4
DAYNE
"Dayne, I'm not sure this is the best idea."
Dayne didn't pause as he continued to stuff clothes into a duffel bag.
In went a couple of t-shirts and jeans, and that was all he needed. Mostly, he filled the bag with clothes for Talis.
He'd started with the underwear drawer and had spent far too long imagining her both in and out of them.
Then he'd spent an equal amount of time appreciating how Talis didn't wear bras, since it seemed Savannah had bought her ones that were too small.
Not that Dayne was complaining.
Her breasts were incredible, beautiful with kissable rosy pink nipples. They were much larger than her slender frame suggested, and she was very sensitive to his touching them.
When he'd stroked them and taken them into his mouth in the bathroom, within seconds she'd been clutching at him and making the hungriest sounds he'd ever heard anyone make.
So, all his plans on going slow, on taking his time and exploring every inch of her with his mouth had gone right out the window.
He'd needed to be inside her with an urgency he'd never known before.
Well, I wouldn't say never.
That night Dayne had caught her running, and he'd known if he didn't stop finger fucking her, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from taking her on the forest floor, so he'd pulled away.
He'd thought he'd stopped himself just in time.
But then she'd gazed up at him, struggling to catch her breath, her eyes had gone to his cock and when he'd seen the hunger in them…
Well, all he could say was it'd been a good thing the delicious scent of her arousal had faded.
Only to be replaced with fear, he remembered, frowning. Which hadn't been what he'd wanted.
His intention hadn't been to put fear in her eyes, but for her to stop peering up at him like that when he knew she couldn't handle the violence of his need.
But he'd been wrong. Fucking her over the bathroom sink proved beyond any doubt she could take all he could give her.
The feel of her coming all over his cock, and her pussy clutching him tight had nearly pushed him right over the edge. If he hadn't stopped after the first thrust, it would have been over before it'd even started.
And when she'd ordered him to move? If he'd thought he couldn't get any harder before, hearing the alpha in her voice had proved otherwise.
Dayne had no idea how long he stood in front of the dresser with Talis' underwear in his hand. Probably looking like some kind of creep.
Then Luka was knocking, and he was shoving a random handful of panties into the bottom of the duffel before calling his beta in.
"So, you're saying to leave her, then? You think leaving my pregnant mate with Glynn is a better idea?" His tone was mild as he returned to the dresser and rifled through the contents, picking out the clothes he'd seen Talis wear. The ones she seemed to like the best.
"No, no, that's…" Luka's voice trailed off, and he sighed.
At the sight of Luka's obvious concern, Dayne felt the heat of his anger lessen. How could he be angry at Luka when he was only thinking about Talis?
"We'll stay in a rented house not too far, but not too close either," Dayne said, returning to folding.
While his clothes had gone in any which way, he carefully folded Talis' clothes before placing them in the bag. "And we'll arrive late, so we look like we're a group arriving for a weekend."
He imagined Glynn Merrick and his Beta had done something similar so they wouldn't attract suspicion, especially in a town as small as Hardin.
But when he thought about Talis' trip to the grocery store that early Friday morning, he slowed his folding.
Had Glynn and Abel been in town then?
God, Talis would have just disappeared and the first thing Dayne would have thought was that she'd run again despite Regan's insistence Talis had gone to the grocery store.
And when she didn't come back? What would he have done?
How many hours would've been wasted before he realized Glynn had dragged her back to Dawley?
Too fucking many.
Shaking off the thought, Dayne resumed packing.
He'd hoped to have a concrete plan before they got to Dawley, but talking with Luka had only made him realize there was no way to get Talis back without at least some blood being spilled.
There were going to be casualties on both sides, no matter which way he looked at it. So, Dayne would need to do what he could to protect the weakest among them.
Fortunately, the preparations were minimal. He'd have Luka make a few calls, and the only other thing he wanted to check, they could do on the drive out of Hardin.
"What if he sends a note here, and none of us are here to get it?" Luka asked.
"We have the post office send our mail to Jenna," he replied as he zipped up the heaving duffel.
"Jenna?"
"Yes, Jenna. She'll be staying at her house in town. And she can call us and tell us what it says."
"And you think it's a good idea to leave Jenna alone? Unprotected?"
"I'd say it's a damn sight better than taking a submissive wolf anywhere near Glynn Merrick. Or did you not hear the rumors about the things he did to Talis?" Dayne snarled.
Luka immediately showed his throat as he reacted to the alpha in his voice.
But his beta wasn't the only one to go silent.
Downstairs in the den, the pack who he'd left talking among themselves several minutes earlier fell silent.
It was rare for him to snap at Luka the way he had, so when he did, it always drew attention from the rest of the pack.
"Look, Luka, I get your concern, but this is my call. This is what we're doing."
"Yes, Alpha," Luka said.
Dayne tossed a pillow at him. "I've told you not to call me that. I'm not Owen, and I'm not Glynn."
Their former alpha had craved the title much as Glynn Merrick did, and the comparison between the two made Dayne aware of how dangerous Glynn could prove to be. He had to be stopped. And soon.
Luka turned to leave, but just before he opened the door, Dayne spoke.
"And I said nothing about leaving Jenna alone."
Luka paused with his back to him, and Dayne felt the pack listening as well.
"Marshall will be with her. And I think, as my third, he should be able to do a pretty good job of defending her. Don't you?"
Luka's shoulders slumped in relief, and after nodding, he opened the door.
But Dayne stopped him again. "And next time, Luka, don't doubt me. I would give my life for this pack. I have given my life for this pack."
At his words, Luka turned. "Which we all know. None of us will ever forget."
Hearing the belief in Luka's voice, Dayne nodded. "Good. Get calling about a rental. You're smart enough to figure out what will work best for our needs. I want to leave as soon as possible.
"I'll get preparations made. We should be ready to leave in a few hours."
When Dayne nodded, Luka slipped out and closed the door behind him.
Luka was good, he was efficient, and he was smart. He'd find the best house for them to rent, and he'd think of details Dayne didn't have time to consider.
It was why he was beta.
Then Dayne remembered the gray sweater Talis had worn when he'd taken her up to the mountain to see the Rockies. The day he'd made her cry with happiness.
He'd seen her wear it several times, yet he hadn't found it in any of her drawers.
She'd appreciate it, he thought, as he headed for the closet.
It was better than thinking of what might be happening in the Merrick pack.
Or rather, what Glynn might be doing to her, especially with his current state of mind. He was already snapping at his beta for voicing a concern it was his job to bring up.
Dayne was well aware he was already balancing on the edge of his control, and he couldn't afford to slip off and lose it.
Not when Talis and his pack needed him to be strong. Needed him to be smart. Needed him to be alpha.