Elena’s POV
The wooden chair creaked beneath as I settled onto the front porch of the packhouse. Damien took the seat beside , his usual easy confidence replaced by an awkward silence that stretched between us like a chasm.
My gaze drifted across the training grounds where warriors sparred with fierce determination. Pack mbers moved through their daily routines with an enviable simplicity that made my chest tighten with longing. Their biggest worry was probably what to have for dinner, not the life-altering revelation currently burning a hole in my pocket.
The pregnancy test felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.
"Look, you’re carrying a child. That doesn’t have to change our plans." Damien’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts.
I turned to study his profile, searching for any hint of what he really thought. "You honestly believe I should keep Marcus in the dark about this?"
His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking with barely contained anger. "Normally, I’d say a mate deserves to know. But your situation isn’t exactly normal, is it? The bastard left you and your mother in that death trap of a trailer, practically gift-wrapping you for any rogue with a grudge."
The bitter truth of his words settled in my stomach like lead. "I’m painfully aware of that fact."
"Marcus doesn’t deserve the title of father." The venom in Damien’s voice surprised with its intensity. "The man who abandons his pregnant mate doesn’t get the privilege of raising that child."
"Maybe not, but he’s going to get his fairy tale ending anyway." The words tasted like ash on my tongue. "He’ll marry that plastic princess Viviana and pop out a whole litter of future alphas to carry on his precious legacy."
"Exactly my point." Damien shifted to face fully, his eyes blazing with conviction. "If your child is his firstborn, he’ll drag them into that toxic cycle. You’ll be forced back to that hellhole of a pack, watching him mold your baby into another version of himself. Is that really what you want? You’ve already severed the mate bond. You’re free from feeling his betrayals. Let him have his perfect little family with her. You and your child deserve so much better than the scraps he’d throw your way."
The passion in his argunt made my heart race. "You really want to stay, don’t you?"
"More than you know." The confession hung heavy between us.
A strange warmth blood in my chest, chasing away so of the cold fear that had been my constant companion. "Then that’s what I’ll do. I refuse to let my child beco a pawn in his power gas."
"They’ll have the chance to just be a kid. No pressure, no expectations beyond being happy and healthy." The relief in Damien’s voice was palpable.
Curiosity got the better of as I watched him relax for the first ti since I’d dropped my bombshell. "Can I ask you sothing personal?"
"Fire away."
"Why hasn’t soone like you found their mate yet? You’re everything Marcus pretends to be."
His expression darkened, pain flickering across his features. "That’s complicated."
"Damien, you know every sordid detail of my disaster of a life. The least you can do is share one secret with ." I kept my voice light, but my eyes challenged him to trust the way I’d trusted him.
He ran a hand through his hair, looking suddenly younger and more vulnerable. "I did find her. Unfortunately, she’d already chosen soone else."
Anger flared hot in my chest. "She rejected you for so chosen mate? That’s complete garbage."
"Life isn’t always fair." His smile held no warmth.
"Do you know the guy she picked over you?" The question slipped out before I could stop it.
"His na is Julian." The na hit like a physical blow, and I must have visibly reacted because concern imdiately creased Damien’s brow. "What’s wrong?"
My mouth went dry. "Julian as in the vampire who showed up at my trailer uninvited?"
"You’ve t him?" Shock colored every syllable.
"He paid a midnight visit while I was stuck in that tin can death trap. Though he claid he wasn’t there to hurt . Said his whole family survives on animal blood, not human." The mory of those unsettling red eyes still made shiver.
"Family?" Damien’s protective instincts kicked into high gear.
"That’s what he called his coven. I have no idea how many bloodsuckers we’re talking about." I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling exposed.
"What did he want from you?" The dangerous edge in Damien’s voice would have made most people back away.
"He warned to be careful. Apparently, he’d been watching for who knows how long, which is absolutely terrifying when you think about it. His warning was cryptic as hell, but he did say I deserved better than Marcus." I couldn’t help but smirk at that last part.
"Smart vampire." Damien’s mood lightened slightly.
"Hey, what’s the serious discussion about?" Gage’s cheerful voice interrupted our conversation. My eyes darted to the pregnancy test that Damien was still clutching like a lifeline.
"Oh hell, that’s mine." He practically launched it back into my lap, making laugh despite everything.
"What is that thing?" Gage’s curiosity was written all over his face.
"I’m pregnant." The words ca easier the second ti around.
"Holy shit. I didn’t realize things had gotten that intense with Marcus."
"One night of weakness, and the very next morning he announced his engagent to that surgically enhanced girlfriend of his." The bitterness in my voice could have stripped paint.
"She’s staying put, and college is still happening. We’ll convert the room next to hers into a nursery, and I’ll hire help for when she’s in class." Damien’s tone brooked no argunt.
"I can’t let you do all of that for ."
"You’re not letting do anything. I’m telling you how this is going to work. You can’t handle school, work, and a newborn all by yourself. Don’t even think about arguing with about the money. I know you hate charity, but this is happening whether you like it or not." His protective instincts were in full alpha mode.
My heart swelled with gratitude and sothing deeper I wasn’t ready to na. "I guess there’s just one more thing I need to take care of."
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