Page 35 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

Haley laughs, glancing at Penny with an exaggerated wink. “You’re doing the hard work, huh, kiddo?”

Penny beams back at her.

“She’s a pro at entertaining herself,” I say, leaning on the counter slightly. “But I’m still trying to figure out where I fit.”

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Haley assures me, tapping her fingers on the desk. “And don’t worry, most people here are easy to get along with. We’re like a little family, really. And not of the Jerry Springer variety. If you need anything, just ask.”

“Thanks,” I reply. “I’m sure I’ll have questions.”

Before I can say more, a couple of other employees make their way over. There’s the guy with the glasses and ponytail from earlier—Tommy, if I remember correctly—and a tall woman with red hair, a sharp sense of style, and flawless makeup even in the harsh fluorescent lights of the office.

“You must be Jade,” the redhead says with a grin that’s less flashy than her look but just as bright. “I’m Maria. I do marketing. And Tommy here’s our tech genius.”

Tommy raises a hand in greeting. “Hey. Welcome to the madhouse.”

“Thanks,” I say with a little laugh. “I think.”

“So,” Maria says, her eyes flicking between me and Penny, who’s now intensely focused on her drawing. “You settling in okay?”

“Trying to,” I admit, chuckling. “I think it’ll take some time.”

Maria glances at Penny again and smiles. “It’s nice that you can bring your kid to work, though. I bring my boy sometimes. Not every place is that flexible.”

“Yeah, I was worried about that, but it helps,” I say.

Tommy nods and pushes his glasses up his nose. “Damien’s good about that stuff. He gets that people have lives outside the office. I mean, we work hard, but no one’s here till midnight unless they want to be.”

“Yeah, I heard he’s a decent boss,” I say, surprised at how easily the words come out. “I’m still trying to figure him out, though. He’s… different than I remember.”

Maria raises an eyebrow, curious. “You’ve known him for a while?”

“We grew up together. He’s my brother’s best friend.”

Her eyes widen a bit at that, and she leans in a little closer. “So, what was he like back then? I can’t picture him as anything but this… brooding, silent type.”

I snort, unable to help myself. “He was still brooding but with a lot more arrogance to back it up. His dad was the alpha, as I’m sure you know, so he always had that ‘I’m destined to rule’ vibe going.”

Tommy laughs at that, and Maria grins knowingly. “That checks out,” she says. “He’s intense, but in a good way, I think. When his father passed last year, it hit him hard, but he kept the company together. I wasn’t here when it happened, but everyone talks about how much pressure he was under—running the pack, taking over the company, all of it.”

I nod, remembering how the news of Damien’s father’s death sent ripples through the entire pack. I hadn’t been around to witness what it did to Damien personally, but hearing about it now, through their eyes, adds a layer of understanding I wasn’t expecting.

“That sounds like a lot to handle,” I comment, glancing down at Penny, who’s happily drawing her version of a wolf pack.

“Yeah, but he did it,” Tommy adds with a note of admiration in his voice. “He didn’t have to, you know? He could’ve let someone else take over here and focused on the pack instead. He’d have gotten paid either way, but he stuck around. People respect that.”

Maria nods in agreement. “It’s not just that he runs things smoothly. He cares about people. You’ll see. He looks out for us.”

Hearing them talk about Damien like this… it’s strange. I’d never thought of him as someone who cared for people beyond duty, but maybe that’s because I hadn’t been around to see it. Or maybe I never gave him the chance.

“He still sounds… different than I remember,” I say again.

Maria drums her fingernails on the counter and says, “People change, Jade. Sometimes, it’s for the better.”

I glance at her, feeling an unexpected warmth bloom in my chest. Maybe she’s right. Maybe Damien has changed. And maybe I’ve been too stubborn to see it.

Just then, Penny looks up from her drawing and tugs on my sleeve. “Mama, look! It’s us as wolves.”

I lean over to see her masterpiece: three stick-figure wolves, each with wildly different fur colors. She’s drawn herself, Damien, and me side by side.

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