Page 40 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

Is it fair to hold onto that? Or should I let go, for Penny’s sake? For my sake?

I don’t have the answers yet, but one thing’s clear: I’m stuck in this confusing limbo, balancing between the past and the present, unsure of which way to fall.

I’m staring at the front desk, trying to focus on anything but Damien. Penny’s giggling, holding up her little wolf toy for Haley to see, and Haley’s smiling down at her like she’s the most adorable thing in the world. And she is.

But my mind keeps drifting back to Damien, to the way he looked at Penny earlier. There was something so natural about it, like he’s done it a thousand times before, even though I know he hasn’t. It’s confusing, watching him like this, balancing his alpha nature with this new side of him. He’s not the guy I remember from years ago. But how much of that is real? How much of it is just him playing the part because he feels guilty?

I need to clear my head.

“Hey, Haley, can you keep an eye on Penny for a minute?” I ask. “I need to grab some staples from the storage room.”

Haley looks up from where she’s kneeling beside Penny. “Of course. Take your time. We’re having too much fun over here, aren’t we, Penny?”

Penny nods enthusiastically, barely glancing at me as she continues coloring. “Yep! We’re drawing wolves.”

I smile, feeling a little lighter as I leave them to their fun. If only it was that easy for me to shake off the weight of everything.

When I get to the storage closet, I push open the door and step into the dim room. I grab a few packs of staples from the shelf along with some copy paper, knowing I’ll need them later, anyway. Simple, mundane tasks—that’s what I need right now. Something to ground me.

But of course, life doesn’t give me a moment’s peace. The door creaks open behind me.

I already know who it is before I turn around.

Damien.

He closes the door with a soft click, and just like that, the air in the room changes. It’s charged, saturated with the tension that’s been building between us for weeks. My heart pounds in my chest, and I grip the boxes a little tighter, refusing to look at him.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, keeping my voice steady, even though I can already feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

“I came to find you,” he declares.

I force a laugh, trying to deflect. “I’m not that hard to find. I work here, remember?”

“Jade, stop,” he demands, stepping closer. His presence fills the small room, making it feel ten times smaller. “We need to talk.”

“About what?” I ask impatiently, finally looking up at him. “About how you keep making decisions for me? How you keep acting like you know what’s best for me and Penny?”

“I’m not trying to control you.”

“Really? Because that’s exactly what it feels like.” I step back, my pulse racing as I try to put some space between us.“You keep stepping in, taking over. It’s like you don’t think I can handle things on my own.”

“I’m trying to help, Jade,” he says, his voice softer now but no less intense. “I’m trying to be there for you. For Penny.”

“I didn’t ask for your help!” The words come out sharper than I intended, but I don’t take them back. “I’ve been doing just fine without you, Damien. I don’t need you swooping in and acting like you’re going to fix everything.”

He doesn’t back down, though. If anything, he steps closer. “I’m not trying to fix you. I just… I care about you. About Penny. And I’m not going to stand by and watch you struggle when I can do something about it.”

The way he says it—so calm, so certain—makes my chest tighten. I hate how his words make me feel, how they stir something inside me that I’m not ready to deal with.

“Damien, you don’t—” I start, but I can’t finish the sentence. Because suddenly, his hand is on my arm, pulling me toward him.

“Jade,” he whispers, his voice so low that I barely hear it, “I care about you.”

And just like that, all the tension that’s been simmering between us finally snaps.

I don’t know who moves first, but suddenly, our mouths collide in a kiss that’s anything but gentle. It’s fierce, desperate, like we’ve both been holding back for too long and now we’re too far gone to stop. His hands are on my waist, pulling me closer, and the boxes I was holding slip to the floor, forgotten.

I gasp as his lips move down to my neck. His breath is hot against my skin, and a trail of goosebumps rises to the surface in its wake. My fingers tangle in his hair, pulling him closer.

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