Chapter 1069: Alpha Violet and Alpha Ashton (10)
While spacing out from her conversation with Luna Michelle, Talia's eyes moved to the handsome man who was standing nearby with Alpha Christian, Commander George, and Beta Caden.
Damon was in his late forties, yet he didn't have a single gray hair and his physique was impressive as ever. In less than a second, Damon's icy-blue eyes were directed at her. He could always sense when her attention was on him.
'Yes, kitten?' Damon's deep voice sounded in Talia's mind, making her smile widen.
'I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you.'
He puffed his chest proudly. He didn't know why she said it, but it didn't matter. Talia praising him will never get old. 'The lucky one is me. Without you, none of this would be possible.'
Damon meant it. Thanks to Talia, they had their family, friends, and allies. He remembered clearly the day when he brought the skinny she-wolf without her wolf to his packhouse. He knew Talia was his mate, but he had no idea how her presence would change his life - all for the better. Their story confirmed that the pack prospers when their Alpha devotes himself to his fated mate, the Luna of his pack.
"Stop looking at your mate and greet your guests," Maddox grumbled from the side, and Damon sneered.
"Don't tell me you are jealous that I would rather look at my mate than at you?"
Maddox rolled his eyes, and then they hugged while patting their backs with more force than necessary. With Maddox and Damon, everything was competition. Even hugs.
Talia shook her head at their banter and was relieved that Maddox didn't bring up the destroyed cottage. That would remind Damon who destroyed it and why, and it would probably cause more friction between Damon and Ashton.
Talia turned to see that Luna Michelle was talking to Tatiana and Mindy.
Talia greeted Tatiana and looked behind to see the River siblings trickling into the garden, but one was missing. "Is Ethan not with you?"
"He is," Tatiana responded, and before she could say more, cries from inside were heard.
Talia could feel the disturbance, and she quickly scanned the surroundings to check for her kids. Jacob, Logan, Zeke, and Gabriel were all in the garden with their friends. Other than her kids, who would dare to cause a commotion in the packhouse of the Dark Howlers pack?
She rushed inside to see what was going on.
Talia paused at the sight of Ethan on the ground with his face bloodied and Ashton standing in front of him. Ashton's red fist was proof of what happened, but why…? Talia looked at Violet, who stood behind Ashton with her face etched in worry and uncertainty.
"Travis!" Damon called, and the good doctor was beside his Alpha in a second.
Olivia, Travis's mate, was two steps behind in the crowd that gathered to see what was happening there.
"Yes, Alpha?" Travis asked.
"There is a patient for you to check."
Travis moved swiftly, and Ethan hissed but didn't push the doctor away.
A few seconds later, Travis spoke to Damon. "Young Alpha Ethan's nose looks broken, and he should get his bones set properly before they start healing."
"Jacob," Damon called. "Help Doctor Travis take young Alpha Ethan to the pack hospital."
"I am fine," Ethan squeezed through his teeth while glaring at Ashton.
"I know you are," Damon said. "But Doctor said your nose is broken, and I'm sure you don't want it to heal like that. This is not negotiable."
Maddox and Tatiana stood on the side. They wanted to go to him, but Ethan was a grownup now, and if they babied him, it would make him appear weak.
Maddox turned to Ashton. "I hope there is an explanation for this."
"He was touching my mate," Ashton said icily, and now Damon was glaring at Ethan also.
Ethan was leaving with Jacob, Doctor Travis, and Olivia, so Damon turned to Violet. "He was touching you?"
"That was not…" Violet puffed her cheeks. "It was a misunderstanding."
Ethan saw Violet and Ashton coming down the stairs, and he rushed to hug Violet – as always. They didn't see each other often because Ethan was studying in a college with humans, and he visited last time more than six months ago.
Ethan was about to greet Violet, how they usually would, but instead of Violet's hug, Ethan was greeted with Ashton's wrath.
Violet never saw that side of Ashton. His energies were hostile and prickly, and it was difficult to breathe even for her. She was surprised to see how easily Ashton suppressed Ethan. Ethan just froze with his mouth agape as Ashton hit him. Thrice.
"Alright!" Damon didn't shout loudly, but everyone flinched. "Youngsters had a spat. We all know that newly mated couples are territorial. This is not something for us grown-ups to meddle with."
The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving Ashton, Violet, and three sets of parents.
"Are you alright?" Talia asked as her eyes moved from Violet to Ashton.
Ashton turned to Violet. He was still charged up and irritable, and he was also concerned about how Violet would react. What if she scolds him and defends Ethan?
Violet frowned at Ashton. "You shouldn't hit my friends."
"He is not a friend," Ashton said with more fierceness than he intended, but that was his wolf talking. "He is a male with affection for you. You accepting him is…"
"Not happening," Damon interjected and turned to Violet. "Vi. What is your wolf saying?"
"My wolf?"
"Sweetie," Talia called. "I know we taught you to use your head and follow your heart, but when it comes to your mate, you should listen to your wolf. They don't share."
'You tell her!' Liseli hissed in Talia's mind.
"Ethan is my friend. Are you saying I can't have friends because I have a mate?"
Talia nodded in acknowledgment of Violet's words. "I hear you, but if you want to remain friends with unmated males, there must be a boundary between them and you. If you don't do that, you will hurt your mate. Do you remember the main rule about dealing with conflict?"
"Put myself in the other person's shoes," Violet said, and she sucked in a sharp breath. If that were a female going for Ashton, Violet would blow up everything.
She threw herself at Ashton and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry, Ash. It won't happen again. I will tell Ethan to stay away."
Ashton released a long breath, relieved that she was not angry at him. He put his arms around her awkwardly.
Violet looked up at Ashton. "Are you blaming me? What can I do to fix it?"
"Why do you think I'm blaming you?"
"Why are you not hugging me properly?"
"Because I have blood on my hands, and you told me that was your favorite dress."
Violet's eyes flashed in understanding. "OK. Let's go so you wash your hands, and then you can hug me."
Talia leaned on Damon and smiled. Damon was never fond of Ashton, and it got worse after he found out that Ashton and Violet were mates. However, now Talia sensed Damon's approval of the young Alpha. Was it because of Ashton's vicious attack on Ethan?
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