"Do you think Marcy will be OK with it?", George asked. How he saw this, the blame of everything collapsing will fall on Marcy. Will she be stupid enough to take the fall so that everyone else can pass with a slap on the wrist?
James looked at George like he asked something silly. "She doesn't have a choice."
James' eyes settled on Damon. "My father studied you and he prepared for you the perfect Luna. Marcy attended the right courses, she was beautiful, untouched, with an unblemished past. A few of her indiscretions that left traces were completely wiped off by my father."
Damon's brows came together at this. If Alpha Edward was keeping an eye on Marcy, it's no wonder that they didn't find any solid dirt on Marcy despite the rumors.
James continued speaking to Damon, "If you were not greedy for the power you would get by solidifying the relationship with the second largest pack in North America, my father was counting that you will be enchanted by Marcy's abilities as a Luna, or just blinded when your vanity and lecherous side take over. After all, every Alpha dreams of claiming a virgin." He glanced at Talia. "The only thing my father didn't count on was that you will find your mate."
James shook his head and stifled a chuckle. He found it ironic that years of careful planning Alpha Edward did went down the drain because of one woman who was currently sitting on Alpha Damon's lap. James couldn't imagine a fit his father was probably throwing right now. He was glad to be away from home.
"But let's get back to Marcy. My father will skin her alive if she returns to him without the keys to the Dark Howlers pack. Her only chance of survival is that you offer her something… something that will make her feel safe, outside my father's reach. Marcy is not bright, but she has a strong survival instinct. That's why she went along with my father's plan…"
After brushing up the plan a bit more, James excused himself. He was happy that Damon told him he can proceed with his day in the human city with Petra, Erik, and Zack. They had a number of exciting activities lined up, and they were set to leave after breakfast.
Talia was happy that Damon let go of her in order to shake James' hand. She scooted off his lap and went to sit on her chair. It was awkward to snuggle and cuddle when everyone discussed serious topics.
Before James left, Damon told him, "George and I will take it over from here. One way or another, you won't go home for at least another day or two. Use them to your heart's content. But keep your phone handy, if something comes up we will contact you."
James agreed and left the study with a spring in his step.
"Was he always this calculative?", Damon asked George when the door closed behind James.
"James has his ways to survive, but in the end, he is just a kid.", George said, and released a low breath, feeling a bit guilty. He saw James being punished harshly by Alpha Edward many times and George didn't step in to help the boy. It would blow his cover, George told himself, as his goal was to make Alpha Edward believe that George was a loyal dog. Only like that he will get close to the target of his revenge and climb high enough to issue a challenge.
But more than beatings, the worst punishment for James was the mental pressure. George admired James for not snapping. Instead, the boy developed an ability to read the situation and was quick-witted.
"What about you?", Damon asked George as his expression turned solemn. "Don't tell me that you plan a career until you retire as a Commander in the Red Moon pack."
"No.", George admitted. However, he didn't trust Damon enough to reveal how he wants to kill Alpha Edward. "My plan is still not finalized." This was the closest to the truth he could say.
"With the news that Marcy is not my Luna, Alpha Edward will be busy. Whatever your plan is, this might be the right timing.", Damon said and glanced at Talia. "Take care of Dawn. If anything happens to her, Talia will be sad." And she will probably give you a swift death.
"I will keep Dawn safe.", George assured Damon. "I understand that James communicated in my stead with Alpha Edward."
Damon regretted that James left. Acting in George's place without permission was not right, and James was supposed to explain this, but James was gone, and George already knew, so the only thing Damon could do was to confirm. "That's right."
To Damon's surprise, George didn't raise a fuss.
"What do you want me to tell Alpha Edward? He will expect another report soon."
"There is no point in concealing what happened last night.", Damon responded. "As for Marcy, you can say that you will investigate this carefully and get back to him as soon as you have something. Hopefully, Marcy will wake up soon, and then we can figure out the details with her."
"Do you know what kind of protection you will offer to Marcy? If she stays in your pack, it will attract trouble."
Damon knew this. "I have a few ideas."
He didn't want to commit to anything without thinking it through. Marcy became a crucial person in containing Alpha Edward's rage, but at the same time, Damon couldn't forget that she was Talia's bully and that she came to the Dark Howlers pack with an intention to deceive him. Sure, Damon was not a saint as he went to the Red Moon pack with an ulterior motive, but this involved Talia and he needed to tread carefully.
George left the study and Damon looked at Talia who sat in her chair with a troubled expression.
Damon walked to Talia and squatted in front of her. "What's on your mind, kitten?"
The tips of his fingers brushed against her cheek and Talia blinked a few times to focus on his handsome face that was close to hers. Somehow, everything seemed so much better when Damon was around.
"I always thought that Alphas are about bossing around, attending parties, and maybe fight, but this… it's different." Her expression showed concern. "I listened to you talk with James and George about serious things. There are so many things that could go wrong and lead to many people getting hurt. Can you trust them?"
"No.", Damon deadpanned. "However, without their help, we will have a war on our hands and that's as bad as it gets. You heard James. Alpha Edward is set on what we have, and he won't play by the rules. With James and George onboard, the war might be avoided. Even if they tell me about some of the spies that infiltrated our pack, it will be helpful in reducing the damage that Alpha Edward can cause."
Talia nodded in understanding. She remembered one thing. "How come you had these serious talks without Caden and Maya?"
Damon moved to his desk and took one pen from the pen holder. Talia's eyes widened when she saw that it was a camera.
Damon pressed a button before keeping the pen camera back, obviously turning it off. And then he returned to squat in front of her while explaining, "Caden and Maya watched and listened from their room. I guessed that George and James will be more open to talking if the crowd was smaller."
Talia couldn't stop herself from admiring Damon. On top of being powerful and smart, Damon was tall and muscular, and beautiful… Talia paused. Was it wrong to think about a man as beautiful? But every curve of his body was perfect, and his full lips called for hers while his icy-blue eyes full of emotions observed her every move and she really thought of him as beautiful. Or maybe this moment was beautiful… just the two of them looking at each other lovingly, like nothing bad was happening outside the study.
Talia's arms moved around Damon's neck, and she scooted off the chair onto him. Damon lost his balance and ended up sitting on the floor with Talia straddling him.
Talia's lips found Damon's and her hands moved to untuck his shirt.
Damon smiled into the kiss as he realized that his kitten wanted to ease the tension with lovemaking. He had no objections.
