Lunchtime the next day…
Maya was looking at the messages on her phone while entering the dining room after Caden.
Damon and Talia were already there.
Maya greeted Damon and Talia before saying, "It seems we heard back about your friend sooner than expected."
"You did?" Talia asked, guessing that this was about Olivia.
"Mhm," Maya confirmed with a hum and she was reading the text message while taking, "I just got a text from Dawn. She asked Omegas from George's villa, and some of them heard that…" Maya's voice trailed.
"What is it?" Talia asked anxiously. Did something bad happen to Olivia? Was she dead?
"I will ask them to verify this," Maya said.
"Tell me," Talia demanded.
"They said that Olivia's mate is a warrior from the Shadowbite pack."
Talia noticed that both Damon and Caden frowned at this.
Talia tried to remember what she knew about that pack. It was a smaller-sized pack that kept to itself. They didn't have the power or status to attend important gatherings, and they didn't host outsiders either. It was not unusual for smaller packs to stay isolated; it was their way of preserving independence. No matter how bad it was, it was theirs.
"Is something wrong with that pack?" Talia asked.
"That is my pack," Maya said. "I can tell you, as a female, that is not a good place to be."
"What do you mean?"
Caden responded, "It's a patriarchal place, and they don't put much value on females. It's like… all females are Omegas by default."
"But that doesn't mean Olivia is mistreated," Maya quickly said. "It's just… a delicate situation."
Damon rubbed his forehead with force. He thought that bringing up Talia's old friend would be a good thing and not that it would make her emotions unstable.
"Let me take care of this," Damon said to Talia. "Caden, get me a meeting with the Alpha of the Shadowbite pack. I want to talk to him in person."
"I want to be there also," Talia protested.
"It will be a phone call," Damon said, and his cut-off tone told Talia that she won't be present and that was non-negotiable.
Damon's expression softened. "Do you trust me, kitten?"
Talia nodded right away.
Damon looked into her eyes seriously. "I will make sure your friend attends your Luna ceremony."
~ the Spring Leaf pack ~
Damon and Talia arrived with Keith and Caleb at the packhouse of the Spring Leaf pack.
The packhouse was a two-story home, surrounded by bushes and tall trees. There was a small garden filled with flowers in front.
If that house were placed in a suburb of a human city, it wouldn't stand out.
There was no fancy driveway, and it was not a mansion with many guest bedrooms. It was simple.
'Are you sure we are at the right place?' Talia asked Damon through their private mind-link as he helped her get out of the car. She didn't want to risk someone overhearing her and thinking of her as impolite. She was genuinely curious.
Damon chuckled. 'In this pack, people have their own homes, and that includes their Alpha and Luna. They have an event hall nearby, where they gather.'
Talia's eyes flashed with understanding, and Damon added, 'After greeting Cristian and Michelle, we will go to one of the guest houses.'
Before Damon could say more, their attention was drawn toward the main door that flung open, and a petite brunette rushed out.
"I'm sorry for not greeting you immediately, but the sauce was…" Her voice trailed, and her eyes moved to a figure behind Damon.
Talia put her hand over her chest. It was happening again. Mates! Keith and Caleb were right there, but which one was it?
Damon and Talia turned to see that Caleb and Keith were standing with their heads in the trunk of Damon's black armored SUV.
Damon sucked in a sharp breath, and a smile slithered on his face. Was it possible that Keith found his mate?
'THUNK!'
A loud sound was heard when Caleb hit his head on the trunk lid.
"Dude!" Keith called. "Did you crack your skull?" That was quite a hard hit.
Caleb's arm moved to hold onto the spot that was aching, but it froze halfway as he returned the dazed stare of a petite brunette that was standing there.
Talia tugged Damon to move to the side as the brunette and Caleb walked toward each other as possessed.
Caleb reached to touch her face, and they both jolted when the tips of his fingers made contact with her jaw.
The intensity of the sparks took them by surprise, and they broke into matching smiles.
Caleb took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the scent of rosemary that reminded him of roasted beef his grandmother would make every Sunday. This rosemary was much more seductive, making him crave a taste of the woman in front of him. She was beautiful.
The brunette smiled dreamily while basking in Caleb's sweet scent of cookie dough. She always loved stealing a bit of cookie dough before baking it, but now she feared that just a bit wouldn't be enough because the man in front of her looked delicious.
His black hair, flawlessly deep brown skin, precisely trimmed Balbo beard... it was all perfect.
"Caleb," he said.
"Trisha," she responded.
She took his hand and paused to relish the addictive sparks that flared upon contact.
"Will you come with me?" She asked.
"Anywhere," Caleb responded dreamily.
Damon, Talia, and Keith didn't move until Caleb and Trisha disappeared into the bushes.
"Crap!" Damon cursed under his breath. He really hoped that the petite brunette was for Keith.
"Are you upset Caleb found his mate?" Talia asked.
"No, no," Damon was quick to deny it. "This is a happy thing. But the timing is off. He came here to protect you, and now he is useless."
Damon blinked innocently while hoping that Talia had bought the story. Well, it was not completely false.
Talia stifled a giggle. "It will be fine, Damon. We are prepared for the worst, aren't we? Sure, Caleb is a capable warrior, but he is just one person."
"Why are you standing there?" Luna Michelle spoke from the door. "Didn't Trisha come to show you inside?"
"I believe you lost her," Talia said.
Michelle frowned in confusion. "Lost her?"
Talia pointed in the direction where Caleb and Trisha disappeared. "She saw Caleb, and they went all goo-goo before disappearing that way. Oh, and you will need someone else to look after the sauce. It sounded important."
Michelle put her hand over her lips which were lifted into a smile. "Trish found her mate. How lovely. But what will I do without my main helper in the house?"
Talia grinned. "Your loss is my gain." If Trisha was working in the house where Alpha and Luna were, it meant she was reliable and trustworthy, and Talia needed such people in their packhouse. Zina was lonely, and Talia hoped that Trisha might fill a portion of the gap that Dawn left behind.
Cristian also showed up, and he was shaking hands with Damon when…
"Yes!" A small voice was heard from the door, and a child-sized bullet dashed toward Talia.
Ashton was fast, but Damon was faster.
"Ah!" Ashton cried when Damon grabbed the back of his shirt, lifting him up like he was a chicken.
"Let me go!" Ashton shouted while wiggling his little arms and legs in an attempt to reach Talia.
"That is my Luna you are trying to cling onto," Damon squeezed through his teeth.
Talia looked at Damon helplessly. Why was he the biggest child here?
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