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Stephanie\'s heart ached and she wanted to comfort Talia who was holding the ice pack on her face. "Let me see your cheek, dear…"

"Don\'t worry about me. I\'m used to it.", Talia interrupted Stephanie. Compared to beatings she got at the Red Moon pack, this was nothing much. "Thank you for the ice pack. I know you have good intentions, but dinner will burn if no one takes care of it. I\'m sorry, but I don\'t think I can help you in the kitchen. I\'m tired and I would like to rest."

In the hallway, Damon stepped away from the door of Talia\'s room when Stephanie opened it. He didn\'t care if Stephanie caught him eavesdropping.

Before Stephanie could say anything, Damon gestured for her to move away from the door, so that Talia doesn\'t overhear them.

"How is she doing?", Damon asked Stephanie.

"Hurt. Humiliated.", Stephanie said and narrowed her eyes at Damon.

"I know.", Damon said before Stephanie could say anything.

He knew that look. Stephanie was telling him that it was his fault. No one liked Cassie, and Stephanie told him a million times that Cassie is not a good girl, yet he allowed her to come to the packhouse repeatedly and linger while making everyone around her uncomfortable, and Damon didn\'t say anything when Cassie was shouting how she will be the future Luna or when she snapped at Omegas because she was an easy lay.

And now Talia got hurt.

"I\'m sorry.", Damon said.

Stephanie shook her head. "I\'m not the one who needs to hear that."

Stephanie took a deep breath before asking, "Alpha Damon, can I talk to you honestly?"

Damon gave a small nod, and Stephanie spoke, "I don\'t think that Talia should stay here. Don\'t get me wrong, Talia is a wonderful soul and I love having her around, but she suffered a lot and we should not add to it. Today was Cassie, tomorrow it will be someone else. As long as Talia is here, entitled people will cross paths with her and she doesn\'t deserve that. If you care about her even a little bit, you should consider letting her stay in one of the common buildings."

Before Damon could respond, Stephanie said, "I\'m going to check dinner. Cassie already spoiled the mood, I will not allow her to spoil food as well." And with that, Stephanie left.

Damon looked at Talia\'s door with a complex expression.

He knew that this wouldn\'t happen if Talia was not in the packhouse. And he heard Talia say how she ends up in trouble because of him, and now Stephanie said that Talia would be better off somewhere else, but… can he stay away from Talia?

After some hesitation, Damon turned to the right and went to his room. He needed a shower and to clear his head.

…

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When Stephanie summoned them for dinner, Damon was about to enter Talia\'s room, but then he heard voices.

Maya was with Talia and Damon didn\'t want to interrupt, so he went to the dining room.

Actually, he wanted to eavesdrop, but he didn\'t want to risk hearing again from Talia how he brings misfortune.

That was not his intention. He wanted Talia close so that he can protect her and provide for her, yet he failed miserably.

When Damon got into the dining room, the table was already set with dishes, but out of the people, only Caden was there, waiting with the report on how Cassie was successfully escorted off their territory.

"Good. Make sure everyone knows that she is not welcome here.", Damon said and started putting food on the plate that was on his left. That was Talia\'s place when she joined them for a meal.

When he filled Talia\'s plate, Damon put food in his.

He was wondering if he should cut the meat now or wait for Talia to come. He decided to wait.

Damon was fiddling with his fork and pushing the food on his plate when Maya appeared.

"Where is Talia?", Damon asked.

Maya shook her head. "She doesn\'t want to come."

Damon frowned. "She knows that Cassie is not here. Right?"

"She does.", Maya confirmed. "Talia said that she is not hungry, and I didn\'t want to force her."

Damon pinched the roof of his nose. How can she skip a meal? Didn\'t they talk about her cooking and eating and increasing her weight?

But he knew that this was not about the food. It was about people. Talia didn\'t want to come down because she was used to suffering in silence, alone. His heart ached. It was his fault.

Is Talia blaming him? Is that why she didn\'t come? Is she avoiding him?

"What did you talk about?", Damon asked Maya.

"Talia was asking about other accommodations. I told her that single pack members who are of age and unmated prefer to stay in apartments and some are open to having roommates…"

Damon didn\'t hear the rest because his head was buzzing.

Talia wanted to leave the packhouse?

Will she live on her own?

Away from him?

What if she gets a roommate?

When will he see her?

Without someone keeping an eye on her, Talia can leave, and no one will notice.

\'If mate leaves, I will not forgive you!\', Damon\'s wolf shouted in his head.

Anxiety swelled within Damon. Will Talia really leave? What if she is packing? What if she was gone already?

Talia escaped him twice, right under his nose, and he was unable to track her. Last time, she nearly left his territory, and even scouts and warriors couldn\'t sense her presence!

Damon grabbed his and Talia\'s plates and headed upstairs with urgency.

…

"You don\'t need to do this", Talia said to Damon who was standing at the door of her room with two plates of food in his hands. Each had a big piece of meat, and there were garlic mashed potatoes and gravy and roasted vegetables.

Damon felt immense relief knowing that Talia was right there, in front of him, only one step away.

Damon observed Talia\'s face and he was pleased that her cheek was only slightly red. He guessed that the bruise didn\'t form because of the ice pack. He wanted to ask her if it\'s aching, but he knew that she will probably say that it\'s fine and he won\'t believe her.

"I know I don\'t need to. I want to.", Damon said matter-of-factly. "Will you let me in, or are we going to eat in the hallway?"

Talia moved and let out a long breath.

Why is he making things difficult? She decided to distance herself from him and to embark on her journey of being self-sufficient, and here he is, with food and his bossy attitude.

Talia didn\'t blame Damon for what happened. Actually, he came to her rescue and punished Cassie. But she was embarrassed that Damon got to see her being bullied.

If she was stronger and more courageous, Talia wouldn\'t end up in such a situation, to begin with.

How Talia saw this, as long as she depends on him, or anyone else, she won\'t become stronger. It was overdue for her to take her life into her own hands because she didn\'t want others to tell her what to do or how to feel or if she is worthy of something.

Talia took the first step toward controlling her fate by leaving the Red Moon pack, and it would be foolish to stop now and not take advantage of the opportunities she has here.

Talia closed the door, but she didn\'t move from that spot.

She observed Damon who was sitting on the sofa and cutting the meat.

When Damon finished cutting meat on both plates, he looked at Talia. "Did you give up on your idea of gaining weight in two weeks? If you did, I can find you a nutritionist right away, and if you didn\'t… come and eat." He patted a spot on the sofa next to him.

At a snail pace, Talia approached him and took a seat as far from Damon as the sofa allowed it.

They ate in silence and Talia was grateful that Damon didn\'t say anything.

Damon finished his food and left the room without a word.

She thought that they are done for the evening, but in less than a minute Damon was back.

"I was not sure which one you want, so I got options…", Damon said while placing three bottles in front of Talia. Soda, apple juice, and water.

Talia took a sip of apple juice before continuing with her meal.

\'Crack-Psssh!\'

Damon opened a can of beer. He leaned back into the sofa and sipped beer while his eyes didn\'t leave Talia.

He watched her eat and she hoped that he will leave when she finishes.

Part of Talia wanted to look at Damon and have a conversation, but another part told her to stay away from him because the more they talk, the more attached she gets to him, and attachment to Alpha Damon won\'t bring anything good.

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