The Alpha's Bride

Chapter 941: Reorganization (2)

When Luna Layla mentioned Beta Raymond, Damon remembered... "Beta Raymond is missing. Do you know where he might be?"         

"If he guessed that Edward would challenge you and lose…" Luna Layla paused. "In the basement, there is a secret door. At the end of the hallway, on the right, there is a brick with irregular patterns. If you press it, it will expose a lever that opens the door. I saw Edward sneaking there more than once in the last few weeks. If I saw him, Raymond saw him as well."     

Talia turned to Damon. "You should check it out. Take Sandy and Tyler with you, and be careful."     

Damon knew they shouldn't delay this as Raymond might be destroying evidence or stealing important things, assuming that he didn't do the damage already and fled. But Damon couldn't leave Talia alone.     

"I will be fine, Damon," Talia assured him. "I want to talk to Luna Layla a bit, and then I will rest until the meeting starts."     

'Do you think anyone can harm me?' Talia asked through their mind-link.     

'Trust in mate,' Sapa grumbled in Damon's head.     

Damon puffed his cheeks. Even his wolf was set on separating him from Talia!     

Reluctantly, Damon left.     

Talia turned to Luna Layla, who was hugging the purple box to her chest. When she noticed Talia's eyes on her, Luna Layla quickly wiped her moist cheeks with the back of her palm. "You probably think I'm a failure."     

"I don't," Talia said. "You did what you thought was the best at that time. I didn't stay here to talk about the past."     

"Why are you here, Alpha Natalia?"     

Talia looked around. "Are you sure you want to leave?"     

"Even if you allow me to keep it, this is not my home. There are too many bad memories here."     

"I was told that the way to erase bad memories is to replace them with happy ones," Talia said.     

"This pack is done. I heard Omegas talking about how Alpha Damon won't take over. Are you telling me to stay here and wait for rogues to come?"     

"Damon won't take over, but he won't leave this land unprotected. Land can be divided, but this packhouse is only one, and it will be left empty."     

Talia had an idea on her mind. She didn't understand how Luna Layla could be such a wasteful Luna who only cared about glitz and glam while neglecting her children. However, after hearing the truth, Talia realized that Luna Layla suffered and endured for more than two decades. Overall, Talia's opinion of Luna Layla rose and she thought of giving the woman a purpose.      

"Why don't you seek Chester and come to live here? If you do so, I will assure this piece of land will remain neutral. You can keep the third floor as your living quarters, and the bottom can be an area for Alphas to meet, similarly to how Guardians are providing facilities for the Council of Alphas."     

Talia didn't want to rely on Guardians anymore, but Alphas needed a neutral location where they could meet. This place would serve the purpose perfectly.     

"Damon and I will announce that you are under our protection. No one will dare to bully you. With your experience as the Luna of the Red Moon pack, you will be perfect for the role that requires management, style, and firmness when dealing with willful Alphas. You are free to pick trustworthy people to work here and stand guard; if you don't have any, we will help you pick."     

"That's very generous. Why would you do that?" Luna Layla asked. "I'm sure there are many others who would do that job."     

Talia shrugged. "James is now Damon's Gamma. James is a smart male, but he is lonely. If you consider yourself as failed in motherhood, it's not too late to fix it. Create good memories for yourself and James."     

Luna Layla smiled a little. "James is lucky to have you and Alpha Damon."     

"Not only us. James made quite a few friends, and he has George and…" Talia couldn't bring up Cornelia. That was James' to share or not. She looked at the purple box. "I know Marcy is gone, but maybe you will want to give that to James' mate."     

"You are assuming James will want to talk to me."         

"Right now, James is confused, but eventually, he will look back and… Chester might want to meet his son."     

Luna Layla cocked an eyebrow. "Your arguments are improving, Alpha Natalia."     

Talia's eyes flashed in glee. "Are my arguments good enough to convince you to stay here? What do you say?"     

"I will think about your proposition, Alpha Natalia. Can I get a week?"     

"Sure," Talia responded. "When you are ready, just come here. No one will touch this packhouse or things in it until you return." Talia remembered that they wanted to search for things related to witches, so she added a disclaimer, "We will confiscate things belonging to Alpha Edward and the Red Moon pack, but your assets will remain yours."     

…     

Sometime later, Alphas met in the conference room with the goal of discussing the division of the territory that belonged to the Red Moon pack. Cristian and a few more Alphas attended the meeting via conference call.     

Damon returned from his exploration in the dungeon, and he told Talia that he had found the secret door that opened to a long and winding hallway. Eventually, he discovered several doors, but they were all locked, and he didn't want to risk breaking stuff and potentially damaging what was inside. Knowing Alpha Edward, those things would be booby-trapped. They decided to revisit that location after the meeting with James.     

Damon didn't catch a whiff of Beta Raymond, so he instructed Sandy and Tyler to check security footage and figure out when and where the guy disappeared because he was not in the packhouse, and no one had seen him from before the Alpha Challenge.     

Talia felt awkward for being the only female in the conference room, and she wanted to go outside and help with resettling Omegas. However, Damon told her that she needed to represent the Midnight Guardians pack regardless of if she was interested in any territory that was about to be divided. Also, he wanted to keep her in his visual range. His kitten was a magnet for trouble.     

Before anyone spoke, Damon announced that the Lightclaw pack and the Blue River pack were getting a sizeable chunk of land, which would connect them, and in extension, it would connect the Spring Leaf and the Dark Howlers pack also.     

What most of the Alphas didn't know was that this area included the portal to the Midnight Guardians pack. Like this, Damon was at ease, knowing that Tony would control that area, and since they were allies, Damon could send there patrols from the Dark Howlers pack without arousing suspicion. The Midnight Guardians pack will be safer.     

Talia looked at Damon gratefully, and she spoke through their mind-link, 'Thank you, Damon.'     

Damon smirked. 'I will do anything to make your life easier, kitten.'     

Talia knew that. Damon always put her first, and she wanted to kiss him until her lips turned numb. 'Remind me to reward you after this meeting.'     

His eyebrows shot up. 'I can call for a break right now.'     

Talia stifled a giggle. Damon was outrageous and naughty and hers, and she loved it. She loved him.