Ch. 331..340
Chapter 331 – Alpha Of The Frostcrest Pack (2)
After finding out about his heritage, George swore that he will climb the ranks, get close to Alpha Edward, and challenge him to an official duel where he will kill him.
For a decade George studied and trained like his life depended on it.
The desire for revenge fueled him to work harder and longer than everyone else, and his Alpha genes helped him to come on top.
As his wolf started stirring, George learned to subdue his aura and not disclose that he is an Alpha. He showed just enough for everyone to know that he was strong, but not too strong because he didn't want Alpha Edward to see him as a threat.
As soon as he got a rank that allowed him a private residence, George looked for Estelle and brought her into his house to work as Omega. Estelle also identified a few other Omegas who came from the Frostcrest pack and are trustworthy, and George brought them over also. There are seven of them now who are maintaining George's villa and the surrounding area that belongs to George's property. Only Estelle knows who George really is, and other Omegas are aware that he is from the Frostcrest pack originally, so in a way, they are like a small family.
While talking with other warriors, George identified others who are sharing the same sentiments that Alpha Edward should be removed, and that the whole Redmayne family is like cancer to the society of werewolves.
Alpha Edward cares only about the ones he can use. The ones he doesn't see as worthy are treated worse than dirt.
Luna Layla doesn't care what her mate is doing, and she is not innocent either. Alpha Edward and Luna Layla don't share a bond of fated mates, and with Alpha Edward finding his release somewhere else, Luna Layla will do the same, albeit she is more discrete in doing so.
James is young and he doesn't have a desire to lead. James' results are above average in his age group, but his scores are not enviable when compared to other Alphas. Actually, James is barely holding.
As for Marcy, no one knew much other than she was in Europe. But as soon as she returned home, rumors started spreading that she is superficial and useless, just like her mother.
Every member of the Redmayne family is corrupted and only cares about themselves, and that extends to Beta Raymond and Nora. They all need to be eliminated.
Pieces were coming together and then he met Marcy.
For those few brief moments in the garden, George forgot about his revenge, and he thought that things might actually work out peacefully. Why else would the Moon Goddess pair him with the daughter of the man he was set to kill?
But then Marcy rejected him, confirming that she is shallow and corrupted just like the rest of her family.
Yes, she said that it was because her parents wouldn't approve, and it's not that George disagreed with that point, but who was Alpha Edward to challenge the will of the Moon Goddess?
If Marcy wanted to run, George would run with her (as soon as he kills Alpha Edward), but instead of coming up with ways to be together with him, Marcy's impulse was to reject him. That was something George will never be able to erase from his mind.
Rejection by a soulmate, by his other half. It took him days to process what happened and to start functioning. And it's something he will never fully recuperate from. His wolf is weakened and based on the research George did, even if he marks Marcy and she accepts him as her mate, his wolf will not heal completely. She made irreparable damage to both of them on a whim. How can he forgive that?
In stories George heard, fated mates are either together, or they die trying, yet Marcy just rejected him. He didn't see it coming.
And then he heard that Marcy will become Luna of the Dark Howlers pack and he understood everything. She rejected him because she assumed he is a lowly Omega, yet she was willing to be with Alpha Damon because he is an Alpha.
Part of him was itching to disclose his background, just to see Marcy's expression when she realizes that she rejected an Alpha, but it was not worth it. He didn't want to jeopardize a decade of hard work and meticulous planning, not now when he was so close to the goal that he can smell it.
George wanted to accept Marcy's rejection. Who would want to be tied up to a mate who doesn't want him? But then he got an idea of using that cracked bond against Marcy, even if that means it will hurt him in the process. After all, didn't he swear that he will destroy the Redmayne family? He might start from Marcy.
…
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…
Back to the present…
George miscalculated how wicked Nora was, and Marcy ended up drugged.
Why was her heart rate still slowing down?
If Alpha Edward finds out that he failed to protect Marcy, George will be penalized, no matter what he achieved so far.
George saw it happen many times before.
Promotions and rewards in the Red Moon pack are rare, while punishments come with heavy consequences for the slightest error.
He could lose his position as the commander!
Marcy getting drugged under his nose was not a small thing.
What if she doesn't wake up on time? At ten o'clock in the morning, Alpha Edward will expect a status report with confirmation that they reached the Dark Howlers pack.
Damn it!
He knew that Nora was vile, but he didn't think she was stupid! At least not to this extent. Now what?
George remembered that werewolves heal faster when they are close to their mates, and he thought of testing that.
He knew that getting into the touching distance with Marcy was a bad idea, but just staring at her and hoping she will wake up wasn't a good option either.
George sat on the edge of Marcy's bed and reached to hold her hand.
Tingles ran through his fingers when their hands connected.
He frowned at the memory of them meeting the first time. He was so lost in Marcy's presence that he forgot who he was, and they ended up kissing, and it was wonderful… until she rejected him.
When they collided in the shed, things happened quickly and he was fueled by rage, but now she was asleep, and he had time to analyze what was going on.
The sparks were much weaker than he remembered, and he knew it was due to Marcy's rejection that diminished the strength of their bond.
George sneered. She rejected him and is traveling toward her bright future with Alpha Damon. Did she really think it will be easy? Doesn't she know that this is a move by Alpha Edward to increase his strength? Did she think that George will stand on the side and let it happen? If she did, she really was stupid. No wonder Nora drugged her so easily.
Seeing that just hand-holding didn't do much as her heart rate was still unusually low, George laid on the bed next to Marcy and pulled her to lean on him in an attempt to maximize their touching surface.
He hoped that this will work because he didn't want to resort to removing clothes.
Even without the mate bond, he was a man, and Marcy was an attractive female. They were alone in the room, on the bed, and if he did something, she probably won't know.
On top of that, there were still remnants of their bond between them, and that was only adding to the difficulty for George to keep his hands (and the rest of his body) in check.
At this distance, Marcy's scent that reminded him of candy was intoxicating, and he focused on his breathing and on counting Marcy's heartbeats.
It took him a minute to relax slightly. Her heartbeats were speeding up slightly. It was working.
Chapter 332 – Total Submission [Bonus ]
Marcy stirred from her sleep and took a deep breath that filled her lungs with the sweet scent of clover. It was the scent that came with longing, and at the same time, it created knots in her stomach.
Was she dreaming of George? It seems like it. And the dream was so vivid that small zaps of their bond danced over her skin because in her dream she was embracing him.
Wait! How can that be a dream if she can hear his light snores?
Marcy opened her eyes and realized that she was in a hotel room. That was the room she was supposed to share with Nora, yet George was on the bed with her.
And it's not just that he was on the bed, but he was lying on his back, her head was on his shoulder, and his arm was around her. Their position was quite intimate even though they had clothes on. What the heck?
Marcy lifted her head to confirm that he was sleeping.
She glanced on the other bed to see that it was empty, and the tidy comforter told her that no one slept there. Where did Nora go?
Marcy craned her neck to check the time. It was 2 o'clock after midnight.
She didn't remember what happened after she ate the cold and greasy burger, but for some inexplicable reason, Nora was not there, and George was.
Was this Nora's idea of a joke?
Marcy was quite confident that Nora was trying to seduce George, how did he end up in Marcy's bed? Was that only a ploy so that Marcy lowers her guard and he can sneak into her bed?
Or did Nora trick him?
Marcy dismissed that idea. George is a Commander, and he can't be manipulated. But… why would he want to be with Marcy? He was quite clear at their last meeting that he hated her.
If this was a scheme to take embarrassing pictures and blackmail her, they would definitely have less clothes on them.
Nothing made sense.
Marcy took this time to admire his exquisite profile. The Moon Goddess didn't spare effort while carving his mesmerizing features. Every curve of his face spoke about power and determination, and she really wanted to touch him.
Marcy exhaled helplessly.
That was her mate, yet she rejected him.
Did she regret that rejection? Not really. If she didn't reject him, they wouldn't have any future, and she couldn't understand, why didn't he accept the rejection?
Sure, he was angry, and he wanted to punish her, but he was punishing himself in the process also. Was he one of those self-destructive people?
Marcy rested her head back on George's shoulder and her hand started feeling out his firm pecks through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. She smiled at the feeling of the sparks. It felt good. Everything about George felt good.
Marcy acknowledged that he was much more than just a handsome man. He was powerful and smart to the point that even her father acknowledged him. The youngest Commander in the history of the Red Moon pack. That alone speaks volumes about his capabilities.
Could Marcy convince George to accept rejection? That would make things easier for both of them. After all, she is going to the Dark Howlers pack to be Alpha Damon's Luna, and he can continue being the famous Commander.
Or maybe she could use that lingering bond to make George obey her? How can she get under George's skin when he looks at her like she has poop on her face?
He was much more pleasant like this, sleeping and quiet, and not acting like she murdered his family.
What's his problem? Was he really so pissed about the rejection? People break up all the time!
Marcy eyed his body, and her eyebrows shoot up when she realized that his pants were strained in his crotch area. Was he aroused in his sleep?
The sparks tingling her palm told her that he was sleeping, but his body knew that his mate was next to him.
Marcy remembered how George kissed her roughly in the shed and then pretended like it was not a big deal. It was obvious that he wanted to humiliate her and show her that he was above her. He made himself look like a man of steel who can't be swayed by emotions. Will he be able to keep pretending with that hard-on right there?
Her stubbornness mixed with curiosity and desire to see how far she can go, and little by little, Marcy's hand moved lower.
…
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…
George jolted.
What the hell? Did he fall asleep accidentally?
Sure, he was under a lot of pressure recently and he barely slept for the last two days, but still… he was used to harsh conditions.
However, just falling asleep was not the strangest thing.
He was on the bed, surrounded by the scent of candy, and what he felt down there was definitely a female hand on his cock. He looked down to see Marcy with her hand in his pants.
"What are you doing?", George asked Marcy who was so focused on jerking him off that she didn't notice him waking up.
Marcy's head snapped up to see him and she smiled. "Don't you know what I'm doing?"
George swallowed hard. He wanted to push her away, but at the same time, he didn't want her to stop.
When was the last time he was with a woman? It felt like forever.
And no matter how many women he bedded, none came with those sparks that muddled with his brain.
But this was Marcy Redmayne. Granddaughter of the man who killed his parents and destroyed his pack. Daughter of the man he was set to kill. His mate. His mate who rejected him and he was escorting her so that she becomes the Luna of some other Alpha.
Everything about this was wrong, yet George did so many wrong things in his life that he wondered if adding one more will make a difference.
And why would it be wrong? He could say that he fucked the woman Alpha Damon was considering to be his Luna. It's not that George had anything against Alpha Damon but sleeping with Marcy will be something George could use to his advantage.
The whole Redmayne family is twisted, and Alpha Edward won't care with whom Marcy slept as long as he gets what he wanted, but Alpha has his pride and Alpha Damon won't like that his Luna spread her legs for a commander of another pack… especially not while Marcy was on her way to meet with him.
With every passing heartbeat, George came up with another reason why he shouldn't resist this. And not just resist, but he should take the lead and show Marcy what it means to be fucked by an Alpha.
His nostrils flared when he was hit with the scent of her arousal, and that did it.
"Ah!", Marcy exclaimed when George grabbed her shoulders and yanked her up.
She thought that he might fling her off the bed, but she ended up on her back with him on top of her.
"What are you doing?", Marcy asked breathily when she realized that he was pushing her skirt up.
George let out a low chuckle that was full of danger, but somehow, it made her all tingly down there.
"You started it, Marcy…", George said. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm doing."
His hand reached the cradle of her thighs and brushed against her panties.
"Ahh…", Marcy moaned at his touch.
"Slut.", he squeezed through his teeth when he felt how soaked her panties were. "You are a horny little bitch."
Before Marcy realized what was going on, her panties were on the floor and George's hard and hot cock was gliding between her folds.
"Ah… Wait… Mmm… Ah…", she struggled to say something, but her brain refused to cooperate.
"Don't you want this, Marcy?", George asked with a devious smile on his face. "Say you want it. Say you want me to fuck you, Marcy."
George could see that her body gave in, but he wanted to break her mind also. Total submission.
Every time his tip pushed against her clit, her whole body jolted. She never felt anything like that, and she really wanted more. Any thoughts about her preserving the v-card were out of the window. Marcy was confident that if he stopped now, she would die.
"Yes… yes…", she said breathily.
"Yes, what?", he demanded, and his hips didn't stop moving.
"I want you to… fuck me…" Marcy couldn't believe that she said those words. They were not even fully undressed!
To make things worse, she was on her way to become another man's Luna, yet she was here wantonly losing herself with George.
But the arousal was overwhelming, and her wolf amplified her lust, and no matter how many guys she touched before, none felt as good as George. Everything about him felt right.
Marcy inhaled a shaky breath when she felt the pressure and the stretch, and she knew that this was happening. There was no way back. Did she want to go back from this point? Not really.
Her core was throbbing in need to be filled, and there was only one man who could fulfill that need.
—
Chapter 333 – Malicious Gossip (1)
~ The Dark Howlers Pack ~
It was early morning when Dawn and Zina left their apartment building with Lily and Ivy. Their destination was the packhouse.
With all the guests present (and four additional ones on their way), they had extra work related to setting up and preparing breakfast, and they didn't want to be late.
Dawn, Zina, Lily, and Ivy spent the previous evening in the Shifters nightclub, and even though neither of them left the club with a man, the four of Omegas had a lot of fun.
Lily and Ivy were surprised that several guys invited them to dance, and no one asked about their status. Everyone was friendly regardless of background, and for two Omegas from the Lightclaw pack, that was novel.
They were also surprised to hear that at the Shifters nightclub, there is a VIP booth that Alpha Damon is using. Ivy and Lily never saw their Alpha mingling with common folks.
Lily and Ivy were happy that their future Alpha (aka Tony) was associating himself with the Dark Howlers pack, and they hoped that their pack will adopt some of the liberal practices they observed so far.
The Omega duo was at the Dark Howlers pack for a full day, and they already experienced so many memorable moments. They were eager to head to the packhouse and start working because they had a feeling that this day will also be full of interesting events. Once they clean up after breakfast, important people will go about their business. Dawn and Zina promised to take Ivy and Lily during that downtime to Darkbourne to visit the town square and shops that are there. Exciting!
"Ester?", Dawn called when she saw the person in question leaning on her car. "Do you mind moving to idle on another vehicle? We are in a hurry."
"I was waiting for you.", Ester responded.
"Reeeaaaly?", Zina drawled. Last night she and Dawn were swarmed by many who wanted to know more about the group that was part of the VIP bunch at the beach that day, and they could guess Ester was here for gossip material.
Well, they were not wrong.
"Oh, come on!", Ester exclaimed when she saw that both Zina and Dawn were frowning at her. "I only wanted to ask a few questions. You can choose not to answer."
"Fine. Then we will not answer.", Dawn said stiffly. "Now, can you move? We don't want to be late."
Ester shrugged. "As you wish. Since you don't want to talk to me, I can't force you." She pushed herself away from the car. "It seems you want to hog the information about the wolf-less she-wolf who seduced our Alpha."
Both Zina and Dawn froze. The wolf-less she-wolf didn't ring a bell, but who else could be described as the one who seduced Alpha Damon if not Talia?
"What did you say?", Dawn asked.
Ester raised her palms up defensively. "Woah! Lower the hostility, ladies. I'm just saying what I heard."
Zina's face was arranged into a deep frown. "And what did you hear?"
Ester smirked. Dawn and Zina acted all high and mighty because they were among the few Omegas allowed to work in the packhouse, but now Ester got their attention. That must count for something.
Ester eyed Dawn and Zina knowingly before she spoke, "Everyone knows that Talia is following Alpha Damon since the Summer Solstice festival. He rescued her from the Red Moon pack and gave her a job in the kitchen. Alpha Damon felt sorry for her, and she took advantage of that and ended up working as his assistant in the office and in his bedroom. She is even entertaining those high-ranking guests, but people wonder how long she will continue to maintain her position, considering that Marcy from the Red Moon pack is about to arrive."
Dawn was first to recover. "Who told you that?"
"People are talking."
"People?", Zina asked, and it took her a moment to connect the dots. "You mean, Lisa."
Everyone was aware that Ester and Lisa used to hang out together. And considering that Ester knew that Talia was working in the kitchen and as Alpha Damon's assistant, and about sharing a room, it was easy to figure out who was flapping her mouth.
"Is she wrong?", Ester asked, her eyes sparkling with a hunger for gossip.
Both Zina and Dawn knew that Talia and Damon were mates and that it was not the time to make it public. But, can they just leave it like this?
"Ester, Ester…", Dawn called bitterly. "I thought you are smarter than this."
"What?", Ester became defensive. "I was only asking."
"You didn't ask anything.", Dawn said. "You just parroted words of an abandoned woman who can't accept that she is no one without her boyfriend. But let's not talk about Lisa because she is not important just how it's not important if her words were true. Use your head, Ester. Do you think that Alpha Damon is easy to swindle? Do you think that a woman like Talia can trick him into accepting something against his will? Did you ever see him allow a woman to stick around for everyone to see? She was with him for several events, you saw them in the WW Magazine, and now she is acting as a host for high-ranking members from other packs."
Ester frowned at Dawn's words. "What are you trying to say?"
"She is saying that you should stop spreading malicious gossip.", Zina responded instead of Dawn. "If Alpha Damon hears you talking like this about a woman that's dear to him, you will end up in the dungeon, just like the rest of them."
"Dungeon?", Ester asked under her breath.
"Mmm…", Dawn hummed in confirmation. "It seems that Lisa told you how Talia is a scheming wolf-less moocher, but she didn't tell you that whoever offended her didn't find a good ending. Why do you think Lisa was kicked out of the packhouse? And if not for Steph being her mother, Lisa would be in the dungeon. Keep that tongue in check or start packing."
…
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…
Dawn and Zina were unsettled after their talk with Ester.
Ester apologized and said that she will keep her mouth shut, but even if she sticks to her word, there was always a chance that Lisa spoke with more people.
With that in mind, Dawn and Zina decided to talk to Talia.
It would be all much simpler if Talia had a mind-link, but she didn't have one, so Dawn and Zina needed to be sneaky about it.
"How do you contact Talia?", Dawn asked Stephanie who was waiting for them in the packhouse.
"I reach out to Alpha Damon, and he notifies Talia. Most of the time they are together.", Stephanie responded. Everyone knew that Stephanie was one of few who could contact Alpha directly via mind-link.
"Do you want me to ask…"
"No, no.", Zina was quick to interrupt Stephanie. "It's not urgent. We can talk to Talia later."
They didn't want to alert Alpha Damon, and they didn't want Stephanie to suspect something either. After all, this was about her daughter.
Stephanie shrugged. "Suit yourself. But… if you want to contact Talia, you can talk to Rose. Since she is arranging rooms, Alpha Damon got her a cell phone, and she texts Talia…"
Chapter 334 – Malicious Gossip (2)
It didn't take long for Dawn and Zina to leave the kitchen under various excuses. Stephanie shook her head at two silly women while wondering, what's with the secrecy? It was obvious that two Omegas left the kitchen in order to talk to Talia.
Stephanie was right. Dawn and Zina went to meet with Rose, and they asked her to send a text to Talia.
"Call Talia to come here.", Dawn said. "Tell her that she needs to check something in the rooms you prepared for the guests from the Red Moon pack."
Rose shook her head in disapproval, but she still sent a text to Talia after Dawn and Zina assured her that they will take care of the rest and that Talia won't be angry about this small deception.
A few minutes later…
Rose stood like a statue and stared at the open door.
Dawn and Zina nearly had a heart attack when they saw Alpha Damon entering the room. Why was he there?
Damon wore shorts and a wrinkled t-shirt, and his hair was messy. It was obvious that he got out of the bed and put on whatever clothes he found lying around.
Damon's eyes settled on Rose. "What do you need me to check?"
Rose felt like crying. Talking with Talia was one thing, but Alpha Damon was intimidating, and it didn't seem he was in a good mood. Oh, God! She allowed those two misfortune-bringers to use her phone and she ended up waking up Alpha!
Unsure how to answer, Rose robotically pointed toward Dawn and Zina whose eyes were open so wide that they formed nearly full circles.
Damon rubbed his forehead impatiently. "Will someone tell me why I am here?"
Dawn, Zina, and Rose also wanted to know why Alpha Damon was there. Did Rose send a message to the wrong number?
"We wanted to talk to Talia.", Dawn responded in a small voice.
"She is asleep. Tell me what needs to be done.", Damon said stiffly.
While they mingled with guests, Talia was holding on, but after dinner when it was just the two of them, Talia's anxiousness was swelling with every passing minute. His kitten was nervous about Marcy coming, and they ended up talking and cuddling long into the night, and of course, they indulged in carnal pleasures a few times.
When Damon saw the text from Rose, he decided to head down and check out the situation without waking up Talia so that she can rest as much as possible. And he was in a hurry to finish whatever was needed and return to bed before Talia realizes he was gone.
Dawn and Zina exchanged concerned gazes. Their future suddenly became dark and uncertain.
'TALK TO ME!'
Dawn and Zina jolted when Damon's stern voice sounded through the mind-link for them to hear.
It's not that they had a choice. He was their Alpha. If Damon wanted to force them, he could use his Alpha command. But even without that, Talia was their friend, and his mate, and they knew that Damon would think about what was best for Talia.
Damon frowned when he saw that Dawn and Zina turned toward each other, and they did rock-paper-scissors hand movements. He couldn't believe that they just played a game to decide which one of them will answer.
Zina lost the game and she steeled herself before answering. 'It was like this, Alpha… On our way here, we bumped into Ester and…'
Damon's expression was unreadable as he listened to Zina recollecting their talk with Ester.
"Anything else?", Damon asked when Zina finished.
"No. That's it, Alpha.", Zina responded.
"Thank you for telling me this.", Damon said, and then he turned around and left.
Dawn and Zina were flabbergasted. This was the first time for them to hear Alpha Damon saying thank you. He would usually issue orders and at most hum in acknowledgment, but this… this was a real 'thank you'. They were excited.
"What did you tell him?", Rose asked in a half-whisper. She was not sure how far Damon went, or how good the Alpha's hearing is.
Dawn lifted her chin proudly. "This is something between us and Alpha Damon. Now if you excuse us, we need to prepare breakfast."
Rose frowned at Dawn and Zina. Why did they exclude her?
Without her cell phone, Alpha Damon wouldn't be here and Dawn and Zina wouldn't have this chance to boast!
…
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…
After hearing what Zina said, Damon went straight to the study.
He knew that Lisa was talking trash after she was chased out of the bar where she tried to approach Maddox, but the fact that she was saying things out of spite didn't mean those were lies. Sure, it was exaggerated and spiced up with malice, but the core information was correct.
Maya and Caden joined Damon in the study. The Beta duo assumed that this was about Marcy, and they were surprised to hear that Lisa was causing issues.
Caden pointed out the biggest issue. "How does she know that Talia is from the Red Moon pack? I didn't tell anyone."
"Me neither.", Maya chimed in, and they didn't need to check to confirm that Damon didn't talk about Talia's background. "Other than the three of us, only Talia knew the truth. Did she tell Lisa?"
Damon was not sure, but with Caden and Maya confirming that they keep their mouths shut, it was obvious that the information leaked from Talia.
Damon decided to talk about this with Talia once he figures out how to bring up this topic without freaking her out. "That's not important now."
Maya agreed. "Lisa found out from somewhere and she is flapping her mouth. We warned her to behave, but it's obvious that's not effective."
Damon rubbed his forehead with force. "If I banish Lisa or send her to the dungeon, I will alienate Steph. I can't do that to her. She has only us. And Lisa."
"But we need to do something.", Caden said sternly. "It is only a matter of time before Alpha Edward finds out that the mystery woman by your side came from his pack. He will start digging and he won't stop until he finds something. Right now, Talia is vulnerable."
Damon looked at Maya. "How soon can we arrange that party where Talia will be introduced to the Elders?" And it was not just Elders, but to everyone who was someone in the Dark Howlers pack. Once they announce Talia as Damon's fated mate, the whole pack will stand to protect her, and they need to make those steps before Alpha Edward finds out about Talia.
Maya puffed her cheeks while thinking about what all is needed for the party. "If we stick to basics, we could pull it off tomorrow evening."
"Let's do that.", Damon said. "Prepare a list of guests and get Kalina and Mindy to help." He knew that Meg and Tatiana were busy with their mates and won't be available for some time.
"You need to deal with Marcy before that.", Caden reminded Damon. "If you don't, people will assume that the party is for Marcy's sake."
Damon pinched the roof of his nose. Marcy was coming and he still didn't have a plan to deal with her. What a bother.
"What will you do with Lisa?", Maya asked.
Damon shrugged and looked at Maya and Caden helplessly. "I'm open to hearing your ideas."
Maya's face lit up as she thought of something. "We can't imprison her, but we can send her to the dungeon."
Maya's words confused both Damon and Caden, and after a few moments of silence, Damon got it.
"Maya, that's brilliant!"
"It is?", Caden asked.
"It is.", Maya said smugly. Caden wanted to know more, but Maya mysteriously said that he will see, and Damon was already mind-linking someone.
When Damon confirmed how that was all, Maya stood up with, "I will work with ladies to prepare for the party. Plan for tomorrow evening. We will let you know if we need your help…"
Maya was brimming with excitement. They will introduce Talia to the pack, and that meant Talia's Luna ceremony was just around the corner! Their pack will get a Luna. Finally!
—
Chapter 335 – A Different Type Of Prisoner (1)
Talia stirred from her sleep at the sound of the door closing.
She watched through her eyelashes as Damon tiptoed to the bed. He slipped under the cover carefully, and she could hear him exhale in relief because he thought that he was sneaky enough.
"Where have you been?"
Damon froze when he heard Talia's voice and he turned to her robotically.
"I just checked something."
"Is something wrong?"
"What makes you think that something is wrong?"
Talia gave him a knowing look. "I can sense your emotions, and I know you are worried."
Before Talia could ask more questions, Damon pulled her into his embrace and kissed her forehead.
He didn't want to tell her about Lisa. Talia already had a lot on her mind.
Besides, Damon handled Lisa and he assigned a few of his people to pay attention to rumors and shut up any person who is talking nonsense about Talia. It was not a foolproof plan, but it was a stopgap that will do for now. Tomorrow evening he will introduce Talia to the important members of the pack, and until then he will need to figure out the issue with Marcy.
The truth was that Damon didn't want to deal with any of it. If it was up to him, he and Talia would go to a cottage in the woods and live forever like hermits. But that was not possible because a lot of people depended on them, and Talia wouldn't approve if Damon neglected his responsibilities.
Damon could see the end of this. He will impregnate Talia, and their child will become the next Alpha of the Dark Howlers pack, and then Damon and Talia can move to that cottage, and it will be perfect. But until then… "Sleep more, kitten. There is still time until breakfast. Additional guests are about two hours away."
Talia understood that Damon's uneasiness was related to 'additional guests', aka the group from the Red Moon pack.
Talia didn't want to talk about them. They already said everything that should be said (at least twice), last night. There was no point in mulling over how to deal with Marcy. Damon and Talia were on the same page about what they wanted to accomplish: to send Marcy packing. They didn't know how they will accomplish it, but Talia was aware of Marcy's haughty attitude, and she believed they might be able to use that against Marcy. Somehow.
Damon and Talia concluded that as long as they are together, things will work out. Isn't that why the Moon Goddess paired them up?
Talia felt Damon's hand slowly caressing her back. He did that to make her relax and lull her to sleep.
She wiggled. "Don't. It's making me sleepy."
"I want you to sleep, kitten."
"How can I sleep when you are working?", Talia asked.
Damon smiled at the silly girl. "I am here now."
Talia snuggled into him. "You are here now. I'm aware that you are working even from the bed." She wished for a power to shut down his mind-link. Only then it will truly be just the two of them.
Talia's gaze moved on the bird she drew on Damon's shoulder with a sharpie on the previous day when they were at the beach.
She frowned. They were in the water for quite some time, yet the ugly thing didn't fade at all.
Damon noticed where Talia was looking. "Do you like it?"
"I like birds, but this one is not good."
"Really? I thought of getting it tattooed permanently.", he admitted.
Talia's face fell. "Please, don't."
"I thought you like tattoos."
"I do. I mean… it's not that I like them, but I find them interesting. If you want to tattoo something, I won't stop you, but please don't go with this doodle. It's horrible."
"How can you say it's horrible? It's from you. It's perfect."
Talia's lips twitched. "If I knew that you will want to make it permanent, I would never agree to draw on you."
"You don't want me to make this permanent?"
"That's right.", Talia confirmed without missing a beat.
"Convince me."
"How?"
Damon wiggled his eyebrows mischievously and Talia rolled her eyes when she realized that this was the playful Damon. He wanted sex and he was being creative about asking for it.
Talia knew that if she just called him out, he won't get the satisfaction of thinking that he tricked her, so she played along.
Talia ran her fingers over his chest while asking coyly, "I wonder… what can I do to convince my Alpha not to ruin his body?"
"What is my Luna willing to do?"
Talia bit her lower lip. "I could do… anything…"
Damon's tongue darted as he licked his lips. "Like what? I need examples, kitten."
"I can order you not to do it.", Talia deadpanned. "After all, you are mine, so your hunky body is mine also, and I won't allow you to ruin it." She paused and gave him a smile. "Or I could do something else…"
Damon's eyes widened when Talia slipped lower and disappeared under the cover.
"Ah…", a barely audible sigh escaped his lips when Talia took him into her mouth.
His kitten was getting bolder by the day, and he loved it!
…
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…
While Damon and Talia were lovey-dovey, someone was not having a good morning…
Lisa sat in the back of a jeep and looked at her surroundings nervously.
She woke up to someone incessantly ringing the doorbell of her apartment.
"Mom!", Lisa shouted, hoping that her mom will get the door.
After her plan to get close to Alpha Maddox failed, Lisa scampered back to the beach and sat with Ester and other girls.
She was watching as Tony was playing cards with guys and she wished that he noticed her presence, but that didn't happen. And then all of the guys went to the lake, and not long after that Omegas started clearing up the VIP area which was an obvious sign that Alpha Damon and his guests were not going to stay on the beach anymore.
Lisa was embarrassed and dejected, and she needed to vent her anger. However, she knew that making a scene in public will backfire.
She gathered her things and decided to head home. To her horror, Ester was sticking to her with, "I will come with you!"
Ester followed Lisa all the way to Lisa's apartment, and Lisa couldn't hold it in anymore and she started talking trash about Kalina, Talia, Maya, and Meg, and Ester soaked in all that eagerly behind a mask of a compassionate friend.
Ester didn't care much about Meg or Kalina. They were from different packs.
Maya was a well-known Beta, so Lisa didn't say anything that Ester didn't know already.
What got Ester's attention was information related to Talia. Talia was a newly established celebrity who was associated with Alpha Damon. How could Ester miss this chance to hear gossip?
But no matter how juicy those things were, Ester had a feeling that Lisa might be exaggerating, and that's how she ended up looking for Dawn and Zina which led to the situation in Lisa's apartment.
Chapter 336 – A Different Type Of Prisoner (2)
'DING-DONG!'
Lisa groaned at the sound of the doorbell and shouted, "MOM! Will you get that!?"
It took Lisa a few seconds to remember that Stephanie was probably at the packhouse to prepare breakfast for high-ranking guests; for the VIP bunch where Lisa didn't belong anymore.
With the noise from the doorbell not stopping, Lisa dragged herself to the door.
"WHAT!?", Lisa shouted as she flung the door open, and her eyes widened when she saw two warriors standing there and looking at her sternly. She cleared her throat. "Did you get the wrong place?"
One of the warriors shook his head. "We are at the right place, Lisa." He gestured at her nightgown. "Change into something appropriate and come with us."
Lisa clutched her nightgown at the chest level like they were about to undress her forcibly. "Why? Where?"
The other warrior frowned. "Alpha's orders. You have five minutes."
Lisa moved backward into the apartment, and she was horrified to see that two warriors walked in after her. She didn't have time to think about what was going on, so she dashed into her room and changed into shorts and a t-shirt.
Surely, if it's Damon's orders, it can't be bad. Right? RIGHT!?
And here she was, in a jeep, in the middle of a forest.
Lisa knew they were North from Darkbourne, but other than that, she was kind of lost.
And then they took a turn off the paved road, and the ride became bumpy.
Eventually, the vehicle stopped in front of a one-story-high gray-ish building that had moss over the roof, making it blend with the surrounding foliage. If someone was not looking for this place, they could easily miss it. The road was just two strips where tires passed repeatedly, but the dense grass everywhere was a giveaway that this road was not frequently used.
Lisa gripped the handrail of the jeep as anxiety swelled within her. Did Damon really ask her to come here with two bulky guys? What if they were lying? Ah, she should have asked for some identification!
"Where is this?", she asked.
The warrior that was driving responded, "The dungeon."
"Dun… dungeon?", Lisa stuttered, unsure if she heard him right. "Why did you bring me here?"
"Alpha's orders.", the other warrior responded.
Lisa panicked. "Damon sent me to the dungeon? Why? I don't believe this! I want to talk to him!"
Both warriors frowned when Lisa started throwing a tantrum.
"It's ALPHA Damon!", stern voice of another warrior came from the side, scaring the daylights out of Lisa. She didn't notice him before. She looked around to check if more people will pop out from nearby bushes, and he continued, "You have no right to address Alpha casually or to question his commands. Our orders are to bring you here and to give you cleaning supplies."
Lisa was sure that her ears malfunctioned. "Cleaning supplies?"
The warrior nodded in confirmation. "You have a task to clean the dungeon."
Lisa gaped at him. Cleaning the dungeon? She was not kidnapped or sent to prison, but she became a cleaner for the prisoners? Which one was worse?
The warrior shook his head in disapproval at the sight of Lisa who was non-responsive. "I never saw such a disobedient Omega before." He looked at two guys who came with Lisa. "Maybe we should lock her up, to teach her how Omegas should behave."
Lisa realized that she was in trouble. It is one thing in the town where witnesses were present, but this was in the middle of nowhere and even if these warriors snap her neck, they can hide her body, and no one will know what happened.
She quickly scampered out of the jeep. The sooner she finishes the cleaning business, the sooner she can leave. How much work can it be to clean this one-story building?
"No, no…", she said while lifting her hands defensively. "It was just unexpected. I didn't know this place existed and no one told me I will get this task. Please, show me the way."
He nodded in approval. "That's better. I'm Klark. That's Lieutenant Klark for you. Don't forget my rank. Outside it doesn't matter, but here we pay attention to those things. As a Lieutenant, when I'm on duty, I am the boss. What I say goes. Understood?"
Lisa gave him a stiff smile. Who cares about ranks? She will do this cleaning business and never see this place again.
Klark showed her the rooms on the ground floor.
Lisa observed with curiosity the control room that was buzzing with electrical equipment. She wanted to see what was on those monitors, but Klark didn't give her much time for sightseeing. He gave her a quick tour of the kitchen, dining area, the storage room that was used as a pantry, a bathroom with two of everything, and one room with bunk beds where eight people could sleep. Klark told her that other warriors stationed here are in the area standing guard and that they gather for meals.
She didn't see any dirt or mess, even the kitchen was spotless, and Lisa assumed that she will be done with work in no time.
However, Klark said that this is the dungeon. Shouldn't there be cells and prisoners and… stuff?
Her heart picked up the pace when he showed her the elevator that went down and based on the numbers above the metallic door, there were four levels underground!
Instead of taking the elevator, they took the right, toward the stairs, one level down.
Lisa scrunched her nose. The air there was a bit stale, and she wondered if things are worse on the lower levels.
"Here is the storage where you can find cleaning supplies", he said. "If you run low on anything, let me or Pete know."
"Pete?"
"He will be here for lunch.", Klark responded.
Lisa peeked inside to see a sink, cabinets with various containers, mops, brooms, and there was even a vacuum cleaner. It really was a storage for cleaning supplies.
She stiffened at Klark's next words, "This will be your room."
Lisa's eyebrows shot up and she moved quickly back into the stuffy hallway to see what he was talking about. Klark was standing next to the open door that led to a room with a dresser and two twin beds with blankets neatly folded at the ends, and… nothing else. Bare walls had no windows.
"My room?"
He nodded in confirmation. "There are two beds, but since you are the only one staying here, pick whichever you want. You will eat with us upstairs, and when you need rest, you will come here. Or would you rather share a room with us? That can be arranged." He grinned.
Lisa shook her head rapidly like a pellet drum. "This is fine, but… why would I need to rest? I can go home once I'm done, right?"
Klark looked at her like she asked something silly. "Our instructions are to bring you here and to ensure you have what's needed for you to complete your job. This level is rather decent, but lower floors might take more time to clean. The blood got between bricks, and that's difficult to reach. Rust on the chains can also be stubborn."
He didn't tell her that those cells were not cleaned in years, and his estimate was that if she can clean one cell daily, that will be considered as quick.
Klark walked out of the room and gestured down the hallway. "Start with the empty cells, they are unlocked. When you get to the ones that are occupied, let us know and we will move prisoners so you can work. We don't want you to end up attacked. Some of the guys we have here are ruthless…"
The more he spoke, the more Lisa's hair stood on ends. There are prisoners on the same floor where her room is!? They are expecting her to sleep here!? Why did she have a feeling that she will be stuck here for days… or longer?
But if she thought this was bad, it was getting worse.
"We have lunch settled, but we expect you to prepare dinner."
Lisa gaped at him like he spoke in a foreign language. "What?"
"Part of your duties will be to cook for us who are here stationed for longer periods.", Klark said. "We have warriors who patrol the area in shifts, but there is always a group that stays here for a week or longer…"
Lisa swallowed hard. What will be her punishment if they all get stomachaches due to her non-existent cooking skills?
—
Chapter 337 – Meg’s Awakening [Bonus ]
Axel reached in front of Kai's room, and he lifted his hand to knock when he heard Kai's voice through the mind-link, 'It's not locked'.
Axel understood this as an OK to get in.
He was confused as to why would Kai invite him to come into his room. Shouldn't he be enjoying his bonding time with Meg? It was not even breakfast time!
Axel's eyebrows shot up when he saw that Tyler was there in the room, squatting.
Tyler nodded at Axel in greeting and didn't move from his spot. Axel realized that Tyler was carefully collecting something from the floor.
"What's going…?", Axel's question was cut short when his gaze fell on the bed.
Kai was there holding Meg who was shivering in his arms. She was wrapped in a bedsheet and Kai was caressing her cheeks and murmuring something while looking at her with a gentle gaze full of desperation.
Axel frowned when he confirmed that Meg's body was enveloped in a thin layer of silvery light. She was glowing. Literally.
It took Axel a second to realize. "Why did you mark her?"
Kai froze and he looked at Axel apprehensively.
Kai knew that he was supposed to wait until they reached the Midnight Guardians pack and he even promised to visit Meg's family first but… "I got carried away. The emotions were too strong, and my wolf urged me to do it. The timing was right, and it happened."
Axel pinched the roof of his nose. How was this the right timing? They were in the middle of another pack!
They all had their share of warnings to not mark their mates outside of their pack's territory because it might awaken abilities in the other party, and it can get nasty until they learn to control their power.
But what was done was done and he needed to figure out how to fix this.
Axel approached the bed to see Meg up-close.
With every step Axel took, Kai's hold on Meg tightened.
Axel rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to take her away from you. Tell me what's the status."
"I marked her about two hours ago. She was fine for about half an hour, and then this. It's getting worse."
Axel was about to ask for clarification when…
'CRACK! CRASH!'
A sound of porcelain bursting was heard, and Axel realized that a decorative vase from the corner just exploded. What the hell?
"It's Meg's ability.", Kai said with a helpless expression. "She already busted all the lightbulbs in the room and now is going after larger pieces."
"I opened the windows to prevent them from breaking.", Tyler said.
Axel's gaze went back to Meg, and he saw that the silvery glow reduced significantly. "It seems she lost some of her power."
Kai shook his head. "It's building up again. I can feel it."
"What should we do?", Tyler asked. "We can say that they were wild and broke some stuff, but if this continues, someone will notice that this is odd."
Axel got his phone. "Let me check with my parents and see if they have a solution for this."
…
"We should take her to our pack.", Axel gave them the short version after he ended his talk to his father. "The sooner, the better. I will talk to Alpha Damon and see if he can provide us with an exit where we won't be noticed." Alpha Isaac told Axel that Damon is good at keeping secrets.
"I will take Meg home. The two of you can stay.", Kai said. He knew that this visit was important to Axel, and he didn't want to leave him on his own.
Axel refused. "The road back home is long. You will need both me and Tyler." He wanted to get close to Talia and to talk to her, but as the future Alpha, Axel needed to prioritize tasks and it was more important to keep their pack's secret a secret. If anyone saw Meg glowing and bursting stuff, it would be troublesome for everyone.
If they were at home, Axel would be ecstatic to find out that his future Beta got some cool ability to smash stuff without touching them, but this was no time to celebrate.
Tyler spoke to Kai. "You hold onto Meg and keep her stable through the mate bond. Stay calm and that will reflect on her. I will ask Maya to pack Meg's stuff and when I get my things ready, I will return here to help you pack."
"Thanks.", Kai said, and his focus went back to Meg.
"Kai…", she called in a shaky voice and Kai could see that her eyes flickered in silver light.
"I'm here, love. It will be OK. Whatever you are feeling, it's normal.", he murmured words of comfort. "I am right here. I won't let go…"
He regretted not explaining any of this before he marked her.
Meg was drifting in and out of consciousness, and Kai hoped that she won't be mad because she won't be able to see her parents until she learns to control her powers, and that could be weeks or months.
…
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…
Axel was waiting for Damon in the study, and he was pleased to see that Damon came with Talia.
Talia always had some calm about her, and there was a small smile at the corner of his lips. Whenever Axel saw Talia, his mood would improve. He really wished that she belongs to his pack and that he can take her home with him, and then they would have an open talk, but things were not going in that direction, and he needed to focus on the task at hand.
After exchanging greetings, Talia went to her desk to do some work. She and Damon agreed not to leave each other's visible range for the day.
"I heard you wanted to talk to me, and it can't wait for after breakfast.", Damon went right to the point as soon as he sat on his chair.
Axel confirmed. "We are facing an emergency and we need to return home as soon as possible. My father said that you can keep this under wraps. We don't want people to know about our whereabouts."
Damon didn't suspect Axel's words. Issues with packs are not uncommon, and his guess was that the Midnight Guardians pack was facing some crisis. And as a bonus, he was happy that Axel was leaving. Damon didn't like the way Axel looked at Talia.
"Will you stay for breakfast?", Damon asked.
"If you can pack some food for us, that will be appreciated. If not, we will pick up something on the way. Meg will be coming with us."
Damon confirmed that packing food for four people won't be a problem. "I assume that Tony and Kalina know about this."
"They don't. You can tell them after we leave. Give us at least one hour.", Axel said.
"Won't they be worried?", Talia asked from the side. She was trying to work, but she ended up overhearing what Damon and Axel talked about.
Meg was mated to Kai, but she still came with Tony and Kalina. With Axel saying that he needs one hour, that meant Meg won't get to say goodbye to the people with whom she arrived. Talia didn't think this was right.
"When we reach our destination, Meg will make calls and explain things but it's critical that we reach our pack as soon as possible. The smaller number of people knows about this, the better.", Axel said. This was the truth. "Until one hour expires, if anyone asks, tell them that I'm doing something with Tyler in my room, and everyone will assume that Meg and Kai are in his room."
"Alright. One hour.", Damon agreed. "It will be best if you leave during breakfast, so others don't notice you. I will give you one of my cars, and your car will wait for you at the border of my territory…"
—
Chapter 338 – An Unwanted Invitation (1) [Bonus ]
Within a few minutes, Damon made appropriate arrangements for Axel to leave covertly with Tyler, Kai, and Meg, and Axel appreciated Damon's discretion.
"Thank you for doing this, Alpha Damon." And for not asking questions as to why we are leaving so suddenly and need secrecy.
"It's not a big deal.", Damon responded. "Is there anything else?" How Damon saw this, with Axel out of the picture, there will be one less problem to deal with.
Axel wanted to say how there was nothing else, but Talia was right there, and he only wanted a few minutes of her time, and it was important. His eyes drifted to the person in question. "I would like to speak with Miss Talia."
Damon's expression stiffened. "Speak."
"In private."
Hell no! "You can speak in front of me.", Damon said curtly.
Talia saw that Damon was irritable, and she moved to stand next to him. "I have no secrets in front of Damon."
"But I do.", Axel said without missing a beat.
"Then, there is nothing for us to talk.", Talia said, surprising both Damon and Axel. "Whatever you say to me, you can assume I will tell Damon. If he can't hear it, then I shouldn't hear it either."
Damon's lips lifted into a smile. Talia's words were backed up with immense trust and acceptance that flowed into him through the mate bond, and Damon felt his chest swelling with pride. That's his mate!
Axel was conflicted. He wanted to talk to Talia, but it seemed that Damon was part of the package.
Axel was more than 95% confident that Talia was connected to the Midnight Guardians pack, and he was at least 70% certain that she was the child from Cassandra's prophecy.
The reason for only 70% was the lack of Talia's mind-link. As a child of the Midnight Guardians pack, she should have that link upon birth, and Axel would be able to sense it. But Axel heard that something was off with Talia's wolf, so there was a chance the absence of her link was due to that.
The light in the lake was proof that Talia's powers awakened, and that wouldn't happen if she was not with her mate.
Was Damon Talia's mate? That would complicate things.
But if they were mates, how come they didn't announce it? And why was Talia not marked?
Was Talia with her mate long enough for her powers to awaken, and after that, she got together with Damon? Did Damon find out how powerful she is, and that's why he took her under his wing? Is Damon somehow forcing Talia to stay by his side?
All kinds of theories swirled in Axel's mind and he couldn't voice any of them in front of Damon.
Heck, even if Damon gave them privacy, Axel was not sure if he can say that to Talia and not sound like a madman. But there were things he could say.
"Miss Talia, I remember that you grew up with your grandparents and only recently you came to the Dark Howlers pack. Am I correct to say that you didn't join this pack officially?"
Damon felt his blood pressure rising and he took a moment to calm down his wolf before asking Axel, "What does that have to do with you?"
"I believe that at least one of Miss Talia's grandparents came from the Midnight Guardians pack."
The real version was that Axel believed Talia came from the Midnight Guardians pack, but if he said that, it would show that he doubts her background story so he went with this. Technically, it was not a lie.
"You knew my grandparents?", Talia asked. How could Axel know her non-existent grandparents that she grew up with somewhere in the mountains? They made up that story.
Axel shook his head. "I don't. But I have my reasons to believe so."
Damon's face was arranged into a frown, and his hunch was telling him how Axel's reasons were not related to Talia's grandparents, but to what happened in the lake. Caden said that they all saw the light, and assumed it was the mermaids, but if Axel was somehow aware of Talia's powers, he would know better.
Everyone knew that the Midnight Guardians are secretive, and there were all kinds of rumors about them. Some of them included silvery eyes and fantastic powers. Well, that matched Talia's description.
To Damon, it didn't matter what Axel's motives were. Axel was looking at Talia like there was something important between them, and Damon didn't like it.
"What reasons do you have?", Damon asked Axel.
"That is something I can't disclose, Alpha Damon. This is related to my pack. You know that my pack has secrets, just like any other."
"Assuming you are right. What does that mean?", Talia asked Axel.
"Come to my pack."
As soon as these words left Axel's lips, Damon bolted on his feet. His wolf was raging, and Damon didn't try to pacify him this time. What is Damon? A decoration? How dares Axel ask Talia to go with him? Actually, Axel's words sounded more like a demand than an invitation.
…
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…
"I will not harm her.", Axel said with haste. "This was just an invitation."
He regretted his choice of words, but it was already out, and he didn't have the time for a soft approach and flowery speeches because Meg's charges were increasing and they needed to leave the packhouse before Meg blows it up.
Damon's hostility was tangible and the way his eyes turned feral, it was obvious that he was on the verge of shifting into his wolf form. Every muscle in his body was tense in the desire to protect his mate.
Axel frowned when Damon's aura splashed on him full force, but he managed to stay steady even with the suppression that made it difficult to breathe.
Talia moved closer to Damon, totally unaffected by his aura. She knew that Damon will calm down with her proximity, and she was unsettled by Axel's words also.
Damon's hand snaked around her shoulders, pulling her to lean on him.
"Let's hear him out.", Talia said to Damon. It took a moment for Damon to nod and dispel his hostile aura. Only then Talia turned to Axel. "You want me to come to your pack? How much I know, you don't accept outsiders."
"If I am right, you are not an outsider.", Axel said right away.
"What if you are wrong?", Talia asked.
"It doesn't matter. You are welcome to stay with us. I will vouch for you.", Axel responded. He was confident that she belongs to his pack, regardless of if she was the child from the prophecy or not.
"What do you mean, you will vouch for her?", Damon snapped. "Speak clearly. Are you offering her to be a member of your pack? A guest? Or a prisoner?"
Axel was shocked. "A prisoner?"
"Will she be able to leave whenever she wants?"
Axel pressed his lips into a line while thinking about how to answer Damon's question.
If Axel said that she can't leave without giving them the whole story, it will only sound like he has an intention to restrict Talia's freedom, and he couldn't tell the whole story at this point. Axel was confident that after Talia understands the significance of her powers, she will choose to stay there, under the protection of the Midnight Guardians pack.
By staying in the Dark Howlers pack, Talia was in danger, and so were people who were close to her.
Axel saw the light in the lake, and others saw it to also. Axel guessed that Talia used her ability to save Tatiana, and he couldn't blame her for it. This time, mermaids came up like a good coverup, but what excuse will they use next time when someone sees strange things happening? And it will be only a matter of time until they connect mysterious events with Talia.
Axel wondered, how many people already know about Talia's abilities?
Chapter 339 – An Unwanted Invitation (2) [Bonus ]
Author's note:
Here is a shoutout to DespinaNY!
Thank you, DespinaNY, for the Golden Gachapon!
Your generous gift prompted me to release this bonus chapter!
– – –
Note: gifting and voting are available only on the NovelFire platform (w e b n o v e l . c o m), where this novel is published.
Thank you for reading my story from the original source and not supporting pirates who are publishing my work without permission!
– – –
Talia was unsettled. Did Axel really think she will be fine to go with him, knowing that they won't let her leave? Who would accept such an invitation?
Axel saw Talia squeezing closer to Damon, seeking protection, and he said, "Don't be quick to refuse. I can't disclose details, but you won't lack anything if you decide to come to the Midnight Guardians pack. We will keep you safe. Think about it."
"There is nothing for me to think about.", Talia said. "Do you really expect me to follow you down a one-way path based on your hunch?"
"We can confirm if my assumption is correct.", Axel said and that got both Talia's and Damon's attention. "There is a seer in my pack, and she has her ways to identify our pack members. Aren't you curious?"
Damon wanted to tell him to scram, but he decided to tone it down a bit. "It seems to me that you are more curious than Talia. If your seer can do what you claim, you are welcome to bring her here. If it's confirmed that Talia's roots stem from your pack, then we can talk about it."
Talia disagreed. "There is nothing to talk about." It was obvious that this invitation was just for her, and she had no intention of leaving Damon.
"Let's see what he is up to.", Damon told Talia, not caring that Axel was right there and hearing Damon's mocking tone. "Just a word from a seer we never met won't be enough. I hope there will be additional proof so we know that Axel is not trying to kidnap you because that might be interpreted as a declaration of war."
Damon had enough of tiptoeing around Axel. Midnight Guardians or not, Talia was his mate, and he wanted everyone to know that she was not an easy target.
Damon narrowed his eyes at Axel. "No one can take away what's mine. And Talia is mine."
With Damon's and Talia's attitudes worsening, Axel didn't want to push it further. He knew that he rushed with this, and he needed to accept his losses and retreat before it was too late.
"I apologize, Alpha Damon. My intention was not to reach for what is yours.", Axel said with his head lowered, hoping that he will pacify the grumpy Alpha. "My intention is to shed light on Miss Talia's background. There is a reason why we are not openly embracing outsiders, and if I am right, Miss Talia's presence here will bring danger to her and to others. I hope that you will allow me to bring my seer."
The truth was that Axel was not sure if Cassandra will be willing to leave the Midnight Guardians pack. Stories of what happens to them when captured outside are too scary, and they keep everyone on their toes. Unless there is an important reason, no one leaves the safety their territory provides.
Damon didn't want to deny this to Axel. After all, they were curious for answers also. Damon was mostly curious to find out why Axel was so stuck on Talia. In Damon's opinion, just saying that Talia was from the Midnight Guardians pack was not a good enough reason for Axel go to out of his way this much.
After confirming a few details about his departure, Axel left the study.
Talia sat on Damon's lap and thought about Axel's words. "Do you think I'm from the Midnight Guardians pack?"
"Axel seems to think so."
"And you?"
"What I care about is that you are my mate, my other half, and that makes you the Luna of the Dark Howlers pack.", Damon responded without missing a beat, and Talia knew that he meant it.
"What about you, kitten? Do you want to know about your background?"
"We already know that the Red Moon pack has no information about me.", Talia reminded Damon. "What can Axel provide? Pictures of babies? The whole story about my grandparents is bogus."
"What if he brings that seer and you find out that you belong to them? Will you accept his offer and go there?", Damon asked with difficulty.
Talia shook her head. "No."
"Not even to see what they are about?"
"No.", Talia said. "For years I was alone." Scared, hungry, and hurt. "Where were they? It was you who found me, and you gave me a home."
Talia hugged Damon tightly and rubbed her cheek on his chest. "This is my home, and that won't change no matter where I was born."
Damon hummed in approval. He liked her response, but… "What if you have a family? Parents? Grandparents? Siblings?"
Talia knew that Damon was asking because he lost his parents and he was missing them immensely. But for Talia, it was different.
"Let's not worry about Axel. He wants me to go there only because he doesn't know we are mates. Regardless of how I ended up in the Red Moon pack, it's been two decades. It's too late to fix anything. You are my family now. I only hope that the part of bringing you danger won't come true."
Damon's heart swelled at Talia's words. "And you are my family, kitten. My only family. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."
Talia thought that she will melt from warm and fuzzy feelings.
She buried her face in the crook of Damon's neck and took a deep breath of his intoxicating scent. She didn't want to leave the study because that meant facing whatever was on the other side of that door, and here it was just the two of them, and it was perfect.
…
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…
Damon and Talia were heading for breakfast, and Talia knew that it was time for Axel and his group to make their exit. They will take the side door so that no one notices them, and Talia was getting restless.
"I want to check on Meg.", Talia said. This whole secretive leaving was fine for Axel, Kai, and Tyler, but Talia wanted to ensure that Meg was not being forced. After her talk to Axel, anything was possible.
"Axel said that no one should be alerted.", Damon reminded Talia.
Talia halted her steps. "We already know what they are up to." She turned on her heel and started walking away from the dining room.
Damon shook his head helplessly and followed after Talia. He was aware that when his kitten was up to something, nothing can stop her and he wouldn't want it any other way.
Damon and Talia stepped out to see a scene of Tyler keeping suitcases in the trunk of an SUV, and Axel's body was blocking the open back door of the car. Just as Axel requested, no one else was present.
When Axel noticed Damon and Talia, he was quick to close the door. Tinted windows prevented the newcomers to see what was going on inside, but they had a guess that Kai and Meg were there.
"Did you come to see us off?", Axel asked.
"Yes.", Talia responded. "And I would like to have a word with Meg."
Axel pressed his lips into a line. How was he supposed to wiggle out of this one?
"Can't I see her?", Talia asked. "It won't take more than a minute."
Axel didn't want anyone to see Meg's state, but at the same time, he thought that this might be an icebreaker. If Talia sees Meg, she will realize that they are the same, and then he might convince her to come with them.
"Meg is in the back with Kai.", Axel said and turned to Damon. "Please, wait here."
Axel's eyes lost focus for a moment as he told Kai and Tyler that Talia will come to see Meg.
Kai and Tyler didn't get it, but they didn't object. Axel was their future Alpha and surely he knew what he was doing.
Chapter 340 – An Unwanted Invitation (3)
Talia stood in front of the door, thinking that Kai will lower the window, and she was surprised when the door opened.
"Come in.", Kai called.
Talia glanced toward Damon to see him standing on the side with Axel and then she got into the car.
Meg was in Kai's lap, limply lying on him, and her chest moved rapidly as she struggled with her shallow breaths. Meg was wearing a short-sleeved, peach-colored dress and her whole body was glowing in an eerie silvery light.
"Meg?", Talia called, unable to hide her surprise. When Meg didn't respond, she asked Kai. "What's going on with her?"
Kai licked his lips nervously, unsure how to respond. He still didn't know why Axel allowed Talia to come and see Meg like this. Isn't this violation of the main rule they follow? Should he just say that he marked Meg and his DNA caused changes in her body that granted her the ability that can crack and smash things? Can he say that to an outsider?
Talia couldn't stop staring at Meg. Kai's mark on Meg's neck was visible, and it resembled two stars next to a moon. His mark and the rest of Meg's body were pulsating in silvery light, every pulse was warm and welcoming, almost like it called to Talia, urging her to get closer.
For some inexplicable reason, Talia knew that whatever was happening to Meg, was because of Kai, and Talia had a feeling that she can help Meg.
Talia raised her hand to touch Meg's bare shoulder.
"Don't…", Kai wanted to say that Talia shouldn't touch Meg. He was safe because they were mates, but there was no way to predict what would happen if someone else touched Meg when she was in this state.
Meg's newly awakened ability was unstable and driven by emotions, and right now, Meg was scared and confused, and that was not good.
Kai found himself unable to speak because he ended up gaping at Talia's eyes that were flickering with silvery light. He knew very well what that light meant, but he had no idea how Talia got it. Was she one of them? Is that why Axel allowed her to come here? But if she was one of them, why was she not in the Midnight Guardians pack?
His eyes moved to Talia's hand that was resting on Meg's shoulder and he could see the light from Meg's body seeping into Talia's palm. What the…?
Talia smiled at the sensation of the rejuvenating energy spreading through her body. It was better than a popsicle on a hot afternoon, and more soothing than chocolate pudding after a savory meal.
At the same exact moment, Talia and Meg inhaled deeply, and a second later they exhaled together.
Talia released Meg's shoulder and her eyes were completely silver now, giving her an otherworldly appearance.
Kai could feel that Meg was stable. She was still leaning on him, but the glow was gone, and she was definitely sleeping peacefully.
Kai wanted to thank Talia, and to ask her many things, but he found himself tongue-tied.
"She will be fine for about two hours. I suggest you wear sunglasses until you learn to control that.", Talia said to Kai whose eyes were also silver.
Talia smiled at Kai's flabbergasted expression, and her eyes flickered back to her usual honeyed color.
Talia had no idea how she did this, she was moving on an instinct. Was her wolf guiding her subconsciously? That was a possibility. In any case, Talia knew that she helped Meg, and she also got answers to some of her questions.
"Just how you have your secrets, I have mine. What happened here, I hope we can keep it between us."
"Of course", Kai responded. He was grateful for whatever Talia did, and if she was right about two hours of Meg being stable, that will give them enough time to be far away from here.
Kai cradled Meg in his arms and watched as Talia walked out of the car. This was unexpected.
…
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…
"Miss Talia…", Axel called when she closed the door behind her. The fact that Talia was not freaking out only confirmed his assumptions, and now he was 100% confident that Talia was one of them. "What you saw in there… will that make you reconsider to come with us?"
"No.", Talia responded.
Axel frowned when he saw that Talia walked to Damon and they embraced each other.
"Alpha Damon can't keep you safe.", Axel said stubbornly. "You are putting him in danger by being here."
Damon growled lowly and Talia gave his hand a squeeze, indicating that she will take care of this. "I appreciate your concern, Axel, but my place is next to Damon."
"No.", Axel said. "You are important, and your place is in…"
"No?", Talia interrupted him, and her face darkened. "Who are you to tell me where I belong? How can you claim that I'm important when you don't know anything about me? I endured years of hunger and abuse with no one to help me. Why didn't you find me then to tell me that I'm important? Why didn't you come to tell them to stop?"
Axel was utterly confused. "Abused?"
Damon's heart ached at the grief that poured into him from Talia. She was usually a happy person, easily satisfied, but she held a big sorrow deep inside her, and now she allowed it to resurface.
How can he tolerate for Talia to bear it alone? Damon tightened his hold on Talia, hoping that his presence will soothe her, at least a little bit.
"That's enough.", Damon said. "She is not coming with you. Not now, and not ever. Give up on that because Talia is my fated mate." They agreed to keep this only to their closest friends until the big reveal, but Damon saw that Axel was persistent to the point of upsetting Talia. With Axel knowing they are fated mates, he should give up or he will end up going against Damon.
Axel closed his eyes and exhaled helplessly. He hoped that this was not the case. With Damon and Talia being mates, they won't separate willingly, and even if Damon can come to the Midnight Guardians pack, he won't because he is the Alpha of the Dark Howlers pack. This was too much to entangle and they needed to go.
Axel looked at Damon and Talia, and gave them a stiff smile. "Congratulations on finding your Luna, Alpha Damon. Thank you for accommodating our sudden request to leave. Once we deal with our emergency and I discuss this with my seer, I will be in touch, so we can make appropriate arrangements for you to meet." His eyes landed on Talia's clear neck. "Before you proceed with marking, make sure you have at least a few days of privacy in order to get accustomed to changes. It could end badly if outsiders find out that you are one of us."
And with that, Axel turned toward the car, and he went to sit on the front passenger's seat.
Tyler started the engine, and after a quick wave from Tyler and Axel (they couldn't see the back row), the car moved down the driveway and it disappeared among the trees.
"What happened in the car?", Damon asked Talia in a whisper. He was itchy to find out what happened.
"I confirmed that I'm from the Midnight Guardians pack.", Talia responded.
Damon cocked an eyebrow. It was obvious that Axel knew this but… "If that's settled, why is Axel still set for you to meet that seer?"
Talia shrugged. "Who knows? There is probably more to the whole story."
She wanted to know, but she also didn't. Will she ever find out the truth about how she ended up in the Red Moon pack? Or will they only feed her lies? Was there any type of scenario that won't make her angry or sad? It was probably better not to know.
"Let's go and have breakfast.", Talia said. "Our other guests will be here soon, and if we delay any further I might get indigestion."