Keith, Katya, and Damon stared at Talia, all three wondering if they heard her right.
"What?", Keith asked. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, not really.", Talia responded. "I am touched that you jeopardized yourself for me, but I don't want you to do it again."
"That's what a guard should do.", Keith said with desperation in his voice. Was he getting fired because he did his job? Guarding Talia was so much more than a job.
Talia pressed her lips into a line. "I know, but… I don't see you as my guard, Keith. You are my friend, and I can't bear the sight of you getting hurt. Not for my sake."
"But I am fine."
"You are, because you were lucky. What if you are not fine? What if last night we faced rogues? What if there were many of them with wolfsbane-laced weapons? What if you ended up with a permanent disability? What if you died? Did you think how I would feel if that happened? How would Katya feel if that happened?" Talia was on the verge of crying now. "There are so many people who care about you, and I can't bear such responsibility. I want you to be safe and healthy."
Keith knew that Talia's words made sense and she said that she cares about him, but… "Who will keep you safe?"
"I have a good Coach who taught me to take care of myself.", Talia responded, and she turned to Damon who was standing at the door and observing all this without a word. She took Damon's hand into hers and spoke to Keith, "And I have Damon."
Damon was touched by Talia's trust in him, but he couldn't believe that Talia was letting go of Keith.
He knew that Talia and Keith were close because he was her personal trainer before Damon stepped in. She trusted Keith and they were getting along well. Keith was there for Talia when Damon wasn't, and the Coach had the skill set and attitude to be a good guard. There was no reason to dismiss him, yet Talia did it.
Damon was aware that Talia hated seeing Keith being hurt while protecting her, but Damon also knew that it was because of him. Damon never hid his displeasure with the Coach, and Talia definitely considered Damon's feelings about this.
As an Alpha, Damon delivered many punishments, some were excessive, but he never felt guilty about it. Actually, even now he wouldn't feel guilty about crushing Keith if not for his concern about offending Talia.
Damon wanted Talia to be happy and safe, but can he really allow an enamored guy like Keith to linger close to Talia? On the other hand, Talia is amazing and beautiful inside and out, and whoever spends time with her will start developing emotions. Can Damon keep her guards on some rotation? But then there will be no sense of camaraderie and trust, and personal guards will feel more like people who keep her imprisoned.
Once again, Talia proved that she will put others ahead of her. She was a true Luna, willing to make sacrifices so that others will be happy.
Keith was dejected. He remembered Damon pinning down Talia while mocking Keith for being helpless. How can he just let it go? Talia was humiliated and degraded, and even if she forgave Damon, Keith refused to believe that she forgot about it.
"You think that Alpha Damon will keep you safe? That's not what I saw last night.", Keith squeezed through his teeth.
"Keith!", Katya exclaimed.
"It's OK.", Talia quickly said. "Last night was unfortunate. Do you remember how you got better quickly?" Keith nodded and Talia continued, "You can think of it as white magic. Damon was under the effect of dark magic which blocked the mate bond and it made him look at me as an enemy. We needed the full moon for the ritual to dispel the dark magic, and now Damon is back to himself. He won't harm me."
"I regret my actions from last night.", Damon said, making the other three look at him in surprise, but he was talking to Talia. "I harmed you physically and emotionally and there are no words strong enough to say how sorry I am. I am glad to hear that you will rely on me, but I can't be with you all the time. You will need guards. Now that everyone knows you are my mate, people will target you."
"I know.", Talia responded to Damon. "But I don't want Keith, Sandy, Lulu, Pierce, Liam, or Caleb to put themselves in danger only because they are my friends. I will leave it up to you to pick my guards."
Damon was surprised by this. "You will?"
Talia confirmed. "You are the strongest Alpha and the fiercest warrior. Assign me people you think are the best."
"Are you sure?"
"I am.", Talia responded.
Damon didn't need to think much about this.
"Keith", Damon called in his official tone. "I want you to be Talia's head guard."
"What!?", Talia, Katya, and Keith asked in unison.
Damon was looking at Keith seriously. "Last night, you proved that you will treat Talia's safety as your top priority. That's what I expect from her guard." Damon didn't like it, but this was the truth. If Keith went against Damon, he would go against anyone only to keep Talia safe, and in a weird way, it will put Damon's mind at ease.
"Can we talk about it?", Talia asked Damon.
"I thought we did. You said that you are leaving it to me to pick your guards.", Damon responded matter-of-factly, reminding Talia that her Alpha was not only moody and domineering but that he can twist the words to fit his agenda. How could she forget that side of Damon?
"Yes, I said that you should pick them, but didn't you hear that I don't want my friends to guard me?"
Damon cocked an eyebrow at Talia. "I'm not asking your friend to guard you, but the person who is the best fit for that job. Besides, if they are your friends, it's less likely you will give them a slip. Once, I can forgive the mistake, but next time it will count as incompetence and they will be punished. Think about it before you put yourself in danger again."
Talia lowered her gaze guiltily. She knew that Damon was talking about Talia sneaking out of the packhouse in order to go to the Lightclaw pack and then to the Council of the Alphas. Sure, it all ended well, but it could go wrong in many ways. She was lucky.
Damon touched Talia's chin, making her look at him. "I know that you trust Keith, and he proved last night that he is taking his job seriously. Unless he is unwilling, or has a reason that will prevent him from putting your safety first, he is the best to guard you when I'm not around."
"I am willing!", Keith exclaimed with haste, hoping that they won't change their minds again.
Damon turned to look at Keith. "I expect you to do whatever you can to keep her safe, regardless of how many people want to harm her, or who they are, and even if the person in question is me."
Keith gaped at Damon, and it took him a few long seconds to respond. "Thank you, Alpha. I won't disappoint your trust."
"I know you won't.", Damon said. "I am not proud of what happened last night. It was one of my lowest moments and I am lucky that Talia understands how I wouldn't do it if my mind was clear. Talia is my fated mate and she is my most important person. I will do whatever needs to be done so that she stays safe. As for the rest of the guards, we can discuss later if you will keep your current team, or if you want to replace someone. I expect you tomorrow morning to report to the packhouse and we will discuss current dangers we are aware of..."
