Talia sat on a log and observed Damon squatting a few steps away from the campfire as he expertly removed the fur and intestines from two critters.
There was something hypnotic in the way he focused on his task as he wielded the knife, always finding the right place to slide the blade.
His features were enhanced by the light of the campfire that danced over the exquisite landscape of his body, accentuating it with lights and shadows. With part of his body completely veiled in darkness, Damon looked mysterious, dangerous, definitely irresistible.
Talia had no idea how long it lasted, but she wished that it was longer because she wanted to be lost in the sight of Damon forever.
Once the two critters were cleaned, Damon sprinkled some spices on the meat and then speared them with long finger-thick sticks he prepared earlier.
When he stuck the end of sticks in the ground angled so that the rabbits end up over the campfire, Talia had to ask, "What are you doing?"
"Making dinner.", he responded like she asked something that was obvious.
And it was obvious, but she had a point.
"Why are you going through this trouble? I mean… Don't we have a full fridge and plenty of food in the pantry?"
Damon wiped his hands on his shorts and stalked toward Talia.
He squatted by her side and looked at her intently while resting his palms on her knees.
"Kitten…", he paused and licked his lips before continuing, "We met in unusual circumstances, and it all started wrongly. I found my mate, and instead of making it glorious, I screwed up. For the first time since taking my position as the Alpha of the Dark Howlers pack, I was confused, I feared that I will fail, and I lost my way."
Talia glanced at two critters that were roasting over the fire. "How is that related to you catching dinner when we have plenty of food ready?"
"Not catching. Hunting.", he corrected her with all the seriousness in the world. "If I had more time, I would go for something bigger, but you told me to come back soon, so I went with this." He exhaled sharply and shook his head. Why was he getting distracted like this?
The truth was that Damon was a bundle of nerves, unsure if Talia will approve of what he was doing. Will she understand that this was his way of showing sincerity? He messed up so many times that he didn't trust himself anymore. He was blindsided and hesitated, and that created openings for lies and schemes, and it put her in danger, and he was determined that it won't happen again.
Talia reached to touch Damon's face, but he grabbed her wrists to kiss the inside of each palm before pulling her hands down.
"Please, give me a moment.", he said. "You've seen me as an Alpha. You saw the packhouse, the pack, and you have an idea about the resources I have available. And this…" He pointed with his chin toward the rabbits. "Those are my offerings to you from me, as your mate. I want you to know that I will take care of you, Talia. I might lose my position, my pack, and everything I have, but I will never give up on you. As long as there is breath in me, I will seek you and take care of you. I will hunt for you and provide you with shelter and safety. You won't go hungry or cold…" His voice trailed when he saw that her face fell. Why was she sad? "Did I say something wrong?"
"No…", she said in a shaky voice, realizing that he was doing this in order to reassure her before he marks her. She was not sad, but she was emotional.
"You said everything right, Damon. It's romantic." And it was.
It was her dream to be with Damon, just the two of them; a simple life, away from dangers and responsibilities that kept them apart, and even though it will be only for a few days, it was happening, and she couldn't be happier.
"I feel blessed to have you as my mate. It means a lot that you are showing your sincerity in taking care of me." Especially the food part because no matter how much she ate, Talia always had a lingering fear that she will go hungry again. And she wanted to take care of him in return.
Damon was about to say something, but then Talia kissed him, and he was quick to move closer, wrap his arms around her, and deepen the kiss.
He had more to say, but that can wait for after the food was ready.
Actually, Damon was never a guy who spoke much. He let his actions speak for him, and he wanted to show Talia that she was his number one priority, and he would do anything to make her happy. No more hiding, no more schemes, and lies. They will finish this business with Marcy and Alpha Edward per James' plan, and after that, the two of them will stand proudly and face together whatever was coming.
He was determined to return with Talia by his side as his Luna, and if people disapprove then… to hell with them. The only disapproval that would hit him hard would be from the members of the Dark Howlers pack. Damon was born to lead them, and his whole life was focused on the pack, but if those same pack members won't accept his fated mate as their Luna, they can leave. He won't stop them, but he won't allow anyone to stir trouble for Talia either.
Damon wanted to kiss her forever and to do much more than kissing, but rabbits were above open fire, and he needed to ensure that his offerings to Talia don't turn into charcoal.
As werewolves, they could eat them raw, but he wanted to do this properly in steps: catch food, prepare food, eat food, eat mate, and mark mate. Yup, it sounded about right.
Damon went back to rabbits and was checking the progress while rotating them so that the other side gets kissed by the flames, when Talia asked, "When will I meet your wolf?"
For a brief moment, his movements paused, and he was confused that his wolf didn't stir at this. Wasn't his wolf super-excited about meeting mate?
Damon shook the uneasiness away, and responded, "After food."
He didn't want to risk giving control to his wolf who might snap under the intensity of his instincts and pounce either on their dinner or on Talia. Probably on both.
Talia didn't think much of it.
On every few minutes, Damon would give his attention to their dinner so that it roasts evenly, and in-between those he would get close to Talia and shower her with kisses that were soft and playful. He didn't want to heat up the situation, not yet.
At some point, after carefully inspecting their dinner, Damon announced, "Dinner is ready, kitten."
She licked her lips because the roasted rabbits looked good, and they smelled even better.
She was eyeing the meat and she wondered why he delayed in bringing it to her.
Talia's eyes went wide when Damon removed his shorts, leaving his impressive body completely bare. Damon looked super-sexy with that dancing campfire between them, and Talia was suddenly hungry for more than just meat.
