'Are you thinking about rejecting the girl?', Damon's wolf asked.
Damon let out a long breath. 'I need to protect her.'
'If you want to protect her, you need to keep her close. Not reject her.', his wolf said sternly.
They already talked about keeping Talia safe, but he was not close to finding a solution that will work.
His wolf explained that without her wolf, Talia doesn't feel the bond, so she is not impacted by Damon's presence (or absence).
At most, Talia will be attracted to him and if Damon wants to win her over, he will need to do it the human way: to romance her until she falls in love with him. Assuming that he succeeds, and she accepts him, it will not be a done deal. Without the mate bond, she can fall out of love at any time.
Of course, if they go through the mating ceremony and he leaves his mark on her, the bond will be formed, but he would need to reach the point of the girl accepting him. What a mess.
Damon has no idea how to court a girl, but he is confident that no one should know that Talia is his mate.
Damon is aware that Alpha Edward is set on using Marcy in order to manipulate him, and Alpha Edward will have no qualms in using a lowly Omega against Damon.
He can imagine that they will imprison Talia and blackmail Damon, and probably harm her as well. He won't allow it.
It all went in circles, with every next scenario getting grimmer, and Damon was sick of it.
Rejecting the girl or not, he had to ensure that Talia is treated better.
Is she the only Omega to get a beating in the Red Moon pack? Probably not.
After breakfast, Damon met with Alpha Edward in his office.
Damon thought that his provocations from yesterday will be enough for Alpha Edward to lose his temper and reveal some information, but Damon realized that he underestimated Alpha Edward's patience.
Other than, "I hope that if you need assistance of any kind, you will turn to me and you won't mind if I do the same", Alpha Edward didn't mention reaching out to Damon or to the Dark Howlers pack which left Damon wondering what's Alpha Edward's plan.
Damon gave up on getting something directly from Alpha Edward. The old guy was too crafty, and Damon hoped that Maya and Caden found something useful because he was never good at this scheming business.
Scheming aside, Damon had a serious topic to discuss.
"Alpha Edward", Damon called seriously. "I wonder if you are aware of the treatment your Omegas get."
Alpha Edward was visibly confused. "Can you elaborate on that?"
"Are they getting paid? Fed? Treated well?"
The old man frowned while turning defensive. He didn't like that Damon asked about the internal workings in his pack, it's no one's business, but he still responded.
"I prefer strong warriors, but that doesn't mean I'm mistreating others. All Omegas have accommodation, three meals a day… actually, they have access to the kitchen and storage in common buildings, and they can make their own food whenever they are hungry. We don't bother with those, but I can assure you that no one is hungry. If you want to know about the compensation for their work, you can ask my Beta. I'm not clear what you mean about treating them well, but when they mess up related to their duties, we make them run laps or do pushups. It's good for their bodies. Is that what you would classify as a bad treatment?"
"No.", Damon responded. "But when I see an Omega looking well, and a few hours later that same girl is all bruised up with a purple handprint on her neck, I get worried."
More than worried. Enraged.
Alpha Edward paused. "Maybe they had some dispute among themselves."
Damon scrutinized the old man while wondering if he is really ignorant or just a good actor. Whichever it is, Damon wanted to make sure Alpha Edward knows Damon was not talking randomly.
"Let's say I believe you and you have no idea about the mistreatment that happens under your roof. As an outsider, I don't want to meddle, so I suggest you talk to your daughter."
"Marcy?"
Damon narrowed his eyes at Alpha Edward. "Luna should watch over pack members and use soft skills to deal with challenges. Beating up my people will NOT be tolerated."
Alpha Edward was visibly displeased. His main chip in pushing Marcy as Damon's Luna was that Marcy is flawless and if Damon found dirt on Marcy in one day that he was here, who knows what else he can find?
Alpha Edward didn't know that Marcy harmed Talia, but he knew that Damon wouldn't make up stuff like this. Damon's words were too specific to be random.
The old guy is collecting intel on Damon for some time, and he knows this tactic. Damon would find a trait that is clashing with a definition of a good Luna and blow it out of proportion. This is how Damon discredited many other women, and Alpha Edward had a bad premonition.
"I will talk to Marcy about this.", Alpha Edward said solemnly.
Damon smirked. "I'm counting on it."
Alpha Edward summoned Marcy to his study after Damon left.
"How is your relationship with Damon?"
Marcy had an idea that her father will ask about Damon, and she was ready for this. "We are getting along well." She had no intention to say that Damon chased her out of his room last night.
"Do you think he has a good opinion of you? Did he invite you on a date? When will you move to the Dark Howlers pack? Did you discuss anything about your relationship and how things will work out once he leaves from here? Or will you go with him?", Alpha Edward was raining questions without giving Marcy chance to respond.
"Alpha Damon had doubts if I can be his Luna, and I assured him how I'm perfect for the task. He was happy to hear that I'm proficient in handling the household, pack members, and finances."
Alpha Edward was not happy with this response and he could see that Marcy was either avoiding something, or she and Damon didn't reach far. He decided to probe into the matter that was bothering him.
"And how do you handle pack members?"
Marcy didn't get it. "I talk to them and I'm approachable. I listen and…"
"And then you beat them up?", Alpha Edward interrupted Marcy.
Marcy frowned. "No. I don't beat them up."
"Really? Alpha Damon thinks otherwise." His voice was rising. "He thinks that you beat them up black and blue and even choke them to the point of leaving handprints on their necks."
Marcy paled. Why was her father angry? He is the one who says Omegas are a useless burden.
Marcy is not a violent person, but what's wrong with teaching offenders a lesson? And who cares if one Omega gets hurt?
She wanted to deny it, but the fury in her father's eyes told her that he already knows what she did in the attic on the previous day. Lying will only make things worse.
"It's not as bad as it sounds, daddy.", Marcy said weakly.
"And how is it?"
"She barged into the room, and I had to teach her a lesson."
Alpha Edward closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. "You taught an Omega a lesson by beating her because she forgot to knock?"
Marcy wanted to say that it's not about knocking, but about the Omega seeing Marcy going down on Damon… but there was no way she will say that in front of her father.
"What were you thinking?", Alpha Edward said in a strained voice as he struggled to contain his desire to give her a good beating. "Even if you want to play a sadistic game of hurting others, you don't do that when we have guests. And you DEFINITELY don't do that when the guest in question is an Alpha you are trying to impress as his future Luna!"
