A Wolf Among The Sheep

"Oh, so you wanna know her today." Luana couldn't help but mutter sarcastically as her gaze dropped down to rest on Tala, who had plopped down to play with some of the strands of clothing that had been used to tie her father up. Ronan quietly moved through the gap between the two to pick the toddler up, carrying her to the spare bed to sit on there with her and distract her as he could feel the tension building once more. "You're right, after yesterday, I don't trust you. I don't trust that you won't decide tomorrow you actually want no part in her life."

Of course Luana had hoped he would react like this. But she had wanted this reaction yesterday. Instead she had watched her former partner react with his anger toward her, allowing it to influence his reaction to his own child. So naturally she would respond with disbelief and lack of trust. She already had to deal with her own hurt and loss, she didn't want Tala to ever feel as she did because Tate decided he didn't want her now too.

Luana certainly didn't appreciate the look in his eye too, her body bristling and the woman having to swallow back a growl in warning. She didn't know what else she could do. She had apologised, over and over. She had explained her side of it, desperately tried to show how what she had done was with the best intentions for his daughter. For their daughter. Yet still she was the villain. And it confused her, it devastated her.

And thus a muscle in her jaw had jumped when Tate had ruffled Tala's hair before Ronan had moved her. Perhaps his change of heart should have pleased Luana, but with the strength of the rejection yesterday, she didn't really want to give him a second chance. He wasn't giving her that opportunity, so why did he deserve one?

"How noble of you," she rolled her eyes at his use of the word sacrifices, uncaring now as to what he was willing to do for their daughter considering he didn't hold much concern for what she did in order to protect and love their daughter. "I'm sure she'll remember this in years to come." She pushed herself out of the bed, wincing at the stiffness in muscles which had been tense all night. Luana took herself over to the jug of water Daisy had provided last night, pouring herself a glass and downing it in a few gulps while keeping her back to the group.

Tala meanwhile looked up from the knots Ronan had helped create, smiling broadly as she put them down and crawled to the foot of the bed, "So food? Hungry now, very hungry." She questioned, looking expectantly between all the adults to see who would comply first. Luana turned, instantly losing the hardened expression that was due to Tate's behaviour and smiled warmly as she approached her pup. "Course baby girl. Can't let you go hungry now, can we?" She then grinned, scooping the toddler up suddenly to tickle her sides, earning herself a shriek of delight and then a chorus of giggles.
 
"You aren't sittin' out there around the pack, that ain't happenin'. I'll have Daisy bring food in for you guys. Unless you wanna take a stroll out there and have 'em all snarl at 'ya again, Clar?" The alpha muttered in response as he folded his arms, his own frown deepening at not just the display he was made to witness, but the reminder of what his former partner had said; the considerable lack of acceptance that he could -and would- be a dedicated father.

Not that he could overlook how easy it was to distrust him when the breakup of their relationship had initially been, in part, due to his reluctance to make a sacrifice and have a child with her. It had been why the animosity between them both had settled in; a motivation behind her decision to leave and spent months with her parents to cool off and acclimatise to the knowledge that her mate wasn't ever prepared to willingly bring a child into the world with her.

So of course he wasn't oblivious to how abrupt the change in him might appear, and thus, how easily swayed his mind was. How was she to know that he wouldn't just change his mind? She didn't - but there was no way he could convince her of his dedication other than to show her of it through his actions.

Because however much he had despised the idea of a child before, through his own fears and insecurities, nothing could have ever prepared him for the rush of love he felt for Tala. Had he greeted her as a newborn, had Luana just made that journey and taken that risk, he would have been able to spend two years in her life and proved to Luana throughout that time that he had done himself a disservice by assuming he could never be a good father. It wasn't even something he could find the energy to be angry about that things hadn't played out that way; it was just disappointing.

"There's only so much I can handle an' having you out there with us all ain't one of 'em. I'm doin' my goddamn hardest right now to be fuc-- to be civil with 'ya. Mature. But I can't have you out with us, that's not happenin'. You still--" He stopped himself before he could finish the sentence, reminding himself that admitting aloud that Luana wasn't welcome to sit with them and rebuild broken bridges between old friends would only upset Tala further - and he couldn't risk seeing her upset for the second time that morning, not without that pain in his chest tightening discomfortingly.

Besides, he figured he didn't need to say the words aloud for Luana to understand that his anger still remained; that the pack would undeniably feel the same way towards her, despite probably softening towards Tala considering she was the only innocent party in all of this.

"It'll give me time to explain to 'em the situation, anyway. You being there is only gonna complicate things so-- you stay here an' Daisy will bring food in for you--"

"It-- It might be for the best," admitted Daisy apologetically, wanting nothing more than to share a breakfast beside the fireplace like old times - but she highly doubted things could return to that place of normalcy. As much as she yearned for it, a shift had evidently occurred, from which she saw no way back. Tate might have accepted his daughter and she had no doubt he would do a good job (the determination in his eyes made her smile proudly to herself) but that change of heart probably wouldn't be offered to Luana - and the pack, as hurt as they were, would probably fail to offer it too.

"I don't want you going through all that tension again but I'll bring the food and water and-- you can take the back path out the hut to the lake to wash if you don't wanna bump into anyone from the pack. I'll fetch you towels in that case."
 
Luana looked between Daisy and Tate, disbelief clear within her eyes as Tala wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and settled her head on her shoulder. After a moment of heavy silence, the young woman laughed dryly, eyebrow raising, "You seriously think that I'd let her go out there alone without me? You'd think I'd watch through the window while them lot sneer and watch on with disgust?" She asked, hand rubbing at the toddler's back. "Not a chance. I ain't havin' you explain any situation with her there. I made that mistake once. They rejected her because they followed your lead, Tate. I ain't about to wait and see, from a distance, if they do it again."

The protective, mothering instinct was too strong for her to ignore and she even took a step back from them, even Ronan. Luana had meant what she said yesterday when Sasha came and found her. She would kill whoever dared to lay a finger on her pup. She also couldn't promise to behave if any of them dared to insult her child, much less snarl or growl at them.

"We'll all stay here until you're done explainin' the situation. I ain't about to put her through the same thing twice. You tellin' them I'm here is goin' to cause a reaction she don't need to see again." There was no budging from Luana on this, her eyes flaring as she struggled inwardly against the wolf that was ready to defend her and her pup. "We'll all eat in here for now. Ain't a chance you are takin' her out there. I-- I can't--"

Exhaling as she fought to control her wolf and her emotions, she looked down at Tala and partially turned away as the toddler looked up at her. A hand raised to pat her mother's cheek, smiling quietly, "Mumma need breathe." Tala told her, "Just breathe, Mumma." Luana smiled quietly, hand reaching up to cover the back Tala's head as she bent to kiss the top of the pup's head. She took in a breathe of the familiar toddler scent, taking a moment to collect herself.

"I'm... Sorry." Luana forced out the apology, reluctantly turning back to the group, "Bu-but I'm not budging on this. If I see so much as a tooth being shown at her I won't be able to control myself. I-I ain't about to let you take her out there alone."
 
"...You know you're really being way too fuckin' quick to react, right? An' that's coming from me so I know what I'm talkin' about. I never said I was gonna take her out there with me, Clar. When did I mention that, huh? I said you all stay in the hut; that sorta includes Tala. Don't you think I'd love to take her out there an' have breakfast with her? Course I would - but you're really doing me a huge fuckin' disservice by thinking I'd just subject her to-- god knows what. I did it once and it fuckin' hurt to hear her upset over it so I ain't about to do it again. The fact you think I would-- I would willingly just drag her out there into the goddamn unknown--"

He paused to collect himself before his voice could tip the edge into anger. He had managed to keep himself together enough to sound calm, despite being anything but that, but there was only so much he could say before the inevitable anger rose in him and threatened to spill out over onto his expression and sound in his tone. And though he had a hell of a lot more he wanted to say to the other, he knew he couldn't risk shouting or even sounding pissed off when Tala was present.

He had hurt her once by reacting so angrily without taking into account her presence, so like hell would he make that mistake twice in a row. Yet, Luana clearly believed he would; she was so quick to assume that he would willingly put Tala in a potential repeat of yesterday's situation, around a pack who had proven to be so angry and hurt that they scared a young child unnecessarily, that it genuinely caught Tate by surprise.

He hadn't realised that she thought that low of him to assume he would risk his child's own comfort for the sake of having breakfast at her side. If everything went well, he would share hundreds more with her - so he was more than happy to sacrifice this one if it meant she was happy and comfortable in the hut away from a pack who had only succeeded in terrifying her thus far.

And so, Luana's lowly judgement of him genuinely hurt, though he was hardly going to let her see that. He hardened his expression deliberately so he could avoid her getting even a glimpse of that hurt and offence he felt at her remarks, instead cracking his shoulders back with a grimace at the aches and pains riddled through his body after an uncomfortable few hours tied to a chair against his will.

"Nice to know what you think of me, though. That I'd be capable of puttin' a child in an uncomfortable situation, knowingly. We both know I reacted the way I did yesterday 'cos I was too angry to see sense; it happens. The fact you'd think I would, with a clear head and newfound calmness, put her out there to be judged and put on the spot an'-- whatever. I ain't gettin' into this with 'ya, it ain't worth it," he relented, shaking off the residual tension (physical as well as emotional) before peering down at his daughter with a softer smile. "I'll see 'ya after breakfast, alright? I'll stop by an' maybe you can meet your cousins then. Sound good?"
 
"Hurts, doesn't it? Someone reacting without getting all the facts first or doesn't listen properly." The words slipped out, but Luana didn't regret them as she kept her gaze trained on him, "I don't know what you were thinkin', Tate, an' to be honest, I ain't goin' to bother tryin'. I couldn't figure it out before I left... An' I certainly ain't goin' to have a clue now."

It would have been remarkable if her opinion of him didn't change after everything that had happened yesterday. In her mind, he was still her Tate. Yesterday she had thought that he would still be her strong, brave, and loving mate. But instead, in his place, was a man who detested her. Who had moved on and had spoken with hatred in front of their daughter, who she had only wanted him to meet. Luana could pretend she wasn't hurt by his reaction, that she wasn't devastated or felt betrayed. But she knew that wasn't the truth.

She knew that seeing him and Leah together would not only anger her deep down, but also rip at that bond that had pulled them together in the first place. That apparently sacred mate bond that only two werewolves shared, that was supposed to pull two pieces of a puzzle together to make them one whole person.

However, Luana knew that, at least for this week, she would simply have to keep her head down and bite her tongue. Allow the abuse that would inevitably come her way to simply fall onto her skin. While it wouldn't leave physical wounds, she knew it would burn, it would corrode and begin to make her doubt. Doubt her skills as a mother, and eventually as an alpha, and even a person. She didn't want to live in such a toxic situation, even if only for a week. But she would have to. For Tala.

Luana lowered her gaze back down to her daughter, biting back harsh comments about how he never wanted to get into things with her, and that's why they were they were at today. Because he never wanted to talk things through, never wanted to get it all off his chest so they could move on. She held all that back. All of her own rage and her own feelings of injustice and cruelty.

Tala looked up to Tate, "Are they da shout ones? Buh-because I-I don't want no shouty meanies. If they-- if they not nice then I-I don't wanna meet them. You-you can't be friends with no'nice peoples." Tala explained, head lifting from her mother's shoulder but fingers still gripping her shirt just above Luana's collarbone, "The mad people... Will they know now? I-I don't want no one else mad now. Okay? Okay, dada? No more mad people."
 
The biting remark wasn't at all subtle and though he knew that it was a valid point to make and she had every right to air her grievances with him (he just didn't see himself ever acknowledging them), now was hardly the time to play petty games and score points against one another. He was incredibly guilty of it in both the past and present, but it was because of that awareness that made him realise just how unnecessary such behaviour was. He wasn't about to try and gain the upperhand or adopt a sense of moral superiority when he knew without a doubt that he was no angel and had behaved appallingly (again, both in the past and in the present) but he at least wanted her to listen to him now.

To avoid making remarks in front of Tala that could lead to an argument. Her words had inevitably irked him and he had a biting repost to hiss out... but he prevented the urge, merely nodding in acknowledgement so she knew he had heard her and settled his eyes back on Tala, more than happy for the girl to take up all of his attention, rather than using it to rebuttal Luana's words and encourage another bitter war of words to erupt.

He didn't want to talk to his former partner more than he had to, and when he was forced to speak with her (they had a child so it was obvious that he would have to interact with her despite not wanting to) he at least preferred for it to be somewhat civil. Even if Tala wasn't present during their discussions, he had no doubt that she would pick up on visible tension and discomfort - and he was determined to fake being okay with Luana in Tala's presence just to keep her from fretting about a repeat of yesterday's events.

"No one else is gonna be mad, I promise 'ya. I'm okay with your Mumma; we had a little argument because I acted silly but we're okay now, we're friends," he encouraged with a growing smile, one that easily reached his eyes when he looked at his daughter but unsubtly faded upon peering over at Luana. He could smile at her and fake that enough to fool a toddler, but he couldn't manage to make it look authentic; not when it felt unnatural to share any positive emotion with her these days.

"Your cousins are... kinda loud but not in a mean way. Your cousin Benji is just a lil' baby so he cries sometimes, and Teddy is just a year older than you so you'll have lots in common; she's gonna be real excited to meet 'ya, even if she's a chatterbox. Don't be afraid to tell her to be quiet if she chatters too much," he teased, the smile only fondly growing at the mention of his niece and the idea of her and Tala getting to know one another and forming a connection as cousins ought to.

"I won't be gone too long, an' when I come back, your uncle Gio and aunt Sasha can come meet you, with your cousin. I... just have to go and sort some stuff out first, but I promise I won't be long."

With a quiet nod, he took one glance back at Tala before taking his leave, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair again just to avoid irking Luana - he didn't want to restrict himself from showing his own daughter affection, but he was willing to ease off just for the sake of keeping the peace around her. In his absence, Daisy awkwardly set the chair back by the table and hesitated, briefly, before opting to speak.

"...Are you alright? That was... unexpected. I guess that's the best word for it. But-- it's good you get to stay a little while longer. Maybe I'm being selfish, but I'm glad you're here, Lu. An' I'm extra glad I get to spend some time with this little one," she cooed as she let her eyes drift to Tala, shaking her head to herself in amusement. "Gah, you're just the cutest little thing, ain't 'ya?"
 
IT was undeniably a relief when Tate finally left. Now that Luana was well aware that there was no hope, no chance, of things returning to how they were before, she wasn't sure how to proceed. The hostility on display was unrivalled to anything she had ever experienced before, even when she first arrived at the pack. Things were never this bad, even with her blatant displays of rebellion and disrespect.

A hard exhale escaped her once the door closed behind him, and the young woman gently pressed her nose into the top of Tala's head to take in another deep breath of the familiar scent of her pup. The toddler soon began to squirm, and Luanda followed the request to let her down.

"Yeah well... let's not get too comfortable with me being here. He's still as bipolar as I remember him bein' when in a huff." She murmured simply, trying not to get too worked up herself over the matter. She gently pinched the bridge of her nose, and then moved her fingers up to rub between her eyebrows as her own headache began to form.

She longed to know what had happened to make everything change in the past two years. Of course her extended period of time away was the catalyst but what had happened to make everyone hate her so much? Luanda had been certain that people would understand her decision to stay away once they saw and met Tala, even if they didn't know how badly she and Tate had fought having children.

She thought she had done everything right in that regard. It would have been too dangerous to travel back while heavily pregnant and the same again with a newborn. The journey was not a walkable one, and had to be made in wolf form. Tala had to be the age she was now for Luana to return... not to mention, how could she have thought to have invited Tate to the pack she was with given his negative and aggressive reaction to them?

Luana smiled quietly as Tala made her way across to Daisy, looking up at her with a curiosity to her eye. "You... Auntie Day-Day?" The two-year old inquired boldly, "You... Mumma's friend too... Mumma told... lots about Auntie Day-Day."
 
Daisy was beyond grateful that the topic of why everyone seemed to resent Luana so deeply had yet to be broached. Though she knew that she would have to get into the details of their resentment at some point, it wasn't a conversation she was remotely looking forward to, for a variety of reasons. Just speaking about something so personal to Tate behind his back made her feel uneasy, but he was hardly prepared to divulge any information regarding the toughest point in his life to Luana and so if she asked, Daisy knew she had little choice but to tell her because she more than deserved to understand why the hatred of her was so intense.

But it didn't make it an easy conversation to have with her. It had affected Daisy deeply to witness her brother withdraw within himself and take actions to himself that she would have thought unthinkable before Luana's absence, so reliving it all again after he had finally got to a good place in his life wasn't helpful, to anyone. However vital it was for Luana to understand if she approached the matter with Daisy.

Until that inevitable point, Daisy was grateful not to have to go over it and instead happy to enjoy things as they currently were. There was undeniable tension that would remain present between the current and the former alpha, and she doubted it would be alleviated anytime soon, but she could overlook it if she tried, determined to do so and focus on the fact she had Luana in her life and a new niece she could get to know and bond with.

It was easier to focus on the positives, and much better for her, than to dwell on any difficult conversations that she would inevitably have to turn her attention onto at some point. Until then, Tala proved a good distraction as she glanced back down at her, her heart almost bursting at how cute the little girl was.

"Day-Day? Oh, yeah, that's me. I hope your Mumma only told you nice stuff about me, and not all the stories about how mad she would get at me when I borrowed her clothes?" Daisy snorted as she shot a glance back at Luana, the memory of the happier times in the pack making her smile. There was a melancholic sadness to recall times when things were simpler and peaceful, but things had ultimately worked out the way they had to - or Tala wouldn't be alive.

"Maybe you and your Mumma can help me pick some berries and herbs out in the woods some time? And you can even help me crush 'em all up, I need someone strong to help me and you seem like you're a real tough cookie, huh? You get that from your Mumma, I bet~"
 
"Stubborn too, just like the both of us." Luana murmured quietly, eyes latching on to Tala and watching as the toddler pulled herself up onto the bed nearest Daisy to sit at the foot of it. The labour and birth of Tala hadn't exactly been an easy or quick affair. It had taken hours, with Luana ending up a sweaty and teary mess in her bed. It had been a pain she hadn't ever experienced before, and at one point she feared she lacked the strength to even bring her child into the world. The whole experience had lasted twelve and a half hours. She used to think back on it with a small smile, often joked about how Tala was stubborn and didn't want to be born. Her mother, Meredith, would comment that it was warm where she was and that it was because the baby didn't want to come out into an autumn chill.

Now, in front of Daisy and back within a pack that didn't want to know her, she remembered how she longed for Daisy to be there with the right herbs - of course her parents' pack healers knew what they were doing, but they weren't Daisy. She recalled how she had desperately wanted Anders to hold onto. She felt the ghostly stings of the tears on her cheeks that fell for Tate, and how badly she knew she needed her mate to be there.

Yet now that was tinged too, with the thoughts of him being back at the pack, probably already with Leah. Those thoughts turned into more torturous images and scenarios and Luana was forced to turn her back. She poured herself a second glass of water, squeezing her eyes closed as she gulped down the liquid as if it would help drown the traitorous thoughts in her mind.

Ronan watched Luana silently, sat at the top of the bed that Tala had chosen to climb to be closer to Daisy. He had been outside the hut that Luana had been giving birth in on the day. Both out of loyalty to the one that helped free him and help keep his and Anders' secret just that, and also because he knew it would have been what Anders would have wanted. His eyebrows knitted together in concern, uncertain as to what his friend was thinking or even going through in that moment. However he could tell it was something that was paining her, as when she lowered her glass, the one hand rose to begin scratching the top of her forearm in that nasty habit she had developed again.

"Nice stuff," Tala nodded in agreement, smiling broadly after getting confirmation that the woman before her was in fact her Auntie Day-Day. "You helped Mumma with her Nasties." The toddler then summarised, 'Nasties' being the word Luana used for cuts and bruises, or wounds she may have gotten while training. "Mumma never mad, never mad at-- I'm strong! Really, really strong."

Luana turned back around with the beginnings of a smile at Tala's reaction, shaking her head in amusement. She was quick to dab at her eyes, which had started to water, before she moved to join her pup on the bed. "Maybe you... you can take her out picking the herbs an' berries once Tate's made the announcement. It-- It might be better for Ronan an' I to stay in here as often as we can," she murmured to Daisy, reaching out to stroke the back of Tala's head as the child began fussing and playing with Luana's other hand, "I-- I trust you, to look out for her."

She lowered her gaze onto Tala for a moment, struggling with if she ought to say what she wanted to next. In the end, her heart won out, but her eyes remained downcast. "I'm... I ain't tellin' you this to win brownie points or nothin'," she fidgeted on the bed, "But uh... I-- I named you as one of Tala's... one of Tala's godparents... should anythin' happen, y'know... goin' forward. I-- I just figured you ought to know... I wouldn't want ya to think I've kept anythin' else from ya now... now I know how badly everythin' else has gone."
 
Daisy had been occupied in that moment with Tala, the sight of her boasting proudly of her strength reminding her so much of Tate that she had to spend a second or two collecting herself. She was eager to respond to her and encourage that confidence by giving her a little task to do, though inevitably, Luana's admission stopped the younger woman in her tracks, her eyes widening in the attempt to come to terms with the news.

"You... named me as a godparent? Lu, you-- you're serious? You did that?" She whispered, mostly out of shock as she stood straight and forced her mouth to shut, it having dropped open in the surprise at the confession. She had hoped that, since meeting Tala, the little girl would have been told about her over the course of her young life; reminded that she had an auntie who would love her instantaneously, which Daisy obviously did. To then be told that Luana had gone a step further and actually named her as a godparent was... something Daisy couldn't have imagined nor been able to predict.

And so, once the news eventually settled in, she wiped her teary eyes with the back of her hand, laughing to herself at the amount of times she had cried in such a short period. Of course, the happiness did dim a little at the realisation that the confession came as part of a decision to be as open and as honest as Luana could be; to make sure no secrets remained between them.

And it only confounded the guilt Daisy already felt at having neglected to do the same when it came to the specific details; reasons why the pack had chosen to hate her as vehemently as they did. It felt wrong to disrupt the content mood settling over the hut but how could she proceed a minute further with Luana without making her fully aware of everything she had missed, however dark and unsettling that might be? She had a right to know what had happened in her absence, even if just thinking about admitting it all made Daisy's stomach churn uncomfortably.

"...Hey, if you're such a big, tough girl, d'ya wanna put all those cushions back on the bed with your Uncle? The cushions look all soft but they're pretty heavy; it'll take someone super strong to put 'em back up on the bed," she murmured softly to Tala, nodding across to the bed in the hope of distracting her with the responsibility. Only then did she turn back towards Luana, her smile now having completely drifted in favour of the uncomfortable frown, her hand raising to her mouth as she nibbled anxiously on the edge of her thumbnail; a habit she had long abandoned but felt inclined to take up again to deal with the nerves.

"You're-- being honest an' I don't wanna... I don't want you to hear about this later on an' realise I didn't tell you when I should; you want to know why they hate you and I... guess I know of the reason, b-but-- you really have to promise not to tell anyone I told you. 'Specially not Tate. H-He'll-- never forgive me if I told you," she grimaced, her eyes wide and imploring as they peered anxiously back across to her friend, taking a further moment to relax herself before speaking again.

"When I say he was in a bad way, Lu, I... I ain't exaggerating. He was-- terrible. He lost a lot of weight 'cos he didn't eat a whole lot and he would just... lay in bed all day, not even sleeping. Wouldn't talk to any of us-- an' I ain't saying this to make you feel bad 'cos you shouldn't feel guilty, you-- you did the right thing by focusing on Tala, you couldn't have done anything differently s-so don't feel guilty," she stated as strongly as she could, knowing that the demand had to be made before she continued.

"...We found him one day out in the woods, passed out in his own vomit. He-- ingested bella bonna-- deadly nightshade. He-- took what he thought would ki--" She paused again, unable to complete the sentence when doing so would have returned her back to that moment, knowing precisely what her brother had intended but -fortunately- failed to do. "Leah a-and I, we... we managed to find the flowers that-- formed part of the antidote so he was okay, in time, but-- that whole e-experience, he was so sick for a good couple a weeks... it... it cemented the hatred towards you, I guess. Not that it's y-your fault, it isn't. What happened-- it's-- the pack just needed a reason to justify what Tate did, to make it make sense, an' you were an easy target."
 
The news landed like a punch to the stomach, and it sent Luana reeling. Her mate had attempted to... to commit suicide because she had left and hadn't sent a message in communication. He had tried to take his own life because she had made him so miserable. No matter what Daisy said, all the reassuring that Luana had done the right thing in looking out for Tala and putting her pup first... nothing could ever sway the guilt that now overwhelmed the other young woman.

A dizziness made her vision swim as she attempted to process the information she had just been given, face paling as she finally leaned forward and pressed her face into her hands. She had never expected Tate to have sunk as low as Daisy described, having truly thought that most his words spoken in their final arguments were true. If only because of her own lack of self-worth and disbelief in her abilities.

She had never told him that she believed she wasn't good enough to be his mate, that she thought she wasn't strong enough to be the alpha the pack needed her to be. Luana never confided in him that she had doubts over whether she was the right person for both him and the pack. All because she hadn't been raised as a werewolf, and thus didn't see herself as capable to be who they all needed her to be.

It's why she pushed herself so hard during her training with her parents. It was why she would keep battling in practice fights until she was knocked out or was too weak to continue. How she would keep running on twisted ankles or force herself to breathe through broken ribs so she would be stronger by the end of it. For Tate. And for the pack.

Yet all while she was doing that... her mate was attempting to kill himself.

"I-- I can't-- I can't be here." Luana abruptly stood, voice strained, breathing irregular. "I-- I can't be here, knowin' that I-- I caused him to do that." She walked away from the bed, reaching the back window and fingers scrambling to try and push it up. Her chest felt tight, body warm. A self-hatred was seething within, mostly from that innate part of her which hated the human side for causing their mate to feel such a way. "Is-- Issit me or issit warm in here?"

Luana didn't see Ronan approach with a cool glass of water, or notice him push the chair behind her so she could sink back to sit in it. Her friend then quietly unlatched the window to push it open, watching Luana carefully.

Tala, meanwhile, crawled back across to Daisy and nuzzled into her from behind. Her little chin rested on her auntie's shoulder but her eyes fell onto her mother, "Mumma okay. Mumma does this sometimes." She told Daisy, as if it were a regular occurrence, patting the back of Daisy's head as if to reassure the other young woman that all was well and fine.

Luana put the glass of water down, in an attempt to hide the shaking that had appeared in her hands and swallowed hard against bile that threatened to rise. "No-- no wonder he hates me. No wonder they all hate me. That was my fault, Dase... no matter how you try to swing it. I-- I just never... I didn't think... the way things were left between us... I-- I didn't think he cared that I went... he was-- he was so mad..."
 
No matter how much she convinced herself that she had done the right thing by telling Luana (if the news came up in the future, she would have demanded why Daisy hadn't told her when she had the chance), Daisy couldn't help but regret the words that left her mouth the moment she saw the reaction they had on Luana. It was inevitable that the shock would hit her hard given how unbelievable and unthinkable the news was -it had shocked those who had been there at the time so it would undoubtedly stun Luana now- but to see her friend as traumatised by it as she was was horrendous, Daisy feeling guilty for rendering her like that.

She could have kept quiet and spared her from the knowledge. She could have refused to let her in on the pack's reason for despising her as much as they did and let her enjoy being back in the pack as much as she could. Even if most people wouldn't want to see her, she still had Daisy, Sasha and, now, Gio; it wasn't much but Daisy wanted her to at least enjoy those few days with those who did want to see her without stress and upset intervening.

Evidently, her decision to be honest with her friend might have ruined any hope of that becoming a reality because it wasn't something that could just be brushed under the carpet or waived aside. It had taken Tate's family months upon months just to be able to discuss what had happened without growing angry or visibly upset, and they had been there at the time to understand the dark place Tate had been in. Luana wasn't aware of how badly he had taken it so the news of his attempt to just end it all would hit her harder than it hit any of them.

Especially when that was her mate. Tate could have chosen to move on and deny the fact they had that bond but it couldn't be scrubbed away or erased; it would remain, however fractured it currently was, and Daisy could only imagine the internal pain that her friend had to currently contend with at the news of what her mate had tried to do to himself.

"I... It wasn't your fault; you both... suffered, Lu. He did a ton of shitty stuff to 'ya. He made you feel like you had to go, he wasn't listening to you, he... he wasn't an angel in this. You both did wrong, it... isn't anyone's fault," she attempted, once again, to reassure her. Even if her words wouldn't make the impact she hoped she would, there was no way in hell she was going to let Luana place the blame on herself when it wasn't fair nor right to do.

She tilted her body to the side in order to smooth back Tala's hair affectionately in return of the reassuring words, though faced away shortly after, not wanting the girl to see her upset as well when her Mumma was already in that bad place.

"Lu. He ain't gonna do shit like that again; he's... alright. He... He wants to be in Tala's life, right? So he knows that means being around you too an' he seems okay with that. If he blamed you for what happened, for what he did, he wouldn't want anythin' to do with any of this. But he does. I... shouldn't have said anythin', I was just tryin' t'... I dunno, I should have kept my mouth shut," she grimaced, standing up from the chair with a heavy exhale, her hands balled into fists just so her hands wouldn't shake so much in her guilt.

"...You don't have to go anywhere for a few days, just... I-I'm sorry for upsetting 'ya, Lu, I didn't... w-want to tell you, I just thought you... I thought I should be honest, is all."
 
"But he didn't deserve that. H-he didn't deserve to feel that desperate that-- that..." She trailed off, breathing once more becoming harsh as she thought about her mate in that state. Cold, alone, hurting. Each image that her mind cruelly imagined felt like it was ripping a new hole within her chest, within her heart. He might have been harsh on her, he might not have been an angel like Daisy said, but Luana would never have wished such a result upon someone she loved-- someone she still, undeniably, loved.

Then she hated herself for responding in such a way. How dare she go through this panic, this near on anxiety attack, because of something she had done - knowingly or not. She didn't deserve the sympathy that Daisy was showing her, nor the words that were being uttered: It wasn't your fault.

Because that was a lie. It was all one, big, fat lie. It was all her fault. She had left, thinking it was for the best. She had been the one that neglected to write to her mate. She had been the one to abandon her mate. She had been the one to cause him to feel so utterly alone and cast aside that he had felt like there was no other alternative other than to... than to...

"No. No. I-- I deserve to know. I deserve to know all of this. T-They're right. It is my fault, all of it." She felt her chest tightening, constricting so fiercely that Luana had to wonder how she was still gasping for air. "A-an' I don't deserve your reassurances or your sympathy."

She wanted out. She wanted out so badly. To get out of her human skin and just let her wolf take over and just run until she couldn't breathe anymore. Until she couldn't see. Until she couldn't even stand.

The young woman swallowed hard again, whole body trembling with the self-disgust she was filled with. "I want you to be honest with me, Dase. Don't ever feel bad about that. This is why we're in this mess now-- cause I wasn't honest in the first place. Now look where it's gotten us. My-- my mate almost died because of me." Her fingers pulled at the material of her shirt around her shoulders, the lengthening nails a sign of the transition that threatened to take over.

Ronan stepped forward, brow furrowing in concern and a hand reached out to lower onto her shoulder, "Lu, c'mon--"

She jerked away from him, "D-Don't, Ronan. I-I can't right now. S'alright for you-- your mate didn't try to kill himself because you left." In her state, the words just slipped out, and Luana didn't even realise, forgetting in her distress that Daisy was still unaware. "H-He-- if I'd come back... an' his plan had worked-- I--" She cut off with a choking noise, the thought evoking a new level of pain she hadn't even realised she was capable of experiencing.

It tore at something deep within her. Some vulnerable and sensitive. Even worse than having seen her mate holding someone else. It made her wonder, regardless of how things ended or were between her and Tate, how she herself would even carry on if he had died. If he did die.

"I-I need air. J-just a run. I j-just need to go for a run. I c-can't stay in here. L-Look after Tala, y-yeah? Just for a little while. T-Tate can have some time with her without-- without me..." Luana stood, the motion jerky and uncontrolled. The young woman was quick to move out the back door and, after very briefly checking the way was clear, shifted and ran.

Ronan paused near the open back door, mouth open and a hand mid-run through his hair. Soon enough, at the question of: "Where Mumma goin?" Ronan sprung to life and moved to shut the door, clearing his throat and turning to face Daisy and the toddler. "She'll be back in a bit, sweetie. But you got Auntie Day-Day and Uncle Ronan here-- we're just as fun, ain't we?"
 
"No, Lu, you're entitled to-- to have felt the way you did, you aren't selfish for a-any of that--" Began Daisy in her last effort of reassurance, her words ultimately fading into silence as she was forced to watch her friend run out into the early morning bitterness. She understood the desire to get out of the hut and run freely amongst the woodland -every wolf had that urge at some point, especially when in a heightened emotional state- but that didn't mean she thought it was best for Luana to be dealing with the traumatic revelation alone.

She wanted to be at her side, helping her through the shock like she had helped her siblings through it when she had to break the news to them that they had found Tate passed out after his failed attempt to stop himself feeling as low as he did. She knew precisely how Luana was feeling because she had to come to terms with it herself. She had been the one to find Tate. She had to see him in that state, realise in the moment what he had done and take that in whilst also working quickly to find the appropriate antidote.

She knew how harrowing the news was more than anyone, and was best placed to help Luana through it and make sure that she didn't take the news as evidence for her wrongdoings. She didn't need her to start harbouring guilt and falling into the sort of despair that Tate had found himself wallowing in for months.

But she also knew Luana needed to come to terms with it alone, or she wouldn't have rushed off in the first place. Knowing she would return eventually (she wouldn't have just left Tala behind unless she was planning on returning), she resisted the urge to run after her and let out a shaky breath or two before taking in Tala with a gentle smile, even if the expression took every ounce of strength she had within her.

"We know you want your Mumma but breakfast is gonna be here real soon an' we can keep some back for her. Until then, we're gonna keep an eye on 'ya-- you did a real good job with the cushions!" She praised as she glanced to the bed, subtly wiping her eyes once more with the back of her hand before proceeding to lavish Tala with more praise, resting her hands on her hips in admiration of the neatly made bed.

"You must be super strong to have put them all up there, Tala; you're gonna be stronger than me one day, I bet you're already stronger than your Uncle Ronan, huh?" She continued with a chuckle, peering across at the other adult. Only then did she recall the sharp remark from Luana, one that had slid from her lips before she could stop herself - though with everything else on her mind, she had hardly even realised that the comment had been made. But Daisy remembered it, her brows furrowing the more she contemplated the specific wording.

Words which insinuated that Luana wasn't the only one to have left a mate behind.

She didn't want to start another heavy conversation after the way Luana had reacted to her honesty, but wasn't it better to get everything out in the open? Secrecy led to problems for the future, and while honesty made things difficult in the present, they could move on from it together. The idea that Ronan's mate was shrouded in secrecy didn't sit right with Daisy, even if the wording gave an inkling as to why that was.

"...Your mate's in the pack too, is he? Ronan, that's-- I'm sorry," she whispered, aware that she didn't need to clarify what she was sorry for when the apology itself could cover a lot - she could be sorry for the fact he had to leave his mate for two years and the situation be out of his hands. She could be sorry that the fact his mate wasn't female made them hide their bonded status in fear of judgement. She could be sorry that the likelihood was that that very mate resented him now.

Or, in this case, she was sorry for every one of those reasons, her sympathy over the genuinely unfair situation written across her face.

"You don't have to tell me anything, I get it. I... I'm sure they've missed you, though. It must have hurt them to see Anders hit you; I'm sure they'll want to come and check on you, see how yo--" She paused before her sentence could be completed, a light flashing behind her eyes at the sudden realisation. It had made absolutely no sense for Anders to hit out Ronan in the manner he had; for him to be so furious with someone who should have been mostly inconsequential in that situation. But if that was his mate and he had felt abandoned by him for two years...

"...It's Anders, isn't it? You guys-- you're-- he's your mate?"
 
Tala seemed to hesitate at Daisy's and Ronan's responses, the cheerful expression that caused her lips to form a smile and a crinkle to appear at the corner of her eyes starting to waiver. "B-But Mumma... where Mumma goin'?" She asked again, sitting down on the bed with knees bent and hands falling into the gap between them, "Mumma... Mumma okay? Mumma gone be Wolfie?" She pressed, eyes turning onto Ronan who she was used to and, in her young naivety, she believed would have the answers.

Ronan smiled reassuringly, forcing back his own concerns for his friend and alpha to squeeze past Daisy and sit on the bed with Tala. "Yeah, Mumma gone to be Wolfie. Only for a little while though, she'll be back soon."

Lingering for a moment, and watching Ronan with the same inquisitive expression that would be seen on Luana, Tala eventually nodded, but slowly, as if reluctantly satisfied with the answer she had been provided. "I go do pillows." The toddler finally announced, squirming away from the two adults and huffing as she lowered herself down from the bed to traipse over to the other. There she began to tidy that too, hoping to receive the same praise as before from her Auntie.

The muscles in Ronan's body visibly tensed as Daisy began to speak about his mate, his face turned away from the young woman as he had watched Tala waddle across to the second bed. His head lowered, bowing slightly for his gaze to settle on the blanket beneath his hand. Some of it had scrunched up into the fist that had formed without his realising, and he had to force himself to release it. "It don't matter-- it's done." He mumbled, trying to remain calm but desperate to get off the topic.

It only got worse as Daisy continued to talk, but at her abrupt cut off, Ronan sharply looked up at her, fearing the worse.

It's Anders, isn't it? You guys-- you're-- he's your mate?

Colour drained from Ronan's face as she came to her conclusion, the correct one. He couldn't even find it in himself to be made at Luana for her slip. Instead just terrified that someone else now knew.

"You can't go sayin' anythin'." He told her, trying to be firm but his voice was strained. His hands clasped together and rested in his lap, but his nails were beginning to bite into the skin, "Seriously, you can't. He-- he don't want me no more an' I-- I ain't goin' fight him on that. I just want him to be happy an'-- an' if me not bein' around... around him an'... an' Teddy then... then I'll do that for him." His eyes darted to the door, as if afraid of anyone walking in at any moment, "Please don't say anythin'. We-- we kept it a secret before I left 'cause... cause we didn't know... we knew how people'd react if they knew. 'Specially so soon after he had been rescued. S'why I couldn't stay... 'cause what reason would I've done? I didn't... I didn't want him to get hurt."
 
Even though she was almost completely certain that she had stumbled onto the truth, the confirmation from Ronan still stunned her into silence. She wasn't displaying any of the confusion or even disgust that her brother had always anticipated from some of his family members, or the pack in general, if ever they discovered the truth. Rather, she was almost hurt by the fact he hadn't confided in her, choosing instead to suffer for those two years rather than let anyone know how badly he was hurting.

Tate had undoubtedly been hurting too, but people knew he needed the comfort because they understood the reasons behind his depressive state. Though Anders was missing Luana, someone who had undeniably been his best friend in the pack, so too was everyone else; they all missed her and they all comforted one another over that loss. Nobody had any inkling that Anders had to suffer the pain of being absent from his mate, a physical ache deep within him that intensified every day he was apart from the person he was destined to be with.

The fact he had kept silent and didn't let even his sister in on that pain caused Daisy to sit back in the chair in her sudden, deep sympathy for her brother. That sympathy was obviously extended to Ronan too, knowing that if his pain had been anything like that of Anders', he would have been suffering terribly over those two years too - but she had seen just how badly Anders had coped with her own eyes. She had heard him cry at night when he thought she was asleep. She had witnessed him try to be strong for Teddy despite his voice often shaking when he told her how loved she was.

Only now did she realise why he got emotional during those instances, aware that he had always planned to share such moments with his mate and had to instead bring Teddy up for those two years with an empty space at his side; watch a daughter be raised without the other father he had hoped would be there for her.

"I ain't gonna tell anyone," she eventually whispered as she pulled herself out from the contemplation, forcing back a lump in her throat. Everything Anders had displayed over those two years, the depth of his upset, now made sense to her, as did the sheer hatred and anger on his face yesterday - and though she wished to just run to their hut and comfort him, reassure him that his fears weren't relevant in her case because she loved him more than ever, she couldn't. Not when Ronan was appealing so desperately to her for her silence on the matter.

"You have to talk to him though. Tate moved on, he got Leah, an' that's tearing Luana up, ain't it? Do you wanna just let Anders force himself to be with a girl an' settle down even if he ain't gon' be happy? 'Cos I don't want that for him. I want him happy an' he hasn't been happy for two years without 'ya, clearly," she grimaced, resting her hands on her knees as her own eyes briefly flicked to the door as if anticipating an interruption, letting a breath leave when her fears didn't materialise.

"...Talk to him. For Teddy if nothin' else. If-- If Tate was able to put his anger aside for Tala, then Anders can for Teddy. You deserve to be in her life, you-- have that right. An' I'll help 'ya; I'll talk to Anders if you want me too. I ain't gonna intervene without you giving me the go-ahead, but if you do, I can talk to him, get you guys some time to talk and... a chance for you to meet Teddy."
 
"You-- you can't. Nobody can know. I-If he knew you knew, he'd know I said somethin' an'-- an' that'll make him hate me even more." Ronan shook his head furiously, although debating whether or not Anders' hatred for him could get any deeper. "We-- we just... we didn't think it'd get accepted... y'know? I-- I'd been a part of the people that took him from you guys an'-an' your brother hated me an' my pack already... I just... we thought-- we thought it was better to keep it quiet."

Ronan didn't know why he continued to ramble on with his explanation, just feeling the urge to do so. The secret had been revealed to someone new after two long and difficult years. Of course he had expected to reveal all eventually... just not like this. He had hoped that he would be able to be beside Anders when everything was announced; be able to hold his mate's hand or even wrap an arm around his waist to pull him close to his side. But instead this pack were all still in the dark, and would continue to be so long as Daisy kept her word.

Ronan flinched at the idea of Anders moving on, whether it be with another man or with a woman. Even if Luana didn't say anything, it was clearly obvious to those who knew her and cared for her - like Ronan and Daisy - how much the news of her mate moving on had hurt her.

He didn't ever want to be in that position, and longed to do what Daisy suggested and just talk to Anders. He wanted to get his mate to listen to him, but each time he thought about doing so... his anxieties rose back up, leaving him to feel nauseated and uncertain as to if that was really the best thing to do. The punch had told Ronan where they stood, and from the way his mate was hissing at him earlier... he wasn't sure if there was anyway of coming back from where they were.

"S'... S'so much easier said than done, though, Daisy." He finally replied, voice quiet and eyes dropping onto his hands. He peeled his nails out from his hands, flexing out stiff fingers, "Tala... Tala's Tate's blood. He can't deny that. He has a claim over that. But-- but Teddy? She... she's my daughter only in namesake. I-- I can't force him to let me be apart of her life an'-an' he can easily tell me to pis--" He shot a glance across to Tala, who was preoccupied with trying to look out the window. "To get away. If-- if you go talk to him... he'll be furious. Even more angry at me than he was before, or Luana. Cause he'd know one of us told you an'-- an' I can't bring that down on Luana. She's already got enough to deal with."

Taking a deep breath, he reached back to rub the back of his neck, reluctantly looking back up to what should have been his sister-in-law, "I-- I just want him to be happy an' if-- if me stayin' away from him... makes him happy then... then..."
 
Ronan's obvious -and justifiable- turmoil over what to do caused Daisy to fall silent, unsure what she had to say would be able to convince him any further. If his mind was made up to do what he thought would make Anders happy, regardless of the consequence on his own happiness, then nothing she could say would convince him otherwise. No amount of pleading with him to talk to Anders or concerning him with a possible future of his mate moving on, like Tate had, was apparently going to change his mind, and so she sunk back in her chair, feeling defeated and helpless.

She knew that it wasn't necessarily her place to be involved in her brother's relationship, but the idea of letting them just go their separate ways before they even had a chance to speak didn't sit well with her. How could they be certain of where they stood, and whether they even had a future, if they didn't speak? Tate had proven that he was willing to step down from his intense anger and manage Luana's presence for Tala's sake; why couldn't Anders do the same?

It was plausible that he could relent, drop the stubbornness and hear Ronan out (however unlikely it might appear in Ronan's mind, it was a possibility, though slim) but that chance wasn't even offered to him... not that she could blame Ronan's reasoning. He was doing what he thought was best based on Ronan's extremely hateful reaction to him - so why risk further upset to either of them by pursuing the idea of just talking things out when that might sour things more than they already had been?

Daisy had always had an innate desire to fix things for people, make things better, so coming to terms with the fact she might not be able to achieve that for her brother -and for Ronan- deeply unsettled her.

"An' there's really nothin' that's gonna change your mind? I... I won't say anythin', I promise, but-- but I'm here if you-- if you decide to talk to him at some point, 'cos you never know. Anders ain't... he's not stubborn, Ronan. He might come around," she whispered, knowing even as she spoke that it was a weak attempt to cling to something for optimism, rather than a genuine belief. She opened her mouth again to reiterate how he shouldn't just give up, just to instil in him some sense of hope, though paused at the unsubtle sound of the pack outside reacting to the plans to keep Luana around the settlement for the next few days. Though the reaction lacked the vitriol of the previous day because Tate was coming to them himself and establishing his desire to keep things calm for his innocent daughter's sake, Daisy had no doubt that the people weren't necessarily happy with the news.

They understood it, evidenced by the lack of an outburst, but probably weren't happy that Luana had to stick around longer than her brief appearance yesterday.

Unable to help herself, she moved to the window to take a peek out in the faint attempt to see something; anything. She knew nobody would come storming to the hut when Tate had expressed his desire for calm and understanding, to keep his daughter protected from negativity towards her mother, but she craned her head to keep a lookout for several seconds nonetheless.

"...You'll be alright. The pack ain't gonna... disturb you; Tate won't let that happen," she smiled encouragingly, turning her head away from the window just as someone had made their way towards it; a fact she only became aware of at the knock at the door. As startled as it made her, the fact someone had knocked rather than barged in was a good sign that no outburst of violence or anger was about to materialise, the healer taking in a swift breath before opening the door to reveal the last person she had expected to see there.

"I-- I hurt my finger o-on a rock a-an' it hurts lots an'... I w-want a-- a plaster or it might fall o-off an' I don't wanna lose it," sniffled a young blonde girl of no more than three, her hair in lopsided bunches as a result of clambering out of bed moments ago - as evidenced by the pyjamas she still had on. "S-Someone said you were here an'-- o-ouch, see, it's b-bleedin'!"

"It ain't gonna fall off, Teddy; you've got a real flair for being dramatic, ain't you?" Snorted Daisy, the awkwardness she felt at realising it was Teddy at the door disappearing as she took in her niece's distress - however theatrical it might have been. Without hesitating, she crouched down to examine the appendage closely, hiding a smile at the tiniest of cuts that had apparently caused all the pain her niece was sniffling about. "...You'll be fine, but I'll fetch 'ya a little paste to rub on the cut, if that'll help 'ya, but you-- you gotta go back to your Papa before he knows you got out of bed and didn't wait for him--"

"Strangers a-aren't-- allowed, why are they here?" The girl frowned as her blue eyes, wide on her face, peered behind her aunt at the faces she didn't recognise, her pouted lips pulled into a confused frown. Though her love of adventure and the unknown immediately took over, eyes sparkling in fascination. "Did you come f-from-- somewhere else? Did you t-travel 'ere? Like-- o-over rivers a--an' all that? Cool! I-I wanna hear!"

"...You can hear all about it another time, hon, but your Papa's gonna be real worried if he knows you wandered off again. Remember last time--"

"Nuh-uh, I wanna hear," she pouted stubbornly as she wormed out of her aunt's arms and darted into the room, clutching a raggedy teddy bear in her hand and then up against her chest. "...Are you a-adven-- adventurers?"
 
Tala's head shot up at the knock on the door, eyes blinking as a pillow dropped onto the bed from where she was organising them. She began to shuffle off the bed, lowering herself down to the floor and moved toward Ronan who had stood and moved into the centre of the room, ready to protect the pup he considered his niece too. "Who 'dere?" Tala asked, hand reaching out to hold onto the back of Ronan's trouser leg, "It Mumma? Mumma back?"

Ronan didn't respond, too focused on watching Daisy as the young girl moved to answer the door. A tension had built in the air at the knock, and while Ronan knew the same thing as Daisy - that if it was someone who wasn't happy with their present, they would have simply burst in - that didn't make things any easier. His hand reached down to rest on the back of Tala's head as he felt the little girl press her cheek into the side of his thigh, thumb brushing softly in silent reassurance.

The young voice at the door startled Ronan, who hadn't exactly expected another kid to turn up. However, at the name, he choked on his breath.

It was Teddy... the little baby that he was supposed to help raise with Anders. The orphaned pup that he wanted so badly to be with for the past two years. How was it that she turned up just as everything had been announced. After the conversation he had just had in which he had sworn to stay away from his mate in order to make sure he had a chance at happiness.

He swallowed hard, eyes on the little girl and not once leaving her. The swell of pride and love was instant, the small smile immediately pulling at his lips. She was utterly adorable, and even though she wasn't of Anders' blood, he could easily see his mate within the little girl. In her excitement, in her curiosity.

"'Dat's... dat's a nice teddy." Tala spoke up shyly in response to the question, "M-My ted is-- is in the bag. He-he sleepin'."

Ronan snapped out of his thoughts, looking down to the youngest of the two girls as she spoke. Eventually he then crouched down to be on both their levels, offering a comforting smile to the two. "We ain't adventurers... but we have travelled over lots of rivers, ain't we, Tala?" He looked to the two-year-old, nodding in encouragement.

The toddle hesitated, stepping closer to her uncle before looking back to the unknown girl, "We-- we saw wat--ter falls. An'-- an' big, big mount-ains."

Ronan looked back to Teddy, ignoring the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes, but unable to help having to quickly wipe at them. "So-- so your name's Teddy? I--" He began to introduce himself, but instantly cut off, suddenly uncertain as to how Anders would react if Teddy went back and told him about how she met someone called Ronan. "This... this is Tala. An'... an' I'm Ronan."

In the end, he couldn't not tell her his name. It was selfish, but it was something he needed to do. He wanted her to know him, had been thinking of this moment for so long. He just wished things could have been different.
 
After his decisions to stay away from Anders and give him that space in the belief that he would be happier without him, the last thing that Daisy had wanted to happen was Teddy arriving at the door. The little girl had a tendency to wander about and taking matters upon herself, so her seeking the healer of the pack out when she hurt her finger wasn't a surprise - but it wasn't the nicest one to have when it ultimately put Ronan in the awkward position.

Granted, this was everything that Daisy wanted for him. She hadn't known about his and Anders' feelings for one another long, but Anders was her big brother and she had only seen him miserable for two entire years; watched him withdraw within himself in an effort to deal with the trauma and upset of losing Luana - and now she was aware of the situation, Ronan too. She knew it must have hurt just to lose Luana's presence, but to lose Ronan too; the partner he had wanted to raise Teddy alongside?

She couldn't imagine just how painful it had been for him so all she wanted for him now was that shot at happiness - and she doubted he would achieve a genuine chance of it without Ronan. But she was willing to keep silent and not intervene if that was what Ronan desired; she couldn't fix everything, however much she desired to.

Which made Teddy's abrupt presence both good and bad. The latter because of the strain she thought it might put Ronan through given his earlier declarations to keep apart and the possibility for another outburst from Anders when he inevitably found out, but... this was also something Daisy wanted. For Ronan to see Teddy for himself, realise that he couldn't just stay away when he had a right to make a claim as her parent too.

In response to the questions, Teddy simply grinned and took it as a sign that they wanted her to stay and she didn't need to rush back to her Papa like her auntie had requested. Rather than follow that advice, she took a glance around the hut before setting herself down on a cushion that had fallen from the bed, clutching her teddy bear close to her chest with a proud smile at the attention it got. Unlike the nervousness from Tala, the other child seemed eager to chatter in her excitement, only taking a moment to push stray strands of her hair behind her ears before leaping into conversation.

"My teddy i-is kinda roughed up 'cos I-- I took 'im to the river and he got all wet and ripped b-but my Papa-- he kinda fixed 'im a bit, but he said I gotta be r-real careful," she shrugged casually as she peered down at the bear in her arms, a fond smile growing on her face - the neat stitches and the fact he had lost an eye didn't upset her; it just reminded her of the adventure she had been on that day.

At Ronan's description of the journey he had undertaken, her mouth fell open slightly in jealousy, though her excitement overruled that immediately. She knew not to talk to strangers but if her aunt was with them, she decided they couldn't be bad people and so pressed forward to Tala in her excitement, eyes shining brightly.

"You're so cool, that-- that's much bet-ter than-- than any-- anyfing I've done," she huffed, puffing her cheeks out in a moment of theatrical annoyance. "B-But my Papa said he's gonna take me-- f-fishin' one day, when I'm bigger, r-right by the 'falls, and my Unc' Tate said-- you're Tala? Oh! Oh, my Unc' Tate said your name just now, I-- I forget why, but he said Tala. I 'member 'cos it's a name I ain't 'eard before-- He didn't say R-Ronan though," she murmured as she struggled for a moment on the 'R' sound, her eyebrows furrowing at the name. Tala had been mentioned by her uncle, so she knew she was someone she didn't need to be wary of, but the fact Ronan's name hadn't been uttered made her just a tad concerned.

"It's okay; this is-- is your cousin. And Ronan is--" Daisy paused, unsure how she was going to introduce Ronan, before deciding against giving him a title at all. "-He's here with Tala and her Mumma. We can trust 'em, Teddy; don't go worryin'."

"I ain't worrying. I just... Papa says not to talk to strangers, tha's all," she shrugged, the brief doubt fading away at her aunt's reassurances. "I-I already got a cousin but he's pretty borin', he just sleeps an' cries 'cos he's a tiny baby s-so... it's cool to have a cousin who ain't borin' like that. W-We can play adventures! An'-- An' you can too, R... 'onan. 'Cos you said you travelled over lots of rivers so... so you're, like, a-a proper adventurer an' tha's pretty cool!"
 
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