to know you, I promise. They... They never thought I'd have a daughter, see, so that sort of makes you extra special an' they'll be lookin' forward to meeting you prop'ly over breakfast. It's just your Mumma we were a bit angry at but... this is your home too, okay? You're always welcome here--" He began in that effort of reassurance, her words only causing that pain in his chest to tighten in a mixture of guilt and continued upset that he had a part in causing the girl to feel the way she did.

He only paused when she took his cheeks again and murmured her love for him, that confession causing his eyes to tear up unexpectedly - and when he didn't have his hands to fiercely wipe the tears away, he groaned to himself when feeling the droplets fall onto his cheeks. Despite that, he smiled quietly at the girl, tilting his head just a little to wipe his face on his shoulder as best as he could in his awkward position.

"I love 'ya too - an' hey, 'cos you'll be staying a few days, you'll get to meet your cousins an' see all those uncles and aunties your Mumma told you about. I know they'll all be eager to meet 'ya."
 
Immediately concerned at the sight of the tears, Tala was quick to remove her hands from his cheeks and wipe the droplets away that he couldn't reach. "No cry. No cry Dada, please. Mumma said you the toughest and da strongest. Tala didn't mean to make Dada cry." The toddler rapidly apologised, wiping her hands. In her shirt once she had gotten all the tears she could see. She provided a small smile, sitting back on his lap and rubbing her hands together gently, watching him as if to ensure no more tears dropped without her catching them first.

When satisfied, she breathed out a little huffed sigh and wiped the back of her forearm and hand over her forehead, "Phew. Dada no cry anymore." She wobbled as she stood on his thighs and pressed her lips against his forehead as Luana had done to her before. "Kisses make it all better." She told him as a matter of fact, giggling lightly again as she plonked down again.

With a yawn, she frowned as she thought back to what he had said about the scary people, head tilting, "With... With Mumma? Cause... Cause you told Mumma to go. Every people told Mumma to go. I-- I not stay without Mumma." She answered, voice small at the idea of being somewhere new and strange with people who yelled at (seemingly) her without the two people she knew. "I--I wanna meet them all buh-but not without Mumma and Unc Ro." She hesitated then, as if her worries would make Tate rescind his offer of her staying a few days. She looked up at him, eyes wide with that anxiety pooled within them.

Luana meanwhile held her breath without realising, suddenly terrified that his words meant he would try and take Tala away from her to keep at the pack. She didn't expect the offer to extend to her and Ronan, but hated the idea of taking Tala away after she had just learned the truth. Which she was slightly infuriated by for not being there to help with breaking the news or helping the child transition into suddenly having a father. But she supposed she didn't have a right to voice those thoughts, not with what Tate would have been through.
 
Tate knew that he couldn't offer Tala a chance to stay for a while without there being the expectation of her mother staying with her. She might be his daughter and he had every right to spend time with her but the likelihood of her feeling comfortable to do so without Luana was, currently, rather slim. After all, as regrettable as the situation was, he was just a stranger to her at the moment, as was his entire pack - and the only impression she had of them was them angry and seething, shouting for Luana to leave before she even had a chance to really explain herself to them all.

Anyone would feel uncomfortable contemplating staying around people that had acted in such a way, let alone a mere child who had probably found the situation scarier and more unsettling than an adult would.

But he wouldn't have brought the invitation up if he didn't know of the caveat that would accompany his daughter's agreement. He hoped that in the future, after trust and familiarity had built up, he would be able to have her spend a few nights in his pack without accompaniment from Luana because he really didn't want the woman around him for longer than was necessary. Ultimately, she was always going to be a part of his life now, he couldn't just cut her out, and he was willing to be mature about their situation for Tala's sake... but that didn't mean he was ready to welcome her back with open arms.

He was never going to be ready to do that but he knew the least they could do was co-parent... and until they were in a position where that trust had been developed and Tala was comfortable staying without her Mumma present, he had to just abide Luana's presence. Not company, because he wasn't prepared to sit at her side and pretend to get along with her, but he decided he could at least make a sacrifice for Tala and endure Luana's presence a few days longer - just so he had some time to get to know his infant daughter a bit more.

"Your Mumma can stay in this hut; she won't be leaving 'ya alone. I know that. She can stay here with your Uncle Ro an'... she'll be here until you gotta go back to your other home, okay? How does that sound?" He smiled as he eased back against the chair as gently and as carefully as he could manage, not wanting to make any movements that would throw the girl off balance given there was nothing he could do to reach out and save her from falling.

It was why he quickly reassured Tala with urgent and gentle whispers not to worry when the backdoor to the hut creaked open to reveal Daisy. Her arrival only confirmed to him that she had gone behind his back to help Luana out, and while he wanted to be furious with her for the betrayal... he won't be talking to and bonding with his daughter had she not made it.

"...Holy c-crap, what-- Tate?" she blurted at the sight of her brother tied to the chair, that confusion compounding at the little girl settled comfortable in his lap. "I-- uh--"

"It doesn't really need explaining, does it? Kinda obvious what happened, Dase," the alpha murmured humorously as he gestured with his head to the binds around his wrists and ankles. "Can you-- lend me a hand with these?-- Don't look like that, I ain't gonna do anythin'. I'd have yelled for help by now if I wanted to alert the pack, yeah? Just help--"

"I-- dunno, Luana would-- she might get mad if I just untied 'ya. With good reason, you've been a right dickhead," the sister muttered, cursing herself inwardly for the swear when she once again acknowledged Tala, smiling to her niece quickly. "You're up early, ain't 'ya? Can you maybe go and wake your Mumma up for me? I'm sure she'd rather you wake her up than me."
 
"I'm already awake. No need to send in the cavalry." Luana exhaled, reluctantly rolling over and sitting up as Tala was mid-giggle at the new cussword that had just been uttered. The toddler was quick to scamper off Tate's lap and go back to her mother's side, with Luana helping the toddler up onto the bed and holding her close as Tala buried herself close. "I met Dada. He-- he said you let him stay cause he scared of the storm too." Luana looked up at Tate, studying him carefully, "Yeah... Somethin' like that baby girl."

After a moment or two of watching Tate, with something akin to suspicion in her eyes, Luana pulled her gaze across to Daisy and breathed out a heavy sigh, "Just untie him... Like he said, if he'd want to make a fuss he'd've done so by now." Reaching for the pillow behind her, she threw it across the room to hit Roman, who startled awake. Tala shrieked with laughter at her Uncle's reaction, hands clapping together with amusement. "Some sentry you were." She raised an eyebrow and the male looked across, immediately becoming sheepish at the sight of Tate's gag no longer being in place.

"Why... Why don't you help Auntie Day untie daddy? I think she could use your help." Luana then encouraged Tala who nodded furiously, soon scooting off the bed once more. The two year old was soon back in front of her father, tongue poking out in concentration as she began to pick at the knots.

Luana raised her gaze back to Tate, the soft expression saved for Tala hardening slightly. "Why are you offerin' to let us stay? You know the pack don't want neither me or Ronan around. But I ain't goin' anywhere without my pup. Is this your way of just-- just gettin' back at me? Makin' me live with a bunch of people who I know hate me just cause of somethin' I did without realisin'?"
 
The way Luana stirred from the bed did cause a seed of suspicion to grow in Tate's mind as he watched the woman ease herself up from the laid-out position. He had watched her awake at his side before so he knew without a doubt that she had been awake for longer than she was pretending to; that she had overheard his interaction with their daughter but had chosen to feign sleep in order to allow it to continue.

Though grateful for that, he couldn't help but grow a little irritated - if only because he knew that he had been open with Tala and he didn't think that Luana deserved to witness that vulnerability from him. Even if she had her back turned and hadn't visibly witnessed the breaking emotion on his face, she had still listened in as his voice wavered and as Tala instructed him not to cry. The idea that she had been aware of every second of it caused his stomach to churn in discomfort, though he could hardly call her out on it when he wanted to spare Tala from having to witness any acrimoniousness between them.

Which was why his own expression hardened at Luana's questions. He wasn't about to be hypocritical in telling her to be aware of Tala's presence after his vocal outburst the previous day, but it was precisely because of that that he wanted to avoid a repeat of it now. He knew how awful it felt to have to come to terms with the fact he had scared and intimidated his own daughter, so he wanted to spare Luana that feeling if her emotions did get out of control in the cosiness of the hut.

At the very least, he wanted to just spare Tala the sight of her two parents at one another's necks again. He had promised her that everything was going to be okay, that this was a fresh start, and he had every intention of honouring those words.

"How about recognisin' the fact I wanna be in Tala's life? I mean, let's not pretend you ain't just overheard all this, Clar. I ain't gonna pretend that I don't wanna be a part of her life when she's my own daughter, an' she isn't gonna be comfortable without you bein' here. It's all for her, a'ight? I get that you distrust me or whatever, but-- I never knew I'd feel like this about a kid. But I do. I... love her, she's my daughter," he emphasised quietly, managing to keep his voice calm without any note of disgust or anger that had dominated it the previous day. For his daughter's sake, he was willing to have a conversation that lacked animosity... even if the sharp glare in his eyes spoke differently. He didn't want to give the impression that he was going to forgive Luana, that he had seen her side and was prepared to move on from it all and start afresh.

He despised her, but he was willing to endure her presence just for their daughter.

"You can go at the end of the week an' we can figure out a schedule or somethin'; co-parent. I wanna be in her life an' I'm goin' to be. But I ain't gonna demand she stays here without 'ya. Not until she's familiar with me. Until then, I... I'm willing to make sacrifices," he continued as he rubbed his sore wrists once they were freed from the ties, reaching out immediately to ruffle Tala's hair with a teasing smile. "So we have a few days to spend together, 'kay Tala? Your Mumma can stay right here until you guys go back home, she ain't going nowhere until then, sweetheart."
 
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