177 Chapter 177


    Damien’s POV 1


    “Daddy!”


    The word cut through my rage like sunlight through storm clouds.


    My entire body went still. The fury that had been consuming me for the past hour–the anger at Marcus, at Henry, at the whole goddamn


    world–it all just… stopped.


    “Daddy, are you there?”


    Lily’s voice was small and uncertain through the phone. Three years old and already she could sense when something was wrong.


    I turned away from Henry, my shoulders dropping, my ws retracting. “Hey, baby girl. I’m here.”


    “You sound mad.” A pause. “Are you mad at me?”


    The words hit me like a physical blow. “What? No! No, sweetheart, I’m not mad at you. Never at you.”


    “Okay.” She sounded relieved. Then, quieter: “I miss you.”


    My chest tightened. “I miss you too, Lily. So much.”


    “When are youing home?” Her voice got smaller. “It’s been forever.”


    I nced at my watch. Four–thirty. I’d been at the office since six this morning. Had I even said goodbye to her when I left? Had I kissed


    her forehead, told her I loved her?


    I couldn’t remember.


    “I cane home right now,” I said. “Do you want me toe home?”


    “Yes!” Excitement flooded her voice. “And Daddy? Can we get cupcakes?”


    Behind me, I heard Henry clear his throat. Probably about to say something about pack business, about responsibilities, about all the shit


    that had consumed my life for three years.


    I didn’t even look at him.


    “Cupcakes sound perfect,” I told Lily. “I’ll be home in twenty minutes.”


    “I’ll tell nanny to get ready!” She was bouncing now. I could hear it in her voice. “Love you, Daddy!”


    “Love you more, baby girl.”


    I hung up and finally turned to face Henry. The elder was still standing there, his expression caught between irritation and something


    that might have been understanding.


    “Get out,” I said quietly. No anger now. Just exhaustion. “And Henry? If you value your position on the council, you’ll never mention Luna


    177 Chapter, 177


    recements again”


    He opened his mouth. Closed it. Then nodded once and left without another word.


    The office felt too quiet after he was gone. Too empty, I looked around at the scattered papers, the cracked desk, the overturned coffee mug still dripping onto the floor.


    I grabbed my jacket and walked out.


    The house was chaos when I got there.


    Not bad chaos. The good kind.


    “DADDY!”


    Lily came running down the hallway so fast she nearly tripped over her own feet. Her dark hair–so much like Sera’s–flew behind her in


    waves.


    She crashed into my legs with enough force to make me stumble. I caught her, sweeping her up into my arms like she weighed nothing.


    “There’s my girl,” I said, pressing my face into her hair. She smelled like baby shampoo and thevender soap the nanny used. “I missed


    you.”


    “I missed you more!” She pulled back to look at my face, her small hands cupping my cheeks. “You look tired, Daddy. Are you sick?”


    “Just busy, sweetheart. But not too busy for cupcakes.”


    Her face lit up like Christmas morning. “Really? Really really?”


    “Really really.” I set her down. “Go get your shoes on.”


    She took off running, then stopped and turned back. “The pink ones or the purple ones?”


    “Whichever ones are fastest.”


    “Pink!” She disappeared around the corner, her voice echoing back,


    The nanny appeared from the kitchen, looking relieved. “Alpha. She’s been asking for you all day.”


    Guilt twisted in my gut. “I know. I’m sorry.”


    “Don’t apologize to me.” Her expression was gentle but firm. “Apologize to her.”


    “Ready!” Lily reappeared wearing mismatched shoes–one pink, one purple–and a dress that was on backward. Her hair stuck up in three different directions.


    She was perfect.


    “Let’s fix that dress first,” I said, kneeling down. “Arms up.”


    She raised her arms obediently while I turned the dress around. “Nanny says I need to brush


    my hair.”


    18:24


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    177 Chapter, 177


    “Nanny’s very smart.” I grabbed the brush from the hall table and gently worked through the tangles. Lily winced but didn’tin.


    “You know what? Your mama used to have hair just like this. Long and dark and always getting tangled.”


    But Lily just tilted her head, curious. “Mama had pretty hair?”


    “The prettiest.” I finished brushing and stood up. “You look just like her.”


    “But I have your eyes! A little bit different.” She pointed at her face. “But like a wolf!”


    “Exactly like a wolf.” I took her hand. “Come on. Let’s go get those cupcakes before the bakery closes.”


    The bakery was twenty minutes away, tucked into a strip mall between a dry cleaner and a bookstore. It was the kind of ce that stayed


    in business because everything was made fresh daily and the owner remembered everyone’s names.


    “Mr. Alpha!” Betty called out from behind the counter the moment we walked in. She was in her sixties, round and warm and always


    smiling. “And little Miss Lily! What a wonderful surprise!”


    “Hi, Miss Betty!” Lily waved with her whole arm. “We’re getting cupcakes!”


    “Are you now?” Betty came around the counter, wiping flour–dusted hands on her apron. “Well, lucky for you, I just finished a fresh


    batch. Chocte, vani, and red velvet.” <fnfdfb> The source of th?s content is find?novel</fnfdfb>


    Lily’s eyes went wide. “All of them?”


    “She means she wants to see all of them,” I tranted. “Before she picks one.”


    “Smart girl!” Bettyughed.


    Lily’s voice rang out from the disy case. “Daddy! DADDY! I found the perfect one!”


    I moved to join her, grateful for the interruption. “Which one, sweetheart?”


    She pointed at a massive cupcake with purple frosting and what looked like a mountain of sprinkles. “That one! It’s the biggest!”


    “That’s definitely the biggest,” I agreed. “But maybe we should get you a normal–sized one? So you don’t get a tummy ache?”


    Her face fell. “But it’s so pretty…”


    “Tell


    you


    what.” I crouched down to her level. “What if we get two normal–sized ones? One for now and one forter?”


    Her eyes lit up again. “Really?”


    “Really.”


    “Can I get purple and pink?”


    “You can get whatever colors you want.”


    She threw her arms around my neck, squeezing tight. “You’re the best daddy ever!”


    My throat got tight. I pulled her closer, breathing in that baby shampoo smell, feeling her little heart beating against my chest.


    $18.24.0


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    177 Chapter, 177


    This. This was what mattered. Not rogue packs or pack politics or anything else. Just this little girl who thought I hung the moon.


    I stood up and moved to the counter where Betty was already boxing up two cupcakes–one purple, one pink, both loaded with enough sprinkles to give a dentist nightmares.


    “That’ll be eight dors,” Betty said.


    I pulled out my wallet, counting out bills. Behind me, I could hear Lily humming to herself, bouncing on her toes with excitement.


    The bell above the door chimed as new customers entered. I nced over my shoulder–an elderly couple, hand in hand, smiling at each


    other like they’d been doing this for fifty years.


    I wanted that. Wanted to grow old with Sera. Wanted to watch our children grow up. Wanted simple things like cupcake runs and hand-


    holding and-


    “Here you go, dear.” Betty handed me the box. “Tell Lily to enjoy them.”


    “I will. Thanks, Betty.”


    I turned around, box in hand, smile on my face.


    The spot where Lily had been standing was empty.


    My smile vanished. “Lily?”


    No answer.


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