Page 14 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

“Oh, please.” I roll my eyes and step so close, we’re practically nose to nose. “You don’t get to hide behind that alpha bullshit with me, Damien. This is on you. You made the decision to banish me. You put Alec in an impossible position, and now he’s paying for it because you refuse to admit that maybe—just maybe—you were wrong.”

His face hardens, but there’s something else in his eyes now. Anger, maybe. Or frustration. But he doesn’t back down. He never does.

“This isn’t about Alec,” he tells me, his voice lowering to that dangerous, quiet tone he uses when he’s trying to assert control. “This is about the pack. About keeping order. If you can’t see that, then—”

“Oh, spare me the ‘for the pack’ speech,” I snap, cutting him off. I’m not about to let him use that excuse again. Not after everything he’s already done in the name offor the pack. “You’ve been playing that card since the moment you dragged me back here. But let’s be real for a second, shall we? This isn’t just about the pack, is it? You couldn’t stand the idea of someone else helping me. Of Alec stepping in when you were the one who abandoned me.”

There it is. The truth, raw and unfiltered, and it’s dangling in the air between us like a bomb waiting to explode.

Damien’s eyes flash with something—something dark and dangerous—and he takes a step closer, his broad frame towering over me. “Careful, Jade.”

“Or what?” I cross my arms, refusing to back down even as my heart pounds in my chest. “You’ll throw me out again? Ban Alec, too? Is that your grand plan? Because newsflash, Damien—you don’t get to control me. Not anymore. You need me, not the other way around.”

His nostrils flare, and for a split second, I think he might snap. But then, just as quickly, he reins it in and takes a slow, controlled breath. The alpha mask slips back into place.

“You think running is the answer?” His voice is low, almost a growl. “You think disappearing again is going to solve anything? If you leave, you’ll be putting yourself—and Penny—in danger. Is that what you want?”

The mention of Penny makes my heart squeeze, and for a moment, I falter. I hate that he’s right. I hate that no matter how much I want to throw his words back in his face, the reality is that Penny is in danger. The world outside the pack’s borders isn’t safe, especially not for someone like her. Someone like me.

But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let Damien use her as a pawn to manipulate me.

“I’ll take my chances,” I bite out. “Anything is better than letting you control every aspect of my life.”

His hand shoots out to grab my arm, but I jerk away before he can get a proper grip. My skin burns where his fingers brushed me, and I hate the way my body reacts to him even now, after everything. I hate that part of me still remembers what it felt like to be close to him.

But this isn’t about that. This isn’t about us—if there ever really was an “us.” This is about survival. And right now, I’m doing everything I can to survive.

“I mean it, Damien,” I warn him. “If you don’t stop pushing Alec—if you don’t let him off the hook—I’ll disappear. And this time, you won’t find me.”

His eyes darken, and for a moment, I think I’ve finally hit a nerve. The air between us crackles with tension, thick and suffocating. I can see the anger in his eyes, the frustration boiling beneath the surface, but he doesn’t speak. For once, Damien Lucas—the all-powerful alpha—has nothing to say.

Good.

I hold my ground, refusing to let him see how much my heart is racing, how terrified I am of what might come next. I’ve never felt more alone than I do at this moment. No pack. No home. My brother caught in the crossfire, and my daughter depending on me to make the right call.

I can’t help but wish—just for a second—that my parents were still here. They would know what to do. They always had the answers, always knew how to guide me. Without them, I feel like I’m stumbling in the dark, trying to find my way. At least, that’s how it’s always felt. But maybe I’ve been idolizing them, holding onto an image of them that isn’t entirely real.

After all, they never told me I was a witch. I can’t ask them why, but I can guess—maybe they kept it a secret because half-witches don’t always show their powers. Maybe they hoped I’d never develop them, that I’d fit in with the pack and wouldn’t have to face being different. I already couldn’t shift, and maybe they didn’t want to make me feel worse.

I take a deep breath and push those thoughts aside. My parents are gone. They’ve been gone for years, and wishing for them won’t change the fact that I’m standing here, alone, facing off against a man who has the power to ruin everything all over again.

“We both know you’re not going anywhere,” Damien finally comments. “You can pretend all you want, but you know as well as I do that leaving would be suicide—for you and Penny. Like I said, I’ll protect her. Both of you. If you stay, I’ll make sure nothing happens to her. You have my word.”

“Your word means nothing to me.”

Before he can respond, a tiny voice cuts through the tension, shattering the moment like a fragile piece of glass.

“Mama?”

I whirl around, and there she is—Penny—standing a few feet away. She looks up at me, then at Damien, completely unaware of the storm raging between us.

“I’m sleepy, Mama,” she grumbles, rubbing her eyes with her chubby little hand.

Damien’s eyes flicker down to Penny, and for a split second, I see something in his expression shift. Something softer, more human. And I hate it. Hate that he can go from hard alpha to this… version of himself that almost looks like he cares.

But I’m not falling for it. Not now, not ever again.

I lift Penny in my arms and hold her close, trying to shield her from everything that’s happening. The weight of Damien’s stare is heavy, like he’s trying to figure us out, piece together something he’s missing. Well, too bad for him. I’m not giving anything away.

---