"TALIA!", Damon shouted while prying his legs from the man who fell on the ground unconscious after getting a taste of Damon's elbow. The man was still holding onto Damon and after a second of struggle, Damon kicked him to the side. Bastard.
Damon's heart tightened when he realized that he won't make it.
Talia and one of the attackers were on a collision course, and there was nothing Damon could do about it.
The man's arms were stretched in front of him, and open palms were a giveaway that his goal was to grab Talia who was running toward the man fearlessly like she was planning to pass through him.
Talia's mind was muddled with alcohol, but she knew that the man in front of her wanted to harm Damon and that his goal was to use her as leverage against Damon. How can she allow such a thing to happen?
In the last moment, Talia swayed, avoiding the man's hands and she straightened her body just in time to punch the guy in the throat.
With her wolf awakening, Talia's speed and strength increased. She was not at the level where she could compare to Damon or the warriors of the Dark Howlers pack, but here she was facing a human who seemed to move in slow motion compared to Talia.
After a moment of complete stillness, the man's eyes bulged in shock, and he grabbed his neck while rolling on the ground and coughing violently.
Talia put her arms akimbo and grinned. She did it! It was the move Damon taught her. And it worked!
She turned toward Damon. "Did you see that!?"
Damon shook his head helplessly while making his way toward Talia. "I did. I did."
His heart rate was still erratic. This woman will be the end of him.
Damon pulled Talia into his embrace, buried his face in her hair, and took a deep breath to fill his system with her addictive scent that had the power to calm him down.
Talia gave Damon a few seconds, and then she looked at him with sparkles in her eyes. "You taught me that move. Did I do good? Did you like it?"
Damon realized that Talia was expecting praise. "I would like it better if you listened and stayed behind me."
Talia pouted. "There were four of them. I could take on one."
Damon didn't want to rain on her parade, but he had to ask, "What if he had a weapon?"
"If he had a weapon and I was hiding behind you, that weapon would be directed at you. You already got hurt once because of me…", Talia's voice trailed.
Damon felt Talia's anguish. She would rather take the hit instead of him, and he would do the same for her. How can he scold her now?
"Thank you for watching my back, kitten…", Damon said before pecking her lips.
Talia hugged him tightly and returned his kisses desperately, and within seconds their kisses turned steamy.
"Home…", Damon breathed between kisses. "Let's go home…" He really wanted privacy.
Talia closed her eyes and took a deep breath to compose herself before asking, "What about them?"
"Who?"
Talia opened her eyes and glanced around in confusion. Where did those four guys go? Did she imagine it?
Damon chuckled. She didn't notice warriors of the Dark Howlers pack collecting those four men and taking them away. Well, she was upset and drunk, so it was not surprising.
"The trash was cleaned. Don't worry about them.", Damon said.
Damon pulled Talia toward the car, and he was delighted when she didn't resist. They were going home. Finally.
Damon carried Talia into the packhouse while she sang from the top of her lungs, not caring that her words echoed through the empty hallways.
"We're up all night to get some… we're up all night for good fun… we're up all night to get lucky…"
Damon enjoyed seeing this side of Talia.
Her right arm was hooked around his neck, and she held her sparkly shoes with her left hand that dangled by her side while she swayed her bare feet.
Damon was basking in Talia's happiness that washed over him, and he remembered bits and pieces of the evening that started with him telling Maddox that Talia is his mate, and Maddox agreeing to help Damon deal with Marcy (even though they still didn't have a plan).
In the Shifters nightclub, Damon made his first appearance with Talia in front of their pack members, and he was confident that many got the underlying message, Talia is important, and Damon is taken.
Other than that, his usually quiet and timid kitten stood up to a bully in the restroom, punched a guy in the throat, and now she was causing a ruckus in the packhouse. Talia was opening up wonderfully and Damon was confident that if she continues like this, no one will dare to mess with her, even when Damon is not around.
They had guests, and Damon guessed that many could hear Talia singing, but he didn't care. Let them hear her. This was her house, and if she felt like shouting in the middle of the night, it was her right to do so.
Damon would let her sing for the whole night if needed, but he wanted to go to their room as soon as possible in search of privacy.
The moment the door closed behind them with a bang, Talia threw her shoes on the side and wiggled out of Damon's hold.
"Don't tear this one!", Talia shouted and dashed to the left, stopping only when the coffee table separated them.
Damon knew she was talking about the dress, but he didn't care. His intention was to rip it into shreds so that he can get access to Talia's flesh as soon as possible. "I will buy you another one."
Seeing that Damon was going toward her with his icy-blue eyes darkening from desire, Talia hid behind the sofa. "It will take only a few seconds to remove properly!"
Damon jumped over the sofa effortlessly, and Talia swayed while avoiding Damon's hands.
He would catch her easily if he didn't fear that he will hurt her accidentally.
"It would be gone already if you stop moving so much.", Damon said in a dangerously low voice while trapping her in the corner.
At the last moment, Talia ducked and crawled between his legs in search of an exit.
Damon couldn't believe this! Wasn't Talia drunk? How can she move so fast?
He turned swiftly and grabbed her ankle before she could stand up.
"Ahhh!", Talia shrieked when he pulled her back toward him without giving her a chance to get off the floor.
He crawled on top of her. "You can't escape me now, kitten. You have no idea how much I was waiting for this… just the two of us… I will fuck you until daylight."
Talia's eyes widened in shock.
She couldn't get used to Damon's dirty way of talking, and she had no idea why she got aroused when he used those naughty words.
"I was not escaping", Talia said breathily. "But I like this dress and I wish…"
'RIIIIIP!'
A crisp sound of the fabric being torn sounded through the room and fresh air splashed on her newly exposed skin.
"…that you don't rip it.", Talia ended dejectedly.
Damon's grin was infuriating, and she punched his shoulder weakly.
"Why are you such a savage?"
"It's because of you.", Damon murmured between kisses he was arranging on her shoulder. "You have no idea what you are doing to me. The only thing on my mind is to feel your sweet pussy milking my cock..."
Talia was not sure what turned her on more, his scandalous words, or his hands that were exploring her body impatiently.
"Can we move on the bed?", Talia breathed while tugging on his shirt.
Damon glanced at her and smirked. "If you wanted on the bed you were supposed to go there first. Now we are here, so…"
Talia understood that the bed will need to wait, and she confirmed that Damon didn't care about the location. He never did.
