Talia wondered who would chase a boy that obviously belonged to this party. Did he make some mischief? Did he see something he shouldn't have? Or were baddies after him?
Talia's every next possibility was more dangerous and her head whipped in the direction from where more hurried steps were heard.
Talia looked incredulously at the three girls that came into view; they wore fancy dresses and had neat hair. None of them could be more than ten years old, and Talia wondered if they were also being chased by someone.
The three girls stopped to talk to Talia.
"Aunty, did you see a pretty boy?" One girl asked.
Talia realized that the girls were looking for the boy who was behind the bench. Were they his friends? Should she expose him? She decided against it. "I am here for a while, and I didn't see a boy."
The girls exchanged dejected expressions and then continued to follow the path with urgency.
Talia craned her neck to see the boy squatting behind the bench. "They are gone now; you can come out."
His head peeked out, and then he climbed over the bench.
Talia looked at the little man straightening his shirt with, "Girls are pretty. Men are handsome. They are stupid." He had black shoes, black dress pants, a white shirt, and a green necktie.
He ran his hand through his hair several times and then turned toward Talia. "Thank you. I will reward you generously."
Now she was confident that those girls were chasing him.
Talia thought he was adorable, and she wanted to pinch his cheeks. She took a double take at his face that was scratched by the thorny bushes where he hid, and then she realized from where she recognized him. "Are you Ashton, Alpha Cristian's son?"
Alpha Cristian, Luna Michelle, young Alpha Ashton, General Jordan, and General Allen arrived together, but there was a commotion when Jordan and Lidia Wilkow recognized each other as mates, and the boy left into the area where the youngsters were playing, so Talia didn't interact with him.
The boy lifted his chin smugly and confirmed. "I am Ashton Pascal, the future Alpha of the Spring Leaf pack. What is your name, pretty lady?"
Talia smiled at the boy, who already knew how to flatter a female. Those manners, combined with the attitude and handsome physique that his Alpha bloodline will provide when he grows up, he will definitely be a heartbreaker.
"My name is Natalia. Come here."
She helped straighten his shirt and necktie, and then she took a moment to scan their surroundings. No one was there.
"Can you keep a secret?" Talia asked, and he nodded. Talia placed her hands close to his cheeks, and her palms lit up in silvery light, helping the scratches on his face disappear within a second.
Ashton's eyes widened at the warm and soothing sensation that lingered on his face, and he reached to touch his cheek. "You are a fairy," he said breathily.
Talia put her index finger over her lips, indicating how that was a secret, and he nodded fervently.
"Why were those girls chasing you?" Talia asked.
"Apparently, it's a problem when one is this handsome."
"PFT!" Talia burst into laughter. He spoke with a straight face like it was a totally normal thing. Well, he was cute, and he probably will be handsome… in about a decade.
Ashton narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you laughing at me?"
"No, no. I am laughing at those girls who were chasing you, thinking that they can outrun and outsmart a future Alpha."
He scrutinized her for a moment before nodding in agreement. "I like you. You will be my Luna."
"Aren't I too old for you?"
"You can't be more than sixteen years old. When I am twenty, you will be thirty, and that won't be much of a difference. I can see that your sight is good, you helped me when I was facing a crisis, and you are pretty. I will take you."
A growl came from the side, and Talia didn't need to look to know it was Damon.
"How dare you seduce a taken woman?" Damon spoke in a dangerously low voice.
Ashton's eyes moved to Damon. "Alpha Damon, people are saying that you left your Luna at home. Why don't you go to her and leave my Natalia to me?"
Talia couldn't believe that Damon's hostility was rising. "He is just a child."
"A child who wants to take you away. I don't discriminate based on age."
Talia gaped at Damon, unsure if he was joking. Why did it look like she was stuck between two kids fighting over a toy? And she was the toy!
Ashton stood in front of Talia and faced Damon. "Did you come here to bully me because you are bigger? Sure, you can hit me now, but I will get back at you when I get older. However, no matter what you do, Natalia will be my Luna. You can't stop true love. It is only a matter of… Ahh!"
Talia grabbed the child and put him to sit next to her on the bench in order to prevent him from provoking the big bad wolf. "Uncle Damon was just joking. He fears that you are too young for things like love and picking your Luna."
"I am serious. You will be my Luna."
Talia shook her head at the silly child. "Don't you know that an Alpha should take as his Luna his fated mate?"
Ashton pouted. "I am too young to confirm you are my mate. When I am of age, my wolf will confirm it. Don't tell me that you have a mate because you are not of age either."
That reminded Talia that she put makeup to cover up Damon's mark.
"What if I could sense my mate, and I marked him already?" Talia asked.
Ashton's eyes widened. "That will only make you more special. I will introduce you to my parents. I'm sure they will approve."
Talia wanted to respond, but instead of words, a surprised cry left her lips. "Ahh!" Damon lifted her from the bench and held her in his arms, away from Ashton's reach.
"Say that again, I dare you," Damon growled at the boy.
Ashton stood up and pointed his little finger at Talia while glaring at Damon. "Put my future Luna down. You are bullying her!" And then he kicked Damon in the shin.
Damon gritted his teeth while wondering how to punish the stinky boy.
Talia looked down helplessly. "He is a child, Damon." She couldn't believe that she needed to remind Damon of that fact.
"Is our boy causing you trouble?" A female voice came from the side, and they saw Alpha Cristian and Luna Michelle approaching them.
"Ashton is a darling," Talia responded. "The trouble is coming from another boy."
Damon frowned at Talia, and he lowered her in slow motion, careful to place her in such a way so that he was between Talia and Ashton.
"Mother, father," Ashton addressed them in an official tone. "I decided who will be my Luna."
"You did?" Luna Michelle asked.
Ashton nodded seriously. "I asked Natalia to be my Luna, and she accepted. She meets all my criteria. Let me introduce you officially…"
Alpha Cristian and Luna Michelle looked at Damon nervously, and Talia would laugh if Damon was not on the verge of snapping.
