Elena’s POV
The tension in my hospital room was suffocating as Damien and Julian faced off like two predators ready to strike. I bounced Caleb gently, trying to soothe his fussing while these two males postured around each other with neither showing any sign of backing down.
"I already told you to get out," Damien said through gritted teeth.
"Elena has the right to understand the danger we’re all facing," Julian shot back.
"You’re not pack. This has nothing to do with you," Damien snarled.
"Werewolves might be their first target, but they have intel on vampires too. We’re next in line for extermination," Julian insisted.
"I don’t care what happens to your kind. Get off my land and stay away from my mate."
The word ’mate’ hung in the air like a bomb had exploded. Julian’s eyes went wide with shock as he stared at , and even I felt a flutter of surprise at hearing Damien say it so boldly.
Though I suppose I should have expected this mont. He believed I was his second chance mate, and now that Caleb was born and my pregnancy hormones had settled, the bond would be crystal clear to him.
The truth was, I had felt our connection long before giving birth. I just refused to acknowledge it until he experienced it too.
"Is that accurate?" Julian asked, his gaze drilling into mine. I gave a simple nod.
"I’ve been aware since I arrived here. The mate bond was obvious to . But his wolf couldn’t sense it because of my pregnancy. My altered scent and hormonal changes masked everything," I explained.
"You’ve known this entire ti that he was your destined second mate?" Julian pressed.
"Yes," I confird. From my peripheral vision, I caught Damien’s confused expression. He was probably wondering why I had never ntioned it.
That conversation could wait for privacy.
"Just examine what I brought you. Please. Lives depend on it," Julian pleaded before storming out of my room.
Damien moved to the chair beside my bed and settled into it with determination.
"I’m not leaving this hospital until you’re discharged," he declared.
"Damien, you’re the Alpha of this pack. Your people need you leading them, not sitting here watching over ," I protested.
"Protecting you is my highest priority now. And we will definitely discuss you hiding our mate bond from . But right now, this is exactly where I need to be. Ryder can handle pack business," he said firmly.
"Fine," I agreed, knowing argunt was pointless.
The hospital released the next morning, and Damien drove ho where Gage was practically vibrating with excitent. He couldn’t contain himself when it ca to holding his new nephew, imdiately introducing himself to Caleb as his uncle and refusing to let anyone else have a turn once he got his hands on him.
I rolled my eyes at his possessiveness and sank onto the living room sofa.
"He’s absolutely perfect. And he’s your twin. Lucky little guy," Gage cooed at Caleb.
"I’m grateful he doesn’t resemble his biological father," I said with a grimace.
Damien laughed while Gage remained oblivious, completely absorbed in baby talk.
I retrieved my laptop from the dining table and began pulling up various websites.
"What are you researching?" Damien inquired.
"Julian handed a stack of docunts claiming the military is accelerating their tiline and planning to assault wolf packs within weeks. I want to verify if that’s legitimate intelligence or if he’s manipulating into returning to Marcus’s territory," I said.
"You suspect this could be deception," he observed.
"Exactly. He claid Felix used computer hacking to obtain this information. But Julian doesn’t realize that I’m also skilled at hacking," I revealed.
"Really?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
"Absolutely," I confird.
I encrypted my connection and reinforced my computer’s security before penetrating the Departnt of Defense database. Breaking through their firewalls proved surprisingly simple, but I had to work rapidly since I could only maintain access for a limited ti. I printed everything containing references to werewolves and vampires while simultaneously blocking their attempts to trace my intrusion.
Concealing my digital footprint required constant vigilance, and I could only sustain it for minutes before their defensive systems would overpower my efforts.
When they finally detected my presence, I frantically searched for werewolf and vampire-related materials, printing every docunt containing those keywords before retreating from the system.
I hurried to the office to collect my printouts, finding only three pages compared to the twelve-page report Julian had provided.
Returning to the living room, I showed Damien the stark difference.
"Could they have modified their files after discovering Felix’s hack?" Damien wondered.
"No. Felix never actually hacked anything. That twelve-page docunt is complete fabrication. He lied to manipulate into going ho," I said with certainty.
"Are you certain?" he pressed.
"Completely. Look at the header logos on these pages," I said, pointing out the details.
While similar at first glance, subtle differences revealed the forgery. They had clearly manufactured those docunts to deceive .
"That manipulative bastard," Damien cursed after I highlighted the discrepancies.
"They’re desperate for you to return there, aren’t they?" Gage observed.
"Obviously," I agreed.
"They’re investing way too much energy into this sche," Damien noted.
"I know. I’m not sure how to handle their persistence," I admitted.
"I think we should eliminate them ourselves," Damien suggested darkly.
"That would trigger a war with the vampire coven. I don’t want any conflicts, especially not now," I said.
"Understood. Will you confront Julian about his lies?" Damien asked.
"Yes, when I speak with him next. But I’m not seeking him out. And I have zero intention of returning to Marcus’s pack," I stated firmly.
His satisfaction with my answer was obvious. Why would I go back there anyway? Marcus was probably married by now, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that woman was already pregnant. She would definitely want to secure his heir before ti ran out and before he recognized his mistake in marrying her.
Still, I couldn’t help worrying about my mother’s wellbeing. If Viviana dared lay a finger on her, I would kill that witch myself and thoroughly enjoy every mont of it.
The thought brought a smile to my face as I imagined various scenarios of making her pay. Damien noticed my expression and looked puzzled, so I excused myself to the kitchen for coffee, where I could continue my pleasant fantasies in private.
If Marcus interfered with my revenge, that would be his own fault entirely.
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