Everyone stayed gathered around Dominic, the tension so heavy it felt like it could be cut with a knife.
Ayla sat right beside the injured man, doing her best to keep her worry in check.
No one managed to get any sleep.
In the small two-bedroom apartment near the building's entrance, the entire team sat restless and on edge.
Ayla stayed right by Dominic's side, never letting go of his hand.
The curse she had carried for so long felt more real in that moment than ever before.
Deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was all her fault, and she wasn't the only one burdened by guilt.
Julius wrestled with his own, while Alexander wondered if asking Julius to help protect Ayla in the first place had made him to blame as well.
Raphael and Phoenix were both kicking themselves for not being there to protect Dominic, but they remembered that it was Dominic's plan to integrate with the team and be a part of the human town.
Ayla was trying hard to keep it together, but the atmosphere in the room was getting heavy.
Noticing she hadn't moved from his side in a while, she stood to stretch her legs, only to be startled when her hand brushed against Dominic's, and he suddenly grabbed it, despite showing no other sign of movement.
The grip wasn't firm or jerky, but sudden and gentle.
When she glanced at his face, it seemed like he wanted to say something, maybe share a thought, but his eyes spoke louder than his voice ever could.
Ayla did her best to keep up her tough exterior.
"Don't worry about it. Pay me back when I need it!"
Her sudden outburst caught everyone's attention, and in that moment, they realized there was hope, because Dominic seemed to be responding.
Guilt weighed heavily on them all for his condition, but when he reached out and grabbed Ayla's hand, it eased their remorse ever so slightly.
Everyone's but one, that is.
The one who carried the heaviest burden of guilt was Dominic himself.
He knew he shouldn't have trusted Mason, but he did anyway, and worse, his dishonesty with Lucas had triggered the second attack.
Dominic could tell Lucas wasn't okay.
What mattered most to him was the pain radiating from Lucas, not Mason or the rest of his traitorous pack.
Both the Deep Fang and the Sharp Fang Packs were all the same as far as he knew.
Shaw might have been the only one in town still holding onto hope because he was from Sharp Fang, but after what he'd seen the night before, he wasn't so sure anymore.
When Dominic grabbed Ayla's hand, he couldn't speak, move, or do anything, just cling to life and try not to think about it all.
Ayla could feel his struggle, and to her, it seemed like he was on the verge of giving up as the morning light crept in, weighing heavily on her heart.
The thought of losing him after he'd been hurt trying to save her cut deep.
There was one last thing she thought she could try.
Leaning in close, she whispered in his ear.
"Dom, this isn't okay. It's not fair to Julius to leave him, you just met him, and now you're going to walk away like this? Stay. I won't let you go. Your wounds are healing, but now you have to choose to stay. Choose to stay."
Her final words came out cracked and broken as she pleaded, her head sinking into her hands.
It felt like she no longer had the strength to keep herself together.
Ayla hoped the others hadn't heard or weren't paying attention, but Alexander's hand on her shoulder told her they had.
She glanced up at his gentle squeeze and noticed a tear slipping down the cheeks of one or two of the tough-looking men in the room, realizing they were just as moved as she was.
They loved him.
Phoenix and Raphael would follow him anywhere because to them, he was their father.
He wasn't just a stand-in, the way Dominic thought of himself, but maybe this would prove he meant more to them than he realized.
One glance around the room told him that couldn't be further from the truth.
Now, more than ever, he had to snap out of it.
Sensing she needed a moment to pull herself together, she stepped away.
After stretching her legs one last time, Ayla settled back down beside him and took Dominic's hand in hers.
Before she even realized it, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
It was the first sign of life or movement he'd shown in hours, and surprise flickered across her face.
She flicked her gaze back and forth between his eyes and the hand he held.
"Do it again. I know you can. Just a little squeeze, it doesn't have to be strong."
He stayed still.
Ayla glanced up at Alexander, her face etched with distress.
"Give him time, Ayla. He's been through an attack that should have ended his life. If he pulls through, it'll be thanks to you."
As Alexander finished speaking, Dominic gave her hand another gentle squeeze.
She glanced down at their hands, then back up at his face.
"I'll give him time. That seems to be what he wants. Maybe he's trying to teach me patience."
Raphael chuckled.
"Well, join the club. He loves teaching that lesson to all of us."
Phoenix nudged Raphael with his elbow.
"Yeah, we both know that all too well," he said, as the two men shared a laugh for the first time in hours.
For the first time, there was hope, and they were ready to seize it.
By midday, just a few hours later, Dominic's wounds were nearly closed.
Ayla couldn't believe how fast he was healing, or that he was healing at all.
Not long ago, she had been certain she'd be burying him.
Although the air in the room was finally clearing, Dominic still hadn't completely woken up, though everyone felt confident he would.
Ayla wasn't sure what to do now that they were caught in that space between near death and almost healed.
One thing she did know was that the crowd hovering around Dominic wasn't helping him at all.
She urged the men to carry on with their business, assuring them she would look after the recovering man while he slept.
The wolf world was unfamiliar to her, including his unique healing process, but she was picking it up quickly.
Surely, they had more pressing matters to deal with.
After Ayla kicked them out, they finally had time to focus 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 looking after Dominic at all.
That meant they knew where she was and that she wasn't in any danger.
Since she was tending to the injured man, it meant the others were free to hunt.
What had happened to him and Ayla was not okay, and they intended to let everyone know it.
First, they had to make sure Mason's building clearance was completely removed.
Once that was settled, they had to choose which man to pursue.
Almost instantly, they agreed that blood would be their guide.
It wouldn't take long to catch the trail left behind, whether by the drops of blood or lingering scents, and follow it.
They didn't exactly want to return to the scene of the crime, but they were determined to avenge Dominic.
Without a second thought, the group of four took off, Julius guiding them swiftly through the woods toward the site of Dominic's attack.
Ayla didn't pay much attention to what they were doing and didn't seem to care, as long as they stopped watching her every move.
It was beginning to feel overwhelming.
She figured they'd head to the club to keep themselves occupied.
Now that she and Dominic were alone, she began speaking to the man sleeping on the bed.
"I'm sorry you got caught up in this. My curse seems to be spreading to everyone now, and I have no idea what to do anymore. I know it's my battle to fight, but whenever I try to do anything besides run, people end up getting hurt. It's just not fair."
She began changing his dressing for what she assumed would be the last time, when she noticed the wound had faded into nothing more than a scar.
Her eyes scanned it in quiet wonder as her fingers softly traced its outline.
"Well, looks like you won't be needing these anymore. Those scars are pretty cool, though...you'll have to wake up to see them. When the guys get back from the club, they're going to like it. Gives you even more of an edge, not that you need it. Funny how they keep watching me, like they think I'm about to do something crazy."
Ayla tidied up the supplies around her, chatting away and savoring the ease of speaking to him without any response.
"Last night in the woods, Mason spilled a lot. He didn't like what I said, but that's on him. You were right about his Alpha and Luna; their pack is truly the worst. Can you imagine me with their soon-to-be Alpha Ralph? Ugh, no way. I still can't believe they lied about me being their daughter, and Mason knew the whole time."
His raspy voice caught her off guard.
It was slower and rougher than normal.
"Do...you...really...think..."
She spun around and rushed to his side, pressing a hand to his chest to halt him.
"Don't talk too much just yet. I'll get you something to drink; you must be thirsty. I'm so glad you're awake!"
Ayla brought him a warm chamomile tea with honey and helped him sit up to sip it.
She didn't know much, but she did know which teas to choose and when to serve them.
After he finished, he looked at her, and she could tell he had something to say.
"Go ahead, try and tell me."
He didn't hesitate.
His voice was still a bit raspy, but his words seemed to flow a little more easily.
"They...aren't at...the club."
Ayla gave him a puzzled look.
"How do you...?"
She wanted to ask, but didn't want him to strain his throat, unsure how healed it was inside.
"Don't answer that. You can sense them. They're in their wolf form because I can feel my own wolf wanting to emerge. That's how you know, right? Your wolf calls to you when they're in wolf form."
He nodded.
It was becoming second nature for her to listen to her wolf and trust the instincts that seemed to be quietly shared between them.
She wanted to know more, needed to.
"The Wolf Moon is tonight, isn't it? That's why Mason had to take me last night to get me to Ulfric in time, right? Is that also why my instincts are stronger?"
He nodded twice, confirming she was right.
"What are they doing? The guys. Why are they in the woods?"
Ayla realized that meant he needed to speak, and for a moment forgot it was difficult for Dominic.
"You only need to answer if you feel up to talking."
Dominic closed his eyes, as though lost in thought.
"Hunting."
He uttered just one word, paired with a knowing glance, before returning to sip his warm, comforting tea.
She didn't fully understand his answer, and he didn't realize it at first.
Or he didn't understand her response.
"Well, if they're hunting, then I'm going hunting too. Things are starting to feel a bit too personal for me. Now that you seem okay, I have something I need to take care of. Don't worry, I won't be long."
Dominic looked more than just worried.
It was as if he'd never had his throat torn apart only hours ago, as words, still slightly raspy, spilled from his mouth.
"That's not okay. I need to eat to get better. Then, I can go with you."
She fixed him with a fierce gaze.
"I'll feed you because you need to recover. As far as anyone knows, you're dead, and I intend to keep it that way. I'm sure word of the wolf attack has spread, through some parts at least, whether he talked or someone saw it happen. Having a secret weapon could be useful, and that's something I like. As I said, I'll be back. I just need some time alone."
The words scared him more than he wanted them to.
She was definitely feisty, but running off alone right now was out of the question.
What could she have been thinking?
What was so important for her to do that she didn't want a tail?
Just as promised, she made him some soup and headed out the door.
There was no time to spare if she wanted to slip away without her usual shadows trailing behind.
She didn't mind having protection, but lately it felt like they were the real danger, and she needed to take care of a few things herself.
Dominic wasn't sure what to do, so he stayed in bed, quietly eating his soup.
She wasn't wrong.
He was thought to be dead, considered a secret weapon by then, and the boys were all out hunting on their own.
Dominic just hoped that whatever she was doing wasn't dangerous and that she'd return before the others; otherwise, he might actually end up dead.
Ayla was gone, and the hunt was on as he sat in his bed, surrounded by pillows and blankets, sipping on his soup and tea.