Ran Away Pregnant Came Back Alpha Heiress (Amelia and Damien) novel Chapter 68

**Chapter 68**

**Damien’s POV**

The journey back to my pack felt interminably long, each step a painful reminder of how far I was from my mate. The distance stretched our mating bond to its limits, and with every passing moment, I could feel the connection fraying. By the time I finally arrived at my estate, my mood was as dark as a stormy night. All I craved was the cathartic release of pounding my fists against the punching bag until I was too exhausted to think.

However, as soon as I stepped through the threshold of my home, I was met with an unexpected sight: Victoria and our mother were seated in the living room, their expressions serious. The moment Victoria caught sight of me, she sprang to her feet, urgency evident in her demeanor.

“Damien, we need to have a serious talk,” she said, her voice firm as she motioned for me to come closer.

I sighed heavily, the fatigue of the day weighing down on me. “I’ve had a long day,” I replied, hoping to brush off the conversation for another time. “Perhaps we could discuss this later?”

“This is important, son,” my mother interjected, her tone leaving no room for argument.

As the Alpha of the pack, I could easily dismiss this meeting, choosing instead to retreat to the solitude I craved. Yet, deep down, I held a profound respect for my mother and valued the opinions of both her and my father. Victoria, on the other hand, was a different story; my trust in her was tenuous at best, but she was my sister, and I owed her an audience.

Exhaustion tugged at my limbs, but I reminded myself that an Alpha’s duties extend beyond mere personal desires. Part of my role encompassed honoring both family and pack. Thus, I forcibly pushed aside my thoughts of relaxation and made my way to the living room, where Victoria had taken a seat beside our mother. My mother gestured toward the armchair positioned diagonally across from the couch, inviting me to sit.

Once I settled into the chair, Victoria wasted no time. “Claire has been worried sick about you, Damien. She says she hasn’t seen you in ages.”

“Claire has more than enough support,” I replied, my voice laced with irritation. “She has all the staff she could possibly need, including medical assistance for the baby and a personal chef to cater to any cravings. If I were there, I’d only be a hindrance.”

“She likes having you around,” Victoria pressed, her tone insistent.

“I fail to see how that’s my concern,” I shot back, my frustration bubbling under the surface.

Our mother leaned forward, her expression earnest. “She is carrying your child, Damien.”

I felt a sharp pang at her words. “She isn’t my mate, Mother,” I reminded her, casting a glance at Victoria, hoping she would recall this fact as well. It infuriated me how quickly they had moved on from Amelia now that she was gone. “Amelia is my mate.”

“The human abandoned you,” Mother stated bluntly. “She took your child and fled. How can you still defend her?”

“She had her reasons,” I replied, the words spilling out begrudgingly. Yes, she had her reasons, even if I didn’t agree with them. To her, those reasons had been sufficient to justify her departure. If I wanted to bring her back, I needed to strive for understanding, no matter how challenging that proved to be.

“Foolish, human reasons,” Mother scoffed. “She abandoned her role as your mate. Damien, it’s time to think about the future.”

Victoria interjected again, her voice rising with urgency. “Claire is carrying your child—a healthy, pureblood werewolf whom you will teach to lead this pack just as well as you have. She’s giving you our next Alpha.”

“I am grateful for the child,” I replied, my voice steady. I could care for any child that bore my blood, but I struggled to see how this tied into my future. “And I will train that child. They will be my own.”

“And what about Claire?” Victoria pressed, her eyebrows furrowing.

If she was trying to make some kind of point, I was at a loss. “What about Claire?” I asked, my tone clipped.

This whole situation felt utterly transactional to me. Claire had been compensated with both wealth and reputation to bear my child. She would be respected as the mother of my heir, and she would be taken care of for the rest of her life.

What more could she possibly want?

Victoria regarded me with a look that suggested I was missing something crucial. My mother maintained a stoic expression, but I could sense her disappointment radiating from her, even without her needing to express it verbally.

“You are neglecting her,” Mother said, her voice firm yet tinged with concern. “She may not be your mate, but as the mother of your child, you have responsibilities to her and to the baby.”

“What would you have me do?” I shot back, my frustration boiling over.

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