Talia's thoughts and emotions were a mess, and Damon was unsure how to help her.
Talia told him that she heard her mother and that her parents loved her, but that shouldn't cause this confusion and negativity.
"How about you tell me what the message was about?" Damon asked.
"There were two parts. The first one was about me staying safe and concealing my true nature. The message stopped, and I called for the energies in the hope of replaying the message, but I accidentally triggered the second part. My mother set it up in such a way that if I struggled with accepting to hide, she would tell me more."
"What is that more?" Damon asked impatiently.
"My mother's name is Astraea, and she was what we call a Guardian." Talia noticed a lack of reaction from Damon. "You are not surprised?"
Damon shrugged. "It's obvious you are not a regular she-wolf, kitten. I suspected your mother was a witch, but even witches need to chant spells and draw diagrams while you don't. That's why I narrowed it down that your mother was either a Guardian or a dragon."
"A dragon?"
Damon chuckled. "Based on the books, they are magical creatures."
Talia suspected that Damon was joking to loosen up the atmosphere. "Do you want to listen or joke?"
"Listen, listen," Damon said earnestly. "What else did you find out?"
"There was a lot of information. I will need time to sort it out, but the main point is that the Guardians are dying. There was a time when Guardians were formidable creatures and many thought of them as Gods. In time, their numbers and their powers diminished. Guardian females stopped bearing children, so males started looking for exceptional females among other creatures. The pairings between Guardians were taking priority because any other would dilute their bloodline and diminish their powers. My mother refused a Guardian that was assigned to her."
Damon was alerted. "Assigned to her?"
"Uhm… Think of it like an arranged marriage. She left to live in another town with humans."
"And the other Guardians let her?"
Talia confirmed. "Yes. You see, they are immortals. There was no point in forcing her to come back. They assumed she would get bored after a few centuries and return on her own. When Guardians discovered that my mother fell for an Alpha and they were soulmates, they intervened. They asked her to return and gave her an ultimatum, and when she refused, they razed the town and killed everyone in it. My mother and father fled. The Guardians didn't know my mother was pregnant and that she gave birth to me. That was why she decided to hide me."
Talia was happy that she got to hear her mother's voice and to confirm that her parents loved her. But she also found out that the dangers lurking all around them were much bigger than she could ever imagine. But it was not all bad.
"There was an information dump, like when we exchange mental images. It was about the powers Guardians have and how they use the energies of nature. There were rituals and ceremonies, and… now I am confident that what Gregory did to me in the Blue River pack triggered my heat."
"Bastard," Damon squeezed through his teeth.
Damon was happy that Talia went into heat, and they spent a week in Maddox's cottage indulging in carnal pleasures, but he didn't like the idea of a Guardian manipulating Talia. So many things could have gone wrong.
"I don't think he was sure it would work," Talia said. "I remember him asking about your mark on my neck and if I went into heat and…" Talia exhaled helplessly. "Now he knows you are my mate, and if he had any suspicions about my bloodline, it's gone. He knows I am one of them." Talia's anxiety was rising. "What if they come here for me, Damon? What if they attack the pack to get to me? I can't sacrifice others for my safety…"
"Shh…" Damon shushed her while pulling her into a tight embrace. "I won't let them put a finger on you, kitten."
Talia's eyes were filled with tears. "What if they harm you, Damon?"
Damon's expression was stern, but his gaze was gentle. "Your parents had a tough time, but we are not them. Our packs will stand united against the Guardians."
"I don't want to put our friends in danger, Damon. It's not fair to ask them to risk their lives for me."
"This is not about helping you. It's about them helping every female that Guardians are coveting. The two of us are the best chance they have to fight against Guardians. Today is you. Tomorrow, it might be Tanya, Kalina, or Yasmin. Imagine what Guardians will do if they get into the Silver Flame Coven. All of them will help us because by helping us, they are helping themselves."
Damon's words made her see a different perspective. He was right. "Together, we can fight. With the information I got from my mother, we can devise plans on how to defend."
Damon hummed in approval. "And it's not just about defending. We will attack because that's the only way to live in peace. We will figure out those ancient relics and portals, and we have Sapa and Liseli, and… there is a reason why the Moon Goddess made us mates. Trust in her. Trust in me."
Talia nodded into his chest. Somehow, his words managed to soothe her anxiety. For now.
Damon and Talia went downstairs, and they heard voices from the garden.
Maya, Caden, Pierce, and Daria were there with members of the Midnight Guardians pack.
"Good morning," Talia wished them when they stepped on the terrace that connected with the garden.
Maya grinned. "It's almost lunchtime, but fine… let's go with the morning."
Talia glanced over their guests to notice, "I see some people are missing."
Maya lifted her chin proudly. "Out of twenty people, seven found their mates last night. Sandy, Tyler, Amelia, and Liam sent them to the Midnight Guardians pack last night. Sandy took Tyler to spend some time with her family. As for the thirteen remaining singles..." Maya gestured at people in the garden. "We are taking them to Darkbourne for lunch and some swimsuit shopping, and then for an outing by the lake. I expect to thin this number further."
"And we are happy to report that we had no incidents last night," Pierce added.
Talia put her hand over her chest. "Seven mated couples in one evening? That's fantastic!" She turned to Damon. "How about we join them by the lake in the afternoon?"
Damon agreed. Other than relaxing, the morale of pack members will improve when they see that their Alpha and Luna are getting along well.
"Great!" Maya exclaimed. "With the boost from Malia services, the rest of them will find their mates in no time!" She continued to Talia in a lower voice, "You should ask Axel to send us more people. I'm coordinating with Tanya, Kalina, and Michelle a mixer for singles in four days, and at this rate, we won't have any singles left."
Talia shook her head helplessly. Why did Maya lower her voice when every werewolf could hear her clearly? But she didn't refute Maya's words because thirteen pairs of eyes were looking at her expectantly. It was obvious that Maya told them about Talia's mate-matching abilities.
