"Who is the Omega you speak of?", Maya asked Marcy even though they all knew she was referring to Dawn.
Marcy glanced at Damon and when he didn't show any visible reaction, she gestured toward Dawn.
"Dawn is not an Omega.", George responded without looking at Marcy. He was already cutting the steak on Dawn's plate. "My mate was kind enough to help in the kitchen. It was her choice to work. Dawn likes to be useful and not idle and wait to be served." His voice was icy, but there was some pride in it also.
"Thank you, babe.", Dawn gushed.
George shot her a smile with, "Anything for you. Feel free to put others in their place. Ignorant people will think of your kindness as a weakness."
George lifted a fork to offer Dawn a piece of steak he cut, and she opened her mouth obediently.
Marcy glared at George and Dawn. Did George call her ignorant?
She felt like someone squeezed her throat because she couldn't breathe at the sight of a mark on Dawn's neck.
Marcy's mind was spinning. Did she hear that right? Dawn was George's mate? Was that his mark on her neck? How was that possible? Was he doing this only to rile her up? Marcy was confident that George was lying because just a few days ago the bond between them broke. Marcy was upset that she collapsed while George was fine. And it's not just that he was fine, but he was already lovey-dovey with another woman, and he even marked her! No, it can't be true. He was putting up a show only to rile her up because she was about to become Damon's Luna!
Marcy had plenty of time to think while she was stuck in that house alone, and she remembered George accepting her rejection while identifying himself as an Alpha. In a way, it made sense because he was strong and there was an air of dignity around him. Marcy thought how that's just a bearing of a Commander, but now she knew that her mate was an Alpha, and she was stupid to reject him.
But she didn't allow herself to dwell on that seatback. It was the right thing to do because she will be Damon's Luna. Yes, yes… she will focus on the handsome man on her right because that's her future.
George, the sparks, his scent of clover, and everything else that happened between them was gone and she shouldn't dwell on it. How can that emotional stuff compare to a life of comfort and security that Damon can provide her?
What was the point of George being an Alpha if he didn't have a pack? George was just a lapdog to her father, while Alpha Damon had thousands of warriors at his disposal, enormous territory, and the massive packhouse.
With that, Marcy pushed unnecessary thoughts about George to the back of her mind.
No one spoke and Marcy's discomfort rose. Why did she feel like an outsider?
Now that she thought about it, it was only couples at the table.
Maya and Caden ignored Marcy, so she didn't bother with them.
George and Dawn were obnoxiously lovey-dovey. Did they need to feed each other? And it was not just them, but Gideon and Mindy were also talking in whispers while Gideon fed both of them. Why were Mindy's hands under the table?
Marcy looked at the fine man on her right who was supposed to be focused on her, yet Damon was stuffing food into his mouth like he didn't eat in days, and he acted like Marcy was not there.
Marcy wondered if this was some kind of test. Surely, as Damon's Luna, she should entertain guests and ensure that the atmosphere was pleasant.
Out of everyone present, Marcy thought that she might try interacting with Mindy.
"Miss Mindy, who is the man by your side?", Marcy asked sweetly.
Mindy's eyes snapped at Marcy and Marcy could clearly feel the hostility rising.
Maya cleared her throat. "I apologize for not introducing everyone." She gestured while talking. "This is Shaman Gideon, Mindy, you all know me and Caden, Commander George, Dawn, Marcy, and our Alpha Damon. James, Petra, Erik, and Zack are also staying in the packhouse, but they are currently out. Oh, and Shaman Gideon's cousin…", Maya's voice trailed, and she looked at Gideon questionably.
"Cornelia was tired from her trip, so she asked for food to be delivered to her room.", Gideon said.
Damon listened to this, and he brushed off mentioning of Cornelia like not important. He had so many gaps in his memory that one more didn't add much to his already bad state. But he noticed that previously black holes in his mind were becoming hazy like something was coming back but he couldn't grasp it yet.
Marcy smiled when Maya ended the introductions of people without mentioning Talia. She was obviously not important.
Marcy turned to look at Damon and she froze when she realized that he was staring at her while chewing absentmindedly.
"Is something wrong?", Marcy asked Damon.
"I don't know. Is it?", Damon responded with a question.
Damon didn't mind that a person was sitting on his left, but Marcy didn't seem right for that position. Was this him remembering something? Damon was not sure. But he kept staring at Marcy like there were answers under her skin.
He put another piece of steak into his mouth and turned to look at Marcy, slowly inspecting her face which was now slightly flushed.
"How is the food, Alpha Damon?"
Dawn's question pulled Damon out of his thoughts. She noticed that Damon's behavior changed, but she expected him to go and find Talia or maybe slap Marcy, but none of that happened.
"It's good.", he said.
"Do you need seconds of anything?" She really wanted to know how much sauce he ate, but she didn't want to be too obvious about it.
"No. If I do, I will help myself.", he responded, thinking that she was being servile because of her past as an Omega. Even if the first serving was plated in advance, they had more food available on the table, and anyone can take more if needed. That's how it always was, Damon remembered that much.
"Why don't you ask me?", Marcy asked Dawn with a smile, thinking that George's so-called mate should serve her. Marcy saw Dawn in the kitchen, and she was sure that Dawn was just an Omega. Marcy didn't buy the story of Dawn working willingly. Who would dirty their hands if they had a choice?
Dawn looked at Marcy and blinked. "Why would I ask you? You have hands."
Marcy's nostrils flared in anger, but she swallowed the curses that threatened to spill out of her mouth. Damon was watching. Marcy plastered a fake smile while chanting silently how she will get back at Dawn after Damon announces her as his Luna.
"Alpha Damon…", Marcy called sweetly, and she put her hand over Damon's wrist that rested on the table as he held the knife.
Damon frowned at the point where their hands connected. Somehow, it didn't feel right. He had no idea why, but it was as if his body was telling him that a touch from a woman shouldn't be this… empty.
