Everyone was still sitting around Dominic, the tension so thick it could be sliced if they tried.
Ayla sat directly next to the wounded man, trying not to worry.
Not a single person was able to sleep.
In the two-bedroom apartment that was at the entrance of the building, the whole team seemed anxious.
Ayla stayed by Dominic's side, holding his hand without fail.
Ultimately, she felt like it was all her fault, and she wasn't alone in the guilt.
Julius was feeling his own share of guilt, while Alexander worried that he was to blame for asking Julius to help him protect Ayla to begin with.
Raphael and Phoenix were mentally beating themselves up for not being there to protect Dominic.
Ayla was doing her best to hold it together, but the room was starting to feel too heavy.
Realizing she hadn't left his side for a while, she went to stand up and stretch her legs for a moment, but she was startled as her hand brushed Dominic's.
Without any sign of life or movement otherwise, he immediately grabbed her hand.
The grip wasn't firm, or jerky, but sudden, and soft.
As she glanced at his face, it looked as though he wanted to speak, to maybe tell her something, but his eyes said more than his voice ever could.
Ayla had to do her best to maintain her tough exterior at that point, "Don't worry about it. Pay me back when I need it"!
Her sudden outburst of words gathered the attention of everyone in the room, who realized then that there was actually hope, because Dominic seemed to be responsive.
Everyone felt guilty for his current status, but the sudden action of grabbing Ayla's hand helped settle everyone's guilt just a hair.
All but one person's that was.
The person who felt the most guilt was Dominic.
He knew better than to trust Mason, and he did it anyway, but more than that, he had caused the second attack by not being honest with Lucas.
Dominic knew that Lucas was not okay.
The thing he cared about the most was the hurt he could feel from Lucas, not Mason and the others from the traitors' pack.
The whole Deep Fang Pack was all the same as far as he knew.
Shaw might have been the only one with hope left in town because he was from Sharp Fang, but he wasn't so sure after what he had witnessed the night before.
Unable to speak, move, or do anything after grabbing Ayla's hand, all Dominic could do was hang on to his life, trying not to think about everything.
Ayla could feel him, and to her, it felt like he was almost wanting to give up as the morning light started coming in, and her heart got heavy.
The thought of losing him after he had been hurt trying to save her burned her deeply.
There was one more thing she thought she could try to do.
She began to whisper in his ear.
"Dom, it's not okay. It isn't fair to Julius to leave him. You just met him, and then you leave him like this. Stay. It's not okay to leave. I won't let you. Your wounds are healing. Now, you have to choose to stay. Choose to stay"!
The last of her words were cracking as she was begging, while her head began to drop into her hands.
It was as if she no longer had the strength to hold herself together.
Ayla hoped that the others weren't able to hear her or weren't listening, but Alexander, putting his hand on her shoulder, told her otherwise.
She looked up when his hand gave a gentle squeeze and saw a tear gracing the cheeks of one or two of the manly men in the room, and realized they were just as emotional as she was.
They loved him.
Phoenix and Raphael would follow him through anything because to them, he was their father.
He wasn't a placeholder for them, which is the way Dominic saw himself, a fill-in, but maybe this would show him he meant more.
All he needed to do was look around the room to know that was the furthest from the truth.
Now, more than ever, he needed to wake up.
Realizing she needed to step away for a minute to gather herself, she did just that.
After her last stretch of the legs, Ayla found her spot back next to his side and began to hold Dominic's hand.
Before she realized what was happening, he squeezed her hand again.
That was the first sign of movement or life he had given her in hours.
A startled look appeared on her face.
She began to dart her eyes quickly between his eyes and the hand he was holding.
"Do it again. I know you can do it. It doesn't have to be strong, just a little squeeze".
He didn't do anything.
Ayla looked up at Alexander, a face full of distress.
"Give him time, Ayla. He went through an attack that should have killed him. If he survives, it will be because of you".
As Alexander finished speaking, Dominic squeezed her hand again.
She looked down at his hand and then back to his face.
"I will give him time. It appears that is what he wants. Maybe he is trying to teach me patience".
Raphael chuckled, "Well, join the club then. He likes to teach all of us that one".
Phoenix elbowed Raphael, "I know we both know that firsthand" he added as the two men started to laugh a little for the first time in hours.
There was hope for the first time, and they would take it.
A few more hours went by, making it midday, and Dominic's wounds appeared to be almost closed at that point.
Ayla was amazed at how quickly he was healing and that he had healed at all.
Hours ago, she knew for sure she would be burying him.
Even though the air in the room was finally thinning out, Dominic had not fully woken up yet, but they all now felt sure he would.
Ayla wasn't sure what to do now that they were in the window between near death and near healed.
One thing she did know was that everyone staying swarmed around Dominic at that point wasn't doing him any favors.
She encouraged the men to go on about their business, and she would tend to the recovering man as he slept.
The wolf world was new to her, which included his healing thing, but she was learning quickly.
Surely, they had more important things to handle anyway.
With Ayla kicking them out, it gave them time to work on Julius's new mission.
She knew that they were not okay, just like she wasn't, but they could all at least stay busy.
The guys didn't mind her tending to Dominic in the least bit.
That meant they knew where she was, and that she was not in danger.
Since she was taking care of the injured man, that also meant they could hunt.
What happened to both him and Ayla had not been okay, and they planned to make it known.
First, they had to make sure Mason's building clearance was removed, completely.
Then, after that was taken care of, they had to decide which man they were going after.
Almost immediately, they decided blood would lead the way.
It would be rather quick to pick up on the blood trail that was left behind, or possible scents, and follow it.
Not that they wanted to go back to the scene of the crime, but they wanted to avenge Dominic.
Without hesitation, the pack of four was off, with Julius leading them through the woods.
Their destination was the scene of Dominic's attack.
Ayla didn't think much about what they were doing and didn't seem to care, as long as they quit watching her.
It was starting to be too much.
She figured they would go and work at the club to keep their minds busy.
Now that they were alone, she started talking to the man who lay sleeping on the bed.
"I'm sorry you got dragged into this. I don't even know what to do anymore. I know this is my fight, but every time I try to do anything other than run, people seem to get hurt".
She started changing his dressing for what she thought would be the last time, when she realized the wound now just appeared to be a scar, her eyes were scanning it over in wonder as her fingers gently started to trace the outlines.
"Well, doesn't look like you need these anymore. Pretty cool looking scars though. You'll have to wake up to see them. When the boys get back from the club, they will like it. Gives you even more of an edge"!
Ayla was cleaning up the supplies around her and continued to talk.
"In the woods last night, Mason revealed a lot. You were right about his Alpha and Luna. Their pack really is the worst. Could you imagine ME with their soon-to-be Alpha Ralph, UUGGGHH. No, thank you. I still can't believe they lied about me being their daughter, and Mason knew everything".
His voice startled her.
It was raspy, slow, and rougher than usual.
"Do...you...really...think...".
She turned instantly and darted to his side, putting a hand to his chest that stopped him.
"Don't try to talk too much yet. Let me get you something to drink. You must be thirsty. I'm so happy you're awake"!
Ayla grabbed him a warm chamomile tea with honey and helped him sit up to drink it.
She didn't know much.
One thing she did know was which teas to drink and when.
After drinking the tea, he looked at her, and she knew he wanted to tell her something.
"Go ahead, try and tell me".
He didn't hesitate.
His voice was still a little raspy, but it seemed like his words came out slightly easier.
"They...aren't at...the...club".
Ayla looked at him, puzzled.
"How do you..."?
She wanted to know, but she didn't want him to strain himself.
"Don't answer that. You can feel them. They are in their wolf because I can feel my wolf wanted to come out. That's how you know. Right? Your wolf calls to you when they are in wolf form".
He nodded his head.
It was getting to be second nature to listen to her wolf and trust the instincts that seemed to almost be whispered between her wolf and herself.
She wanted to know more, needed to.
"What are they doing? Why are they in the woods"?
Ayla knew that meant he had to talk, and for a moment had forgotten it was a strain for Dominic.
"You only have to answer if you feel like you are okay to talk".
Dominic closed his eyes, as if he were thinking about it.
"Hunting".
One word, that was all he let out with a knowing glance while he went back to sipping on the warm, soothing tea.
She didn't fully understand his answer, and he didn't realize it.
"Well, if they are hunting, then I'm going hunting too. Things are starting to get a little too personal for me. Now that you seem okay. I have something I need to do. Don't worry. I won't be long".
Dominic looked more than worried.
It was suddenly like he hadn't had his throat ripped apart hours prior, as the words, still a bit raspy, poured from his mouth.
"That's not okay. I need to eat to get better. Then, I can go with you".
She looked at him with fierce eyes.
"I will feed you, because you need to get better. You, however, are thought to be dead. I plan to keep it that way. I do not doubt that the wolf that attacked you was sensed doing so, and it has gotten out to someone. That's if he hasn't said something himself or wasn't seen. Having a secret weapon may come in handy. That, I like. As I said, I will be back. I need some alone time".
The words scared him more than he wanted them to.
She was feisty, certainly, but it was not okay for her to run off alone, not now.
What was she thinking?
What was she after that could be so important that she didn't want a tail?
Just as she said, she made him some soup, and she was out the door.
There wasn't a second to waste if she wanted to slip away without having her usual shadows.
It wasn't that she minded the protection, but lately, she felt like they were the danger to her, and she needed to handle a few things.
Dominic didn't know what to do, so he just sat in his bed and ate his soup.
She had a point.
He was presumed dead and a secret weapon at that point.
Dominic just hoped whatever she was up to wasn't dangerous and that she would be back before the others; if not, he might actually end up dead.
Ayla was gone, and the hunt was on.