Watch The Dark
fifteen

Talon's P.O.V

He hadn't slept in three days. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the face of his Beta coming towards him and telling him that Tana was gone. That no one could trace her scent. That she had escaped.

Escaped. How ridiculous. He loved Tana. She wasn't a prisoner. He knew that she loved him, too. She just needed help to realize that. Any tear she had shed had been her own fault. Lover or not, she was one of his warriors. He was her alpha and she continuously disrespected him. What kind of alpha would he be if he had let her go unpunished? There would be a riot! He had wolves to keep in line. She knew that, too.

"Alpha Talon?"

Talon's head whipped around, meeting the gaze of Winston, his Beta. The male looked absolutely terrified. Which was good for Talon, but also bad because it meant that he wasn't there to tell him something good.

"What?" Talon growled, turning around in his chair to face him fully and watch the terror increase on Winston's face.

"Our scouts have come back. They said that they saw Tana in the Dark Wolves' pack house,"

"We already knew that. I don't need old information,"

"They saw her in the pack house with Declan Rainer. He...he marked her, Alpha," Winston said. Talon let out a growl that shook the room, standing up almost instantly.

"He did what?" He snarled, slamming his fists into his desk. It was one thing to take what was his, but to mark her? Who the hell did that son-of-a-bitch think he was?

"He just thinks he can take what is mine?" Talon growled, grabbing the closest object, which happened to be a half-empty glass of whiskey, and hurled it at the wall above Winston's head. When Winston flinched, Talon let out a low chuckle and shook his head.

"I think it's time we send Declan a little message, don't you? He needs to understand what happens when he messes with what belongs to me."

***

Tana's P.O.V

That day, Tana needed to be around her brothers so that she would stop thinking about Declan. Whenever she was near him it felt like her body was on fire. And if she hadn't had the impulse control that she had, she would have jumped him within the first ten minutes of being marked. And she knew, for a fact, that she wasn't ready for that. Not yet.

"You saucy bitch. 'Oh, I don't want to be marked, I'm all cool and broody so I'm gonna go be a lone wolf' that's you, by the way," Tuk huffed. They had brought a large blanket outside so that they could sit in the field without getting bitten by bugs. Tana was leaning against Alec in the way they used to as children.

"It just happened. Shut up, Tuk. You'll stop talking once you replace your mate," she huffed indignantly. Tuk rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her.

"You two are still impossible," Alec snorted, dividing Tana's hair so that he could start braiding it. Another thing they had always done since they were little.

"Mostly Tana. She's so protective," Tuk replied. Tana punched him in the shoulder and let out a snort.

"Fine. I'll beat the shit out of you myself," Tana hissed, moving to kick him only to be yanked back by Alec, who was still trying to braid her hair.

Tana sighed and turned her attention elsewhere. Further out in the meadow, close to the forest, Sincere and another pup who looked around her age were collecting flowers and putting them in a small basket beside them. They both began giggling at something, which brought a slight, slight smile to Tana's face.

But as she looked at Sincere, she began noticing something else very close to her. Three pairs of eyes were peeking out of the thick brush, three pairs of eyes that didn't look like they quite belonged.

Alec had finished braiding her hair and was now laying down next to Tana, who remained upright and kept her focus on the eyes.

When they emerged, Tana shot up and let out a low growl. They were partially shifted Blood Wolves. Their claws and fangs were out and their eyes were wolf-like, and they were all rushing towards Sincere and her friend, who hadn't noticed them quick enough.

"Sincere!" Tana screamed. She took off towards her cousin, running faster than she had ever run before, letting out a loud warning growl that did nothing to deter the wolves.

Alec and Tuk stumbled behind her, clearly not yet processing the entire ordeal.

Tana growled again and just as one of the wolves was about to swipe at Sincere, she bowled into him and sent both of them crashing to the ground a few meters away. Tuk, close behind, scooped Sincere into his arms and Alec grabbed her friend, hurrying to bring them back to the pack house while more warriors were being alerted.

"That's not a nice way to greet your old friends, Tana," one of them, who she knew as Trent, drawled with a wicked grin on his face.

"Get the fuck out of here and tell Talon to go fuck himself," Tana snarled, slamming her elbow into his throat and then kneeing him in the chest to get him to the ground. She then grabbed him by the hair, preparing to smash him to the ground, when the other two warriors yanked her off and restrained her by the arms. One of them held a gleaming silver blade dangerously close to Tana's throat.

And that's when Declan skidded to a halt in front of them all. He had five warriors behind him, but ordered them all to freeze when the dagger was pressed closer into Tana's neck.

"You took something from our alpha, and he wants it back, Declan," one of them said, brushing his hand against her mark, which drew a warning snarl from Declan. The action made Tana want to throw up.

"We left a few wolves in the woods for you. Talon wants war, pretty boy, unless you give Tana back to him,” He drawled, pressing the dagger into Tana’s throat, drawing a thin line of blood.

“Then tell him that we’re going to war,” Declan snarled back.

There was no fear in his eyes. Just pure, unbridled anger blazing hotter than a flame flashing in his eyes.

The warriors smirked and released Tana, throwing her roughly to the ground.

“Get them,” Declan growled to his warriors, who took off running after the Blood Wolves as they raced for the woods.

Declan dropped to his knees next to Tana and crushed her into his arms, nearly knocking the breath from her lungs.

“He outnumbers you. Your wolves will die.”

“There’s nothing more important to me than your safety. I’ll kill anyone who tries to take you away from me.”

Tana put her arms around him as well, releasing a slow and shaky breath that she hadn’t known she was holding in.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He didn’t reply. But she knew what he was thinking. She could feel what he was thinking.

I would die for you Tana. No questions asked.

And that terrified her.