Savannah woke the following morning with a thundering headache. It wasn't exactly surprising since she'd cried most of the night. Everything was going wrong. Her feelings for Tom were growing, despite the knowledge that he'd been involved in Dan's death, and the way he'd touched her last night had just been a reminder of Lucas and the real reason she was here. She'd lost herself in his embrace, forgetting all about Lucas and the Northern Wind pack. Instead, there had just been her and Tom. Savannah threw her head back on the pillow with a groan, knowing that, most likely, she'd have ended up waking up with him if she'd not chosen to leave.  How would she have felt then? Happy? Guilty? Confused?

“You get that man to trust you any way you can,” she murmured, repeating Lucas’ words from the night before. They were like poison in her mouth, leaving a foul taste behind the moment she said them aloud. She’d almost given in yesterday but had pulled away just in time. His touch had overwhelmed her senses. It was all too much.

The truth was staring her in the face and Savannah had to admit it – she was beginning to really care about Tom. She didn’t want to, but it was there anyway, refusing to go away. She was attracted to him but there was more than that. Her heart was involved. Savannah groaned, flopping an arm over her face. This was the last thing she wanted.

Why was it that she couldn't think of Tom being involved in Dan's death? Why was the thought of it not turning her stomach the way it once had? Was it because she didn't believe that Tom could have really been involved? Or was it because she had begun to realize just how bad the Northern Wind pack really was? Lucas was a pack leader that ruled by fear, and Savannah had always just accepted it. But now she realized that there was a different way to lead. She saw it in the respect that Tom and Nick had for each other, and in the way they looked out for Jo. Lucas hated Jo but Savannah couldn't find the same disgust that Lucas had for her. She was well aware that Jo was trying to push her and Tom together and, at first, she'd found it irritating, but now she actually appreciated her efforts. It was quite sweet, if not a little obvious.

Everything was going wrong. She wasn’t meant to like Jo, or even notice Tom. She was meant to be doing what Lucas wanted and gaining their trust, whilst remembering exactly what it was she was there to do. How she was feeling right now was all kinds of wrong. Instead of wanting to do what Lucas said, she was thinking about how good it would be not to ever go back to the Northern Wind pack again. Instead of thinking about what Lucas wanted, she was thinking about what her heart, mind, and body wanted. This was so mixed up.

Knowing she had to get up or she was going to be late, Savannah got up and dressed quickly. She didn’t feel like having anything to eat, and she’d get coffee at the office. Savannah just hoped that she’d manage to get into work and sit down without bumping into Tom.

 

“You’re in a foul mood this morning,” Nick commented, lightly.

Tom’s chest rattled in warning, but he didn’t say anything.

“Don’t worry, I won’t ask,” Nick continued. “But I can practically smell your anger so if you ever want to tell me what’s going on then I’ll be happy to listen.”

Tom growled low in his throat, slamming around the shop. Nick was right, he was in a foul mood and he had Savannah to thank for it. He had no idea what game she was playing, up and leaving like that. His body had been on fire and, while he didn’t quite expect to take things as far as the bedroom, he wanted to at least explore things a little more. But the moment he’d touched her with just the slightest hint of intimacy, she bolted. She practically ran away from him, and this was after she swam naked in the lake!

“That woman’s confusing,” Tom muttered to himself, darkly. He knew he was going to see her at some point and wasn’t even sure whether he was going to hug her or throttle her.

“If she’s upsetting you that much, why don’t you go and talk to her?”

Tom’s back rippled. “I didn’t ask for your advice, Nick.”

“Well, if you’re going to talk out loud then don’t expect me not to listen.”

Tom spun on his heel and bared his teeth at his brother. “Quit it, Nick.”

Nick’s eyes narrowed. Throwing down the cloth in his hand, he walked over to Tom, standing close. “Listen to me, Tom,” he growled, softly. “I’ve had enough of this. You’re always angry or upset about something, and I'm not putting up with it anymore. I don't want to know what's been going on between you and Savannah because that's your business, but it can't carry on affecting things at work."

Tom’s nostrils flared but he held his tongue.

“We’ve got enough to worry about with Dan,” Nick continued. “So this has got to stop. Got it?”

Without waiting for Tom to answer, Nick turned around and walked back to the car they were working on. Tom glared after him, his bear ready to rip from his skin. He and Nick usually worked things out that way, but Tom wasn’t up for another bear fight. At the end of the day, it wasn’t Nick he was frustrated with. It was Savannah.

 

“Morning!”

“Hi,” Savannah managed, not even able to smile at Jo.

“Is everything okay?”

Savannah nodded, not really wanting to go into detail. “Fine. I’m just tired. Late night.”

"Oh," Jo said, softly. Savannah could see the curiosity behind her eyes but was surprised when Jo turned away instead of asking more questions. Lucas would always demand to know what was going on, but Jo seemed to respect that Savannah didn't want to talk about what was really going on.

 

“Excuse me.”

Savannah glanced up as Tom walked in, walking straight past her and into the locked room. That strange smell hit her nostrils once more, the familiar scent that she’d never quite been able to place. She’d never asked Tom about it, but there was something unsettling about a locked room that no-one spoke about.

 

“How are you feeling?”

Dan looked up, a light smile on his face. “Better. I took a few steps today.”

"Did you now?" Tom narrowed his eyes. Dan had been doing much better recently. As he'd recovered, the man seemed to grow more appreciative of what Tom, Nick, and Jo were doing for him, but Tom was sure he was still loyal to the Northern Wind pack. It didn't make him particularly dangerous but it was still good to be wary. Savannah didn't know about Dan and this was going to come as a bit of a surprise to her, but at least then that might break the tension between them.

“Looks like you can come through, then,” Tom said, eventually. “But no running off or shifting, got it?”

“Got it,” Dan replied, gratefully. “I’m still not quite ready to run or shift, so don’t think I’ll be doing either.”

“Good.” Unlocking the door, he watched as Dan began to shuffle slowly across the floor and towards the door. He was sure Dan wasn’t putting it on, and there was no way that he would be able to shift or even attempt to attack them. At the same time, they couldn’t keep him locked up in the room any more. Now that he could walk, there was no reason for him not to have a bit of freedom. He’d have to return to his pack soon anyway. Just so long as he didn’t try to take one of them with him.