Talia glanced at Alpha Edward who stared at her token with a frown, and she asked the Guardian who somehow ended up being the judge there. "If my challenger can participate, so can I. Right?"
The Guardian nodded in agreement. "It makes sense."
Talia looked at the Sphere of Power apprehensively. "So, how does this work? Do I just put my hands there, or…?", her voice trailed, waiting for further instructions.
"Put your hand on the sphere while thinking about the bond with the people who follow you."
Talia would appreciate more details, but the guy didn't say anything else, so she knew that this was as good as it gets.
Talia extended her hand gingerly and focused on the sensation in her chest that was brewing there since she became the Alpha of the Midnight Guardians pack.
The cold metal made Talia jolt and she stared at the sphere that didn't react.
'Liseli? Help!', Talia panicked after two seconds. Alpha Edward was already snickering victoriously.
'This is all on you, kid.', Liseli responded.
'It's not working!'
'Because you are not a leader.'
Talia couldn't believe this. 'What!?'
'Right now, you are a scared girl who is hoping for a miracle. There are no miracles, Talia. Trust yourself and trust your abilities. Do you think that Selena would make me your wolf if she didn't believe you can handle me?'
'That's a nice speech, but how do I trust myself?'
'It was never about you because you don't think you are worthy.', Liseli responded. 'Every time you did something amazing, it was for someone else. Do this for the Midnight Guardians pack. Do this for the Dark Howlers pack. Do this for your mate. Do this for my mate. Do this for your friends. Do this for your guards who are probably panicking because they figured out that you are missing…'
Talia closed her eyes and imagined the scene of her standing on the terrace with Axel by her side. They were facing hundreds of members of the Midnight Guardians pack who were chanting, "Long live Alpha Talia!"
A buzzing sound got Talia's attention and she opened her eyes to see that the sphere was glowing in a blindingly silvery light.
Liseli sent another mental image to Talia. This one was with Damon by her side, and warriors of the Dark Howlers pack were all bowed toward the couple with their fists over their hearts.
Talia's eyes widened when she saw a thick stream of gray snaking around the blindingly white sphere.
Another image popped into Talia's mind. This one was a breakfast in the garden. Damon was feeding Talia, and at the same table were Maya, Caden, Kalina, Tony, Maddox, and Tatiana, and then she saw the dinner table that included James, Cornelia, Dawn, George, Mindy, and Gideon. Zina's and Stephanie's images came next.
With every next person, another colorful string appeared, or existing ones became thicker. Blue, red, purple, yellow… and they were all rotating to create a fantastic display of colors that was shining because the silvery light acted as an amplifier, like when the sun hits the mosaic glass.
'Is this supposed to happen?', Talia asked Liseli. She had no idea about the Sphere of Power, but the way everyone gapped at the glowing ball was making her unsettled.
'I'm not sure. I can tell you that each of your powerful friends will use their influence to assist you unconditionally, so people like Tatiana and Kalina are counting for at least a dozen people each.'
"What does this mean?", Alpha Edward asked under his breath.
The Guardian snapped out of his daze. He was staring at the sphere whose brightness was still increasing and then he looked at Talia like she was growing a second head. It took him a long moment to grab Talia's wrist and pull her hand away from the sphere that dimmed the moment Talia lost contact with the object.
"I believe this confirms that Alpha Talia has the loyalty of her pack.", the Guardian said.
"How is that possible?", Alpha Edward asked angrily. He had never seen the sphere working before, but his father told him that the red color represents the Red Moon pack, and there was at least one red string in there. Did that mean that someone from his pack was more loyal to Talia than to him, the Alpha? "Your sphere is broken! How can she have loyalty from other packs?"
The Guardian frowned at Alpha Edward. "What makes you think she has the loyalty of other packs?"
"The colors!", Alpha Edward said while pointing at the sphere frantically. "Why were there different colors?"
The Guardian paused for a moment before responding, "Different colors represent the type of loyalty. The most prominent color was the silver light with white streaks, and that means her pack members follow her willingly to the point of worship."
Alpha Edward gaped at the Guardian, wondering if he could call out his statement as malarkey. His plan was to accuse Talia of cheating or not being good enough, but how can he do that when everyone saw the way the sphere lit up and the guy said that her pack members worship her!?
"You can collect your tokens.", the Guardian said. "The ones who lost have one week to pay their debt. If not, the Guardians will intervene." He turned to Talia. "Alpha Talia, I hope you can stay after the meeting is over. We would like to discuss a few things with a promising Alpha like yourself…"
Alpha Edward paled. He just lost one million dollars and a lot of face.
Maddox was rubbing his palms happily. "Thank you, Alpha Talia. This was the easiest million I ever earned. What do you want as a thank you present?"
Talia shook her head. "No need. But if you can invest a portion of that money into a shelter for abused and abandoned, that would be wonderful."
At the mention of a shelter, Maddox's mood dropped when he remembered how just before he left for this wretched meeting, he got a call from Mindy who told him that Marcy was on her way to their shelter. Marcy! What the hell!? Maddox wanted to punch Damon for dragging him into that mess but now was not the time.
Tony thanked Talia with, "My reign as the Alpha of the Lightclaw pack is starting with a million dollars, thanks to you. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
Talia collected her token while listening to Alpha Cristian's words of praise, and she met Damon's shocked gaze.
'Damon?', Talia called. 'Are you alright?'
'You really are the Alpha of the Midnight Guardians pack.', Damon said after some time. 'And a very good one.'
Talia bit her lower lip. Why did she feel guilty about it? 'I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you but there were so many things…'
'This was unexpected. I know you said to trust you, and I waited to see how far you will go, ready to cause a scene and carry you out of here into safety. I would never allow Alpha Edward or any other bastard to touch you.'
'Thank you, Damon.' She really meant it, surprised that Damon took this calmly. 'You can be angry at me when this is over, OK?'
Damon shook his head. 'I can't be angry at you even if I try. You are too sexy for that.'
Talia bit the inside of her cheek harshly to prevent herself from laughing.
