Page 4 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

But I’m not fine. I’m a mess. I’m lying here next to the girl I’ve spent years tormenting, the girl I never gave a second thought to until last night, and I can’t stop thinking about how wrong this is. How wrong I am. Because the truth is, Jade’s not the girl who deserves to be treated this way. She’s better. Stronger. More than I deserve.

It’s not just that I lied to her. It’s that I’ve been lying to myself for so long—telling myself I’m not capable of this kind of betrayal, of using someone like her for a cheap thrill. But here I am, acting like the monster I never wanted to become.

She sits up a little, feeling around for her shirt to get dressed. My throat tightens, and I force myself to look away. I need to get this over with. I need to end this before it goes any further.

“Damien,” she whispers, her voice full of uncertainty. “Was this… was this a mistake?”

I should say yes. I should tell her the truth—that this was all a stupid bet, that I never meant for it to go this far, that I don’t deserve her trust. But instead, I reach out and cup her cheek.

“No. It wasn’t a mistake.”

And it’s not. At least, not the way she thinks it is. Because somewhere along the line, this stopped being about the bet. It stopped being about proving myself to the guys. Now, it’s about her. It’s about Jade, and the way she makes me feel like maybe I’m not the monster I’ve always thought I was.

She smiles at me, and it’s the kind of smile that makes my chest ache. I’m not supposed to feel this way about her. I’m not supposed to feel anything.

I lean in, kissing her softly, and for a moment, I let myself get lost in it. I let myself believe that this could be something real. But before I can even process what’s happening, the air around us shifts.

It’s subtle at first—just a faint hum, like static electricity building in the air. But then it gets stronger, and suddenly, it feels like the whole room is vibrating.

I pull back, frowning as I look around. What the hell is going on?

“Something’s wrong,” Jade comments, glancing at her hands.

Before I can respond, the clearing explodes with light. Not literally, but that’s what it feels like—like this surge of energy is bursting out of her, filling the space with a blinding, pulsing glow. I stumble back, and my heart races as I try to figure out what the hell is happening.

And then I see her.

Jade is glowing. Her entire body is lit up with this strange, pale light, and her eyes… Her eyes are glowing, too. Not the warm russet I’ve always known, but something else. Something powerful.

“What the fuck?” I mutter, backing away. “What’s happening?”

Jade shakes her head, tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t know. I don’t understand.”

But I do. Or at least, I think I do.

There’s only one thing that could cause this kind of reaction. Magic. Real, dangerous magic. And if that’s the case… if Jade has magic in her, then she’s not just a shifter. She’s something else. Something more.

“You’re…” I say. “You’re a witch.”

She flinches like I’ve slapped her, but I can’t help it. Witches aren’t allowed in our pack. They never have been. They’re dangerous. Unpredictable. And if Jade’s one of them… if she’s been hiding this all along…

“I didn’t know,” she whispers, her voice shaking. “I swear, Damien, I didn’t know.”

But I barely hear her. All I can think about is the trouble this is going to cause. The neighboring pack’s territory was burned last week, and there were rumors that it was caused by magic. If the pack finds out Jade’s a witch… if they think she’s responsible for what happened…

I’m screwed. We’re both screwed.

I jump to my feet and start climbing into my clothes. This wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a bet. But now I’m tied to her in a way I never expected, and there’s no going back.

“I… I have to go. I need to figure this out.”

Jade stares at me, and those brown eyes are full of confusion and fear. “Damien, please…”

But I can’t stay. I can’t deal with this right now. I need to get out of here before she loses control entirely.

Without another word, I break into a sprint, leaving her behind.

I thought I could play a game with her, but I didn’t realize how dangerous that game was. I didn’t realize that by getting close to her, I was opening up something far bigger than I could handle.

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