~ the Dark Howlers pack ~
Damon parked the car in front of the packhouse and looked at Talia.
"What's wrong, kitten?"
He could feel her anxiety.
"It's nothing."
"Tell me." He urged her to speak up.
"I am nervous about going there."
Damon saw her pointing at the packhouse, and he didn't get it.
"Why?"
"Because… everyone knows I was in heat and that we had sex."
Damon's lips twitched, and then he burst into hearty laughter.
Talia normally enjoyed it when he laughed like that, but his timing was off. It was one thing if they did it in the privacy of their bedroom, but they were stuck in that cabin for a whole week while many things were waiting for them at home. Talia could only imagine Maya saying, 'Sorry, Alpha and Luna are unavailable at the moment because they are going at it.'
How can Talia look people in the eyes after that?
While on the topic of sex and pups, Talia asked Liseli not to disclose a possible pregnancy.
If Liseli confirms that Talia is not pregnant, Talia will be disappointed, and if Liseli says that Talia IS pregnant, Talia will be super-stressed.
Talia decided not to drink and to be careful, and to let nature take its course.
Another thing making Talia uneasy was the wrecked dwelling they left behind. Luckily, Maddox was too busy to check on the cabin. Once he finds out that Damon and Talia broke everything that could be broken, he will be furious. Probably.
"Are you done laughing?" Talia asked grumpily.
"Oh, kitten…" Damon wiped tears from the corners of his eyes. Can she be any cuter?
He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckled while speaking, "Do you think people don't know we are jumping each other's bones every time we get a chance? The only thing they don't know is that you are the one with a bigger appetite. But don't tell that to anyone because it will ruin my manly image."
"Damon, I am serious."
"So am I, kitten. So am I. Our people are happy that their Alpha and Luna are getting along well. The fact that we stayed in solitude for a full week is a good sign."
"It is?"
Damon nodded earnestly. "If we acted like it was not important, or if we returned after two days, people would think that we are like Alpha Edward and other guys who don't care about their mates. Like this, they know that I adore you and that we are committed to each other."
Talia liked the part of people acknowledging that the bond between her and Damon is unshakeable. It made her feel better.
Damon could see that she relaxed, and he was quick to exit the car and circle it so he could open the door for her.
Talia looked at his extended hand and smiled. Every time they did that little ritual, she remembered how there was a time she thought that Damon was treating her well only when they were alone. And she didn't like returning to the packhouse because it meant that they needed to keep their distance from each other.
Talia slammed herself into Damon and hugged him tightly.
"I was so silly." She said while rubbing her cheeks on his chest.
Damon chuckled. He had no idea what that was about, but she was adorable. "How I see this, you still are."
Talia pouted, but she couldn't suppress the smile that reached her eyes. She was happy.
Talia turned to look at the door of the packhouse, and she took a deep breath.
That was her home, with Damon. She loved it, she really did, but returning also signified that their solitude was over, and they needed to deal with reality. The not-so-happy stuff.
Damon and Talia walked into the packhouse when…
"SURPRISE!"
Talia sucked in a sharp breath, unsure if she should run, defend, or attack.
It took her a moment to realize that the flying stuff was confetti, and there were balloons, and she could see familiar faces.
Maya, Caden, Zina, Rose, Cornelia, Keith, Caleb, Amelia, Liam, Pierce, Daria, and Travis.
"Welcome back!" Maya exclaimed while giving a big hug to Talia.
"We missed you." This hug came from Zina.
"What is this?" Talia asked while looking around, and then she saw Damon smiling at her. "You knew about this?"
"How else would we know when to expect you?" Caden asked.
"Come, come… I prepared a feast." Zina said. "I'm sure you are hungry after all that activity." Zina winked at Talia.
Talia glared at Zina but couldn't say anything and not make it worse. And besides, she was hungry.
Everyone congratulated them, and Talia tried to hide behind Damon. They said they were happy that Alpha and Luna were back, but Talia knew they were talking about her heat. Oh, God! They were congratulating her for having a week filled with sex!
Damon thought how Talia looked like a shy bride.
Eventually, they settled at the table in the dining room.
Talia was grateful for the crowd that distracted her from the issue with Keith. She was unsure how to face him after their last encounter, but he moved naturally, and she guessed that any injuries were healed by now, and she hoped that he wouldn't mention her lewdness. They could just pretend it never happened. That would be for the best.
Talia needed a moment to remember that Daria was now here as Pierce's mate. She was waiting for Damon and Talia to return so that she could join the Dark Howlers pack officially.
Since Amelia became a member of the Dark Howlers pack, she needed Travis and Gideon to collaborate in order to secure some ingredients. That was how Travis found out about the existence of witches, and now they could talk in front of him freely.
They exchanged some information over the meal.
Travis said that Grady was in full strength, with his injuries healed completely. It was obvious that he knew about the rogue attack at the Blue River pack.
Other than Daria, Grady and Varya also were waiting to join the Dark Howlers pack.
Unfortunately, Gideon was in solitude with Mindy, who was in heat.
"Varya and Grady are impatient," Caden said. "And I can't blame them. They promised to Kalina and Tatiana that they won't proceed with the mating before they join this pack, but with our Shaman being in solitude, they will need to wait longer."
Varya and Grady cooperated, but now they were stuck in a house like prisoners, and they were not allowed to go beyond kissing.
Talia thought of a solution. "We can get Cassandra here. Yasmin can send her in no time. Cassandra knows how to do these ceremonies. Or does she need to be a member of the Dark Howlers pack?"
It was normal for the Shaman of the pack to do the ceremonies. But was it a requirement for the Shaman to belong to that pack? No one knew.
"Why don't we make them join your pack?" Damon suggested.
Talia blinked. "My pack?"
Damon confirmed. "We were concerned about their safety, that rogues will want to get their hands on them because Grady knows too much. If they stay in the Midnight Guardians pack, no one can touch them. By now, they know about witches and abilities, so it's not like they will be exposed to any major secret by going there. What do you think?"
Talia agreed. It made sense.
There was also a point of them not completely trusting Grady and Varya. They were both loners without any loyalty. But if they were in the Midnight Guardians pack, even if they were planning a betrayal, their communication would be cut off.
