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"We lost her at the stand with barbequed seafood.", Caleb said.

"She didn't seem very interested in barbequed squid.", Pierce added. "I think it's a girl thing. Lulu and Sandy also skipped that stand, but they stayed nearby."

Liam noticed that Talia pressed her lips into a line. "Do you want to meet up with Mindy? She will probably be on the rooftop of the city hall. That's where all the bigshots will gather to watch the parade.."

They normally couldn't go there, but considering that Talia had lunch with three Alphas (and Mindy) at the same table, Liam thought that Talia can probably get access to that amazing vantage point and they will tag along.

"No, no. I was just curious, nothing else.", Talia responded. She had no intention of going where bigshots are (how Liam called them).

Talia knew that city hall is a three story-high building on the main street of Darkbourne.

Her heart fluttered at the thought that Damon will be there as well.

Damon said that he will be done with meetings by the time the parade starts and that in the evening he will go with Talia to the festival. He didn't specify the exact time, but it was late afternoon already, so it should be soon. Maybe after the parade, he will come down from the city hall and find her. Maybe.

They found a good spot, on the opposite side of the street from the city hall. Sandy and Lulu pushed Caleb, Pierce, and Liam away and stuck close to Talia.

Talia quickly snatched her insulated lunchbox and the brown puppy plushie that Keith gifted her. She didn't want to risk separating from the guys and losing her precious things, so she was holding onto them tightly. She let them have the popcorn. That was not important.

The parade started as kids lead the way with floats they built with the help of their parents and teachers. There were cars and coaches made out of cardboard boxes, and some kids drove tricycles that were decorated with colorful flowers, ribbons, and pinwheels. After the kids, grownups showcased their elaborate floats that had various shapes and sizes. It all looked professionally made with light effects, parts that moved, and some had fog machines for added dramatic effect. It was obvious that a lot of effort went into making them.

But no matter how lively the scene on the street was, Talia would look toward the rooftop terrace of the city hall.

She saw Mindy, Caden, Maya, and Stephanie, and there were a number of other people Talia didn't recognize. Damon was not among them.

Of course, Sandy noticed that Talia was not paying attention to the parade. "Are you looking for someone?"

Talia wanted to deny it, but she was already caught, and there would be nothing unusual if she asked… "I thought that everyone important should be up there, but I don't see Alpha Damon."

"Oh, he won't be there.", Sandy responded right away. When she saw Talia's puzzled look, Sandy added, "You are new, so you don't know."

Lulu was listening to this exchange, and she inched closer to Talia and spoke in a hushed voice, "Our Alpha doesn't attend the later part of the festival."

Sandy made a dreamy expression. "I wonder who is the lucky she-wolf that is right now enjoying the special Alpha treatment."

Talia felt like a hundred knives pierced her chest. "What?"

Lulu and Sandy exchanged confused glances.

Lulu spoke, "Don't you know how Alphas spend their time off? Why would any of them stick here and watch the festivities when they can get a personal pleasure party elsewhere? After the closing speech for the tournament, Alpha Damon finished his official duties. He probably had lunch at the festival in order to pick a woman and we won't see him or her until morning."

Lulu didn't lie. Everyone knew that's what Damon does during the festival.

"Are you OK?", Sandy asked when she noticed that Talia paled.

"I just need some air…", Talia said and moved backward into the crowd.

"What did you say to her?", Keith asked from the side angrily, and he moved after Talia before confused Lulu and Sandy could respond.

...

It was difficult to move through the crowd, but luckily, Keith spotted Talia before she took a turn into one of the side streets.

"Talia! Hey, Talia…", Keith called while catching up with her.

With her head lowered and one hand clutching the insulated lunch bag, while her other hand held onto the brown puppy plushie, Talia looked like a picture of a lonely person.

"Did something happen?"

"Is it true?", she asked without stopping her steps or looking at him.

"What?"

Talia stared at her feet while talking in a choppy voice, "Is it true... that every festival... after finishing with official work... Alpha Damon picks up a woman, and no one sees them until morning?"

"Why is your question festival specific? It's normal for guys…" Keith's voice trailed when Talia lifted her head and looked at him with so much hurt in her expression that his heart ached.

Keith realized that he said too much.

From their earlier talk, Keith knew that Talia sees Damon as a good guy, a savior of some sort, and considering that she grew up alone with her grandparents (how much Keith knows), Talia's idea of a good guy is different compared to an average werewolf, yet he just said that Alpha Damon (and every other guy) is sleeping around. To make things worse, Keith generalized it, so he ended up in that despicable bunch also.

Talia noticed Keith's upset expression and she cursed herself for oversharing. Why did she voice her thoughts?

She already heard stories about how Alphas are promiscuous, and she knew that Damon fits into that group like it was made for him. After all, Talia saw Damon with princess Marcy between his legs, and she didn't want to imagine what he did with Cassie or many other girls.

But why was this so painful to hear?

Is it because Damon said that they will spend the evening together?

Talia was aware of his mood swings, and she knew that there is a big possibility it won't happen.

If she looked realistically at the situation, there were probably a million things he would want to do instead of being with her. But she made the mistake of allowing herself to hope.

What was she hoping for? To be his bedwarmer for tonight? That's stupid. Why would she wish for that?

Talia knew that Damon who made her heart race was not real. He was a product of her imagination because for some reason, whenever she looked at Alpha Damon, her mind would filter out all the unpleasant things and show her only Damon she wanted to see.

Talia needed to let go of him and face the reality. The reality where Damon she wants, doesn't exist, and to Damon who exists, she is not important.

"Talia?"

Keith's voice pulled Talia out of her thoughts.

She shook her head. "Thank you for your concern, Keith. I would like to be alone."

She took a step away and Keith grabbed her hand.

"Allow me to show you a perfect spot to be alone."

Talia had no idea where Keith was going, but other than wandering into the forest, she didn't have any other destination in mind, so she followed after him.

Four streets later, Keith stopped in front of one house.

"Give me just a minute…"

He dashed into the house and a few seconds later, he returned with a six-pack of beer.

"This will come in handy.", Keith said.

Talia looked at the beer in his hand. "Do you want to make me drunk so that I spill my grievances to you?"

Keith shrugged. "Beer and talking are optional. I will not let you be alone when you are like this. I promise to stay as far as you want, but I insist to keep an eye on you."

He extended his hand to Talia, palm up, in a silent invitation to accept his offer.

Talia looked into his eyes full of concern and then she put her hand into his.

They walked in silence down the street, away from the noise of the festival.

…

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...

In the packhouse…

Damon was sitting at the head of the conference table with six other Alphas.

Alpha Maddox and Axel were there, representing their packs.

They were discussing the latest movements among rogues, but Damon couldn't focus. He would often look at the time and his frequent forehead-rubbing was a giveaway that he was getting impatient.

"You look like you need to be somewhere else.", Alpha Christian said to Damon.

Christian is the Alpha of the Spring Leaf pack which shares a border with the Dark Howlers pack on the North.

"I was thinking that we will finish by now.", Damon said bluntly and when he saw a few frowns directed his way, he added, "I didn't expect that we have so many things on the agenda." Or that some of you will talk so much. Many of these could have been an email!

"If you have something more important than this meeting, we can reschedule it.", Maddox said to Damon in an obvious provocation. Maddox had a good hunch that the urgency Damon was feeling was somehow related to Talia.

"What do you mean, reschedule?", Axel cut of Damon's response before he could say anything.

"Why are you talking like it's easy to gather so many Alphas in the same place?", Axel asked Maddox.

Maddox agreed. "That's true. It's rare that we can all gather, so I suggest that we focus on the matters at hand and make the most of it…"

Damon couldn't object to this because everything Axel and Maddox said was true. But there were a few more topics on the agenda, and the ache in his chest was getting unbearable.

His instincts were telling him that something is wrong with Talia, or to be more precise, with her feelings toward Damon. At the same time, Damon knew that if he just leaves this meeting, he will offend a lot of people and lose allies, and that will put his pack in danger and in extension, Talia as well. Damn it!

Damon was not sure how long he sat in that meeting. It could have been minutes, but it felt like hours.

His ears were ringing, and his wolf said something but Damon couldn't hear him.

Damon was not sure what's the cause of this emotional turmoil that affected him physically, but every cell in his body screamed for Talia's proximity.

Abruptly, Damon stood up. "You will need to finish this without me."

Damon dashed out of the packhouse and went straight for his black armored Lexus SUV.

'Maya! Caden!', Damon called thorough the mind-link. 'Where is Talia!?'

---