Talia went with her three girlfriends to the town square, and Maya picked where to sit.
It was outdoor seating at a local café that offered the best Irish coffee in Darkbourne (according to Maya). They also ordered lemonade and sparkling water, to wash down the sweetness from all the cookies they brought with them from the sweetshop.
Once the drinks arrived, and the staff provided them with utensils to indulge in sweet treats, four girlfriends started with chatter over a round table that was packed with goodies that would make anyone drool.
Maya knew that George is an Alpha, but Mindy and Kalina didn't. However, all three of them were aware of Marcy's rejection, and Talia's news of how George's second chance was Dawn made Maya, Mindy, and Kalina pause with a variety of expressions.
Kalina patted her chest dramatically. "Second chance mates. Finding hope when you think that there was none left. How romantic!"
Mindy pouted. "Great! They got their second chance mate, and I didn't get my first one."
"Maybe you didn't deserve it.", Kalina chimed in.
"What's that supposed to mean?", Mindy snapped.
Kalina shrugged. "You are sarcastic and living your life like you don't need a mate. If I need to guess, the Moon Goddess is either fulfilling your wish by letting you stay single, or she is preparing a nasty surprise in the form of a man who will completely dominate you and make you relinquish your independence willingly."
Mindy was speechless. She didn't like either of those two options.
Seeing that Talia was nodding in agreement with Kalina's words, Mindy turned to Maya.
"Do you agree with this?"
Maya blinked at Mindy's question. "What? Sorry, I spaced out."
Kalina burst into giggles. "She just doesn't want to hurt your feelings."
"Now, now…", Mindy's temper was rising as she eyed Kalina. "Don't think that I will let you bully me just because you are Tony's Luna."
"Since when is telling the truth called bullying?", Kalina said teasingly.
Maya didn't pay attention to the friendly spat between Kalina and Mindy. She was processing the information that Dawn was George's mate.
With George being an Alpha, he won't wait to mark his mate, and once that happens, Dawn will get George's DNA and a boost in strength. It takes time to learn to control aura, and if they are not careful, George's secret will be revealed quickly. Sure, George's true identity won't be exposed, but Alpha's aura will attract attention and people will start digging until they find something. There are no more than a dozen of true Alphas in North America.
"Are they in the packhouse?", Maya asked Talia in low voice.
"The last time I saw them, they were in the other place.", Talia responded mysteriously, happy that Mindy and Kalina were bickering and not paying attention to them.
Maya relaxed a bit. With George and Dawn staying away from the party, even if Dawn uncontrollably releases aura, no one will notice.
But Maya couldn't stop herself from worrying because this party was getting more complicated by the second.
"You should see them.", Talia said dreamily. "George was sitting upright, and they were feeding each other. They were genuinely happy."
Maya nodded in agreement and took a big gulp of Irish coffee to hide her stiff expression.
The situation with George and Dawn was only one of the things that might go wrong.
How Maya saw it, the biggest problem were Elders who heard about yesterday's lunch, and based on the information Maya received, those old geezers were coming to the party with a mindset that Damon will introduce Marcy as his Luna.
Initially, Maya thought that people assuming Marcy will be their Luna will be a good thing. All eyes would be on Marcy, and once Marcy shows her true colors, people will dislike her without Maya lifting a finger.
However, the news how Lisa spread information that Talia came from the Red Moon pack messed up with their plan and they ended up rushing with this party, and Maya was not confident that things will go smoothly.
Guests are hoping that Damon will show up with Marcy by his side, and they are preparing to bootlick Marcy, and considering that things are happening before other pieces were in place and that Marcy won't show up at all, there was a big chance that this whole thing will explode in their face.
Damon was aware of all this, but he decided that Talia's safety comes first, and she won't be safe if pack members don't know how important she is.
Normally, Maya would support this. From the beginning, Maya thought how keeping Talia in the dark was a mistake, but now she wished for some extension because this was NOT good timing for the grand reveal.
Maya had a feeling that Talia showing up at the party tonight will be like throwing oil into the fire and hoping for the best.
It would be good if Shaman Gideon makes an appearance. Everyone from the older generation respects him, and Gideon would definitely speak in favor of the mate bond. Unfortunately, he is one of the few who still didn't respond to the invitation, and that usually hinted that he won't come.
Maya reminded herself that worrying won't accomplish anything. Things might go either way and she was unable to predict how fifty-something people will react when Damon reveals that Talia is his fated mate.
Maya paid attention to the chatter around the table, and Maya couldn't believe that Kalina and Mindy were still bickering.
"Hey, hey!", Maya called and spoke to Mindy. "If you want a mate, just stick to Talia."
Talia's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Me?" She was eating cookies and giggling at Mindy and Kalina. Why was Maya dragging her into that?
Maya nodded knowingly. "I never saw mates recognize each other before, yet mated couples are sprouting around you like mushrooms after rain."
"Maybe that's Talia's power.", Kalina said with sparkles in her eyes. She always liked theories that insinuated magical stuff. Mermaids included.
Talia bobbed her head. "Sure. But it's not just me. All of you were around. So maybe that's the power of us being together."
Kalina liked this even more. She raised her glass of lemonade and announced, "Let's drink for mates!"
"I don't have one.", Mindy grumbled.
"But you will. Soon.", Maya said mysteriously. "Because we are together."
Mindy didn't believe squat of what Maya said.
"You think so?", Mindy asked, her words laced with sarcasm.
Maya nodded confidently. "You are not leaving home without a mate, missy. Now raise that drink, and let's toast!"
Mindy shook her head, but she still smiled and got her glass. Mindy never thought much about mates, but now that she was sitting at the table with mated women, she felt like an odd one. And she was.
"So, what kind of a mate you desire?", Kalina asked Mindy. "Since we have the power to get you mated, we might fulfill your wishes."
