Ch. 571..580

Chapter 571 The pack run (8)

Damon released Talia's wrists and his hand glided along her arm, on the side of her body, stopping to hold onto her waist that was exposed between two leather garments.

"Get off her!", Keith shouted while dashing toward them from the nearby bushes.

"Keith, no!", Talia exclaimed, but it was too late, as he was already on his knees and struggling to get up under Damon's aura that held him down effortlessly.

"Well, well…", Damon drawled. "Who do we have here? Why does the Coach think that he can interfere when his Alpha is about to claim a woman? And there is more than one idiot."

Damon's eyes didn't move from Keith, but Talia could see that Liam, Pierce, Caleb, and Sandy were also down on their knees, forming a strange circle about ten steps away from Talia and Damon.

Lulu was more in the back, hiding behind a tree and Talia was grateful that at least one of them knew that it was suicidal to go against Damon.

"Damon…", Talia called.

"Shut up!", Damon hissed at Talia.

"Don't talk to her like that!", Maya exclaimed from the back.

Dawn and George were approaching them, but Talia stopped them with, "Don't! If you come closer, you will only make it worse." They needed to handle this peacefully, or everything might fall apart.

Damon narrowed his eyes at Talia. "These are my people rebelling. Did you put them up to this?"

"They are our friends.", Talia responded. "My guards. You are the one who assigned them to protect me. They are only doing their job."

"Protect you? Against their Alpha?"

"My Alpha would never force himself on a woman.", Keith struggled to speak. "My Alpha wouldn't treat his mate like this. Let her go."

Damon smirked. "Why don't you make me?"

Keith groaned as Damon's aura threatened to crush him.

"Damon…", Talia called in a trembling voice. "Don't do this. This is not you. Even if you don't remember me, you should know yourself. Don't you feel me running through your veins? You asked me not to leave you. You said that you will never let go. You said that if we are ever apart, you will turn heaven and earth to find me. You said that even if you lose your power, your money, and your pack, I will still have you because we are one. You are my home, and I am yours. That's not something you can forget."

Damon was not smiling anymore, and he was not sure if he was breathing.

Mental images flashed in front of his eyes. It was Talia in a red swimsuit, and Damon rushing to cover her up. He didn't want others to see the shape of her body, and he could feel the possessiveness of wanting to keep this female only to himself.

The words echoed in his head, 'Mine to touch, mine to kiss, mine to hold, mine to love…'

Damon cursed under his breath. Was that really him?

- - -

--- This work is published on the NovelFire platform (w e b n o v e l . c o m). Thank you for reading from the original site to support the author! ---

- - -

Damon buried his face in the crook of Talia's neck, and he took a deep breath.

"You smell good.", he murmured. Her scent was citrusy sweet, not overwhelming, but it was more than enough to make him dizzy and crave for more.

"This…" His hand moved lower, reaching under the length of her skirt and he gave her thigh a squeeze. "It feels right." Why did it feel so good to be close to Talia? He didn't want to separate from her, like being skin-to-skin was the only way to go.

Talia released a shaky breath. His touch felt good and repulsive at the same time.

She responded in a whisper while choking on her tears, "That's because we are mates, Damon. I have your mark on my neck and you are wearing mine. The dark magic is blocking our bond and your wolf. I need you to let me do the ritual to remove the black runes, so you get Sapa back and your memories of us."

Damon's grip on Talia's thigh tightened and she winced.

"You expect me to believe that?", Damon asked angrily.

Talia looked into his icy-blue eyes which were full of questions.

"You don't need to believe me but believe your wolf. Ask him. He is not saying anything, is he?"

Damon frowned at these words. How did Talia know that his wolf can talk? He never told anyone. And how did she know that the old guy was unreachable?

"Don't you feel that your wolf is sealed? I know it's not in your nature to trust others, but this time…", she licked her lips nervously. "I need you to trust me."

Damon looked into her honeyed eyes that pleaded with him to believe her, and for some unknown reason… he did.

Talia was not sure what to expect when he released her thigh. His emotions were unreachable, and she was nervous. The only good thing was that Keith, Liam, Pierce, Caleb, and Sandy were breathing normally now, which meant that Damon stopped pressuring them with his aura. She hoped that they were not hurt too much, but she didn't have the capacity to check on them as Damon was unstable.

"What do you want me to do?", Damon asked.

Talia's heart leaped in her chest. "We need to go there." She gestured with her chin to her left. Damon moved from her, and they got on their feet at the same time. Talia took his hand into hers and their fingers interlaced.

"This…", Damon said while staring at their connected hands. "This feels right as well."

Talia smiled a little. "It always did." She wanted to celebrate this small victory, but she also felt that it was too early.

Talia led Damon to the diagram she made previously and both of them stood in the middle to face each other.

"Don't let go, Damon.", she said while tightening her hold on his fingers.

Something flashed in his eyes, like recognition of some kind. "Never.", he responded.

Talia looked up to see the full moon and she silently prayed that this will work. It had to work.

She took a deep breath and started saying ancient chants, when Cornelia interrupted her with, "You can't cast a spell if you are in the circle."

"Can you do it?", Talia asked Cornelia. She didn't know about this limitation, but she really didn't want to let go of Damon. There was a familiar part of him awakening and she feared that if she lets go, that part will be gone.

Cornelia didn't approve. "We don't know what effect it will have on you."

"I will be fine.", Talia responded.

"What you are doing is reckless.", Cornelia said sternly.

"I am doing what feels right, Cornelia.", Talia responded without breaking eye contact with Damon. "Without him, nothing matters." She didn't care about being Alpha or Luna of the Dark Howlers pack, and if anything happened to her, Axel would take care of the Midnight Guardians pack. In a way, everyone had someone, and Talia had only Damon and nothing mattered without him.

 

Chapter 572 The pack run (9) [Bonus chapter]

Damon didn't understand the meaning behind Talia's words, but he knew they were heavy. Something told him that the small woman in front of him would risk everything for him, and support him with no questions asked, even when he was an asshole and when he mistreated her. Unconditional acceptance. It was something he didn't remember, yet he knew that it can be given to him only by the woman who stood in front of him.

Damon reached with his free hand to touch her cheek.

"Kitten…", he murmured, and a lone tear escaped her eye to settle on his index finger.

Damon's eyes were distant and full of confusion, and she knew that memories were struggling to emerge, but that was still not her Damon. She needed this spell to remove black runes once and for all, so she can stop worrying that he will forget about her and about everything they've been through so far.

Cornelia opened her mouth to try and reason with Talia, but James grabbed her hand and gave her a squeeze.

"Do what she asked.", James said. "I know you don't approve, but I would do the same for you in a heartbeat."

Cornelia looked at James for a long moment and then she nodded in understanding. She would do the same for him as well. But there was one problem. "What about the payment?", Cornelia asked.

"I will pay.", Damon said, surprising everyone. "It seems that this ritual is for me. If my memories return, and I realize that the girl in front of me is my mate, then… I will pay whatever you want." It was more of a challenge than a promise, but Cornelia didn't care about his motives.

"I will take your word for it, Alpha.", Cornelia said with a smirk.

"Didn't I pay already for this?", Talia asked with urgency. Actually, Axel agreed to pay, but then Evanora waived the fee, a mate for a mate.

Cornelia looked at Talia like she asked something silly. "That was to provide you with a ritual, and it didn't include me performing it. But don't worry, I won't ask for too much. I'm confident that your mate can afford it." Seeing Talia's disapproval, Cornelia spread her arms, hands up. "Do you want this to happen or not? It's not like you have other options unless you step outside."

'She is right', Liseli spoke in Talia's head. 'Let her do this.' How Liseli saw this, Damon should suffer because all this mess was caused by him, and Liseli didn't forgive Damon for how he treated Talia just a few minutes ago.

Reluctantly, Talia gave a nod of agreement.

Happy to get this confirmation, Cornelia glanced at James to say, "Stand back."

Cornelia raised her arms, and her fingers twisted to form complex seals. James wondered if the wind gathering there was a coincidence or Cornelia's doing.

A few seconds later, Cornelia's whole body was shrouded in a silvery glow and ancient words came as whispers from her lips.

The diagram below Talia and Damon lit up in a pulsating white light that was getting stronger with every beat.

The light rose from the ground to envelope two figures who stood there holding hands, until they were just outlines.

The wind picked up to carry leaves and small branches, creating a twister around Talia and Damon. Cornelia's voice echoed into the night, causing goosebumps to rise on the skin of everyone who heard her. The whole scene was magical.

Talia observed Damon and her eyes narrowed on the black runes that pulsated on his skin, as if an invisible force was ripping them from his flesh.

Damon groaned as his whole body felt like it was set ablaze, but his eyes didn't leave Talia's that were now glowing in silvery light.

Damon's vision blurred and he bit the inside of his cheek in an effort to stay conscious. Talia's form was glowing, and her hair turned silvery; she looked like a Goddess. Was this really his mate? She was beautiful.

- - -

--- This work is published on the NovelFire platform (w e b n o v e l . c o m). Thank you for reading from the original site to support the author! ---

- - -

Damon gasped at the sharp pain that assaulted every cell in his body, and he remembered a girl in the dark kitchen who gave him the slip when he was dazed by her scent which he couldn't track… and then he saw her in the attic, hiding behind her knees… he licked her wound and smuggled her out of the Red Moon pack… he tended to her wounds clumsily in a hotel, and he fed her, and he took her shopping for clothes… amusement park… the Summer Solstice festival… party at the Lightclaw pack… it all came to him like an unstoppable flood that filled his mind with memories and his chest with emotions that were always there, yet he couldn't reach them. And pain. So much pain for what he had done.

She was his most precious person, yet he treated her like she was not important. Again.

'You are such a prick!', Sapa shouted in Damon's head and Damon agreed with the old beast.

Damon closed his eyes. Maybe he should stop resisting and just lose consciousness, and when he wakes up, he will see that this was another bad dream.

"Ahhh!", Talia's scream over the howl of the wind around them made Damon's eyes snap open to look at her in panic. What happened?

He could see black lines slithering on her skin.

'What is that?', Damon asked his wolf in panic.

'I don't know', Sapa responded. 'It could be remnants from the dark magic.'

Damon's heart tightened. 'Will she forget about me now?'

Sapa had no idea if those small lines will have any effect on Talia, but he didn't feel like comforting Damon. 'Maybe that's not a bad thing.'

"NO!", Damon shouted, and his arms wrapped around Talia. He looked up in the tunnel of white light that opened up to show the full moon at the top. "You can't take her away from me. She is the only one I care about. I know I fucked up, more than once, but I can't fix it if you take her away! Please… don't take her away. You can't take her away, not now. I just found her…" For nearly three decades he was wandering on his own. When he found Talia, he was not ready to acknowledge her, and now when things fell into place… "IT'S NOT FAIR!", Damon hollered against the howl of the wind, desperation breaking his voice.

The white light around them pulsated strongly once, twice, and then it dispersed as a silent explosion in all directions that carried leaves, twigs, pebbles, and dust. Everything was numbly quiet.

Maya blinked to see the dust settling and Damon holding Talia in his arms. They were covered in fine powder and looked like statues. If not for Damon's chest heaving, Maya would think that they got petrified and for a few long seconds, no one moved.

---

Chapter 573 The pack run (10)

"Kitten…", Damon called in a low voice while touching Talia's cheek gently, as if he was afraid that he will break her. "Can you hear me? Say something."

Talia blinked to see Damon's concerned expression as he examined her face, and her lips lifted in a crooked smile when she recognized the flood of emotions. Her Damon was back. But her happiness lasted only for a second because she remembered how they found themselves there.

Damon forgot about Talia and didn't feel the bond, and she ended up sparring with him, and Damon manhandled her like she was a cheap woman willing to sleep with him for everyone to see, and then he hurt her guards.

The mental image of Keith struggling on the ground while telling Damon to get off Talia was painfully etched into her memory. Keith knew that he didn't stand a chance, yet he still struggled in an attempt to keep her safe.

Talia was not sure if the pinch in the back of her throat was because of Keith's readiness to sacrifice himself for her, or because Damon was the one who caused Keith to go to such an extreme.

Talia pushed Damon away and she looked around to see that Liam, Sandy, Pierce, and Caleb were getting up to stand. Dawn, George, James, and Cornelia seemed to be OK, and Maya was helping Zina to stand up.

Talia sucked in a sharp breath when she saw that Keith was still on the ground. The poor coach got the biggest hit from Damon's aura.

Talia swiftly moved to kneel next to Keith, leaving Damon to stand awkwardly with his arms half-outstretched where Talia used to be.

"Hey…", Talia called Keith. "How are you feeling?"

Keith smiled a little when her hand touched his cheek.

"I'm glad you are OK.", he said, and he grimaced when he moved.

Talia was quick to put her hands on him.

"Shh…", she urged him not to move. "Relax and let me in."

Talia's hands lit up in a silvery light that spread to envelop Keith, and a series of crunching sounds were heard, as if someone was cracking knuckles, but the sounds were coming from Keith's back.

Keith felt warmth spreading through his body, from the points where Talia's palms rested on his skin. The sensation was comforting and numbing, and somehow, he knew that she was mending his bones and muscles. As a werewolf, he would heal, but she reduced a few days (or maybe weeks) into a minute, and Keith admired her even more. He always knew that Talia was special, but at that moment, Talia looked like a fairy.

"How is that?", Talia asked.

"Thank you.", Keith responded breathily. He wanted to get up, but Talia was quick to press on his shoulder.

"Don't move.", she said to Keith and glanced at Maya. "Call Doctor Travis and tell him to bring a stretcher. Keith needs a full checkup." She turned back to Keith. "Only when Doctor Travis says you are fine, you can resume your duty as my guard. Is that clear?"

Keith nodded obediently.

Damon was observing the scene from the side and jealousy was eating him alive. Why was Talia so warm toward the measly coach? Can't she see that he was smitten with her? Was she encouraging him?

"Does he deserve your care?", Damon squeezed through his teeth.

Talia whipped her head that way, just in time to see George's fist connecting with Damon's jaw.

'POW!'

Damon stumbled backward. "What the fuck is wrong with you!?", Damon raged at George.

"That's for treating your mate like shit.", George said grimly. George could feel Dawn's anger and dejection, and he had to let out some steam, for both of them.

More than being angry at George for hitting him, Damon turned to look at Talia, desperate to get her forgiveness. He needed to hear her say it was OK, and that she was not upset about what happened.

"I'm sorry for pinning you down like that.", Damon said. "You know I wouldn't go through with it if you were not willing. I would never force you."

This was not just about Talia, but about any woman. Damon did many things he was not proud of, but he never did anything against a woman's will. A no was a no, no matter how angry, drunk, or horny he was.

When Talia didn't respond, Damon asked, "Are you affected by the dark magic? Is that impacting your behavior?"

"There is no dark influence in her energies.", Cornelia said.

Damon frowned at the witch. "Why is she not by my side then?"

Cornelia cocked an eyebrow at him. "Do you really need me to answer that?"

"You went too far." It was Maya who said this and Zina's stubborn expression showed that she agreed.

Damon gritted his teeth. "I was confused, and I didn't remember Talia. I was confident that she just wanted to seduce me, that she turned you against me and…" He was not sure how to finish this.

"If your goal was to humiliate her, congratulations on a job well done." This came from James. "You were a prime example of why women with self-respect stay away from Alphas."

Damon groaned in frustration and turned to Talia. "You know that was not me."

Talia gave Keith a comforting tap on his hand, and then she stood up to face Damon.

'No, Damon. That was you.', she responded through their private mind-link.

Damon's stomach fell. 'Kitten…'

'Don't.', she interrupted him. 'I couldn't make myself hurt you, and instead of seeing that as my care for you, you saw it as a challenge, and in the end, you made me feel… not safe.'

Damon gasped as anger, anguish, and helplessness poured into him through their mate bond. He could feel all the love Talia had for him mixed with embarrassment and fear and many other emotions he couldn't identify, but he knew they were not good.

Damon was her home, yet he made her feel not safe, and he had no idea how to fix this.

"Don't follow me.", Talia said. "I want to be alone."

"Talia…", Damon called and moved toward her, but instead of grabbing her arm, he grabbed only an afterimage as Talia was already gone among bushes, proving that in their previous spar she held back on her speed. Actually, she disappeared from sight so quickly that Damon suspected that might be one of her magical abilities, but he didn't want to clarify it in front of everyone present. They already saw too much.

"Go after her!", Sandy exclaimed at her fellow guards while approaching Keith who still didn't move from the ground how Talia left him. "I will stay with Keith until Doctor Travis reaches here."

At Sandy's words, Liam, Pierce, Caleb, and Lulu dashed in the direction where Talia went.

"Where are you going!?", Maya shouted after Damon.

"What do you think?", Damon asked without stopping his steps. It was obvious that he was going after Talia.

"What about the pack run?"

This question made him pause and look at Maya. "Nothing matters without Talia."

"What are we going to tell the pack?", Maya asked. "You know that Elders are only waiting for you to slip and call you incompetent?"

"Tell them that their Alpha screwed up. I am incompetent. If I can't keep my own mate, how can I take care of the pack?"

Maya wanted to tell him to stop, but she could hear how broken he was, so she only nodded in understanding.

---

 

Chapter 574 The pack run (11)

'Caden!', Maya called through the mind-link when Damon disappeared from her line of sight. 'We have a problem!'

'Now what?', Caden asked anxiously. 'The ceremony is almost done. Don't tell me that you couldn't remove dark magic from Damon.'

'It's the opposite.', Maya said. 'The runes are gone, and Damon now knows how badly he treated Talia. Actually, he added to his endless list of offenses. Talia left, and he went after her. What should we do?'

After a few seconds of cursing, Caden responded, 'You are asking the wrong person. Don't you have a genius there next to you?'

James was looking at his chocolate-skinned Goddess who was collecting energy crystals from the ground that Talia left behind, when he felt hairs rising at the back of his neck. James turned in slow motion to see Maya looking at him with sparkles in her eyes. He had a bad feeling about this.

"What?", James asked.

"We need your brilliance.", Maya responded.

James was on high alert. No one would flatter him like that without reason. He didn't want to meddle with these needy people anymore, and he had a hunch regarding what Maya wanted, but Cornelia was right there, and if he refuses Maya, won't that make him look like a weakling?

James raised his arms, palms toward Maya. "I can give you advice, but I am not a miracle worker. If you need me to turn back time, that's out of the scope of my abilities."

"Well, it's a good thing I don't need you to turn back time.", Maya said. "I need you to save the future. Our whole pack is depending on this but I know you can do it."

James groaned. "Stop buttering me up and get to the point."

- - -

--- This work is published on the NovelFire platform (w e b n o v e l . c o m). Thank you for reading from the original site to support the author! ---

- - -

Damon walked through the bushes while following the pull of his mate bond. Talia didn't leave a single trace and her scent was impossible to track. She was fantastic.

Damon could track Caleb, Pierce, Liam, and Lulu, but there were no guarantees that they were actually following Talia, so he disregarded their traces.

Talia shut down her emotions, and Damon couldn't sense her current state. Was she upset? That was very likely, and Damon realized that by keeping him out, she was telling him that he was not worthy of sharing her anything, and she was right.

'I can't believe you messed up so badly!', Sapa grumbled in Damon's head. He finally got a chance to be with Liseli, and Damon spoiled it!

'Shut up and help me track mate!', Damon grumbled back. 'And help me figure out how to apologize.'

Sapa snorted. 'Get on your knees and beg. Let her sense how guilty you feel, and the mate bond will do the rest.'

Damon was not sure that will be enough this time. Should he jump into a waterfall again? Or maybe he should find an active volcano.

In truth, Damon didn't understand what the big deal was. It's not like he violated her. It was just a game of dominance he played many times before.

If this was a guy challenging him, Damon would beat the crap out of him. But Talia was a girl, and Damon was not a woman-beater, so he pinned her under him in order to show that he was in charge. But she was his mate he couldn't remember, and things escalated.

Damon released a long breath. Maybe this mate business was too much for a knucklehead like him. Or was this Moon Goddess' idea of a joke?

Since Damon met Talia and brought her home, time after time, he was trying to do the right thing, yet he ended up hurting her. He remembered overhearing when Talia called him a jinx. Was she right about him bringing misfortune? Would she be better off without him? That was a possibility that made his heart ache to the point of insanity because if Talia really leaves him, he will be left with nothing.

Damon's steps halted when he saw two pieces of leather on the ground. "What the…?"

'Mate shifted!', Sapa said excitedly. 'I can meet Liseli!'

Damon sniffed the area carefully to confirm that only Talia's scent was there.

Damon shoved a hand in his hair. Talia shifting into her wolf form was wrong on so many levels!

The first shift is painful, and Damon was supposed to be by Talia's side and hold her and tell her that things will be alright, yet Talia went through that on her own!

Also, her being in wolf form meant that she was faster, and if Liseli was in charge, Damon was in a bigger predicament because the old creature hated him.

'Stop feeling sorry for yourself and either go and get mate, or let me do it!', Sapa shouted. He really wanted to meet Liseli.

Damon thought how that was not a bad idea. If he shows up in front of Liseli, he will get a bashing, but if it's Sapa, there might be a chance for a better outcome. Actually, Damon would take bashing gladly, he would take any punishment, as long as Talia doesn't leave him.

Damon's consciousness shifted as his perspective changed, sharpening his senses and instincts. Sapa dug his paws into the soft grass before the foliage around him turned into a blur as he moved along the invisible path that led him toward the source of his desires.

…

Damon's paws halted on the hard ground among the twigs as he sensed that Talia was close. Her four guards were in the area as well, but Damon ignored them.

A gentle murmur of water told him that the river was nearby, and the gentle breeze carried with it the sweet citrusy scent of freesia that was so delicate that he would miss it if he didn't know what he was looking for.

Damon's snout peeked from between two bushes, and he paused at the sight of a majestic light gray wolf whose fur shimmered in silver light under the moonlight as it was caressed by the breeze.

'Liseli!', Sapa shouted, only for Damon to hear. 'She is beautiful, isn't she?'

'Yes, she is.', Damon responded.

The light gray wolf was perched on top of the massive rock with her head resting on her paws and staring into the calm surface of the river that rippled to create an illusion of the moon and stars dancing on it.

'Make some noise.', Damon said to Sapa. 'We are down the wind, and we don't want to startle her.'

'She knows we are here.', Sapa responded with confidence.

Damon was not sure how Sapa could be so optimistic, but then… if Talia knew that Damon was approaching her, and she didn't run away, that should be a good thing.

'Slowly…', Damon reminded his wolf who was too excited to see his mate. The last thing Damon wanted was to appear aggressive and spook Talia away. He had already done a lot of damage, and he was determined to approach her slowly and do this right. He had to make it right. Somehow.

Chapter 575 The pack run (12)

From the moment the painful shift into the wolf form ended, Talia retracted to the back of her mind, letting Liseli take over. The old beast was craving freedom and to stretch her paws, and Talia was not in the mood to interact with anyone, so this worked for both of them.

Liseli felt Caleb, Pierce, Liam, and Lulu in the area but since the four guards were only keeping watch from the distance, she didn't bother with them.

After a short run, Liseli settled at the top of a rock, and she gazed into the water while enjoying the wind that ruffled her fur.

'Do you want to talk about it?', Liseli asked Talia.

'No.'

'Are you sure?'

'There is no point.', Talia responded. 'I have no right to judge Damon for how he acted before we met, and tonight the dark magic blocked our bond so he couldn't recognize me. When I think about it from that perspective, I shouldn't be upset and I should forgive him, but I can't erase this feeling of disgust. He hurt me. Should I neglect how he made me feel because he was not himself?' Talia wanted to punch something and release the frustration that was bubbling inside her. 'And here I am, talking about it even though I said I won't. Why am I this angry? Why can't I shake it off?'

'It could be the effect of dark magic.', Liseli responded. 'I feel remnants of it inside us. It happened during the ritual.' And when they found Damon collapsed on the bedroom floor when the potion was taking the effect.

'I don't feel anything.', Talia said.

'Yes, you do. It's the anger you spoke off. It's messing with your emotions and preventing you from forgiving Damon.'

Talia was not convinced. 'Does he deserve to be forgiven? He was an asshole and now suddenly he changed his ways, and he gets a clean slate? Shouldn't he pay for all the wrongs he did?' Talia paused when she realized that this was not her usual self. Maybe she was corrupted by negativity. 'How can I get it off?'

'I'm not sure.', Liseli responded honestly. 'Only light can chase away the darkness.'

Talia groaned irritably. This was not the time for riddles. She needed solutions!

Liseli's words were simple, but Talia's thoughts and emotions were a mess, and she couldn't suppress the darkness she never felt before. It was gnawing at her heart and making her feel uncomfortable in her skin. Was it really due to the dark magic? How can she get rid of it? Talia wanted to be herself again, this didn't feel right.

...

'Damon is here.', Liseli said to Talia.

Talia's heart skipped a beat. She was really missing his proximity, but… 'I don't care.' She didn't want to talk to him. Not yet. The negativity bubbled inside her and Talia feared that she will say something that can't be taken back.

The memory of him taking advantage to feel her out while others were watching was making her nauseous.

Would he go all the way if she was willing? How many women allowed him to go all the way without privacy? And did he really think that any woman would enjoy such an experience? He was such an idiot! Actually, females like Nora would enjoy having witnesses to confirm she spread her legs for an impressive Alpha like Damon, but that didn't make Damon any less of an idiot!

For Talia, making love was intimate and sacred, every touch was meant only for the two of them to share, and he ruined it!

'You could have blasted him.', Liseli said. 'But instead, you allowed it to happen while trying to talk sense into him. On the bright side, it worked.'

Talia snorted. 'Great. It's my fault that my mate is a lecherous bastard. Thank you, Moon Goddess!'

'It's what the Moon Goddess arranged.', Liseli said. 'Damon is a handful. You are probably the only female that can handle him.'

'You wanted to say that I'm the only female stupid enough to forgive him repeatedly! What about ME? Don't I deserve a caring man who will respect me after all I've been through?', Talia asked grumpily. 'Besides, since when are you taking his side?'

'He is your mate, child.', Liseli responded. 'You have two choices. Accept him or reject him, and I know you won't do the latter, so it's better if you embrace the reality that you are stuck with him and shorten your suffering.'

'It seems to me that suffering is all I do.', Talia was NOT happy.

'Don't allow negative emotions to guide you. Think about things before you do something you might regret.', Liseli advised Talia.

'I know it's not fair. Since we met, Damon was trying and what happened tonight was not Damon's fault. It was the dark magic, it was Cassandra, and Alpha Isaac and Alpha Sophia and Alpha Edward, and Elders. Oh! And it was Marcy and Cassie and Ashley and Nora, and it was how he grew up on his own, and it was always someone else, and it was NEVER his fault. Even before I realized Damon was my mate, everything with him was a struggle. Why can't we just be happy?', Talia ranted. She wanted to be happy, damn it!

'Happiness doesn't come easily.', Liseli said. 'I should know.'

'I'm sorry, Liseli.', Talia said quickly. She forgot that Liseli was apart from Sapa for centuries and that she was fed lies about how Sapa moved on and forgot about her, yet Liseli survived, and here she is, finally able to be with Sapa, but Talia was ruining it for her.

'Don't be sorry, child.', Liseli said. 'It's normal to feel what you are feeling. It would be strange if you could set aside your grievances and just forgive him. But I have a feeling that remnants of dark magic are amplifying your negative emotions and you aren't thinking clearly. Alphas are dominant, overbearing, and crude, but they would never hurt their mate. Don't judge him based on how he treats others.'

Talia was confused. Was Liseli telling her to forgive Damon or not? 'What should I do?'

'You love him, and I can tell you from my experience that every minute with your mate is worth it. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't let him grovel and show his sincerity.'

'How about I give you privacy and you spend time with Sapa?', Talia suggested. By tomorrow, her emotions will simmer down, and she might be able to talk to Damon.

Liseli disapproved. 'I can't be happy with Sapa if you have this tension. We are sharing emotions, girl. So out with it.'

'What are you expecting me to do?'

'For a start, listen.', Liseli said and turned her head to see a big black wolf approaching them slowly with his head lowered in submission.

'Don't allow one bad incident to ruin everything Damon built so far.', Liseli continued advising Talia. 'Damon changed, and he did it for you. No one would make an Alpha humble himself like this other than you. Open your mind and your heart and hear him out...'

Damon was almost at the rock where Talia was when his steps halted. His head went even lower, nearly touching the ground, and he whimpered.

 

Chapter 576 The pack run (13)

Talia looked at the mighty Alpha lowering his head in front of her while asking for forgiveness.

She never saw Damon being so vulnerable, and she could feel that he was truly sorry. He wouldn't act like that if he remembered her. If damned runes didn't block the mate bond, Damon would probably flip because Talia was out in public while wearing those skimpy ceremonial garments.

Damon lifted his gaze to meet Talia's honeyed eyes and the world stopped.

Two majestic wolves, one light gray and one black were looking at each other, silently exchanging intense emotions that made their hearts beat wildly.

Damon and Talia knew they love each other and that staying apart was impossible, yet there was a chasm between them created by the two of them and many other events they couldn't control. Shit happened and they needed to find a way out of it because this situation was killing them both.

Damon tried reaching to Talia through their mind-link, but it didn't work. He could exchange thoughts with Talia, but Damon wanted her to know that this was him talking and not Sapa.

'I need to talk to her.', Damon said to Sapa. Being in his wolf form allowed him many things, but not to talk for the technicality of wolves not having vocal cords.

Talia's eyes widened as she observed the black wolf transforming into a human form right in front of her eyes. It lasted just a second, but it left a lasting impression. The magnificent beast turned into a handsome male who had only a necklace of white teeth around his neck and the rest of his muscular body was exposed for her to see.

Damon looked up at Talia and he fell to his knees while placing his palms on the rock where Talia was sitting in her wolf form.

"Thank you for staying to listen and giving me a chance to explain.", he said.

After a brief pause, Damon exhaled dejectedly as Talia's skepticism poured into him and he realized the gravity of his situation. He showed her who he was before they met and he treated her like any other non-important person. Did he want her to accept that side of him? Absolutely not. That was old Damon, Damon that shouldn't appear ever again, yet he was there and he hurt his mate. Damon felt like an idiot. Were there any words that can make it better?

"Actually, there is nothing to explain. That was me. It was all me. I am a cancer of our society who took advantage of many women who would do anything to be with me."

Talia gaped at Damon. She expected explanations, excuses, and pretty lies, but she never expected the blatant truth. Was this really Damon? The same one who would never admit that he was mistaken? And he was still talking.

"You are the one who made me realize how wrong I was, and instead of thanking you, I ended up hurting you. You see, I am not a saint, far from it. From the moment we met, I started questioning my choices. You make me want to be a better person and without you in my life, I am back to being the scum I used to be." Damon paused to lick his lips nervously. "I need you to see how important you are to me. Without you, I am a machine without a soul. You make my life worth living..."

Damon stopped talking when the silvery wolf moved, and his breath caught in his throat when Talia leaped off the rock. Did she just leave him?

'SPLASH!'

Talia's furry form disappeared under the surface of the water, and a second later, a head full of wet hair emerged.

Talia found a bunch of small rocks to stand on, bending her knees so that water was up to her shoulder level, which was perfect to hide her private parts because her guards were nearby, and she had no clothes to put on.

"Talia!", Damon exclaimed and dashed toward the river without hesitation. His plunge barely disturbed the surface. Damon was not sure if she would stay there or continue running, but he had no intention to let her leave his sight.

Damon's head appeared a few steps away from Talia.

Talia eyed Damon suspiciously while wondering what he was up to. Yes, she heard what he said when he was next to the rock, but the dejection in her was still bubbling. She knew Damon as cheeky, caring, domineering, but she never knew the side of him that was disgustingly egotistical, and she hated it.

Damon licked his lips nervously. "I'm sorry, kitten."

"Do you think your sorry will fix things? You made me feel cheap. You made me feel like crap. Is that what you wanted? Even if you didn't know I'm your mate, you should never do that to any woman."

Talia released a frustrated breath. Why the hell was she explaining to the most promiscuous person on the planet about him mistreating women? And the sad part was that many of those women came onto him, and they liked it. Talia really didn't want to think about it. It was making her sick.

It seemed like everyone enjoyed getting frisky with whoever was interested, and only Talia saw that as an invasion unless it was between two people who really cared about each other. Was she the odd one? Maybe she was, but that didn't change the fact that Damon made her feel uncomfortable to the point of her wanting to scrape her skin off together with the memory of his touch.

Talia's vision blurred from the tears. "You made me feel wanted and needed and special and then you took it away! My whole life I was hiding from the bullies, and tonight, you became one of them.", Talia said in a shaky voice.

"I didn't…"

"I KNOW!", Talia snapped. "You didn't recognize me. You didn't know. But is that a valid excuse? Every woman has a story to tell, and none deserves to be treated like a disposable item, even if they are throwing themselves at you! Regardless of if you are mates or not, your choices are to be a gentleman and make the woman feel special or move on, and not… this!"

"Aren't I making you feel special, kitten?", Damon asked in a low voice. To him, Talia was the most special existence in the world. How much did he fail if she didn't see that?

Talia opened her mouth to argue back, but she realized that she had nothing to say. Did he make her feel special? He did. Many times. Actually, all the time, as long as he knew who she was.

Seeing that Talia's anger was crumbling, Damon inched closer to her while talking.

"The truth is that you don't need me to be special. You were always special. The way you handled the bullies and didn't allow their darkness to corrupt you, that was special. You are a fighter, always eager to improve without putting down others, and that's special. You are making me want to be a better person, and that's special."

---

Chapter 577 The pack run (14)

Damon was so close to Talia now that he could reach her if he only extended his arm, but it was not close enough because she could easily escape his grasp, so he continued inching closer.

"Between the two of us, you don't need me. It is I who needs you, kitten. I need you so I know what it means to be a decent person. I have the largest pack, more money than I could ever spend, and enough influence to rock our society, but none of those are worth a squat without you in my life. I know I asked for your forgiveness too many times already, and I am ashamed that I need to ask for it again. Please, forgive me."

Talia jolted when their legs touched underwater.

Damon slowly spread his arms around her. "Please. Let me hold you. I know you are angry and hurt and it was all my fault. Ask me for whatever you want and I will make it happen, just don't push me away. I need you, kitten. Don't leave me." The last few words splashed on her face.

Talia's chin trembled as she blinked her tears away. She was hurt and upset, and her heart ached because she could feel Damon's emotions and his desperation to get her acceptance.

"Easy, boy…", Talia squeezed through her teeth and Damon swallowed hard. It was Liseli.

Damon cursed under his breath. Why did Liseli appear now? Talia was just a fraction away from him hugging her properly!

Damon lowered his head, but he didn't move away. "Tell me what I need to do to fix this. I will do anything."

'Liseli?', Talia called her wolf. 'Didn't you want me to forgive him?'

'It wouldn't last.', Liseli said. 'I told you not to give in to your emotions. You need to decide with your head so it doesn't happen again.'

'You think it will happen again?'

Instead of answering Talia, Liseli spoke to Damon, "Do you think that being humble will be enough? What is to say that you won't go back to your snotty self the moment this child forgives you? What is to say that you won't go to your philandering as soon as the right opportunity presents itself? When will you be satisfied? When you crush her heart completely? Is that what you want?"

"No. I…", Damon was not sure what to say. Liseli showing up right now had such bad timing.

'Old guy! Get out and fix this!'

'Why would I fix your mess?', Sapa asked in outrage.

'Would you rather let me mess it up further?'

Sapa groaned. 'Fine!'

"Lis", Damon called in a gravelly voice. "Are you really going to make it difficult for these kids to get together?"

Talia narrowed her eyes, knowing that this was Sapa talking, and Liseli responded, "It's just like you to want to kiss and forget. Are you expecting me to dismiss the fact that this boy acted like Rasputin while you were advising him? Maybe this incident can be attributed to dark magic, but what about before?"

Damon shrank a little at these words as Sapa cursed in their mind. Sapa always retracted at the back of his mind whenever Damon was getting frisky. Did Liseli expect that he will stick around and watch!? But if Sapa said that, Liseli would just accuse him of making excuses, and she was still talking angrily.

"Why is the female always the one who needs to forgive? What will the male do to earn that forgiveness?"

"How about an eternity of love, care, and servitude?"

Damon's heart thundered against his chest while Damon's and Sapa's emotions amplified each other, as the duo felt that Liseli's defenses were crumbling.

"I vow that no other woman, ever, will enter my eyes. It's just you, Liseli. It always was only you, just how this boy only has eyes for Talia."

Liseli sneered. "It seems you polished your sweet-talking."

"I had centuries of practice.", he responded and when Talia's expression darkened, he quickly explained, "I practiced in my head while imagining what I will say when we reunite. I never said this to any other woman. I swear." Seeing that she relaxed, he continued calmly. "How about we let them make up? It's still not too late for them to lead the pack run, and then the two of us can complete mating." He touched her cheek gently. "I was waiting to complete mating with you for centuries, Lis. Now that both of us have bodies, and are finally together, I don't think I have any patience left. What do you say?"

'What do you think?', Liseli asked Talia. 'Do you trust that Damon won't hurt you again?'

'No.', Talia responded. 'After everything we've been through, I would be stupid to believe that he won't hurt me. But I know that he wouldn't do it on purpose. Under that handsome and powerful exterior is a clueless dum-dum.'

'Good that you are aware of that.', Liseli said. 'The only thing I give him credit for is that he is learning and changing.'

With that, Liseli retracted at the back of Talia's mind, letting the human part take over.

Damon looked at Talia expectantly. "Kitten?"

Talia gave him a small nod, and in the next moment, she found herself engulfed in Damon's embrace.

The heat of his body contrasted with the icy water all around them and it made her wish to sink into him completely, knowing that it was warm and safe in there. Talia couldn't believe this. Even in the middle of an argument, when she was angry at him, and they were completely naked, he still made her feel safe and she craved his proximity, and she loved it and hated it at the same time.

"I'm sorry…", Damon spoke into her hair. "I am so sorry for everything I've done. I wish that there is bleach to erase my past and all the bad things I've done. I wish that I never hurt you. I wish that I can take it all back, but I can't. I am ready to make it up to you until the end of our lives, just… don't leave me."

Talia exhaled helplessly as her arms moved around his torso.

Damon inched away so that he can look into her eyes.

"I know that one good can't erase a bad, but I will keep doing good things until bad ones are completely covered up and you forget about them.", Damon said in one quick breath. "I will pamper you and spoil you and I will selfishly cling onto you because you are the only one for me. Do you believe me?"

Talia smiled a little. She could feel his emotions and she knew he meant it.

Damon's brows came together in a frown as he rubbed her cheeks. "What's wrong, kitten?"

Talia inhaled a shaky breath. Was she crying? It seemed like it.

Her Damon was back, and she was happy. She really was.

'I love you, Damon.', Talia spoke through their mind-link and Damon froze.

"Oh, kitten…", he said with relief obvious in his voice. "I love you more. I love you the most!" He craned his head and shouted to the night sky, "I LOVE YOU, TALIA!"

Talia's eyes widened in shock. Why was he yelling?

Damon looked at Talia with a boyish grin on his face, and he was about to kiss her when rustling noises got their attention and they whipped their heads to look into the dark foliage.

Someone was coming.

Chapter 578 The pack run (15)

Author's note:

Thank you, JoWalton, for the Magic Castle!

- - -

Note: comments that matter, gifts, and votes are available only on the NovelFire platform (w e b n o v e l . c o m), where this novel is published.

Now back to the novel... :)

- - -

Damon put himself between Talia and the source of the noise protectively while cursing himself for his negligence. He was so consumed in his interaction with Talia that he forgot to check their surroundings for intruders. And what about Talia's guards? Even if they couldn't fight off whoever was coming, they could at least warn them, damn it! Useless bunch!

The noises were getting louder by the second and Talia subconsciously gripped Damon's arm while wondering what will come from there.

It was one furry head after another and within a few seconds, the riverbank was filled with hundreds of wolves, and the crowd was still increasing as they were huddling together to accommodate everyone on one side of the river.

'That's our pack.', Damon told Talia through their mind-link. 'The two in front are Maya and Caden. On their left are Gideon and Mindy.' Damon recognized many others, but he stopped explaining because he realized that Talia was not listening.

Talia was overwhelmed with anxiety. Did they find out what happened in that clearing? Were they upset because she ran away from Damon? Or did they see the ritual and assume that she bewitched him? Many questions swirled in Talia's head, one possibility worse than the previous one.

This was Talia's first time to face so many wolves. They were all staring at her, and the fact that she was naked in the water hiding behind Damon was not helping. She felt vulnerable and exposed and she leaned closer into Damon's back in an attempt to hide.

'Kitten?', Damon called through their mind-link.

'Why are they here?', Talia asked Damon.

Damon's eyes lost focus for a moment before telling Talia. 'James advised them to come here like it was part of the run to find their Alphas.'

Talia needed a moment to understand that James wanted the pack run to be successful despite Talia's and Damon's absence, and also... 'James knew that we won't fight in front of an audience.' It was social pressure!

Damon turned to face Talia and he touched her cheek to make her look at him. "What do you say, Alpha Talia? Should we lead the pack run? Or should we tell them to go on without us?"

Talia swallowed hard as Damon's words sank in. Were all these wolves here because of the run? They didn't come here to lynch her?

Something sounded off with him calling her 'Alpha Talia' in this setting. The Dark Howlers pack was Damon's pack. Damon grew up here and he built his reputation for a decade and his people loved him. No matter what she did, she would always be Talia, his mate, never his equal. But the truth was that Talia didn't want to compete for that spot in the eyes of his people.

'One condition.', she responded through their mind-link. 'Can you stop calling me Alpha? I want to be your Luna.'

Damon's brows came together. 'Are you sure?'

'It's just a title.', Talia said with a smile. 'Your people worship you and if you force them to address me as an Alpha, it might backfire. Let them get to know me as your mate, as your Luna, and we will take it from there. If I prove myself as worthy, you can tell them to call me Alpha.'

Damon stared at Talia as his love for her swelled even more. He knew how amazing she was, and it was normal in their society for people to crave titles even when they were not due, yet Talia was shrinking her importance on purpose.

Luna was the second position in the pack, but the reality was that it could mean various things. For many Alphas, Luna was their companion, the pretty thing that hung on Alpha's arm during parties, but Luna didn't necessarily wield power.

Denying herself the Alpha title meant that Talia would diminish in the eyes of the Dark Howlers pack, but Damon knew Talia meant it. She didn't care about positions or titles, she really wanted to be with him, and she would do the same even if he was not the Alpha. And no matter what her official title is, Talia will always be his kitten.

Damon cupped her cheeks and kissed her on the lips. "You have a deal, Mrs. Blake."

Damon straightened his posture, making the water reach just above his waist level, and he turned to the crowd of wolves that gathered at the riverbank.

"Good job in finding us.", Damon spoke in an official tone. "I am excited to lead this pack run with my fated mate. It will be the first pack run out of many. I hope you will welcome Talia to our pack as your Luna." He reached for the necklace made out of teeth that was around his neck and he put it over Talia's head. "I want you to keep in mind that regardless of her title, Talia is my equal, and for me, she is my moon, my sun, my everything. Take care of her how you would take care of me."

Talia smiled foolishly and she wanted to get up and give him a kiss, but Damon's eyes flashed in warning when he realized that her breasts were nearly exposed, so he quickly sank to get down on Talia's level. No one will get to see her body. That was only for him to see.

Talia couldn't believe that she was completely naked in the water, hugging equally naked Alpha in front of a lively audience of wolves, but there she was, kissing her mate who embraced her ardently like no one was watching.

"Awooo!", Maya and Caden howled at the same time, and a second later, the entire forest shook as the whole pack howled in celebration of their Alpha and Luna.

Damon grinned into the kiss.

"Ready, Mrs. Blake?"

Talia nearly choked on emotions that poured into her through their mate bond. She couldn't believe that Damon was this happy, and it was because she was by his side, in front of his pack, as his Luna. She was delighted to know that her presence impacted him this much.

Talia clung to Damon, and they sank under the surface of the water.

Intense silence blanketed the whole area and all wolves stared at the river while wondering where their Alpha and Luna disappeared.

With a loud splash, two wolves emerged from the water and landed on the side of the river that was not crowded with wolves.

'Liseli?', Talia called, surprised that the old creature was not present.

'This is between you and Damon.', Liseli responded. 'Enjoy your time with your mate. I will take my time with Sapa later.'

Talia felt Liseli retracting at the back of her mind, and she was really moved. Even after centuries of waiting, Liseli was letting Talia and Damon do the pack run first. Talia was not sure if she would have that much patience.

Now that she was on her own, Talia paid attention to her surroundings. Her senses were sharper than ever before, and she found it overwhelming.

Talia looked down to see a pair of light gray paws and another wave of anxiety hit her. Will she know how to move in wolf form without Liseli? What if she trips on her own paws and makes a fool of herself?

 

Chapter 579 The pack run (16)

Damon was the first one to shake off heavy droplets of water from his completely black fur, and Talia followed suit, making the necklace around her neck jingle. It was the necklace Damon gave her, and she already treasured it.

Damon stared at the light gray wolf that shimmered in silvery light under the moonlight. She was slightly smaller than Damon but equally impressive.

'You are beautiful.', Damon spoke, more to himself.

'You are not so bad yourself.', Talia responded through their mind-link.

Damon paused. The mind-link was working in the wolf form? 'I tried to talk to you before, and it didn't work.'

'I didn't want to talk to you.', Talia responded, feeling guilty about it now.

Damon sneered, showing her his long fangs. 'How many secrets are you keeping from me?'

Talia tilted her head. 'I guess you will need to stick around and find out.'

All Damon's dejection sizzled away in a second. Damon approached Talia and licked her cheek. 'I accept that task gladly, Mrs. Blake.'

Talia felt an ocean of emotions bubbling inside her, and she was not sure where the outlet was. 'What do I do with this?' She opened up for Damon to sense what was going on with her.

Damon chuckled. 'Follow my lead, kitten.'

He raised his head to look at the full moon, and then… "AWOOOO!"

Talia felt silly to just howl at the moon, but Damon was doing it, and something stirred inside her, so she did the same.

"AWOOOO!"

The whole experience was amplified when the pack members joined, and Talia could feel that this was much more than just howling; it was sharing the excitement with the pack, it was primal and raw, and she was glad to be a part of it.

Something nudged Talia from her right, and she turned to see Damon rubbing his head on her side.

'What are you doing?', Talia asked.

'I'm leaving my scent on you.', he responded matter-of-factly. 'I want everyone to know you are mine.'

'I'm pretty sure everyone knows.'

'Not like this. Let me do this, kitten. It's my first time, so I'm not sure if I'm doing it right…'

Talia's heart expanded. The big bad wolf was admitting his insecurities. And he wanted everyone to know that she was his. Wasn't he adorable?

Talia turned her head and licked Damon's nose, making him freeze on the spot.

'Did I do something wrong?', Talia asked nervously. Why did he just stare at her like that?

'No, kitten. Everything you do is right.', Damon responded. 'But… don't you dare do that to anyone else. Got it?'

Talia nodded obediently. She had no intention of licking other wolves. She didn't want to lick Damon either. She wanted to give him a kiss, but her lips were strange, and her tongue came out on its own and it happened.

Ah, this whole wolf thing was completely new to Talia, and she was not sure if she can handle it, but she had a feeling that as long as Damon was by her side, things will be alright.

- - -

--- This work is published on the NovelFire platform (w e b n o v e l . c o m). Thank you for reading from the original site to support the author! ---

- - -

From the crowd, a brown wolf with black patches was watching, and if wolves could pout, that would be it. It was Lisa.

She sensed that something was off when Damon was attending the ceremony on his own, and then he left without explanation, and Lisa was confident that her hunch was right.

People around Lisa spoke about Talia being Damon's fated mate and their Luna, yet Lisa was confident that was wrong because Talia was a wolf-less she-wolf. How can she be Luna? Luna should be beautiful and powerful, able to contribute to her Alpha, and Damon would never accept as his Luna someone without background who had such a big defect. That would be suicide for the whole pack, and Lisa knew very well that Damon prioritized his pack above everything else.

Lisa was aware that Damon was cold and calculative. If he allowed his emotions to guide him, with all the voluptuous she-wolves throwing themselves at Damon, one more impressive than the other, Damon would have had a Luna a long time ago, and not wait for his late twenties to name as his Luna a weak she-wolf.

Lisa remembered her mother's warnings about not stirring trouble, so she held her thoughts to herself while eagerly waiting for the evening to unfold. No matter what Talia was scheming, once the run starts, she will be exposed, and Lisa will be there to see it.

The Shaman ended the ceremony with all pack members feeling high due to the boost of energy from the Moon Goddess, and then Caden announced how the pack had a task to find their Alphas.

Lisa couldn't believe this. Alphas? Like, two of them? What kind of nonsense was that?

But everyone was cheering and getting excited, and she followed the crowd by shifting into her wolf form and following after Caden. They didn't run much when they met Maya and Zina, and a few more figures were further away, but they were not Damon or Talia, so Lisa didn't care much about them.

Lisa was delighted to see Damon and Talia in the river, both in their human form, which proved that Talia can't shift. Talia was definitely a wolf-less she-wolf, and Lisa was confident that the whole pack will ostracize her. Surely, no one will accept a Luna with a critical flaw, and Damon won't make her his Luna under all that pressure. Assuming that Talia was Damon's fated mate, at most, Talia would be Damon's mistress while a more prominent she-wolf takes the spot of his Luna.

Lisa remembered how she was discarded by Tony, and how all her so-called friends turned their back on her the moment they heard that Tony found his fated mate. No one cared about Kalina's background, it was all just because she was Tony's fated mate. Lisa came home only to see a no-name Omega sticking to Damon and pretending that she was important. And how can Talia be Damon's fated mate if she didn't have her wolf?

Lisa's belly full of grievances was directed at Talia as she recollected numerous scoldings she got because of Talia, and Lisa even ended up in the dungeon! Someone applied tremendous pressure on Lisa when she confronted Talia, and even some of Lisa's bones cracked, but Lisa didn't think it was Talia. It must be Maya or Damon or some other powerful wolf, and not a wolf-less she-wolf like Talia.

Lisa couldn't wait for Talia to be exposed as the weak fraud she is. Everyone will get to see that she was no one, and then Lisa will proudly say, 'I told you so!', and people will know that she was not just bitter because she lost her chance to be the Luna of the Lightclaw pack, but they will know that Lisa was right.

To Lisa's horror, Damon gave a speech where he said that he and Talia were equals and how Talia was important, and he gave her his necklace, and then they both emerged from the river as two wolves, and Lisa couldn't believe this! Was that a substitute?

 

Chapter 580 The pack run (17)

Before the pack run, Lisa heard Stephanie say how Elders might spoil the mood because Damon didn't accept the Luna of their choice. Elders didn't approve of Talia as their Luna, yet now everyone was excited and no one whispered a word of displeasure. Even the mighty Generals were squirming feverishly and Lisa couldn't believe that the whole pack turned ga-ga just because Damon announced he found his Luna.

Lisa gritted her teeth. Was this how Kalina was accepted in the Lightclaw pack?

'Waaaah! Isn't she beautiful!', Ester gushed next to Lisa. 'Our Luna's fur is glowing under the moonlight like she is the blessing from the Moon Goddess herself!'

Lisa needed a moment to collect herself. 'Why are you so excited?'

'How can you not be excited? Didn't you see Alpha doting on her? She is so lucky!', Ester spoke breathily, and her tail was waggling wildly just like many others. 'It proves they are fated mates!'

'Do you expect me to be happy because Alpha is doting on a random she-wolf?'

Ester paused. 'Random? Don't tell me you have a thing for our Alpha?'

Lisa rolled her eyes. 'Of course, not. Alpha Damon is like my brother.'

Actually, he was like Lisa's brother while she called him Damon, but then Talia appeared and Lisa was kicked out of the packhouse, and Damon ordered Lisa to use his title when addressing him, and she even ended up with the duty to clean the dungeon!

How can Lisa not hate Talia?

Her life turned bad when Tony found his mate, and it all became worse when Talia appeared!

Lisa thought that she will see Talia fail and that will make Lisa feel better, but now Talia stood there like a shiny wolf and Damon was rubbing himself on her while everyone gushed how amazing their Luna was, and warriors were chattering that this was the first time for any wolf to get close to their Alpha in wolf form, and Lisa was on the verge of exploding!

'It is time!', Damon's voice sounded through the mind-link for the whole pack to hear. 'Prove your loyalty to your Alpha and Luna by following us and marking the territory of the Dark Howlers pack with our presence!'

"AWOOOOO!", the whole forest shook with the howls of agreement, and then two wolves moved away from the river to disappear into the nearby bushes.

Caden and Maya were quick to climb the rock where Talia was sitting previously and they used it to jump over the river cleanly and land on the other side. A few high-ranking warriors followed them, and then the mass of wolves raced to cross the river and go after Damon and Talia and their Betas.

'Lisa?', Stephanie's concerned voice sounded in Lisa's head, and she looked around, but she couldn't see her mother.

'Yes?'

'Where are you?', Stephanie asked.

'I'm here.', Lisa responded dryly as she guessed that probably Ester ratted on her that she was lagging behind. Lisa was still among wolves, but Ester and other enthusiastic wolves were far ahead now as Lisa didn't care about the crowd that was milling much faster than she was.

Lisa was not in the mood for this socializing, but she knew that her mother will give her a hard time if she just bailed on the pack run, so she decided to make a quiet exit.

'Don't worry about me, mom. I'm not used to being so close to other wolves and staying in my wolf form this long is making me uncomfortable. I'm thinking of heading back. I will see you at home!'

Stephanie knew that Lisa rarely shifted in her wolf form, so she didn't want to pressure her to stick around. The fact that Lisa stayed this much was progress.

'Are you sure?', Stephanie asked with concern in her voice.

'Yes. I am fine, I promise. Enjoy, mom. I know you were looking forward to this. Who knows, maybe you find your second chance mate?'

With that, Lisa took a right turn and got out of the crowd.

- - -

--- This work is published on the NovelFire platform (w e b n o v e l . c o m). Thank you for reading from the original site to support the author! ---

- - -

Lisa felt relief when the noise from the wolves disappeared into the night, because she didn't need to pretend to be excited about this. But the truth was that she also didn't feel like going home.

Lisa found a hollowed tree trunk with clothes. They were all over the place as the Dark Howlers pack had these stashes of clothes for werewolves to put on so that humans don't see them wandering around naked like exhibitionists.

Lisa shifted in her human form and pulled one oversized dark gray t-shirt over her head before finding a spot on the grass to sit.

The forest around Lisa was quiet as the full moon was hanging low on the starry sky without a single cloud, but Lisa was not in the mood to appreciate the scenery. She stared in front of her blankly while wondering if this is how her life will be from now on. People looked at her like she was an Omega and expected her to do menial work, and that was such a difference from what she had before Tony found Kalina, that Lisa couldn't shake off the feeling how things shouldn't be this way. Why was she the inadequate one? Why was a skinny no-name wolf-less she-wolf like Talia getting all attention while Lisa was invisible?

A rustling sound from Lisa's left got her attention. She groaned. Now what? Did her mom come to check on her? Or was it Ester? Or a patrol? Or… why didn't they mind-link her?

Lisa raised her head to look in that direction and she saw three shadows emerging from there, humanoid figures, definitely not Ester or Stephanie.

'I'm resting here.', she spoke to them through the mind-link, but there was no response.

"It's just a she-wolf.", one of the guys said. "Was there a need for us to reveal our presence?"

Lisa's eyes scanned three figures, and then her gaze stuck to the one in the middle. He was tall and muscular and even through the darkness she could see that his intense gaze was trained on her behind dark brown strands of hair that partially covered his eyes.

He moved toward Lisa stealthily, and her throat went dry. The strangest thing was that her wolf was stirring, as if she was trying to say something and this didn't happen even with Tony around.

"We need to leave before we are found out.", one of the guys from the back said. "Do you hear…?" His question was cut short when the middle guy raised his hand to shut him up as he continued walking toward Lisa and he crouched when he was only one step away from her.

From this distance, Lisa could see his face. He had a strong jaw covered in stubble, and a straight nose; she would place his appearance in his late twenties.

His musky scent made her dizzy, and she heard a voice in her head, 'Mate!'