Talia was unsettled. Did Axel really think she will be fine to go with him, knowing that they won't let her leave? Who would accept such an invitation?
Axel saw Talia squeezing closer to Damon, seeking protection, and he said, "Don't be quick to refuse. I can't disclose details, but you won't lack anything if you decide to come to the Midnight Guardians pack. We will keep you safe. Think about it."
"There is nothing for me to think about.", Talia said. "Do you really expect me to follow you down a one-way path based on your hunch?"
"We can confirm if my assumption is correct.", Axel said and that got both Talia's and Damon's attention. "There is a seer in my pack, and she has her ways to identify our pack members. Aren't you curious?"
Damon wanted to tell him to scram, but he decided to tone it down a bit. "It seems to me that you are more curious than Talia. If your seer can do what you claim, you are welcome to bring her here. If it's confirmed that Talia's roots stem from your pack, then we can talk about it."
Talia disagreed. "There is nothing to talk about." It was obvious that this invitation was just for her, and she had no intention of leaving Damon.
"Let's see what he is up to.", Damon told Talia, not caring that Axel was right there and hearing Damon's mocking tone. "Just a word from a seer we never met won't be enough. I hope there will be additional proof so we know that Axel is not trying to kidnap you because that might be interpreted as a declaration of war."
Damon had enough of tiptoeing around Axel. Midnight Guardians or not, Talia was his mate, and he wanted everyone to know that she was not an easy target.
Damon narrowed his eyes at Axel. "No one can take away what's mine. And Talia is mine."
With Damon's and Talia's attitudes worsening, Axel didn't want to push it further. He knew that he rushed with this, and he needed to accept his losses and retreat before it was too late.
"I apologize, Alpha Damon. My intention was not to reach for what is yours.", Axel said with his head lowered, hoping that he will pacify the grumpy Alpha. "My intention is to shed light on Miss Talia's background. There is a reason why we are not openly embracing outsiders, and if I am right, Miss Talia's presence here will bring danger to her and to others. I hope that you will allow me to bring my seer."
The truth was that Axel was not sure if Cassandra will be willing to leave the Midnight Guardians pack. Stories of what happens to them when captured outside are too scary, and they keep everyone on their toes. Unless there is an important reason, no one leaves the safety their territory provides.
Damon didn't want to deny this to Axel. After all, they were curious for answers also. Damon was mostly curious to find out why Axel was so stuck on Talia. In Damon's opinion, just saying that Talia was from the Midnight Guardians pack was not a good enough reason for Axel go to out of his way this much.
After confirming a few details about his departure, Axel left the study.
Talia sat on Damon's lap and thought about Axel's words. "Do you think I'm from the Midnight Guardians pack?"
"Axel seems to think so."
"And you?"
"What I care about is that you are my mate, my other half, and that makes you the Luna of the Dark Howlers pack.", Damon responded without missing a beat, and Talia knew that he meant it.
"What about you, kitten? Do you want to know about your background?"
"We already know that the Red Moon pack has no information about me.", Talia reminded Damon. "What can Axel provide? Pictures of babies? The whole story about my grandparents is bogus."
"What if he brings that seer and you find out that you belong to them? Will you accept his offer and go there?", Damon asked with difficulty.
Talia shook her head. "No."
"Not even to see what they are about?"
"No.", Talia said. "For years I was alone." Scared, hungry, and hurt. "Where were they? It was you who found me, and you gave me a home."
Talia hugged Damon tightly and rubbed her cheek on his chest. "This is my home, and that won't change no matter where I was born."
Damon hummed in approval. He liked her response, but… "What if you have a family? Parents? Grandparents? Siblings?"
Talia knew that Damon was asking because he lost his parents and he was missing them immensely. But for Talia, it was different.
"Let's not worry about Axel. He wants me to go there only because he doesn't know we are mates. Regardless of how I ended up in the Red Moon pack, it's been two decades. It's too late to fix anything. You are my family now. I only hope that the part of bringing you danger won't come true."
Damon's heart swelled at Talia's words. "And you are my family, kitten. My only family. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."
Talia thought that she will melt from warm and fuzzy feelings.
She buried her face in the crook of Damon's neck and took a deep breath of his intoxicating scent. She didn't want to leave the study because that meant facing whatever was on the other side of that door, and here it was just the two of them, and it was perfect.
Damon and Talia were heading for breakfast, and Talia knew that it was time for Axel and his group to make their exit. They will take the side door so that no one notices them, and Talia was getting restless.
"I want to check on Meg.", Talia said. This whole secretive leaving was fine for Axel, Kai, and Tyler, but Talia wanted to ensure that Meg was not being forced. After her talk to Axel, anything was possible.
"Axel said that no one should be alerted.", Damon reminded Talia.
Talia halted her steps. "We already know what they are up to." She turned on her heel and started walking away from the dining room.
Damon shook his head helplessly and followed after Talia. He was aware that when his kitten was up to something, nothing can stop her and he wouldn't want it any other way.
Damon and Talia stepped out to see a scene of Tyler keeping suitcases in the trunk of an SUV, and Axel's body was blocking the open back door of the car. Just as Axel requested, no one else was present.
When Axel noticed Damon and Talia, he was quick to close the door. Tinted windows prevented the newcomers to see what was going on inside, but they had a guess that Kai and Meg were there.
"Did you come to see us off?", Axel asked.
"Yes.", Talia responded. "And I would like to have a word with Meg."
Axel pressed his lips into a line. How was he supposed to wiggle out of this one?
"Can't I see her?", Talia asked. "It won't take more than a minute."
Axel didn't want anyone to see Meg's state, but at the same time, he thought that this might be an icebreaker. If Talia sees Meg, she will realize that they are the same, and then he might convince her to come with them.
"Meg is in the back with Kai.", Axel said and turned to Damon. "Please, wait here."
Axel's eyes lost focus for a moment as he told Kai and Tyler that Talia will come to see Meg.
Kai and Tyler didn't get it, but they didn't object. Axel was their future Alpha and surely he knew what he was doing.
