Mindy and Talia sat in the back of the car that was going toward the house where Shaman Gideon lives.
Damon picked two warriors to take Talia and Mindy there and to ensure Talia's safety.
"So, what's the deal with this Shaman?", Mindy asked. Considering the urgency and the timing, Mindy knew it was important.
"Later…", Talia said while gesturing with her eyes toward the warriors and Mindy nodded in understanding.
The two warriors were stern and unapproachable, and when Talia asked them about their names, they opened the doors of the car for Talia and Mindy with, "Alpha told us to hurry up." Well, they were in a hurry.
Shaman's house is isolated in the forest, and they will need to cross the last stretch on foot, so Talia and Mindy had a silent agreement to use that walk to discuss why they were heading there and maybe come up with some plan.
Talia and Mindy chatted about the party and random stuff to fill the time.
Unfortunately, after they came out of the car, the two warriors were sticking to them.
Mindy turned back and spoke impatiently, "Can you give us more space? We need to talk in private."
Both soldiers frowned, showing that they were not willing. One of them spoke, "Even if we are a hundred steps away, we can still hear you."
Mindy rolled her eyes. "Then, be a hundred and one steps away. Girls need privacy."
Seeing the stern faces of two men, Talia tried a different approach. "What should I call you?"
"Alpha said that we should focus on the mission and not on pleasantries.", one of the soldiers responded.
Talia couldn't believe this. Did Damon forbid them from introducing themselves? It looked like it. Was it possible that Damon was so jealous and insecure? Silly Alpha. She gave up on finding out their names.
"Alpha Damon is not here, so there is no need to be so stiff.", Talia said. "We are not asking you to go against Damon's orders, but we are in the territory of the Dark Howlers pack. What can happen? Keep the distance so that you can see us and do your best not to listen. How does that sound?"
With this, two warriors nodded reluctantly, and they pointed them in the right direction before waiting for Talia and Mindy to proceed forward.
Talia was at Gideon's house once, but at that time she wandered into his garden accidentally, so now she needed guidance.
A warrior saying 'that way' didn't help much, so Talia took her phone to orient herself on the map via GPS. Maya pinned the coordinates where Shaman's house was, so it was easy to follow.
"So? Why are we looking for the old guy?", Mindy asked Talia in a hushed voice when she assessed that they put enough distance between them and the two warriors.
"Old guy?", Talia asked with confusion obvious in her voice.
"The Shaman.", Mindy explained.
"Do you know him?"
"No. A few times I visited, it was in the packhouse, and it's not a secret that Alpha Damon is not getting along with his Shaman."
Talia agreed with this. Damon and Shaman were not getting along, and not trying to conceal it. But Talia still had to ask, "Why do you think he is old?"
Talia wouldn't call him old, at least not by appearance. Alpha Edward looked older than Gideon.
"Come on, Lia…", Mindy said. "You should know that it takes decades of studying and apprenticeship to become a Shaman. I didn't meet one that's younger than a hundred years old."
Werewolves age similar to humans until they reach maturity, which is normally in their early twenties. After that, their aging reflects the strength of their wolf. The stronger one's wolf is, the slower they will age, and the longer their natural lifespan will be.
That's also one of the reasons why most of the werewolves wish to be mated to high-ranking members. The marking bite comes with the DNA of the stronger one, acting like a tonic that prolongs life.
Mindy was aware of cases where some Alphas were captured and drained of blood for others to drink in an attempt to strengthen themselves. There were no records if that actually worked. The practice is strongly condemned, but there are always some willing to take risks. Who doesn't want to live forever? OK. Not really forever, but three hundred years sounds much better than one hundred.
Talia told Mindy about the current situation, and how the guests will probably expect Damon to show up with Marcy. "Shaman can help us convince people that mate bond is sacred, and they will accept me as Damon's Luna. At least that's the plan."
"It all depends on Shaman's reputation in the pack. The fact that Alpha Damon ostracized him for a decade won't help.", Mindy said.
"But if we convince him to come and speak for Damon, that can be seen as a sign that mate bond is so important they were willing to improve their relationship."
Mindy shrugged. "If you say so."
Talia pouted. "You don't sound convinced."
Mindy didn't deny it. "It's not me you need to convince."
Talia agreed with this point. "Our goal is to assure he will come to the party. We are already here, so let's do our best."
Mindy looked around as the trees stopped and they found themselves in a meadow. "By the way, where are we?"
Talia smiled mysteriously and kept her phone back in her purse. It was not needed anymore.
Mindy took a deep breath and her lips stretched into a dreamy smile.
Talia noticed. "It smells good. Right? It's his garden."
"Where?"
Talia giggled. "Here. We are in it."
Mindy looked around. "There is no fence." And no house in sight.
Talia noticed the lack of a fence last time, that's how she ended up wandering into Gideon's garden.
"This is away from the town, so there are no trespassers. His house is over there." Talia pointed toward a row of trees. She saw Mindy leaning to sniff the lavender. Did she forget that they were short on time? How can she stop to smell the flowers? "What are you doing?"
"I love lavender, but I never smelled anything so good. Go ahead without me. I will join you in a minute. You can start thawing the grumpy Shaman, and I will come to deliver the final blow."
Talia looked at Mindy helplessly and then she decided to leave her behind.
Mindy sniffed the lavender and she spotted the vibrantly pink echinacea. The whole area looked like a meadow full of wildflowers, yet there was order in chaos, and Mindy thought that it was fantastic.
With the corner of her eye, Mindy saw two soldiers following after Talia.
Mindy put her hands akimbo and made a face. Did they just ignore her like she was not important, and the only one worth protecting was Talia? She knew that Damon was focused on Talia, but this was too much.
After a moment of hesitation, Mindy decided to go after them. No matter how rude Damon was, she came here to help Talia and she won't help by lingering in the garden.
