Rejected and Pregnant I Fled The Pack novel Chapter 57

Chapter 57

+15 Bgnus

Chapter 57

Evelyn pov

I’d just settled Willow into her crib, her small chest rising and falling in that deep, contented rhythm that meant she was finally, fully asleep, when frantic knocking rattled the front door hard enough that I flinched, my whole body going rigid with immediate alarm.

Damon had left twenty minutes earlier, called away by Callum for something involving pack finances he needed to review before the week’s end, promising he’d be back within the hour. Sarah, the young warrior Callum had arranged to stay nearby, was supposed to be posted somewhere close, though I hadn’t seen her since Damon left.

The knocking came again, harder this time, and I felt my heart lurch as I crossed toward the window overlooking the front entrance, some instinctive dread already building before I’d even confirmed what I was afraid of.

Damon’s father stood on the doorstep.

He was alone, as far as I could tell, no enforcers flanking him this time, dressed less formally than the pristine, authoritative appearance he’d carried at the hospital and, from what I understood, at the council session. Something about his posture looked different too-less’ rigid, less commanding, though I didn’t trust that shift enough to feel any real relief at the sight of it.

My heart pounded hard against my ribs as I stood frozen at the window, torn between the instinct to simply not answer at all and the practical understanding that ignoring him might only escalate whatever he’d actually come here to do.

I glanced back toward Willow’s crib, checking she was still sleeping soundly, before making my way cautiously toward the front door, my phone already gripped tightly in one hand, Sarah’s number pulled up and ready to send the moment I needed her.

“What do you want,” I said through the door, not opening it yet, keeping my voice as steady as I could manage despite my racing heart.

“I need to speak with you.” His voice came through muffled but clear enough, none of the cold authority I remembered from the hospital hallway, something rawer underneath it instead. “Please. I’m not here to threaten you, Evelyn. I give you my word.”

“Your word doesn’t mean much to me,” I said, though I found myself hesitating anyway, some cautious curiosity warring with the fear still humming through my chest. “You sent enforcers to drag me out of a hospital bed less than a day after I gave birth.”

“I know what I did.” Something in his voice cracked slightly, genuine and unpracticed in a way that surprised me. “I’m not proud of it. I’ve had two days to sit with exactly how badly I’ve handled everything, and I need to say some things to you directly. Please. Five minutes. I’ll stand right here on the doorstep if that makes you more comfortable.”

I hesitated for a long moment, weighing the risk against the strange, unexpected humility in his voice. I sent a quick text to Sarah anyway, just in case-*Damon’s father is here, at the door, need you close*-before finally, cautiously, opening the door partway, keeping my body positioned between him and the rest of the apartment, between him and Willow’s crib in the next room.

He looked older than I remembered from the hospital, exhaustion etched into every line of his face, dark circles beneath his eyes suggesting he hadn’t slept much better than the rest of us over the past several days.

“Five minutes,” I said firmly. “And you stay right there.”

1/2

Chapter 57

+15 Bohus

“That’s fair.” He nodded, hands visible at his sides, none of the commanding posture I remembered. “I wanted to apologize. Properly, not the version I offered the council to save face. To you, directly.”

I stared at him, genuinely caught off guard by the admission. “Why now.”

“Because my wife filed separation papers two days ago,” he said, something raw and exhausted bleeding through the words. “Because my son stood in front of an entire council and dismantled thirty years of my authority, and he was right to do it. Because I’ve spent the last two days sitting alone with exactly how much damage thirty years of my version of leadership has actually caused, and I don’t know how to fix any of it, but I know starting with you seems like the right place.”

“That’s a big shift,” I said carefully, not fully trusting it, some old wariness refusing to fully soften despite the apparent sincerity in his voice. “Two days ago you were threatening my mate’s standing and sending enforcers after me.”

“I know.” He looked down for a moment, something genuinely ashamed crossing his features. “I’ve spent my entire life believing control was the same thing as strength. Watching my wife finally leave, watching my son choose you and Willow over everything I raised him to prioritize-it’s forced me to actually consider that maybe I’ve had that equation backward the whole time.”

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