Chapter 32: Unpleasant Encounter

Ariana's POV

In the cloud of dust which covered everyone, there were particles of stone which beat me up. I realised the guards had left Damien as I didn't feel any movement around him. So, I covered him with my body protectively to prevent him from getting hit by the stone particles. I held my breath and covered Damien's nose with my hands so he wouldn't breathe in the dusty air. I heard car engines, and I knew people were leaving the site. I was unsure how long I could hold my breath, but the dust began settling, and visibility became a little possible. I realised, aside from Damien's cars, all the other cars were gone. 

I saw the guards coming back to the place where I was lying on the ground with Damien. I guess they quickly moved back when they saw the cloud of dust coming. They carried Damien to the car. They didn't care about me. I stood up on my own, coughing, and started walking towards the car. 

I was covered in black sand. I got to Damien's car. He was lying motionless on the back seat of the car. The helmet was still on his head, but it was cracked open. I was about to climb into the car when one guard stopped me. There was another guard, standing just a distance away from Damien's car, on a call.

"You can't get into this one. It's the boss's car," the guard who had stopped me said, while the other guards stared at me like I was a virus.

"You want to act all protective now?" I questioned angrily. "If I had not pulled him away from the place where he had the accident, would you have moved an inch?" I asked.

"You can't go into the boss's car," he repeated.

"He is wounded, and he still has the broken helmet on. What do you think that is doing to him?" I  asked furiously. "I am taking the helmet off him. If you don't know who I am. I am his PA," I said. "So step aside and let me take care of him," I said, and the guard stepped aside. 

I climbed into the car and carefully removed the helmet from Damien's head. His beautiful jet black hair was soaked with blood. There was blood on his temple, too. I placed my finger under his nose, and he was still breathing. 

I got out of the car and wondered where Michael had gone. He was nowhere to be found. I didn't have a phone on me either. 

"Help is on the way," I heard the guard, who was on the call earlier. say to the guard who tried to stop me from getting into the car.

"Help is on the way?" I asked furiously. "You can't drive any more?" I questioned. "The car is functional, so why are you standing there waiting for God knows who to get here before you move him to the hospital?" I questioned, and they stared at me like I was crazy. "If anything happens to him, I swear, even if I have to use my last blood, I will mess up your lives," I said angrily and heard the sound of a car engine, but I didn't bother to look, and still had my gaze fixated on the guards.

"And who the hell do you think you are to spill such nonsense?" I heard a female voice say from behind me, a couple of minutes after the car engine I had heard go silent. 

I turned in the direction of the voice and saw a lady and an elderly man. The lady was the same lady I had seen in Damien's apartment the previous night. I didn't reply to her statement, but I frowned, staring at her.

She was elegantly dressed, but her dress was very revealing. Her hair was neatly held in a hair clip. And she had on a glittering gold necklace and earrings.

"If anything happens to my mate, I will kill you," she threatened.

Mate? Okay, she is a she-wolf. That means she is Damien's woman. I thought, staring at her. 

Nothing was going on between Damien and me, but finding out he has a woman, I felt hurt. My heart shattered within me. The woman walked past me to Damien's car and deliberately pushed me to the side in the process. Lucky for me, I didn't fall. I saw all the guards act differently around her. They made way for her to get into the car. 

"Oh, Damien, my love. What happened?" I heard her say in a pitiful voice. "Did that jinx outside do this to you?" I heard her say inside the car, and I frowned, standing outside. 

"Who are you?" the elderly man asked after staring at me for what seemed like forever.

"I am Ariana Brown, Alpha Damien's PA," I replied politely. 

I didn't know who he was, but I could tell he was no one to joke with. I accord him the needed respect. 

"PA?" the man repeated. "A pregnant PA," he said, and I shifted my gaze to my belly, wondering how he knew, but I remembered what Eve said to me: every wolf can tell you are pregnant.

"So, you are my son's chosen surrogate," I heard him say.

Is that Damien's father? I thought, staring at the man in silence.

"Whatever you have planned in your head, remember this: you are not family and will never be family. Once you deliver my son's child, we will send you away," he said.

"I know your kind," he went on. "Tell whoever put you on this mission that Alpha Leo is very wise and can't be caught off guard. I have eyes everywhere," he added and shifted his gaze to the guard.

"Let's go," he said to them, and the guard closed the back door of Damien's car with the lady inside. 

I was shocked by the man's statement. If anything, Damien picked me as a surrogate without my consent. I didn't sign up for this. So, what is he talking about? What mission? And why will he think I want to be part of his family? I thought. I had no ulterior motive, but can he tell I like Damien? I thought. 

I heard a car engine, and quickly snapped out of my thoughts. I saw Alpha Leo walking in the direction of his car. I knew it was his car because the car was different from the set of cars Damien had come with.  I started walking towards the SUV.

"And where do you think you are going?" Alpha Leo halted his steps and questioned.

"I came in the SUV. So, I am going back to it," I also stopped in my steps and replied calmly and respectfully.

"Find your way out of here," he said, and I heard all the car engines come alive.

"Sir, please, you can't leave me here. I don't have a phone, nor do I have money on me. This place looks like a dead end. It will be difficult for me to walk home," I said. 

"And who said I care about that?" he replied, nonchalantly.

"I don't expect you to care about me, but please, have mercy on your grandchild," I pleaded, hoping just like Damien, he would show some mercy because of the child I am carrying, but to my surprise, he laughed.

"So that is your plan. You want to use the child you are carrying to trap my son," I heard him say, and I shook my head in disagreement. "And who said I support my son's nonsense?" he added, to my shock, before I could defend myself. 

I wanted to tell him I didn't choose to become Damien's surrogate, but my words were caught up in my throat.

He began walking towards his parked car. I watched him get into his car, rooted to my spot, processing what he had just said to me. I snapped out of it when the first car moved, and I ran towards the car I had come with. I tried opening the door, but it was locked. 

"You can't leave me here," I shouted, banging on the car window, but they ignored me.

All the cars turned around and started driving away. I started running after the cars and calling out to them to stop, waving my hands in the air, but they didn't stop for me. I dropped to my knees, unable to run any more. I stared at the back of the cars, now far away from me, panting for air. 

How am I supposed to leave this place? I thought, scanning the environment.

No cars were passing by, and the place looked empty with no life. 

Where will I spend the night if it gets late? I thought.

To make matters worse, the clouds began to gather.

"Oh, no," I murmured, stood up and started looking around for a place I could stand, should the rain start pouring.