Chapter 1022: A human member of the DH pack
Damon paced through the waiting room under the steady gazes of Keith and Arya, who didn't get too close to the room where Talia and Violet were with doctor Travis and the nurses, but the duo was keeping an eye on the door from a distance.
Damon was impatient. Why was Talia's checkup taking so long?
He mind-linked her three times already, and she told him that it was almost done, but that was two "almosts" too many, and he was getting anxious. Was something wrong? It didn't feel like it because he could sense Talia's emotions, and she was a bit nervous but mostly happy.
"Is there something I can help you with, Alpha?"
Damon's steps halted at the sound of a familiar voice, and he turned to cock an eyebrow at an unwelcome man. It was Tatiana's obnoxious assistant. Mario. Did he address him as Alpha? What the heck?
Was Tatiana here? What about Maddox? But Mario seemed to be here on his own, and he wore a uniform like a nurse.
"Why are you here?" Damon grumbled.
The last time Damon saw Mario was before Talia's Luna ceremony, which was more than three weeks ago. At that time, Damon kicked Mario across the hall, which got the human hospitalized, but three weeks was more than enough to recuperate or be transferred to a human-run facility.
Mario paused at Damon's hostility. "No need to worry about anything, Alpha. I am one of you now."
Mario craned his neck, and Damon's eyes widened, seeing a mark. How could that be a mark? Mario is human! An annoying one!
"What is that?" Damon asked while pointing at Mario's neck.
"THAT is the mark of my mate. It means we belong together. I assume you know that, considering you wear Talia's mark."
Damon's brows came together. Sure, there were cases of werewolves marking humans, but they were not common. And most importantly, why Mario?
"Is he telling the truth?" Damon asked Keith and Arya, who nodded in confirmation.
Damon refused to accept this. "Someone marked you? How is that possible?"
"Thank you for your concern," Mario said with a smile. "We consulted the Shaman before marking, and I took medicine and attended a ritual to ensure it was safe. My mate is taking very good care of me."
What concern? Damon didn't care about Mario's safety. The idea of this guy staying in the Dark Howlers pack for longer than necessary was making Damon's insides churn. And if Talia found out, she would be all, 'aww, that's so cute!'. Damon needed to nip this weed in the bud before it started growing roots.
"You say your mate marked you. Who is she?"
"Not a she. It's a HE," Mario corrected Damon. "Neal."
"Neal?" Damon repeated blankly. Was that supposed to mean something?
Mario nodded. "Neil is one of the young doctors here, a resident. Thanks to you, I was in the pack hospital instead of attending Talia's Luna ceremony. Neal came to give me my second dose of painkillers, and the rest is history. I was waiting to hear you are back to thank you properly."
"No need," Damon said curtly.
"I see. Words are not enough. We will prepare dinner and invite you to our flat. I will need to see with Neil about our availability and will call to see what time works for you…"
Dinner? What nonsense was that?
Damon couldn't believe that this shrimp was acting like he belonged here. Yes, there were cases of humans being marked which made them as almost-members of the pack, assuming Alpha allowed it.
Damon would be an ass if he stood between fated mates. Talia would never forgive him.
And yes, there were cases of same-sex couples, and it's not that Damon discriminated against gays, but Damon was allergic to Mario.
Did Maddox take advantage of Damon's absence to dump Tatiana's irritating assistant here?
Or maybe this was a joke. Surely, Maddox will jump out of somewhere with a camera in his hand, and they will laugh about it… someday. But no one else was nearby, and Damon had to accept the possibility it was real.
Damon was thinking about kicking Mario and Neil all the way to the Blue Moon pack. Maybe they can come up with a program to exchange medical personnel. Damon managed to get rid of Nora and many others at Maddox's expense; surely, one Mario won't be a big challenge.
'Damon?' Talia's voice sounded in Damon's head. 'I'm done.'
'Coming,' Damon responded and rushed to Talia's room. He will deal with Mario later.
Later that evening…
Damon and Talia were in their bedroom, and Violet was sleeping in the bassinet. The nursery was set up in Damon's old room across the hall, but Talia wanted to keep a close eye on Violet, at least for a few days.
Talia's maternal instincts were boosted by her paranoia and fear of abandonment. Whenever Violet was out of visual range, Talia was on the verge of panicking, and a baby monitor wouldn't help much.
The day was over. It started on the beach, and they went to a different realm where they met Astraea and Valerian, and Violet was born, and they appeared in the Dark Howlers pack… checkups, congratulations, calls, and visits from friends and pack members… it was a long day.
Talia spoke to Axel and Yasmin on the phone, sharing the good news. Yasmin and Axel said they would visit the next day. Yasmin knew that Talia was exhausted and that new parents would like some alone time.
Now that the hectic day was over, Damon and Talia had time to process things.
With the arrival of Violet, they were a family. A true family. That was something none of them had for a long time.
"Will we be alright?" Talia asked Damon.
"Of course, we will."
"How can you be so certain?"
Damon looked into Talia's eyes seriously. "I will do everything I can to keep you and Vi safe. You know that, right?"
Talia nodded, and he added, "With your powers, who will dare to try harming us?"
"There is always someone stronger," Talia said.
"If such a person exists, and he dares to mess with us, you can use that necklace, and your mom will kick his ass."
Talia looked at Damon dreamily. He was a powerful and willful Alpha, saying his mother-in-law would handle bullies.
Talia placed her palm on his cheek. "You changed, Alpha Damon Blake."
Damon leaned in her touch. "The Moon Goddess blessed me with a mate with whom I don't need to pretend I don't care, and I don't need to try carrying everything. You are my mate, my equal, and I am glad to know that if I slip, you will be there to pick me up. When we are together, I can be Damon. Just Damon."
"I think this is the most romantic thing you ever said to me."
Damon smiled smugly, and his eyes darted toward the bassinet where a baby was sleeping soundly.
"How about we continue this conversation in bed?" Damon suggested.
Talia nodded in agreement and glanced at Violet before wiggling out of Damon's embrace.
Talia threw herself on the bed and scrunched her nose.
"What's wrong?" Damon asked.
"New bedsheets. New mattress." She knew that things were new because she messed up the previous ones with blood, but the lack of Damon's scent made it foreign and unpleasant. "It doesn't smell like you."
Damon smiled slyly and started unbuttoning his shirt in slow motion. "We can fix that."
The only thing that would stop Damon from getting his dose of Talia was if Talia said she was not in the mood.
Travis assured them that Violet and Talia were in perfect condition, and Talia's emotions confirmed that sex was on.
After a turbulent day, Damon and Talia craved physical intimacy to release tension and confirm they were together.
Talia watched Damon undressing, and her brows came together in disapproval.
"What?" Damon asked.
"Why do you always rip my clothes, but when it comes to you, it's the opposite?"
Damon chuckled. "That's because I am such a tease. I love to make you wait."
"What if I decided to make you wait?"
'Pak-pak-pak!'
In less than a second, the remaining buttons popped as Damon yanked his shirt open. "I would never make you wait."
Talia grinned as he crawled on the bed toward her.
"You are lucky you are handsome."
"And rich," Damon said matter-of-factly. "Don't forget my money. It's part of my charm."
"I would love you even if you are dirt poor."
"And that's why you are my mate." Damon's heart tightened, and he was unsure if those were his emotions or Talia's seeping into him through their mate bond.
The truth was that he craved unconditional acceptance, just as she did. Actually, Damon wanted it more. Talia was the only one who told him it was alright to make mistakes and that he was forgiven... and she forgave him a lot.
Even before he became the Alpha of the Dark Howlers pack, Damon needed to be strong, firm, confident, unyielding, resolute… always. No one questioned if he had those qualities. The image of undefeatable Alpha was wearing him down, and he wrapped himself in layers of ruthlessness to prevent himself from crumbling.
With Talia, he could be himself. The more he revealed his vulnerability, the more she loved him, and little by little, Damon learned to love himself as well. Even the soft and not-so-cool sides of him.
"Ahh…" A soft sigh escaped Talia's lips when Damon kissed his mark on her neck. "Is this OK? Vi is here."
"She is sleeping." Damon's words splashed on Talia's neck. "We will be quiet."
Before she could respond, his lips latched on his mark on her neck to suck her there, announcing a wild ride that kept them awake until late into the night.
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