“How long are you staying?” I ask Aria.
“We will leave in a few days, but will come back up with the kids, as long as it is alright with the Alpha?” She says and Damien nods.
"Why are you asking, you could always demand him, shit you could make him rub your feet if you wanted?”
“No, Lily, I don’t like to abuse my authority and it is still his territory” She answers. Damien shoots me a look.
“What it’s true” I tell him, and he shakes his head and starts pouring coffee.
“I see you still don’t bear Damien’s mark?” Aria asks, making my father look at me. Here we go, another lecture. She doesn’t waste any time. Damien smirks at her, questioning me.
“Forget it for now Lily, but we will have a chat later about it” She tells me, and I nod. Maybe it would be good talking to her about it. I know she will understand me better and not judge despite banishing me, she will at least listen.
Damien places the coffee on the bench and everyone grabs one.
“I have Pack business to attend to, David, you can join me if you like” He says, turning to my father who nods. It was weird not hearing people refer to him as Alpha. Felt strange, but my father seemed quite casual, more relaxed without the title, like he wasn’t carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. I watch as my father grabs his coffee and follows Damien.
Chapter 25
Lily POV
Desperately wanting to take a shower, Amber and I headed upstairs to my room, Aria was happily talking to Natalia in the kitchen. Stripping off my clothes, Amber sits on the edge of the bath talking to me. Nudity wasn’t a big thing between us and I was not shy around her.
When we were kids we even bathed together growing up in Reid’s pack with her, we were completely comfortable around each other. She knew all my secrets. All my faults and I have never felt the need to hide anything from her and she was the same with me.
Stripping my pants off, I turn on the shower and step in.
“Do you need any help?” She asked when she noticed the bruises and staples covering most of my body. I wave her off.
“No, I am good. They look worse than they feel” I tell her. As soon as I step in the water, I hiss loudly at the burning sensation. “I take that back, they sting like a bitch” I hiss. Amber chuckles to herself.
“So, why haven’t you and the Alpha mated yet?” She asks, while I try washing the shampoo out of my hair.
“Because I am not sure I want to be permanently tied to him. I didn’t want the Alpha position, yet he expects me to become his Luna”
“Yeah, but he is your mate Lily, you kind of don’t have a choice now. That can’t be the only reason,” She says.
I sigh before bending down and grabbing the conditioner.
“It’s not, Damien is having a baby with another woman. She is due in around nine or ten weeks” I tell her.
“Wow, how do you feel about that?” Amber says, shaking her head, her eyebrows raising in shock.
“Well, not happy obviously. My mate is having a kid with someone else, and he tried to hide it, like I would not find out. Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about it or him, but it is what it is. Nothing I can do about it”
“And Damien?” She asks.
“Huh yeah he wants to mark me, I just worry when the baby does come, he will throw me away like everyone else does” I tell her.
“He loves you Lily, a blind man could see that I don’t think a baby will change that. What about the mother?”
“Oh you will love her, grade A bitch, but she found her mate and I don’t know, things feel different now. I don’t hate her, and she apologised, but I don’t know. Hopefully, once the baby comes Damien and her can figure out how to co-parent and leave me out of it”
“Yeah, I doubt that will happen. Technically you would be the kids stepmother and what? You are just going to ignore the kid or leave when he has custody. Come on, Lily, I know you. I know you won’t be able to help yourself. You can’t tell me you don’t want to be involved with his kid” She was right, I love kids. They are the most non judgmental and accepting of me.
Yet I didn’t want to be the horror stepparent my father was to Aria. I was afraid that when the baby came, I would despise it.
“We will see once it arrives” Suddenly the doorbell rang and both of us perked up. I heard Natalia answer it before hearing Tabitha’s voice ask if Damien was here.