"AWOOOOO!"
A sky-piercing howl shook all the windows in the packhouse of the Dark Howlers pack, threatening to shatter them. The powerful sound echoed far into the distance, stirring every pack member with the might their Alpha possesses.
"Will Damon be OK?", Maya asked Caden while blinking at the dawn which cracked through the windows.
They heard four rapid thumps when Damon landed in the garden after jumping from his balcony on the third floor.
"He will be fine.", Caden assured Maya and pulled her closer to him. "The border patrol just notified Damon that they found Talia."
Maya wanted to ask for more information, but Caden was snoring softly already, so she gave up.
Normally, warriors and patrols can't contact Damon through the mind-link. That is reserved for Caden, Maya, and Stephanie, and even those three know not to disturb him unless it's important.
Warriors, scouts, and other pack members follow the chain of command which allows only a handful of people to contact Caden or Maya, and Betas will decide if they will handle the matter or inform the Alpha.
Things related to warriors and security will reach Caden, Maya will be contacted on issues related to the pack members, and anything that involves the packhouse will go to Stephanie.
These channels of communication are not very efficient, but without them, Damon would go crazy with everyone speaking into his head.
In this case, since Damon asked them to look for the girl, the patrol who found her contacted their supervisor. The supervisor notified Damon directly and Caden was also included in the exchange.
Back to the present…
Damon ran through the forest, and he felt his muscles tensing to the point of aching, but he still kept on pushing.
Normally, Damon enjoys the feeling of his paws digging into the forest's floor and the wind sweeping through his fur, but this time he was too focused on his destination.
They told him that a girl matching the description he provided was found, and Damon felt the urgency to confirm that is Talia.
Damon's steps paused when he saw four werewolves, in their wolf form, standing nearby.
The four warriors stiffened when they spotted a massive black wolf approaching them and they all lowered their heads in submission.
Damon whipped his head to the left and a low growl escaped him when he saw Talia sitting on the ground, with her back against the tree and her eyes closed.
'Who was the first to find her?', Damon asked through the mind-link grimly.
'It was me, Alpha…'
Before the warrior could finish, Damon pinned him on the ground and snarled at him.
'What did you do to the girl!?'
The warrior whimpered. 'Nothing, Alpha.'
'What do you mean, NOTHING!?', Damon raged with his teeth dangerously close to the warrior's neck. 'Why is she unconscious?!'
'She is sleeping.', one of the other three warriors said, because the one under Damon was nearly paralyzed with fear.
Damon snorted and glanced at Talia again.
Her expression was relaxed and the slow rise and fall of her chest confirmed that she was sleeping.
'You are dismissed.', Damon said curtly. 'Call off the search. The girl is found. I will take it from here.'
The four warriors slowly backed away with their heads lowered. Once they confirmed that they've put enough distance between them and Damon, they swiftly disappeared among the trees.
Damon sniffed the air, to ensure no one is around before he slowly approached Talia.
He couldn't believe that she just fell asleep.
How careless!
Doesn't she know how many guys saw her relaxed sleeping face? Damon felt like gauging their eyes out. No one should see Talia like this with her guard down. No one. That's only for him to see.
He nuzzled her neck with his nose and inhaled the sweet citrusy scent of freesia that came with a huge sense of relief.
Talia was safe and at that moment, nothing else mattered.
Talia woke up in confusion.
How did she find herself back in this room?
Didn't she go into the forest?
Talia remembered that she followed the invisible trail the plants created. She collected necessary ingredients for her to conceal her scent and once she ingested that mixture, Talia continued exploring goodies that the forest provided.
Talia didn't feel like returning to the packhouse. She lost track of time and she stopped only when her aching legs reminded her that she was walking for too long.
The painkillers wore off, and her injuries were aching all over, and she sat next to a tree to rest a bit, but then she fell asleep.
Talia had a weird dream. It was about a massive black wolf with icy blue eyes. He was sniffing her neck and licked her cheek a bit, and the dream ended with Alpha Damon carrying her in his arms.
Talia shook her head, rejecting to accept how any of that was real.
Why would Alpha Damon bring her back while carrying her princess style?
Ah, Alpha Damon! He told her not to go beyond the garden, yet she disobeyed him. She is definitely in trouble.
Right, that was definitely a dream, because if he found her for real, he would scold and punish her, and not bring her back like a knight in shining armor.
Talia blushed. In her dream, Alpha Damon didn't wear any armor. His torso was completely bare, and her cheek rested on his firm pec. Talia was not sure if Alpha Damon was wearing anything on his lower half, but she clearly remembers his scent that helped her relax and his every step rocked her back into sleep.
Yup, that was a dream.
The only explanation that made sense was that Talia went into the forest and was so tired that she doesn't remember how she returned.
But, if that was a dream, why was her room smelling of the forest and dark chocolate again? It was not very fresh, but it was there, lingering in the air and in the cover, and some of it was in her pillow as well.
Strange.
Talia observed the room and saw a plate with bread and fruits and there was some cheese also.
Her stomach rumbled, and in response, Talia scooted out of the bed and went to attack the food. It was more than twenty-four hours since she ate last time, and everything else could wait.
The bread was hard, but Talia didn't mind. She would squish a grape and use its juices to moisten the bread. It was good.
Talia jolted when someone knocked on the door.
"Yes?", she called apprehensively.
The door cracked open, and Maya's smiling face peeked in.
"This is the third time for me to check on you.", Maya said and when she saw Talia's confused expression, she reminded her, "We are going shopping. Remember?"
"We can leave when you are done with food." Maya frowned when she saw that Talia was eating hard bread. "Do you want me to bring you something else?"
Talia didn't think about more food because what she had was enough.
She pressed her lips into a line while thinking how to dodge shopping. She really didn't want to go outside this room, and shopping meant leaving not only the room but the packhouse as well. The people in the town will see her, and the ones working in stores as well… and there is a possibility that she might bump into Cassie or Damon, and Talia didn't want any of it.
Her eyes fell on her wrist that had a firm wrap with Velcro on it, and she got an idea.
"I'm sorry, Maya, but I don't feel well."
Maya's smile fell. "Should I call a doctor?"
A pang of guilt swelled in Talia's chest, but she kept on talking. "No need. It's just my injuries from before. As long as I rest, I will be fine."
Maya was not sure if Talia was really hurting but she couldn't blame her for wanting some peace and quiet and Maya definitely didn't want to call Talia out.
"Alright.", Maya said with a smile. "Take rest and we can go when you feel better. There is a nice sweet shop in town, so when we are done with shopping, I will introduce you to the best lime pie in the world."
Talia's eyes sparkled and she nodded happily. If she knew that there will be pie involved, she wouldn't be so hasty to come up with an excuse.
"Do you want to come downstairs to eat, or should I bring you something here?", Maya repeated her offer for food.
Talia shook her head, rejecting the offer. "Don't trouble yourself for me. These are fine. I will wash up and rest."
By now, Maya understood that Talia prefers to stay low-key and not attract attention in any way.
Maya didn't know what Talia went through but seeing all the bruises and knowing that she lived in the attic told a heartbreaking story.
Maya wanted to help Talia, but Talia was shrinking and closing in.
A mate would be able to help her out the most because their bond draws the best in each other but considering that the other person for Talia is Damon, he would only make more damage. And he already did.
