Chapter 564 – Hidden Desires of the Werewolf King Novel

Filed To Story: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel

“What’s wrong with tomorrow?”, Keith asked.

Sandy rolled her eyes. “Did you forget that we have a pack run tomorrow? I’m sure that Talia will be busy with preparations.”

“Wait a minute.”, Pierce said while rubbing his chin. “Those are usually led by Alpha and Luna of the pack, but since Marcy backed out… will the pack run be canceled now?”

“No.”, Dayson said, and everyone turned to look at him. “The pack run will happen tomorrow. I will lead it with my mate.”

Dayson was looking at Talia, and she couldn’t look away even though she was aware that her cheeks were impossibly hot and that people around her were connecting the dots.

As per command, everyone took one step away from Talia. Everyone except for Keith who stood there and stared stupidly at Talia.

Lulu lowered her head and put her right fist over her chest. “Luna Talia. It’s an honor.”

Talia blinked rapidly. “Please, don’t.”

But it was too late because everyone in the vicinity was now looking at them and one by one, heads went down in respect while fists on chests indicated that their greeting was coming from the heart.

Talia looked around helplessly and then at Dayson who walked toward her with a big smile on his face.

“Our people are greeting you. Don’t refuse them.”

Talia was overwhelmed.

‘Was it OK to tell them we are mates?’, she asked Dayson through their private mind-link.

‘Why wouldn’t it be?’, he asked back.

‘I don’t know. Isn’t it too soon?’ She was thinking that the issue with Marcy was still fresh and the danger from Alpha Edward was too real and what if this announcement only made things worse?

‘Now I know I made a big mistake, kitten’, Dayson said. ‘I was supposed to do this on the day I brought you here. Now stop doubting and look at our people who are eagerly waiting for your response.’

Talia turned to see numerous heads bowed toward her.

That Talia’s movement allowed Keith to see her neck. His eyes flashed with disbelief and grief when he saw a mark there and he quickly bowed his head. His fist was clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and he hoped that no one noticed how shaken he was.

Katya told him that he shouldn’t have his hopes up regarding Talia because Alpha Dayson was sticking to her, but everyone was talking about Marcy being there and how she will be their Luna, so Keith assumed that Alpha Dayson switched girls. It wouldn’t be the first time, and Keith hoped that he will be able to comfort Talia, yet now it seemed that she didn’t need comforting.

During that hellish survival training, Keith was thinking of ways how he can fix his blunder from the Summer Solstice festival, and how Talia will forgive him and they can start anew. However, Alpha Dayson said how he will lead the pack run with his mate, with Talia, and that explained why Dayson was so hostile when he found Keith sitting with Talia next to the lake and drinking beer, and why he put so much effort into replacing Keith as Talia’s trainer. Talia was Dayson’s mate, from the beginning. Keith’s heart ached.

“Thank you, everyone.”, Talia didn’t speak loudly, but everyone heard her. “I will do my best to be the Luna you deserve.”

Dayson touched her chin so that she looks at him. “Not Luna. You will be an Alpha, my equal.”

People gasped and murmurs swelled through the warriors like an unstoppable wave.

Dayson’s arm wrapped around Talia’s shoulders, holding her close to him as he spoke clearly to the people gathered, “Soon, we will announce the date when Talia officially steps out as the second Alpha of the Shadow Fang pack. You can expect a grand celebration, and everyone will be invited. Until then, I want you to know that Talia will be my equal and that’s how I expect you to treat her from now on. Talia is my fated mate, and I’m confident that the pack will prosper with her leading us. Alpha Talia already has brilliant ideas on how to make our lives better and I hope you will all support her with sincerity.”

Talia looked at Dayson with newly found admiration. Can he be any sweeter? His every word tugged on her heart, and she hoped that she won’t burst into tears in front of everyone to see.

“Long live Alpha Talia!”, Maya shouted and then everyone raised their heads and the ground shook with the collective roar, “LONG LIVE ALPHA TALIA!”

Dayson’s joy hit Talia full force and her heart was full because she knew that her mate was proud to have her by his side.

That was all she ever wanted, a loving mate who would do anything for her, just how she would do anything for him, someone who won’t be ashamed of her, and here was Dayson, giving her everything she dreamed of and so much more.

Maya and Jaeden were silently praising Dayson’s choice to announce Talia’s status here, before the pack run. Others might be swayed by the Elders, but warriors were loyal to Dayson and now to Talia as well. They will return to Darkbourne and to their families, and they won’t allow anyone to talk smack about Dayson or Talia. With this, the success of the pack run was guaranteed.

“Keith?”, Talia called when she noticed that his head was still lowered, and he was not part of the enthusiastic clamor.

“Yes?”

“Are you alright?”

“Of course.”, Keith responded quickly while trying to avoid eye contact with Dayson or Talia. He didn’t want any of them to see his emotional turmoil.

‘I am sorry, kitten.’, Dayson’s voice sounded in Talia’s head. ‘If I did this on the first day you arrived, many problems would be avoided. I was so focused on external dangers that I neglected the fact that our people would welcome my fated mate and they would help me keep you safe.’

‘There is no point in thinking about what-ifs.’, Talia responded.

Dayson agreed. ‘Let’s live in the present and plan for the future.’ He glanced toward the warriors and spoke in a normal voice, “You should select your guards.”

Talia was surprised by this. “My guards?”

“When we are apart, I want you to have a few trustworthy people protecting you. I know that you can take care of yourself, but sometimes our enemies will attack sneakily or overwhelm you with numbers. Remember, I need you safe.” Dayson waited for Talia to nod in agreement before he continued, “I can assign you a few capable warriors right away, but it should be someone you are comfortable with.”

Talia didn’t need to think about it. Anyone from the soccer team would do. They were all top-tier warriors, but a few stood out.

“Keith!”, Talia called and turned to see him staring at her with his eyes open wide, like he might collapse from shock if she says the wrong thing. “Will you…”

“It will be my honor.”, Keith quickly said and bowed his head again. He couldn’t believe that Talia picked him to be her personal guard!

Talia’s lips lifted into a smile. “Sandy, Lulu, Pierce, Liam, Caleb? How about you guys?”

They all confirmed and bowed with their fists over their chest.

Talia turned to Dayson. “That’s six. Is that enough?”

Dayson didn’t like a few candidates (the male ones). Keith was having feelings for Talia, Liam was the one with tattoos, and Pierce and Caleb were not peachy either, but he told Talia to pick, and it wouldn’t be right to set restrictions now, so he swallowed his complaints. “It’s perfect. If they don’t perform as expected, you can replace them later.”

Dayson spoke to the six people Talia named. “Your first job is tonight. I want you in the packhouse at eighteen hundred hours sharp. All of you will be in the packhouse for the night, and possibly tomorrow morning also. At least two of you are to have a visual on Talia at any point in time until I dismiss you. Understood?”

Keith, Sandy, Lulu, Liam, Pierce, and Caleb confirmed.

Talia was excited. She had her personal guards! And they were her friends.

She was trying to imagine their reaction when she tells them that their first guarding job will be a failure because she needed to be somewhere else. Or maybe she shouldn’t say anything and just give them a slip. They can’t pick up her scent anyway, and she can say that she can’t sleep when someone is in the room with her. As a precaution, Talia will tuck pillows under the comforter and make it look like she is sleeping in there. Perfect!

Dayson spoke to the warriors about the changes in the border patrols, and he worked with his generals to select squads who will flush out the rogues from the neutral territory so that they can temporarily merge the border with the Spring Leaf pack.

This was new, and everyone was excited.

Talia was impressed that no one had concerns about this as dangers would come from rogues and potentially from the Spring Leaf pack.

‘They will just follow your order even if they might be harmed?’, Talia asked Dayson through their mind-link. She knew that these were strong and prideful warriors, and she was worried that they might do something on their own when Dayson is not watching over them.

‘This is not just my order.’, Dayson responded. ‘They see that Jaeden and Maya are supporting this, and when the leadership is united, the rest will follow. That’s why it’s important that we stand together in front of our people. If you have any objections, voice them in private.’ He turned to look at her seriously. ‘I will never oppose you or question you in front of others.’ And probably not in private either. ‘If I do that, others will see it as a sign of discord and distrust. I want our people to trust you as much as they trust me.’

Talia really admired Dayson. He was one of the youngest Alphas around, yet he was so knowledgeable and she fell for him more.

Dayson selected a group of warriors to stick around and spar with James and George inside the training center so that Calvin (the reporter for WW Magazine) can take photos.

Dayson and Talia sat on the exercising mats, with Dayson’s arm around Talia’s shoulders as they observed the training.

Keith, Sandy, Lulu, Liam, Pierce, and Caleb were sitting nearby and occasionally looking at Talia and Dayson. Talia could guess that they were talking through the mind-link, and she wanted to invite them to sit closer to her and Dayson, but Dayson explained that her recently appointed personal guards won’t be comfortable.

‘You can be friendly with them in private, but now that they know your identity, they will show you respect in front of others.’, Dayson said to Talia through their private mind-link. ‘Don’t think of it as demeaning. They are warriors and you are their superior. A military’s might is amplified by discipline. We have a chain of command and rules to follow.’

Talia was aware that she would need some time to get used to this. She remembered that Maya and Jaeden would walk behind Dayson and address him by his title in front of others, and when it was just them, things would be informal. Will she be able to strike such a balance with her guards and be OK with it? Especially with Keith. She always looked at him as her trainer, someone who can guide her. Can she treat him as a subordinate?

Talia decided to leave those thoughts for later. She knew that Dayson was not just sitting next to her, he was monitoring the progress of removing rogues from the neutral territory by mind-linking the generals who were assigned to that task, but he was still by her side and Talia wanted to bask in his presence.

She leaned on Dayson completely while looking at the stars of this show, James and George.

Talia was amused when she noticed Cornelia’s various expressions. Cornelia grimaced when James punched someone, and her whole body tensed like she was about to jump in there when James received a hit.

Dawn just gazed at George dreamily, and if this was a cartoon, Dawn would have hearts in her eyes.

“Luna Talia!”, a call was heard from the side. “Pardon me, I meant, Alpha Talia! Can I have a word with you?”

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