Talis’s POV
The lake sparkled under the mild afternoon sun as I sat beside Regan, the gentle breeze tugging at my hair. She’d returned from town after a dog she’d nursed through a difficult birth recovered, earning her an extra day off from the quiet vet clinic.
When she suggested a trip to the lake, I seized the chance to escape the farmhouse—and Dayne. The memory of last night’s tension lingered, and I wasn’t ready to face his anger, especially if Luka had spilled about my probing questions.
Still, with Regan as a friend and us far from the pack, I saw an opening to dig into Dayne—his wolf tattoo, his role as alpha. But I decided to steer clear of asking if he and Savannah were an item. Too risky.
Regan, though, clammed up the moment I brought him up. “He’s cool,” she mumbled, her
