Filed To Story: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Maddox pinched the roof of his nose. Just a few days ago, Maddox was at the Shadow Fang pack and even though he and Talia were not bosom buddies, they were able to hold a conversation, and now she was looking at him like he has some contagious disease.
“Why are you so distant? Did this caveman forbid you from talking to guys?” Maddox was obviously referring to Dayson.
Dayson wanted to complain about the caveman reference, but Talia was sticking closer to him with every next Maddox’s word, so Dayson got distracted.
Maddox realized “It’s about this afternoon. There is no need to be awkward about it. Everyone is doing it.”
Maddox noticed that Talia got flustered and he gaped at her. “Don’t tell me You never”
“That’s enough!”, Dayson seethed at Maddox.
Dayson swallowed the caveman thing and he thought that Maddox might apologize for his naked performance that sullied Talia’s eyes, but now Maddox only made it more awkward.
“Unless you can hold a decent conversation, I suggest you leave.”, Dayson said to Maddox grimly.
Maddox looked at Dayson with confusion obvious in his expression. What is a decent conversation?
Maddox suspected that there is something between Dayson and Talia when he visited the Shadow Fang pack during Summer Solstice.
Talia attending this event with Dayson was strange enough because Dayson never openly dated a woman and now it seems that Dayson didn’t touch Talia.
Maddox didn’t get it. What kind of Alpha can be with a woman for days (or is it weeks?) and not get handsy? That goes against their nature.
Talia’s eyes were darting randomly while trying not to look at Maddox and she spotted Mindy.
“Maybe I should go and chat with Mindy so that you guys can talk.”, Talia said to Dayson in a small voice.
Dayson didn’t want to talk to Maddox, but the latter pretended not to see Dayson’s non-verbal signs that he should leave.
“You want to talk to Mindy?”, Dayson grumbled at Talia. “Are you sure she is a good friend and won’t take advantage of you?”
He was obviously not pleased that Talia was thinking about leaving his side. And it was Mindy’s fault that Talia saw the nasty scene of Maddox’s bare ass.
Seeing that Talia’s mood dropped, Dayson chided himself internally. Yes, he wanted Talia next to him, but he didn’t want Talia to think that he was restricting her. Mindy was only a few tables away.
Dayson inched closer and kissed Talia’s temple. “Go and have a chat with Mindy, but don’t forget to come back to me.”
Talia thought for a moment before giving up on that idea. “Maybe I shouldn’t. Mindy told me that I need to stick close to you so that some woman doesn’t steal you from me.”
Dayson perked up. “Mindy said that? Listen to her and stick to me closely. Mindy is a smart woman. We will keep her.”
Talia was not sure if she heard him right. Did he just say that they will keep Mindy like she is some pet?
Talia remembered that there was more “Mindy also said that you slept with half of the women present here.”
Dayson’s face fell. “I changed my mind. Mindy is not smart. Unfriend her and stay away from her.”
Maddox stifled a laugh. “Don’t blame my sister for telling the truth.”
Dayson glared at Maddox. “Why are you still here? Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“No, not really.” Maddox was busy with the woman under him, but he clearly remembered Dayson’s outrage while covering Talia’s eyes and pulling her out of Maddox’s room. “I can’t think of anything more interesting compared to figuring out what made you turn into a chaste guy. How long will this last?”
Dayson put his arm around Talia and held her close to him as if he was afraid that she might run away, and he spoke to Maddox, “Why do you think that this is temporary? Is it so difficult to believe that I found a woman who makes me want to leave my fickle days behind?”
Maddox’s eyebrow twitched. Fickle days? That’s an understatement.
It’s not that Maddox wanted to draw a wedge between Dayson and Talia.
Maddox was trying to understand what possessed his friend of many years.
Dayson and Maddox are collaborating as Alphas of their respective packs, and they are also close on a personal level. Considering their Alpha nature to dominate, they aren’t buddy-buddies in a normal sense because they clash often, but they flipped many skirts together and Maddox can confirm that Dayson is the most promiscuous Alpha of their generation. Dayson never tried to twist that fact or to change, so this was odd.
No matter how Maddox looked at it, there could be only one catalyst for this shift in Dayson’s behavior.
“I must congratulate you, Talia.”, Maddox said.
She was afraid to find out more, but she had to. “For?”
“I have known this guy for a long time”, Maddox said while gesturing toward Dayson. “He never cared about someone’s opinion to the point of trying to conceal his nature. Until now.”
Dayson closed his eyes and let out a long breath.
Dayson was irritated, unaware that Talia was floating in pink clouds which echoed Dayson’s and Maddox’s conversation.
She clearly remembered that Dayson insinuated how him being with Talia is not temporary and that he wants to leave his womanizing in order to be with her, and Maddox even said that Dayson cares about her. Is that possible? She was not daring enough to believe in those words, but it all sounded nice.
Talia never saw herself as worthy. Why would she? For two decades she was at the bottom, bullied, weak, wolf-less, hoping to become invisible, yet here she is now at the fancy party, in an elegant dress, with Dayson’s arm around her and Dayson even appeared to be upset because he was worried that she will think badly of him.
Talia glanced at Dayson, and she could see that he was distressed. Was it because of what Maddox said?
Dayson’s eyes snapped open when he felt Talia’s palm on his cheek.
“Don’t be upset, Dayson.”, Talia said softly. “I told you that as long as you treat me well, I won’t leave.”
Dayson held his breath while processing Talia’s words. Was she comforting him? Can she be any sweeter?
Dayson put his hand over Talia’s which was on his cheek, and he turned his head to kiss the inside of her palm.
“I won’t disappoint you, kitten”, he murmured into her palm.
Dayson’s icy-blue eyes met Talia’s honeyed ones and they were locked in a silent exchange of emotions and vows unspoken. With every passing moment, the energy between them became tangible; it was an invisible pull that urged them to get closer.
…
“Are you going to start making out?”, Mindy asked when she took a seat at their table, popping Dayson’s and Talia’s invisible lovey-dovey bubble.
Talia jerked into reality and swiftly sat facing forward.
Dayson frowned at Mindy for spoiling the moment, and Talia looked flustered like a child who was caught stealing candy.