Damon and Talia came to the dining room with Damon's arm wrapped around Talia's waist tightly, and during their meal, he didn't let go of her hand.
Talia's words that things are not working and that she wanted to leave were still fresh in Damon's mind, and he feared that she will leave him. He needed her touch that comes with sparks of their bond to assure him that she was there, next to him.
Yes, Talia agreed to stick around and step in front of Elders as his mate and future Luna, but she agreed to many things before and based on her behavior, Damon concluded that unless she can feel their bond, no matter what he says or does won't make a difference.
When Talia feels threatened or at disadvantage, she might leave. He assumed that by creating connections to the Dark Howlers pack, she will be reluctant to leave even if something bad happens, but it seemed that was not the case. That thought was eating him alive.
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