Page 3 of The Alpha Wolf’s Secret Baby Boy

But no matter how much I try to curb my irritation, my fear, every second that ticks by fills me with more worry, and my undoing comes when the ceremony is complete, and Roxanne hugs Damian, and he wraps his arms around her. The hug lasts longer than it should, and she turns her head and whispers into his ear. Something that puts a smile on his face—the kind of smile I have not seen since his brother left.

A lump forms in my throat, tears burning behind my eyes, threatening to spill over if I don’t hold it together. It doesn’t help when I hear more whispers about Damian and Roxanne, about how good they look together, and how perfect she’d be as the pack’s luna.

It’s too much for me to bear. The moment everyone stands up to celebrate Damian, I get to my feet and spin on my heel, bolting for the nearest exit.

It comes crashing into me with rapid speed, the realization that maybe I meant nothing to him, after all.

What if the rumors were true? What if he’s taking the old beta’s daughter as his mate?

Is that why he’s been so distant lately?

Is that why I barely see him, save for the few stolen moments some nights when he can “get away for a bit” and visit my cabin?

Is that why it feels like there’s a wall between us where I used to be able to speak freely, and felt he was capable of the same?

My heart thunders now as I race through the woods, leaving behind the ceremony and carrying my worst fears like baggage toward the cliff. The one place that had become my solace over the years, where I’d go to get a better view of the moon and weep to my heart’s content as if I were speaking to my mother, is the one place I need to find, as it feels like my heart is breaking.

I hike to the top, dress bundled in one hand, the other clutching my necklace in a desperate attempt to feel close to my mother. When I get there, the full moon is as radiant as what I’ve imagined my mother’s love would have been, and the Moon Goddess wraps me in a warm embrace that drops me to my knees.

The warmth of silver moonlight holds me tightly, and soon, my worries don’t feel as consuming as they were back in the hall. I no longer feel stifled by the whispers of the pack, no longer choked by the rumors.

I can finally breathe, so I exhale slowly, lifting my head to marvel at the full moon when I find a familiar face staring down at me.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Damian says with a crooked half-smile that disappears when his brows furrow. “Is everything okay?”

His concern kills my worries instantly, and I feel so foolish for all the doubts I had just now, the questions running a marathon in my head. Chuckling to myself, I take the hand he offers out to me and get to my feet, dusting myself off.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Er—I should be asking you the same question.”

Damian makes a dry, scoffing sound, touching the top of his dark brown curls where the crown had been resting for the ceremony.

“I guess I’m fine,” he sighs heavily. “That was harder than I thought it would be.”

“At least it’s over now. I know it’s been weighing heavily on you these past few months.”

Damian makes a short sound as he turns toward the edge of the cliff, kicking his boot into the dust and watching it scatter in front of him.

My nerves should be eased now that he’s here, as promised, meeting me on the cliff where we’d first begun our friendship.

But something still feels off. He doesn’t reach out for my hand again, doesn’t even turn back to look at me. He just stares at his boot, like he’s trying to find the right words.

“Damian…” I begin, stepping toward him awkwardly. But even when he holds an arm out and I step into his embrace, his touch feels cold, his eyes barren as he looks into mine.

He offers me a half-smile as he cups my cheek and presses a kiss to my lips, and though my heart ignites with warmth and tingles begin in the tips of my fingers, I can’t shake off the distinct feeling that his lips feel wrong when he kisses me. They’re tight, cold, the kiss falling short of captivating my senses the way it usually would.

The distance that has been growing progressively between us suddenly reaches its peak, and even though Damian is right here physically, his mind, and maybe his heart, is elsewhere.

I break the kiss first, drawing back to look into his eyes, searching for something I can’t find. Frowning, I step back, and Damian turns back to the edge of the cliff as if he doesn’t even notice my hesitation.

Something inside me snaps, and I blurt out the words sitting heavily on my chest.

“Damian, there’s something I need to know.”

He hardly glances over his shoulder when he responds, “What is it, Poppy?”

“When are you going to claim me in front of the pack?”

Damian turns this time, his eyes darkening as he frowns at me. “I just became the alpha, and you’re worried about a mating ceremony?”