Page 37 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

I clear my throat and gesture to the documents in front of me. “I’ve pulled together a timeline of every attack, every incident, and compared it to where Jade was during those times. The evidence is clear—she couldn’t have been responsible for any of them.”

Patrick snorts. “You really expect us to believe that? You think some papers are going to change our minds?”

“I don’t care what you believe, Patrick,” I snap, my patience running thin. “But you’re going to look at this, and you’re going to listen.”

Gary raises an eyebrow but stays quiet as I push the papers across the table toward them.

“Start with the first attack since she’s been in town,” I say. “The one that happened three weeks ago on the outskirts of East Hills.”

They both lean in, glancing down at the documents. I point to the highlighted sections, each one showing Jade’s exact whereabouts on the night of the attack.

“She was with me the entire night. We were in my cabin, well away from the area. I’ve got witness statements from two pack members who saw us leave Starfire Hollow city square. They can verify we left and headed in the opposite direction. Security footage from my property backs it up.”

Gray frowns as he looks over the page. “And the second attack?”

I flip to the next section. “Jade was at Starfire Hollow at the time. I was handling pack business, and she was with Penny, keeping her busy at home. There’s no way she could’ve been involved.”

Patrick leans back in his chair. His expression is still skeptical, but at least he’s paying attention now. “And the most recent attack?”

I nod, turning to the final section. “We were together in the woods, investigating. Remember? You were there, both of you. You saw us.”

His face tightens at the reminder, but he doesn’t argue. Instead, he flips through the papers one last time before dropping them on the table with a sigh.

“So what are you saying, Damien?” Gray asks.

“I’m saying it’s time to stop blaming Jade for something she didn’t do,” I reply. “We’ve been wasting time chasing ghosts while the real threat is still out there. And if we don’t focus on finding the actual culprit, more of our pack members are going to die.”

Patrick is the first to speak, and when he does, his voice drips with sarcasm. “You’ve made your case, Lucas. But just because Jade wasn’t physically present during the attacks doesn’t mean she’s completely off the hook. Magic works in mysterious ways, you know.”

I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to snarl at him. “That’s a convenient argument, but it doesn’t hold water. She still would’ve had to use a spell, which none of us saw her do. I trust Jade. She didn’t do this.”

“Trust is a funny thing, Damien,” Patrick says with a smirk. “It can blind you to the truth.”

Before I can respond, a slight rustling catches my attention. My eyes flicker to the hallway outside the door, and I see a shadow move. Jade.

I glance back at Gray and Patrick, who are still absorbed in their bickering, and I make a decision. “We’re done here. You have the evidence. It’s time to stop pointing fingers and start finding the real enemy.”

Without waiting for their responses, I push back from the table and stride toward the door. As soon as I step into the hallway, I see Jade standing there. Her face is twisted in anger.

“Jade?” I say.

She doesn’t look at me. Her jaw is set, her eyes hard. I can feel the heat radiating off her like she’s a boiler ready to explode.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, though I already know the answer.

“Eavesdropping. What does it look like?”

I step closer, folding my arms and trying to make sense of the fire burning in her eyes. She’s angry. No, more than that—furious. And I can’t wrap my head around why. I’ve been busting my ass to clear her name, to make sure everyone knows she’s not responsible for these attacks. And this is what I get?

“What the hell is going on with you?” I ask, keeping my voice even, though the frustration is clawing at my throat. “You look like you’re ready to tear my head off, and I don’t even know why.”

Jade glares at me, and her eyes practically shoot daggers at me. “You seriously don’t get it, do you?”

I blink, completely thrown. “Get what? What the hell did I do?”

She lets out this incredulous laugh, like she can’t believe I’m even asking. “Damien, you’re running around, making these big gestures, doing all this stuff for me—stuff I never asked for. You think I need you to fix everything?”

I blink again, even more confused than before. “I’m not trying to ‘fix’ you; I’m trying to clear your name. Just like I promised you, I would do. People are pointing fingers at you for something you didn’t do, Jade. I’m not just going to stand by and let them trash you when I know you’re innocent.”

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