Chapter 57 - The Road Of Becoming Self-sufficient

Cassie saw Damon standing in the hallway and she wondered, where did the girl from that morning go? Did Damon send her home?

Cassie knew that after the cold treatment Damon gave her, this was not the time to ask such questions and she needed to show that she will not be in his way. 

"Alpha Damon, I see that something is weighing on your mind. I don't want to appear nosy, but I hope you are aware that I will help you in any way I can. I can ask my father to assist you, if necessary."

Damon didn't want to talk to Cassie, but he knew that she is not going to leave easily, and he was aware that Talia will come out of the kitchen at any moment and head up to her room. If Cassie notices that Talia is heading to the third floor, Cassie might suspect something.

He wanted Cassie to leave the packhouse as soon as possible, but for that, he needed a reason to send her away or he will risk angering her father and causing problems for his pack.

At moments like these, Damon hated that he was the Alpha. If he was just a warrior, he would be able to do whatever he wants and the consequences of his actions would be only his to bear and not reflect on thousand of others.

Hearing that Talia was saying goodbyes to Stephanie, Damon put his hand on Cassie's back and pushed her toward the direction she came from.

"How about we continue this talk in the living room?"

Cassie's face lit up. Ah, he wants to talk to her!

Talia was in a good mood. The day started with a dose of stress when Alpha Damon woke her up, but the rest of the day was wonderful, and it was getting better because in only a few hours she will join Stephanie in the kitchen and start her epic journey that will make her a culinary master!

Talia held onto the handrail of the staircases and her eyes fell on two figures a moment before they disappeared in the living room.

It was just for a moment, but she definitely recognized them as Alpha Damon and Cassie. His hand was on her back, and she saw Cassie's profile as she gazed at Alpha Damon with hearts in her eyes.

The mood seemed harmonious and it confirmed that whatever issue they had that morning, it was not an issue anymore.

Talia felt numbness overcome her senses as she made her way upstairs, down the hallway… and she was not sure how she found herself on the bed.

Talia chanted silently that whatever she was feeling, it was not allowed, and she should stop it because it will lead to heartbreak.

It was only one morning of kindness, and to Damon, it didn't mean anything… just how she doesn't mean anything, and she should not deceive herself that it was important.

Alpha Damon took her with him from the Red Moon pack on a whim because he felt pity for her, and maybe there was a dose of responsibility since Talia got two beatings from Marcy because of him.

She should not delude herself that it was anything like friendship because Damon was only making sure that her health is fine and that she has basic needs covered and everything else was just kindness so that his conscience is clean.

Talia remembered how heartbroken she was when Olivia left. It was because no one else cared about Talia and she ended up latching onto the person who treated her as human.

She won't allow the same thing to repeat.

As soon as Doctor Travis says that Talia is fine, she will move out of the packhouse and get accommodation and duties like other Omegas and leave all this behind her.

Will she ever get to see Alpha Damon again? Probably during events that he will attend, from the distance.

Alpha Damon belongs to a different world. The one where other Alphas respect him and women like Cassie and Marcy get to swoon over him, and Talia is a nobody.

That's the truth and she should not deceive herself that it's anything else.

Alpha Damon gave her a morning full of wonderful surprises and that's enough. It has to be.

Maybe one day she finds a man who will treat her well all the time, even when others are present. That man will hold her hand in front of others and tell with pride that she is his, and no one will dare to accuse her of stealing or beat her for things she didn't do.

…

It was close to five o'clock in the afternoon when Talia dressed in a pink t-shirt with purple kittens on it, and blue leggings.

Yes, Alpha Damon told her to wear clothes that he bought for her, but she knew that kitchen can be messy, and she didn't want to ruin good clothes. And besides, considering his mood swings, he probably changed his mind and won't even look at her.

Talia shook her head and told herself not to be silly. She will not see him. Damon is a busy Alpha, and he has no time to linger in the kitchen.

If he has any free time, he will probably fill it with Cassie or with some other she-wolf who fits the image to be his Luna.

What happened that morning will not happen again, and she should not delude herself.

Talia looked at herself in the mirror and gave herself a stern look while pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"Snap out of it!", Talia spoke to her reflection. "Instead of daydreaming, focus on things that WILL happen and make the best out of it!"

Talia didn't have an easy life and she was determined to use this opportunity to her advantage. She already left the Red Moon pack, and even though things here were not perfect, it was much better because she got access to things that will allow her to become self-sufficient.

Talia was aware that she can't be disobedient if she is dependent on others.

Yes, she can leave, but where would she go? 

Talia doesn't have a wolf, or speed, or strength, or anything else that comes with it. Technically, she is human, an unskilled one. Considering all that, she can't join another pack. Who will accept her?

On the other side, living with humans means that she will be on her own. How would she pay for things?

Unless she gets a job as a restroom cleaner, she will end up on the street, and that was not something she wanted.

Talia was not sure if she wants to stay in the Dark Howlers pack, and she was grateful that Alpha Damon didn't bring up the point that she needs to officially join his pack. Her plan was to postpone that ceremony as much as possible because if she forms the mind-link with the pack, it will be much more difficult to leave stealthily.

No matter what, Talia didn't want to attract attention because her experience so far showed that attention means trouble.

At this point, other than a few people in the packhouse, no one was aware of her presence, and she will do her best to keep it that way.

Talia was determined to use this time to learn skills that will help her if she ever finds herself on her own… and she will start with cooking.

Helping in the kitchen sounded like a much better job than cleaning restrooms and as a kitchen helper in a restaurant she might get leftovers, which is an added bonus.

For now, Talia decided not to ask for any special dishes from Stephanie. She will include food groups that are lacking as snacks, or maybe make something on her own when the kitchen is free. With this approach, she will not stand out and she will maximize the hands-on learning that she gets from Stephanie.

Talia grabbed the tablet with an intention to take notes and maybe look up recipes, and she made her way downstairs with renewed vigor.

"Hello, dear!", Stephanie greeted Talia enthusiastically. "You are on time."

"Of course. It's my first day at work, how can I be late? What are we making today?"

Stephanie loved Talia's energy.                                                         

"Ah, I wish that my Lisa has your passion for cooking."

Talia heard several stories about Lisa from Stephanie, so she knew that Lisa is her daughter.

"Not everyone is into cooking."

Stephanie shook her head helplessly. "We spoiled her. While she was here, Lisa was young and we had many Omegas in the packhouse, so other than washing vegetables occasionally, she didn't do much. My sister doesn't have children and she treats Lisa like a princess. I have no idea what that child will do when she starts her own family."

Talia knew that she and Lisa are about the same age. "Lisa is still young and there is time to learn. Look at me."

Stephanie showed a warm smile. She really liked Talia's attitude.

Stephanie knew that Lisa is beyond redemption in the kitchen, however, she didn't want to talk about it with Talia.

It was not about time to learn, but about will which Lisa didn't have. Stephanie's comment about how Lisa received the princess' treatment was not an exaggeration. 

"You said that there used to be many Omegas in the packhouse, but I barely saw a few so far.", Talia said, and Stephanie understood that Talia wanted to know why the situation changed.

"When Damon took over the position as the Alpha of our pack, there were several attempts on his life, and he decided to reduce the number of people who have free access to the packhouse." Stephanie gestured toward the pantry. "If you get two large yellow onions, we will start on the marinade, and I can tell you more…"

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