Talia could see the orange hues of the sunset covering the sky outside, so she asked Damon, "What are we going to do for dinner?"
They had a plan for a bonfire and barbeque on the beach, but the voices from the garden told her that everyone was in the packhouse. It was inappropriate for hosts to relax in bed when they had guests.
"With Meg, Kai, Max, Tanya, and the two of us being absent from the beach, Maya suggested that we reschedule beach activities for some other time. Everyone agreed that we should have dinner here."
Talia nodded in understanding.
At the thought of the dinner and evening approaching, Talia remembered one more important thing. "When is Marcy coming?"
Damon knew that Talia didn't want Marcy to come, and he didn't want that either. Well, they didn't need to worry about her for a few more hours. "The group from the Red Moon pack will stay overnight in a hotel and will arrive in the morning."
Talia buried her face in his chest and Damon could feel her discomfort rising.
"I can make the call right now and cancel the whole thing.", Damon said seriously.
He would offend Marcy and Alpha Edward in a heartbeat, even if they threaten him with war. No one and nothing compares to Talia, and there was no point leading a pack without Talia by his side. He got that much figured out.
There was one obstacle Damon didn't know how to deal with. "If Marcy doesn't come here, how will we explain that to your wolf?"
Talia exhaled helplessly. She wanted to say that she will handle her wolf, but Talia didn't have that confidence. She looked up at him. "What's the plan for Marcy?"
Damon puffed his cheeks. "I will come up with something."
"So… no plan."
Damon didn't have anything yet, but he knew one thing. "I won't allow Marcy or anyone else to stand between us, kitten. I will deal with Marcy, and then I will mark you, and everyone will know you are my Luna."
Talia's heart swelled from warm and fuzzy emotions. Every time Damon said how she was his and he wanted the whole world to know it, she was truly happy. It was like a dream come true.
At the same time, she couldn't help but fear that something will happen to prevent that. It's not that she had foretelling abilities, but it all sounded amazing, and amazing things didn't happen to regular girls like Talia.
Was it too good to be true? She snuggled closer into Damon and took deep breaths of her favorite scent of the forest and the dark chocolate in order to calm her jittery nerves.
"Do you trust me, kitten?", she heard him ask and she nodded in response.
"Don't worry about Marcy.", he said softly. "That's my mess and I will clean it up. Focus on resting and enjoying with our guests. OK?"
Talia looked up at Damon. "What if she recognizes me?"
At the Lightclaw pack was one thing, but now she didn't have fancy styling and makeup, and there was a big chance Marcy will hear that Talia came to the Dark Howlers pack only a few weeks ago. With all that, Marcy might connect the dots and realize that Talia is the girl from the attic.
"Are you afraid of her?", Damon asked and in the next moment Talia's insecurities splashed on him and he regretted his question.
Since coming to the Dark Howlers pack, Talia showed immense growth, but Marcy was different.
Marcy recognizing Talia could mean that Alpha Edward will get another weapon and try to use Talia against Damon. Of course, Damon won't allow that to happen, but that didn't mean Talia was not worried about that possibility. And it would be a lie if Damon said that he was not concerned about that also.
However, Damon was more worried about the fact that Marcy was abusing Talia and those scars were embedded below Talia's skin. He remembered how pitiful Talia was when he found her in the attic, dressed in faded oversized clothes, and her skin was covered in cuts and bruises. His heart tightened.
Damon recollected how Marcy would come into his room dressed up to the nines, with hair and makeup done, and a big smile on her face, ready to impress him as his future Luna, and all that was probably just minutes after she beat Talia.
His mate we suffering, and he was oblivious to all the bad things that were happening right under his nose. Damon will never forgive himself that failure.
When he found Talia in the attic, Damon was so consumed with the pull of the bond and the sparks that he barely noticed her sorry state. And then he focused on getting Talia out of that packhouse, and only hours later, in the car, he realized that she needed medical help and food. He was so focused on what he wanted, that he neglected to get justice for Talia.
And at the Lightclaw pack, his attention was on enjoying his time with Talia, and he forgot (again!) to punish Marcy.
What kind of an Alpha forgets to punish people who wronged his Luna!? Twice!
Tomorrow, Marcy will come into his and Talia's house. How can he keep his cool?
Rage swelled in the pit of Damon's stomach.
What talk about Marcy being his Luna? She will be lucky if she can leave his territory alive! He will lock up Marcy in the attic and serve her beatings for lunch, breakfast, and dinner so that she experiences the hellish treatment Talia went through.
Yes, Talia told him how some of the older injuries were not from Marcy, because others bullied her, but that only made things worse! How many of them were there?
Damon felt an urge to go to the Red Moon pack and raze it to the ground.
He will send Alpha Edward and his whole pack to hell! Talia suffered there for decades, and no one thought of helping? What kind of monsters live there!?
To make things worse, Talia endured all that without her wolf. She was alone, weak, hungry, and scared, and she couldn't even heal herself!
"Damon?", Talia's voice pulled him out of his murderous thoughts that mixed with anguish for not being able to protect his mate.
Talia could feel that his emotions were unstable. "I am fine.", she assured him. She didn't know what was on his mind, but she guessed it was related to her.
"No, kitten. You are not fine.", Damon said. "Whatever you are feeling, let it out. If you want to vent your anger on Marcy, do it. If anyone has issues with it, I will deal with them."
Talia knew that he meant it. Even if the sky fell down, he would hold it up for her.
Was she OK facing Marcy? Talia was not sure. But she knew that she needed to go through it.
"I am your mate.", she said. "As your Luna, I will meet Marcy and others who are like her."
Thanks to the numerous files she found on Damon's computer, Talia was aware that nearly every unmated female with Alpha bloodline tried to be Damon's Luna, and Damon probably bedded most of them. Talia didn't want to think about it.
The past belonged in the past, and she wanted to focus on the future.
"If I shrink in front of Marcy, I won't be qualified to be the Luna of the Dark Howlers pack. Don't think that you are in this on your own, Damon. It doesn't matter if the person coming tomorrow is Marcy or any other. I will be right by your side."
Damon's smile reached his eyes.
He knew that Talia didn't care about being Luna of the pack, but she wanted to be with him. She was getting out of her comfort zone for him, and that was why he was determined to enable her to fulfill all of her dreams (as long as they didn't include leaving him).
Damon leaned to kiss her lips gently, and when Talia fisted his hair and deepened the kiss, all brakes were off. The scent of Talia's arousal told him that his mate wanted him, and he had no intention of letting her wait.
As for Marcy and everyone else, they will deal with them as they come. Together.
