Ran Away Pregnant Came Back Alpha Heiress (Amelia and Damien) novel Chapter 495

Chapter 495

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Chapter 495

Damien’s POV

Watching Amelia retreat from the deck like she was running away from me made the lead weight sitting in the pit of my stomach grow in weight and size.

I might have chased after her, or shown some weakness myself at the continued evidence that my marriage was falling apart. But with the girls watching, I stayed rooted in place, unwilling to show that weakness in front of them.

They needed a strong, dependable Dad. Right now, with how their faces twisted with some upset, I knew they needed reassurance only a father could give.

I moved to them, and went down onto my knees to be on their level. “I’m sorry, girls. Your mom was mad at me, okay? Not at you. Your dinner… all of this…” I gestured toward the table and the lights. “This was perfect.”

Amy covered her face. Stacy shook her head. Both looked absolutely miserable.

“Everything’s changing,” Stacy said.

I placed my hand on her upper arm and my other on Amy’s. “Your mother and I love you both very much. That hasn’t changed and isn’t changing. No matter what.”

“But what about you?” Stacy asked, while Amy continued to cry.

“I love you,” I said.

“No,” Stacy corrected. “Does Mommy love you?”

“I…” Words failed me. I had no idea how I was supposed to answer that, in part because I just didn’t know. I wanted to believe that Amelia still loved me, but maybe that just wasn’t enough. I had betrayed her by keeping things from her, and now that love was strained.

Would it survive that strain? I didn’t have the answers.

“We both love you,” I said. “And that will never change.”

That didn’t answer her question, and tears now formed in Stacy’s eyes too. I pulled both girls toward me and held them while they cried. I wished there was more I could say to comfort them.

Instead, I just held them tight as my guilt quaked through me. I did this. It was because of my actions that my family was now fractured. I had hurt Amelia enough that she couldn’t pretend, even for the sake of the girls, and walked out.

I wanted to fix things with Amelia, but I knew it would take more than apologies and honeyed words this time.

To prove myself to her now, I needed to show change.

Early the next morning, with hours yet before work, the sun not even risen yet, I walked to the spare room where Amelia was staying now and knocked on the door. I could hear sleepy groans from inside and knew I had woke her. I continued knocking on the door, persistent, until she answered.

She was in her pajamas, her hair a mess, her eyes droopy with sleep. Gods, I missed seeing her in the morning.

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Keep it together, I reminded myself. I’m here to win her back, not reminisce.

“Get dressed,” I said. I was already in my workout clothes track pants, a black t-shirt, and running shoes,” Training starts right now.”

She blinked and was suddenly wide awake. “You aren’t backing out of that?”

It hurt that she would think I would rescind my promise to train her, but I knew saying that now would only make things worse. For now, I swallowed that barb of hurt and said again, “Get dressed. Meet me out back in the yard. 5 minutes.”

I turned and walked away. At once, she closed the door. I could hear her hurrying to get ready as I went down

stairs.

5 minutes later, on the dot, Amelia appeared in the backyard. She looked amazing in tight yoga pants and a sports bra. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail exposing her long, delicate neck. If I could sink my teeth in

Focus!

I turned away, facing the back wall of the property. There was a gate back there that opened to the forest beyond. That forest stretched for several miles, covering the distance all the way up to Jake’s pack lands.

This forest was protected by regular patrols from both Jake’s pack and my own, and with me right there at Amelia’s side, I was confident we wouldn’t run into any trouble together.

My instincts wanted me to keep Amelia safe and better defended at home, but I fought that feeling now. For Amelia to learn to trust me again, I needed to make compromises. I had to meet her halfway in her wants and needs.

I’d already alerted the guards to our plans so they didn’t give us any trouble as we passed through the gate and into the forest.

“We should go for a run,” I told her, when we were among the trees.

She cocked her head to the side. “I thought you were going to teach me to fight.”

“I am,” I said. “Trust the process.”

“We could go for a jog on the street.”

“This isn’t a jog,” I told her. “This is a run.”

“What’s the difference?” she asked me.

I said simply, “We are going to shift and run in our wolf forms.”

She blinked, surprised. “I only shifted once before… and it was in a moment of stress.”

“Exactly,” I said. “The majority of werewolf battles are fought in wolf form. You need to be able to flawless shift, and that means being comfortable in your wolf skin. We are back to the basics here.”

Amelia’s face scrunched up like she was concentrating. “Okay. Uh… how do I do it?” To herself, she said, Excuse me? Can you shift please?”

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Her wolf might like the politeness but in the heat of the moment there wouldn’t be time to talk.

“Close your eyes,” I told her. When she did so, I continued, “Listen to your heart, not your mind. You feel it there, the wolf’s heartbeat, beating in tandem with yours. Focus on that, and open yourself to her feelings. You will hear the call of the wild. You must grip onto it and follow it.”

Amelia’s POV

I listened to Damien’s words. I could hear the second heartbeat, and focusing….. yes………

I could feel my wolf’s urge to run, to be free. Was that the call of the wild? I gripped onto that feeling, allowing it

to take over me.

My wolf gently pushed to the front of my mind. I stepped back, almost relieved to not be in charge of my thoughts for a time.

I must have shifted because the next thing I knew I was running.

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