Page 36 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

“That’s amazing, sweetie,” I tell her, smiling as I ruffle her hair. “You’re such a good artist.”

Penny beams, holding up the picture for Maria and Tommy to see. “This is me,” she points to the smallest wolf, “and this is Mama, and that’s Damien.”

Tommy chuckles. “Looks like someone’s ready for the pack life.”

“Yeah, well, we’re working on it,” I say. “It’s a process.”

Maria gives me a soft smile, the kind that says she gets it without needing to say a word. “You’ll fit in just fine here. We’ve got shifters and regulars alike on the payroll. Pack life or not, you’re one of us now.”

It’s such a simple thing to say, but the weight of it hits me harder than I expected. Being part of something again… maybe I’ve been avoiding that for too long.

Before I can respond, the door to the office opens, and a few more employees walk in, waving hello as they pass by. I catch snippets of their conversations—people mentioning upcoming projects, some joking about the latest tech issue Alec had to fix. It’s normal, everyday stuff, but it feels… good. Comfortable, even.

“Hey, Jade,” Haley calls from across the room, “we’re thinking of doing a team lunch tomorrow. You in?”

“Team lunch?” I ask.

“Yeah, just a casual thing. We usually go out once a week. Gives us a break from all the chaos in here.”

I hesitate for a second, then glance at Penny, who’s now engrossed in her next drawing project. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anything that felt remotely normal like this, something as simple as lunch with coworkers. But maybe that’s exactly what I need.

“Sure,” I say finally, feeling a little lighter as the words leave my mouth. “I’m in.”

“Awesome,” Haley replies, beaming. “You’ll fit right in, trust me.”

I glance around the reception area, taking in the easy camaraderie between everyone here. It’s not what I expected when I walked in this morning, but maybe that’s the best part. For the first time in a long while, I feel like I’m not just surviving. I’m actually part of something again.

And as Penny happily chatters beside me about her latest artistic creation, I can’t help but think that maybe this is exactly where we’re meant to be.

Chapter 13 - Damien

If there’s one thing that pisses me off more than anything, it’s people questioning my decisions.

Especially when it comes to Jade.

I grip the edge of the table and stare down at the neatly arranged documents spread in front of me, feeling the tension coil tight in my chest. For weeks now, rumors have been swirling. Accusations, sideways glances, secret conversations behind closed doors. And all of them lead back to the same tired conclusion: Jade.

They think she’s behind the attacks. They think the dark magic plaguing the packs is her doing. But they don’t know her. They don’t know what she’s been through. And most of all, they don’t know how badly they’ve screwed up by pointing the finger at her.

I slam my fist down on the table, and the sound reverberates through the empty room. Enough is enough. If I’m going to clear her name, I need to do it with evidence so solid, no one can argue against it.

I’ve spent hours pulling together everything I could find—time stamps, logs, witness statements, anything that proves Jade couldn’t have been responsible for the attacks. I know it won’t fix everything, but it’s a start. And I’m damn well going to make sure people listen.

“Lucas!” Gary calls as his broad shoulders fill the doorway. He’s followed closely by Patrick, who’s wearing his usual smug expression, like he’s already decided this meeting is a waste of time.

Great. Exactly the energy I need.

“You’re late,” I grumble, barely glancing up from the papers I’m organizing.

Patrick raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “This better be good. You’ve been dragging us into these meetings for weeks now, and frankly, I’m getting tired of hearing the same excuses.”

I let out a slow breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “It’s not excuses this time, Patrick. It’s proof.”

Gray crosses his arms and leans against the wall like he’s already decided to disagree with whatever I’m about to say. “Proof? Of what? That Jade isn’t involved? Listen, I’ll admit I’m not as convinced as I once was, but we need some hard evidence.”

I give him a hard look. “That’s exactly what I’m going to show you.”

I don’t blame them for being cautious. Hell, if I didn’t know Jade like I do, maybe I’d be cautious, too. But this is different. I’m not letting them take the easy way out by blaming her for something she had no part in.

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