Chapter 1072: The Journey Ahead
"Yasmin," Axel called breathily. "Do something!"
"What do you want me to do?" Yasmin asked incredulously. Was he implying that she should prevent the mate bond from falling into place? "We can't go against nature. No matter what it is, we need to embrace it, or we will suffer a backlash."
On the terrace...
Valeria stopped walking when she was only one step away from her target. He had gauze covering most of his face, but to her, he was the most handsome guy ever.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi," he returned the greeting, hating that his voice was nasal. It was not manly.
There was no need for introductions because Valeria and Ethan had known each other since they were little.
Valeria reached to touch his face, and they both jolted when sparks of their bond flared.
"My mate," Valeria said, more to herself, like she was confirming this was real.
Ethan stared at her stupidly. Blondes were his type, and he knew Valeria was pretty, but he never realized how beautiful she was. When was the last time he saw her? A year ago? She was breathtaking.
Valeria inched closer, and Ethan moved toward her, and when their lips connected, they both recoiled, and they hugged each other so the kiss wouldn't break. Ethan and Valeria didn't notice claps and cheers all around them. It was just the two of them.
Ethan was surprised at the way Valeria clung to him. She tasted of hazelnut dipped into smooth milk chocolate, and he couldn't wait to lick her all over. And he will do much more than licking!
Valeria gasped when Ethan's tongue made its way into her mouth. She was never so deliciously invaded before, and this Alpha tasted of apricots; the sweetest kind.
Violet stared at Ethan and Valeria, who kissed like no one was watching, and she rubbed her eyes. "Ash? Do you see what I'm seeing?"
"I see you. What do you see?"
Violet turned to Ashton. "Seriously. There." She didn't want to call out names aloud, so she gave eye signals.
"I see nothing worth mentioning."
Violet was about to snap at him, but then she looked at the terrace, and Ethan and Valeria were not there anymore. Where did they go? Oh! They went to have sex! Considering the forest was full of people, they probably went to one of the guest bedrooms.
Violet was unsure about the extent of Ethan's history with women, but it will be Valeria's first time, and Ethan should make it special or risk spoiling it completely. On the other hand, Ethan was quite blunt when it came to females, so the chances of him messing up were big.
Once, when Violet complained about how Ethan was rude to girls, Talia mentioned that uncle Max was such a klutz that he nearly caused aunt Tanya to reject him and that it wouldn't be strange if Ethan followed his father's footsteps. To Violet's dismay, she never got the details of that incident, so she was unsure what Talia meant by that comment.
"Love?" Ashton murmured close to Violet's ear. "Do you want more food, or should we dance?"
Dancing with Ashton was what she needed because she didn't want to imagine Ethan and Valeria getting frisky.
Talia glanced at Michelle and Cristian to see they were focused on their plates. Something was off about the mood between them, and Talia was unsure if that was related to Ashton and Violet or something else. In any case, she was never the one to meddle. If they came to her for help or advice, she would do what she could gladly but without imposing.
Talia looked at the crowd to see many friendly faces, all enjoying at this gathering.
Maya and Caden, Keith and Arya, Dawn and George, Gideon and Mindy, Kai and Meg, Sandy and Tyler, Travis and Olivia... Wilkow sisters, Tatiana, Kalina, Daria, Lidia, and Varya, were with their mates, Maddox, Tony, Pierce, Jordan, and Grady. And there were also Axel and Yasmin, Zina and Owen, Dawn and George, Caleb and Trisha, Liam and Amelia, Cornelia and James, Petra and Zack, and many other happy faces wherever Talia looked.
Damon's arm moved around Talia's shoulders and pulled her to lean on him.
'When are we going to announce our departure?' Damon asked through their mind link.
'Not tonight,' Talia responded and looked dreamily at Violet and Ashton, who were slowly dancing beside the bonfire, surrounded by friends and pack members. They had so many promising youngsters present tonight, and Talia knew that Ethan and Valeria recognizing each other as mates was a big deal.
It might take time, but Valeria will find her place in this world and be Violet's trusted ally. Considering what was to come, Violet would need all the help she could get.
'I don't want Vi and Ash to accept their roles under the weight of deadlines,' Talia said. 'After they take over as Alphas, we can tell them we are leaving. Until then, we will teach them everything they should know.'
'What if Vi asks us to stay?'
'She is a big girl,' Talia responded. 'She knows that the two of us going to search for my grandparents is important. It will help us understand the connections between realms and hybrids. Unless we find out from where and how they are coming here, we will never win.'
They also hoped to find a way for Sapa and Liseli to be together without depending on Damon and Talia. An ancient scroll found in the archives of the Silver Flame Coven spoke about creatures that were versed in magic and communicating with spirits, and Talia believed they might have some hints on how to create bodies for two old wolves.
'Vi will understand. I am the only one who can move without portals.'
'That we know of,' Damon reminded Talia. If their assumptions were correct, and hybrids were coming from another realm freely, someone else could cross the barriers without portals, which was dangerous.
Even after all this time, Talia could sense a connection to her grandparents, who left many years ago in search of Valerian. It was faint, and Talia had a feeling they were in another realm and that it was all related to hybrids. Somehow.
It was a journey full of uncertainty, and Talia knew that other than Damon and her, no one else could do it. If they failed, their friends and family would be in serious trouble.
However, that was a story for some other time…
-- THE END --
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Woah! It's the end.
I want to thank everyone who followed Damon and Talia through this epic journey with their friends and family. Their story is over, and I will miss them.
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