The Alpha's Bride

Talia sat stiffly next to Damon and observed him while he held her hand, the same one he licked earlier that morning.

She remembered his grimace after tasting the bitter herbal paste and she pressed her lips into a line while preventing a smile from showing on her face. It was comical. She never thought that a scary Alpha could appear so childish.

"Look how well it's healing. I told you that saliva works." Damon said, obviously pleased with himself.

Talia silently admitted that he was right. It healed much faster compared to other bruises and cuts she had. She wondered if her saliva would work, or maybe only werewolves who have their wolves produce saliva that heals.

"Now, let me check the rest."

Talia jolted at Damon's words. What 'rest' was he talking about?

Damon extended his hand toward Talia, and she shrunk, making him halt his movements.

"Is there a problem?", Damon asked with confusion obvious on his face.

"Can I at least get underwear?", Talia spoke timidly.

Damon didn't think if she had anything under the bathrobe, but the confirmation that she has no underwear made his jeans tight in the crotch area.

Damon couldn't believe that he was so easily aroused.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his position a bit. "Why?"

Talia was not sure how to respond to this. What does he mean by, why? Why does she need underwear? She was only in a bathrobe, and he wanted to check her injuries which means removing the bathrobe here and there and potentially exposing her important parts!

"Are you uncomfortable without underwear?", Damon asked with amusement in his voice.

Talia nodded faintly.

"Don't be.", Damon said like it's a totally normal thing. "I'm not wearing any either. Do you want to see?"

He stood up and started unbuttoning his jeans and Talia thought she is going to pass out.

"No!", she squeaked. "I don't need to see anything. I believe you."

Damon chuckled. He never saw a girl being so bashful.

Is it possible that she never saw a guy naked? A smile bloomed on his face at that thought.

If she never saw a guy naked, that means no one saw HER naked, and that means she is untouched.

His hands were itching from the desire to pull her closer and get under the bathrobe to explore her thoroughly while savoring the sweet citrusy scent of freesia that gets amplified by the sparks that make him feel alive.

'What's wrong with you?', his wolf chided him.

'What did I do?', Damon asked.

As much as his thoughts were wandering, he kept his hands to himself. For now.

'Wipe that grin off your face. You are scaring the girl again! And don't you dare bring up the point of how she saw you when Marcy sucked you off! No decent girl will be happy to be reminded that her mate is a man-whore!'

'What!?', Damon asked back in outrage. Did his wolf just call him a man-whore?

'Focus on the girl!'

Damon realized that Talia was a nervous wreck with her eyes darting from windows to door, obviously contemplating exit strategies.

He lifted his hands in the air, indicating that he will not remove his pants. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'm not wearing underwear for practical reasons."

Talia looked up at him and he could see that she didn't believe him.

"They tear whenever I shift. So, it's easier to go without. It saves a lot of money.", Damon said matter-of-factly.

Talia still didn't believe him. She can't shift into her wolf form, but she saw a lot of laundry, and it contained underwear. If regular werewolves can afford underwear (or remove it before they shift), why can't a big scary Alpha? But she didn't want to argue.

"Will you allow me to check your injuries?", Damon asked as he went back to sit on the bed, next to Talia. "At least on your arms and legs. If there is any other spot, let me know and I will make sure you are not uncomfortable."

"Only to check, right?", Talia asked in a small voice.

It took him a moment to understand that she wouldn't let him treat her and he realized… 'Ah, she thinks I will lick her again!'

Well, Damon had no problems with that. He will gladly lick her everywhere, and probably bite also.

He reached for the bag that was on the floor. "I got first aid supplies."

It was Caden and Maya, but Damon told them to get it, so that counts.

Talia's eyes widened in surprise. "For me?"

Damon was pleased with her reaction. "We need to treat your wounds in order to make sure they don't get infected, and they heal properly. It's either this, or I lick you. I don't mind, how I see it, skin is skin regardless of which part of the body it covers."

Talia was flustered again, and Damon chuckled.

"Tell me, where does it hurt?"

Talia gave him her other hand and he frowned while looking at her swollen wrist.

"Let's see what we have for this…" He fished out of the bag a spray that eases up the pain and a few packs of bandages and started working on it.

Two minutes later, Talia observed her wrist which had several layers of bandage more than necessary.

Damon realized that he used too much. "I'm not an expert at first aid. When we reach the Dark Howlers pack, the pack doctor will tend to your wounds. This is just to make you more comfortable until we get there."

Talia was moved. More than his words, it was his expression that showed concern and a hint of embarrassment. "Thank you."

At the sight of Talia's smile, Damon was overwhelmingly pleased with himself. "Alright! Where is the next injury?"

Before Talia could respond, there was a knock on the door.

Three two-layered carts full of food entered the room.

He wanted to treat the rest of her wounds, but he saw Talia staring at the food.

"Let's eat first.", Damon said. "See what is here and pick what you want."

Talia's eyes were open wide and she swallowed hard. The delicious smell reminded her how hungry she was, and she was embarrassed when her tummy rumbled loudly.

Talia licked her lips, hoping that she was not drooling.

"Anything I want?", she asked while looking at Damon apprehensively.

Damon's heart cracked a little and he tried to suppress sadness and rage that swelled inside him.

He couldn't imagine what she went through to be so happy about simple food items this shabby hotel was offering, and he wanted to return to the Red Moon pack and raze it to the ground. How dare they neglect his mate!?

"Anything you want.", Damon confirmed, and his words applied to more than the food in front of her. He would give her whatever she wanted as long as he can see her smile. "Under one condition."

Talia shrunk and clutched the edges of her bathrobe. She was not sure what the condition was, but it usually included her giving something in return, and other than her body, she didn't have anything else.

Seeing that she was about to panic again, Damon quickly said, "Tell me your name."

Talia blinked, wondering if she heard him right. "My name? Is that it?"

"Is there something else you are willing to offer?", Damon asked teasingly, and he chuckled when Talia shook her head fervently.

"Well? We are together since morning, and I don't know how to call you. Hey, is not appropriate, especially not since we shared the bed."

Talia ignored that bed-sharing comment. Other than sleeping, nothing happened, and she didn't want to overthink it. 

She knew that he was referring to how she called him 'hey'. Twice.

"Talia."

"Talia", Damon repeated, pleased how her name rolled off his tongue.

"Talia, Talia…", he said a few more times and he thought that it sounds delicate and elegant, just like the girl in front of him.

Now that he knew her name, Damon felt that they reached an important milestone and he hoped that this will not be a sign of how everything else will go with Talia.

If it takes so much effort just to get her name, who knows how much he will need to work for a kiss?

Damon facepalmed internally. Why the heck was he thinking about kissing her?

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