Katya got busy preparing drinks for patrons who swarmed the bar, and Talia took the orange wedge from her drink and nibbled on it. It was soaked in liquor, and it had an interesting mixture of sweet, zesty, with a small bite of alcohol.
"Can I offer you a drink?" A male voice came from behind Talia, but she didn't react until someone tapped her shoulder.
Talia froze for a moment before turning to see who was there because it was not Damon. Damon is usually announced by his addictive scent before he reaches her, and this man smelled... ordinary.
"Were you talking to me?", Talia asked the tall blonde man.
He gave her a cocked smile and sat on the barstool where Mindy was sitting previously. "With whom else could I be talking to, doll?" He gestured to Talia's half-empty glass. "Do you want another one?"
Talia blinked while trying to figure out if she knows him. Why else would he be that friendly and talk to her casually without introducing himself? But no matter how much she tried, nothing clicked. Was she that drunk to forget people?
No, no… He was definitely a new face, but she still asked, "Do I know you?"
He chuckled. "You will in a minute. I am Cory. And you are…?", he was obviously expecting her to fill in the blank.
Talia's brain worked in slow motion as she assessed her current situation.
She was in the nightclub, at the bar, a man approached her with a charming smile and an offer to buy her a drink... Eventually, she got it. This never happened before, but she knew what was happening.
Cory was hitting on her!
Of course, his advance was doomed to failure, but he was polite, and Talia didn't have the heart to be rude.
"I am here with friends.", Talia responded, hoping that he will get the hint.
"I know. Two girls. They went to the loo.", he said matter-of-factly and Talia realized he was watching her and that Cory either missed or didn't care about the part where she entered the club with Damon, and they even kissed there for everyone to see.
Cory was not a guy who easily accepted a no for an answer. Besides, Talia was attractive, on her own in the nightclub, sitting at the bar. Wasn't that a sign she was looking for company?
From his previous experiences, Cory knew that it won't take much for a girl to give in to his advances, and the alcohol coursing through his system gave him a dose of courage. Failure was not an option.
"Since you are alone, I came to give you company. And maybe a drink. What do you say?"
Talia glanced in the direction where Mindy and Maya left. What was taking them so long? She knew they left only a minute ago, but suddenly it seemed like a looooong time.
Seeing that Cory was looking at her expectantly, Talia responded, "No, thank you. I am still working on this one."
Cory was not discouraged. "I can get you another one, for later…" Before Talia could protest, he waved at Katya with, "Give the lady one more of whatever she is having, and a beer for me."
In the VVIP booth…
Maddox and Damon were still bickering when Caden tapped Damon's shoulder and pointed toward the bar.
Damon's head snapped in that direction and his expression darkened as he zeroed in at the bar over many heads that swayed on the dancefloor which separated the VVIP booth and the bar.
Where the hell were Mindy and Maya?
Who the hell was that guy?
Damn it! Damon was not paying attention for a minute, and already some bastard was sticking to Talia!?
In slow motion, Damon stood up and walked straight toward the bar.
The waist-high metal rail didn't obstruct him as he leaped over it easily, without removing his glare from the bar.
With one thought, Damon released his Alpha aura and the dancing crowd parted to make way for him, straight toward the unsuspecting Cory.
"That's how Moses parted the Red Sea.", Maddox told Caden while observing the scene with amusement.
Caden would laugh if he didn't fear for that guy's life. Why did he approach Talia? Didn't he see the grand entrance of Damon and Talia?
From this distance, Caden couldn't determine if the guy is human or not, but he knew that he didn't have the mind-link with the Dark Howlers pack, otherwise he would hear Caden's warning to scram.
Rage rippled from Damon with every step he took toward the bar.
That guy was smiling and leaning toward Talia and Damon didn't like it, not even a little bit.
When he was a few steps away from Talia and the guy (aka Cory), Damon could hear them talk, even with the loud music blasting through the space.
"Thank you, but I am not interested.", Talia said, and Damon approved. But why didn't that guy move away?
Cory didn't give up. "How can I leave you alone?"
"My friends will be back any minute."
"But…"
"The lady said she is not interested.", Damon growled, interrupting whatever Cory was about to say next.
Cory looked at Damon who stood next to Talia.
Damon's left arm immediately made way around Talia's shoulders, pulling her to lean on him.
"The girl was free, and I came for a chat. Why are you meddling?"
Damon balled his right hand into a fist, ready to punch the daylights out of the bastard in front of him. "Who said that she is free?"
Cory didn't think much about Damon, and the buzz of alcohol made him oblivious to wary gazes directed his way.
"I came here first.", Cory said and glanced at Talia. "If I knew that just hugging will work, I would skip the chit-chat."
Damon clenched his teeth while taking a split-second decision if he should go for a punch. Punch, it is.
A small warm palm covered his fist.
"Actually, Damon came first. In everything.", Talia said while looking at Damon lovingly and Damon's fighting spirit dissolved in an instant.
Unfortunately, Cory didn't understand that Talia just saved his skin.
Damon's ears perked up when Cory spoke again.
"You are a beautiful girl. He doesn't deserve you if he can leave you like…"
'POW!'
Damon's fist landed in the middle of Cory's face, breaking his nose and a few front teeth.
In slow motion, Cory fell off the barstool, and then he didn't move.
Damon sneered. Pesky human.
Talia was amazed that Damon was holding onto her while delivering that vicious punch, yet she was not shaken at all. Damon was solid as a rock. Her rock.
She took Damon's hand in his and observed it carefully. It was bloody.
"Did you get hurt?"
Damon smiled. He thought that she might be upset because he was violent, yet she was worried about him. Can she be any sweeter?
Talia was sorry that Cory got hit. He was persistent but didn't cross the line with her. However, when Damon showed up, Cory didn't back down, and that was the problem.
"You can use this", Katya's voice got Talia's attention and the latter accepted the wet cloth.
Talia carefully wiped off the blood from Damon's hand and she exhaled in relief when she realized that blood was not Damon's.
The previously unmoving silent crowd slowly resumed their chatter and dancing, but many eyes were still directed toward Damon and Talia. This punch dispelled any doubts about Talia being a special existence in Damon's life. Doesn't that mean that she is special for the Dark Howlers pack as well?
A new wave of rumors and guesses started circulating. It seemed that their Alpha found a girlfriend. Damon was in his late twenties and considering his past, he wouldn't give such treatment to a woman unless he was ready to settle.
Will he mark her? Did he mark her already? Was she their Luna?
But Maya and Caden were clear when they said that Alpha Damon won't tolerate gossip and that he will announce more information when ready, so they could only whisper among each other excitedly.
Of course, not everyone was excited that a no-name she-wolf was getting this special treatment.
Many jealous gazes of women (and some men) were directed at Talia and if a look could kill, Talia would be sliced into a million pieces.
Yes, she went with Alpha Damon to an event and even showed up in the WW Magazine, but... so what? It could be a publicity stunt or a one-time thing, and it was not important.
However, even if they could ignore that Talia was the one from the WW Magazine, no one could deny what they saw with their own eyes.
Talia arrived with Alpha Damon, they kissed, and she went with Alpha Damon to the VVIP booth!
Some of the people hoped that Alpha Damon chased her away because she went to the bar without him, and maybe Beta Maya and Mindy were comforting her, but then Alpha Damon came and hit the man who was next to Talia, which was definite proof he was possessive of her.
