Page 21 of Redeeming His Omega Mate

Tala’s gaze met mine for a split second, her eyes heavy with something unreadable, before she quickly looked away as though the contact burned her. Her grip on Aria tightened, and without a second glance, they turned away.

As I watched them walk away, the thought gnawed at me, clouding my thoughts. Could it be? Could Aria be mine?

Chapter 10

Tala

After tossing and turning, I finally dozed off just before sunrise and managed a few hours of sleep. It didn’t help that I was sleeping in the room across from Damian, who may or may not have suspected that Aria was his daughter.

I hadn’t even been here for a full day, and things were starting to unravel. Before going to bed, I reminded myself of why it was important to keep a huge wall between Damian and me. As long as I kept my head down, three weeks would go by in a breeze, and when I returned to Silver Fang, my life would go back to being as it was—simple and peaceful.

The next morning, I rebuffed the idea of going down for breakfast when the servant informed me that the Alpha insisted on us having breakfast together. But then I thought, wouldn’t it be more suspicious if I didn’t show up after how last night ended?

From the moment I walked into the dining hall, I felt the tension. Damian was seated at the head of the table, one leg crossed over theother and a hand brushing over the scruff on his jaw. He looked to be in deep thought.

I ignored the way his eyes followed my every movement as I walked toward a chair, deliberately choosing one very far away from him. Even after sitting, I felt his gaze pinned on me. He wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was staring at me. His presence was suffocating, his scent wrapping me like chains I couldn’t break free from. My wolf wouldn’t stop whimpering and stirring inside of me. But I had to keep her at bay. Damian wasn’t good for her, for us, no matter what the mate bond meant. Fool me once, and I’d carried the shame. But fool me twice? I wasn’t about to let that happen.

I grabbed a plate and began loading it with scrambled eggs and flatbreads. I needed my energy if I was going to get through a full day back in this pack. Just as I was about to take a bite, his voice sliced through the air, freezing me in place.

“Tala,” Damian called, his voice low but firm. “We need to talk.”

I slowly set the fork back on the plate, turning to meet his gaze. His brown eyes were swirling with emotions I couldn’t quite read, though I could see the curiosity flickering within them.

Sucking in a breath, I pressed my lips together in a thin line, an indication that if this wasn’t a conversation about the alliance, I wasn’t interested.

He didn’t seem to pick up on the hint because his next question caught me off guard, even though I had been bracing for it.

“Is Aria mine?” Damian demanded without preamble.

My throat tightened, but I fought to keep my composure. I wasn’t sure how to respond. Should I pretend to be shocked and act like I didn’t know what he was referring to? Feigning ignorance would only drag this conversation out longer than I wanted it to. Finally, I decided to give him a straightforward answer.

“No,” I answered evenly.

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t lie to me, Tala.”

“I’m not,” I lifted my chin, praying my voice wouldn’t betray me.

“She has my eyes.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “Get over yourself, Damian. You’re not the only man in the world with brown eyes.”

“She looks the right age,” he countered with another claim.

“What are you? An expert in childhood development?”

Damian fell silent, his piercing gaze trained on mine as though he could see the depths of my soul, searching for any cracks in my composure.

“Look,” I said, finally breaking eye contact and shifting my gaze away from him. “I had a fling with a guy when I got to Silver Fang. It wasn’t serious, and he left before I found out I was pregnant. I figured it was for the best. But I know for a fact that Aria isn’t yours, Damian.”

I turned my gaze back to him just in time to see his eyes flare. “You’ve been with someone else?” he asked, and I recoiled, stunned by the sheer audacity of the question.

Anger flared inside me, hot and raw. “What did you expect? That I would sit around pining for you after you shattered my life?”

He leaned forward sharply, a condescending retort surely at the tip of his tongue. But before he could speak, Serena’s voice cut through the tension. “Oh, Damian, there you are!”

I glanced over my shoulder, and there she was, sauntering toward us in a yellow dress that clung to her body like a second skin. A smug smile played on her lips, but as soon as she looked at me, it turned cold. “Tala.” She took me in with a slow, deliberate gaze. “I would have expected a more… appropriate outfit, considering you’re working here as a delegate.”

My blood boiled. What right did she have to question my choice of clothing? And what was so wrong with a T-shirt and jeans?

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