Talia walked by Damon's side as he carried Valerian toward the receiving room on the first floor of the castle from where the noise was coming.
"Alpha!" Grady and Varya called in unison, and Valerian didn't miss that they were addressing Talia.
"We checked the perimeter and secured the castle," Grady said. "People are wondering if someone should stay here or if we can return to help our allies repel rogue attacks."
Talia was glad to see Grady and Varya. Since joining the Midnight Guardians pack, the mated couple was not idle.
Grady already had the skills of a top-tier scout, and he quickly climbed to the rank of a Lieutenant in the Midnight Guardians pack. Varya was also a capable warrior, and people wondered how she could go toe-to-toe with other warriors when she didn't have abilities. After witnessing the spectacle the Wilkow sisters caused with their song, Talia confirmed that Varya was not a regular she-wolf.
"Thank you, Grady," Talia responded officially. "We should get reports from our allies to understand the situation before heading back."
Sandy was next to approach Talia. "Alpha, our pack is secure, and no disturbances are reported. Caden and Maya are on call with James and several other Alphas, and we will get their status within a few minutes. As for the situation here, Tyler is operating drones to scout the surroundings."
"Thank you, Sandy."
Sandy grinned and bowed.
"Luna!" Keith and Arya called in unison when they spotted Talia, and they came to her while fussing about how she had ditched them again.
"You are an Alpha and a Luna?" Valerian asked Talia.
Talia paused, realizing that they didn't do proper introductions.
"I am Alpha of the Midnight Guardians pack, and this is my mate, Damon Blake. He is the Alpha of the Dark Howlers pack, and I am his Luna."
Valerian looked up at Damon, and he saw Talia's mark on his neck. A moment later, Valerian quickly lowered his head as he realized he was carried like a child, but there was nothing he could do about it.
"If you don't mind, we can greet each other properly later," Valerian mumbled.
They stepped into the receiving room, where they found Yasmin, Axel, and their babies close to the fireplace where the fire was dancing.
Also in the room were Serena, Freya, Maya, Caden, Cristian, Mindy, Gideon, Maddox, Tatiana, Tony, Kalina, Jordan, Lidia, Pierce, Daria, and many other familiar faces. The room was huge, but with so many people, it was cramped. A small group formed a circle around Tyler who was demonstrating how to use drones.
When they noticed Damon and Talia at the door, the clamor quieted down.
"Lia!" Yasmin shouted. "Thank you for coming to my rescue." Her eyes moved to the man Damon was holding as she silently asked who he was.
Talia smiled a little. "This is my father, Valerian Moonrider."
Valerian looked at Talia helplessly. If he knew that there would be so many people to see him in this state, he would ask them to leave him in the dungeon. He was weak and dirty, and carried around. How embarrassing!
"Can you keep me down?" Valerian asked Damon.
Damon's eyes moved to the nearby sofa, and Jordan, Lidia, Pierce, and Daria quickly stood up to make space.
Damon put Valerian on the sofa to sit, and Axel approached them with an unreadable expression. "Uncle Valerian?"
Valerian looked at Axel. "I'm sorry. You are…?"
"Axel Moonrider. My parents are Sophia and Isaac," Axel introduced himself.
"I see," Valerian responded. His memories took him many years back, and he forgot about his embarrassing appearance. "How are they doing? Do you have more siblings? Sophia always wanted a big family. Is she helping Natalia…?" His voice trailed when he realized that Axel's expression was not good.
"Let's talk about that later," Talia said. "We should get you some food first."
"There is no food here," Mindy grumbled. "We checked everywhere. The Guardians seem to be running on air." She was pregnant and hormonal, and she wanted a snack, but there was nothing edible there!
"We don't need food to sustain ourselves," a voice came from the side. It was Declyn. He was standing there quietly, and people didn't notice him. "The Guardians eat only for the pleasure of stimulating taste buds."
"We can always hunt," Maddox said.
"There are no animals for miles," Gideon chimed in. "Something here disturbs the balance of nature. We will need to investigate what the Guardians did, so we can pick the best course of action to revert things to how they should be."
"Well said," Evanora said from the door. She noticed the same thing. Also, her magic was not as potent as it should be.
"Mom!" Yasmin exclaimed, and she froze at the sight of a man leaning on Evanora. His hand was around Evanora's shoulders, but the way he held her was intimate. Evanora was many things, but she was not touchy-feely with people.
"Yasmin," Evanora said. "This is Edgar, your father. You had so many questions about him. I guess he can answer them now."
Yasmin's jaw fell wide open.
"Father-in-law!" Axel exclaimed in surprise; his high-pitched voice was not manly at all.
Talia looked at Valerian and then spoke to Damon. "I know that we should check on other packs and handle the situation here, but my father needs food and to see a doctor."
Damon agreed. "We should take him to the Dark Howlers pack as soon as possible."
"I can set up a teleportation diagram in half an hour," Amelia volunteered.
Talia smiled. "Thank you, but… no need."
Damon understood what Talia wanted to do. "Let's step out."
"You are leaving?" Maddox asked.
Damon exhaled in frustration. Why was Maddox acting like an abandoned girlfriend?
But Damon knew that they couldn't leave things like this. Everyone was looking at Alpha Damon and Alpha Natalia for guidance.
"Amelia," Damon called. "Organize witches to teleport people to their respective packs. Even if they don't go now, we will need the ability to move around quickly."
Amelia nodded in agreement, and Damon called, "Pierce!"
"Yes?"
"You and Daria stay here and ensure things are stable. We don't want any other surprises from the Guardians."
"Varya and Grady can stay also," Talia said. "If a few people from every pack can stay behind, that would be the best."
Cristian, Maddox, and Tony quickly picked a few warriors that came with them.
Damon approved. "We will send you food. Let us know if any other supplies are needed short term. By the end of the day, James will come up with an optimal solution."
"Will the Guardians be involved?" Declyn asked.
Talia confirmed. "As long as you are reasonable. You told me that only Gregory stayed here. Since Gregory is out, it would be a pity to leave this castle unused. I'm sure we can come to an agreement where we can coexist."
Declyn didn't object.
They quickly got organized, and then Damon brought up one point. "We will need someone to be in charge." He didn't trust Declyn and the other Guardians. Everyone who stayed behind was capable, but they couldn't resist the Guardians if they decided to take over.
