Chapter 10: The Return of Brielle

Olivia’s POV

I stood still in the doorway of the grand hall, my eyes still fixed on the last person I thought I would never see again.

Brielle was the woman who Damien had said was dead but there she was, in a flowing, emerald gown, her blond hair falling over her shoulders and her mouth smiling smugly, causing a sudden bolt of rage to pulse through me.

“Well, well,” Brielle said, tilting her head as she looked at me with bemused disdain. 

“I heard Damien has been losing sleep because of you,” She paused to get my attention, “I have to say that I was interested in the woman who got him this desperate.” She slowly stepped forward, glancing at the little boy standing next to me. 

“Who do we have here?” Her gaze darkened. “Is this Damien’s bastard son?”

I was so furious that I hardly noticed my own motion as the sound of my palm meeting Brielle’s cheek rang through the hall.

“You dare hit me?” Brielle flared, her face snapping to the side from the strength of the slap. In slow motion, I turned back, fury blazing in my blue eyes.

“I dare,” I spat. “You’re barren, aren’t you, Brielle? Yet you have the gut to stand there and question my son’s wholeness?” My voice was sharp and accusing.

“You wretched little…” her voice trailed off as she put her hand up, and landed it on my face. The slap was sharp and measured, leaving a crimson pattern on my cheek.

“Mommy!” Jeremy’s squeaky voice was tinged with panic. His tiny fists balled up, and before I could intervene, he rushed at Brielle, pushing as hard as he could on her leg with both hands but Brielle was quick. 

She seized his wrist and hurled him to the marble floor. My heart ached immediately at the sight.

“Jeremy!” I ran up to him, grabbing him by the shoulders and lifting him up, eyes wild with anger. 

“Are you okay?” I asked him, caressing him everywhere to see if he had any fracture but he only whimpered and nodded his head to affirm that he was fine. Quickly, I sprang up with renewed energy as I made for Brielle.

“What in the hell is going on here?” Damien who had just stepped in asked, his cold, piercing gaze focused on Brielle first as his entire body stiffened in shock thinking that his eyes were playing a quick one on him.

“You’re alive?” He spoke in a voice not much louder than a whisper, but it had with it doubt and resentment.

Brielle let out a dry laugh. “Of course, I’m alive. You abandoned me in the war to die, did you not?”

Damien’s face contorted at her response. “You think I wanted you to die?” He asked.

“That’s not just what I think,” Brielle countered, moving forward. “If you cared about me, you would have saved me but you didn’t, Damien. You abandoned me and left me in the hands of my enemies to die,” She accused him yet again.

Damien pursed his lips into a thin line as he replied.

“If you feel that way, then why are you here today?” He asked, arching his brows as he anticipated her reply.

Brielle’s grin came back, but it was bitter. “I’m not going to let you toss me aside like a useless game piece. I returned to reclaim what’s rightfully mine,” She said.

“She touched my son,” I said before he could respond. “She had no right to do so,” I lamented.

Anger sparkled in Damien’s eyes as his emotions rose within him. He faced Brielle again, his voice authoritative and spiteful.

“You had the guts to touch my son?” He fumed.

“He’s not your son, Damien,” I mouthed immediately but Damien ignored me.

“Enough!” Damien thundered, then he turned to the guards. “Seize her!”

“What?!” Brielle screamed, two warriors taking hold of her arms. “You’re putting me in the dungeon? Are you serious, Damien!” She yelled as she was dragged away but Damien didn’t look at her again. He just waved his hand, and the guards kept pulling her away.

“You don’t need to fight for me or my son,” I said sharply. “I do not need your protection. I just need to leave this pack back to my own,” I said but Damien still didn’t answer me. 

He just spoke to one of the guards telling him to ensure that Brielle never comes out of the dungeon till he decides on a befitting punishment for her.

A few days later…

I attempted to break free but every time I tried to do so Damien prevented my escape from the pack and Jeremy on the other hand was seen one time whining about missing his father.

“Mommy,” he whined, pulling at my dress. “When are we going home?”

“Soon, sweetheart,” I responded.

“But why is he holding us here?” He asked, confusion lacing his small voice. “What did we do wrong?” He demanded to know.

Damien came into the conversation before I could cook up a response as I always did. He knelt before Jeremy, his face wearing a kind of softness. 

“Do you want to train with me?” He asked with a gentle voice. “I can show you how to be strong,” He added.

“No! He would do no such thing,” I rebutted as Jeremy shifted his gaze from me to him, obviously confused. 

“But why not?” Damien asked gently, his eyes locked into mine. “I just want to show him how to protect himself,” He said with softness in his tone.

“Now you don’t get to play father to my son, I would never allow that,” I pursed my lips. 

“I know I can’t change the past,” Damien lamented. “But I’m begging your forgiveness, Olivia. For everything that I had put you through,” He pleaded.

I let out a bitter laugh. “Forgiveness? You think it’s that easy? Brielle is back, Damien and is here to stay with you but let me leave, I could never share a roof with her?”

“She will leave because she doesn’t matter to me anymore,” He said and was about to say more when a knock at the door broke our attention. A maid came in and bowed her head. 

“Breakfast is served, Alpha,” she announced. 

I walked behind Damien into the dining hall for Jeremy’s sake and there, at the table, smirking as if she owned the palace, was Brielle.

“I thought I told you to go,” Damien said, sharply. Brielle batted my lashes. “I’ve come to live here, Alpha Damien. I’m your Luna,” she said grinning mischeviously.

Austin bursted in, his face urgent to the point that Damien didn’t have a chance to reply Brielle.

“Alpha, your presence is urgently needed,” Austin said. 

Immediately Brielle saw that Damien was out of the room, she wasted no time in leaning closer to me with a fake sweetness dripping from her voice. 

“You’re wasting time being with Damien because I would have him all to myself and there would be no space for you,” she bragged.

I looked at her and smirked before replying. 

“It’s interesting how you keep going back to the guy who left you to die at war without even treating you. But I’m not like you, Brielle, I don’t want him. I just want to leave this goddamned pack,” I revealed.

“Then let me help you,” Brielle said.

“Excuse me?” I asked to be sure I had heard well.

“I have my ways, you know. If you really want to get away, I can do it,” Brielle blurted with an air of seriousness.