Instead of going upstairs, Damon went to the garden.
This was the day when Talia recognized him as her mate, and even though he was eager to hold her in his embrace, Damon didn't want external factors to spoil their time together.
He wanted to calm down before joining Talia and shake off the bitter taste that his interaction with Lisa left behind.
It's not that Damon cared much about Lisa, but Stephanie was a different thing.
If it's up to Damon, he would send Lisa to do some hard work in a place no one will recognize her, as a lesson to learn some humility, but out of respect for Stephanie, he couldn't do that.
Stephanie was one of the few people who stood by his parents, and who supported him wholeheartedly after they were gone without succumbing to power-hungry madness. Out of gratitude for Stephanie's years of service, Damon hoped that Lisa will snap to her senses and that Damon won't need to resort to drastic measures.
Damon was irked that Talia didn't tell him about Lisa giving her a hard time, but he also knew how that's not Talia's style.
Talia didn't want him to worry, and she definitely didn't want to put him in a position to choose sides between her and anyone else.
Talia is not the one to make a fuss which is a stark contrast from Lisa who is throwing tantrums like she is suffering the greatest injustice because Tony found his mate.
Damon looked up at the moon that was rising above tree canopies and for the first time, he thought how maybe the Moon Goddess really has a plan for everyone.
If Lisa ended up as the Luna of the Lightclaw pack, that pack would be miserable.
Luna should be kind and compassionate, a mother figure to every pack member, accepting her children unconditionally despite their flaws, guiding them in the right direction, scolding them when needed, and fighting for them when someone wants to harm them… someone like Talia.
Damon's heart swelled at this thought. Talia will be an amazing Luna, and the Dark Howlers pack will be lucky to have her, and she is his.
Damon's attention moved toward the lit-up windows of the third floor. Talia was there. His mate.
He wished for the power to fly so that he can be up there on that balcony in an instant.
Damon decided to talk to Talia about Lisa. It was obvious that Talia wanted to conceal this issue from Damon, but Damon didn't want to allow it. He was supposed to be Talia's pillar, someone who will protect her, and how can he protect her if she is concealing her hardships? He will expose what he knows and ask Talia if there is more.
Damon could see himself cradling Talia in his arms and asking her all those questions and she would answer between kisses he will shower her with.
Next, Damon wanted to probe into mysterious things he witnessed in the forest with rogues.
Did she really move so quickly? Did she fling two grown men into the air with her sheer will? Did she heal him?
And why the heck was she going into the forest on her own when he told her not to? How could she forget his warnings about rogues? He could have lost her, damnit!
Damon exhaled helplessly while wondering if Talia is so brave or just reckless. In either case, her safety was giving him a headache. Should he demand that she always sticks to him?
Having Talia in his visual range will definitely come with its set of benefits.
Damon's legs moved toward the entrance of the packhouse, as his need for Talia overtook his senses, but he stopped abruptly in front of a big rose bush that offered him a perfect red rose with small streaks of pink which shone silvery under the moonlight.
Damon plucked the rose with a foolish smile on his face while imagining Talia's reaction when he presents her this small token of his love.
Love.
If someone told Damon a few weeks ago that he would think about love and wooing a woman while being absolutely smitten himself, Damon would call that person a liar and probably throw him into the dungeon, but here he is… with a rose in his hand, walking in large strides toward the third floor of the packhouse, ready to meet the woman who is gentle like the spring breeze, yet has the power to shake his world completely.
Damon paused in front of the bedroom door. He was nervous.
Yes, he entered this room numerous times, and he met with Talia before, but now she knew they were mates, and they will have sex. Lots of it.
His insides trembled from the anticipation of what's coming, and just thinking about Talia made him hard.
Damon adjusted his hard-on, blew into his palm to check his breath, and then ran his hand through his hair to tidy it up.
Should he knock? Ridiculous, it's his room. He and Talia are mates and there are no secrets between them.
Damon slowly turned the doorknob and his ears perked up when he heard a soft voice from the other side. Talia.
Damon opened the door just enough to peer inside. His eyes settled at the sight of Talia on the sofa, talking to two plush toys, aka Blackie and Cinna, who were arranged in a sitting position to face her.
"…I hope Damon won't scold me too much for going into the forest. I was reckless and it got him hurt. If something happened to him..." There was a small pause. "But no matter how angry he is, we don't need to think about moving. Daddy Damon won't kick us out when he finds his Luna, because it seems that's me…"
Damon's heart cracked as the weight of Talia's emotions washed over him.
Guilt. Joy. Relief. Love. Excitement.
How can he scold her for being reckless after this?
Just the amount of Talia's relief gave him a glimpse of stress she was suppressing because she feared that he will find his mate and abandon her.
He chided himself for not telling her earlier they are mates. Sure, she wouldn't believe him, but he should have kept on trying until she believed it.
Damon was confident he was protecting her, but now he knew that his way of protecting Talia caused her pain. All the words how she was special didn't mean much because he didn't tell her clearly they are mates.
"When did you get here?"
Talia's question pulled Damon out of his thoughts.
"A second ago.", Damon responded while hiding the rose behind his back and walking inside. "Sorry that I got delayed. Did you miss me?"
Talia's cheeks got a rosy tint. "Yes." She always missed him when he was not around. "Was it serious?"
Damon realized that Talia was asking about his so-called pack-related talk with Caden. "Nothing that can't be fixed."
Damon wanted to talk to Talia about Lisa and much more, but he decided to do it later because bringing up Lisa will ruin the mood and Talia was already apprehensive.
He was standing one step in front of Talia now.
Damon got down on his knee and presented her the rose. "This is for you."
Talia's eyes widened and a brilliant smile bloomed on her face.
"Thank you.", she said a bit breathily.
Damon watched Talia as she put the flower under her nose to take a whiff and he wished for the power to stop the time because the image of Talia beaming from happiness was perfect.
"Should you be kneeling?", Talia asked.
"You are the only one who can bring me down to my knees, kitten.", Damon said with a smile that made Talia's heart skip a beat. "You are my mate, and I will do anything to make you happy. Do you believe me?"
It's not that she didn't believe him, but… "You don't need to do anything. Just stay safe and… be mine."
Damon's smile widened. She could ask him for literally anything, yet she asked for so little.
If it's anyone else, Damon would suspect that she was just putting on a facade, because no woman can be this innocent and pure, but the bond allowed him to sense Talia's feelings and they confirmed her sincerity. Can she be any sweeter?
"I am already yours and always will be.", Damon assured her.
Talia looked into Damon's icy-blue eyes that reflected a myriad of emotions and she bit her lower lip nervously. He brought her the rose and was kneeling in front of her while professing his love, and she felt that she was lacking in expressing herself.
She inched closer and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for the flower. I would like to do something for you."
"Sure.", Damon responded right away.
Talia stood up and gestured for Damon to sit on the sofa. "Do you mind waiting here for a minute?"
Damon had no idea what she was up to, but he sat on the sofa obediently and watched as Talia dashed into the closet.
