"WAIT!", Maddox shouted after Damon who was walking away with Talia in his arms. "What should I do about these two?"

"I'm sure you can think of something!", Damon shouted back without halting his steps.

Maddox stood frozen with his mouth half-open.

Why was Damon treating him like a cleaning crew!?

Maddox cursed loudly. He is an Alpha, damn it!

He has people taking care of these things!

But now there were no people because he came with Mindy, and that gave him the idea…

'Mindy! I need your help.', Maddox called through the mind-link. 'Come at the back of the garden, behind thuyas...' He was giving her instructions while ignoring Mindy's grumbling about how she was in the middle of chatting with Kalina.

If this was not such a high-profile event, Maddox would just walk away, but what if those two guys wake up and start talking nonsense?

Ah, if he knew it will end up like this, he would stay at the table instead of following after Damon!

Unfortunately, someone probably saw him coming here, and he got implicated. What a bother…

…

"Can you keep me down?", Talia asked Damon with an urgent whisper when she realized that he was walking toward the party with her in his arms.

"No.", Damon responded with finality and Talia hid her face in the crook of his neck, hoping that she can turn invisible or at least that no one will pay attention to them.

Damon's destination was not their table. He took a turn into the packhouse, and Talia tried not to think about how many guests from the garden noticed them before they disappeared through the closest open French doors.

Talia tensed when she heard another wave of chatter, and she couldn't believe that Damon was carrying her through the event hall that was full of people.

The intense glares from various misses were burning her skin.

Talia's face was hidden, but based on her dress, everyone knew that she was Damon's date.

Talia felt like crying. If Marcy and Nora came to her previously to stir trouble, after this, those two will come at Talia looking for blood.

With the clamor quieting down, Talia peeked over Damon's shoulder to see that they were in the hallway. "Are we really leaving the party?"

Damon didn't respond.

Talia stared at his face, and she smiled when she acknowledged that under that unreadable expression, Damon was relaxed. Whatever tension was in the garden, he left it there, and her uneasiness disappeared as well.

Talia leaned on Damon completely and enjoyed the carrying service he provided.

…

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...

Damon closed the door of their bedroom behind them before keeping Talia to stand on the ground.

"Why are we here?", Talia voiced her thoughts. It was getting late, but it was still lively outside without signs that the party was going to end anytime soon. Was he tired? He didn't look like it.

Damon narrowed his eyes at Talia and stalked toward her.

Talia gulped a mouthful of air while retreating and she jolted when her back hit the door. There was nowhere to go.

Damon put his hands against the door, trapping Talia between his arms.

"You disobeyed me, kitten.", he said grimly.

Talia's breath hitched. "What?"

"I told you not to wander alone, yet you did. And what did I find? You and two guys.", Damon reminded her. "How should I punish you?"

Talia's eyes widened to the point of hurting and she felt heat creeping up her neck at the thought of the last punishment Damon gave her… in the study… with his head between her legs… Why was the room running out of oxygen?

Damon cocked an eyebrow at Talia and a sly smirk appeared at the corner of his lips.

"It's not a punishment if you are looking forward to it.", he drawled.

Talia closed her eyes and cursed internally. He just smelled her arousal. Why was she thinking that the punishment will be the same? What if he puts her over his knee and spanks her? Wait! Somehow, that was arousing as well. Damn it!

Talia collected her courage and looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Damon…"

"A-a-a…", Damon interrupted her. "I told you that I don't want to hear your apologies."

"But you should hear my explanation!", Talia snapped. Why was he so unreasonable?

Damon was amused by Talia's spunk. She was talking back again, acting like his Luna, without realizing it.

He already planned to get the security footage and find out what exactly happened to make Talia stray on her own in the garden instead of coming to him, but he was curious to hear her version.

Damon took half a step back, to give her more space, making sure that his palms were still touching the door, keeping her trapped between his arms.

Talia understood more space as an OK to talk.

"I was waiting for Lina and Mindy to come out of the restroom, how we agreed previously. They were stopped by some women, and it took a while. Before I knew it, Marcy and Nora were in front of me. Marcy didn't say much. Nora did most of the talking."

Damon hid his anxiety behind a frown. "What did she say?"

"Uhm…" Talia hesitated for an endless second. "She said that Marcy will be your Luna."

"She won't…"

"I know", Talia interrupted him. "You told me that and I believe you. Actually, when I brought up that Nora came to our room, Nora shrunk, and based on Marcy's expression, I could guess that Marcy didn't know about it. They didn't recognize me, so that was good, but somehow… I was uneasy. I was anxious and angry, and I couldn't shake off. I wanted to calm down before joining you. I didn't think that those two men will come that way."

"You were angry?" Damon imagined his adorable kitten with her claws out. The mental image was super cute.

"There was no reason for my anger, but it was there. I felt the same with Cassie. She was talking and something came over me and the next thing I knew, I slapped her." Talia looked at Damon apprehensively. "That's not like me. I'm not a violent person."

An invisible lightbulb lit up above Damon's head.

Was that her wolf stirring?

Or what if she was channeling his emotions?

With Cassie, Damon controlled his urge to punch her into tomorrow, and while Talia was in the ladies' room with Kalina and Mindy, Damon was at the bar with Elder Parker. The timings match. When he was raging on the inside, Talia was feeling anger she couldn't describe.

Doesn't that mean she can sense their bond?

Of course, that could also be interpreted as Talia claiming Damon as hers. Whichever it is, Damon will take it.

Talia saw Damon's lips stretching in a smile and she exhaled in relief. Her explanation pacified him.

"You did good, kitten.", Damon murmured, and Talia smiled brightly.

Her smile froze when he spoke again.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you disobeyed me."

Damon's hands that were resting on the door, on each side of Talia, moved in slow motion.

Talia inhaled sharply when she felt his hot palms high on her back, at the edge of her golden sequined bodice.

'RIIIIPPPPP!'

The breeze caressed Talia's back and thighs and she couldn't believe that he tore the dress. Just like that.

What was left of Talia's dress slid down her body and she gaped at the bunch of material around her ankles. It was the most beautiful dress Talia ever saw.

Well, now it was certain that she was not going back to the party.

She felt like crying. Didn't Lily and Ivy say how that's an expensive designer dress?

Talia was not sure if she needed to return the dress after the party, but if she could keep it, she wanted to preserve and cherish it forever. It was a couple's outfit and he ruined it!

Talia wanted to rip his shirt as payback, but somehow she knew that he would like it, and if she retaliates in the same way, he will only continue with his outrageous behavior until both of them end up completely naked.

That reminded her… she was left only in her underwear.

In her panic, Talia clumsily tried to cover up her breasts and crotch area with her hands. Those undergarments didn't provide much coverage.

A slow chuckle escaped Damon's lips. It was a low sound, sexy, and full of danger, and Talia pressed her legs together in response. This was NOT a good time to get aroused!

"Is this my punishment?", Talia asked dejectedly.

"What do you think?", Damon asked teasingly.

Damon touched Talia's chin, making her look up at him.

"Why are you hiding? You are beautiful."

He leaned closer and his breath caressed Talia's ear while he murmured, "The whole evening, I'm looking forward to this part… the two of us… alone… What about you, kitten? Don't you feel the same?"

Talia held her breath. How does she feel? Does she want to be with Damon?

Her arms fell slack next to her body, and her head moved a bit as she rubbed her cheek against his.

Damon was overjoyed at this small intimacy. Her every gesture was formidable, capable of moving his heart, and making him crave for more.

He inched away and observed her flushed face. She was shy and adorable, and he wanted to gobble her up.

Damon took her hands into his and placed them on his chest.

"Now it's time for your punishment, kitten… undress me."

---

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