Page 69 of Bully Alpha's Secret Baby

He grabs my face in his hands, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Jade, listen to me. You’re not holding me back. You’re not a burden. You never were. I’ve loved you for a long time. Hell, I think I’ve loved you since we were kids, and I didn’t even know it.”

A sob escapes me, and I try to pull away, but he won’t let me.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he continues. “I don’t care if your powers change. I don’t care if you lose them completely.None of that matters to me. What matters is you. I love you, Jade. I’ve always loved you. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”

The tears are falling freely now, and I can’t stop them. I bury my face in his chest, clutching at his shirt. “I love you, too,” I murmur, my voice muffled against him. “I never stopped.”

His arms tighten around me, pulling me even closer. For the first time in a long time, I feel like everything might actually be okay.

We stay like that for a long time, wrapped up in each other, letting the world outside the room fade away. Whatever happens next, we’ll face it together.

“Do you really mean it?” I ask, pulling back just enough to look him in the eyes. “You really want to spend the rest of your life proving it?”

His grin is genuine, lighting up his whole face in a way that makes my heart skip. “Absolutely. Every single day.”

“Good,” I reply with a smirk. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”

He chuckles softly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “I wouldn’t let you, even if you tried.”

I lean up and press a soft kiss to his lips, and for a moment, everything feels perfect. Like maybe, just maybe, we can have this—this life, this love—without the weight of the world crashing down around us.

But there’s one more thing I need to do. One more truth that needs to be said.

I sit up straighter, wiping the last of the tears from my face. “Damien… there’s something else.”

He raises an eyebrow, clearly sensing the shift in my mood. “What is it?”

I take a deep breath, steeling myself. “Penny. She… she needs to know. About you.”

He freezes. I can see the mixture of emotions flicker across his face—fear, hope, uncertainty. “You think she’s ready?”

I nod. “She’s only two, but she deserves to know the truth. She deserves to know who her father is.”

His throat works as he swallows, and for the first time since I’ve known Damien, I see him look…vulnerable. “And you think…you think she’ll understand?”

“She’s smart. She’ll understand.”

Damien stands, pacing the room for a moment before finally nodding. “Okay. Okay. Let’s do it.”

I get up slowly. My body is still aching, but there’s a sense of determination in me now. I open the door, calling for Alec and Penny.

Penny toddles in, her eyes lighting up when she sees me. Alec gives me a nod before slipping into his truck outside, giving us privacy.

“Penny,” I say, crouching down to her level. “Come here, sweetheart.”

She runs over to me and wraps her little arms around my neck as I pick her up and set her on my lap.

“Mama? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, baby. But I need to talk to you about something important, okay?”

I glance at Damien, who’s standing beside us, looking both nervous and hopeful. I take a deep breath and squeezePenny’s hand. “You know Damien? The man who’s been helping us?”

Penny nods eagerly. “Uh-huh. He’s strong.”

I chuckle, and my heart swells. “Yes, he is. And there’s something special about him, Penny. He’s your daddy.”

Her eyes widen, and for a moment, she just stares at me. Then she looks at Damien, then back at me. “My daddy?”

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