Rejected and Pregnant I Fled The Pack (Evelyn and Damon) novel Chapter 170

*Nadia: I want to meet everyone. Your parents, your wife, the children. I think it's time we actually became a real family, given the results should be arriving soon anyway.*

I stared at the message, disbelief and fresh unease both building in my chest. Something about the request felt premature, presumptuous, given we hadn't even received confirmation of her actual biological connection to us yet, and the mention of the children specifically sent a fresh spike of protective alarm through my system.

"What is it," Evelyn asked, watching my expression shift.

I showed her the message, watching her own expression tighten with matching concern. "She wants to meet everyone? Including Willow and Ethan?"

"That's what she's saying," I confirmed, my voice tight with sudden, sharp unease. "Before we've even confirmed the DNA results, before we understand anything definitively about who she actually is or what she actually wants."

"That feels premature," Evelyn said carefully. "And honestly, given everything about her association with Genevieve, given how calculated she seemed during your initial meeting, I don't think introducing our children to her yet is remotely wise."

"I agree completely," I said, relief evident in my voice at her matching, protective instinct. "I'm not bringing Willow or Ethan anywhere near her until we have absolute, verified clarity about who she actually is and what her genuine intentions actually are."

I typed back a careful, measured response. *We'll discuss meeting arrangements once the DNA results confirm the biological connection. I'm not prepared to introduce my children to anyone whose identity and intentions remain unverified.*

Her response came quickly. *Understandable. Though I hope you understand my own eagerness, given how long I've waited to actually understand my heritage.*

I set my phone aside, exhaustion and unease both settling heavy despite my earlier intention to remain fully present with Evelyn throughout this carefully planned evening.

"I'm sorry," I said, watching the candlelit atmosphere I'd so carefully constructed now feeling somewhat deflated beneath the fresh weight of this unexpected complication.

"Don't apologize," Evelyn said gently, though I could see her own continued worry evident beneath her attempted reassurance. "This is genuinely important, Damon. I understand needing to actually address it."

"I wanted tonight to be entirely about you," I said, frustration evident in my voice. "Instead, once again, everything's getting pulled back toward this exhausting, complicated crisis."

Evelyn nodded, understanding evident in her tired expression, and we sat together in comfortable, if uneasy, silence for a while longer, both of us processing everything still uncertain and complicated stretching ahead of us.

"Your father," Evelyn said eventually, "how is he actually doing with all of this?"

"Struggling," I admitted. "Genuinely struggling, more than I've witnessed even during his physical recovery from the attacks. This feels different, somehow more personally devastating than even the physical trauma he's already survived."

"That makes sense," Evelyn said gently. "Physical trauma is difficult, but this—potentially learning he was violated in ways he never understood, discovering a child conceived through that violation—that's an entirely different kind of devastating."

I nodded, understanding the genuine weight of what my father was currently navigating, and found myself hoping fiercely, despite the exhausting uncertainty still hanging over our entire family, that whatever the DNA results ultimately revealed, we would somehow find a way to actually process and heal from this newest, unexpected chapter in our already difficult, transformative journey.

We extinguished the candles eventually, the evening's careful romance gradually giving way to exhausted, comfortable rest, and I held Evelyn close as we finally settled toward sleep, understanding tomorrow would bring whatever additional complications and difficult conversations this unfolding situation continued demanding, but tonight, at least, we'd managed to reclaim some small measure of the genuine peace and connection we'd both been missing throughout this long, exhausting ordeal.