A Wolf Among The Sheep

Luana struggled for a moment with her emotions, keeping her eyes on Tate as she mulled over his words and fought against her conflicting feelings about the situation. With him not asking her to go hunting, she could accept that he was agreeing to take her instead of Ronan, and excitement grew within her at the prospect of being side by side with her mate on a hunt. And he was right, she did get along so well with the twins before she left. She had matched their banter without issue, and enjoyed teasing Tate with them.

She also, despite how much she hated it, had to agree that Tate was right. Despite their harsh words, she had to acknowledge that they were coming from a place of pain. Just like Anders... and just like Tate.

Swallowing thickly, she finally tore her gaze from her mate to look to Tala, where the toddler sat up playing with her teddy near the fire.

"...Fine. Fine." She conceded, breathing out with a shake of her head, "I'll... I'll let 'em watch her. For you, okay? 'Cause... cause I wanna... start trustin' you again an' start... an' start making' this work for us." Her hands moved off the table to rub her palms, which had become slightly clammy, against her thighs, "We can... ask them in the mornin', before we go. But one comment an' I'm gone, Tate, I mean it. I ain't... I ain't dealin' with any more of that kind of stuff. I'll give them the chance an' give us a chance to... reconnect, but one snide comment..." She shook her head, tongue darting out to wet her suddenly dried lips.

Reluctantly she stood, moving across to Tala to scoop her up into her arms. Ronan, understanding the movement as being the end of the conversation, quietly stood to collect Teddy too, stroking back her hair to press a kiss to his daughter's forehead.

It was a relief to be able to show the toddler the affection and attention he had been wanting to since returning with Luana, but he also knew he couldn't quite have it all. He would have to let Teddy go back to the hut to sleep with Anders, but he would take the small victories for now.

Meanwhile, Luana peered back to Tate, forcing a smile to her lips so they could push past the brief moment of tension and the heaviness of their almost disagreement, "Go tell Gio about your plans for the mornin', I'll get this one ready for bed an' bring her over for that sleepover soon."

Tala perked up at the word 'sleepover', looking up from her teddy to look between her mother and father, "Sleepover? With Dada?" She repeated in an excitable squeak. Luana's smile softened, "Mhm, tonight, would you like that?" In response, the two year old nodded furiously, bouncing in her mother's arms.
 
"One snide comment an' they'll have to deal with me, I ain't gonna stand for that. Promise." Tate replied with a nod to emphasise the seriousness of his words. He might not have been her biggest fan at the time, but he had sat back and allowed his pack to mutter words dripping with viciousness at the woman upon her return; let them speak so horrendously of the person that had once been their alpha (and never truly ever stopped being it).

He wasn't going to allow it to continue, particularly from his brothers who he not only expected better from (despite their playful tendencies sometimes going too far, they were, at their cores, decent people) but who he knew, deep down, cared for Luana like the rest of the family did. It was because of that severed connection and all the hurt that accompanied it that had led to them speaking so cruelly about her, as if her discomfort and hurt delighted them.

It never had, of course - but he had to hope they weren't so stubborn that they would proceed to pretend that was the case.

Sensing the same as Ronan, that the conversation had reached its conclusion, he took a moment to stretch his arms out with a tired groan, the sound itself transitioning into a low yawn as he fought back the heavy exhaustion starting to descend upon him more and more each second. He temporarily pushed through it, however, knowing he would have to stay awake for a little while longer just so he could give Tala a bedtime story without yawning his way through it.

"Right, yeah-- god, I don't wanna put all this on Gio 'cos he's still caught up in all that new baby happiness an' stuff but... yeah, he should be there with us," he nodded as he pushed himself up to his feet, the reluctance starting to show onto his expression. He didn't feel comfortable making his way into the new family's hut and disrupting their happiness with something so troubling but he knew it would be worse if they were kept in the dark when both Gio and Sasha were family who would want to do all they could to support Anders.

They just had to know there was something potentially wrong with him to be able to do that.

He gestured for Teddy to come close once she had her moment with Ronan, uncomfortable having to part the father and daughter from one another but that particular situation was out of his hands. Taking his niece's hand gently, his free one moved with a lightness juxtaposing his usual displays of strength in order to rest upon her cheek, sparing a few seconds to just hold that affectionate embrace for as long as he was willing to.

He didn't want her to linger on the disagreement they might have fallen into, after all - not when little disagreements were perfectly normal in the first place and wouldn't be indicative of worse things to come.

"I love you, a'ight? Both of you, you're my girls, ain't you?" He grinned once glancing down a little further to take in Tala's excitement, his position adjusted to be able to lean down and place a gentle kiss to her forehead. Only then, with greater reluctance than before, did he move to take his exit from the hut, followed by a particularly smug Daisy who shot her friend a smirk at having witnessed the affection between them before slipping out into the night herself.
 
An hour or two later, after Luana had gotten Tala bathed and changed for bed, she was walking over to Tate's hut with the toddler balanced on her hip and her daughter's teddy in her free hand. Well, she ran really, since the downpour was still ongoing. She took the path to the back door of his hut, despite the pack being in their own huts, she still held a paranoia for anyone seeing her enter or leave. She kept Tala huddled to her, protecting the pup as much as she could before she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

"Bloody awful out there." She announced as she stepped inside, a shiver running through her body as the warmth immediately greeted her and started combating the cold that had seeped into her bones from the rain.

Luana lowered Tala to the floor and handed her the teddy once she had been stripped of her coat, smiling as she folded Tala's coat over her arm and watched the toddler race across to where Tate was in the hut.

Allowing them to have a moment, she moved across to the fireplace and laid out Tala's coat on the fireguard so it would dry quicker for the morning should the rain continue. However, the warmth was too tempting to step away from, with her own clothes soaked but not expecting to be around for too much longer to take her own coat off to leave it to dry. As much as she wanted to stay and just take a moment to be a family, Luana didn't dare for Tate's sake. Things still had to be announced to the pack, and not to mention she suspected things were undoubtedly still raw after the break up with Leah. She didn't want to make things any more difficult for him.

"She's had her bath, an' as you can see, she's in her jammies." She chuckled, focusing on the happier moment in front of her instead of how long it would be until they could be doing this properly every night. She held her hands out to the fire, flexing her fingers with a puffed exhale, "She's got her teddy, but she ain't got a story in mind she wants. She told me she just wants one of your adventure tales." Luana raised an eyebrow, a smirk on her lips.

Tala nodded in agreement, looking up to her father, "A-ven-chure. D'at's what I want. A-ven-chure." Luana cleared her throat, which caused Tala to look at her mother who was providing a pointed one in return, eyebrow still raised. Tala looked back to her father, a sheepish smile in place, "Please, Dada."

Smiling, Luana lowered her hands and rubbed them together, "So I, uh... you'll just... bring her back over in the mornin'? For breakfast?"
 
In the two hours that had followed, Tate had been intent to simply wait in his hut for his daughter's arrival - after having informed Gio of the plan and got Teddy back to her home, at least. Despite clearing a few things away, there wasn't much more he could do to fill the time other than twiddling his thumbs and waiting patiently, however agonizingly slow each second seemed determined to be.

Though Leah's arrival to collect the rest of her clothes gave him something to focus on, however much he wished he could avoid the entire thing and go back to sitting in silence. He hadn't anticipated her arrival but he also knew he couldn't just ask her to leave and return in the morning.

After all he had done to hurt her by abruptly breaking things off after two years for his ex, he knew he didn't have the right to inflict more unsettlement onto her. However wary he was of Leah being present by the time Luana arrived, he had to bite his tongue and allow the woman to head past him to collect the rest of her belongings. Her decision to do so so late in the night after she had all day to collect them was an odd one - but he also knew she had probably spent the day trying to wrap her head around the abrupt ending to their relationship.

Her reddened, bloodshot eyes and the slight quivering of her lip as she passed by him was evidence of that fragile emotional state - perhaps she had only know gathered the courage to enter the hut, to collect her things and acknowledge the fact their relationship had reached its conclusion (however little she wanted it to). Either way, there was nothing he could say or do to disrupt the process when she was entitled to take her time in collecting everything she needed - and nothing he could say when she decided to unleash all the anger that had built up throughout the day.

He couldn't defend the seeming brutality of his dumping when he knew how the suddenness could be construed as cruelty, even if he thought he was doing the right thing. He knew he would be back with Luana, that he couldn't fight the feelings he held for her, so ending things with Leah early on rather than prolong the inevitable was the kindest thing he could do for her. Evidently, she couldn't see it that way if her eventual emotional breakdown taking place before him was anything to go by.

She had angrily refused the efforts he had made to comfort her, instead glaring at him with a ferocity he had never seen in her before; not when Leah was known for her quiet, shy demeanour. But the anger was expected and justified, even if it resulted in the alpha genuinely fearing the similar wave of anger being sent his way from a pack who, in their majority, would be on Leah's side.

All he could do was hope that things improved with time.

Luana's appearance, only a mere ten minutes after Leah left, came as a huge relief to him as he greeted her and Tala in enthusiastically. He wasn't in doubt over the decision he had made to get things on track with his mate, but if he was, the contentment he felt in her presence would erase them with ease. He knew, without a doubt, that he wanted to be with her; that regardless of the difficulties they would face from the pack, he was destined to be at her side.

"An adventure story, huh? I reckon I got a few of those, don't 'ya worry. An' I got out a few more blankets on the bed for you so you'll be extra cosy tonight," he responded, a laugh in his voice - albeit not entirely as a result of his daughter's behaviour. It was one of disbelief too, the man still having the urge to pinch himself to ensure he wasn't stuck in a dream. Everything wasn't perfect with the pack, but it didn't need to be; not when Luana and Tala brought him as much happiness as they did. He couldn't quite believe the fact he had his mate back and a daughter to dote upon... yet here they were.

"Uh, yeah-- I'll bring 'er for breakfast, no worries," he replied after breaking himself out of his thoughts, his distracted expression not quite disappearing as he glanced back over to Luana. Without discussion on the matter, he reached out to take her hands in his own, before continuing: "You know I love 'ya, right? An'... An' however difficult things get out there, with the pack, you know I'll always have your back? 'Cos I-- I ain't ever gonna give up on us again, on our family. I ain't ever felt this complete, Lu, an' I... I'll fight for that. It's soppy, I know, but I just... I just love you guys so much, y'know? Don't go tellin' anyone that. Gio or the twins especially, they'll just ridicule me for going all soft and cheesy."
 
It had taken Luana a moment to recognise the fact that Leah's scent was fresh in the hut, realising who it belonged to but having previously been oblivious to just how recent it was. Her expression tightened as things clicked into place, her smile dimming briefly as her eyes darted around the room as if trying to find evidence of just why the other woman had returned to the hut. The wardrobes and cupboards were all closed, and it wasn't as if she could exactly see through the doors. Had she returned to collect her things?

Her gaze then dropped to the bed, and she swallowed hard, her stomach squeezing painfully. Had she to try and win him back? Or even at Tate's request?

Deep down she knew that Tate wouldn't do such a thing (even if he had kissed her while he was still technically Leah's partner), but the newness to their relationship, the pain they had already been through individually and the fear of something coming between them all jumbled together to create a collection of paranoid thoughts.

She sharply pulled her gaze away from the bed as she felt her hands being taken and she sucked in a breath as the warmth of his enveloped hers. Immediately the worry and anxieties she held began to melt away and Luana held his eyes with hers.

The other woman's scent wasn't on his skin. It wasn't anywhere on him: skin, clothes, hair, nothing. Her body sagged with relief, releasing the tension she didn't even realise she had been holding within her muscles as the trepidation began to creep up on her. However, his words caused her eyes to begin filling with tears. After everything they had been through, to hear him make such a statement meant everything to her, and she gave a hiccupping laugh as one tear escape to drip down her cheek, averting her gaze as she took a breath to compose herself.

"I won't tell if you don't about me cryin'." She proposed, voice hushed and thick as she struggled to speak around the lump that was beginning to form in her throat. She freed a hand to wipe at her cheek, sniffing quietly and raising her gaze to his again. Her free hand reached out to press against his cheek, pausing there for a moment to just take in her mate.

"I love you too-- never stopped. An' it... god it means a lot to hear you say all that, Tate. Really-- you... you've no idea."
 
"I guess I ain't in the habit of comin' out with all this mushy stuff but it's probably somethin' I'm gonna work on. Making you know each day how much I love 'ya. I... never said it enough the first time," he confessed as he drunk in the moment as long as he could; the confessions, the affection, the longingness... all of it made time feel as though it had slowed down considerably around them. The only thing he could successfully focus on was Luana - and just how content he was now he finally had her back.

He knew what life was like without her in it now; how incomplete he had been for two entire years. He could pretend otherwise, delude himself into believing that he didn't need Luana at his side, but his heart had grown fonder in her absence and now he knew how innately miserable he felt without her, the newfound appreciation of just how sacred their bond was ensured he would work hard never to see it severed again.

He doubted he would have a third chance if he messed this one up by reverting back to stubbornness. If just admitting his love for her, openly and without having to be prompted beforehand, was a way of diminishing that stubbornness and opening himself up to being more transparent with his feelings, then he would do so every day; he would shout it for all to hear.

Albeit only when they agreed to be more open in front of the pack, with the understanding being to hold off for a while to avoid flaunting what they had in front of an understandably distraught Leah - and a pack who would support her.

But that didn't mean he wanted to spare showing Luana his feelings for her in the privacy of the hut, where he could gush over her without consequence.

"Why don't you stay tonight? Nobody 'as to know you were here, Lu. Ain't nobody gonna come entering the hut without knocking first an'... I want you to stay. I want to 'ave a night where we can both tell Tala a story and cuddle up with her between us an'... an' get a taste of what our future's gonna be like together. I don't wanna 'ave to wait weeks - not in private, anyhow," he suddenly admitted as he pulled back, not because he wanted to but because he acknowledged the need to stoke the fire a little, turning his attention briefly to the duty before peering over his shoulder at her, hoping for an agreement.

"I get it if you'd rather get goin' back to your hut but I won't hide the fact I really want you to stay in 'ere with us, Lu."
 
"Tate..." She began softly, watching him as her heart went out to him during his confession, her thumb stroking over the coarse hair of his beard, "You ain't the only one... I need to work on things too. It weren't all your fault." She told him, other hand raising to rest on his other cheek, wanting to make sure he knew she was also aware she was at fault too. She had made their private affairs public, spoke crudely when angered about their relationship, and allowed herself to become a coward.

She knew she had just as much to work on going forward with their relationship. And while she had been the more vocal one when it came to her emotions, and her feelings towards him, she knew she had to rein the more negative ones in and express them in private, rather than public like she had done before. Personal and pack related issues, she would keep inside until they were alone. And no matter what, it would not effect her love for him again.

If he was prepared to fight for her this time, then she would do the same with equal vigour.

However, his offer for her to stay the night did catch her by surprise. It was her intention to go back to the hut and ensure that Ronan was alright, with all the revelations and plans that had come to a head that evening. Not to mention, she didn't want to cause Tate any further grief. If anyone from the pack were to find her in his hut, while his sheets were still warm from Leah... there would be hell to pay. She feared making things worse for them, especially when things were so despicable already and all because of her selfish actions.

Luana's hands fell back to her sides from his face once he stepped back, biting at her lower lip as she mulled over his suggestion. It was extremely tempting, and with her eyes having landed on Tala who had started making herself a little nest from the blankets he had gotten for her, a small smile formed on her lips again.

She knew she ought to be back at the hut with Ronan, a glimmer of guilt beginning to eat away at her as she thought about leaving her friend alone that evening. However, he had been settling down to go to sleep without much of a word to her before she left with Tala anyway, so there was a chance he was either already sleeping or wouldn't want to talk things through with her regardless anyway. So she could just be going back to the hut to find herself wishing she had stayed anyway.

"I... I really want to stay tonight too." She finally breathed, dragging her gaze away from Tala to partially turn and look at Tate. "Are... Are you sure?"
 
Preparing himself for the eventual disagreement, Tate let a smile rest on his face to avoid the bitterness of his disappointment being too pronounced. He completely understood why Luana would refuse to accept the offer - he knew it was nothing to do with her feelings about their relationship, but all to do with her reluctance to give the pack any further ammunition to hurt her -and therefore, them- with.

They didn't need more justifications to hold a grudge against them after they had all inevitably learnt of Leah's heartbreak in great detail. That alone would have intensified the ill-feeling towards Luana, but if they were to discover that she had spent the night in Tate's hut the very day he had broken things off with Leah?

He didn't anticipate it going down at all well, and made the uphill battle to win their approval and have them reach an understanding all the more difficult.

Of course, he also understood how such a discovery would look... but the truth was simple. Luana was his mate and he felt an instinctive longing to be with her; an innate call to be at her side overpowered all of his senses and wouldn't be silenced until he gave in to that desire. With members of his pack having found their mates and proceeded to build families with them, they ought to understand how powerless he was to continue resisting what his heart and head both desired of him.

Their stubbornness would keep that understanding at bay for a while but, with time, they would accept things, he was sure of it... but he could understand entirely why Luana would want to make that journey to eventual acceptance less difficult than it had to be.

Which explained why Tate, at his mate's vocal admission of wanting to stay, abruptly turned to face her with the incapability of hiding his surprise on full display.

"Of course I'm sure, Lu. Nobody's going to find out for a start, an'... you can sneak back off to your hut at morning. Sneaking around ain't... ideal, I get that, but I think it's worth it if it means we get to snuggle up with the little one an' enjoy a night as a family, yeah? I ain't never been more sure of anything," he finally answered, his smile growing in anticipation as he peered across to Tala.

"...She'd love it too, Lu. Havin' us both at her side. Besides, I need you here in the mornin', you can help give me a bit of a haircut; I really can't pull this, uh... long-hair, beard thing off, can I? So that's another incentive to stay, darlin'. You can have a right laugh at me when I'm cleanshaven and look like a twelve year old kid again."
 
"I-I just don't wanna cause any more trouble for us, y'know? An'-an' Tala. But like... like you said, the idea of us just... bein' together for one night at least, after everythin' that's happened..." She trailed off, realising she was most likely more susceptible to agreeing due to the conversation she had had with Anders that afternoon. She didn't want either of them to be in a place where they didn't want to tell anyone about them, or for either of them to be in a place where they felt they couldn't rely on the other ever again.

After the worries of Anders and the argument and decision made by Tate early that morning, all Luana wanted really was her mate. She wanted to curl up on the bed with him and their daughter, watch him to tend his pup like she had dreamed he would for the past two years, and then feel his hand stroking through her hair as she fell to sleep too.

She just wanted to feel loved and safe again. And she knew the only place she was going to get that was in Tate's arms.

Hastily, a few more tears were wiped away from her cheeks and she offered a watery smile in return, laughing a little at his words. She reached out with one hand again to scratching gently at his beard, taking a moment to just look at him.

"Perhaps we'll have a bit of fun with it-- maybe you'll look better short-haired and bearded." Luana teased fondly, warmth blossoming in her chest at the pet name being used once again, her smile growing as a result and her hand lowering to her side, "Either way, you always look good to me, sweetheart."

"Mumma! S'story time!"

Luana was startled out of the moment she was enjoying with Tate, visibly jolting ever so slightly and then laughing a little as a response, "I think I've just been told to stop distractin' you." She whispered playfully, eyebrow raising before reluctantly stepping back and turning away to walk over to Tala.

By this point, the toddler had settled nicely into her little pile of blankets, and Lauana chuckled at the sight, "You ready for bed, little bear?" She asked, earning herself a nod in response and Tala cuddled the bear tighter to her, "Mhm, story first."
 
The teary-eyed confessions had undeniably contributed to the tender emotions on display - but Tate knew, without a doubt, that this was necessary; that all the emotions would have stayed bottled up if neither of them had chosen to express themselves. Being so open, so vulnerable, wasn't a feeling he had been comfortable with, and he still preferred not to find himself on the verge of tears, but he at least realised the necessity of it at times like this.

And he definitely acknowledged that there was nothing wrong in emotional expressions, that it didn't make him any less of the strong alpha he was if he shed a few tears or confessed his innermost feelings. When that refusal had led to things cooling with Luana in the past, he was more inclined than ever before to work on those aspects he had once bluntly refused to even try and encourage within him.

To ensure he made those improvements and proved that all the words of fighting for what they had weren't meaningless empty promises.

As such, the chance to share the night with Luana, and their daughter cuddled between them, was invaluable. It was something most mates in the pack took for granted and Tate had every intent to build up that familiarity and make up properly for lost time.

Such was the contentment he derived from the simple act of sharing the night with his family that, come morning, the alpha had no desires of leaving his bed; not when he was both far too cosy within the blankets and too comforted by the scent of his mate to dare interrupting it. Even as sleep evaded him and he began to stir, he only proceeded to wrap his arm back around the two in the desperate attempt to lull himself back into that content slumber; make the most of every second of the embrace before the realisation that he had to get up finally dawned on him.

Groaning under his breath, he reluctantly eased himself up from the bed with his mood gradually falling the moment he acknowledged just what was awaiting him that morning - the intervention with his youngest brother that he genuinely feared would end far worse than any of those involved could anticipate. Nevertheless, the duty to protect his brother overrode the fear and thus, the alpha proceeded to change in the accompanying bathroom in preparation for the day ahead.

He smiled across to Luana once returning to the main room of the hut, setting down a warm bowl of water on the table and the various other supplies needed for his shave - indications that he wanted to freshen himself up a little hadn't been false.

"Mornin'," he greeted easily as he set himself down at the table with another quiet sigh. "I'll bring you guys breakfast in the other hut if you wanted to go an' get back there before everyone starts waking up 'round 'ere, Lu."
 
When she had reached over Tala and felt the empty space behind her daughter, the last of Luana's desire to keep her eyes shut against the inevitable reality of having to leave waned. She blinked her eyes open, withdrawing her hand to rub at them a moment later as their daughter carried on sleeping soundly beside her. It was yet still too early for even Tala to wake yet, with Luana accustomed to the toddler's 6.30am demands for breakfast.

Tate's side of the bed was still losing the warmth that he had provided, meaning he had not long risen himself, but when she couldn't see him in the room, her ears strained to listen for sounds of him. She briefly worried that they may have been caught, and he was dealing with the consequences of such issues alone. However, before she could even begin to focus, he had stepped out of the bathroom area with a bowl of warmed water.

A small smile of relief flickered onto her lips, and her body melted back into the mattress until she propped herself up onto her elbow, careful not to disturb Tala. The other arm came to rest lazily against her side, her forearm balancing on the dip of her waist over the blanket.

"Could I leave her with you? Maybe you can take her out to get breakfast at the firepit. Would be good for her, to see more faces an' for... them to see her too. I don't wanna wake her, not yet. Besides, she'll be mad at me for endin' the sleepover early and'll be in a huff with me for the rest of the mornin'." She chuckled, glancing down to the child in question, moving her hand to brush through her unruly curls for a moment.

Eventually, she stood, reluctantly pulling herself from the warmth of the bed and making sure to cover Tala with the rest of the blanket, before moving across to the table where he sat.

Her gaze wandered over the shaving equipment he had laid out, fingers trailing over the surface of the table. "Are you really gonna get rid of it?" She asked finally, breaking the momentary silence and bringing her gaze up to his as she stood just in front of him besides the outside of his knee. The corner of her lips pulled into a faint but playful smile, and the hand on the table reached up to scratch lightly at the rough hair on his cheek, "Think you should at least keep some stubble... make you look a bit rugged that way."
 
"I could take her out with me, yeah. Guess... I guess it'd be worthwhile to let 'em see her, an' get her feeling more comfortable out amongst them, yeah. Plus I could introduce her to the twins, so she 'as a little familiarity with 'em before they babysit later on. Be unfair to just hand her over to them an' her not knowing who they are," he admitted in agreement as he quietly set up the small standing mirror in preparation of the shave - and the haircut he also had some plans to give himself. It would hardly be anything dramatic, a little cutting of the length he had allowed to grow, but even the little change was beneficial.

He didn't mind the new look, but he knew he had changed the appearance so much in order to distance himself from the person he had been when Luana left; to change aspects of his aesthetic to aid the emotional detachment from who he had once been. It wasn't necessarily a conscious decision but hindsight allowed him to recognise the unconscious behaviours he had adopted in the effort to move on from Luana and the hurt that arose whenever he thought about her during those two years.

Doing something as simple as letting his hair grow more than he was ordinarily used to hadn't suddenly erased that pain but it helped him feel like he was someone different; someone who had moved beyond the person that had been (in his eyes) abandoned unfairly by his mate.

Now he had her back, now he was entirely confident of their union remaining strong and connected, he didn't need to feel like someone else when he was happy with who he was. Some changes to his behaviour would have to continue to be worked on, but he didn't want to detach himself; he wanted to admit the flaws he had and work actively on correcting them, rather than distancing himself entirely from them.

As small as it was, the proposed change to his appearance was a greater deal to him than he perhaps let on, given what it symbolised: a promise to stay true to his words of working on who he was, of fighting for what he cared about, rather than stubbornly distance himself at any given opportunity.

"...I guess I could leave a little stubble. Who am I t' not give 'ya what you want, huh? I didn't know you were that into the rugged look, but... yeah, I'll keep a slither of it going for 'ya," he grinned as he lifted his eyes to meet her own, the teasing nature of his remarks and how easily they had drifted back into that playfulness only confirming that the morning continued the enjoyable energy from the night before. Granted, it might become undercut by emotions resulting from the intervention with Anders... but he was determined not to let it, or anything else for that matter, affect what he and Luana had.

Especially now they had both worked hard to get back to this point.

"We'll come an' meet you and Ronan in half an hour; forty minutes at the most. It shouldn't take too long for the cooks to whip up some oatmeal an' berries, really. Just, uh-- spend that time making sure Ronan's alright. Poor guy's going through it right now, huh?"
 
Nodding in agreement to what he said about Tala and giving her the opportunity to see the twins before being left with them later that day, Luana remained at the table, not all to eager to leave his presence after the evening they had shared together with Tala. She briefly wondered what it would have been like if they were just two normal people, not necessarily human, but just not alphas. Would they be this worried about what the pack thought of them? Would they be sneaking around as if their bond was forbidden?

She shook her head at herself, briefly amused with the drama in her mind, before glancing back to him, having allowed her gaze to wander onto the shaving equipment laid out on the table. She reached her hand to brush her finger tips over the handle of the razor, wondering what it would be like to do it for him. To be so close and engaged in his personal space again to a point where she would feel his breath fluttering across her face and him trusting her with the sharp blade.

Her cheeks momentarily warmed at that next intimate (yet still dramatic) thought that crossed her imagination, clearing her throat and pulling her hand away from the razor.

"Who says I am? Maybe I just wanna see it on you first, maybe I don't want my mate lookin' like a... what did you say? Twelve year old." She smirked back, giving him her attention once more as the pink of her cheeks began to fade, "Or maybe I really do love tha' kinda rugged look an' will have to restrain myself from jumpin' your bones when I see it on you." She finished her teasing, reaching out next to brush her fingers through his lengthened hair.

It seemed as though they had both attempted to change their physical appearance for the same reasons during the past two years. With Luana's shortened locks now cut around her jawline, she had chosen to do so in an attempt to signal her new life as a werewolf. A proper werewolf, and a worthy mate. Not the little weakling she believed herself to be when she had left Tate.

"Yeah, 'course. I... you'll let me know how it goes this mornin', yeah? With Anders an' all?"
 
"You really gotta stop teasin' me like this, Lu. It's fuckin' torture not being able to do anything about it," the fellow alpha finally responded, after a few seconds of silence whereby he flushed red at the unsubtlety of his mate's words. They weren't subtle insinuations hinting towards what she might want to do with him; they were abundantly clear at that made it all the more difficult to brush them aside when, frankly, he wanted nothing more than to properly reunite with his mate in that physical capacity.

His reluctance to do so was in no way because of Leah and the pack. He wanted to ensure the former went through no more hurt and he knew the latter's anger would intensify if they knew that Tate had been intimate with Luana (and, in their eyes, venturing further away from what they expected of him). The pack would come around in time, that much he was certain of, but he wasn't going to go out of his way to appease them if it meant restricting himself from Luana in any way.

He wanted to be with her and he wasn't going to always hide that affection, especially in the privacy of his home where what he got up to was of no concern to anyone else. They could be angry with Luana - but that wasn't going to influence his choice to hold her, to kiss her, if they so chose to embark on that intimacy together.

No, his reluctance came from Tala sleeping peacefully nearby. With the unsubtlety of Luana's teasing, he couldn't even bring himself to initiate a kiss in knowing that the innate part of him that yearned to be with his mate would be impossible to silence. As difficult as it was to ignore the calls to pull Luana close, he restricted the urge - but if Tala hadn't been curled up amongst the blankets, there was no doubt in his mind that that more physical of reunions would have been set into motion.

"Hm? Oh yeah, course I'll let 'ya know. We'll head off on the hunt straight after seeing t' Anders anyway so I'll catch you up then," he agreed after bringing himself back from his own thoughts, offering a quick smile before focusing his attention on the mirror to start the shave. "I'm sure it'll be alright though; with Anders, I mean. We'll figure out what's wrong with 'im, Lu. Don't worry."
 
Luana bit her lower lip at his words and immediately lowered her gaze, feeling the faint beginnings of guilt at his words. She knew it was cruel to speak in such a way, as if they had total freedom to do as they wished whenever they wished to do it. It was just something that she couldn't help but say, the comment feeling natural and easy during their playful banter. She also enjoyed the flush that had appeared on his cheeks; the fact that she and her words had drawn such a reaction from her mate. But that was before the slight guilt at making him feel as though it were 'torture'.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, smiling sheepishly, "I ain't meanin' to make it harder... s'just... nice... havin' us both like this, y'know? Besides... two years is a long time. I... s'goin' be hard work keepin' my hands at my side when we're together, let's leave it a that." She continued, the pink of her cheeks now also darkening to red to match his.

Just as Tate felt, Luana wanted nothing more than to be with her mate in every possible way now that she knew that he still loved her, wanted her, and that they were pledging to try again with their relationship. Being as close as she was to him, with his knee occasionally grazing hers where she stood leaning against the table opposite him, his scent almost blinding her to everything else around them... she knew she would have to leave soon if she were to continue ignoring that innate side that urged her to reacquaint herself with Tate in every possible way.

However, it was hardly appropriate with Tala sleeping in the bed just yards away, not to mention all the issues within the pack and how they would react the moment they smelt her on his skin. Perhaps she was already faintly staining his clothes, and that would be enough to catch their attention... or maybe Tala, and the distinct scent of the pup would throw them off course for now.

Bringing herself back to focus on Tate and his talk of Anders, Luana nodded and a faint, grateful smile appeared on her expression, "Alright darlin'," she murmured, pushing herself away from the edge of the table, uncertain of what else to say due to her anxiety about the event with Anders. She wasn't about to tell him to take it easy on the younger brother, knowing that he would already. The words were unnecessary, and she didn't want him to think she was doubting him.

"I'll see you back at the hut for breakfast... careful now, with that thing... Otherwise I'm sure Dase'll be teasin' you about you cuttin' yourself while shavin' like a twelve yaer old you think you'll look like." She teased one last time, smiling. She then stepped forward to gently press her lips against the top of his head, and lingered there for a moment, gathering the strength to pull away and head for the door, which she eventually did.
 
"I know, don't go worryin' - I understand exactly how this is 'cos... there ain't nothing more I want than for us to reconnect properly. Timing just has to be right, y'know? If we ain't got Tala at our side, then there's inevitably gonna be somethin' else needing our attention, so until we find the time, it's just... gonna be difficult," he shrugged, feigning casualness over their predicament. He was almost certain that the attempt at playing cool, at acting as though he could be that patient, was completely transparent, but he didn't think it appropriate to admit just how badly he wanted to complete their decision to reunite.

He had no qualms in showering her with such compliments and making his desire for her completely apparent... but he also didn't want to encourage her guilt to grow. The only reason currently stopping them from embarking on fulfilling such desires was to avoid the pack's acrimonious feelings from growing stronger - and they would only intensify if they felt like Tate was rushing forward at an unjustly quick pace, so soon after abandoning his relationship with Leah.

That was the sole reason for taking things at a slower pace, irrespective of the urges he shared with Luana. They had both agreed to take things slower than they might desire them to be for the sake of Leah and, thus, the pack.

Continually referencing how eager he was to be with her would only cement the guilt he was sure Luana still felt over the situation. If he had to pretend that he was fine and unbothered by having to potentially wait a few weeks to spare Luana feeling any more guilty than she already did, then he would gladly and willingly do that.

However difficult it was to waive aside the playful teases or the urge he often had to pull her close and allow her scent to wash over him.

Or when she called him 'darlin'', the pet name making his cheeks grow a little pink. It had been a while since he last heard her refer to him as that, and though he knew the word would always hold a special place in his heart, the warmth it brought him did momentarily render him silent, not quite anticipating the effect it would have on him.

Hence, he was late to respond to her parting words, offering a flustered smile upon realising how long he had fallen quiet for.

"I, uh-- yeah, I'll be fine. Not my first time shaving," he snorted as he bit the inside of his cheek as subtly as he could, focusing his attention on that effort rather than on the kiss which only served to compound the desirousness for her. It was why he couldn't be too irritated by her exit, knowing the half an hour or so it would take before breakfast was ready would be beneficial to bringing some calm back to his mind.
 
It was incredibly quiet when Luana stepped out from Tate's hut, almost eerie, with no one awake yet apart from the two mates. The fire pit in the distance held no ember, given the wet weather the evening and night before, and Luana even hesitated on her way back to the hut, considering whether or not she ought to try and find some firewood before those who made breakfast got up. The earth was soft, muddy in some places, causing Luana's foot to slip once or twice on her hurry back to her quarters. She tried not to linger too much on the memories of the night before, with them all cuddled up in bed together, the rain pattering against the window and Tate telling Tala the story she requested.

While it filled her with warmth, it was bittersweet, considering she didn't know for certain when they would be able to have such evenings without having to sneak around. She knew to have patience, but after a glimpse into their potential future, all she wanted as her mate. Not to mention Tala. It was painful to watch Teddy have to keep quiet about her fathers. She wasn't sure how long she could watch her daughter do the same.

When she got back to the hut, she found Ronan still asleep, and it remained that way until the camp began to come alive outside. With no Tala to distract her and no Ronan to talk to, Luana found herself at a loss on what to do. Too awake now to go back to sleep, but incapable of participating in the daily chores with the camp without her help being refused, all she could do was busy herself with mending a pair of Tala's trousers, which sported a hole at the knee where the pup had clearly fallen over the once.

Ronan, having slowly come around from the depths of sleep at the abrupt clattering of a pot of some kind outside, remained quiet and still for a moment as he remembered what the day would bring. He kept his head buried under the bedsheets, worrying over what would happen and Anders. Just Anders in general.

His mate's behaviour was anxiety-inducing, and he just wanted to know that he was okay, and what his explanation was for such behaviours that had been noticed by his family.

Reluctantly, with a heavy sigh, he pushed himself up and rolled over, sitting up to see Luana sat cross-legged by the fire, back against the front of one of the armchairs, mending the trousers. The young woman only looked up at the sound of the bed creaking, smiling softly but not saying anything, understanding that he probably needed some time to just come to terms with waking up. Ronan shuffled across to the armchair beside the fire opposite her and collapsed into it, running a hand through his hair and then rubbing his eyes.

"You smell like the both of 'em." He yawned eventually, causing her to pause and look up at her friend.

"Well, it's his hut, he had Tala... what'd'ya expect me to smell like?" She questioned in return, shrugging nonchalantly.

Ronan raised an eyebrow, "Y'know what I mean, Lu. You stayed the night there, didn't you?"

"...It was just nice to feel like a family, Row... I... wanted..." She fumbled for an explanation, feeling herself becoming hotter and hotter in her panic to find the right words.

"Lu... you don't need to explain yourself to me... he's your mate. He's what you want. She's your pup... 'course you wanted to be there." He smiled quietly back to her when she did, "Just... just be careful, a'ight? I... I don't want none of you to get hurt."
 
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As eager as Tate might have been to share as much of the morning as he could with his daughter before their time together was first cut by the intervention with Anders and then later by the need to head off on a hunt. He knew, deep down, that he had years of time with Tala ahead of him, but that rational thought could do little to entirely reassure him when he had missed out on two years with the pup and desperately wanted to make up for that lost time.

Just having her present in the peacefulness of his hut was a moment he would cherish, the alpha sneaking glances across to the toddler as she slumbered amongst the blankets, but he wanted to spend time playing with her; to be the one on hand to help her learn and develop new skills. He had missed out on so many 'firsts' so the idea of someone else being the first to teach her to swim or the first to take her out on a hunt terrified him, even if such moments were, no doubt, set for the future and nowhere near happening just yet.

He just wanted to be a part of her life - though disturbing her sleep to make some memories with her, however irked he was at the little time he would spend with her that morning, wasn't feasible. She needed her sleep before the ruckus of the usual morning duties from his pack began to commence - he didn't exactly want a grumpy, sleep-deprived toddler to contend with for the remainder of the day, after all.

And he highly doubted the twins would be particularly grateful for the first opportunity to bond with their niece being impacted by that either.

It was why he waited for her to wake up naturally and unprompted before proceeding with the morning routine, eventually culminating in him carrying his daughter down (as carefully as he could given the treacherousness of the mud beneath his feet) towards the hit that had, for the time being, been claimed by Luana and Ronan. He hoped it would be a place for Anders to move into when the pack learnt of his relationship; a home for the family he was keeping in dark from the majority of the camp.

But he knew that decision was out of his hands so wasting time dwelling on the unfairness of it was useless.

With Tala in his arm and his other hand holding Teddy's, the duty of bringing along the breakfasts fell to the twins who he had finally introduced properly to their niece. Granted, Lyle was overjoyed at the chance to see Tala and get to know her - but he wasn't entirely fond of the idea of spending time with the pup's mother when things between them remained frosty after the brutal exchange of words days prior. Thus, the man entered the hut after Tate with an unsubtle show of dissatisfaction, albeit almost petulant in its sulkiness.

Despite everyone tending to think that he and Chester were always on the same page, the topic of Luana had driven a momentary wedge. Not one that would last long or ruin the bond they shared, but enough to cause a few bickers. As close as they were and always had been, they weren't one person who constantly felt and thought the same despite sharing some similar traits. Lyle was more difficult over the issue with Luana, more stubborn, while Chester seemed to be more understanding.

He awkwardly hesitated near the front door with his arms folded over his chest, his frown fixed on his face. "I ain't hungry, you all just... tuck in, I'll just stand 'ere."

"You really gonna be stubborn? I ain't havin' you ruin the moment with Anders if your stomach starts growling, Lyle. Sit down an' have some food, quit being an ass." Tate interjected with a roll of his eyes, having taking to a seat at the table. He ran a hand over his jaw for a moment, no longer bearded but partially stubbled, before prompting the other forward expectantly. "Seriously, the grub'll be gone if you don't take your share. Tala knows breakfast's the most important meal of the day an' she's 2. You're a grown man."

Lyle grimaced at the teasing words, knowing the cutting tone lingering beneath them was too unsubtle to feign ignorance over. With a glance to his twin, he hesitated a moment further before moving to the table, unable to stop himself glancing to Luana as he neared.

"This your hut now then?" He murmured under his breath to avoid the toddlers hearing him, stirring the spoon through the oats to give his eyes something else to focus on. "You don't wanna move back to Tate's hut with him?"
 
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As soon as Tala and Teddy entered the room, a smile graced the faces of both Luana and Ronan. However, at the sight of the twins, only the former crouched down to welcome their daughter into their arms. With Chester and Lyle still unaware of Ronan's relationship to Anders and therefore to Teddy, he was forced to simply smile to all, even if it did become slightly tighter with that realisation.

He moved to sit down at the table, followed hesitantly by Luana who held Tala at her hip and then moved her to her own chair once she had sat down. She kept her eyes averted from Lyle, given his continued frostiness and his blatant lack of want to even get close to her. Instead, she focused on Chester, who seemed to offer her at least a glimmer of hope that their relationship could get back on track.

She listened to Tala as she told Luana all about her two new uncles that she met that morning, and that they were going to be looking after her that afternoon. The toddler continued to natter on excitedly, only stopping at times when Luana had to remind her to keep eating her breakfast.

Ronan kept to himself, and bit his tongue. He knew he would have to behave himself in front of the twins if he wanted to keep his place at Anders' intervention that morning. Even if he didn't particularly want Luana to face any cutting comments by herself. He would defend his alpha in any form that was needed, including verbal if necessary. But he couldn't risk causing any further friction or anger. Luana had already warned him against doing so.

Luana looked up at Lyle's question, hands carefully holding Tala's bowl so the child could scoop her oatmeal onto her spoon herself. She was caught unsure of how to answer, not certain what would be the right response in that moment. Her eyes moved to Tate, clearly seeking guidance on how best to deal with Lyle. She had promised to give his brothers a chance, and truthfully did want to reconnect, she was tired of all the fighting, and just wanted it to end.

"...I'm just... happy to have what I've been given, Lyle. I ain't about to push my luck with things." She eventually murmured back, moving her gaze back to Tala since Lyle wasn't wanting to look at her. "Besides... it wouldn't be right... not with... y'know..."
 
"Not with what? Oh-- right, yeah. The fact he just dumped Leah an' left her crying her heart out all day just so he can go fishin'. Got it. Say no more," retorted Lyle with a roll of his eyes. He hadn't intended on entering the hut with the attitude, nor the judgement that accompanied it; not when his brother had furiously demanded that he and Chester be on their best behaviour, but he couldn't help making a dig when Luana deserved it.

...Or, at least, he thought she did, but the guilt that nagged at him the moment the words left his lips caused him to groan in annoyance at himself. He had no problems shouting abhorrent, unkind things to her during her initial return to the pack, when emotions were running high and it was almost justified to get everything off his chest in that moment... but that had been a couple of days ago now.

Now he had the story regarding her prolonged absence. Now he had met and interacted with Tala, however briefly.

Now he had more of an understanding why she had made the choices she had, and who she had primarily made them for.

He couldn't continue to snap at her as though she was as guilty as he once thought she had been. He wasn't particularly ready to wrap an arm around her shoulder and tease her rotten like he had done two years ago, that trust had to be rebuilt, but there was no need to make things more difficult than they had to be.

"Sorry. You don't... deserve tha', I'm sorry. You should move back with him soon, you're his mate an'... there ain't no disputing that fact, is there? So do what you want, Lu, I ain't gonna... be mad at 'ya for making your own choices, I guess," he shrugged in apology, the awkwardness obvious but the words themselves sincere - and for someone who rarely showed that sincerity, masking everything with humour and brashness, it was a surprising moment. One that caught Tate off guard, the alpha's brow arched in direction of his brother as though he was about to crack a grin and take back each word.

Lyle didn't do that, of course. Rather, he shrugged again and took a bite of his oatmeal to give himself an excuse not to talk or reply to anything for a moment. As he ate, his eyes drifted across to Ronan in recognition of what Tate had also said - that Ronan was going to be present for the intervention and not to question that decision, however odd it might appear to be when he was (Lyle thought) just a stranger to his little brother.

But it didn't take long to examine Ronan's behaviour and make a connection - Lyle was, after all, far more observant than anyone gave him credit for. He was a comic, but that didn't mean he wasn't smart, observant and far more aware of goings on around the pack than most people.

"An' Ronan's coming in the hut with us, then? Even though he an' Anders barely know each other?" He began calmly, his words mostly a test and to provide himself with some entertainment as he watched Tate flounder for the appropriately vague answer that didn't give anything away.

"...He's neutral, ain't he? He'll help reel us in if we get too, uh... passionate or... whatever. It'll be handy to 'ave a friend there."

"Right. Okay. An' that's the truth, is it?" Lyle countered with a knowing grin, one perhaps more characteristic of the joker personality he was best known for in the pack. "Cos I know that's a pile of steaming bullshi-- tha's a lie, ain't it? But hey, continue lyin' and denyin' that this guy is Anders' lover. Chester an' I don't mind you lot squirming for excuses. I's pretty funny, gotta be honest."
 
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