Filed To Story: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
They met only recently, but Mindy and Talia shared fun moments at the Summer Solstice festival, they had a few heartfelt chats, Mindy had Talia’s back when Marcy and Nora approached her, and they spoke on the phone and kept in touch… Isn’t that what friends are?
“We are.”, Talia said, and Mindy’s face broke into a genuine smile that warmed Talia’s heart.
Talia knew that Mindy noticed the intimacy bet**en her and Dayson, and Talia guessed that Mindy’s ‘how are you doing’ is mostly related to Dayson.
Talia told herself that people will find out one way or another, and she wanted her few friends to find out first.
“Can you keep a secret?”, Talia asked, and Mindy’s eyes widened. A secret!
“You can tell me anything, dear.”, Mindy said enthusiastically. “My l*ps are sealed.”
Talia inhaled forcibly before spilling the beans.
“Dayson and I are mates.”
Mindy froze for a moment and then responded a bit stiffly, “Congratulations, dear.”
“You don’t seem surprised.”, Talia voiced her thoughts.
Mindy gave Talia a smug smirk. “A guy like Alpha Dayson stopped chasing sk**ts and gave his exclusive attention to you. I suspected it at the Summer Solstice festival, and at Lina’s party it became more obvious, but I still needed confirmation.”
“And you don’t seem delighted with the news either.”, Talia said the second half of her observation.
Mindy didn’t deny it. “Don’t get me wrong. Finding a mate is once in a lifetime and you should accept it with your arms open wide and enjoy every minute of it even if you know it will last forever. However, being Alpha’s mate means you will become his Luna. Your choices are to accept the role or for him to abandon his pack, and the mate bond won’t allow you to harm him, so you will sacrifice your dreams in order to stay by his side.”
Talia remembered Mindy’s words from the Summer Solstice festival, and how she disliked the idea of being mated to an Alpha.
Mindy didn’t want to fit into a mold that someone else created for her, even if that someone else is her mate. After all, Mindy is a confident she-wolf with many accomplishments behind her and many dreams ahead.
For Mindy, being a Luna would be like cutting off her wings and forcing her to stay in one place.
Sure, Mindy might be able to do other things also, but considering how busy Lunas are with managing the pack and hosting (and attending) parties and other functions, there wouldn’t be much time left for anything else. After all, being a Luna is a full-time job, and a mate bond will make Mindy wish to submit to her mate and she might neglect willingly the things she currently holds dear.
However, Talia was different. Until a few weeks ago, she didn’t have any dreams, and the ones she created so far were definitely achievable, assuming that Dayson won’t obstruct her, and so far, he was supportive.
How Talia saw this, any aspirations she develops in the future, will include Dayson. He is already an indispensable part of her life.
Will their situation change in the future for the worse? Maybe. But Talia didn’t want to think about it because no one knows what lies ahead and she already jeopardized her relationship with Dayson by giving importance to things that were irrelevant or unlikely to happen.
“I am not thinking that far ahead.”, Talia said. “Dayson and I agreed to take this one step at a time. I’m still getting used to the reality that we are mates, and the idea of being a Luna and how that will work out is vague. I know that Dayson won’t force me into anything. He wants me to complete my education and he is not stopping me from trying new things, like working in the kitchen, or studying medicine.”
Mindy thought how that was novel. It all sounded great except for… “Why didn’t you announce your relationship?” It is common knowledge that when an Alpha finds his mate, he can’t wait to announce it. It’s a big reason for celebration because Alpha found his mate, and the pack got their Luna, and there is a belief that when the pair are fated mates, the Moon Goddess will bless them and the pack.
“I asked Dayson to take this slow, and he agreed. Only a few people know we are mates, so I hope you can keep it a secret. It’s for my safety also.”
“If people knew you are their future Luna, the whole pack would protect you.”, Mindy voiced her thoughts.
“That would be the case if my background is imp**ssive, if I am powerful, or if I have some achievements. However, I am nobody. I’m confident that even though we are mates, there will be people who won’t approve of me as their Luna. I don’t think that anyone will openly rebel because they respect Dayson, but if we recklessly announce my new status, some powerful people who are against Dayson will fan the flames within the pack, and that can quickly get out of control.”
Mindy understood the reasoning, but she didn’t approve. “So, how long will you maintain this status and allow others to see you as Dayson’s plaything?”
Talia didn’t like Mindy’s choice of words, but she appreciated Mindy speaking her mind. Isn’t that what friends do?
It was the truth that unless people know Talia is Dayson’s mate, they will see her as his plaything.
…
“I want to keep the type of our relationship a secret at least until he deals with Marcy from the Red Moon pack.”, Talia explained.
“If Alpha Dayson tells Alpha Edward that he found his mate, Alpha Edward will take care of his daughter.”
Talia shook her head, indicating how that won’t work. “Alpha Edward is the one pushing Marcy in Dayson’s bed with the goal of two large packs forming an alliance through marriage. Do you think he will care about Dayson finding his mate? If he finds out, he will probably target me first. With me out of the way, Dayson will be mateless again.”
Mindy p**ssed her l*ps into a line. Talia had a point.
“So, what will you do?”, Mindy asked.
“I might need your help with something.”
“To deal with Marcy?”, Mindy guessed and when Talia nodded in confirmation, Mindy’s imagination exploded. “Are we going to sneak into the Red Moon pack, drug her, shave her head, take embarrassing photos of her and some guys groping her, and post those photos online with all faces blurred out except Marcy’s?”
Talia was flabbergasted. That was oddly specific. “Where did that come from?”
Mindy shrugged. “You are behind Cassie losing her hair, and I added the rest.”
Talia facepalmed. She forgot about Cassie.
Talia thought how only Dayson forgets about females that are not important, but it seems it’s contagious!
“No. We won’t shave Marcy’s head and take embarrassing photos while she is drugged with some guys.” At least I hope not. “But she will be here, and I will need your and Lina’s help. Nothing excessive. Mostly to keep an eye on her.”
Mindy thought that her ears malfunctioned. “SHE will be here? Are we still talking about Marcy? And where is that HERE you are talking about?”
Talia realized that it sounds bad, but it was the truth. “Marcy is coming here. To this packhouse. She will arrive with her party tomorrow evening probably, no later than the next morning.”
Mindy needed a moment to process this information. “Why the hell is she coming here?”
“I asked for it.”
“Why the hell are you welcoming into your house the woman who is coveting your mate? You know that Marcy will throw herself at Dayson. What will happen if she jumps on him, and he fails to avoid her?”
Talia didn’t want to imagine that visual.
The truth was that Talia was not confident about this, not even a little bit. But her wolf demanded this ridiculous thing and Talia knew that her wolf was not willing to compromise.
Sure, Talia could explain to her wolf the situation, but Talia felt the disgust of her wolf at the thought that Dayson was intimate with some other woman. Assuming that Talia could come up with an explanation that would work, it would have the desired effect of pacifying her wolf only if her wolf is willing to listen and not make a mistake that can’t be fixed before Talia can convince her otherwise.
Talia was terrified of facing Marcy, her bully. But she hoped that with Mindy, Kalina, and Dayson by her side, she can overcome her fears and face Marcy without falling apart.
“That’s why I need your help.”, Talia said. “Dayson will deal with her. I want him to do it without disclosing that I am his mate because if he does that, Marcy will use me as an excuse for why her engagement failed.”
Before Mindy could come up with more reasons why Marcy shouldn’t come to the Shadow Fang pack, Talia spoke again.
“Marcy is not the only one. I can’t keep an eye on Dayson all the time, and that’s why I’m expecting that he will deal not just with Marcy but with every woman who comes at him. If he fails to do so it’s better if he fails now than a few years down the road.”
Mindy released a long breath before pulling Talia into a hug and patting her back.
“I guess since you will be the Luna of the largest pack in North America, it’s useless to ask you to be my assistant.”, Mindy said while trying to lighten up the mood.
Talia smiled. “Look at it from the bright side. It will be easier for you to get donations from Dayson.”
Mindy hummed in agreement. “You made a good point. Having as a friend a Luna with deep pockets will be beneficial for my business.”