When Damon told Travis that Talia shouldn't wake up, Travis understood it as: Damon had no intention to move.
How on Earth was he supposed to check his injuries?
Without any other options, Travis got scissors and started cutting the bandages.
The moment Damon's skin was exposed, Travis frowned in confusion, and then his eyes nearly bulged in disbelief.
"What is it?", Damon asked when he noticed that Travis was not moving.
"The wound… it's gone.", Travis said.
Damon didn't think much about it. "You did a good job and I heal fast."
Travis didn't deny that he did a good job, but… "No one heals this fast."
This was not the first time for Travis to patch up Damon. Damon has a history of brawls that left him in need of medical assistance, and he also faced rogues many times.
Even with Damon's stellar Alpha healing, Travis expected it will take days for the wounds to completely heal. Considering that wolfsbane was involved, it was very likely that a Damon won't be able to avoid scars, but... there was nothing.
Travis moved swiftly to cut another layer of bandages and he gaped at the revealed patch of perfectly smooth skin.
If he mistook the location of the first wound, there was no way he would mistake the second one because there was a bundle of cotton soaked in medicine, and now that he removed it, Travis confirmed that cotton had smudges of blood which definitely meant he got the right spot.
"You don't seem pleased that I'm fine.", Damon said, and Travis was not sure how to respond to this.
"I need to do scans and confirm the level of healing…"
"Later.", Damon cut him off. "Talia is sleeping."
Travis exhaled helplessly. "OK. Then… I will leave you to it. Call me when she wakes up so that I can check on your condition."
Travis wanted to leave, but his legs stayed rooted in the spot as he looked at Damon with a complex expression.
Travis did the bloodwork and surgeries, and he knew very well that Damon was in a wretched state. If Damon was brought in just a bit later, his life would be in danger, yet Damon seemed to be perfectly fine. No matter how Travis thought about this, he couldn't explain it.
"I'm glad you are awake, Alpha.", Travis said and glanced at Talia. "Talia came around about one hour ago and the first thing she asked about was your condition. When I told her that I need to check on her before she can get out of bed, she got angry and demanded to see you. I didn't know Talia can be so fierce."
Damon grinned happily and Travis bowed slightly before leaving the room.
Damon cradled Talia in his arms, and he pressed his lips against her forehead while taking a deep breath that filled his system with the addictive sweet citrusy scent of freesia.
He had so many questions for Talia.
Why was she in the forest?
His vision was getting blurry at that time, and unless he lost consciousness for a moment, Talia moved at a lightning speed and Damon definitely saw two rogues flying backward like a tornado swept them away.
Was that Talia's doing? It shouldn't be because werewolves don't have such abilities. Maybe he was hallucinating due to wolfsbane.
However, his wolf told him that Talia healed them, and that's definitely not normal. Or was his wolf talking about healing because of the mate bond?
Damon pushed all those thoughts away and focused on the fact that they were together.
He was confident that Talia was exhausted and traumatized, and there was nothing better for recovery than a good sleep, in the arms of her mate.
Damon wanted to sleep also, but somehow, he felt energized.
He mind-linked Caden. 'What's the status?'
'You are awake!', Caden exclaimed, and then he quickly proceeded to answer Damon's question, knowing that Damon was probably not in the mood for chit-chat. 'When the closest patrol arrived, four rogues were dead, and you and Talia were unconscious. For two rogues, it's obvious how they died based on bite marks, but the other two are funky. Every bone in their bodies was broken. How did you do that?'
Damon looked at the little woman sleeping in his arms. 'Stop messing, Caden, and continue with report…'
Talia woke up and before opening her eyes, she lazily stretched over Damon, and then her arms wrapped around his torso.
The sparks were still there, dancing over her skin wherever she touched his body, and she wanted to maximize the touching surface because it felt amazing.
Talia took in a deep breath of Damon's addictive scent of the forest and dark chocolate and smiled.
"Awake?", Damon's deep voice sounded from just above her head, and she nodded in response.
It took her a moment to realize that the beeping came from the machines, and there was the scent of antiseptic and… Talia's eyes snapped open at the thought of the pack hospital and Damon lying unconscious and wrapped in bandages.
Talia looked at Damon in panic and then she nimbly slipped to Damon's side.
Damon frowned in displeasure due to Talia moving away, he really enjoyed the feeling of her body pressing on his. Or did she hate him now?
While she was sleeping, Damon went through the incident in the forest several times. The mental image of Talia on the ground with four rogues around her, one holding a knife close to her face… he wanted to go back in time and rip all four bastards to pieces. How dare they touch his mate!?
Damon was worried that Talia's attitude toward him will change. He killed rogues in front of her, and his bloody maw was a gruesome sight. But she was sticking close to him, and that should be a good sign.
Talia was nervously looking at Damon's torso that was now mostly devoid of bandages.
"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?", Talia asked.
"You didn't. As you can see, I'm fine. How are you feeling, kitten?"
Talia blinked once, twice, and then her chin shivered and tears started streaming down her cheeks. "Oh, Damon… I was so scared…"
Damon rubbed her back gently. "It's OK. The rogues are gone."
She punched his arm weakly. "I was not scared of rogues. I was scared that I will lose you. There was a knife, and they were shooting and…" She whimpered. "So much blood… Your blood... What would I do without you?"
Damon smiled at the silly girl who was more worried about him than about herself.
"I'm sorry.", he said eventually. "I should have been more careful."
Talia shook her head. "No. I'm sorry. I will never go to the forest again."
He knew that she won't fulfill that promise. The forest was all around them, and what kind of a werewolf can resist going to the forest? But her words reminded him… "Why were you there?"
Talia didn't want to tell him. Lisa was already hurting and directing Damon's anger at the heartbroken girl would be too much.
Talia believed that Lisa didn't hate her. After all, Talia barely interacted with Lisa. How can you hate a person you don't know? Lisa's mental state was not stable, and she was only projecting her anger and dejection on Talia. Lisa would do that to anyone, and Talia was only in the way.
"Can we talk about it later?", Talia asked and buried her face in his chest.
"Sure." Later was fine.
Damon chuckled at the silly girl who was rubbing her cheeks on his chest happily, and he froze when he realized that his cheeks were tingling with the familiar sparks.
It was faint, but he could definitely feel it.
What was that supposed to mean? How much stronger did the bond get if he could feel the sparks without actually touching Talia?
He looked down at her and a crazy idea hit him. "Kitten, do you feel something when you touch me?"
"Feel something?" She definitely felt many things. "Like what?"
"Like… something more than just skin-to-skin sensation."
Talia paused. Was he on the same medications? "Do you feel it also?"
"Feel, what?" It was Damon's turn to ask.
"I don't know…", Talia said. "It's like a small electrical current that tingles wherever we touch, and I can't stop myself from wanting more."
Damon's eyes widened. She can feel it. She can really feel the bond!
"Kitten, do you know what you are saying?"
"I know, it sounds crazy. It's probably due to medications…"
"No, no!", Damon interrupted her excitedly. Seeing that she was completely off the mark, Damon decided to guide her toward the right answer. "Kitten, how much do you know about mates?"
Talia remembered Lisa's words, how Talia is only temporary entertainment for Damon because she is not his mate.
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Answer me.", Damon insisted. "How do two people know they are mates?"
Talia could see he will not give up easily, so she answered, "Their wolf announces it."
"What else?"
"There is the scent and attraction and…", Talia paused.
"And?", Damon urged her to continue.
"The… sparks of the bond."
Damon waited as her expression changed, reflecting Talia's internal fight between facts, desires, and insecurities. After a few endless seconds, she looked at him questionably.
"Didn't you say that my scent is special?", Damon asked, and Talia nodded in confirmation. He continued, "That special, is only for you, kitten. I know you are attracted to me, and this…" He touched her cheek with the tips of his fingers. "Are the sparks of our bond."
Talia's honeyed eyes opened wide to the point of hurting. "What are you saying?"
"I am saying that I feel the same. The only thing I have, and you don't, is the confirmation from my wolf."
Talia inhaled a shaky breath. "Mates…"
