Piss Off, Alpha! You Lost Me Forever novel Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Whatever She Wants

DAMIEN’S POV

I walked out into the school parking lot with Ashley in my arms. The lot was almost empty.

Ashley had stopped crying, but her breath still hitched now and then. Little leftover sobs shook her chest. Her face stayed pressed into my shoulder, and I could feel her tears on my shirt.

My wolf growled. He hated seeing his pup sad.

Behind us, somewhere inside the building, Sophia was probably still standing there. I forced myself not to picture her face.

Do not think about Sophia. Not right now. Focus on your daughter.

I reached my car, fumbled with the key fob one-handed and unlocked it. I didn’t want to put Ashley down, not even for a second. I opened the back door and carefully placed her inside. She didn’t speak.

“It’s okay now,” I told her, brushing her hair back gently. “Everything will be okay.”

Ashley nodded.

I closed the door and straightened up. Across the lot, movement caught my eye.

Tiffany.

She walked toward us unsteadily. Her heels were too high. She held an injured hand against her chest. Her makeup was ruined. Mascara streaked her cheeks. She looked pale and shaken, and for a moment I felt sorry for her.

Ashley saw her too and shrank back in the seat.

Tiffany reached the car and looked straight past me to Ashley. Fresh tears filled her eyes. She reached for the door handle.

I caught her wrist.

“Wait,” I said quietly. “Ashley needs a little space.”

Tiffany’s face crumpled. “I just want to see her.”

“I know,” I told her. “But give her a few minutes. Please.”

She nodded and withdrew her hand, staring at me like she was begging me not to shut her out completely.

“Get in,” I said.

The drive home was tense and silent for the first several minutes. I kept my eyes on the road. In the rearview mirror, Ashley stared out the window.

Finally, Ashley spoke.

“Daddy?” she whispered.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“The other parents were really mean to Tiffany today.”

My grip tightened on the steering wheel “I know, baby. You told me.”

“It was just an accident,” Ashley went on. “Anyone could get hurt while cooking.”

I glanced at her in the mirror.

“You still feel bad ?” I asked gently.

Ashley nodded. “Yes.”

Tiffany let out a shaky breath beside me. Then Ashley added something that stabbed straight into me.

“Maybe things would have been different if mom had been there.”

I froze.

“If mom had been paying attention to me,” Ashley continued, “instead of focusing on someone else, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten so bad.”

Tiffany seized on that immediately.

“Exactly,” Tiffany said bitterly. She turned more fully toward Ashley. “Where was all that concern when you needed it?”

“Mom refused to come for me,” Ashley said. “She came with Klara instead.”

Tiffany nodded quickly. “You’re right to feel hurt, baby. She should have been watching you.”

I stared straight ahead.

We stopped at a red light.

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