Damien’s POV
The phone buzzed in my hand.
Lucas. Finally.
"Tell you found her."
"We got her." His voice was tight. Professional. "Picked her up on Highway 9. She was heading north. Probably back to Millbrook."
My grip tightened on the phone. "Where is she now?"
"Bringing her in. Should be at the pack house in twenty minutes."
"Good." I stood up from my desk. Started pacing. "Take her to the holding cells. The secure ones. I don’t want anyone seeing her. No one talks to her. No one goes near her. Understood?"
Silence on the other end.
"Lucas?"
"Yeah." His voice was strained. "I understand."
"You have a problem with this?"
"She’s my cousin, Damien."
I stopped pacing. "I know who she is."
"Do you?" His tone shifted. Got harder. "Because you’re asking to throw my family mber in a cell like she’s so criminal."
"She is a criminal." The words ca out cold. Final. "She’s done things you don’t know about. Things that—"
"Then tell !" His voice rose. "Tell what the hell is going on! Because right now, I’m following orders blindly and I don’t like it!"
I took a breath. Forced myself to stay calm. Lucas deserved better than this. Deserved to know the truth.
But not yet. Not until I had proof. Not until Emma broke and confird everything.
"Trust ." I kept my voice steady. "When this is over, you’ll understand. But right now, I need you to do exactly what I’m asking. Can you do that?"
Another long silence.
"Yeah." The word ca out reluctant. "Yeah, I can do that."
"Thank you."
"But Damien?" His voice got serious. "If you’re wrong about this. If you’re making a mistake—"
"I’m not wrong." I resud pacing. "I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life."
He hung up without another word.
I set down my phone. Looked at the clock. Twenty minutes.
Twenty minutes until I faced the woman who’d helped destroy my marriage. Who’d lied about carrying my child. Who’d worked with my own brother to tear apart everything I loved.
My hands clenched into fists.
I needed to stay calm. Controlled. Couldn’t let emotion cloud my judgnt.
But God, I wanted to break sothing. Wanted to put my fist through the wall. Wanted to scream until my throat was raw.
Instead, I walked to the window. Stared out at the grounds. At the forest beyond. At the moon rising in the evening sky.
Sera was out there sowhere. In her tiny apartnt. Probably crying. Probably hating . Probably signing those divorce papers right now.
The thought made my chest cave in.
But I couldn’t think about that. Not yet. First, I had to deal with Emma. Had to get the truth. Had to find Gabriel.
Then I could figure out how to save my marriage.
If it could even be saved anymore.
---
The holding cells were underground. Cold. Damp. Designed to hold dangerous rogues and criminals awaiting trial.
I walked down the concrete steps. My footsteps echoing off the walls. The security guard at the bottom straightened when he saw .
"Alpha." He nodded. "She’s in cell three. My n are standing by if you need them."
"Leave us." I didn’t slow my pace. "No one cos down here. No matter what you hear. Understood?"
His face paled slightly. "Yes, Alpha."
He disappeared up the stairs. The door closed behind him with a heavy thud.
I was alone now. Just and the woman who’d betrayed .
Cell three was at the end of the hallway. The door was solid steel with a small window. I looked through it.
Emma sat on the concrete bench. Her hands folded in her lap. Her pregnant belly obvious even through the loose clothing. Her face pale. Scared.
Good. She should be scared.
I unlocked the door. Stepped inside.
She looked up. Her eyes widened. "Damien—"
"Don’t." The word ca out sharp. "Don’t say my na like we’re friends. Like you didn’t just try to destroy my entire life."
Tears filled her eyes imdiately. "I didn’t—I never ant—"
"Save it." I closed the door behind . Locked it. The sound echoed in the small space. "We both know why you’re here."
"Please." She stood up. Stumbled slightly. One hand going to her stomach. "Please, I’m pregnant. I can’t be in here. It’s not safe for the baby—"
"The baby." I laughed. The sound was harsh. Bitter. "Let’s talk about that baby, Emma."
She backed up until she hit the wall. "What do you an?"
"I an—" I stepped closer. "—I want to know whose baby it really is."
Her face went white. "It’s yours. I told you—"
"You told a lot of things." I kept my voice calm. Controlled. Even though everything inside was screaming. "You told we spent the night together. You told I marked you. You told I gave you two million dollars to get rid of it."
"Because it’s true!" Her voice cracked. "All of it is true!"
"Then why—" I stopped right in front of her. "—why did Lucas find you running? Why were you heading north? Why were you trying to disappear?"
"I wasn’t—I just needed space. Needed to think—"
"Wrong answer." My hand shot out. Grabbed her wrist. Not hard enough to hurt. But firm. Final. "Try again."
She tried to pull away. Couldn’t. Fresh tears stread down her face. "Damien, please. You’re scaring ."
"Good." I leaned closer. "Because you should be scared. You should be terrified. Because I know what you did. I know about Gabriel. I know about the setup. I know everything."
Her face crumpled completely. "No. No, you don’t—"
"I know he drugged ." The words kept coming. "I know you staged the hotel room. I know you marked yourself. I know the baby isn’t mine."
"It is!" She was sobbing now. "It is yours! I swear—"
"Stop lying!" My voice rose. Echoed off the concrete walls. "Stop lying and tell the truth!"
She collapsed. Just folded in on herself. Sank to her knees on the cold floor. Her whole body shaking.
"Please." The word was barely audible. "Please don’t hurt . I can’t—I don’t want to lose the baby—"
I grabbed a chair from the corner. Dragged it over. Sat down right in front of her kneeling form.
"Then talk." I kept my voice level. "Tell everything. Every detail. Every lie. Every plan. Tell all of it and maybe—maybe—I’ll let you keep that baby."
She looked up at . Her face destroyed. Mascara running. Snot everywhere. Looking nothing like the composed assistant I’d known for years.
She was crying so hard she could barely breathe. Her hands pressed against her stomach. Protective. Desperate.
"I don’t want to die." The words ca out broken. "Please. I don’t want my baby to die."
"Then talk."
She opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
"I—I can’t—"
My patience snapped.
I stood up fast. The chair scraped across concrete. Emma flinched back.
She pressed herself against the wall. Nowhere left to run. "Please—"
"Tell —" I stopped right in front of her. "—where—"
She flinched.
"—is—"
Her eyes went wide with terror.
"—Gabriel?"
She was shaking. Her whole body trembling. Tears streaming. Looking like she might break completely.
"I don’t know!" The words exploded out. "I don’t know! He stopped answering!"
I grabbed her by the collar. Hauled her to her feet. She cried out. Her hands going to mine. Trying to pry my grip loose.
"Tell !" The roar echoed off the walls.
Then I saw it. The look in her eyes. The calculation beneath the tears. The lie forming before she even said it.
My hand moved faster than thought.
The slap echoed like a gunshot.
Emma’s head snapped to the side. A red mark blood across her cheek. She stared at in shock. In horror.
I grabbed her collar again. Pulled her close. Close enough to see the fear in her eyes. Close enough to sll her perfu mixed with sweat and tears.
"Where—" My voice was deadly quiet now. "—is—Gabriel?"
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