Damon and Maddox reached far into the lake when Damon abruptly stopped swimming and turned toward his pursuer (aka Maddox).
Damon was swimming in order to escape Maddox's wrath, and while doing so Damon was coming up with ideas on how to pacify the raging Alpha whose murderous aura was leaking all over. Damon knew why Maddox was pissed, and Damon had no regrets about it. However, he needed an exit that will allow him to avoid a brawl.
Damon would never avoid a good fight, but this was different. With Talia and Tatiana present, neither Damon nor Maddox would give up easily and them ending in a hospital was not a good ending either so… Damon needed a sophisticated solution to come out of his predicament.
For Maddox, this was much more than just a crooked umbrella.
Maddox's irritation started waaaay early that day.
He was having his usual carefree time with two she-wolves, and things were going well. Next, he soared into the sky when he met his mate, only to plunge into the depths of hell when Tatiana slapped him.
The rest of the day was horrible because the only almost-positive thing was holding hands with Tatiana in the car. Maddox was not happy about that small feat because Tatiana let go of him the moment the car stopped moving. Sure, holding hands might be good progress for someone, but for Alpha who just found his mate, anything other than carnal pleasures until complete exhaustion was not acceptable.
During lunch, Maddox was hovering around Tatiana, hoping to soften her up in order to get his chance to sink his cock into her tender flesh and claim her as his officially, but Tatiana was not cooperating. Holding back went against his instincts, and his impatience was bubbling and threatening to become something that can cause unimaginable consequences.
Maddox thought that he might score points with Tatiana by providing her the best shade on that damned beach, but when Maddox realized that he was fighting the wretched umbrella only because Damon was messing with him, Maddox needed to release his fury.
Maddox was chasing after Damon full speed while cursing Damon who seemed to have fins attached to his feet.
Maddox really wanted to get his hands on Damon and release his frustration, but the moment Damon stopped, Maddox paused and eyed Damon cautiously.
Damon was never the one to give up on anything, and this looked like a trap and not surrender. How can Maddox allow himself to be outsmarted again?
Maddox was confident that Damon stopping on his own, just like that, meant nothing good.
"Why did you stop?", Maddox asked suspiciously.
"We need to talk.", Damon said.
Maddox increased his vigilance. Did he already step into a trap? "About?"
"You and Tanya."
Maddox's lips twitched. "Should I believe that you give a shit about me after you left me there to make an ass of myself in front of my mate?"
Damon shrugged. "Think what you want, but the reality is that you need me if you want to get anywhere."
Maddox couldn't deny the obvious. He knew that Tatiana was not mellowing down, and Maddox had no idea how to woo a woman. No matter what he does, the likelihood was that he will make it worse, and worse than his current situation would be catastrophic.
"Say what's on your mind.", Maddox grumbled while eyeing the calm lake all around them. Are there warriors surrounding him underwater?
"You need privacy."
Maddox snorted. "On this beach?" Everyone could see that Tanya would rather spend time with Kalina and girls than with Maddox.
"Not on this beach but…" Damon turned his head to the side and pointed in a certain direction. "You should go there."
That was the spot where Keith took Talia during Summer Solstice.
Maddox was not sure if Damon was setting him up again, but he was desperate for a solution to his situation with Tatiana. He could always start a brawl later.
"Where?"
Damon swam closer to Maddox and explained, "There… do you see those rocks?"
It took Maddox some time to pinpoint the location. "And how should I get Tanya there?"
"That's up to you.", Damon said. "Don't look at me like I just cursed your whole family. Tanya is obviously not rejecting you which means she is waiting for your move. I will ask Omegas to prepare some snacks and drinks for you to carry, and you invite Tanya for a walk."
"Do you think she will accept?"
Damon was not sure if Tatiana will accept, but he knew that… "If you stay in the group, you will make zero progress. You need to talk to her openly, and the audience will prohibit you from doing that…"
And just like that, Maddox forgot about his previous grudge against Damon and was set on inviting Tatiana to join him for a walk.
…
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By the time Maddox and Damon decided to return to the beach, the canopy was set up.
Girls finished their game with the ball and guys joined them in the water.
Maya, Paul, Nate, Greg, Tyler, and Caden were competing who can hold their breath underwater longer, and Axel was watching them to make sure no one cheated. Axel wanted to compete also, but others said how his Alpha bloodline would give him an unfair advantage, so he accepted to be the referee.
Mindy and Tatiana went swimming at a relaxed pace, not straying too far from the shore. The two of them chatted about fashion and the latest happenings in the world of celebrities and the mood was good.
Tony was playing with Kalina. They were splashing each other, and Tony would occasionally jump on Kalina to pull her underwater where he would sneak a few kisses.
Talia was floating on her back with her arms and legs stretched to make a giant letter X. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the murmurs that drifted her way from all directions. Human voices, laughter, water splashing, birds chirping... Somehow, it was harmonious, and she was relishing the fact that all this was happening around her and she was part of it.
Talia came to the beach, played with a ball in the water, there was food and friends and good mood and of course, there was Damon. It was perfect.
A splashing sound came close to her right and Talia was startled to see Damon's head emerging from the water.
"Did I scare you?", Damon asked with a boyish grin that made her heart skip a beat.
He wanted to grab her from below, but he changed his mind at the last minute.
"A little bit.", Talia admitted and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Damon loved that Talia approached him for this small intimacy on her own. His kitten was getting used to the closeness and she didn't care that many eyes from the beach were on them.
"What was that with you and Max?", Talia asked. She saw Damon storming into the water and Maddox jumping after him energetically.
Damon shrugged, indicating that it's not a big deal. "We were just playing."
He had no intention of admitting that he was messing with Maddox and got caught because he had a strong feeling Talia won't approve of it.
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