Damon and Talia followed one Omega to their seats, and Damon was pleased to confirm that his request was fulfilled.

The table that could seat six people was set only for him and Talia. Perfect.

The six chairs were around the table, but only two had nametags in front of them. One said, "Alpha Damon" and the other one was "Mrs. Blake".

Talia thought that she will pass out. What was Damon thinking?

She swiftly flipped the card with "Mrs. Blake" to conceal the text, and she chanted internally that it's not a big deal because everyone knows him as "Alpha Damon" and not as "Damon Blake". Besides, how many people looked at those fine cursive letters on a tiny nametag?

Damon didn't ask with whom they should be seated, but as part of his RSVP, Damon made a list of people who shouldn't be nearby, and that list included people from the Red Moon pack, the Steelbite pack, as well as a number of Elders.

It's not that Damon wanted to hide Talia. Quite the opposite.

Damon wanted to use this event for everyone to see that there is a woman in his life who is more than a fling. In his opinion, as long as they don't confirm that Talia is his mate, they won't attack her, but he didn't want Talia to be invisible either.

With this move, Damon will silence anyone who is trying to sneakily get information on Talia (like Alpha Richard), and it will allow Talia to make her debut without attracting too much attention.

The incident at the festival told Damon that his enemies were set on finding out who Talia is (among other things), and he knew that many are targeting him since he ascended his current position as an Alpha. Due to that, it was only a matter of time before they find out about Talia, and like this, it's happening on his terms.

This is as far as Damon's plan went and he wanted to enjoy this evening with Talia, as for anything else… he will deal with it tomorrow.

Omegas were quick to bring drinks and appetizers.

Talia observed bite-sized pastries that were filled with a variety of small sausages, mushrooms, ham, and some were wrapped in bacon.

Damon put one of each on the plate for Talia to taste with, "See which one you like the most, and then you can have more of that…"

Talia glanced nervously from her plate to Damon. "Is it OK for you to do this?"

Damon cocked an eyebrow at her questionably and she clarified, "There are people watching us."

Damon tapped the tip of her nose with his index finger. "What people? It's just the two of us here." Seeing her shocked expression, Damon chuckled. "You need to learn to ignore non-important people. Now eat before it cools off. Or do you want me to feed you?"

Talia swiftly stuffed one random pastry in her mouth.

Damon putting food on her plate was already too much, and if he feeds her as well, her heart won't be able to take it. Maybe he can ignore the so-called non-important people, but Talia was painfully aware of gazes burning into her skin from all directions.

She decided to focus on Damon.

Talia watched Damon as he picked food for his plate and then his right hand found her left one and their fingers interlaced. This time, the intimate gesture happened on the table, for everyone to see.

…

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...

"That was quite a performance. You should have done it here, in the garden, for everyone to see.", Maddox said while taking a seat at the table with Damon and Talia.

"It was not much. Cassie was asking for it.", Damon responded to Maddox.

Talia's eyes widened at the sudden appearance of Maddox because images from earlier that afternoon flashed in her mind: Maddox naked on top of a woman.

Talia tried to suppress those images because they were inappropriate, and she still remembered how Damon tried to erase them.

Maddox hummed ambiguously and then turned to Talia. "Hello, Talia. You look lovely."

Damon let out a low growl which overlapped with Talia's weak 'thank you', and Maddox raised his hands defensively toward Damon.

"There is no need to get aggressive. I was only complimenting your girl."

When Maddox said, 'your girl', Damon calmed down.

"If it makes you feel any better, Damon…", Maddox chuckled. "You also look lovely."

Damon grimaced sarcastically but he was surprised by the growl that escaped him. Why did he do that?

It seems that the mate bond got stronger again, and Damon wondered how far it will go. Will he see any guy who talks to Talia as competition?

Damon wanted to discuss this with his wolf, but what if his wolf takes over and Damon pounces on Talia while disregarding the audience?

Maddox ignored Damon's grumpiness that started from the moment he joined them at the table, and he turned to Talia.

"So, Talia, what do you think about this party?"

Talia was not sure how to respond. If she removes the scene with Cassie, they just got here.

But Maddox was looking at her expectantly, and she had to say something.

"Alpha Maddox…"

"Please", Maddox interrupted her. "Call me Maddox. We are all friends here."

Talia remembered Maddox saying something similar earlier that afternoon to the woman who was under him. 'Call me Maddox when I'm inside you…'

There was no way she will call him like that.

Instinctively, Talia snuggled closer to Damon, seeking protection.

"I wouldn't dare call you so casually, Alpha Maddox.", Talia said.

Maddox pinched the roof of his nose. Just a few days ago, Maddox was at the Dark Howlers pack and even though he and Talia were not bosom buddies, they were able to hold a conversation, and now she was looking at him like he has some contagious disease.

"Why are you so distant? Did this caveman forbid you from talking to guys?" Maddox was obviously referring to Damon.

Damon wanted to complain about the caveman reference, but Talia was sticking closer to him with every next Maddox's word, so Damon got distracted.

Maddox realized… "It's about this afternoon. There is no need to be awkward about it. Everyone is doing it."

Maddox noticed that Talia got flustered and he gaped at her. "Don't tell me… You never…"

"That's enough!", Damon seethed at Maddox.

Damon swallowed the caveman thing and he thought that Maddox might apologize for his naked performance that sullied Talia's eyes, but now Maddox only made it more awkward.

"Unless you can hold a decent conversation, I suggest you leave.", Damon said to Maddox grimly.

Maddox looked at Damon with confusion obvious in his expression. What is a decent conversation?

Maddox suspected that there is something between Damon and Talia when he visited the Dark Howlers pack during Summer Solstice.

Talia attending this event with Damon was strange enough because Damon never openly dated a woman and now it seems that Damon didn't touch Talia.

Maddox didn't get it. What kind of Alpha can be with a woman for days (or is it weeks?) and not get handsy? That goes against their nature.

Talia's eyes were darting randomly while trying not to look at Maddox and she spotted Mindy.

"Maybe I should go and chat with Mindy so that you guys can talk.", Talia said to Damon in a small voice.

Damon didn't want to talk to Maddox, but the latter pretended not to see Damon's non-verbal signs that he should leave.

"You want to talk to Mindy?", Damon grumbled at Talia. "Are you sure she is a good friend and won't take advantage of you?"

He was obviously not pleased that Talia was thinking about leaving his side. And it was Mindy's fault that Talia saw the nasty scene of Maddox's bare ass.

Seeing that Talia's mood dropped, Damon chided himself internally. Yes, he wanted Talia next to him, but he didn't want Talia to think that he was restricting her. Mindy was only a few tables away.

Damon inched closer and kissed Talia's temple. "Go and have a chat with Mindy, but don't forget to come back to me."

Talia thought for a moment before giving up on that idea. "Maybe I shouldn't. Mindy told me that I need to stick close to you so that some woman doesn't steal you from me."

Damon perked up. "Mindy said that? Listen to her and stick to me closely. Mindy is a smart woman. We will keep her."

Talia was not sure if she heard him right. Did he just say that they will keep Mindy like she is some pet?

Talia remembered that there was more… "Mindy also said that you slept with half of the women present here."

Damon's face fell. "I changed my mind. Mindy is not smart. Unfriend her and stay away from her."

Maddox stifled a laugh. "Don't blame my sister for telling the truth."

Damon glared at Maddox. "Why are you still here? Don't you have anything better to do?"

"No, not really." Maddox was busy with the woman under him, but he clearly remembered Damon's outrage while covering Talia's eyes and pulling her out of Maddox's room. "I can't think of anything more interesting compared to figuring out what made you turn into a chaste guy. How long will this last?"

Damon put his arm around Talia and held her close to him as if he was afraid that she might run away, and he spoke to Maddox, "Why do you think that this is temporary? Is it so difficult to believe that I found a woman who makes me want to leave my fickle days behind?"

Maddox's eyebrow twitched. Fickle days? That's an understatement.

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