The Alpha's Bride

Chapter 176 - Aftercare



Talia sat on the chair with a mirror in front of her and she closed her eyes while enjoying the hair-combing service Damon provided. The light tugging on her scalp as the comb made its way through her hair, made her all tingly.

She blushed at the memory of their steamy morning.

The daylight was illuminating them completely, allowing her to see every drop of sweat forming on his outrageously attractive body as he focused intensely on pleasuring her.

Talia was confident that she will never forget the way Damon caressed her body and kissed her everywhere, gently and lustfully… how every cell in her body sang in the rhythm of the friction his thrusts provided until she fell apart in a mess of cries and gasps… Damon's deep growl and the grimace veiled with bliss when she felt him throb while shooting his hot load deep inside her… and when everything calmed down into her new normal, there were bits of Damon embedded into her soul.

It was a life-altering experience that was further enhanced by Damon's aftercare when he carried her into a tub full of warm water they shared. Damon washed her in slow, deliberate movements like she was the most delicate flower, and he was caressing her petals.

Damon helped her dress up, and he dried the edges of her hair that got wet in the tub, and then he took the comb and told her to relax, and… here she is. Relaxing.

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"If you sleep now, we will miss breakfast, kitten…", Damon's husky voice sounded close to her ear, pulling her into reality, and Talia smiled at her perfectly combed hair.

"You are good at this.", she complimented.

Damon cockily flipped the comb in the air and caught the handle with a flick of his wrist. "I am natural."

Talia enjoyed his cheeky response. This was playful Damon, and she liked his company.

"For the first time handling woman's hair, not bad.", she teased.

"This is not my first time.", he responded right away.

"Oh…", a sound escaped Talia's lips and she lowered her gaze quickly.

She chided herself for rashly assuming that this was his first time to comb someone else's hair.

Was she his first in anything? Probably not.

Talia wanted to ask how many girls got this treatment from him, but she swallowed those words back. She didn't want to know. Just the thought of some other woman being cared for by Damon made Talia feel knots in her stomach.

Since they came to the Lightclaw pack, Damon was totally focused on her, and she basked in his attention that made her feel special.

Talia reminded herself not to be greedy. This outing will be preserved as a loving one in a corner of her memory, and she will revisit it whenever she feels down. There was no more to it.

Yes, they entangled their bodies more than once, and Damon said many sweet things, but that was probably in the heat of the moment, to make her let go of inhibitions, and… it worked. Under his guidance, Talia was able to forget who she is and to enjoy it fully.

However, everything comes to an end, eventually.

Talia was painfully aware of Damon's identity. He definitely attended numerous parties, and this wasn't a big deal for him, but for her, every moment with Damon was extraordinary, and she wanted to believe that she was important to him, even if it's just a lie that will evaporate the moment they go back home.

"I used to comb my mother's hair."

Talia's eyes snapped up and she met his gaze in the mirror as he continued.

"On weekdays I had school and training from early morning, but on weekends when my father went to attend his rounds, my mother would demand that I come to her room and comb her hair." Damon paused before adding, "You are the second woman whose hair I combed."

Talia stared at his amused expression, and she realized that he saw through her. She was jealous and he noticed. Talia didn't know where to look.

But it was not just jealousy, it was the feeling of not being worthy, and that was something she couldn't shake off.

Damon's presence had the power to make Talia believe that anything is possible, but there were times when the magic would stop, and she saw herself for who she really is. A nobody.

The more brilliant he was, the more her heart would tighten because she really wished that he is less outstanding. If he was not a mighty Alpha, maybe she would dare to dream about the future with him, but no matter how much her heart ached for Damon's affection, and no matter how much her body craved for his touch, Talia's mind was reminding her of reality.

Damon squatted next to Talia and rotated the chair so that she was facing him.

"Talk to me, kitten. Tell me what's on your mind."

Talia's smile didn't reach her eyes. "I was just thinking how all this is wonderful. Thank you for combing my hair. Can we go for breakfast now?"

There was no way she would tell him and spoil the moment that was already spoiled by her overthinking it. Didn't she tell herself to enjoy while they were here? Why did she allow her mind to stray toward unnecessary things?

Damon didn't know what was on Talia's mind, but he could feel that her mood dropped significantly. There was sadness and dejection, and he had an urge to fix it.

Damon lifted Talia off the chair and sat on it with her on his lap.

"Do you like it here?", he asked, and she nodded in response while sinking into him.

Damon assumed that she was sad because they are set to leave shortly after breakfast. "Do you want us to stay here longer?"

Yes. "No. Let's stick to the plan." She couldn't be selfish. As his assistant, Talia knew very well how much work he left behind. Instead of asking to stay longer, he should be urging her to leave as soon as possible.

Damon thought for a moment. "How about, when we get back home, we plan for a vacation?"

"A vacation?", Talia repeated robotically.

"A vacation.", Damon confirmed. "Just the two of us. Pick wherever you want to go. It can be anywhere."

Talia thought how that sounded wonderful, but… "I can't do that. I wouldn't even know what place to pick."

Damon exhaled helplessly. "We will talk about this again after we return home. In the meantime, I want you to think about our first vacation together. Mountain? Sea? I know you love the forest. We can rent a cabin in the forest. Or do you want us to go to a city? We can stay in a five-star hotel in a penthouse suite... Or we can rent a yacht…"

Talia listened to his blabber and smiled. He remembered that she loves the forest. The truth was that she would go anywhere, as long as it's with Damon.

"Instead of a flashy vacation, how about we go for breakfast?", Talia asked. "I am hungry."

"Yes, yes.", he agreed immediately. "We will go in a minute, but first… How are you feeling?"

Talia didn't understand his question until she saw him glancing down at her crotch area.

She pressed her legs together. "I'm fine."

Damon cocked his eyebrow suspiciously. "If you say so. Let me know if it gets worse and I will give you another…" He licked his lips. "…treatment."

Damon saw Talia's face exploding in a fierce blush and he chuckled.

Talia couldn't believe how outrageous he was, and he was still not done talking!

"My services are available anytime, kitten. Only for you."

This time, Talia's smile reached her eyes.

His words managed to dispel the dark clouds that were gathering in her mind, and she was back to wishing to stick to him forever.

Talia's happiness washed over Damon, and he gleefully cradled her in his arms.

Damon knew that Talia gets consumed by insecurities sometimes. A girl like Talia tends to overthink things. Damon didn't understand that, but he read how that's normal for girls who are smart. He wished that Talia was simpler and that she can just relax and enjoy the flow, but he also knew that she was perfect, his other half, and he wouldn't want her any other way.

Damon was known for not bothering with things he deemed not important, he would push those issues on the side and forget about them. Maybe that's why Talia thinks about every little thing, to compensate where he is lacking.

Damon was carried away with the sensation of Talia relaxing on him and he didn't notice his wolf scratching to come out until he was almost at the surface.

The old beast was getting crafty in sneaking up on Damon, eager to spend some time with Talia and claim her as his.

Damon didn't want to allow his wolf to act on an instinct. If Talia had her wolf, she would understand what's going on, and she would feel that primal pull as well, but like this, it would be the same as Damon forcing the bond on her, and he didn't want to risk Talia hating him for that.

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