Talia told James that Stephanie was responsible for the death of Damon's parents. "Stephanie was convinced that Luna should sacrifice herself so others can live."
"And what do you think?" James asked.
"I think… that's not wrong. I am a Luna, but my life is not more worthy than others."
"Yet, here you are."
"From the first day I came here, Damon never asked for much, but he insisted that my safety was a priority. If something happens to me, Damon won't forgive me. He will not forgive himself. I don't care about what happens to me, but I don't want to be another person who will disappoint him."
Talia waited for James to say something, but the silence was pressing on her ears.
"What do you think?" She asked.
"I'm still waiting to hear the rest," James said. "Stephanie put something in Damon's food. What happened after that?"
Talia's face fell. "When I called to tell him I was going to the Midnight Guardians pack, Stephanie picked up the call. Damon was right there, unconscious. I should have known."
"Don't dwell on things you can't change."
Talia knew James had a point, but it was easier said than done.
"After she talked to me, Stephanie got an artifact that looked like a gemstone. It glowed, and then Damon disappeared, together with the gem. I believe it's an item for teleportation," Talia said.
James nodded. "That explains why no one saw him leaving. And I can bet that's the same thing that made Yasmin and her kids disappear also."
"That means the person working for the Guardians is still in the Midnight Guardians pack."
"Or that person teleported together with Yasmin and the kids," James said. "It was probably someone Yasmin trusted."
"Could Sophia and Isaac be the culprits?"
James shrugged. It was a possibility. "Let's not waste time guessing and focus on what we know. How did Stephanie get in touch with the Guardians? I thought that Caden and Maya were keeping an eye on her."
"Richard," Talia said. "He used his blacksmithing business to communicate with outsiders, and the Guardians disguised themselves as his customers. From the Council of the Alphas, the Guardians were keeping their eyes on me and collecting information. When Damon announced to everyone I was his Luna, there was a pack run. From that evening, Richard and Stephanie pretended to be mates."
Talia frowned as she remembered, "Damon was talking to Stephanie, asking her to stay in the packhouse, but she was adamant about leaving. At that time, we thought she was bitter because of Lisa, but that was not true. She was set on going with Richard even before the pack run."
"Lisa?"
"Stephanie's daughter. She used to date Tony before he met Kalina."
James remembered stories about Tony's ex-girlfriend, who had difficulty accepting that Tony had found his mate.
"Where is Lisa now?"
"With rogues. She found her mate during that pack run and…" Talia's face fell as a few more scenes resurfaced from the jumble of what she saw in Stephanie's mind. "We all thought Lisa was with rogues and that Stephanie didn't know, but she did. Lisa was the one who tipped off rogues that I was in the Blue River pack for Tanya's Luna ceremony. After that, Stephanie wanted Lisa to convey more information to the rogues, but Lisa refused to cooperate. Lisa was too weak to contact Damon, so she demanded that Stephanie gets her out of there. Stephanie cut her off."
"Is Lisa important?" James asked.
Talia was not sure how to respond to this. "Lisa is a brat who goes on everyone's nerves. She refused to accept I was Damon's mate and was causing issues."
"Well, being stuck with rogues against her will might teach her a lesson or two. She won't turn rogue if she has the pack link, but her wolf will suffer."
Talia didn't have the capacity to worry about Lisa. "Let's not talk about her. What should we do regarding the Guardians?"
"The Guardians knew that Stephanie betrayed Luna Violet, and they guessed she would do the same to you. You are my Luna, and I should tell you to stay here and let us handle it."
Talia felt there was more to it. "But?"
"You are Damon's mate, a powerful Alpha, and I think you should go to him."
"What happened to waiting until the Guardians contacted me? Don't we want to find out what they are up to?"
"That was before you told me that one of Damon's closest people betrayed him. It's reasonable to believe that Tony, Maddox, and Cristian have spies in their packs. Probably someone close to them. Without knowing who it is, they are in danger as the Guardians will harm them to put pressure on you."
"You think that Damon is in danger?"
"Yes," James said. "Based on the information we have, the Guardians look down on others, seeing them as not worthy. Alpha Damon is just a lure to get you there. Damon will quickly figure out where he is and why, and he won't sit there obediently. He will do whatever he can to escape, and they will do whatever they can to keep him. You see where I'm going with this?"
"You don't think it's crazy for me to go there?"
"Crazy? No. Risky? Yes. However, if we sit and wait, we will only be doing what Guardians want. They are playing mind games. They want you to see your people suffering. Every next report about casualties will come with an additional pressure for you to compromise. That's what they are counting on. They will want you to reach out to them and ask them what you need to do so they stop. They are probably hoping you are unaware of their involvement. In that way, they can twist this into a story about how rogues are attacking, and if you go to them, they will help you subdue rogues."
Talia thought about how James' words made sense.
"What should I do?" She asked.
"I can't tell you what to do. But I know that if that's Cora, I wouldn't stay on the side no matter what others say and no matter what the risks are." James turned to look into Talia's eyes seriously. "Alpha Damon is the strongest Alpha, and he is wearing your mark on his neck. I believe the two of you can figure this out and come out victoriously." If they can't, no one can. "I don't recommend fighting head-on against the Guardians. They are unaware of your abilities, and they think you are ignorant. Use that against them."
"Thank you, James," Talia said while standing up. "I will leave things here in your care."
James' eyes widened. "You are going now?" He was giving her a pep talk to raise her spirits, and he thought they would come up with a plan. Why did she look like she was heading out already?
Talia took her phone and quickly sent a text message before responding, "Axel will be in touch with you when he finds something. Everyone knows what to do, and in case something happens, I trust you will navigate the situation." Talia stuffed the phone in the back pocket of her jeans. "I have my phone with me, so you will be able to check my location."
James stared at Talia as she walked away. Did he mess up by encouraging her to face the Guardians?
