To Dawn's and Zina's pleasure, Talia avoided taking dishes into the dining room.
Talia didn't want to meet that intimidating man (aka Alpha Maddox), or other people that were there.
Besides scary guests, there was also the unpredictable Alpha Damon.
Talia was not sure how she would react if Damon tells her to eat with them at the table. Talia didn't feel like she belongs there and sitting at that table with Alphas and their high-ranking members will definitely be uncomfortable. On the other hand, if Damon doesn't invite her, she will feel neglected.
Talia was aware that Alpha Damon and his circle are way out of her league, and that it shouldn't come as a surprise that he ignores her when others are present, but part of her was not willing to be treated differently depending on the audience.
It would be better if Alpha Damon was always indifferent toward her, but during the time they spent together, Talia got to see different sides of Damon, and his episodes of kindness touched her heart.
Talia feared that while the more important people are in the packhouse, Damon will look at her in the same way he did when Cassie accused her of stealing food. If that happens, Talia's heart will shatter into pieces.
Talia was not sure if staying away was the right thing to do, but she was determined to avoid Alpha Damon and the guests, to the best of her abilities.
It's only for a day or two; she will manage. After that, they will return to normal, whatever that 'normal' is.
Stephanie already said that she will eat in the kitchen, and Talia was determined to join her. While they plated food on serving trays, Talia and Stephanie put food on the side for themselves, and Dawn and Zina were packing dinner in containers to carry into their apartments. There was plenty for everyone.
"Aww…nothing this time…", Dawn was deflated as she returned to the kitchen and Zina rolled her eyes dramatically.
"No luck?", Talia asked even though she knew the answer.
"No.", Dawn said dejectedly. "Axel is a looker. He can't be older than twenty-three years old. I really wished that we click."
"He smiled at you.", Zina reminded her.
Dawn cheered up. "Yeah. Maybe I have a chance. I heard that he will stay for three days."
"We are done here, right?", Zina asked Stephanie who confirmed.
"Yes. I will see you at six-thirty in the morning so that we work on breakfast. Don't be late."
Zina and Dawn grabbed containers with food that they previously packed. They got extra and are planning to share with their roommates.
"Talia", Zina called. "Will you come to the Shifters tonight?"
Talia blinked. "Shifters?"
"Ah, she is new.", Dawn reminded Zina and spoke to Talia, "Shifters is the hottest nightclub in the area. It's a bit of a drive, because it's on the border of our territory but it's totally worth it. Everyone will be there. That's a perfect chance to mingle with hot stuff from other packs, and even humans come in large numbers."
Talia didn't want to reject the invitation, even though she had no intention of going. "I will come if I can."
"Great! Come and join us dancing the night away. Treat me well, Talia because you never know, I might be Luna in the morning!" Dawn paused and turned to Stephanie. "Don't worry. Even if that happens, I will be here on time to help with breakfast."
Zina and Talia giggled at Dawn's cheeky remark that was a total contrast to Stephanie's unamused expression.
After saying their goodbyes, Zina and Dawn left, leaving Stephanie and Talia behind who had their own mini-feast spread on the kitchen island.
Stephanie poked a salad and shook her head. "Kids. They will stay away from those Alphas if they know what's good for them."
Talia didn't understand. She heard stories about how women swarm over Alphas. After all, Alphas are the most powerful werewolves, and she-wolves are attracted to power.
Talia thought how if she had more confidence, she would also hope to catch the eye of an Alpha. Or maybe a general. Why did Stephanie talk like that was a bad thing?
"What do you mean?"
Stephanie chewed slowly for some time before responding. "Messing with Alpha who is not your mate will not bring anything good. Do you know that there are two types of bonds between mates?"
"I'm not too familiar with the topic.", Talia admitted.
"In the case where mates are blessed by the Moon Goddess, the bond will strengthen after they mark each other, giving them power boost. This is the bond everyone dreams about. However, there is another one, mates out of choice. In this case, the bond doesn't exist between a couple who marks each other. After the marking ceremony, the bond will form, but compared to the bond between destined mates, their bond will be weak and it won't bring any increase in power, no matter how much they love each other. For Alphas, power is very important. That's why every Alpha will search for his mate to make her his Luna. Unfortunately, that means whichever girl ends up tangled with those boys, unless they are mates, she will be left behind."
Talia understood the point, but it made her uncomfortable. "Are all Alphas power-hungry?"
"For Alphas, this is beyond the selfish search for power. An Alpha is responsible for his pack members. Alpha can be challenged to a duel. Normally, the challenger will be an Alpha and the defeated one will lose the right to lead his pack, assuming that he survives. Can you imagine how the losing pack members will be treated after being absorbed? Unless you have the strength of a ranked member, you will fall below Omegas."
Talia forgot to chew her food. She knew very well what it means to be below Omegas.
"Did Alpha Damon fight in those duels?", Talia asked after some time.
"Many.", Stephanie said. "When he took over the pack, challengers were coming one after another with the hope to beat him and take over the Dark Howlers pack."
"And?", Talia wanted to hear more.
"As you can see, we are still standing.", Stephanie said with some pride in her voice. "At first, Alpha Damon would just injure challengers and send them back without taking anything from them. He just wanted us to be left alone. But soon they started coming back, and some even used sneaky methods to gain an unfair advantage. Alpha Damon was enraged, and he started taking lives and absorbing packs. He built quite a reputation for himself. That's why no one dares to challenge him, and we are the largest pack on the continent. His parents would be proud."
Stephanie let out a long breath before continuing, "Alpha Damon is a wonderful Alpha. The only thing lacking is for him to find a woman and settle down. It will be nice to see little ones running through this house again."
Talia felt a pang in her chest. A woman to settle down. Damon has many to pick from, and he will probably pick one soon.
Was he waiting to find his mate like other unmated Alphas? Well, princess Marcy and Cassie were proof that he was definitely not waiting idly. And Talia was confident that there are many other women, just like those two.
Somehow, Talia felt sorry for Marcy and Cassie and other girls who are serving Alpha Damon in bed because if they are not Damon's mate (and they probably are not), it means that Damon will not make them his Luna, no matter how desperate they are, yet they are still hoping.
Talia understood that if Dawn gets together with an Alpha who is not her mate, even if they love each other, he will probably not make her his Luna, which means that she will be just a bed warmer, a temporary fun.
Is there a woman who will be happy with a relationship that is doomed for failure? Talia was not sure. But she knew that she was hoping to find her own happy ending, someday. And that happy ending didn't include being discarded when the real mate appears.
Talia's heart ached. How was that different from what she was doing with Alpha Damon? There was only an invisible wall between them because they didn't do anything physically (other than hugging and holding hands), but Talia was painfully aware that Alpha Damon has a space in her heart, no matter how much she was trying to cover up that fact by telling herself how whatever is happening is temporary and it doesn't mean anything. Once he finds his Luna, heartbreak will be inevitable. Her heartbreak.
What Talia didn't know was that when scolding Alphas for romancing while waiting for their Luna, Stephanie was talking about herself, actually, about her daughter, Lisa.
For the last three years (how much Stephanie knows), Lisa is dating Anthony, the future heir of the Lightclaw pack. It's the pack where Lisa is living currently, with Stephanie's sister and brother-in-law.
Anthony is a good boy, and he is treating Lisa well. Unfortunately, he is the only son of Alpha Magnus and is set to inherit his father's position as the Alpha, and that means he will commit to the girl who is his destined mate given by the Moon Goddess.
Why is that a problem? Because Lisa is nineteen years old, and Anthony is one year older, and that means that both of them can recognize their mate, yet Tony didn't acknowledge Lisa as his future Luna.
Of course, Lisa didn't talk about it, but Stephanie is aware that if Tony and Lisa are mates, everyone would know about it because Alpha finding his Luna is a big deal. There is a belief that if Luna is Alpha's destined mate, the pack will prosper, and no one would delay announcing this and throwing a big party to cheer up the pack.
Stephanie is aware that Lisa is waiting for Anthony to announce her as his Luna, but every passing day without that happening confirms that Anthony is waiting (and possibly searching) for his destined mate.
How long will this situation last? How long will Anthony wait for his Luna? Does he have a deadline? No one has answers to these questions.
Some Alphas wait until their mid-thirties before they pick a mate in order to produce an heir.
It's normal for Stephanie to worry about her daughter, but on a few occasions when she tried talking to Lisa about this, Lisa threw a tantrum.
Before her eighteenth birthday, Lisa was convinced that Anthony is her mate, after all, they were crazy about each other. However, now that Lisa's eighteenth birthday passed, Lisa believes that Anthony will choose her, and Stephanie's heart is aching at the thought that Tony might find his destined mate and leave Lisa in shambles.
Of course, there is a chance that Lisa will find her mate, but at this point, Lisa is totally obsessed with Tony.
