Page 67 of Redeeming His Omega Mate

Damian only nodded.

I joined him, leaning against the railing as we watched the moths dart from flower to flower, their wings shimmering under the moonlight. They moved so freely, as if nothing in the world could trouble them.

We stood in silence for a long time before Damian finally spoke again.

“I never cared much for gardens or flowers before I met Aria.” A faint smile touched his lips. “But now, I find myself trying to see what she sees in them. It’s not hard, really. Flowers are beautiful, calming…a breath of fresh air. Just like her.”

A dull ache settled in my chest. “You’re angry,” I said softly.

Damian finally turned to face me. “Of course, I’m angry, Tala. I’ve been standing here thinking about everything I missed: her first birthday, her second birthday, all the way to her seventh. Her first steps, her first words. Seven years of my daughter’s life are gone. You should have told me,” he said, his voice tight with frustration. “I had a right to know, despite what happened between us.”

I took a slow, steady breath. “I know. I was…I was trying to protect her.”

His eyes flashed. “Protect her? Or protect yourself?”

“Both,” I admitted exasperatedly. “Damian, you rejected me. You made it clear I meant nothing to you. What was I supposed to do? Stay and let her suffer the same fate? Let her grow up in a pack where she would always be seen as less?” My voice wavered, but I pressed on. “I did what I thought was best. I left so she could have a chance at a better life.”

Damian exhaled sharply, turning away. When he faced me again, the anger in his eyes had dimmed, replaced by something heavier. Guilt.

“I pushed you into that choice, didn’t I?” he murmured.

I didn’t answer right away. I didn’t need to.

He let out a long sigh. Silence settled between us again, but this time, it wasn’t awkward, heavy, or tense. It felt like relief.

“I want us to tell her tomorrow,” Damian said. “Together. Because beneath the anger, the frustration, the realization…there’s joy in knowing she’s mine. I can’t explain it. It’s like my life suddenly has another purpose, something more than just serving the pack.”

I smiled, thinking how lucky Aria was to have a father like him. I hadn’t always believed that, but in the two weeks I’d been here, I had seen it. She deserved to know. Tomorrow, no later.

The next morning, Aria sat on the couch with her legs tucked beneath her, eyes wide as she looked between us. I had imagined this moment so many times last night that it had kept me awake. I had feared she would feel hurt and betrayed.

But when Damian told her the truth, that he was her father, her entire face lit up.

“Really?” she said, her voice high with excitement.

“Yes, Aria,” Damian said, his voice softer than I had ever heard it. “I’m your father.”

She didn’t hesitate. She threw herself into his arms, wrapping her small arms around his neck. Damian smiled, big and genuine, as he held her close, burying his face in her hair.

I pressed a hand to my mouth, my eyes brimming with tears at the sight.

When Aria finally pulled back, she grinned up at him. “So that’s why your eyes look like mine!”

Damian chuckled. “Now we know.”

As I watched Aria skid across the living room foyer with the nanny, her face lit up with pure joy, and a warmth spread through my chest. RaisingAria without her father, constantly dodging her questions or skirting around the truth, had been one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I used to fear moments like this, afraid that if Damian ever knew the truth, he was going to try to take my daughter away from me. Or worse, reject her.

But seeing how naturally they connected, how they had built a bond in such a short while, and how happy she was to learn he was her father, that fear was gone, replaced by something else, something lighter and warmer. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Lying had been exhausting. Hiding the truth had drained me in ways I couldn’t even put into words. But now, I didn’t have to anymore. Aria knew. Hearing her call Damian Dad so easily and naturally, it felt like everything had finally fallen into place.

A single tear slipped down my cheek. But they weren’t from sadness, exhaustion, or anything close to it. They were pure, unfiltered joy. The past few weeks had been an emotional whirlwind, and after everything, the sleepless nights, the endless weight of uncertainty, this moment was the best thing that could have happened.

Damian reached out, his thumb gently catching the tears on my cheek.

“Why are you crying?” His voice came out in a soft whisper.

I turned to him, nuzzling into his palm, letting myself bask in the warmth of his touch. “I’m happy,” I murmured, a small smile forming on my face. “You and Aria together feels like the most natural thing in the world. And I’m so sorry I kept that from you, Damian.”

---