Talia took a deep breath that filled her system with the addictive scent of the forest and dark chocolate. Damon. He was by her side, his solid arms were around her, and she wished that the last few days were just a bad dream, but the regret and sorrow that seeped into her through the mate bond told her that she was not imagining it, and she knew he was awake and drowning himself in the grief of what happened in the last few days.
Talia looked up to meet Damon's icy-blue eyes full of emotions directed at her.
"How are you feeling?", she asked.
"I am so sorry, kitten.", he croaked, his voice breaking.
She was saddened to see him like that but also relieved because she knew he was back. Her Damon was back.
"It's not your fault."
He shook his head. "And whose fault was it?"
"If I didn't mark you…", Damon put his index finger to stop her from talking, but she pushed his hand away. "No, Damon. I want you to know that it was not your fault. I marked you and when you didn't wake up in the morning and I realized that besides glowing all over you had a fever, I panicked, and I called Axel. He came with Alpha Isaac, and I agreed that we go to the Midnight Guardians territory, believing they will help you."
Damon's brows came together in a frown as he listened to Talia's story about how Alpha Isaac and Alpha Sophia feared that he was getting too powerful, and Cassandra performed dark magic, and how Axel, Tyler, Kai, and Meg helped them get into the cave where he woke up after three days.
Damon was shocked and fascinated to find out how he found himself without memories. There was so much information that he was not sure what to focus on first, but then Talia reached the point of him waking up and she conveniently skipped what happened during those three days, and he knew that she was sparing him from feeling more guilty than he already was.
"When I woke up, I was disoriented and confused, and the only thing on my mind was to return home.", Damon said. "I know it's not much of an excuse, but I really didn't know who you were. You were talking about dangers and asking me to stay, I couldn't feel the bond, and I thought that you are trying to deceive me…"
"Shh…", Talia shushed him because she could feel his emotions and she knew he was on the verge of hyperventilating. "I'm not done."
Damon pressed his lips into a line and tilted his head, indicating to Talia to continue.
"It wouldn't matter if you stayed because you couldn't remember me. I decided to go back and find out what they did to you and how to revert the process."
"You went back?", Damon asked breathily. "What about Alpha Isaac and Alpha Sophia?" Damon's expression darkened. Those two Alphas were set to harm him, and it caused him to forget about his mate, about the rightful Luna of his pack. That meant war!
Talia realized how that was another story, and she didn't want to talk about her so-called family or about her being the Alpha of the Midnight Guardians pack. Talia decided to keep those parts for later. "Axel helped me. Things happened and he took over the Alpha position from his parents." That was the short version with a few details omitted.
Damon felt jealousy swelling at the gentle voice Talia used when talking about Axel. Normally, Damon would blow a fuse, but this time he swallowed his grievances because he bailed on Talia, and he had no right to question her about what happened after that. He left her on her own, and his little mate managed to do the impossible. He forced himself to focus on what Talia was saying.
"After talking to Cassandra, we realized that she knew only how to use dark magic and she had no idea how to dispel it, but she said that black runes originated from witches, so we went to find them."
"Witches? How did you do all that in only one day?"
"Time passes differently there compared to here, and…" Talia stopped talking because there was so much to say, and she remembered that she can fast-forward through it. 'Can I show him?'
'Yes.', Liseli responded, glad that Talia remembered this form of communication. 'Get closer to Damon. Physical contact will help because Sapa is not here to accept the information.'
Just how they exchanged memories on the night when Damon and Talia marked each other, Talia scooted higher on Damon's body, and Damon didn't resist when Talia pressed her forehead against his.
"Relax and let me in, Damon.", Talia said.
Damon saw images flashing in his mind.
Axel and Cassandra walking with Talia through the sparse forest… silhouettes of women dancing in front of a bonfire… Evanora, Cornelia, the deal that Axel made in Talia's place… the moment when Axel and Yasmin touched for the first time in Evanora's office… Talia learning spells… Talia working in the kitchen… The celebration with witches… Axel and Yasmin in the fountain, holding each other and glowing… The witches following them back to the portal… The potion that was mixed in his food so that he remembers Talia.
Talia thought that was enough and she wanted to move away, but Liseli didn't let her.
And then Damon saw the scene in the cave when he pushed Talia away, and he felt her anguish when he left and the pain that went beyond her broken tailbone… and then he saw Axel hugging Talia and comforting her and telling her that he will help her get Damon back… and everyone gathered in the guest bedroom around Talia while planning to keep Marcy away from Damon… and Talia watching on the screen Damon having dinner and Marcy sitting in Talia's place and holding Damon's wrist.
Talia yanked her head away from Damon's.
'Why are you showing him this?', Talia asked Liseli.
'Because he needs to know. You can't show him only pretty things and hope that he will understand what you went through.'
Talia could feel Liseli's sadness. Sapa was not there.
'We will get Sapa back, Liseli. In two days.'
'Only if Damon understands how much we suffered to reach this point and how much is at stake!', Liseli said angrily.
Talia understood Liseli's anger. She reunited with Sapa only for Sapa to be taken away again, but Talia thought that making Damon feel worse than he already was, won't achieve anything.
"Damon?", Talia called when she saw that his eyes were closed firmly.
Damon wrapped Talia in a tight embrace and pushed her head into the crook of his neck, so that she can't see his face, but his whole body shook, and she knew he was crying.
"You went through so much without me, because of me, and I would do anything to take it back, only if I could.", he said in a broken whisper. "I don't deserve you."
