Watch The Dark

"The cafe is closed. Come back in the morning," Mika said tartly. Reggie shot her a cocky grin and rolled his eyes.

"I think Tana knows exactly why we're here. She has our Alpha's pup. She needs to come with us," Emery growled back. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides. Tana hadn't interacted enough with the males to know their nature, but she could tell that they were pissed.

"Piss off, dipshit. This is neutral territory. You and your alpha can't do shit here," Mika snapped. Icarus began to whimper in Tana's arms. Reggie fixed his gaze of Icarus and huffed, folding his arms across his chest.

"We don't play by the rules when it comes to our pack. Either come with us willingly or we'll just have to force you," Reggie growled. Just as Tana was going to lunge again, the two men froze. They looked as if they were in a daze. Mika and Tana exchanged a look of confusion before turning their heads back to the men, who hadn't moved an inch.

"Would you two dipshits get moving and stop standing there gaping like two fish out of water? The spell doesn't last forever," Bea, who winced as she pulled herself into the cafe with a heavy sigh.

"Always so kind," Mika snorted, grabbing her things while Tana grabbed Icarus and her bag and hurried after Mika. The other girl turned slightly to make sure Tana was following, then led her out to her car.

After a few minutes, Bea joined them and slumped down in the passenger seat with a groan.

"Those men must weigh a thousand pounds. Dragging them out of the store nearly made me throw my back out. I locked up for you, by the way," Bea huffed, rubbing one of her shoulders.

"Thanks, Bea. I was just going to kill them but it's a good thing you showed up," Tana replied. Mika started the car and began driving back to the house, which was really more of a glorified cabin that was a little ways away from the town. Tana liked the peace and quiet. Though, it did get annoying when she had to get food seeing as she couldn't drive.

"Not a problem. But I'll be honest, I mostly did it for Icarus. He'll be traumatized enough as he grows up. Doesn't need to start this early," Bea replied. Tana huffed. She knew Bea was just in a bad mood, so she let it slide.

"Do you think they mind-linked Declan already?" Mika asked as they neared Tana's house.

"It's quite likely. If we're lucky, they haven't already and that'll give us more time to move. Not much though, so we have to hurry," Bea replied.

"Woof woof," said Icarus, giggling at himself. When Icarus had started speaking, Tana taught him to say 'woof' whenever he smelled another werewolf. He wasn't very good at it yet but he was getting there.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning. Mika, did you want to come with us or stay here? There's no pressure either way. We'll probably just be in the next neutral zone over," Bea explained. Mika gave a light shrug.

"Nothing is keeping me here anyway. Plus, I can't let Icarus grow up without his favourite lady," the other woman said. Tana let out a snort at that, which Mika responded to by sticking her tongue out at Tana through the mirror.

Once they arrived at the house, the three women exited the car with Icarus and started heading into the house. Tana couldn't smell anything odd within a mile around the house, so she tried her best to calm the rapid beating of her heart.

She would escape again. She wouldn't let Declan near her son.

***

Declan's P.O.V

He was going to murder that witch.

She tricked him during that battle. She told him she wanted to help. But all she did was take his mate and his son away from him.

A son. Declan had a son.

He would be over the moon if he wasn't so pissed off.

"Can you drive any faster?" Declan snarled at Blake, who insisted on driving as Declan was apparently "too emotional" to drive.

"Piss off, Deck. It's not like she can disappear in an hour," Blake huffed.

Declan rolled his eyes. He wouldn't have put it past her.

"The location Reggie gave us is in a neutral zone, so we have to be discreet about this unless you want the council on our asses," Blake informed him.

Of course she had fled to a neutral zone. She just had to make everything even harder and piss him off even more.

"Look, Declan. You can't go in there breaking shit and yelling. You're like a brother to me but I won't lie, some of the stuff you've done was questionable. You've got to approach this carefully," his friend said. Declan sighed. As always, Blake was right. Even thought Blake didn't particularly like Tana, he seemed to have both of their best interests in mind. It was what made Blake such a good Beta.

***

In the end, they got to the area just before the sun set. Blake had them park a block away and walk so that they wouldn't be so easily detected. They were walking against the wind, so they had an advantage.

Tana lived in a small cabin. It definitely wasn't what Declan would have chosen to live in, but it seemed cozy. Plus, it was secluded. That was good for someone on the run.

Declan headed around the back while Blake stayed to the front of the house to make sure no one made a run for it. Declan was going to just kick the door in, but as he passed by a window something made him stop in his tracks.

She was there. Standing in the dim glow of a lightbulb that desperately needed to be changed. Her hair was shorter, but it suited her. She looked happy.

In her arms was a young boy with dark curls and brown eyes. He looked just like Declan and it made his breath catch in his throat. Tana was lightly bouncing him, probably to try and get him to sleep. She didn't turn towards the window, but if she had, she would have seen Declan just standing there like an idiot.

"Who the hell are you?"

A sharp tone made Declan nearly jump out of his skin. A foot away from him, staring at him with her eyes narrowed and her arms folded against her chest stood a woman around Tana's age. She was definitely a wolf, but Declan had never seen her before.

"Why are you staring in the window? Are you that Declan guy? Because if you are, you'd better just get out of here before my friend kills you," the woman hissed. Declan backed up a bit, cocking an eyebrow at the woman.

"And who are you?" He asked. The woman let out a snort.

"Mika. Not that it matters. You must be that Declan guy. You look like a dick," the woman stated. He could see her claws were out and she was ready to pounce at any moment.

"I am that...Declan guy. I'm also the father of that kid in there. I have a right to see him," Declan growled.

"Woof woof," he heard the baby mutter, snapping Tana's attention up to the window. Her jaw instantly dropped and her arms wrapped around her child protectively. She was out of sight in seconds.

"I told you to get out of here. You have no right to I- to the baby. He's better off without you," Mika spat. She could be right, but that didn't mean that Declan couldn't try.

"Aw, hell, Mika! I told ya she shouldn't keep watch," a slightly familiar voice, the voice of the witch, called out from the front of the house.

"Get out of our way, Blake. I don't want to have to hurt you," he heard Tana growl. Her voice still made him antsy. It made his wolf giddy and made his heart flutter.

"Don't even think about it," Mika snarled, but Declan had already shoved her out of the way to walk towards where Blake and Tana were.

The minute he rounded the corner and their eyes met, he felt his heart stop. He felt the way he had felt the first time he had laid eyes on her. And, in turn, Tana had the same fierce look in her eyes. Full of hatred and resentment.

Despite being the tallest one there, Declan felt incredibly small.

“You have to come with us, Tana. Please. I can explain everything,” he said. He thought he would be screaming and yelling, but once he saw the fear in her eyes everything in him softened and he couldn’t bring himself to let that anger out.

“You should have explained it when you first met me. People have been lying to me my entire life. I thought you were different,” she hissed. The baby squirmed in her arms, letting out quiet whimpers.

“I know. I screwed up. But please, I can explain it all. Please,” he whispered.

“Woof,” the baby said. Tana bounced him a bit and shook her head.

“I need to do what’s best for my child and I don’t think that...that I can trust you around him.”

Declan felt like his heart had completely shattered.

He understood that Tana may not trust him. She had every right not to. But it never even crossed his mind that she may not trust him around his own child.

“He’s my son too. You can’t just keep him from me. I deserve to get to know him, too,” Declan said. He tried to keep his tone light, but it was getting harder and harder to control his emotions.

“Tana, doll. You know I’d do anything for you and him, but I think your mate there has a point. I helped you get away with the thought that you’d go back eventually, and I think it’s better to go now while your baby is young,” Bea cut in. Declan was prepared for Tana to rip her head off, but his mate stayed completely calm and nodded slowly.

“Mama mama,” the baby babbled, grabbing a strand of Tana’s hair in his fist. Tana grimaced in pain but did her best to ignore him.

“You probably won’t let me stay anyway,” was all Tana said before she grabbed the bag that lay at her feet and swung it around her shoulder.

“So you’ll come home?” He asked.

“I’ll come with you, but that is not my home. Not in the slightest.”