Chapter 38: Unexpected Defence

Ariana's POV

I turned around in my chair, only to find Damien's mate standing at the widely opened door with her arms crossed over her chest, staring at me angrily. 

I thought this door could only be opened with a card. How did she open the door? I thought, staring at her in silence. 

She strode in after gently closing the door behind her. I stood up from behind the table as she approached me. She stopped a distance away from me. She landed a resounding slap across my face from the left without warning. I gasped, but I received another slap on the right immediately after I recovered from the first slap.

I moved back before staring at her surprise. I saw her hand move again from my right side. I blocked her this time with my right hand and landed a slap across her face with my left hand.

"You dare slap me?" she questioned, and took a step back away from me, as we both rubbed our cheeks. 

"You dare slap me first," I replied angrily.

"I am Damien's mate. Your future Luna. I don't need a reason to slap you, even though in this case, I do have a reason to," she replied, and I stared at her angrily.

"If being Damien's mate gives you the right to slap me, then, I think, being his surrogate gives me a reason to return the favour," I replied, and was surprised at myself.

I just admitted I am Damien's surrogate. The lady's mouth dropped at my response. She took a step forward, and I moved a step back. I ended up bumping into the chair behind me. I held the backrest of the chair with both hands as I leaned against it.

"You have the guts to disrespect me, your future Luna," she said and shifted her gaze to my belly. "The fact that you are carrying his child does not automatically provide you with immunity," she said and sounded like she had her teeth clenched together while speaking.

Her gaze shifted to my face, and I stood there staring at her. Next, I felt a huge blow to my stomach.

"Ah!" I cried.

I felt dizzy immediately. I collapsed to the floor, bent over, with my hand pressed against my belly following the excruciating pain, but that was after I had pushed her so hard that she lost her balance and fell to the floor. At least, I heard her let out a yapping sound, followed by a thud sound. I knew she had fallen to the floor.

"What is going on here?" I heard Damien's voice, but I couldn't lift myself as I was in a lot of pain. 

With my knees on the floor and my body bent over with my head just a couple of inches away from the floor, I felt something drip down my foot, which I was almost sitting on. 

"That wolfless girl, you pick for a surrogate, just wounded me," I heard her say.

"Victoria, what are you doing here? This is not your room," I heard Damien say. 

I remained in my position, holding the pain in. I didn't want to cry, even though my belly hurt so bad to the extent that my head was also aching. 

"Damien, that stupid girl wounded me, and that is all you can say to me?" I heard Victoria say.

"That is because you are in her room," I heard Damien say.

He sounded very angry to the extent of roaring at his mate.

"If anything happens to my child, I will break our mate bond," I heard Damien say, and heard his footsteps drawing closer to where I was, on the floor.

"You dare not. Our relationship is what is keeping my brother off your back," I heard Victoria say.

I was in pain, but I could still hear everything they were saying.

"I don't need you to handle Demitri. If anyone comes after my family, you can be assured, I will not be merciful, irrespective of my relationship with them," I heard Damien growl. 

He thinks I am family? I had time to think, despite my pain. 

"Are you alright?" I heard him ask, his voice sounding very gentle.

I shook my head no. I still couldn't lift myself due to the pain. I saw Damien's footsteps move away from me. 

Great, he abandons me to my fate. I thought and attempted to get up, but ended up sitting on my side. I curled up like a shrimp on the floor.

"Michael, get Dr Francis here asap," I heard Damien say, and in a couple of minutes, I felt his strong arms carry me from the floor. 

"Nothing will happen to you or the baby?" Damien whispered to me before exiting my room. 

I was not sure if his mate was still in the room or not, because my eyes were closed, my lower lip folded in as I held in the pain, not wanting to cry, or make a sound. 

"It hurt so bad," I whispered, and felt the softness of a cushion. 

"Alpha, Dr Francis is on his way," I heard Michael say.

"It's an emergency. She is in pain and bleeding," I heard Damien say, as I lay on the couch, both of my hands pressed against my belly, my eyes still closed, and my lower lip folded in, as I bit on it, hoping it would ease my pain. 

"Yes, Alpha," Michael said. 

"Just hold on, you will be fine," I heard Damien say to me. 

I was not sure how long, but Dr Francis came in and attended to me. He gave me some injections in my shoulder. The pain I was feeling slowly started to subside. 

"Did she lose the child?" I heard Damien ask, and I felt annoyed within.

For once, I thought he cared about me. It was all for the baby I am carrying. I thought annoyed.

Ariana, stop it. He has a mate. You are just a baby carrier bag. I said to myself, lying on the couch.

"No, the child is fine. I have taken her sample. I would run the test, but she is fine. She is strong," I heard Dr Francis say.

"Okay," I heard Damien say.

"I would take my leave now," I heard Dr Francis say and Damien shifted his attention to me. 

"I will get Miriam to help you change, so you can get some rest," Damien said, standing next to the couch I was lying on.

"Can I make a request?" I asked, and sat down on the couch, my voice sounding like a little girl.

"What do you want?" Damien asked.

"Can I change my clothes by myself?" I asked. "The pain is gone and I feel much better," I added, looking up at him.

"Okay, I will get you some clothes from your wardrobe, but you are staying in my room tonight. Your door can't be locked for the next 24 hours," Damien said to me and started walking towards the door.

Herh! So that is how Victoria, his mate, got in. I thought 

I waited, and Damien returned a few minutes later with some sleepwear for me. 

"Do you need help taking a shower?" Damien asked, and I lowered my head immediately.

"No, I am okay," I replied. I couldn't bring myself to allow him to bathe me.

"I will be back," he said and exited the room.

I stood to my feet and felt a little pain in my belly, but nothing I couldn't handle. I headed for the inner door that my gaze fell on. I opened it and it was a room of clothes. Neatly arranged. I closed it and headed for the second door. I opened it and gasped. The space was the size of my whole apartment back in Pearl City. To my left was a long glass partition. It was frosted. There were three sliding doors. To my right, two sinks and a cabinet above, and a tall cabinet standing on the side. The floor was beautifully tiled. I slid the first door open, and it was a huge bath. It had so many knobs, I was not sure what operated what. I closed it and moved to the next one. I slid the door open, and it was a shower room. That looked less complicated. I wondered what was in the third room. So I checked. It had a toilet neatly covered and a man's urine toilet. Next to the toilet was a stand with a newspaper, and above it was a toilet paper holder.

Ew! He reads the newspaper while taking a dump? I thought and closed the door. 

The place smelled refreshingly good. I could set up a breakfast table in there or even sleep there. I entered the shower room. It was very beautiful. The shower was carved into the ceiling. It was a square-shaped. I figured the knobs out and turned it on. I took a shower, after covering my bandage wounds with a plastic to prevent water from getting into them. I fetched a towel from the cabinet. I wiped myself dry and put on my new sleepwear. I was not sure where to keep my blood-stained clothes. So I folded it and returned to the bedroom. I still had the room to myself. I walked to the couch and lay down. I put my folded clothes under the couch pillow and rested my head on both. 

I was not sure when I fell asleep, but I felt a hand run up my legs towards my thigh. I love the feel. I turned slightly as I felt the hand travel to my private area. A surge of desire grew inside me, and I was waiting to feel the hand touch me between my legs. 

Wait! What is going on? I thought as it hit me, I wasn't dreaming and someone was indeed touching me.

I opened my eyes, only to be dropped onto a huge bed. The person who had carried me was standing right in front of me, while I lay on the bed on my back. 

"Damien, what are you doing?" I asked as I saw him unbutton his shirt. "No, please," I begged, knowing exactly what that meant.