DAMON'S POV
Reality didn’t just settle on my shoulders, it collapsed on top of me like a collapsing roof, splintering everything I thought I knew into jagged pieces. The ground beneath my beliefs gave way, and in its place was nothing but betrayal, bitter and raw. Everything I had held onto, everything I admired in her, dissolved in seconds. How had I been so blind? So utterly stupid?I had convinced myself, wanted so desperately to believe, that she could be it for me. The one I was destined for. My mate. The one meant to complete me. But instead, the truth had struck with the force of a slap across the face. Brutal. Unforgiving. She wasn’t who I thought she was. Not even close.She had looked me in the eye and fed me lies, and I had swallowed them like a fool.Even when the whispers of doubt crept in, I silenced them. Told myself that maybe her past was messy. That maybe she'd been with someone else, but I could live with it. We all had scars, dDAMON'S POVLeaning forward, I slumped on the edge of the couch, my elbows digging into my knees as I buried my face in my hands. The weight pressing down on my shoulders felt like it could snap me in half. My palms clutched either side of my face, fingers dragging slowly down the curve of my jaw like I could scrape away the disbelief and the shame clinging to my skin. A breath escaped me, gravel-rough and cracked at the edges.“I’m not going to take you away from her,” I murmured, my voice barely more than a rasp.But even as the words left my mouth, I knew the truth was messier than that. I couldn’t pretend this was black and white. If she didn’t explain—didn’t tell me how any of this was possible, didn’t tell me why she kept this from me—I didn’t know if I could keep that promise. There were too many questions clawing at me, too many emotions running riot beneath the surface.I swallowed and looked at the boy, needing to ground myself in someth
DAMON'S POVDante strolled toward the kitchen with his usual ease, tossing out a light-hearted offer to handle the food. I gave a faint nod, though my stomach tightened at the thought. Dante’s cooking had never been something I particularly enjoyed, but this wasn’t the time for opinions or preferences. Right now, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Not when Kael was nestled in my arms, warm and real and breathing. Letting go of him felt impossible. As though if I loosened my grip even slightly, he might dissolve like smoke between my fingers, leaving behind only the echo of a dream I hadn’t known I was having until it came true.I drew him closer, my arms tightening protectively, as if sheer will could keep this moment from slipping away. The idea of parenthood had always felt like a distant star to me—beautiful, unreachable, quietly admired from afar. I never imagined it would land in my lap, unexpectedly, heartbreakingly perfect. But now, with his small body pressed
DAMON'S POVThe moment my eyes fall upon him, a thunderous realization strikes deep within my chest—undeniable, raw, and absolute. He is mine. Not a thought or question, but a visceral truth that roots itself in my bones.Without warning, the boy lets out a joyful squeal, his tiny voice piercing through the stillness like sunlight cracking through storm clouds. Then he’s moving—darting toward me on legs that are still finding balance in the world, small feet slapping against the floor with an urgency that betrays his size. He hurls himself into me with surprising force, his little arms locking tightly around my legs as though clinging to an anchor in a world that’s constantly shifting.My body stiffens, caught in a moment suspended between shock and disbelief. I don’t move. I don’t breathe. All I can do is stare down at the warm, squirming body wrapped around my legs. My hands hang useless at my sides as my mind tries—and fails—to catch up. His face is bur
KAEL'S POVThe bell rang, and the buzz of recess wrapped around the playground like static. Selene plopped down beside me on the bench, the scent of tuna and something salty drifting from her sandwich. Without a word, she slid a bunch of rumpled phone book pages across the worn wooden seat. The paper was creased and greasy in places, some of the ink smudged from her fingers or maybe leftover juice from her lunchbox.I snatched the pages quickly, pressing them against my knees in a feeble attempt to flatten the wrinkles. My eyes scanned every printed line, darting over the cluttered maze of roads and intersections. The street name scrawled on my scrap of paper—a name I had read over and over in my head like a prayer—wasn’t there. Not even close.“Are you sure you grabbed the right pages?” I asked, trying not to let the frustration leak too obviously into my voice. I tilted my head, hoping another angle might reveal something I missed.Selene shrugg
KAEL'S POVThe house stirred with the usual morning chaos. Drawers thudded closed, water gurgled from the bathroom sink, and the soft shuffling of feet echoed through the hallways like whispers of urgency. Sunlight slanted through the windows, casting golden rectangles across the hardwood floor. In the middle of it all, I stood still, gripping a thin piece of paper like it held the world.“Kael, are you ready yet?” Mom’s voice rang out from somewhere down the corridor, sharp with that familiar tension that always accompanied our rushed mornings. It wasn't just a question—it was a warning. We were running behind. Again.I stared down at the crumpled sheet in my hand. Dad’s address was scrawled across the center, the ink slightly smudged at the corners where my fingers had lingered too long. Beneath it, in uneven handwriting, was a list of details Mom had told me to remember—clues that might help me recognize him. She said I’d know. That something inside me
DAMON'S POVThe car eased forward, tires crunching softly against the loose gravel as we slipped out of the hotel driveway. The morning sun blazed through the windshield, casting harsh glares across the glass, forcing my eyes into a squint. I blinked against the brightness, but it did little to clear the haze clouding my thoughts. The events of the morning clung to me like smoke—thick, suffocating, impossible to ignore. A heavy silence sat between us, dense with the weight of what had happened, until Dante shattered it with a firm smack against my chest.“Just keep driving,” he muttered, voice low and sharp with sarcasm. “We’ll be plastered across every damn front page tomorrow anyway. Might as well make a graceful exit.”He gave a dry chuckle, shaking his head, then tacked on with mock irritation, “And don’t tell me you bent my rim back there.”I shot him a glance, one brow raised, the edge of my mouth twitching despite myself. “Chill. I’ll buy y