Rejected and Pregnant I Fled The Pack (Evelyn and Damon) novel Chapter 159

Damon pov

Two months of genuine, hopeful peace had finally allowed us to believe the worst was actually behind us.

My father's recovery had progressed steadily, his new heart apparently functioning well according to every follow-up appointment, his color and energy gradually returning in ways that felt genuinely miraculous after everything he'd survived. He'd begun physical therapy alongside psychological counseling, working through not just his body's healing but the accumulated trauma of everything he'd endured—the attacks, the near-death experiences, the genuine, complicated grief of confronting his own mortality so directly and repeatedly.

My mother had remained by his side through all of it, their reconciliation progressing carefully but genuinely, something real and hopeful finally taking shape between them after decades of accumulated damage.

Evelyn's pregnancy had continued smoothly despite the earlier stress-related complications, our second child now due any day, her belly rounded and full in ways that filled me with equal parts excitement and protective anxiety.

I'd genuinely believed we'd finally reached solid ground, that the exhausting, dangerous chapter of Genevieve's threat had permanently concluded.

Then the call came.

"She's gone," Callum said, his voice tight with alarm as I answered my phone that afternoon. "Escaped from the psychiatric facility overnight. They're not entirely certain how, though initial investigation suggests she may have had outside help."

Cold dread flooded through me immediately, everything I'd allowed myself to believe about our finally achieved safety crumbling in an instant. "How long has she been gone?"

"At least twelve hours, possibly longer," Callum said grimly. "They didn't notice until morning headcount."

"Twelve hours," I repeated, my mind racing through the implications, understanding she could genuinely be anywhere by now, could have already begun planning whatever retaliation her unstable, vengeful mind might be constructing.

"I'm implementing immediate security measures," Callum continued. "Doubling protection around your family, your parents, alerting all border patrols to watch for any sign of her."

"Do it," I said immediately, urgency sharpening my voice despite the dread building sharp and immediate in my chest. "Whatever it takes, I want maximum security everywhere, immediately."

I ended the call and found Evelyn in the living room, her hand resting instinctively against her rounded belly, and I watched genuine fear cross her face as I explained everything.

"She's out there again," Evelyn said, her voice tight with alarm. "Damon, I'm due any day now. If she's planning retaliation—"

"They're still investigating," I said. "Possible outside assistance, though nothing confirmed yet."

He was quiet for a moment, processing that, and I watched carefully for any sign of physical distress, any indication his heart might be struggling under the weight of this alarming news.

"I'm frightened," he admitted finally, his voice carrying genuine honesty rather than the careful composure he might have maintained months earlier. "But I'm not panicking, Damon. I've had considerable therapy these past two months, working through exactly this kind of acute stress response. I'm choosing to actually breathe through this rather than allowing panic to immediately overtake me."

Something in my chest eased slightly at that, understanding the genuine progress evident in his measured, deliberate response compared to previous crises.

"What do we need to do," my mother asked, her voice tight but controlled, matching his careful composure.

"Maximum security, immediately," I said. "Callum's already implementing that. I need you both to remain here, protected, until we understand exactly what threat she might actually represent this time."

They nodded, and I made my way back toward our own quarters, finding Evelyn resting on the couch, her hand still resting protectively against her belly, worry evident despite her attempt at maintaining calm.