Talia dressed up for breakfast and she turned to see Damon buttoning up his shirt with much more force than necessary.
She knew that his mood was fluctuating because they were about to meet with the ex-Alphas.
"Damon?", Talia called. "Will you be OK talking to Sophia and Isaac?"
How can he be calm when he was about to meet with two people who were directly responsible for Talia growing up in hellish conditions? And then they tried to harm him which caused him to forget about his own mate!
Damon rolled his shoulders to release tension, with little to no result. "I will try."
"You don't need to force yourself.", she said.
Damon's head snapped to look at her. Did she think that he will sit this one out? "I want to."
"I know, but it won't help if you commit murder before we find out anything useful. Remember, they have the information we need."
"I will pressure them with my aura and squeeze all their secrets.", Damon said through his teeth.
Talia was conflicted. She understood Damon's anger because she was angry as well, but they were Axel's parents, two people who raised him, and Talia couldn't be harsh toward them. Killing them won't fix any of the wrongs they did. In Talia's opinion, letting Sophia and Isaac live without their powers and without authority, was the appropriate punishment for someone who was used to controlling things. Besides… "Violence won't be necessary."
Damon cocked an eyebrow at Talia suspiciously. "Do you think they will open up and admit things they were hiding for decades?"
"Yes.", Talia responded with a small smirk which told him there was more to it. "Axel will spike their tea with a truth serum. It will make them eager to talk and they won't be able to lie. It's like a drunk person, but with a clear mind."
"A truth serum", Damon repeated. There was a memory-erasing concoction, and now a truth serum. Damon took a mental note to get his hands on some of those interesting things that the Midnight Guardians pack has.
"What if they don't drink it?", he asked.
"Then we will inject them with it, or you can use your aura.", Talia said and walked to Damon. She put her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "You are my rock, Damon, and I want you there. But I need you to stay calm no matter what you hear."
"For how long?"
Talia was not sure how to respond to this. "Ask me that after our meeting."
Damon nodded stiffly and then he watched as her hands moved lower, her dainty fingers elegantly buttoned up the last few buttons on his shirt.
"There…", she said, feeling proud of herself.
Every time she did something for Damon, no matter how small it was, it filled her with satisfaction. She wondered if those were her emotions, or Damon's. Was he so pleased because she was helping him?
Damon's gaze was soft and all-consuming, and her breath hitched when their eyes met.
"Thank you for taking care of me, Mrs. Blake", he said, his words slow and deep from all the love he had for her. "I hope you will let me take care of you. I know you are strong and capable, but I hope you keep in mind that you don't need to be strong by yourself."
Talia smiled at the emotional Alpha who was telling her they were equal. He was there to protect her and to take care of her, and she will do the same for him because they were equal, and that was perfect.
For breakfast, they didn't go to the cafeteria, and the formal dining room in the main house was used for the first time since Alpha Sophia and Alpha Isaac lost their positions. Normally, Axel, Yasmin, Meg, and Kai would either eat in their rooms or in the cafeteria.
Talia was sitting at the head of the table with Damon on her left. On the other side of the table, opposite Talia, was Axel with Yasmin on his left. Meg, Kai, Keith, Liam, James, and Cornelia were at the table as well.
Sandy and Tyler didn't come down, and the only sign they were alive was a tray filled with empty plates that they left outside of their room sometimes in the wee hours of the morning. Yasmin arranged for dirty dishes to be taken away and to be replaced with fresh food. With all the activity new mates normally go through, Sandy and Tyler will need the nutrients.
Sophia and Isaac, previous Alphas of the Midnight Guardians pack arrived late. They didn't want to eat with others, but Axel told them that they can come on their own, or he will get them dragged there, so they didn't have a choice.
Not welcoming Talia when she arrived, and not joining them for dinner was as much as disrespect Axel was willing to allow.
Axel knew his parents as stern and stubborn, but he believed they were acting with pure motives and taking care of the pack. Since Axel told them about Talia after the Summer Solstice festival, the pure image he had of his parents was crumbling and now he was not sure what to think of them.
In order not to do something he will regret, Axel distanced himself from his parents, and he buried himself in work, looking through old archives and trying to create an objective image of who his Alpha Sophia and Alpha Isaac were.
Since they lost their positions, ex-Alphas were keeping a low profile, mostly staying inside. In front of the pack members, it looked like a peaceful transition of power to the younger generation, but the insiders knew how it happened and Sophia and Isaac were ashamed by the way their roles were taken away from them. In addition to that, they even lost their powers.
Sophia looked dejectedly at the head of the table. That was her spot, yet now Talia was there. Axel was sitting in the spot that belonged to his father.
Sophia released a long breath. Things changed. Her mind flashed with images of many meals they shared there, just the three of them, yet now it felt crowded, and their spots were not theirs anymore. They were replaced.
"Mother, father", Axel called without getting up. "Nice of you to join us. Please, sit." He gestured at the empty chairs that were in the middle of the table. "After the meal, we will move to the study."
Sophia was hesitating, but Isaac placed his hand low on her back and nudged her to move. They talked about this. Neither of them was happy with the current situation, but Talia was back, as the Alpha this time. Talia took their powers, and if they provoke her further, she could take much more.
Sophia and Isaac didn't know why they were summoned here for breakfast and a meeting. It was unimaginable that they were patching up things to function as a family. Talia was never part of their group of three, and Axel distanced himself to the point that Sophia wondered if he was her son anymore. The couple held onto the slim hope that if they cooperate, Talia might return their abilities.
