When Talia said that she wants a wolf plushie, Damon glanced at the toys that were hanging on the wooden wall behind the ring toss game.
"I see five of them. You will need to be more specific. Or do you want all of them?"
Talia was quick to shake her head. "Not all. Just the black one."
Damon's eyebrows shoot up when he realized which toy caught her eye. Isn't that almost like mini-him?
But he never showed himself in front of Talia in his wolf form except for that one time in the forest when she was sleeping. Can this be a coincidence? Or did someone tell her about his wolf? Damon decided not to overthink it.
Damon spoke to the vendor who was eagerly waiting to serve his Alpha, "The black wolf. If I throw all five rings on the furthest posts, the toy is ours. Right?"
The vendor confirmed.
Damon took a few seconds to aim, and then all five rings fell neatly on the furthest post, one by one.
Seeing Talia look at him in awe, Damon grinned victoriously.
Eat that, you measly coach!
Ah, this felt more satisfying compared to when he defeated Alpha Roderick who dared to challenge him three times.
In Damon's opinion, the only thing that could make this better would be if the measly coach (aka Keith) was right there, watching his image being completely trampled by Damon's victory with Talia as a witness.
Damon took the wolf plushie from the vendor before handing it to Talia.
"Take good care of him, Talia.", Damon said.
"I will. Thank you.", Talia responded with a dazzling smile, and then she buried her face in the neck of the black wolf plushie while squeezing him in a hug.
Damon's lips twitched.
He really wanted to be that plush toy right now.
Why was Talia always reserved with him, like he has some disease, yet this toy got a full-hug and a face-rub treatment?
"Look, Cinna, this is your brother.", Talia said. "He is bigger, so he will be your big brother, Blackie."
After a moment of surprise, Damon stifled a laugh. Talia sounded like she adopted a child. Well, he can play that game.
"Blackie Blake.", Damon said with finality.
Talia was flustered. First Keith said that he is Cinna's father, and now Damon gave Blackie his last name. Somehow, it all sounded like much more than a kind gesture of gifting a toy.
"His fur is black, so Blackie seemed appropriate…"
"And I won him for you, so he will have my last name." Damon inched closer to Talia and added with a murmur. "And yours, Mrs. Blake."
Talia inhaled sharply.
She would prefer if he stops teasing her with labels like a kitten and Mrs. Blake, but at the same time, it made her feel warm and fuzzy whenever he called her as such, and she didn't want him to stop. Ever.
With their hands getting full, Damon asked for a large bag from the vendor and they kept Talia's lunchbox and two plush toys inside, for Damon to carry.
Talia had difficulty letting go of the wolf toy, but she knew that Damon would keep it safe, and she was already planning to cuddle with Blackie to sleep.
Their next stop was at the stall that sold corn on the cob.
Damon was getting corn for the two of them, and Talia stood one step behind him while thinking how this definitely looks like a date. A real one. Her first one.
"Talia!", a scream came from the side a moment before Zina and Dawn came to greet her.
"We saw you at the game this morning.", Dawn said excitedly. "You looked like a dominatrix with all those guys kneeling in front of you."
Talia had no idea what dominatrix was, but before she could ask for clarification, Zina was talking.
"Congratulations on being the MVP of the tournament! Niiiiice…", Zina sang this last word.
Only then Talia noticed that Dawn and Zina were slightly wobbly, and their gazes were unfocused. It was faint, but even with all the scents mixing in the air, Talia could pick up the alcohol. Well, it's a festival.
"Thanks.", Talia responded. "Where are you two going?"
"We are going to the bonfire to dance.", Dawn responded and pointed at the garland of flowers that was hanging around her neck.
Zina was also pointing at her garlands. She had three of them. "Do you want to join us? Our roommates are already there."
Talia glanced at the back to see that Damon was now paying for the corn.
She was not sure about the dancing, but she definitely wanted to see the bonfire and the ritual where women dance for the Moon Goddess. However, Damon was right there, and she didn't know if he will be willing to go.
Ever since Damon told Talia the story of how unmated girls dance around the bonfire, under the moon, for the Moon Goddess to see and to bless them with good mates, Talia was dreaming of doing the same.
Talia was in a predicament. She didn't want to separate from Damon, and at the same time, she was confident that if Damon shows up among a bunch of unmated women who are looking for a man… that won't end up well.
Can she go with Damon, without him, or should she just give up on going?
"I don't know.", Talia said helplessly.
"Come on.", Dawn urged her. "Every girl should dance for the Moon Goddess at least once. How else will you find your mate?"
Both Dawn and Zina froze and stared behind Talia and Talia knew that Damon was back.
Dawn and Zina were not sure what was more unbelievable… that Damon was there with two corns in his hand, or that he nodded at them in greeting without suffocating them with his presence, or that he stood next to Talia like he belongs there.
"You want to dance for the Moon Goddess?", Damon asked Talia. He had no intention of hiding that he overheard their conversation.
Instead of answering Damon's question, Talia's stomach filled with knots when she saw Dawn and Zina gaping at Damon.
Oh, noooo... Dawn and Zina now know that Talia was here with Damon! Why didn't she think about the possibility that someone will recognize them?
Talia was carried away by the mood and handholding and she totally forgot about the rumors that will spark from this. And it's only a matter of time before princess Marcy, or Cassie, or many others who are coveting the position of Damon's Luna hear about this.
"We are sorry, Alpha.", Dawn and Zina said in unison and lowered their heads. They were tipsy, but not so much that they didn't realize their mistake. They shouldn't be so casual in front of Damon.
Damon was focused on Talia, like no one else existed. He saw that Talia's mood dropped, and he assumed that it was related to dancing. "I would like to see you dancing around the bonfire."
Dawn and Zina exchanged quick glances. They were not sure what's going on, but Alpha was talking gently to Talia, and they understood that pleasing Talia means they won't be punished for disrespect.
"We will be happy if you join us!", Dawn said to Talia and Zina nodded in agreement.
Damon found a spot on the side and told Talia, "Dance as much as you want. Whenever you are done, I will be right here."
Zina gave one of her garlands for Talia to wear.
"How did you end up with Alpha?", Dawn asked in a whisper as the three of them moved toward the bonfire that was already encircled by many women who were twirling and swaying in the beat of the music.
Talia's mind stuttered for a moment, and then she got an idea.
"As the MVP of the tournament, I get to spend some time with him. We had a chat and I watched him play a game before he bought corn. It's nothing more than that. Please, don't get strange ideas or you will get me in trouble."
Talia didn't want to say how she was sitting in Damon's lap, and she cried and ruined his shirt and then watched fireworks, and the kisses on the cheek… ah, the kisses! And she would never say that he calls her kitten, or Mrs. Blake, or that they are sharing a bed for the last few nights.
Anyway, it will probably sound like bragging, so Talia thought of using her newly acquired MVP status as a good explanation.
The girls were walking away, but Damon was able to hear them with his Alpha hearing. He frowned.
It seems that Talia didn't want to admit how close the two of them are.
Damon shook his head helplessly. Every woman who got into any kind of contact with him would brag and exaggerate just to make herself sound important, yet Talia made him feel invisible.
Damon was not sure if Talia concealed the nature of their relationship because of his status, or her insecurities, or his past... maybe all of it combined. He refused to believe that it's because she doesn't like him.
Thanks to the mate bond, Damon could sense Talia's emotions and he was aware that her timid heart was his for taking, but he needed to be careful about it, or risk adding another scar on her already bruised soul.
The only thing he was not sure about was how to accomplish such a feat without messing it up.
