"Let me down!", Talia protested only to be met with Damon's silence in response as he carried her through the forest over his shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes with her head sticking to his muscular back.

Talia wanted to push herself away from Damon's back, but her arms ran out of strength five minutes ago and she wondered, how can he walk while carrying her like she weighs nothing? But then... Damon was an impressive bundle of muscles that smelled of the forest and the dark chocolate and... Talia told herself to snap out of it. This was not the time to succumb to Damon's charms!

"You can't do this!", Talia hissed and started wiggling.

'SLAP!'

After the slap, Damon's hand lingered a bit on her behind and Talia bit her lip, refusing to let him know that it hurt or that she wanted him to keep that hand there a bit longer.

Talia took a few deep breaths to calm down and then she spoke, "Come on, Damon. Let me down. I can walk."

Silence.

"Are you going to ignore me!?" Talia punched his back.

"Aww…", she cried softly because her hand hurt now. How can a man be so hard?

"This is ridiculous! Let me go!"

She started wiggling her legs again.

'SLAP!'

Why was his hand still on her butt? Did he just give her a squeeze? And why did she like it, damn it!?

Talia plopped limply against him and started sobbing silently. More from frustration than from pain.

When did her brain get rewired and she was enjoying this barbaric treatment? Did she develop masochistic tendencies?

Damon stopped walking. "Are you OK?"

"How can I be OK when you are carrying me like this and spanking whenever I say something?"

In one swift move, Damon flipped her, and Talia found herself in his arms, this time being carried princess style, and he continued walking.

"I spank you when you squirm haphazardly.", Damon said. "Do you want me to drop you and you break your neck?"

Talia pouted and crossed her arms over her chest in order to prevent herself to act on an urge to put her arms around his neck. He was NOT getting any hugs!

"Can we talk?", she asked.

She could see the muscles of his jaw tensing before he responded, "When we reach home."

That was a no, for now.

Talia didn't know where they were, but she guessed that the packhouse can't be far. He said that they will talk when they get home, and he had no intention of letting her walk on her own, so she decided to wait.

Rays of the sunset sneaked between the trees and danced over his handsome face, creating mesmerizing shadows as he walked, and Talia couldn't stop herself from staring.

The longer she looked at him, the more entranced she became. Every curve of his face was flawless, just like the rest of his body. How can a man be so beautiful?

Little by little, Talia forgot about her grievances. Damon's proximity cast a spell on her where she couldn't worry about anything and anyone beyond their imaginary bubble that was big enough only for the two of them to fit.

A small smirk at the edge of Damon's lips told her that he knew she was admiring his features silently, and she didn't realize at what point she relaxed against him.

As for Damon, he was anxious that Talia was missing, and furious when he found her with Gideon, but now that she was in his arms, Damon forgot why he was angry. Talia's proximity came with her addictive sweet citrusy scent of freesia and the delightful sparks danced over his skin, and he was happy.

He wished that this walk with Talia in his arms, through the forest, into the sunset, lasts forever.

…

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...

In the packhouse…

The sounds of utensils clanking from the kitchen told Talia that dinner preparation was in progress which meant that Stephanie, Zina, and Dawn were there. Talia hoped that none of them will peek out to see the scene of Damon carrying her in his arms.

Only when Damon closed the bedroom door behind them did Talia release the breath she was holding.

Normally, Talia would relax the moment she reached the third floor of the packhouse, but since the incident with Rosa, she was aware that no place provides privacy.

Feeling the ground under her feet after a long time, Talia was unstable for a moment, and Damon was quick to support her by holding onto her shoulders.

"How are you doing?", Damon asked while inspecting her visually. "Any injuries?"

Talia's expression hardened. "What injuries? Other than you smacking my butt, there is nothing else."

"Is it aching?"

"Yes!"

It didn't really hurt much, but she wanted to make him feel guilty about spanking her. Why did his eyes light up with mischief?

Damon licked his lips slowly. "Let me see."

Talia stepped away from him. "No."

"If I caused you pain, I have the right to fix it.", Damon said matter-of-factly.

Talia was aware of the effect Damon's proximity had on her. She would lose all reasoning and forget grievances and if she ends up butt naked so that he can inspect the so-called injury, there won't be much talking involved.

Damon made a step toward Talia, and she extended her arms in front of her defensively.

"Stay there. We need to talk."

Damon puffed his cheeks when he realized that undressing Talia will come later. "OK. Talk."

Talia pressed her lips into a line and steeled her resolve.

Yes, he is handsome and smells good and she is absolutely smitten with him but that's exactly why she needs to think and do what's best for her because no one else will.

Talia remembered Ashley and Heather at the town square and their hurtful words… and Rosa snooping with her malicious gaze… and Marcy and Nora at the party with their condescending attitudes… and how Damon violently broke the door of the shaman's house without any warning… and Talia swallowed a mouthful of air before forcing out of her mouth, "This… is not working."

Damon cocked an eyebrow. "What's not working?"

"This. Us. Me staying here…"

A wave of dizziness hit Damon and he didn't hear Talia's next few words.

"What did you say?", he asked while feeling that the ground below his feet was crumbling.

She didn't have the strength to say it again. Somehow, her anguish intensified. "You heard me."

"You want to move out? Where to?", Damon's words were dripping with disbelief, mostly because he could feel Talia's emotions and how everything she said went against what she truly wanted.

"I was thinking to stay with Omegas until I figure out where to go next.", Talia responded honestly.

The hell you are!

Damon's expression worsened when he realized that she is not only planning to leave the packhouse but the pack itself. "Why?"

Talia released a long breath. "Look, Damon, I am grateful for everything you did for me. I really am."

"And that's why you want to leave me?", he interrupted her. "You said that you won't leave!"

"Is this what you see as payment? You got a nobody from an attic and gave me a roof over my head and now I need to serve you until the debt is repaid? For how long?"

Damon was not sure if he heard her right. "What!? No!"

Talia ignored his words and continued, "People talk about me as a nobody who is latching onto you while you see me as a pet, the latest entertainment. I know you had many women before and just how you discarded them, you will do the same with me when…"

"STOP!", Damon shouted and grabbed her shoulders. "Where did you get that? Who are those people!?"

"Everyone!", Talia shouted back while jerking out of his hold. "Maybe you don't hear what they are saying, but I do. You want to know who they are!? It's the Omega who cleans the packhouse and the vendor at the town square and the nurse in the hospital. Everyone!"

Talia released a shaky breath and lowered her head, her next words were barely above a whisper, "I am no one and I don't have anything, but I still have my pride and I won't allow you to trample over it."

Damon was at loss for words.

He had no idea what caused this outburst. Talia said how she wanted to leave him and… he remembered that Travis told him that Talia was bullied by two women.

They were doing fine, they were making progress, and he will be damned if he allows some unknown wenches to separate him from his mate!

Damon's eyes flashed with murderous intent.

He was focused on Talia and didn't think much about she-wolves like Cassie and Marcy, and he definitely didn't think about some random women who were present in his life just long enough to scratch his itch once, and he had a feeling that those two women who bullied Talia in the town square, belong to the latter group.

Damon's eyes lost focus as he mind-linked Maya, 'Maya, two women approached Talia this afternoon at the town square, and they bullied her to the point of Talia wanting to leave. I need you to find out who they are.'

'Yes, Alpha', Maya responded right away.

---

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