Talia's eyes snapped open when she felt movement next to her.
Did she fall asleep again? Was this a dream?
She was drifting in and out of restless sleep while looking after Damon, and it took her some time to confirm she was awake.
Talia blinked to see up. It was daylight. She had no idea how much time passed, but she knew that she wiped Damon's body repeatedly and she lost count of how many times she administered the medicine.
A low groan by her side got her attention.
"Damon?", Talia called breathlessly. This groan didn't sound like a pain, but it was what that lazy one Damon makes when he is waking up. Was this really happening?
"Damon?", she called again while getting on her knees next to him so she can see his face better.
His lashes fluttered and she cupped his cheeks. "Damon…", her voice was shaky and overwhelmed with emotions.
His eyes opened slowly, and he looked around in confusion.
She patiently waited for him to focus on her.
Their eyes met, and his brows furrowed.
"What…?" His question was cut short when he coughed.
"It's OK, Damon. Take it slowly.", Talia said with haste, her eyes brimming with tears that threatened to fall. "After marking, you didn't wake up. I panicked when you got a fever and I called Axel. We are in the Midnight Guardians pack but instead of helping you they tried to…"
"Who are you?"
Talia gaped at Damon. His words were like someone poured a bucket of icy water on her. "Are you serious?"
He shook his head while frowning at her palms that were touching him and then he shoved her away.
Talia didn't expect this, and she fell on her butt with a thud.
"Damon?"
He pushed himself into a seated position and observed the cave. "Where is this? Who are you? What did you do to me? Why can't I remember how I got here?" How long was he out? His memories of the last few weeks (or was it months?) were choppy like he was missing something important, and it left him unsettled.
Talia's stomach dropped when she realized that Damon was serious. "I told you. We are in the Midnight Guardians pack. I am Talia. Don't you remember me?"
He stood up and swayed. Talia swiftly got by his side to support him, but before she could reach him, he pushed her back with so much force that she made a few steps before losing her balance.
She landed on her butt again and cried, "Aww!" This one hurt.
"What did you do to me?", Damon asked through his teeth angrily.
Talia's eyes brimmed with tears again, from the pain in her behind and from her aching heart.
Was he joking? It would be a cruel joke. How was it possible that he doesn't remember her?
'His neck!', Liseli spoke in Talia's mind and Talia spotted a black rune on the left side of his neck.
"Damon…", Talia spoke in a shaky voice. "I brought you here to help you, but instead, the oracle cast a spell that made it worse."
Damon sneered. "Oracle? You expect me to believe that?"
"Why would I lie?"
"Maybe because you are one of those leeches who want to be my Luna."
"But…", she wanted to say how she is more than his Luna. They are mates! Can't he feel the bond?
'I think the rune is blocking the bond, Talia. I can feel the bond, but it's weakened, and I have a feeling that Damon doesn't feel it at all. When that is clubbed with him not remembering who you are, it's normal that he doesn't trust you.'
'What about Sapa?'
'It's like he is sealed somewhere, alive, but I can't reach him. I can feel his power in Damon.'
Talia's heart ached like a barbwire tightened around it. "Damon, please…"
"Please, what? Do you expect me to believe you have good intentions when you are keeping me in a place like this? Did you enjoy touching me while I was unconscious? Remember that feeling because it will not happen. You are lucky I won't tear your limbs off but if you try to get close to me again, I might change my mind about it."
Talia clenched her teeth and stumbled to her feet. Her butt really hurt, but she endured because she didn't want to look at him from the ground.
She lifted her hands toward him, gesturing for him to be patient. "Damon, do you really don't remember anything? You found me in the Red Moon pack, and brought me home. We are mates. We…"
Damon snorted. "Mates? You must be joking. If you thought that crazy story will work, think again. Since you are saying nothing by lies, there is no point in me lingering."
Talia gaped at Damon as he turned toward the exit and started walking.
"Wait!", she shouted, but he didn't listen.
Talia tried using her aura to suppress him, but it had no effect. Damn! Mates can't hurt each other!
"You can't go out there!", Talia shouted desperately. "Alpha Isaac and Alpha Sophia are looking for us and they don't have good intentions! Please! Let me explain! ARGH!"
Talia limped after him, with every painful step cursing him and his nasty attitude.
Overbearing! Stupid! Stubborn! Blockhead!
'Stop, Talia.', Liseli spoke in her head. 'Let him go. You can't catch up to him like this and you are making your injury worse. Let me heal you first. Your tail bone is fractured.'
With a frustrated exhale and a few more curses, Talia gave up.
Talia laid on the bed that Damon vacated and turned to find a comfortable position while Liseli healed her.
Talia took a deep breath, Damon's scent was still fresh and it filled her lungs. Just a minute ago she was hopeful when she realized that he was waking up, and now... there was a lot of uncertainty.
Tears rolled down her cheeks at the flashback of Damon looking at her like she was a stranger, and pushing her away.
How the hell did that happen? What's the point of going after him if he doesn't remember her?
'You are right.', Liseli said. 'There is no point in going after him. The rune did something, and unless we can reverse it, we will only anger him further if we insist.'
'So, what do you suggest?', Talia asked dejectedly, and she choked on her sobs.
'Why are you crying?', Liseli grumbled but she was sad as well.
'Damon said that he will never leave me. He said if we are ever apart, he will turn heaven and earth to find me and he will never give up. He said that only a few days ago, yet he left already. He left on his own, abandoned me. I am dying, Liseli.'
'Don't go there. This is just a spell, every spell has a way to reverse it. We only need to find a way to fix it.'
Talia was clueless about spells and runes and whatever Cassandra did. 'What if we don't find it?'
'Don't give up without trying.'
'I'm not sure how much you witnessed from my past, but I will remind you that Damon is my rock. I can do anything with Damon by my side, and without him, I am just a scared girl who hides in the attic. How can I fix this when even your power doesn't reach him?'
'Listen… We will find a way. There must be a way. My mother didn't send me back only to see Sapa leave me. She wouldn't do that.'
Talia snorted. 'You really have faith in a person who tortured you for centuries by keeping you away from your other half while showing you images of him moving on.'
Liseli whimpered. 'That was then, and this is now. I am not stuck in a different dimension. Sapa is right here, in my reach, and I will be damned if I don't do everything in my power to get him back. There is only one question, Talia. Do you want your mate back?'
'Yes.', Talia responded without missing a beat.
'Then, our path is decided…'
