After Luke left the next morning, she avoided all phone calls from her family, not wanting to have to explain yet, to have to deal with any ounce of negativity after such a magical night. More compassion than she'd ever experienced before welled within her for Jason and Micah's plight, their fight with her family just to love one another. She could no longer imagine, couldn't fathom the hardships and negative judgment her mother placed before the pair with her shifter-purist mentality, and she'd only had one date with Luke.

Still, he was perfect. He'd been perfect, the simple word taking on a new meaning in her heart and mind. By avoiding all human contact, her sister or mother, she held the memories of her unequaled evening untarnished in her mind.

She remained curled in her bed clad in a silky, flowered robe he'd found in her closet with tags still on it, which he'd insisted she wear, looking at the bright morning sun streaming through the windows. Other than a trip to the bathroom, she'd remained where he'd left her.

He'd woken her with breakfast in bed at her own home. While only orange juice and toast, some poorly made coffee to her taste, it had been the thought that counted and pulled at her heart. Right before he'd left this morning, promising that she would hear from him again even if was half way around the world, he'd opened the curtains to her window, giving her sunshine for a blessed Sunday. So, here she still sat, blessed, mentally re-living the whole of the glorious date, absorbing all the emotion and passion they'd shared as if the longer she did the less of a chance anyone had to take it away from her with comments made, unwelcome opinions given.

The phone had rung a few times, messages from Trina and her mother, just asking who, where, and how it went, of course. Trina, who should be leaving shortly for her honeymoon, she refused to call back, and her mother, well, that would just have to wait until she was ready to confess, had the words ready to counter the negativity she knew her mother would emit. She promised herself a few more minutes, hell, maybe an hour, to not have to go there yet. He'd made her feel a queen, and she deserved that luxury a little while longer, having always felt more the servant girl.

It wasn't until her phone continued to ring, only pausing between dials, and her texts started to ping that she grabbed her phone, a feeling of dread like a ball of cement in her stomach. After three calls, knowing her gut instinct to be right, she reached for the device only to get a glimpse at her sister's last text. The dreaded SOS the only message, she called back Trina immediately.

"Why were you not answering your phone?" Trina semi-yelled into the phone, her voice high-pitched yet breathless.

"I...well, I just didn't feel like talking to anyone yet this morning. Why are you calling me repeatedly rather than packing for your honeymoon?"

"There's been an attack, on Ian. He's fine, but a rival group, one he won a business deal over or something ridiculous like that, went after Sam to get to him. With all the time they'd been spending together thanks to Gerri's hook up, the rival group assumed she'd be the way to hurt him. Anyway, they attacked her studio, some black magic thing. Jacob went to save her, and he got her out, but the group went after them and they are dead, along with Surge and Will. Something happened after the attack on the studio. I don't know, they were so vague on the details, but anyway, they are all dead."

"What? Surge and Will? Jacob? Sam? I didn't know any of them well," she said, thinking her avoidance of men the only reason why, "but we all knew Jacob to do anything for anyone, Surge and Will, too. Oh my God, Sam! I'd honestly taken an instant liking to her. What is Ian going to do without some of his top guards?"

"Most did. Anyway, everyone is meeting back at the hall, to regroup, and plan their revenge."

"You were supposed to leave on your honeymoon today!"

"We are postponing. No big deal, to help out in any way we can. Luke managed to get an extension on his leave, too, so they have two military trained guys there if they need them."

"Luke is staying?" Tallan asked without thinking, excitement evident in her voice.

"Yes," Trina said, luckily not thinking it odd Tallan asked such a question. "You'll come soon?"

"Of course. I'll get dressed and be right there."

She grabbed for clothes, jeans and t-shirt, then a thin sweater in case she were gone into the evening, and tennis shoes. Not her best look compared to the bridesmaid dress, she thought for a brief second, catching herself in the mirror before the loss hit her again, the insanity all her sister had told her.

She rushed to the hall to find the place well protected, men with guns all around the outside of the building with pacing panthers around them.

When the guards let her in, she searched the room through numerous pride members for her family, hoping they had more answers for her by now. Everyone in the room was engaged in some conversation, several going at once at different levels of animation and anger, as they all sought to evaluate the situation and figure out the 'what next.'

Once she spotted them, with Luke, she headed over. Both her and Luke seemed to understand the unspoken need for temporary secrecy and they immediately controlled their glances at each other, careful not to make them too long or to show too much interest at all in one another. She could tell he wanted to offer her comfort, but knew the best thing he could do for her was to stay away for now. This was not the time to add them to the family's issues, and to be honest she felt grateful for the reprieve, despite the horrible circumstances that provided it. A dash of guilt crept into her belly for even thinking that way.

In a full pride meeting like this, where friends beyond pride also gathered, tensions already so high, some conversations growing so heated as plans were hashed out that a fight could actually break out. So, she navigated her path to her family carefully, avoiding the louder areas of the room. Ian, ready to kill she was sure due to the loss of his best friend, Jacob, along with other pride members and guards she knew him to be close to, seemed oddly level-headed and controlled. She guessed everyone dealt with grief and revenge differently and shrugged off the thought.

After hours of the group conversing, some arguments won or abated without anyone coming to fisticuffs, plans seemed to be hatched, assignments given, though they apparently had some wait time until Ian thought it all through, exactly what he wanted to do and when. Still, they had been assigned their possible roles, and were on wait until called into action.

As most of the group dispersed and left, several still hanging around just for support of others depending on how close they were to Jacob or the other two, Trina sought to get Tallan alone for a moment, both women going to the kitchen to grab drinks for the rest of the family. The place always had several stocked fridges.

"Maybe this isn't the time or place, but since we are on standby until further notice, you have to fill me in on your blind date last night. Distract me from my anger and sorrow here. Who was it? Did it go well?"

"Too well, I fear, though it doesn't matter, it can't continue," she said, not able to hold back the grief in her voice as she thought of all those they had lost, who would never experience any of the wonders life had to offer again.

Again, not that she knew any of Ian's guards well, but she had been around them enough, and pride was pride. When one hurt, they all did. And Sam, she really had hoped to get to know the woman better. In fact, after her date with Luke, she had thought this morning to call her, tell her she had to forfeit on their plan. Gerri had been right in Tallan's case. She'd hoped, though, they could get together sometime soon, chat, see what else they had in common. One could never have too many girlfriends. Her stomach churned, rolled, unable to think of even taking a sip of the sodas in her arms. She feared nothing would stay down, even a sip of ginger ale at this point.

Trina comforted her though she didn't understand yet, she didn't need to thanks to the special bond they had. Along those lines, she also knew she had to pull it all together because said sister would not wait too long for an explanation either.

"I don't want mom and dad to know yet, okay?"

"Of course. I've always had your back, and your secrets."

"You have, so," she managed, all the emotions welling up in her voice, strangling her, "I will tell you that it was Luke that Gerri fixed me up with."

Her sister, always one to deal with things better by compartmentalizing her emotions, she knew, stood there with her brows furrowed a few seconds while the name, the realization set in. Trina was unable to deal with too many things at a time, so she sorted them out, focusing on one or the other at a time, always the calmer one by comparison.

After what seemed an hour, Tallan waiting with baited breath for her sister to say something, anything, the woman came up with, "Luke? Bear boy, as you called him?"

"Yes, though that has become a term of endearment now," Tallan confessed, heat rushing up her chest to infuse her face.

"Term of endearment? You? Huh. And, you say it went well? Well, I guess it had to if... Wait, you seemed like you loathed the man at my wedding."

"Well, I didn't see any point in pursuing a bear shifter, given how mom and dad feel about Jason and Micah. But once we were there, in this stunning park, the meeting place Gerri set up, he was such a gentleman, such a sweetie. And despite the fact we just ate hot dogs and only walked around a city park, it was truly the most magical, romantic date I've ever had. I know I haven't had many to compare it to, but it was beyond compare. So, I took him back to my place, and well..."

"Well...well what?" Her sister quietly squealed in her ear having grasped Tallan's upper arms in her hands at the same time.

"Well, let's just say I'm not a virgin anymore," Tallan admitted in a whisper in her sister's ear, her heart swelling rather than her face flushing this time, a Cheshire cat grin spreading across her mouth.

Her body got in on the action as well, wanting, needing maybe comfort, perhaps more. She couldn't think on it at the moment. She nudged her sister when she looked over to where Luke and Lyle sat, only to find them looking back to where the women were as well. They exchanged quick, knowing smiles before looking away.

"Oh my God, Tallan! How did that happen? You. You had a one night stand? I mean, he's going back to his base, hundreds of miles away. That is what you meant by it can't continue?"

"Yes. Once this is over, he will be gone. But, I don't regret it. Not one bit. I wouldn't change a single moment, so don't worry about me. I'm a grown woman who made a decision, and I couldn't imagine a more perfect man to have experienced that first time with. Yes, and don't say a word, but I do wish there could be more. One never knows, maybe, other leaves he takes, secret rendezvous... Hey, maybe I will take up vacationing somewhere around where is base is. Anyway, it went great, so I fear we may be one for Gerri's record books despite the distance. I can't imagine not finding a way to see him again. But sadly, now Sam and Ian are not, though I don't think having been killed first counts."

"Apparently that was all a sham," Trina said, rubbing her sister's back because her voice had broke making the discovery as she talked.

"What do you mean?" Tallan looked at her sister quizzically, confused by this information.

"Gerri set them up, and they both agreed to her plan, so that Sam could meet someone else. Someone Gerri already knew would never let her set him up. That someone was Jacob. It's a tragic story. Ian sent him in to save her, and the man lost his life doing so, Ian said." Trina's eyes welled with tears, her words catching on a sob.

The two sisters hugged, let themselves give into tears, a few of them, enough to hide from the others, for just a minute, before pulling themselves together for their pride. Now was not the time to mourn. That came after the revenge.

"I can't believe it, though," Trina turned the conversation back to the positive news. "You and Luke, and you slept together on the first date. Some day soon I am going to have to know some of the details, at least on how such a miracle happened. For now, though, I am so happy for you both. From all Lyle has said about him, Luke is one hell of a guy."

"He is. That I can agree with one hundred and ten percent."

"Wow, look at you. The man-hating pessimist all changing her tune about men and dating in less than twenty four hours."

"Yeah, well..." was all she said, daring another glance at Luke.

After that, they stood together a little while longer in silent companionship, each woman lost in her own thoughts.

About ten minutes later, her sister hugged her again, walking toward her husband who had signaled for them to leave. There was no point in waiting around here for their call to action as it could be days before anything happened. Ian had been extremely calculated in his extensive plot of revenge. Many had just stayed only as a means to distract themselves from their own anger and grief.

Having never delivered any of the sodas, her table now empty, she took them all back in two trips since Trina had left hers on the table, too. Good thing it had been a ploy and no one at the table actually expected them. to bring the refreshments.

A few pride members stopped Tallan on her way out to exchange pleasantries, which amounted to really talking about their loses, before she managed to get out of the building having successfully, surprisingly, avoided her mother. She walked to her car to find Trina, Lyle, and Luke waiting for her.

"Something up?" she asked.

"We are Luke's cover story for talking to you." Lyle piped up.

"So the parent's don't wonder," Trina added quickly, her voice a whisper even though no one else stood anywhere near them in the lot at the moment.

"I was just wondering if you were busy, or if you wanted...company," Luke said, the large man's face flushing surely due to her sister and his best friend being there to witness what each of them knew to be an unspoken request for sex.

"I'd love some company," she said, straightening her spine although she felt the same heat creep onto her cheeks.

"Good," he said followed by a wink. "See you in say, a half hour then?"

"Sure."

"Hey, Tallan," Trina interjected, "You can't avoid mom forever. What are you planning on telling her?"

"I've no idea, but I need to get out of here before she remembers to find me and ask."

"Good plan, sis."