Rejected and Pregnant I Fled The Pack novel Chapter 31

Chapter 31

My father was quiet for a long moment, and when he spoke again, his voice had dropped into something colder, more calculating. “You understand what you’re risking, don’t you? Other packs are already circling, sensing weakness in our leadership. If you can’t bring your mate and heir home and present a united front soon, there will be wolves who see opportunity in that instability. Ours included.”

“Then let them circle.” The words came out with more conviction than I expected, some old, exhausted piece of me finally done bending entirely to his priorities over my own. “I’m not going to fix this pack’s image problem by manipulating Evelyn into coming back before she’s actually ready. I did enough manipulating and lying eight months ago. I’m done with it.”

“You’re being reckless.”

“Maybe.” I dragged a hand through my hair, exhaustion from the last twenty-four hours finally starting to catch up with me. “Or maybe I’m finally understanding that some things matter more than pack politics. I have a daughter now, Dad. I’d like to actually be the kind of father she deserves, instead of the kind who taught me that companions and manipulation and controlling everyone around me was simply how alphas operate.”

“Watch yourself, Damon.” His voice had gone quiet now, dangerously so. “I built this pack’s standing over thirty years. I won’t watch you dismantle it because you’ve developed a conscience at the worst possible time.”

“I’m not trying to dismantle anything. I’m trying to actually fix what I broke, in the way that actually matters, instead of just patching over it for appearances.” I glanced back at Evelyn one more time, at the peaceful, exhausted rise and fall of her breathing, at Willow sleeping soundly beside her. “I’ll come home when Evelyn’s ready to travel, and not one moment before that. If you have a problem with how I’m handling this, you can bring it up with me directly instead of demanding I drag a woman who just gave birth back to a pack that’s given her every reason not to trust it.”

I ended the call before he could respond, my hand shaking slightly as I lowered the phone, adrenaline and lingering anger both coursing through me in equal measure.

When I turned back toward the bed, I found Evelyn watching me, awake now, her expression unreadable in the dim morning light.

“How much of that did you hear,” I asked quietly, moving back toward the chair beside her bed.

“Enough.” She shifted slightly against the pillows, wincing at the movement, one hand instinctively reaching toward the bassinet where Willow still slept soundly. “Your father wants me back at the pack.”

“He wants optics,” I said. “A stable succession story to shut down whatever rumors have been circulating. I told him it’s not happening until you’re actually ready, whenever that is, if ever.”

Something in her expression shifted slightly, some careful, guarded surprise flickering behind her tired eyes. ” You told him no.”

“I told him no,” I confirmed. “I meant it too. Whatever happens between us going forward, Evelyn, I’m not going to let pack politics dictate it again. Not after everything that cost you already.”

She studied me for a long moment, something unreadable passing behind her eyes, before she finally looked back toward Willow, reaching out to gently adjust the blanket around her.

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