Page 38 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

She shakes her head and steps back, and I can see the tension in every line of her body. “That’s exactly the problem! You keep acting like it’s your job to save me, like I’m some damsel in distress who can’t handle her own damn life. I didn’t ask for that, Damien!”

I take a deep breath, trying to wrap my head around what she’s saying. “Jade, it’s not like that. I’m doing this because you’re part of my pack now. You’re Penny’s mother. You think I’m just going to sit back and watch them drag your name through the mud? No. That’s not happening.”

She lets out a frustrated breath and throws her hands in the air. “I don’t need you to fight my battles for me! I’ve been doing just fine on my own for years. I don’t need you swooping in and taking over like I’m some kind of problem you need to solve.”

I stare at her, baffled. “You think that’s what this is? That I’m trying to ‘solve’ you? Dammit, Jade, I’m doing this because I care about what happens to you. You’ve been through more than enough, and now you’ve got people blaming you for things you had no part in. I’m not okay with that. I’m not going to let it slide.”

Her eyes flash again, and she takes another step back like she’s trying to create more space between us. “But you didn’t have to. That’s what I’m saying. I didn’t ask for any of this! I didn’t ask you to go in there and defend me in front of everyone. I didn’t ask you to put yourself on the line like that.”

“No, you didn’t ask. But I did it, anyway. You think I’m going to let people tear you apart just because you didn’t explicitly ask me for help? I’m not wired like that, Jade. I’m an alpha. You’re in my pack now, whether you like it or not, and that means I’m going to protect you. That’s how this works.”

She stares at me, and for a second, I see something in her eyes. Something that looks a lot like hurt, though she’s doing her best to mask it. “You’re doing this out of some sense of obligation, Damien. Because of Penny. Because you feel guiltyabout the past. You think this is you making up for what happened between us.”

I let out a low, frustrated growl. “It’s not about guilt. Yes, I feel guilty. Yes, I regret how things went down between us. But that’s not the reason I’m doing this.”

“Then what is it?” she demands. “What’s the real reason, Damien? Because all I see is you trying to fix something that can’t be fixed.”

“It’s because I care about you!” The words explode out of me before I can stop them. They hang in the air, heavy and raw, and for a moment, we both just stand there, staring at each other.

“You… what?”

“I care about you, Jade,” I repeat, softer this time. “You’re not just Penny’s mother. You’re… more than that. I’m not doing this just because I feel some sense of duty or obligation. I’m doing it because I can’t stand the thought of you being hurt. By anyone.”

She shakes her head. “That doesn’t make any sense. You can’t just decide to care about me all of a sudden.”

“I didn’t ‘decide’ anything,” I shoot back. “It’s just the way it is. Whether you like it or not, you’re important to me, and I’m not going to let anyone treat you like you’re the problem here.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but no words come out. I can see the conflict in her eyes, the way she’s struggling to make sense of what I’m saying. For a second, I think she’ll let herself believe it.

But then, she shakes her head again, more forcefully this time. “No. This is too much, Damien. I can’t deal with this. Idon’t need you to care about me. I don’t need you to take care of me.”

“I know you don’t need it,” I say, shuffling closer now. “But I’m going to do it, anyway. Because you deserve someone who cares about what happens to you. You deserve someone who’s got your back.”

Her eyes well up with something—anger, frustration, maybe even fear. “I don’t know how to handle this,” she whispers. “I don’t know how to handle you doing all of this for me.”

I reach out, gently brushing her arm with my hand. “You don’t have to handle it, Jade. You just have to let me be there for you.”

She jerks away from my touch like I’ve burned her. “I can’t… I can’t do this.”

And before I can say another word, she spins on her heels and stomps down the corridor, disappearing around the corner.

I stand there, staring after her. My chest is tight with frustration, anger, and something else I can’t quite identify. I don’t know how to fix this. Hell, maybe I can’t fix it. But I do know one thing: I’m not going to stop trying.

Because whether she likes it or not, Jade is part of my life now. She’s Penny’s mother. She’s part of my pack. And I’m going to fight for her, even if she’s not ready to fight for herself.

Chapter 14 - Jade

When I started working at Damien’s tech company, I never expected everything to feel so… normal. I mean, for the most part, I figured I’d be spending my days dodging awkward glances and pretending like I belonged here, but honestly? The employees have made me feel more welcome than I could’ve imagined.

And then there’s Damien.

He walks in like he owns the place—which, okay, he technically does—but still, it’s unnerving. Every time he strolls through the reception area, the air seems to shift. People stand a little straighter, voices drop to whispers, and somehow, it’s like he’s carrying the entire room’s attention in the palm of his hand.

I’d like to pretend it doesn’t affect me, but that would be a big, fat lie.

Damien’s been a constant in my day now, popping by more often than I think is necessary. I mean, I get it—he’s the CEO, and this is his company—but somehow, he always seems to appear when I’m not quite ready for it.

And then there’s Penny, who’s as much of a constant as he is. It’s like they’re some weird little duo I’m constantly watching from the sidelines.

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