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Luckily, one or two nights of missed sleep is nothing much for werewolves.

After exchanging greetings, Caden told Damon what he achieved while away, and then they switched to discussions about rogue attacks on the territory of the Dark Howlers pack.

Talia listened to all that with interest.

She didn't know about her background and since no one bothered to search for her, she assumed that her parents were rogues. By the time she was old enough to ask questions, there was no one who could give her answers, and she didn't dare to ask Alpha Edward or Luna Layla about it.

From random stories, Talia concluded that rogues are faceless bad guys who live wildly in caves and would come to packs to steal and wreak havoc. That misconception also contributed to Talia concealing her presence, fearing that she will be hated more.

However, now Talia understood that rogues are not simple barbarians and she couldn't wait for the official part of their talk to be over, so that she can ask questions.

Maya and Caden left the table to settle some things before Elders come, and Talia asked Damon, "Can you tell me more about rogues and how they are impacting packs?"

"Don't think about them as anything other than werewolves.", Damon said when he sensed Talia's anxiousness. "The only difference between them and us is that they don't have an Alpha to lead them, but they are organized. Many of them live in towns, blending in with humans, but there are groups who established their own settlements in unclaimed territories…"

Seeing Talia's curiosity, Damon continued telling her how rogues can be hired for jobs from gathering information to scouting, and sometimes for crime as well. Some of them are specialized to work as bodyguards or mercenaries for human employers.

"So, the group that was caught yesterday morning was not here accidentally?", Talia asked.

"No. They were hired for a scouting mission, but they didn't know who their employer was…", Damon said before explaining how getting information on other packs sneakily is standard practice.

It's easy to determine from which pack the perpetrator is coming (everything can be solved with a bit of torture), and that's why many would hire rogues for dirty jobs. If a rogue gets caught, he can't spill the beans if the only thing he knows about his employer is an alias and the place from where he collected cash.

"Are rogues dangerous?", Talia asked while concern swelled inside her.

Yesterday Damon went to deal with rogues while Talia overslept and then she allowed herself to be upset because of trivial things like Rosa and Ashley and Heather, and Damon was out there risking his life. What if he got hurt or worse? Talia chided herself for being bothered by gossips and jealous women.

"Most of them are.", Damon responded. "That's why I tell you not to wander. It's for your protection, kitten. We run tight security, but sometimes they will slip between patrols and get deeper into our territory. Regardless of why rogues come here, if you bump into them, they will be forced to choose between fleeing and attacking you, and guess which one they will pick when they see that you are alone?"

Damon let out a long breath. He could feel that Talia was sorry.

"Alright. Let's not talk about it anymore." He gave Talia's hand a squeeze. "Just don't wander on your own. Even if you want to stroll close to the packhouse, you should let one of us know about it because you can't contact us if you are in a pinch."

Talia knew he was talking about the mind-link. She thought about one thing. "If I bump into a patrol, how will they know I'm not a rogue?"

"They will probably recognize you as the MVP from the tournament.", Damon said right away and then a thought hit him. "Or… are you willing to join the pack officially?"

That would make it more convenient because Talia would join the collective mind-link and Damon could sense her presence easily, but before she could answer, he thought how it might not be so simple.

"We might want to talk with an expert before that step."

"Is it because I don't have my wolf?", Talia guessed.

"Yes. I don't want to risk doing something that might bring harm to your wolf." Not now when it seemed that her wolf was showing signs of waking up.

If Talia's wolf was present, Talia would be aware of the bond and so many things would fall into place.

Talia pressed her lips into a line. She knew that without her wolf, she was like a human, and humans can't establish the mind-link. Humans can live with werewolves, but they are never truly pack members no matter how much werewolves accept them.

Talia remembered what Damon told her that morning. "If your theory is correct and I have some impressive background… doesn't that mean I belong to a pack already? How can I join your pack then?"

Damon frowned. "OUR pack, kitten." He knew that Talia has many scars from the past, but he still wished that she embraces him and the Dark Howlers pack. However, he knew that he can't force it, or he might scare her away.

"If you belong to a pack, I will be able to sense it once your wolf awakens, assuming that your mind-link is still functional."

Talia's eyes widened. "Will you know from which pack I came?"

"Probably."

"Is that an Alpha ability?"

"It is my ability.", Damon said mysteriously.

Talia glanced around to make sure no one is in visual range, and then she leaned closer to Damon and spoke in a whisper, "Is it because your wolf can talk?"

Damon tapped her nose with his index finger. "You are smart, kitten. Our pack will do great with you as Luna."

Most of the werewolves can identify if someone belongs to a pack or is a rogue, but Alpha wolves can sense differences between mind-links.

Damon's advantage is that his wolf can speak so if they already met someone from a specific pack, Damon's wolf can tell him if the new face belongs to a pack they previously identified.

…

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Damon's eyes lost focus for a moment and he told Talia, "Elders will be here in a few minutes."

Talia swallowed a mouthful of air. Chatting with Damon helped her forget about what's coming, but now her anxiety swelled with interest.

She quickly patted down non-existing wrinkles on her dress. It was a peach-colored short-sleeved summer dress that ended just above her knee level. That dress together with white sneakers and her hair lifted into a sleek ponytail gave Talia an aura of youthfulness and sophistication.

Talia had a lip gloss on, but Damon kissed it away before they came down for breakfast, so Talia gave up on makeup.

"Do I look alright? What if I mess this up?"

"You can't mess up anything.", Damon said confidently. "We talked about this. I will meet with them first and when the time is right, Maya will bring you in. If they ask you something and you are unsure how to respond, I will do it in your stead."

"Will they believe I'm your mate?", Talia asked nervously and craned her neck. "How about you leave your mark?"

Damon's eyes widened and he blinked a few times before asking, "You want me to mark you? Now?" He could already feel his fangs coming out.

Talia nodded earnestly. "I saw it on movies that females usually have hickeys that expose they were intimate, and as mates, we should…", Talia's voice trailed when she saw that Damon's face fell. "You don't agree? I thought it was a good idea."

Damon cursed internally. For a moment, he thought that Talia was jumping into this whole marking thing, but then… she was talking about hickeys. Of course, this was Talia.

Damon put his hand at the back of Talia's head and pulled her closer to him.

"Ah!", Talia exclaimed when Damon started sucking on her neck harshly, releasing his pent-up frustration. He really thought that she wanted him to mark her, damn it!

It took less than a second for Talia to realize how this was not a good idea.

How was she supposed to meet Elders when they could smell her arousal?

But there was nothing Talia could do as her reasoning was drowning in the addictive scent of the forest and the dark chocolate, and she gripped Damon's shoulders at the same time a shaky moan escaped her lips.

Damon unlatched himself from Talia's neck and he hummed in satisfaction at the dark red circle that was turning darker by the second. There. He left her a hickey. A big one.

Damon's nostrils flared when he picked up the scent of Talia's arousal and the sight of her flushed face and unfocused eyes made her irresistible.

He thought that it was just him getting this aroused, but now he realized that it's the both of them. How could he ignore this call?

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