Talia looked at Marcy and Nora approaching her, and she chanted internally Damon's words how she should treat everyone equally regardless of who they are.
That's right. Talia was never in the Red Moon pack. She doesn't know who Marcy and Nora are. Even if they suspect who Talia is, they won't have proof. It's that simple.
Nora stopped in front of Talia and scrutinized her from head to toe and Talia released the breath she was holding when she realized that Marcy was looking at her with blank enmity.
Talia remembered Marcy's words from about two weeks ago, while she was hitting her. Marcy was saying how she is the future Luna of the Dark Howlers pack and that Damon is hers and based on that Talia guessed how Marcy is not a she-wolf who would share a man, even if that man is Alpha Damon.
However, why did Nora come on her own to their room?
Something was fishy and Talia wondered if she can take advantage of it.
"Can I help you?", Talia asked while her eyes moved from Nora to Marcy.
Nora snorted. "Are you pretending that you don't know who we are?"
Talia gave a long inquisitive look at Marcy and then moved to Nora.
"I know who you are.", Talia said. "You are the woman who came to my room this afternoon demanding to see Damon."
Marcy froze in a frown and Nora's face fell.
'BINGO!', Talia screamed in her head.
"Do you still want to see him, or was your visit related to a matter that should be discussed in private?" Talia glanced at the door of the ladies' room. "This is for females. I can assure you that he is not in there."
Nora snorted, irritated that Talia just spilled a big secret. If Marcy tells Alpha Edward that Nora went to Damon's room, Nora might end up in trouble.
"Who do you think you are?", Nora asked.
"You approached me, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?", Talia responded with a question.
"This is Marcy Redmayne, the future Luna of the Dark Howlers pack.", Nora said smugly while gesturing toward Marcy.
Talia nodded in understanding and then glanced at Nora. "And you are her spokeswoman?"
Nora's eyes narrowed into angry slits, and before she could say anything, Mindy's voice came from the side.
"Marcy and Nora from the Red Moon pack." Mindy stood next to Talia. "Are they bullying you?"
"No, no…", Talia said quickly. "Actually, I'm not sure. They just got here."
Marcy blinked at Mindy while wondering who she is.
Marcy was still processing the information that Nora went to Damon's room earlier that day. Marcy remembered that Nora went for a walk, and she was not in their room for some time. Just how much is Nora working behind her back?
"We were just saying, hi, Mindy.", Nora said stiffly when she saw that Marcy turned mute.
Mindy sneered. "I'm sure you did." She knew Nora very well, and Mindy didn't like her.
"Is there a problem?", Kalina asked while approaching the four women. She was new in the pack, but technically, Kalina was the host, and she couldn't stand on the side and watch an obvious unpleasant situation.
"It seems that Alpha's and Beta's daughters from the Red Moon pack want to bully Lia.", Mindy said with a straight face.
"I hope not.", Kalina said. "Lia is my dear friend and anyone who bullies her can't be part of our circle."
Talia smiled gratefully. No one ever stood up for her like that publicly, making her feel like she belongs to a group.
Well, there was Damon, but he is a scary Alpha and in a league of his own.
Talia remembered Olivia who was amazing when they were alone, but when in public and someone bullied Talia, Olivia would lower her head and pretend that she doesn't know her. Talia thought how that was as good as it gets, but now that she saw Mindy and Kalina standing up to her, Talia's heart swelled.
"Thank you.", Talia said to Kalina and Mindy.
"I never heard of you.", Talia said to Marcy. "You are the future Luna of the Dark Howlers pack? Unless I hear that from Damon, I won't believe it. As for you…", Talia looked at Nora. "It seems that the warning from security was not enough, and I will need to tell Damon that you disturbed me again. As Beta's daughter, you should know that it's not your place to meddle in Alpha's business, and as Damon's date, I am Alpha's business."
Talia plastered a stiff smile on her face and walked away.
Mindy looked after Talia and silently adjusted her assessment of the latter who knew how to put those two in place. Talia was not intimidated by Marcy's and Nora's status and Mindy approved, but she wanted to add something.
"Miss Marcy, I heard that you came recently from Europe so maybe you don't know some traits of Alpha Damon. Any woman who previously claimed to be associated with Damon didn't find a good ending, and the last woman who tried something funny in front of Lia is now in the dungeon." Mindy gestured toward Nora. "Your Beta companion should inform you of that. After all, Nora is familiar with many future and current Alphas. Intimately."
Mindy linked her arm with Kalina's, and the duo walked away in the direction where Talia went, leaving behind Marcy and Nora.
Mindy didn't know if Nora slept with Damon, but Nora's reputation of sleeping with high-ranked people was well-known and considering Damon's reputation, it was not farfetched to assume that those two rolled in the sheets.
Unfortunately for Marcy, Mindy's comment hit dead center.
To make things worse, from the corner of her eye, Marcy noticed several women observing the scene. Since when were they watching? Marcy was not sure, but they definitely heard Mindy's last comment.
From the beginning of this blasted event, Marcy was pretending not to hear whispers about Damon and his date, and Marcy turned a blind eye when the happy couple danced on the stage for everyone to see. At that time, Marcy thought how embarrassment can't go worse than that, but now Nora proved her wrong.
Marcy gritted her teeth and turned to Nora robotically. "Are you so set to get me in the dungeon, or killed? Will you be happy if everyone ridicules me?"
Nora frowned. "What did I do?"
Marcy exhaled in frustration. "That WAS Kalina! The future Luna of the Lightclaw pack. The woman I am supposed to leave a good impression on. How can I leave a good impression when you embarrass me like that? Just wait until my father hears that you went to Alpha Damon's room on your own…"
Two turns later, Kalina and Mindy saw Talia who was leaning on the wall.
"Are you alright?", Mindy asked while walking to Talia in haste.
Talia let out a long breath. She was brave until just a few seconds ago, but now that the immediate danger is gone, Talia felt her legs shaking.
"I'm fine, it's just…", Talia stopped talking. She couldn't tell Mindy and Kalina the truth. No one should know that she came from the Red Moon pack and that she was bullied, and that Marcy beat her up, twice.
"I'm not used to dealing with such situations.", Talia said.
"You handled them great.", Mindy said and Kalina nodded in agreement.
"Nora is a horrible person, full of herself, and it seems that Marcy is not much better." Mindy hesitated before saying, "You know that there are rumors how Marcy will be Alpha Damon's Luna, right?"
Talia nodded. She knew that very well, but… "I will believe what Damon tells me."
Marcy came as a topic between Damon and Talia more than once and every time Damon assured Talia that he is not interested in Marcy. Talia didn't understand why Damon doesn't make that clear to Marcy, like some public statement that will shut down the rumors; surely he could find a way to reject her without causing a war between the two packs, but Talia still chose to believe that Damon had his reasons, and she hoped that his reasons are not to deceive Talia.
Talia couldn't understand why her anxiousness was increasing. And it was more than just anxiousness, there was some fury that bubbled inside her and she needed to calm down.
"The two of you go ahead without me.", Talia said.
Mindy didn't approve. "Where are you going?"
"Not far. I will find a secluded spot in the garden and get some air. I don't want Alpha Damon to see me like this. He already sent one woman into the dungeon…"
Kalina and Mindy exchanged glances and Kalina said, "Don't wander far away. Stay close so that no one gets funny ideas like those two."
The moment Talia left the packhouse, she took a right and went beyond the area where tables were set.
She passed a row of tall thuyas before stopping. Talia could hear the music and indistinct chatter and she looked longingly at the scarce trees in the distance.
If this was the Dark Howlers pack, she would go into the forest and walk barefoot on the soft grass. That usually calmed her down. But now she couldn't leave because this was not home, and she didn't want to leave and make Damon worried.
Talia pressed her hand against her chest where her heart was thundering. What's going on? She should be happy that her encounter with Marcy went well and this… why was she so uneasy?
