Talia and Marcy were in the living room. Talia was sitting on the sofa chair, and Marcy was on the sofa.
Other ladies went to the garden to hang out and to give Marcy and Talia privacy, and Damon went to check how the training was going.
Of course, Damon left only after Talia promised not to go into private quarters with Marcy, so that Damon can keep an eye on her through the video surveillance that covers all hallways, common areas (such as the living room), and perimeter around the packhouse (garden included).
The only one who refused to leave was George. He was standing still like a statue, with his back to the wall, a few steps behind Marcy.
George had no intention of leaving Marcy out of his sight. Anger and dejection simmered in the pit of his stomach since the lunch in the restaurant, but Mindy was sticking to Marcy, and only when Talia arrived did Mindy leave, so George didn't get his chance to talk to Marcy without anyone eavesdropping.
But he was used to waiting.
In the evening (if not sooner), George will get his chance to corner Marcy and ask her, does she really have no shame? She gave herself to her mate, who was right there, and she was talking about becoming Luna to some other guy? Did she really plan to go with that until the end?
Part of George wanted to beat Marcy until her family can't recognize her, and other part of him wanted to choke her while he fucks her senselessly.
He knew that his impulses were impacted by the cracked bond between them and his unreasonable wolf, but there was nothing he could do about it. Sure, he could accept her rejection, but he knew how that was exactly what Marcy wanted, and George had no intention of giving Marcy what she wanted.
As for Marcy, she forgot about George's existence a few minutes after she started talking to Talia.
Talia was glad that on the way to the packhouse, Maya told her some details about the arrangements related to tomorrow's party, so Talia was able to respond to Marcy's questions without guesswork.
Marcy had preferences about flowers, she wanted balloons, and she requested specific food and drinks to be served.
"I will see what we can do, Miss Marcy.", Talia responded politely while cringing on the inside.
They were talking for nearly an hour and Talia would be deaf not to hear Marcy's condescending tone.
After her chat with Maya, Talia knew that Marcy won't get to attend that party, and Talia couldn't wait to see Marcy's back as she leaves the packhouse forever, but until Maya, Kalina, and Mindy do their thing to set up Marcy, Talia needed to play her role.
However, just agreeing to Marcy's over-the-top demands was not the right solution either.
"Some of these items are popular in Europe, and we don't have such a pastry chef in Darkbourne. Also, this is not the blooming season for irises."
Marcy frowned. "Are you telling me that you can't do it?"
"That's not what I said. I am only pointing out that the party is tomorrow, and we don't have much time to make changes. Pastry, in general, takes time to make so even if we find a suitable chef, and he is available, it's doubtful he will be able to deliver these in time. As for the flowers, the greenhouses in the area might not have the required quantity."
Marcy waved her hand, indicating that it was not important. "I don't want to sound ungrateful. Treat my inputs as suggestions. For my next party, I will have time to make necessary arrangements."
Talia released a long breath, together with some of her frustration, and she glanced at her phone to see a message from Damon. He was on his way back from the training center and not a minute too early. Talia needed his proximity to calm down because Marcy was driving her nuts.
With that, Talia was ready to make her exit.
"I better hurry and make some phone calls to see if your changes can be accommodated. Is there anything else, Miss Marcy?"
"Yes, there is.", Marcy said. "I wanted to discuss your position."
The surprise on Talia's face was genuine. "My position?"
Marcy went straight to the point. "I noticed that you are close to Damon."
Talia frowned. How dares Marcy call Damon so casually? It seems that Marcy already settled in her position as Damon's Luna.
Marcy smiled magnanimously. "Don't worry. I won't ask him to remove you from your position. You can continue to serve him, as long as you are discrete about it."
Talia was sure that her ears malfunctioned. "What?"
Marcy cocked an eyebrow. "Are you going to deny that you are sleeping with Damon?" Marcy took Talia's lack of response as a confirmation. "I will be his Luna and he will eventually get bored of you. Until that happens, as long as you are discrete, I won't cause you problems."
"How generous of you.", Talia said sarcastically while trying to suppress her fury. It was one thing for Marcy to be arrogant, but when she started talking like Damon was hers, Talia was in danger of blowing a fuse.
"I am not generous. I am realistic.", Marcy said. "The fact is that I will be Damon's Luna, and you are replaceable. I only hope that when he finds his next assistant, you won't give us trouble."
Anger sizzled within Talia, and she was not aware that her face contorted into a grimace. "Do you really think you are in the position to make such a decision?"
Marcy frowned. "Keep talking like that and I will tell Damon to replace you."
"Please, do. I am eager to hear which one of us will be sent away."
Marcy rolled her eyes. "No matter how good your skills in bed are, there are always better. When he feels a real woman", she gestured toward herself, "he will abandon your skinny ass."
Talia saw red. She completely forgot about Maya's plan, and about Marcy being from the Red Moon pack. The only thing Talia saw was a shameless woman who wanted to take her place next to Damon, and Marcy was pretending to be righteous while assuming that Talia was using her body in order to keep a job.
"Do you think that everyone is like you, to sleep for benefits?"
Marcy was outraged. "What did you say?"
"You heard me.", Talia said angrily. "If you are spreading your legs for others, do you assume everyone else is doing that?"
"Damon will hear about this. You are slandering me!", Marcy hissed. "I am not like other she-wolves who sleep around."
"Slander?", Talia sneered and got her phone. "Let's see if you can continue lying through your teeth after you see this…"
