Marcy was sitting on the sofa and facing the camera while delivering the speech that James prepared for her. She knew it was streamed live, and that thousands of people were watching her. Marcy could ignore that online audience; however, she was painfully aware of the people in the room.
On the other side of the camera were Damon, Talia, James, Maya, Caden, Dawn, and George.
Another person sitting there was Calvin, a reporter from WW Magazine who lives in Darkbourne. Maya called him that same morning, and he couldn't believe that he got this opportunity. Maya told him that the princess of the Red Moon pack will make a public statement, and when she was done, he will get a chance to ask questions.
Calvin was confident that this will be Marcy's announcement of becoming the Luna of the Dark Howlers pack and he wondered why they didn't make a bigger deal out of it, but it was not his place to be nitpicky about it. Considering that he was the only journalist present, Calvin was confident that this story will earn him a promotion.
What Calvin didn't expect was that Marcy will talk about following her parents' wishes to come to the Dark Howlers pack, and how she realized that as much as this was a fantastic place, her heart was in Europe, and she craved to explore the world. She didn't mention becoming Damon's Luna or her companions who came with her.
Marcy ended with a tearful, "I apologize if my selfish decision hurt anyone, but I believe that it's better to do this now than to endure and end up causing more harm in the long run. I am grateful for the patience and understanding Alpha Damon showed, and I hope that my parents will forgive me. Thank you."
Calvin gaped at Marcy. This was totally unexpected. Only when Maya's voice sounded in Calvin's head, he snapped out of his daze and cleared his throat to speak, "Miss Redmayne, may I ask you a few questions?"
Marcy wiped the corners of her eyes with her fingers. "Go ahead."
Calvin moved to sit next to Marcy, and into the view of the camera before introducing himself, "I am Calvin, a reporter for WW Magazine. I am delighted to get a chance to talk to Miss Redmayne in front of everyone while this is still fresh, and you can read about this and much more in the next edition of WW Magazine." He turned to Marcy, "You said that you hope your parents will forgive you. Does that mean they don't approve of your decision to travel?"
Marcy smiled sadly. "I know that they want what's best for me, and they believe I will be happy in the Dark Howlers pack. I wanted to give it a shot, but after spending a few days here, I confirmed that my heart is elsewhere."
Calvin nodded in understanding. She didn't say, yes, but her words definitely confirmed that her parents won't approve.
"What does Alpha Damon say about this?"
Marcy gestured toward Damon who was standing on the other side of the camera with his hands in his pant pockets. "You can ask him. But I will tell you that he surprised me with how considerate he was. He is an amazing Alpha who puts his people first, and even though I am not a member of his pack, he was magnanimous to provide his support. For that, I will be forever grateful."
Calvin licked his lips before asking, "I am sure you are aware of the rumors that you were set to become the Luna of the Dark Howlers pack. Can you comment on that?"
"Those are just rumors.", Marcy said. "Since I came from Europe two months ago, I was in contact with Alpha Damon. I got to know the man beyond that handsome visual, and I can tell you that I am impressed. However, my admiration for him is as an Alpha and I appreciate him as my friend. There is nothing more between us."
Calvin's eyebrow rose in obvious disbelief. He would rather believe that stories like Snowhite and Cinderella are real compared to Alpha Damon being just a friend with an attractive woman. But Alpha Damon was right there, and Calvin didn't dare to point out that absurdity, confident that everyone who heard anything about Alpha Damon knew better.
"So, what are your plans now?", Calvin asked Marcy.
"Alpha Damon is generous, but I have a feeling that I overstayed my welcome. I will leave Darkbourne shortly. My flight is tonight." She turned to look at the camera. "Again, I apologize if I disappointed anyone, but I have only one life and I choose to do what feels right."
"Thank you, Miss Redmayne.", Calvin said. "Will you be available to answer a few more questions offline?"
"Of course."
Calvin turned toward the camera, "The next edition of WW Magazine will feature an exclusive interview with Miss Marcy Redmayne." Calvin didn't check with his editor, but he was confident that it will happen because this was huge!
With that, the live feed ended.
"That was great!", Maya said and gave Marcy a thumbs up before turning to Calvin. "You can ask your questions now, but try to keep it short. Miss Redmayne needs to pack."
Calvin looked around. "Future Alpha James, will you be willing to answer a few questions after I talk to Miss Redmayne?"
"Sure.", James responded stiffly and glanced at the time, silently telling the reporter to hurry up. Cornelia was waiting for him, and he promised that it won't be more than ten minutes!
Calvin didn't know that this was a setup. Per James' instructions, the fewer people knew what actually happened here, the better.
Caden was checking trending topics online, and he could see that chatter about Marcy's statement was climbing to the top as netizens were buzzing with gossip related to Marcy being removed from the list of candidates to be Damon's future Luna. It all went as expected.
The next step was dealing with Alpha Edward. James and George were ready to answer their phones, as Marcy's phone was unreachable.
Damon's expression was stern, but Talia could feel that his emotions were unstable.
Other than anticipating the aftermath of Marcy's statement, there was the lingering fear of the black runes flaring again and Damon forgetting about Talia, and maybe he forgets about some other things also. Damon didn't want to go back to that person who didn't care about his mate, he didn't want to risk hurting Talia again. Yes, she knew that he couldn't remember, but Damon didn't see that as a valid excuse. Wouldn't that justify the drunkard's rampage just because he was under the influence of alcohol?
The uncertainty impacted both Talia and Damon, making them extra clingy.
Talia wanted to give him a hug, but James warned them to refrain from physical intimacy until Calvin leaves. This was staged so that it looks like Marcy's idea, and if outsiders see that Damon was cozy with another woman while Marcy was giving her farewell speech, it might appear that Marcy was forced. Of course, in a matter of days, everyone will know that Damon found his Luna and it was not Marcy, but this show should be enough to sway people so that Alpha Edward doesn't get support in attacking Damon.
'Are you OK?', Talia asked Damon through their private mind-link.
Damon pinched the roof of his nose. 'I want to be done with this.'
'Let's go on a vacation when this is over.'
Damon turned to look at Talia and he smiled. 'That sounds great, but if I pass out again, don't call Axel.' He regretted that they couldn't go away right that instant, but for now, he wanted to hold Talia. 'Let's go to the study.' Damon didn't want to linger and risk Calvin requesting an interview. Marcy and James knew what to say, and Damon could watch all that through the security video feed.
