In the packhouse of the Red Moon pack…
The time for the party was approaching, and Damon was in the bathroom, getting ready after shower.
He had black pants and a black shirt with silver embroidery on the chest pocket and collar. His outfit was opposite of Talia's knee-length white cocktail dress with silver embroidery along the neckline that matched the design on Damon's shirt. Couple's outfits!
Talia looked fantastic, and Damon regretted that her stomach was not showing.
Damon picked those clothes, and they represented them perfectly. Damon was the dark, while Talia was his light, and their wolves approved.
Damon ran his hand through his damp hair while nodding in approval at his reflection in the mirror, and then he exited the bathroom.
Damon halted at the door and frowned at the crowded room.
He left Talia on the bed to rest. They both tidied up in the Dark Howlers pack before coming via a teleportation spell, so there was no need to shower, but Nora bumped into Damon earlier, and Damon didn't want to risk Nora's scent lingering on him and upsetting Talia.
Why were Cornelia, Mindy, Gideon, Keith, Arya, Tyler, and Sandy also there? How long did he take in the shower? He was worried that this packhouse was full of bad memories for Talia, so he hurried to get ready, but it seemed he was not fast enough because people invaded their space in his absence.
Talia was sitting on the sofa with Keith and Arya standing behind her in attention. Cornelia was sitting on Talia's left, while Sandy and Tyler were on Talia's right. Gideon was on the sofa chair with Mindy on his lap.
Every pack got two rooms in the packhouse and additional lodging in the side buildings. Since Damon and Talia represented two packs, they got four rooms in total. Damon and Talia shared one room, so they gave one room to Keith and Arya, who were originally assigned a room in the side building. Tyler and Sandy were in the third room and Mindy and Gideon were in the fourth one. That left Cornelia without a bedroom, but she was planning to spend her night with James, so she didn't need a room anyway.
Talia's eyes flashed when she saw Damon standing at the bathroom door with half of his chest exposed, and she moved swiftly to button up his shirt.
"Why are you exposing yourself?" Talai grumbled.
Damon smirked. "Is my mate jealous?"
"Jealous of what? Everyone here is mated," Talia responded. And they were her friends who wouldn't dare to jeopardize their friendship or their lives (if Talia loses it).
Talia realized that her words and actions didn't match. She exhaled helplessly. "Seriously, these pregnancy hormones are messing with my reasoning."
"I love to see you possessively claiming me as yours, kitten," Damon said while leaning for a kiss. "Please, continue. Lock me up and wrap me in a blanket. I won't resist as long as you are wrapped in it with me. If you are this domineering because of pregnancy, I will ensure you are always pregnant."
Talia wanted to respond snarkily or slap his shoulder, but he was kissing her, and it was more than nice, so she ended up hugging him and responding to his kisses eagerly.
Gideon cleared his throat to get everyone's attention, "As we were saying, before Alpha Damon came, we are worried about the security. This is a party, but we are in enemy territory and can't relax. We should stay vigilant and leave pleasure for later."
Gideon was talking in general, but everyone knew he was talking about Talia and Damon, who were still kissing.
"There is no reason for us to skip on fun," Sandy responded. "Even fighting can be fun if it's done right."
"Agreed," Arya said enthusiastically, and then she looked at Talia apprehensively. "I mean… if Luna says so."
Talia couldn't speak with Damon's tongue down her throat, and no one dared to interrupt them.
"Youngsters…" Gideon grumbled.
Mindy poked Gideon's shoulder with her finger. "Why are you talking like you are old? You will be a father in a few short months."
Gideon puffed his chest at Mindy's words. He was the oldest one in the room, by far, but he had a youthful mate and a baby on the way, and that made him feel like a twenty-something years-old guy.
"Did you hear if there will be a ceremony tonight?" Tyler asked.
It was normal for ceremonies to happen on auspicious days like the equinox, the solstice, and the full moon. Birthdays of members of the Alpha family could be classified as important. However, the invitation didn't mention a ceremony.
Cornelia responded, "The Shaman of the Red Moon pack said that the position of celestial bodies was not favorable."
Gideon snorted. "What nonsense. Celestial bodies might change position, but they are never fully favorable. The trick is to tap into nurturing energies while avoiding negativity."
Mindy looked at Gideon with stars in her eyes. "And that's why the Dark Howlers pack is so much better than any other."
Gideon didn't deny it. His wolf was not of Alpha bloodline, but he outlived many Alphas. Gideon attributed that to the ceremonies he performed over the years, each of them boosting his body and his wolf spirit. But Gideon couldn't boast shamelessly. "Every Shaman should know that even though the celestial alignment is not fully supportive, the ceremony will still be beneficial."
"Do you think the Shaman of the Red Moon pack is involved with rogues?" Damon asked. At some point, he and Talia stopped kissing and paid attention to the conversation in the room.
"It's possible," Gideon responded. "However, I wouldn't say that he is involved. More like... aware of it and not approving."
"Explain," Damon demanded of Gideon.
"During the ceremony, everyone focuses on the Shaman, and then there is a post-ceremony buzz that makes you feel high and muddles with perception. If the Shaman suspects that rogues are coming, he might use the unfavorable alignment in the sky as an excuse to avoid the ceremony."
"Do you think we should reach out to the Shaman?" Talia asked Damon, who nodded faintly in response.
The reports of the Red Moon pack barely mention their Shaman, and James and George didn't call him out as either Alpha Edward's supporter or opponent, so Damon didn't think the guy was important.
What if the Shaman is keeping a low profile because he knows things and disapproves of Alpha Edward's doings but doesn't dare to retaliate openly? If Shaman cares about the pack and pack members, he might be willing to work against a destructive Alpha in favor of saving his pack members.
"We should investigate this," Damon said. "Shaman has access to the pack members that's second to Alpha's. Considering the number of guests tonight, I assume their Shaman will attend this party. We should approach him and see how things go. If he disapproves of Alpha Edward's methods, he could be a powerful ally." The guy probably won't work against Alpha Edward, but preventing weak-minded members from retaliating when the fight erupts would be helpful.
Mindy's hand shot up in the air. "My mate and I will be on it."
Gideon frowned. "We will?"
"Mhm," Mindy confirmed with a hum. "As a Shaman, you can approach your fellow Shaman for chit-chat. With your keen senses and wisdom, I'm sure you can dig out something useful."
Gideon's frown eased up, and he ended up smiling at Mindy. How could he decline when Mindy praised him in front of everyone?
