Damon rushed into the packhouse.
He cursed internally that so many things piled up and he lost track of time.
If he knew it will take this long, he would wake up Talia in the morning and ask her to accompany him for the day.
When the news of the patrol having a skirmish with rogues on their South border woke him up, Damon decided to let Talia sleep with a plan to check the situation quickly and return before she notices his absence. After everything they did last night, she needed rest.
The issue at the border was a matter Caden would look into, but since Caden was not here, Damon had to go.
When he reached there, Damon became aware of several other issues that waited for Caden (or him), and Damon thought it will be done quickly, but then three generals appeared, each with their own items on the agenda and Damon wanted to dismiss them, but he could see that those were not trivial issues and he felt guilty for neglecting his duties lately, so he texted Talia to go ahead and have lunch without him.
Damon was missing Talia like crazy and he couldn't wait to wrap her into his arms and inhale her addictive citrusy sweet scent of freesia, and his impatience morphed into anxiety when he didn't find her downstairs or in their bedroom.
'Steph! Maya!', Damon called through the mind link. 'Where is Talia?'
'I didn't see her today.', Maya responded first.
'Same here.', Stephanie said before adding, 'I don't think she had lunch at the packhouse.'
She skipped lunch? Damon thought that Talia might be immersed in reading the book Travis gave her. She would sit on the sofa in the study to read it, so Damon headed there.
Talia was not in the study, but he found a note that she went to the pack hospital.
Talia left the note that morning after confirming that Travis will see her. She thought that Damon might return while she was away, and she didn't want Damon to worry.
Damon mind-linked Travis, 'Did you see Talia today?'
'Yes, she was in my office this morning for a checkup, and I met with her in front of the library earlier this afternoon.'
Damon released the breath he was holding along with some of his anxiousness. 'So, is Talia in the library?'
'No, how much I know, she didn't get in.'
Damon didn't get it. 'What?'
'I was supposed to meet with Talia and help her get her next book, but when I reached there Talia was being bullied by two she-wolves. I chased them away, but Talia was upset, and she wanted to be alone.'
Damon's mood was set back to maximum anxiousness. 'Where is she now?'
'I don't know.'
'What do you mean, you don't know!?', Damon growled into the mind-link.
Travis was exasperated. Was he supposed to babysit Talia? 'Talia is a grownup and she said she wanted to be alone. What did you expect me to do? Stop her or stalk her?'
Damon cursed loudly and cut off the mind-link. Now what?
It took him a moment to remember his phone and the GPS tracking.
A dot representing Talia was shown in the middle of nowhere but then… that was not nowhere. Damon knew exactly who lived in that area.
He tried calling Talia, but she didn't pick up and Damon remembered that she would keep her phone on silent.
Talia's phone was in her purse, on silent, and she was not aware that Damon was calling. Even if she knew, Talia wouldn't pick up because she was not over the incident with Ashley and Heather, and she was busy with other stuff.
During her meal, Talia realized that she was talking with Gideon, the Shaman of the Dark Howlers pack, the same person Doctor Travis said Talia should talk to.
But Doctor Travis also said that Talia should check with Damon if it's OK to talk to the Shaman.
Did she really need Damon's permission to talk to people? Talia thought how that was unreasonable.
Damon was definitely going places and talking to people, and probably doing much more than just talking (if the person in his vicinity was an attractive female), and Damon never asked for Talia's permission. Why would she ask for his?
The more Talia thought about this, the more vexed she was.
She understood that she shouldn't reveal to Gideon that her wolf can talk. That seemed to be a big secret, but for the rest, she didn't think there was a need to hide.
Besides, this was about her health and maybe getting her wolf back. Damon had no say in it.
Once her belly was full and she was sipping warm lavender tea, Talia decided to ask, "I was wondering if you can help me with my wolf."
Gideon's lips lifted into a smirk. "Why do you think I can help you?"
Talia thought that maybe this is some other Gideon. Did she get the wrong person? "Aren't you the Shaman of the Dark Howlers pack?"
"I am.", he confirmed. "But, are you sure you want my help?"
"Is some payment required?", Talia guessed.
Gideon waved his hand, indicating how that's not the case. "Not many come to me, at least not openly."
Talia didn't get it. Shouldn't a Shaman be one of the core people in the pack? "Why?"
"Some time ago, I had a… conflict with the current Alpha. Since then, people are avoiding me."
Talia pressed her lips into a line while thinking about what to do with that information.
"Your conflict with Damon has nothing to do with me. I need help and the only question is if you are willing to help me."
Gideon was surprised that Talia addressed Damon without his title. He liked Talia's spirit. "Alright. What's the problem with your wolf?"
"Until several years back, I could feel her but then… I couldn't. At that time, I thought that she disappeared for good, but then Doctor Travis told me that my sight and vision are above what humans have and that my wolf is still inside me. Doctor Travis said that there is a chance to get my wolf back. I should eat well and exercise to improve my body, and also take care of my mental health and since you are an expert in spiritual stuff…"
"Is that why you trespassed in my garden?", Gideon interrupted her.
"No, no", Talia said with haste. "That was an accident. I wanted to find a way to contact you and schedule an appointment, but since I already wandered in your garden, I thought that it's OK to talk about my… issue. Is it OK?"
Gideon nodded faintly. "The Moon Goddess is guiding her children to find what they need."
Talia had no idea what he was talking about, but she agreed earnestly. Anything was better than the version where Talia sneaked into his garden with an ulterior motive.
Gideon made a thoughtful face. He could tell right away that Talia was not a member of the Dark Howlers pack, and she smelled like a werewolf, but he didn't know that she can't reach her wolf.
"Wolves are spiritual beings, and their presence can diminish when the body is weak or when the mind is."
"I am exercising and eating well…"
Gideon shook his head in disagreement. "I found you in my garden and you were hungry. How is that eating well?"
Talia pursed her lips. "That was just today. Besides, until a few weeks ago, I would go the whole day and sometimes two days without food." She saw Gideon frowning and she didn't want to continue talking about her past. "Can you tell me more about a weak mind? How do I know if I'm a weak-minded person? How do I fix it?"
"Not necessarily weak-minded.", he said. Talia was looking at him straight into eyes and that was not a trait of someone who doesn't have a strong will. She was definitely not an Omega.
"Think of it as… suppressed. When a werewolf suppresses his or her nature, it is our wolf who takes the burn of it. Is there something you really want, yet you are denying yourself?"
Talia's brows came together. Something she really wants? She wants to be Cinderella and that Damon is her prince and that the two of them can have their happily ever after, but that is just romantic gibberish that will never come true so it can't be it. Besides, her wolf was gone years before she met the moody Alpha so…
'BAM! … CRASH!'
Both Talia and Gideon jumped on their feet when the front door of Gideon's house was slammed open out of its hinges and it crashed on the floor, raising a small cloud of dust around it.
Talia gaped at Damon who was standing at the door while spreading an icy aura all around him.
Damon made a step toward the duo and Gideon stood in front of Talia defensively.
Gideon had no idea why Damon was in his house, but it was obvious that Damon was angry, and Gideon didn't want Talia to take the burn of Damon's anger.
Seeing that Gideon was blocking Talia from him, Damon's fury flared.
"You want to take her away from me?", Damon growled.
Without thinking, Talia moved to stand in front of Gideon.
"He is not taking anyone. I came here, and he was nice enough to…"
"Nice!?", Damon squeezed through his teeth. "Tell me… why do every time you leave my sight I find you with some guys sticking to you?"
"No one is sticking to me.", Talia said bravely, fueled by her indignation. Why did Damon barge in here and act like he owns the place? And he broke the door!
"If you use your eyes instead of your ego, you will see the situation for what it is. Be reasonable and… AAAHHH!" Talia screamed when Damon grabbed her and hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
She wiggled and punched his back and then…
'SLAP!'
"Awww…", Talia cried when Damon smacked her butt.
She wanted to protest, but the stinging pain radiated and morphed into arousal and Talia silently cursed herself for enjoying being manhandled by Damon.
Damon narrowed his eyes at Gideon before grabbing Talia's purse and walking out without a word.
Gideon stared at the hole where his door used to stand, and he was processing events from the last minute which confirmed that Talia is not a simple person. Not only because Alpha Damon came personally for her, or because he was possessive, but because she stood in front of the Alpha and talked back without flinching under Alpha's aura that made Gideon break into a cold sweat.
