Alpha Damon

Sienna:

“Fuck…” I hissed as he pulled out of me, my body aching at the sudden feeling of being empty. My chest rose and fell as I watched him sit, his back facing me for a second too long before he got up from the bed. It was as if I was not even there by his side, and that was something that I could not understand. It was as if he was just alone. The man that was just with me seemed to have disappeared and changed to this completely.

I watched as he put on his clothes, not bothering to turn around and face me. He didn't even smile, he didn't say a word, he just stayed quiet as he proceeded as if I did not even exist. I couldn’t help the frown that formed on my face. He was my mate, and yet, instead of choosing to lay down with me even for a moment, he chose to walk away. He chose to just turn around and leave. That did not make any sense to me.

The way he held me in his arms, cradling and kissing me, played in my mind. It was the most beautiful thing that I could have ever expected to feel. Though I didn’t expect him to mark me tonight, I didn’t expect this. I didn't expect him to just get up and walk away like this.

“You never did tell me how things are going to be between us now,” I said, breaking the suffocating silence. “And you know, with Lysandra, too. The two of us are going to have to announce that we’re mates, and I doubt she’s going to appreciate it very much. Especially considering the fact that I don't know if the two of you have broken up or not.”

“I never planned to,” he answered coldly, the gentle and sweet man who held me earlier disappearing in an instant. “I doubt that you would think that I would be choosing you over Lysandra.”

His words froze me, and I forced myself to sit up despite my sore body. He could not be serious about this. I knew that he couldn't.

“Damon, this is not a joke to play around with…”

“I’m not playing you, Sienna,” he said, his voice sharper than I’d ever heard. “I never planned to mark you, and I believe you’re not stupid enough to think an Omega could ever be equal to an Alpha. And I don't think that you would have expected me to want anything with you, did you?”

The sarcasm that dripped from his voice was one that I could not have expected. Even if I was told that he would be sarcastic about this, I would have said no. It was going to be impossible. He would not be as cruel.

I had to fight back the low growl rising in my chest as I reminded myself that he was the Alpha. He had been the one to call me here, and yet he acted as though I’d begged him for this. He acted as if I wanted this and not him.

His piercing blue eyes met my green ones, and I couldn’t help but shake my head. My anger flared, not just at him but at myself for believing things could be different. That he could be different, that this… this whole thing, that it could be different.

“Then why did you invite me here? I don’t understand…”

“I was curious about how it would feel to fuck my mate. A feeling that every alpha would want to actually have at least once in their life.” His words dripped with cruelty. “I’ll admit, you’re the best I’ve had in a while. But the last thing I want is for Lysandra to know about this. So, if you have any value for your life, or your dignity, you’ll keep that mouth of yours shut. That is, of course, if you want to keep any of them.”

My jaw clenched as his words sank in. I wasn’t a virgin, but the fact that he had used me so carelessly made my blood boil.

“You have to be kidding me,” I said through gritted teeth. “We were friends, Damon. The man I knew wouldn’t act like some horny…”

He growled low, silencing me instantly. My wolf forced me to stop, though my heart raced with fury. I wanted to respond. I wanted to tell him that he was wrong about this. I wanted him to pay for this. But right now, my wolf was not even allowing me to do so. Of course, she wouldn't. She wouldn't be willing to defy the alpha…

“I will let that attitude of yours slide,” he said, raising a brow as if daring me to challenge him. “You're angry, and I am choosing to forgive that for now.”

“Do you really think Lysandra isn’t going to find out about this?” I asked, wrapping a blanket around myself as I stood. The thought of him seeing me bare again made me feel sick, even though, moments ago, he had been inside me. I had to remind myself not to. We can remind myself not to cry. I did not want him to see me in a situation where he felt or saw that I was weak.

“As long as you keep that mouth of yours shut, there won’t be a problem,” he said coldly. “Otherwise, I’ll make sure you regret it. And trust me, I will make sure that you do.”

“Get the hell out of my house, Damon,” I snapped, bending down to pick up my clothes. “I believe you know the way to the door. After all, the last thing you’d want is for anyone to see you.”

I threw my clothes into the laundry basket, climbing back into bed. My chest ached as I processed his words.

He stopped at the door, and I could hear him take a deep breath before turning back to me.

“I believe the two of us forgot one thing,” he said, his smile cruel and void of emotion.

“And that is, Alpha Damon?” I asked, sarcasm lacing my voice despite the dread forming in my chest.

“I, Alpha Damon Lockwood, reject you, Sienna De Luca, as my mate and Luna,” he said, his voice calm and deliberate. He didn't even seem to care. It was as if he was not even in pain. It was as if this was the most normal thing to do, fuck and reject.

My eyes widened, but I fought hard to mask the pain and anger building inside me. My wolf whimpered, but I refused to let him see my suffering.

“I, Sienna De Luca, accept your rejection,” I said, gesturing to the door. I took a deep breath and smiled, despite the ache threatening to break me. I was not going to allow him to see me being weak.

He frowned, clearly caught off guard, but I refused to back down. I got out of bed, opened the door, and gave him the best smile I could muster. A smile that I knew did not reach my eyes, but I knew that it was better. It saved my dignity, what was left of it at least.

“Now, if there’s nothing else you’d like to add, you may leave, Alpha Damon.”

He hesitated, his cold eyes searching mine, but I held his gaze until he turned and walked out.

The moment the door closed, I collapsed onto the bed, silent tears sliding down my cheeks.

My wolf howled in agony, but I made her a promise; No one, not even Damon Lockwood, would ever break us again.

I give you my word…

Damon:

“What do you mean she’s gone?” I asked Ethan, my best friend and beta, glaring at him. “How the hell can the Omega be gone without anyone knowing where she went?”

“We couldn’t find her at her house. I knocked a few times, and when she didn’t respond, I broke the door down, but she wasn’t there…”

“Find her,” I said, cutting him off. Ethan nodded and ran out to follow my order, knowing I wasn’t joking around at this point. The last thing that I wanted to deal with was the Omega running away right now.

Lysandra, my girlfriend, frowned when she saw my concern. She didn’t know that Sienna was my mate or that I had rejected her for Lysandra over a month ago. Of course she wouldn't. She wouldn't be here, nor would Sienna be alive if Lysandra knew. She would have had her head a long time ago.

“She left. Why are you upset about it?” she asked, crossing her arms as she walked toward me. Her blonde hair and brown eyes met my green ones. Shaking my head, I walked past her without saying a word. “It is not like she's of any importance, she's nothing but an Omega.”

I tried catching Sienna’s scent, but it was nowhere to be found. Being the pack’s orphan and an Omega, I knew that losing her would only anger my father. Somehow he seemed to care about her. He had kept her here when he could have gotten rid of her long time ago. Maybe if he did, I wouldn't be stuck in this mess, but here I was dealing with this.

“I am talking to you, Damon,” Lysandra said, wrapping her hand around my arm to stop me. I growled in warning, forcing her to let go. She shook her head, confused, trying to process what just happened. “Why are you avoiding me? Or why aren't you answering at least? It's not like she should matter to you. Nothing should matter to you. It's not your fault and being an alpha you shouldn't even care about omegas.”

“I do not care about her. But if my father finds out she’s gone, I’m in for more trouble than I want to handle. You know how much he cares about her, and we both know he’ll lose it when he finds out about this…”

“She left on her own. You can’t possibly be blamed for that, Damon.” She said, stopping me. “Plus, you are the alpha. It is not like he is the alpha anymore. It is you who is in charge and it is your word that goes, not his. You need to keep that in mind.”

I took a deep breath, forcing myself not to respond. I knew she hadn’t just left because she wanted to. Watching me with Lysandra had broken her more than she let on, and even though she didn’t say a word, I had a feeling she’d collapse eventually. I just didn’t expect her to leave.

And knowing Lysandra did not understand anything and did not care about anything that did not concern her. I didn't expect her to understand why I would be looking for any of the park members if they chose to run away.

“Lysandra, can you leave me alone to think? For crying out loud, just give me my space…”

“I’m your girlfriend, and I don’t think watching you get worried over another woman is something I should allow,” Lysandra snapped. “And I don't think that leaving you to be alone when you seem to need someone by your side is the right thing to do.”

I sighed and turned to face her. Cupping her cheeks, I made her look at me, leaning in to peck her lips. The kiss felt different, not a good different, much like the other kisses we’d shared since that night.

“My gorgeous neonata, you know the last thing I want is for you to be upset. But I need to find her before my father loses his mind.” I gently ran my finger along her jawline.

Lysandra sighed but nodded, finally allowing me to step back without arguing.

I tried to catch Sienna’s scent. Rejected or not, the bond between us as mates was still unbreakable, especially since I hadn’t marked my chosen mate.

“Where are you, Sienna?” I hissed, walking around the pack grounds. I knew she wasn’t here, but I needed to know which path she’d taken to avoid being caught. She was smart enough to use different routes, typical of her. “And where the fuck would you even think of going?”

************************************

“What do you mean she’s gone missing?” Dad asked angrily, rising from his chair at the dining table just as we entered the house. Noticing her absence at dinner, he knew something was wrong. Of all the pack members, of course, he would only notice the orphan that he took ten years ago, an orphan that should have died alongside her parents that night.

“It’s not Alpha Damon’s fault. She left the pack unnoticed…” Lysandra began, only to be silenced by Dad banging the table.

Alpha Kael, my father, had taken Sienna in as his daughter and always hoped the two of us would be mates. He didn’t know his wish had come true, it was a secret I planned to take to the grave.

“No one addressed you, Lysandra. If you’re at my dining table, don’t assume you mean anything more to me…”

I let out a low growl, warning him not to insult her. I was still the alpha of the pack. He was my father because he chose to resign, but that did not mean that he had any right to speak to my woman this way. He chuckled in response.

“She was a good friend of yours. How can you be so calm about this?” He asked, shaking his head in question as he glared at me.

“I’ve been searching for her all morning. But if she chose to leave, I’m not responsible for tracking her down. Any other Alpha would’ve banished her and made her a rogue.” I said, snapping at him as ignored the clumps that I felt in my chest.

“Sienna wouldn’t have left without a reason, Damon. We all know that,” Mom interrupted. “Whatever her reason, we’ll find out when she’s back. Until then, don’t stop searching for her. She won’t last long out there. And when she returns, she is not to be banished.”

I nodded, knowing objecting would only make things worse. My parents had taken Sienna in after her parents sacrificed their lives to save me and Mom. They died in a fire, unable to escape, after handing Sienna to my mother. She was barely a few months old at the time.

“And I want her reason for leaving, from her, when she’s back. Do you understand me, Damon?”

“Yes, Father,” I said, glancing at Lysandra, who looked like she wanted to comment. I shot her a glare, silencing her, and took a seat beside Mom.

Sienna’s seat was empty, and Lysandra tried to sit in it. Dad banged the table in warning, making her step back.

“Lysandra, child, this is your last warning,” Dad said coldly. “You’re an outsider, not from this pack. If I find you crossing boundaries with the pack members, I’ll deal with you personally. You’re not this pack’s Luna, and you never will be. Do you understand me?”

Sienna:

I put my hand on my stomach as I walked down the dimly lit street heading towards the apartment that I rented after finishing my last shift of the day. It was a long one, I had to admit that much. But no matter how much I wanted to deny it, I was thankful for the long days.

They kept me busy and they kept the thoughts, no matter how cruel, dark or painful they were away from my head.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Mommy’s going to keep you safe,” I whispered, speaking softly to my baby. I ran my finger over my stomach as I stared into space, not saying a word for a few moments.

The grief I felt in my chest, knowing Damon didn't even know he was going to be a father, was something I couldn't shake. But I also knew what would happen if I told him: he wouldn't let me keep the child. To him, a baby born from a rejected mating bond was nothing but a complication. He would want to hide it—the fact that we were mates. That meant he would force me to hide, or worse, get rid of the baby if he found out.

I could already hear his voice, cold and unfeeling, telling me to get rid of it. He’d claim it was for the best, that it was to avoid questions about his relationship with Lysandra. It was a relationship that he chose to play and yet I was the one who was forced to suffer the consequences of it.

But even though things turned out the way that I did not want them to, there was no way in hell that I was going to allow him to have my child taken away from me. The baby was mine and I would protect my child. Even if it meant that I had to stand alone in this world. Even if it meant that I had to fight my battles alone.

For the last three months, one while I was still in the pack and two since I’d left, I’d been working hard to make sure I could give my baby a decent life. Losing the allowance Alpha Kael used to give me didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. Thankfully, I’d saved most of it, originally planning to buy a car. But when I found out I was pregnant, everything changed.

Honestly, I didn’t mind. Starting a family of my own gave me a sense of purpose. A fresh start. That was something that gave me a sense of reason. At least it gave me a sense of pride and it showed me that I can do this by myself. Maybe that was the reason why I was given this.

No one from the pack knew about my job. As far as they were concerned, I was just a university student, busy with online classes and studying for exams. No one would care to look at me. No one would care to actually find out about anything that I did.

I balanced late-night studying with shifts during the day to make ends meet. It was exhausting, but it was worth it for the little life growing inside me.

On my way home, I stopped at a small grocery store to pick up a loaf of bread, a couple of water bottles, and jars of peanut butter and jelly, just enough to last for a few days. The less I spent on myself, the more I could save for the baby. And I knew that peanut butter would most likely be fulfilling enough to feed me as a pregnant woman. The Jelly was only an addition for sugar for me to be able to sustain and balance the taste of the peanut butter.

“That’ll be five dollars, ma’am,” the cashier said, her gaze lingering on my belly. She gave me a kind smile and added an extra loaf of bread and a small carton of milk to my bag. “These are on the house. Wishing you a safe delivery.”

“Thank you so much,” I said, genuinely touched by her kindness.

“You’re welcome,” she replied warmly.

I carried the bag back to my apartment, my stomach growling as I climbed the stairs. Hunger had become a constant companion. I’d lost weight over the past few months, but I had to stretch every dollar to make sure my baby stayed healthy.

Once inside, I locked the door and set the bag down. The apartment was small, just one room with a mini fridge, a bed, and a few secondhand pieces of furniture. It wasn’t much, but it was mine.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I rubbed my belly and smiled faintly. The smile was one that reached my eyes. Of course, it would. My baby was the one reason why I was willing to smile lately. Even the idea of my baby being in my arms was one that I couldn’t wait for.

“I know you’re hungry,” I murmured. “But this is all we’ve got right now. We have to save as much as we can for when you’re here. You know we have to be ready for everything that you are going to want and need, especially when you grow older.”

As I made myself a sandwich, I felt a strong kick. I giggled despite the ache that followed. It was an ache that I got used to, but it was one that I fell in love with.

“You’ve got some strength in you, little wolf,” I said softly, rubbing my belly. “I promise I’ll give you the love I never got. I’ll keep you safe, no matter what.”

After eating, I tucked the rest of the groceries into the mini fridge. That little fridge had been my first big purchase when I moved here, and it felt like a lifeline. One that I found myself being thankful for.

I headed to the bedroom, flicked on the light, and dusted off the bed before changing into comfy pajamas. My wolf had grown weaker over time, and even though wolves usually ran hotter than humans, I still felt cold. I slid on a pair of thick socks to keep my feet warm.

“Good night, little one. Try to let Mommy sleep, okay? We’ve got a big day tomorrow,” I whispered, climbing into bed.

Another kick made me laugh softly, even as the ache lingered.

“I love you too, my little wolf.” I said, cradling my belly as I drifted off.

Damon:

“I don’t care whether or not she’s dead. I want her body if you have to drag it here,” Dad, Kael Lockwood, snapped, his glare burning into me. “And I will not take any excuses as I response.”

“My men are already searching for her. She hasn’t shown up at her university in months. If she were still in the city, we’d have found her by now,” I retorted, my voice sharper than I intended. His tone grated on me, as if I wasn’t the Alpha and he still held that title. He was my father. I respected him for that, but that did not mean that he could cross his limits.

Dad’s eyes darkened, and a low growl rumbled from his chest. In an instant, his hand shot out, wrapping around my neck. I stood, making sure not to do something that I was going to regret, reminding myself that the man standing in front of me was no regular pack member.

“Kael!”

Mom’s voice broke the suffocating silence, but it wasn’t enough to stop him. He growled again, silencing her. She never did like when the two of us argued, she always did try to fight us from doing so, but sometimes she couldn't help it.

“You don’t talk back to me, Damon,” he said, his grip tightening. “That girl’s family sacrificed their lives for you and your mother. The least we can do is keep her safe until she finds her mate. Do you understand me?”

His words cut deep, sharper than any blade. If he ever found out I was her mate, the mate who rejected her, there wouldn’t even be a grave for me. The one response that I wanted to give was the fact that she should have been there with them. It would have been a lot easier if she was. At least I wouldn't have to deal with this.

He released me, and I stumbled back, rubbing my neck. His cold eyes didn’t waver as he stepped toward the door, Mom at his side. She knew not to anger him when he was in the state, but I also did not like the idea of her being alone with him when he was in the state. Though I knew that he would not harm her, I also knew to keep her safe at all costs.

“I want her found. Alive or dead, it doesn’t matter. I want answers, Damon. Why did she leave, and where is she now? If you can’t get those answers, you’ll pay for her disappearance,” he said before walking out. I pinched the bridge of my nose as he slammed the door shut behind him. I wanted nothing more than to tell him off, to tell him that he shouldn't actually care about who she was or what she did, but I knew better than to do so.

I collapsed onto the couch, the weight of everything pressing down on me. Sienna’s absence gnawed at me, my wolf restless and furious. Sharing a house with Lysandra only made everything worse. It only infuriated him even more.

“Damon?” Lysandra’s voice broke through my thoughts as she walked in, carrying several grocery bags.

Once, her voice was soothing, even comforting. Now it felt like nails on a chalkboard. It was more annoying to me than anything that I could describe. And no matter how much I wanted to explain it to her, or at least explain it to myself, I couldn't.

She handed the bags to a maid and approached me, setting her car keys on the table.

“When are you going to tell me what I did wrong? Why won’t you even look at me?” she demanded, her tone more accusatory than pleading. “Please Damon, let us solve it. If I did anything wrong, let us solve it.”

We’d been distant for weeks, but her growing obsession with having a child had pushed me further away. She thought she was clever, but I wasn’t blind. I knew she’d stopped taking her birth control after Sienna vanished. That was something that annoyed me, and though I asked, she chose not to respond.

“You can start by going back on birth control,” I said bluntly, my voice cold.

“It’s my body, Damon. What I do with it is my choice…”

“Then you can dream about me touching you, Lysandra,” I interrupted, glaring at her.

She flinched but didn’t back down. Instead, she sat beside me, crossing her arms.

“What happened to the family we wanted to build? You’re refusing to mark me, you won’t try for a child, and you’ve been like this ever since that little…”

“Don’t,” I growled, cutting her off. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”

She looked down, her defiance faltering. Taking a deep breath, I knelt in front of her, resting my head on her lap.

“I’m sorry. Dad got under my skin, and I’m taking it out on you. I shouldn’t do that,” I said, forcing the apology out.

Her fingers threaded through my hair, soothing me in a way that felt foreign now. Her touch entirely felt foreign, wrong and forced to me.

Dad’s words echoed in my mind. Maybe finding Sienna’s body would help, at least then I could stop this endless search. But the idea of her being gone for good made my wolf claw at my chest.

“Is this about her again?” Lysandra asked, her voice softening. “Does he keep pushing you because of her?”

“Yes,” I admitted, closing my eyes. “The whole thing is starting to drive me insane. Especially since both he and Mom blame me for her leaving.”

In truth, they were right. Sienna had left because of me. I’d seen the pain in her eyes, the way it crushed her to watch me with Lysandra. Three nights after we slept together, she locked herself in her house. I’d checked on her, listening to her heartbeat to reassure myself she was alive.

“They can’t keep blaming you, Damon. She made her choice. Why is that your fault?” Lysandra said, trying to sound reasonable. “You know that you had nothing to do with the Omega leaving. She chose her path on her own.”

“I’m the Alpha. It’s my job to protect everyone in the pack. Sienna was part of this pack. Whether we like it or not, her family gave everything for us.” I said, looking at her. A truth that I wanted to deny, a truth that I loathed more than anything as I knew that I owed her more than I would be willing to give.

“That was years ago, Damon. You and your father have done enough…”

“No amount of money will ever repay what her parents did,” I said, cutting her off sharply. It was the one moment of sympathy and humanity that I was willing to show toward Sienna.

I stood, heading toward the door to grab my keys and jacket. There was one last place I hadn’t checked, a little café she loved.

“For crying out loud, just spend one night with me, Damon. That’s all I’m asking,” Lysandra said, her voice tinged with desperation.

“I have responsibilities, Lysandra. Playing house with you won’t fix anything. My apologies, but I need to go,” I said, pulling on my jacket.

My heart ached with every step toward the door. I prayed I’d find Sienna, dead or alive, just to have closure.

“Damon…”

I turned, meeting her gaze.

“Don’t wait up for me tonight. You have things to handle in the morning,” I said before stepping out, letting the door close behind me.

Sienna:

“Fucking hell.” I hissed, putting a hand on my stomach and another herb kicked tore through me.

My knuckles had turned white as I gripped the doorframe. My breath hitched with each passing second, but I knew that I couldn't skip work today. No matter how tired I was, I needed to get there.

The last thing that I wanted was to under being fired. However today the kicks were relentless. Each one harder than the other was. With only a few weeks left until my due date. I knew that this was something that I did not expect. I knew that the child was still finding its way inside of me. With all that I know it was going to be a little too strong for me to deal with. So I'm go inside me.

“Come on, baby, your mom needs to go to work.” I whispered as I grabbed my back. It was just a small collection of essentials just in case I needed anything. Each step today felt harder than the other and heading towards the café seemed to be almost impossible. It was as if it was further than it ever had been.

I was just a few blocks away when another kick forced me to stop. My wolf stirred, her unease spreading through me. And then I saw him. His eyes landed on mine for a moment.

Damon Lockwood.

No…

My breath caught, and I froze mid-step. And when he took a step closer, my heart hammered against my rib cage, feeling like it was going to pop out.

He didn't recognize me at first. That was something that I was sure of. How could he though? The woman that he knew was gone. My once radiant face was now pale and exhausted, with dark circles under my eyes from the sleepless nights of endless work.

But as my son hit his nostrils properly, as his recognition donned his expression, the sharp pain in my abdomen returned, stronger than before, and my knees buckled. A cry escaped my lips before I could stop it. I looked down, and my heart dropped at the sight of red.

Blood…

“Sienna?” Damon’s voice cut through the haze, but I barely registered it.

“My baby…” I whispered, clutching my stomach as my vision blurred.

Strong arms caught me as I collapsed, and his scent. So familiar that it made my heart skip a beat for a moment. So familiar that it made my heart ache.

“Hold on, Sienna,” he murmured, his voice steadier than I expected. “Help is on the way. Just hold on. I just really need you to hold on…”

And suddenly everything around me went dark.

*********************************************

I woke up to the steady beep of the heart monitor, the sterile scent of the antiseptic filling the air.

My entire body ached and it took a moment for me to process and digest everything that had happened before I ended up here. Wherever here was, at least.

Then it hit me.

“My baby?” I whispered before trying to sitting up. My head felt heavy and for a moment it was a fight for me to be able to do so.

“Stay down.” I blinked, processing the familiar voice that I had heard before I froze as my gaze landing on Damon. His eyes were fixed on me. It was as if he was studying my expression. It was as if he was trying to read me. Something that I did not expect from him.

He stood by the bed, his broad frame tense, his green eyes shadowed with an emotion I couldn’t place.

“Your baby is fine,” he said, his voice softening briefly. “You gave birth to a little girl.”

“A girl?” My voice cracked, tears welling in my eyes.

“She’s weak, but the doctors say she’ll recover,” Damon continued, his tone gentler now. For a moment, the hardness in his eyes melted. “She’s in the incubator room. She’s safe. You don't need to worry, she is safe.”

Relief washed over me and for a second I thought I saw a hint of warmth in his eyes, but I quickly changed, replaced by the cold, distant man that I remembered. The man that had used me for his pleasure.

“How could you be so reckless, Sienna?” he snapped, his voice sharp once more. “Leaving the pack while pregnant? Were you trying to kill yourself?”

“I didn’t have a choice,” I said, my voice trembling. “I doubt that you would have cared anyway.”

“You didn’t have a choice?” he repeated, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Do you have any idea how worried my parents were? How dangerous it was for you to be out there alone? You are a pack member, you couldn't just leave the way that you wanted to. I am the pack alpha and yet you went ahead and crossed me.”

“I couldn’t stay!” I shot back, snapping at him. “I couldn't just stay and risk everything that I could have lost.”

“And why is that?” he demanded, his glare cutting through me. “Why the fuck couldn't you have stayed?”

“You know why,” I whispered, my voice breaking.

“You should’ve told me you were pregnant!” he growled, taking a step closer.

“And what would you have done, Damon?” I snapped, glaring at him. “Made me kill the baby to protect your precious reputation? That was not something that was going to allow you to do. I was not going to lose my baby because of you.”

He recoiled slightly, his jaw tightening. “I would never…”

“Don’t lie to me,” I interrupted, my voice shaking. “You’ve already done enough. You used me to satisfy your wolf, then discarded me like I meant nothing.”

“I didn’t know,” he said through gritted teeth, his anger flaring. “If I knew…”

“What?” I cut him off. “You would’ve cared? Taken responsibility? You don’t even believe me, do you? You would have let me get rid of it. I know for a fact that you would have.”

“What are you saying?” he asked, his voice softer now. “What do I have to do with the girl? Why would the hell would I have made you get rid of her?”

“The baby is yours, Damon,” I said, my voice trembling. “She’s yours. A child of the bond you rejected.”

“That’s not possible…”

“It is,” I said firmly. “And you know it.”

Before he could respond, a sharp voice cut through the tension.

“What do you mean by a child of the mating bond?”

Both of us froze as Kael Lockwood stepped into the room, his commanding presence filling the space. Beside him stood Evelyn, her expression a mix of concern and confusion.

But it was Lysandra who stole my attention.

Her face contorted with fury as she stepped forward, pointing an accusatory finger at me.

“You cheated on me with her?” she spat, her voice trembling with rage. “This thing?”