Page 15 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

“I’ll take you to my cabin,” Damien announces in that authoritative way. Like I’m supposed to just nod and follow.

His cabin. Of course.

“No,” I hiss, keeping my voice just above a whisper so I don’t alarm Penny. “We’ll stay at the guest house or wherever else you’re putting people you don’t want around.”

I don’t miss the way his jaw tightens, the way his eyes narrow just a fraction. He’s annoyed. Good. I hope he’s furious.

“That’s not how this works,” he says, his voice low. “My mate stays with me. You’re coming to the cabin.”

Mate. He keeps throwing that word around like it’s supposed to mean something. Like it changes everything. But it doesn’t. It doesn’t erase what he did to me. It doesn’t change the fact that I never asked for any of this.

“I don’t care where you think I belong. I’m not your property, Damien. I’m not—”

“You’re coming,” he cuts me off. “And this isn’t up for discussion. You’re my mate, you’ll stay with me. End of story.”

I want to scream at him. I want to throw every bit of anger I’ve been holding onto for the last three years right in his face. But then Penny shifts in my arms and presses her little face against my chest, and I know I can’t do this right now. Not with her here. Not like this.

“Fine,” I say begrudgingly. “But I’m not doing this for you.”

He doesn’t say anything in return. Just gives a stiff nod and turns toward his truck, expecting me to follow. I have half a mind to run in the opposite direction, but I know that’s not an option. Not with Penny.

I follow him to the truck, holding Penny close as I climb into the passenger seat. Damien doesn’t say a word as he gets behind the wheel, and the silence between us is thick enough to choke on. I buckle Penny in, making sure she’s snug under the blanket I packed, and settle back into the seat, trying to ignore the growing unease in my stomach.

The truck rumbles to life, and we start down the winding road toward the woods. The darkness outside is blinding. The trees look like creepy shadows, and it makes my skin crawl. I’ve never liked the woods at night. Too many things hiding in the dark, too many memories I don’t want to revisit. And now Damien is dragging me into the middle of it, to his cabin. To his lair, where he can keep an eye on me.

Perfect.

I steal a glance at him, though his face is barely visible in the dim glow of the dashboard lights. He looks so focused, so in control, like this is just another day for him. Meanwhile, my whole world is crumbling, and he doesn’t seem to care. Typical.

The truck bumps along the dirt road, and I catch glimpses of the trees whipping by with their branches stretching out like claws. It’s quiet out here—too quiet. I hate it.

When we finally pull up in front of the cabin, I lean forward to examine the scene through the windshield. It’s not what I expected. It’s… nice. Rustic, sure, but cozy. The porch wraps around the front, and the soft glow of light from the windows makes it look almost inviting. But I’m not fooled. This place is a trap, no matter how pretty it looks.

Damien climbs out of the truck and comes around to open my door like this is some kind of date. I ignore him and slide out, shifting Penny in my arms as she stirs slightly. Her eyes flutter open for just a second, and my heart aches at how innocent she looks, completely unaware of the mess we’ve just walked into.

“This way,” Damien mutters, already heading up the steps to the porch.

I follow, biting my tongue the whole time. There’s no point in arguing right now, not with Penny so close to waking up. I’ll save that fight for later.

Inside the cabin, the fire is crackling in the stone hearth like something out of a postcard. The furniture is simple, worn but comfortable-looking, and the scent of pine and smoke fills the space. It’s cozy in a way I didn’t expect from Damien.

“Guest room’s down the hall,” Damien tells me as he motions toward the back of the cabin. “You can put Penny to bed.”

I don’t bother to thank him. Instead, I carry Penny down the hall, gently opening the door to the small guest room. It’s simple, just a twin bed and a window looking out over the trees, but it’ll do. I lay her down, tuck the blanket around her, and sit on the edge of the bed for a moment, just watching her sleep.

She doesn’t deserve any of this. She deserves better.

My throat tightens, and I run a hand through her soft hair, brushing it away from her face. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” I whisper. “I’m so sorry.”

I can’t let Damien find out the truth about her. Not yet. Not until I figure out what to do and how to protect her. If he knew the truth—if he knew that Penny was his—I don’t even want to think about what might happen.

Chapter 5 - Damien

Gray Reed’s glare is practically a living thing, slithering across the room and coiling around my neck. The man has always had a chip on his shoulder, but today, it feels like that chip’s grown into a damn boulder.

Patrick Martin, on the other hand, is as calm and quiet as ever. His dark eyes move between us like he’s watching a tennis match he has no intention of joining until he has to.

This meeting has been going on for thirty minutes, and so far, I’ve heard every reason why this won’t work but not one real solution. Typical.

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