Tatiana's wolf was protesting the idea of rejecting Maddox, but Tatiana pushed the beast back. This was not the time to make decisions based on emotions that sprouted because she met a guy during one of her unplanned visits.
The unpleasant experience made Tatiana re-evaluate her opinion about the mate bond.
Tatiana was twenty-four years old independent woman with a solid head on her shoulders who saw a lot of the world, and not an inexperienced teenager from a small town who gets easily carried away by the flashy appearance of a local bad boy.
Sure, Maddox was outrageously handsome, his scent was addictive, and his flavor was even better, but did he have anything else going in his favor?
Money? Fame? Status? Tatiana didn't care if Maddox had those because she had her own, and him being an Alpha only complicated things.
Tatiana didn't plan to settle with a guy anytime soon and if not for the sparks of their bond, Tatiana would probably think of Maddox as a good hookup material and that's it. Being in a relationship with an immature or insincere man will only bring her headaches no matter how good it feels when he embraces her.
They didn't even start, and she already got dirt thrown in her face. What can she expect going forward?
She needed to put things into a healthy perspective and remember what matters.
Tatiana made a name for herself. About five years ago 'Dama T' started shining in the fashion industry and since then, Tatiana travels and spends her days with beautiful, rich, and famous people who are eager to indulge her every need and want. Sure, she works hard, but that rewarded her with more money than she can spend in a few lifetimes, and she earned it all without a mate.
Those few moments with Maddox gave her an unexpected high, but… what is the price she needs to pay in order to feel it again?
Can she enjoy her time with Maddox after this?
What will happen when she leaves his side in order to attend her next fashion show? Will he have a few she-wolves to keep him company?
Mindy told her that her brother is a womanizer and Tatiana thought that Mindy was exaggerating. She should have known better.
Tatiana pushed those thoughts to the side. She really didn't want to think about Maddox because her headache was flaring again.
Her craving for coffee was cut short because it reminded her of Maddox. How ironic.
"It will be OK.", Kalina comforted Tatiana. "It's normal for Alphas to sleep around. They settle only after finding their mate."
"How did you accept Tony's lecherous past?", Tatiana asked bluntly, too distraught to worry about pleasantries.
"Uhm… he doesn't have one.", Kalina said guiltily. "Tony dated one woman and they broke up after he met me. If he slept with other women, he was discrete about it, so people didn't find out."
Tatiana smiled a little. "Lucky you."
"You should probably ask Lia about it.", Mindy said. "Max and Alpha Damon are made of the same mold."
Tatiana glanced at Talia. "Will you share your experience?"
Talia was not sure what to say. How did she accept Damon's lecherous past? She didn't. "They keep coming. It is up to me if I will allow them to bother me or not."
Tatiana frowned. "You are fine with other women coming onto Damon?"
"Of course, not. But Damon is consistent in assuring me that I am the only woman in his life.", Talia said and looked at Tatiana deeply. "Those women you saw are two out of many who touched Max's body, while you are the only one who can touch his heart. If you reject him, that door will close forever. I am not saying that you should turn a blind eye to what happened but ask yourself what you want. Did you feel the connection? Do you want to feel it again? If you do, give Max a chance to prove his sincerity."
Tatiana nodded faintly. Can she give him a chance? Maybe, later. Now she was too angry for any of that.
She wanted to drink, sleep, and forget about everything, but she will settle with shopping. For now.
Damon returned to the packhouse when he heard that Axel, Kai, and Tyler entered the territory of the Dark Howlers pack.
He didn't need to welcome them personally, but he wanted to talk to Axel in private.
Damon was suspicious about Axel's motives for coming here and since everyone was busy, this seemed like a good opportunity to talk to these guests who self-invited themselves.
At that time, Damon would tell Axel that he was not welcome if Talia didn't look at him pleadingly. How can he say no to Talia?
With only a few Omegas busying themselves through the packhouse, Damon went to the study to keep busy until Axel arrives.
Damon passed next to the lounge and his legs stopped abruptly at the door. Did he see that right? Why was Maddox there? Shouldn't he be engaged in carnal pleasures with Tatiana?
"Max?", Damon asked while eyeing the Alpha who had a glass of amber liquor in his hand, and a dark cloud above his head.
"Did you come to lecture me also?", Maddox grumbled without turning to look at Damon.
"Lecture? About what? Where is Tatiana?" When Maddox didn't respond, Damon asked his next question. "Did you mess it up?"
Maddox nodded absentmindedly. "I did. It all happened so quickly that by the time I realized what's going on, my shorts smelled of sausage and I had a throbbing palmprint on my cheek."
Damon was confused. He guessed that the palmprint means Tatiana slapped Maddox, but what was the thing about the sausage, and how were those related?
Damon sat on the chair next to Maddox before asking, "How about you start from the beginning?"
Damon's face changed a few times as he listened to Maddox talking about amazing sparks, how good Tatiana tasted, a zipper that wouldn't budge, two women wearing only towels, and how Tatiana's slap collapsed his world.
Damon struggled not to laugh. Tatiana slapped Maddox! Damon would give anything to see that.
But Maddox was really distressed, so Damon focused on Maddox's words as he ended with, "I completely forgot about them, and now who knows what Tatiana is thinking. She said that I… humiliated her. I fucked up."
Damon could relate with forgetting about non-important females.
Maddox looked at Damon pleadingly. "What should I do now?"
"There is only one thing.", Damon said matter-of-factly.
"What?"
"Beg."
Maddox's face fell. "What? You want me to beg?" He never begged anyone for anything. He endured the harshest training without letting out a peep and now Damon told him to beg?
Seeing that Maddox was not willing, Damon thought of something else. "You have another option."
Maddox's face lit up with hope. "Which one?"
"Forget about her."
Maddox grimaced. "Can you be serious? Don't you know how important a fated mate is? If my pack finds out that I passed on my fated mate, it will cause displeasure."
"I am serious. Forget about what the pack will think. This is about you and her. Listen, and listen carefully because I will say this only once. I am telling you from experience. My start with Talia was…" Damon paused while trying to find the right word. "Unpleasant. Her wolf was hurt so she didn't know we were mates, and I was making one mistake after another until I realized that I can't do this halfheartedly. I wanted her completely, and I had to give my all in return."
"What mistakes did you make?", Maddox asked.
Damon cocked an eyebrow. "Marcy Redmayne. Do I need to say more?" Actually, Maddox didn't know about Marcy sucking Damon off when Damon and Talia saw each other the first time, but Damon didn't have any intention to share that detail. If Maddox knew about it, Damon wouldn't hear the end of it.
"This is not about me. It's about you.", Damon said. "Tatiana knew you were mates and when she saw those two she-wolves, she probably assumed that your heart is not into it. Show her your sincerity, show her that you want to be with her and only her. Beg, if needed. If you are not ready to do that much, forget about her. Those are your options. Pick one."
Seeing Maddox's troubled expression, Damon knew that Maddox had no intention of rejecting Tatiana.
"Look at the positives."
"Are there positives?"
"Of course!", Damon exclaimed. "First, she didn't reject you which means you have a chance. Second, she can feel the bond. Use it to win her back."
Maddox snorted. "This is all twisted. We are mates. She is mine. Why do I need to work for it?"
"That attitude will earn you a rejection.", Damon said dryly. "Don't think about Tatiana as yours. Think about her as your equal and imagine that roles were reversed. Imagine that instead of going to your room, the two of you ended up in hers, and just as the things got heated, some guys emerged from the bathroom. What would you do?"
Seeing that Maddox's expression contorted in rage, Damon patted his shoulder. "Good. Now we are getting somewhere. Next, internet."
"Internet?"
"It's full of useful tips on how to win over a woman. I'm sure we will find tips to help you." Damon got his phone and started typing while mumbling, "How to pacify a wife after she found out about two mistresses..."
Maddox's face darkened.
