The dungeon of the Lightclaw pack is close to the packhouse. It's underground with its entrance hidden between several tall rocks and medium-sized bushes.
The entrance is hidden, but the nearby terrain is fairly open, making it impossible for anyone to come or go without being noticed.
Talia made her way into the dungeon down long winding stairs, following one warrior from the Lightclaw pack who was on duty as a guard.
In the absence of a recording device, Talia called Damon's phone and left the call on with the phone in her pocket and volume set to a minimum.
At the entrance to the dungeon, Damon had the call on speaker with Maddox, Mindy, Kalina, Tony, Alpha Magnus, and Alpha Richard gathered around him.
No one knew exactly what Talia had on her mind, so they waited in anticipation to hear how this will unfold.
Alpha Richard had a bad feeling about this. He wanted to warn Cassie to keep her mouth shut, but Damon and Maddox didn't let him out of their sight and he couldn't do anything, so now he was sweating bullets while silently cursing Cassie and her temper.
Alpha Richard already decided to cut off his willful daughter financially and geographically. He will either marry her off or send her far away on her own, but that will need to wait until they leave this place. Until then, he prayed silently that Cassie doesn't drag him down with her.
Talia walked after the guard and observed the hallway that was wide for four people to walk side-by-side comfortably. There were doors made out of thick iron bars, leading to small cells that each had a bed, sink, and toilet. The walls were in orange hues, like clay, and decently illuminated. The air was fresh with just a hint of staleness which told her that this is an old structure, but well maintained.
Talia's guide stopped in front of one door and spoke in a stern tone, "Cassie Baines, you have a visitor."
"Dad!?", Cassie shrieked and dashed toward the door, grabbing two bars with her hands.
Ever since warriors dragged her from the packhouse of the Lightclaw pack on the previous night, Cassie was stuck in that cell.
They brought her food twice, but other than that no one said anything, and her father didn't come to see her.
Cassie assumed that her father might be also in one of the cells, so she called his name, but there was no response.
To say that Cassie was agitated would be an understatement.
Cassie frowned at the sight of Talia, and she looked left and right, how much the bars allowed it.
"Where is my father?", Cassie asked the guard who didn't respond. They are trained not to respond to prisoners' inquiries unless instructed otherwise.
"You can leave us.", Talia told the guard and he nodded before walking away.
Talia waited a bit for the guard to leave the hallway before turning to Cassie who was still standing at the door and looking at Talia questionably.
Talia observed Cassie's swollen cheek. One night of Cassie's werewolf healing wasn't enough to erase traces of Damon's slap.
"Your father won't come.", Talia said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what I said. He won't come."
"Why are you here?"
"I came to see how you are doing.", Talia said while glancing into the cell behind Cassie. "It seems you had a good treatment. The bed looks cozy."
"Cozy?", Cassie repeated with disgust. That thin mattress is a lot of things, but cozy is not one of them. She grew up as the princess of the Steelbite pack in luxury and this was not her idea of a good treatment.
"Considering that you wanted to attack me last night, this is a light punishment. I wonder if you learned your lesson."
Cassie's eyebrows shot up. "And what lesson should I learn?"
Talia smirked. "That you are replaceable."
Cassie's nostrils were flaring in anger. "Wait until I come out! You bitch!"
"But you can't come out, and your words can't harm me. I know that you are a sad girl who enjoys the privilege of having Alpha as a father. Remove your father and you are nothing."
"And you think you are something because Damon decided to play with you?"
"Not just play with me, but also bring me as his date. To how many events Damon took you with him?", Talia asked and continued quickly before Cassie could say anything, "The party was a blast. If you were there you would see that Damon is an amazing dancer. He couldn't keep his hands off me. Is that how he treated you? Of course, he didn't. Your so-called relationship meant that you stay in his packhouse until he notices you. Did he ever touch you or was that just your imagination? As a stark contrast from how he treated you, last night, a reporter from WW Magazine took our photo. He said that Damon and I look good together. It seems that was the first time Damon allowed his photo to be taken with a woman by his side. It will be in the next edition…"
"You wench!" Cassie was livid. Every Talia's word hit a nerve. "Once I'm done with you, Damon won't recognize you!"
"Oh, and what will you do?"
"I will return that slap of yours a hundred times and then I will scratch your face and yank all your hair out." Cassie's eyes stirred with madness. "Yes… with all those scars, Damon won't think that you are pretty and then he will come back to me."
Talia released a long breath. Mission accomplished. But she didn't feel happy about it. Talia truly pitied Cassie who was lost in her delusion of grandeur that took deep roots, probably because no one took the effort to discipline Cassie when she was a child, and now it was too late.
"It's sad that under that pretty face is an ugly person. That's why Damon will never look at you.", Talia said before walking away.
"Hey! Where are you going!? What's your name!? Tell my father that I want to see him! You can't keep me here forever! Hey! HEY! Guards! GUARDS!..."
Talia exited the dungeon and saw seven people standing with solemn expressions.
Talia walked straight into Damon's embrace, and she took a deep breath, allowing her favorite scent of the forest and the dark chocolate to enter her system and calm her down.
"What about Cassie?", Alpha Richard broke the silence.
Talia turned to face Alpha Richard, with Damon's hand resting on her shoulder, silently reminding her that he is right there, supporting her.
"Alpha Richard", Talia spoke in an official tone that surprised everyone other than Damon. He heard her talk like that with Mr. Martinez, in front of the human hospital.
"Your daughter wanted me to get one hundred slaps, to scratch my face until it's full of scars, and to yank my hair out."
"She said that in anger.", Alpha Richard was quick to say.
Talia's expression hardened. "And I am confident that she would do all those things in anger. You can't expect her to be a good person if you are always finding excuses for her mistakes. She is not a child. There are very few people who will put up with her willful behavior and not punish her."
Alpha Richard lowered his head. He was out of arguments.
Talia lifted her chin. "I believe that everyone deserves a chance for redemption. Even Cassie. I won't demand that Cassie endures everything she was planning for me."
Alpha Richard looked at Talia hopefully and his expression froze when Talia continued.
"Instead of one hundred slaps, Cassie will get fifty. I don't want her face to be ruined, but her hair will go. I will be magnanimous and instead of yanking it out, she will be shaved clean. If Cassie tries to attack me again or retaliates in any way, she will get the remaining punishment, with interest. As a reminder of this incident for her and you, the Steelbite pack will make an annual tribute to the Dark Howlers pack. You will discuss details of the tribute with Alpha Damon. If you can't come to an agreement, Cassie will get the remainder of her punishment. Is that acceptable?"
Alpha Richard wanted to say how that's preposterous, but he ended up staring into Talia's honeyed eyes that were full of determination, and he nodded in agreement.
Talia turned to Alpha Magnus. "As soon as punishments are administered, Cassie is free to leave. Fifty slaps by a warrior, and then her head needs to be shaved clean. I expect that you record everything and send us a copy when it's over."
Alpha Magnus agreed immediately. He couldn't wait to be done with this and for the troublesome girl to leave.
Talia saw that Tony, Kalina, Mindy, and Maddox looked at her in awe, and then she turned to Damon to meet his proud smile.
"Can we go home now?", she asked in a small voice.
Damon leaned his forehead on Talia's.
Did she know that right now she was the best Luna ever? More than a Luna, Talia was like a Goddess, compelling everyone to worship her.
Instead of lashing out or shrinking, she used her head and recorded Cassie, for everyone to hear. In addition to witnesses from last night, she ensured that several other people hear Cassie threatening her again. Even if Cassie complains about injustice, it will be for naught because four Alphas heard every word between Cassie and Talia.
Damon wondered, did Talia notice that Alpha Richard was bowing to her in submission? Probably not. Talia doesn't care about those things and she wouldn't pay attention.
Talia notices injustice and even when she has the complete advantage over people who wronged her, she won't go overboard. Selfless. She is the embodiment of selflessness.
Just now, Talia was in the position to ask for anything, yet she asked for things that will benefit the Dark Howlers pack. She secured an annual tribute from the Steelbite pack, and she left him to negotiate terms. A true Luna. His Luna.
Damon wanted to pick Talia up and twirl her and kiss her senselessly and then to have his way with her right there on the ground, but he pushed all those desires for later when they reach home, and responded, "Yes. Let's go home." He couldn't wait to get home.
