Talia tried not to think about Marcy's situation because the mental image of that woman made her insides tighten in a bad way. However, no matter how much Talia disliked Marcy, giving her hope only to let her crash later was cruel.
Talia cringed when she realized how one tiny part of her agrees that Marcy deserved everything that was happening.
Marcy rejected her mate while coveting another man, and Talia's body tensed at the memory of Marcy's beatings and words full of spite, talking to Talia like she was dirty and unworthy to be in princess Marcy's presence.
"Ah!", Talia let out a surprised cry when Damon squeezed her knee with some force.
"Why did you do that?", she asked.
"Didn't we agree that this is our chance to disconnect and recharge? For the next three days, you can either relax or think about me."
She realized he was right. Somehow, she ended up thinking about Marcy and her mood dropped, and he could feel her. "Sorry. My thoughts drifted that way on their own."
Damon clicked his tongue, and he was about to say something, but then his lips stretched into a smile. "We are here…"
It was a simple cabin made out of dark wood that appeared black where shadows blanketed it. Tall bushes started on each side and massive trees towered above. The grass in front of the cabin was cleared of other foliage, but there was no path to the front door. It seemed like the structure was completely part of the forest.
Damon went to the back of the car to get the bag with their things, and then he opened the door for Talia and offered her his hand.
"Welcome to the first three days of our forever as mates.", Damon said with a smile that reflected in his eyes, and Talia's heart skip a beat.
Forever as mates. She liked that. She liked it a lot.
Damon was quick to give Talia a tour, eager to be done with formalities and move onto the important parts.
The kitchen extended into the dining area that had a small square table with four chairs.
The sitting area had a three-seater sofa and a rocking chair. Talia could imagine snuggling with Damon on the fur-rug with a cup of hot cocoa in front of the fireplace where a fire will dance later that evening.
One small room on the left doubled as pantry and miscellaneous storage, and the door next to it was for the bathroom.
The back half of the cabin was a bedroom with a king-size bed and the armoire that had a few dark gray t-shirts and sweatpants, to add to the clothes they brought with them.
Everything was clean and smelled fresh.
Talia approached the window and smiled when she realized that the small flashes of light were reflections of the sunset in the lake that could be seen between thick trunks of trees. Damon said that there is a lake close to the cabin, but this was closer than she thought it will be. Will they go swimming? Maybe tomorrow.
"What do you think?", Damon asked. "Is this fine?"
"This is perfect.", Talia said honestly.
Damon released a nervous breath. "I'm glad you like it."
He was torn between something grand and romantic (based on the information he found on the internet), and this solitude that is more werewolf-style.
Damon knew that Talia grew without the influence of her werewolf heritage, and what she saw in the Red Moon pack was just wrong. He grew up hearing stories about battles for territory, people living in caves and gathering under the Full Moon to worship the Moon Goddess, Alphas taking care of their people, and that forever-bond with a fated mate that was the most sacred of them all.
Damon didn't care about the bond before, he didn't want it. But as Talia entered his life, he realized that he can't escape it, and the more he found out about the delicate girl he took away from the attic, the less he wanted to resist the pull. He was absolutely under her spell.
After all they've been through, Damon was determined to show her how things should be.
Talia looked at Damon who was staring at her intently, yet he also seemed to be a bit distracted.
"Damon?", she called.
He blinked and then his lips lifted into a smile that stirred butterflies in her stomach.
She leaned into his warmth as he cupped her cheeks with his palms and the softness of his lips against hers made her crave for more.
"I will be back in a bit…", he murmured before giving her another light kiss.
Talia wondered if she heard him right. "What?"
"I need to do something."
Talia's eyes widened as she processed his previous statement. He was leaving her! And if he was just going to the kitchen, he wouldn't announce it. "Where are you going?"
"Out. I will be back before you know it.", he assured her and he gave her another kiss because he could feel her uneasiness swelling. "Trust me."
Did she trust him? Yes!
Did she like him leaving? Absolutely not!
But she didn't want to whine, not now when they were away from troubles.
"Uhm… fine? I guess I will unpack.", Talia said, unsure where this was going. "When can I expect you back?"
Damon smiled a little, enjoying her need for him that he could clearly feel through their mate bond. "How about you freshen up? By the time you shower, I will be back."
"I can take a quick shower. Under five minutes.", she warned him. The thought of him leaving her there made the cozy cabin not so cozy anymore. "Will you be back so quickly?"
Damon chuckled. "Come here."
He took her hand in his and led the way into the bathroom.
When Damon gave her a tour, the bathroom door was cracked open and she didn't care much about what was inside, but now she noticed that there was no bathtub, only a shower, a toilet, and a sink. The sink had on it two toothbrushes, still in their original packaging, and a toothpaste. A basket on the ground held neatly rolled towels that smelled fresh.
She moved to peer into the shower area that was half-blocked by the shower curtain and observed that the boards below the shower had gaps and she could see pebbles that were a few inches below it. The thing drained into the ground.
The shelf on the wall had a shampoo and a soap, so Talia had everything she needed to freshen up, but soon she realized one problem. There were no knobs, buttons, or anything on the wall she could press or twist to start the shower.
"How does the shower work?", Talia asked while standing under the showerhead which looked like a straight wide pipe that ended abruptly with a closure that had tiny holes in it.
Damon pointed at the simple chains that hung from the ceiling. "There is a water reservoir on the roof that's collecting rainwater. The reservoir is full and considering the weather we had recently, the water will be warm. The right chain will start the water, and the left one will stop it."
