Talia bit the inside of her cheek while wondering if that's worth it. Surely, her peace of mind is insignificant when compared with a war between packs. People will get hurt! And there is no guarantee she will be happy.

But her wolf said that Damon needs to deal with Marcy and that Talia shouldn't let him mark her until that happens. If Talia forgives Damon before he redeems himself, her wolf will go ballistic. Talia could feel the beasts' rage and she knew that her wolf was not joking.

Talia was reconsidering her idea for Damon to confront Marcy when she noticed that his eyes were unfocused. He was mind-linking someone.

"Did something happen?", she asked.

"No.", Damon responded. "We are entering a restricted area, so I was informing patrol to stay away."

"Restricted area?"

"You will see in a minute.", Damon responded mysteriously and increased his pace.

Talia observed dense foliage that changed as Damon moved and she noticed that there was an incline; and even though there was no path in sight, Damon definitely knew where he was going.

Where was he taking her? Was he planning to imprison her somewhere? Is that why the area is restricted and has guards?

…

The sound of the water running was clearer as trees around them became scarcer with every step Damon took.

Talia blinked at the bright sun when they emerged on a clearing that was speckled with wildflowers and there was a river going through the middle of it. The clearing ended with a sharp fall and Talia understood that the noise was coming from the waterfall. Based on the rumble, it was a long way down.

But Damon didn't carry Talia toward the river, or to the edge to enjoy the view. He took a right and stopped when they reached a deep shade of a lonely oak tree that shielded them from the scorching summer midday sun.

Damon carefully kept Talia to stand on her feet and he supported her by the shoulders until she got her footing. He was carrying her for a while.

"I'm OK. Thanks.", Talia assured him, and she was confused when he took her hand in his and started leading the way closer to the trunk of the tree.

Talia followed him obediently and her eyes widened when she saw a black marble rectangle-shaped stone with a curved top edge. It had engraved, 'In memory of loving parents, Jacob Blake and Violet Blake'.

Damon stood a few steps in front of the gravestone and bowed his head. "Mom, Dad, this is Talia, my mate. She is wonderful, everything a Luna should be, and much more, but I messed up. If you are alive, I would ask you how to fix the mess I created." He exhaled audibly. "Actually, if you are alive, I would probably not make that mess in the first place."

Damon turned to Talia and smiled a little. "Elders wanted to bury my parents in the pack cemetery, but I refused. They were free spirits who loved this land and treated every member of the Dark Howlers pack as family, but those same people betrayed them, so I decided they should rest here. This is the most restricted area in our territory, protected by a handful of guards I personally selected, and only I can enter. I come here when I'm not sure how to deal with the situation I'm facing. It's quiet and no one disturbs me."

Damon released Talia's hand and squatted to remove stray weeds that were growing too close to the gravestone. He moved swiftly and Talia concluded that he did this many times before.

Talia watched Damon awkwardly, unsure what to do while he approached the gravestone to dust off the dirt.

Damon paused his movements and glanced at Talia. "You can say hi to them, or not. They can't hear you, even though I wish that they can."

When he finished with cleanup, Damon stood up and looked at Talia. "You can treat this as a place where you can confess your thoughts, and no one will judge you. I instructed guards that you can come here so when you need space and the packhouse won't do, please use this area. It's safe and other than the two of us, no one else has access."

Talia was not sure if she should be here, and she definitely didn't know where this HERE was because Damon was carrying her and she was not paying attention to her surroundings. She didn't want to admit that if Damon left now, she would be totally lost. During her previous outings into the forest, she didn't spot any river or a waterfall.

Damon saw that Talia's expression was reluctant, so he gestured toward the gravestone. "Think of them as good listeners who are good at keeping secrets."

He glanced behind Talia. "If you want to just sit in silence, I will prefer that you join me there."

Talia watched as Damon walked away with his shoulders dropping gradually with every step he took, and his big and powerful back suddenly looked lonely.

Talia could feel he didn't want to leave her. He wanted to hold her close, but she needed some distance from Damon because his proximity only made her crave for his touch.

She turned to the gravestone and after a few moments of hesitation, she spoke, "Hi Alpha Jacob and Luna Violet. My name is Talia. I am Damon's mate. I heard many good things about you from Stephanie. Damon doesn't talk much about you, but he is not much of a talker."

Talia pressed her lips into a line. What was she doing? Talking to a stone?

But Damon said to treat it as she was talking to good listeners, and she really needed to voice her grievances.

Talia saw that Damon sat on a big rock at the bank of the river, with his legs toward the edge of the cliff, so the noise from the waterfall would prevent him from overhearing whatever she says.

Well, no matter how silly it looks, she had nothing to lose.

…

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...

Talia squatted close to the gravestone and spoke in a low voice.

"To be honest, I am not worthy of being Damon's mate. He is exceptional in every way possible, and I am not. Damon's past is bothering me, but I don't know if I have the right to judge him for what he did. I mean… I was often thinking about running away from problems even after we met. Damon was telling me that I am the only one who can be called Mrs. Blake, yet I was contemplating exit strategies. I am not a Luna material. Damon is doing his best to face challenges and instead of thinking about rising to meet his level, my desire is to pull him down. What kind of a Luna does that? I wish that Damon is not an Alpha."

Talia shook her head at her pessimism.

"I don't have skills or confidence for the job and the only person who believes I can do it is Damon. Maybe that's why I love him…" Talia's eyes widened as her cheeks caught on fire. Did she just say that she loves him? Aloud? But it's the truth.

"I love everything about him. He is handsome and caring, and he loves to cuddle. What is there not to love?" Her lips curved downward. "But if everything is so great, why am I reacting like this when his past resurfaces? He has more than twenty years of life without me and if I am going to be the mate he needs, I should accept him… even the dirty parts, just how he accepts me unconditionally like I don't have any flaws."

"You would be proud of him. Damon takes care of his people and everyone talks about Damon and the Dark Howlers pack with awe. That's probably one of the reasons why so many women wish to be his Luna. On top of being an amazing Alpha, Damon found me in a dingy attic where I was hiding from people who forgot I exist. He brought me here while risking a war between packs. Without knowing my background, he gave me a place to live, and I am not wondering from where my next meal will come. He is taking good care of me even when no one is watching." Talia's cheeks heated. "Especially when no one is watching. And I am back to where I started. I am not worthy of being his mate."

Talia smiled sadly at the gravestone while wondering what would his parents say if they were alive. Well, that's one thing she will never find out.

"Thank you for listening."

She stood up and bowed toward the gravestone. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Blake. If there is a chance, I will visit again."

Talia turned to look at Damon. His back was hunched with his hands balled into fists and his gaze was directed at the imaginary spot on the horizon. It was a strange posture because Damon would normally stand ramrod straight and his every pore oozed confidence, yet this was… different. But even with that, he was the most handsome man Talia ever saw.

---

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