Jade looked at Maya while wondering if her ears malfunctioned. Did Maya say how Jade won't stick around in the packhouse? Jade was thinking about how to avoid working in the kitchen or bathrooms because water will ruin her hands, but it seems that she might end up in a worse place.
"Where are you expecting me to work?", Jade asked Maya reluctantly.
"Our Omegas are doing whatever is necessary. In order to work in the packhouse, a special clearance is required which you don't have, Miss Jade. The suitcase you left in the hallway is already in the place where you will be staying, someone will escort you there once you are done with duties for the day."
Jade was afraid to ask for clarification related to the 'place where she will be staying'. Did they put her in some communal area where she will need to share a room with a dozen others?
But Maya was still talking...
"We had a landslide a few weeks back and several houses collapsed. There are ongoing efforts to clear the rubble and save whatever we can. You will join that crew."
"Landslide?", Jade asked breathily. "Isn't that dangerous? What if I get hurt?"
"Aren't you a werewolf?", Caden asked. "If an accident happens, you will heal in no time."
Jade realized that talking won't get her out of this, and no matter what she tried, it was just getting worse. What kind of a place was this?
Why did every female appear to be an Alpha? She never heard of such a thing! But even if she neglects the unreasonable females, Jade thought that the Red Moon pack will help her, and James not only closed that door, but he ended up extorting money from her.
Who could help her get out of this pit of misery which somehow was getting deeper by the minute? Was she really stuck with work to clear up the rubble from a landslide? This was a nightmare!
Damon and Talia were sitting on the grass in the shade of a lonely oak tree, both facing the black marble gravestone that had engraved in elegant cursive names of Jacob Blake and Violet Blake.
Damon and Talia were running through the forest without a particular destination in mind, and Talia's paws led them here eventually.
Liseli and Sapa were quiet, both content after last night's mating, and letting Damon and Talia deal with their matters.
The moment Damon and Talia shifted into their human forms, Damon produced an oversized t-shirt for Talia and sweatpants for himself so they were not naked, and here they were, at the eternal resting place of his parents.
Talia stared at the gravestone and Damon sat close to her, without touching her because he didn't want to disturb her. He knew that she was fighting internal battles, and he hoped that his presence helped.
Talia was thinking about everything that happened in the last few weeks, and she even remembered her time in the Red Moon pack, before Damon became part of her life.
She was alone, concealing her presence in order to survive, and then Damon came, encouraging her to stop hiding. Sure, they both made mistakes along the way, but he was by her side, patiently waiting for her to step out of her shell and try something new, and he was always there to catch her whenever she stumbled. He was her rock.
The only time he faltered was under the influence of the dark magic, and she couldn't blame him for it.
"Mr. Blake, Mrs. Blake…", Talia broke the silence. "I hope you know that what you saw here last night, was not Damon's fault. He was under the influence of dark magic. Damon is kind and caring and he is taking good care of me. I am lucky to have him as my mate."
Damon's heart tightened painfully. Not far from here, last night, on this same clearing, he pinned Talia down and treated her like she was not important, and now she was justifying his actions.
"Kitten…", Damon said while reaching to hold her hand.
Talia looked at their connected hands and she smiled a little when their fingers interlaced.
"I just wanted them to know that they raised a good person. That's all.", she said.
"I don't care about their approval."
"You should.", Talia responded. "They left you early, but the time you had with them was precious. Cherish it. Not everyone has good parents."
Damon's brows came together as he remembered that Talia told him how Alpha Isaac and Alpha Sophia were her parents. It's not that he didn't believe her, but it was difficult for that information to sink in. Two Alphas of a mysterious pack that was perfectly hidden gave their baby daughter away for… why would they do that?
Damon didn't understand. Werewolves were hardwired to cherish their mates and their offspring, at least until they were old enough to fend for themselves. Sure, there were cases of parents going astray, but that was rare.
Damon couldn't imagine how Talia felt when she found out that her parents abandoned her when she was a baby. She grew up alone, like an outcast, without anything and anyone to call her own, while her parents were alive and well and powerful. She even had a brother that grew up as part of the loving family that was hers, yet she never had it. It was twisted and sick.
And then those same people tried to cripple him out of fear that he was getting too powerful.
Damon realized that he was Talia's only family and his desire to protect her and give her only the best swelled within him.
Damon regretted immensely his actions while he was under the influence of dark magic, and he ended up in that wretched state because of Alpha Sophia and Alpha Isaac!
A low growl formed in the back of Damon's throat. "When are we going to the Midnight Guardians pack?" He had a lot of anger to vent, and those two Alphas were perfect targets.
"Not today.", Talia responded. "Can we not talk about that?"
"We don't need to talk at all.", Damon said while pushing a lock of hair behind Talia's ear. "We can stay here the whole day or not. Whatever you want, kitten. Did the run help?"
Talia released a long breath while assessing her emotions. "A little bit."
Damon leaned closer to Talia and extended his free arm around her. "Can I?"
It took Talia a long moment to understand that Damon was asking for permission to hug her, and his insecurity hit her hard.
"Don't ever… EVER, ask if you can hug me.", Talia said seriously. "Your proximity is essential for my sanity."
Damon smiled and scooted closer to Talia. His arm wrapped around her, and she leaned on him.
Talia turned to look at the gravestone. "See? Your son is wonderful. Damon knows how to take care of his mate. He is the one holding me together to prevent me from falling apart."
"You do the same for me, kitten", Damon murmured into her hair and then he kissed her there.
Talia took a few deep breaths and she pushed herself deeper into Damon's embrace, seeking the comfort his closeness provided. The sparks were there wherever their skin touched, and she greedily inhaled her favorite scent of the forest and the dark chocolate that had a therapeutic effect on her.
