'We need to talk. Some Elders want to see you.', Maya said before Damon closed the mind-link.

Maya wanted to discuss this during their regular sync-up after dinner, but since they were already talking, she decided to bring this up. It was important.

Damon pressed his lips into a line. Elders want to talk to him?

Elders are senior people whose previous service to the pack earned them a title of an Elder. They are not ready to retire and still want to serve the pack by guiding younger generations. They would normally have roles as advisors to the Alpha and manage issues within the pack for which Alpha shouldn't bother with.

Once Damon took over as the Alpha of the Dark Howlers pack, he removed Elders as his advisors because he suspected that some of them were involved with the death of his parents, and also because they wanted to manipulate him.

Damon hated their condescending attitudes. Yes, Damon was much younger than they were, but he was still their Alpha! The only thing that saved their necks was that his parents respected them.

He let them handle minor issues within the pack because stripping them of their positions completely would give them a lot of free time on their hands (probably to cause trouble for Damon) and it would also add to Damon's workload dealing with things like determining punishment for a guy who broke into the bakery on the main street of Darkbourne after the Summer Solstice festival.

Elders wanting to talk to Damon, meant nothing good and Damon didn't want to meet with them, but he still needed to understand the situation.

'I will be in the study in a few minutes.', Damon told Maya before shutting down the mind-link.

"Come with me.", Damon said to Talia.

Talia looked at Damon apprehensively. She just said some unpleasant things… or were they unpleasant to him? What if he wanted to get rid of her? That thought hurt, but it would make things easier.

"Where?", she asked.

"To the study. You are my assistant. There is work that I need to handle, and you should assist me." Damon ended by gesturing toward the door of the bedroom.

Talia walked out and he was one step behind her.

Damon had no intention of leaving Talia out of his visual range.

She wanted to leave? That's not happening.

Some people dared to talk rubbish? He will find them and teach them a lesson.

Damon didn't want to force Talia to stay by his side, knowing that she has an uncanny ability to escape his grasp. If he pushes too much, she can give him a slip when he is not paying attention.

But how can he make her stay with him? He needed some time to figure out how to deal with this.

…

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...

Maya entered the study, and it was obvious that she was dispirited. Her cheeks were sunken and her always-present smile was not there. She was missing Caden.

Maya paused when she saw Talia standing in attention next to Damon.

'We should talk in private', Maya told Damon through the mind-link.

Damon waved, indicating how that's not happening. There was no way he will leave Talia out of his sight.

"Whatever you have to say, Talia can hear it.", Damon said aloud.

He wanted Talia to know about ins and outs of the pack and the matters he was dealing with daily. She will need that, as his future Luna.

Maya cleared her throat. "As I said before, Elders want to see you."

"Which ones?"

"Elder Charlie and Elder Samson", Maya responded.

"Did they say why?"

"No, but I have a guess.", Maya said while putting the latest edition of WW Magazine on Damon's desk. "We all know that those two Elders are close to Elder Parker, and considering the coverage you and Talia got in this magazine, and the timing… We should assume that this will be related to you and Marcy from the Red Moon pack."

Damon's brows came together. "Anything from our people in Europe?"

Maya shook her head. "Nothing yet."

Damon was irked. How come they can't find any dirt on Marcy? But he didn't have the luxury to vent because he was running out of time.

This also reminded him that Marcy was only days away from coming to the Dark Howlers pack unless he finds something solid to deter her.

Talia could see that both Damon and Maya were worried about this.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble.", Talia said in a small voice.

"Yes, when you wander alone, you get me worried.", Damon responded without looking at her.

"That's not what I meant.", Talia said, and Damon turned to look at her questionably.

She pointed at the magazine. "If I didn't go with you, this wouldn't happen, so…"

Damon stared into Talia's honeyed eyes that looked at him with sincerity and he got an idea.

"Yes, you caused me trouble. Will you take responsibility for it and help me fix it?", Damon asked.

Talia didn't know what he was getting at, but how could she refuse? "Sure."

Damon's lips curved into a smile, and he told Maya, "Tell them to come tomorrow morning. I will give them an explanation."

Knowing Damon's explosive personality, Maya feared that he will put those two Elders into the dungeon, or maybe kill them and make it look like an accident.

Maya was afraid to ask, but she had to, "What explanation?"

"They are Elders of the Dark Howlers pack. They are putting the needs of our pack first." Damon waited for Maya to nod in agreement before continuing, "I need to prove that no matter what benefits Alpha Edward or Elder Parker offered them, Marcy from the Red Moon pack is not the best choice to be my Luna."

Maya was suspicious. Did Damon actually have a plan? But Damon is not the guy who comes up with schemes and plots. Damon is straightforward and he says what's on his mind, and when facing opposition, he would settle it with a fight. Did he plan to beat up two Elders?

"How will you prove it?", Maya asked.

Damon smiled smugly, obviously pleased with his idea. "No one is more suitable to be the Luna than Alpha's fated mate. Those Elders won't dare go against the will of the Moon Goddess. Actually, this might make them resist Elder Parker's advances to set me up with Marcy."

Maya glanced at Talia. Were they ready to reveal the secret? But based on Talia's expression, it seemed that Talia didn't know what Damon was getting at, so Maya needed to clarify.

"You will tell them that you found your fated mate?"

Damon confirmed with a nod. "That will shut them up."

Talia shifted on her feet. How come Damon found his mate, and he didn't tell her? If he had his mate, why did he go to the party with Talia? Or did he find his mate today while they were apart? But then… why was Maya looking at her? And Damon was looking at her also and… Talia realized something.

"Are you talking about me?", Talia asked as panic swelled inside her. "I can't be your mate."

Damon puffed his cheeks and before Talia could react he pulled her to sit on his lap. "There is no one better than you for that role."

Talia was flustered. She was sitting on Damon's lap right in front of Maya! And Damon was talking some nonsense about mates.

"They will see right through that lie. Everyone will. I can't do that."

"Didn't you say that you will help me?", Damon asked.

Well, she said that but… "I did, but…"

Damon put his index finger on Talia's lips, preventing her from talking further. He didn't want to hear any buts.

"Don't overthink it. The only thing you need to convince them is that you are madly in love with me. You can do that, right?"

Talia stared into his icy-blue eyes, and she was unable to look away.

Did he say that she needs to convince someone how she is madly in love with him? And he was confident that she can do it.

Talia's chin trembled. He knew. He knew that she was totally, irrevocably, ardently, in love with him.

Without removing his gaze from Talia, Damon waved at Maya to leave the office with, "Tell Caden to return as soon as possible. We have a situation here and you will deal later with any work that is still pending. If he can be here by morning, that would be perfect."

Maya quickly scurried out of the office, before Damon could change his mind about Caden returning to the pack. She missed her mate immensely and she couldn't wait to have him in the touching distance again.

Back in the office…

Damon cupped Talia's cheek with his palm. "What do you say, kitten? Will you do that for me?"

"Do, what?", Talia asked in a shaky whisper.

Talia was sitting on Damon's lap and with Maya gone, suddenly she became aware of how close she was to Damon.

"I need to hear your answer. Will you be my Luna? Will you be my mate?", Damon's words splashed against Talia's lips, bringing her an extra dose of the dark chocolate she craved for.

"For tomorrow?"

"And longer. Much longer.", he said, and before Talia completed her nod, Damon's lips landed on hers with urgency.

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