TALIS
The sound of a muffled argument from right outside my door wakes me.
It sounds like it's the whole pack having a whispered argument that Luka keeps shushing, which has me rising from the bed and grabbing one of Dayne's t-shirts before padding to the door.
After I pull the door open, I stare at the pack frantically whispering to each other in the hallway.
"Uh, is everything okay?"
Regan throws herself at me, and I stumble back into the bedroom from the force of her hug.
"Uh?"
"You're okay," Regan murmurs with her face pressed against my neck. "Dayne said to let you sleep, but I just wanted to know you were okay, and you are." She peels her face away and studies me closely. "You don't look as bruised as you did before."
"Thanks?" I mutter. "Now, what's going on, and where is Dayne?"
But when everyone goes silent, I realize something has happened.
"What?" My stomach tightens with tension. Something is wrong. Something has happened, and it has to do with Dayne. "What is it? Tell me?"
Should I sit down? I'm thinking I should sit down because if anything has happened to Dayne right after I've realized I've fallen in love with him, I don't think I can handle it.
I start looking for somewhere to sit.
"He went after the wolf who was outside my cabin." The quiet voice surprises me, and I jerk my head up, trying to catch sight of Savannah.
Since I didn't see her in the doorway when I woke after Dayne saved me, I'd guessed she'd stayed in Hardin with Marshall and Jenna, only Dayne had forgotten to tell me when we were eating dinner.
I catch the briefest glimpse of golden blonde hair hidden somewhere behind Luka, and I turn to him in exasperation.
"For the love of God, Luka, I'm not going to hurt her. Get out of the way already," I snap.
He hesitates, and I growl in annoyance.
He gets out of the way.
The second my gaze lands on Savannah, I prepare for my wolf's reaction, and from the sudden tension I feel from everyone else, they're expecting a repeat of last time's performance.
But, when nothing happens, there's a visible sigh of relief. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened before. I think my wolf and I have come to an understanding now," I say.
Then I wince as Savannah sucks in a breath when my wolf is suddenly staring out of my eyes. And at the same time, I hear a vicious growl deep inside me.
Seriously? After I was straight up tortured, now you make an appearance to defend your honor?
My wolf goes silent with surprise.
"Yeah. Sorry about that. I guess there's still some work I need to do. Once she stops seeing you as a threat, I'm sure things will be better."
"Why would your wolf view Savannah as a threat?" Regan asks.
"Because of their history, I guess." I shrug, making my way to the duffel on top of the dresser, and start rummaging around for some pants.
"But they were practically family. Raised like brother and sister," Luka says.
I pause as I stare into the bag.
Dayne has packed every single item of clothing I've liked the best, and he's folded everything so neatly, I didn't believe a man was capable of it.
Which is super sexist of me, I know, but coming from the Merrick pack and the slobs I had to deal with there, I don't think anyone can blame me.
Then it hits me what Luka just said.
I swing around to face him as I remember his confusion about why I would think anything had ever happened between Savannah and Dayne. "Are you telling me what I think you're telling me?"
But it isn't Luka who answers me, it's Savannah. "Dayne didn't tell you."
I frown. "Dayne doesn't tell me anything."
She clears her throat. "So, you thought Dayne and I…"
"Yes, I thought that of you and Dayne. He didn't even tell me the clothes in the dresser were mine. Thanks, by the way. Anyway, for days he had me thinking they belonged to an ex-girlfriend or current girlfriend, or whatever. Then when he did tell me he expected me to fall over myself in gratitude," I grumble, as I grab a pair of pants at random and shove one leg in.
"Why wouldn't he tell you?" Hallee asks, looking more confused than Luka.
I take a second to admire her perfect French braid before I answer.
"Because he's a man," I snap, feeling myself getting pissed off all over again.
To think that all this time I was blaming myself for everything.
I don't deny some of the blame doesn't land with me. But if Dayne had just told me who Savannah was right from the start, I doubt my wolf would have been so determined to rip her throat out.
"Where is he, anyway? I think it's long past time I called him out for it."
At my question, there's a heavy silence and I look up once I've finished shoving my other leg in my jeans.
When I take in the expressions on the pack's faces, a mix of worry, fear, and anxiety, I get a bad feeling.
"What? What happened?"
Then I remember what Savannah said earlier before I let myself get distracted. "You said he went after the wolf from outside your cabin," I say, with my mouth gone dry.
I don't have to guess who that wolf is, nor why Dayne would choose to go after him alone like that.
Abel.
And I just told Dayne everything Abel tried to do-and ever did to me since I was eight.
I told him it was Abel who pinned me down and cut off the tip of my finger.
Although I didn't tell him why I was attacking Abel when he turned up to save me, I think he could probably guess what triggered it.
I know exactly why Dayne went after him.
I back up because my legs have gone unsteady and sink to the edge of the bed, my gaze on the floor.
"Oh, this is bad," I murmur, raising my hand to my forehead. "This is really bad."
"Talis, what is it?" Luka squats in front of me and places a hand on my knee. "Tell me."
I meet his gaze. "I told him everything, Luka. Dayne isn't going to be thinking of anything except ripping out Abel's throat. He's not going to be looking for traps or tricks. He's not going to be-" I stop as a thought occurs to me.
"Talis?" Luka prompts when I fall silent.
"Abel would never do anything like this without being ordered to by Uncle Glynn. Dayne is running into a trap." I jerk to my feet, and instantly the world tips.
It's only when Luka steadies me that I realize how close I came to falling. "Hey, sit down. It's okay. You don't have to worry about anything, the rest of us-"
I glare Luka into silence. "No. You are not going after Dayne. Not alone."
"Talis," Regan says, looking anxious, "you're pregnant. He just got you back from that place. If anything were to happen to you, Dayne would never forgive us or himself. You can't."
I step away from Luka, so I'm standing on my own two feet.
One by one, I meet each one of their gazes starting with Luka, then Savannah, Regan, Hallee, Dean, Gavin who I still don't know super well, and finally Nathan who I don't remember seeing until now.
"None of you are going anywhere without me. Because in Dayne's absence, I am alpha. Which means I'm in charge."
You could hear a pin drop in the room after my words, but no one disputes them.
And then, just as I'm feeling like I've got this, that I can be the confident takes no bullshit alpha, I feel a flutter in my stomach.
"Shit," I mutter.
The pack blink at me in confusion.
Regan edges closer while Luka takes one look in my face and I swear he knows what's about to happen. "Uh, Talis maybe you should-"
"Wait for me downstairs," I blurt as I start backing into the bathroom. "And don't you dare go anywhere without me. Give me five minutes." I turn around, then I stop. "Uh, better make it twenty."
"But where are you-" It sounds like Regan is following me.
"Downstairs," I snap, and then I slam the door in her face and rush to the toilet.
"Uh, Talis?" Savannah calls from right outside the door.
I bet they'd listen to Dayne straight away.
"Are you okay-"
The sound of me throwing up drowns out the rest of her words.