Chapter 54: You Must Take Responsibility

Ariana's POV

Damien's proposal left me shocked. Everything was happening so fast, I really couldn't understand. Yes, I liked him when I first saw him, but now, it's like he suddenly cares about me, not because of the pregnancy. And I don't know what kind of cologne he is using now, but I believe it has an aphrodisiac effect. I have never felt this before, to the extent that I can't even control myself. 

What does he want from me? I thought as we exited the room. What is all this about? I thought.

He wouldn't let go of my hand, and it was like he didn't care who saw us walking hand in hand like lovers. 

With my thoughts trying to figure out what was happening to me, my desires were kept at bay, and I felt normal.

We were soon outside, and I wanted to go to the SUV, but he pulled me towards his car, opened the door for me, and I got inside, still wondering what was happening. 

Inside the car, sitting so close to him, the feeling started again. His scent was so comforting, yet it aroused my desire like a drug. I sat there next to him, with my head lowered, and keeping my hands to myself.

"Close the divide," I heard him say, even his voice sounded seductive in my ears.

Ariana, stop it. This is not who you are. Get a hold of yourself. I scolded myself in my head.

"Feel free," I heard him say, and I forgot the scolding I had given myself. 

His statement was like an invitation to Disneyland. I rested my head on his shoulder and held him across his chest. It was so comforting. I felt his hand, gently rubbing mine, and I loved the feeling it gave me. For some crazy reason, I fell asleep feeling so comfortable. 

I thought I was dreaming when I felt the sweetness of a kiss on my lips. I moved to respond, only to wake up to a kiss. 

"Did you sleep well?" he asked me, after pulling away from the kiss and staring at my face.

I just nodded, and he smiled. I couldn't believe it, he woke me up with a kiss. He knocked on the car window, and the door was opened. I didn't even realise the car had stopped moving. He got out first and offered me his hand. I accepted it and stepped out of the car.

No, this can't continue. I thought. I need to go back to Jeremy. I thought. I would explain things to him, he would forgive me and take me back. I know he just wanted to be intimate with me. I can understand it was hurting to find out I was pregnant with another man's child when I wouldn't let him touch me. I will agree to his terms and leave this man. I don't know what he is doing to me, but whatever it is, I don't want to stay and find out. It might be too late for me. I thought, as we walked hand in hand.

With my thoughts finally concluded, I noticed the environment. How rich are these people? I thought. Damien has a whole city for a home. Well, for lack of a better description, that is the closest I can say to give you a picture of what his home looked like. You need a car to move from the mansion to the servants' quarters. And now, we are in his father's home. Another huge space with a mansion. Nice open space, with green grass covering everywhere. A pavement to walk on and a street for cars. We approached the huge apartment, with neatly lined up pillars decorating the front. We walked towards the front door, and the door opened.

"Welcome, Alpha Damien," a lady in a uniform welcomed. 

From her dressing, it was obvious she was a worker. 

"Alpha Leo and Ms Victoria are waiting for you in the living room," she added, and my heart skipped a beat hearing Victoria's name. 

Damien squeezed my hand gently, drawing my attention to him.

"Sure," Damien said to the girl and started following her.

"I am here with you. No body can hurt you," he assured me, and I nodded. 

We walked through a long hallway and finally entered a huge living room. It was neatly decorated in grey colour. The couch was huge. My gaze fell on an elderly man sitting in a three-in-one couch, holding a decorated walking aid in his hand. Sitting on another couch, adjacent to him, was Victoria. Their faces didn't look welcoming when Damien walked in holding my hand. 

"Good morning, you wanted to see me," Damien said, once inside the living room. "So, I am here," he added.

He stood there holding my hand, his gaze fixated on the elderly man, whom I believed must be Alpha Leo, Damien's father.

"Alpha Leo, that is the surrogate," Victoria said, pointing at me. 

Damien wrapped his arms around my shoulder, pulling me closer, following Victoria's statement.

"So, you brought your surrogate to our family meeting?" Alpha Leo asked with a frown.

"Damien, I would go wait in the car," I whispered to Damien, already terrified by the terrifying gaze from Damien's father.

I could stand up to Victoria, but this elderly man looked very scary. 

"No, it's a huge place. You might get lost, and I don't want anyone harming you here," Damien whispered back to me.

He was right, the place was huge. He returned his gaze to Alpha Leo and replied to him.

"And what is wrong with that. She is carrying my child, that makes her family," I heard Damien defend. 

"Damien, this is total disrespect," Alpha Leo barked. "Since when did we start bringing strangers into our family conversation?" he questioned. 

"You know, I was wondering the same thing," Damien replied, and I shifted my gaze towards him, wondering what he meant. "What is she doing here?" he asked, pointing to Victoria. "Last I checked, she wasn't my mate and has never been my mate," he said, his voice filled with anger.

"Damien, cut this nonsense. Mate or not, she is your chosen would-be wife," Alpha Leo said.

"Father, I don't believe you invited me here, so we define who is family and who is not. Let's get down to business," Damien said, and pulled me towards a seat.

He sat down and made me sit down, right next to him. His left hand was wrapped around me, with his hand resting on my lap. Michael, who was standing a distance behind us, moved and stood behind the couch that Damien and I were sitting on.

"If you want me to say everything in front of your surrogate, no problem," Alpha Leo said, and I kept my gaze on the floor even though I couldn't avoid hearing every word that came out of his mouth.

"I have set a date for your marriage to Victoria. You and Victoria are getting married this weekend. Your marriage to this homewrecker has already been annulled," I heard Alpha Leo say, and I looked in his direction.

He tossed an envelope onto the table sitting in front of him.

"I see," Damien replied calmly.

He snapped his finger, and Michael moved from behind us. He picked up the envelope on the table and handed it to Damien. Damien tore it into pieces and gave it back to Michael without bothering to look at the content inside. I sat there with my eyes wide open. 

"Dad, last I checked, I am a full-grown man. Whichever woman I marry, I will be the one to leave with that woman. By this, I have earned the right to choose a woman I can stay with as my wife. If you want to make Victoria a Dakota so badly, since she is your pick, I believe she meets all the requirements of the kind of woman you prefer, so marry her yourself. Last I checked, you're single," I heard Damien say, and I pinched his thigh through his trousers.

"How dare you?" Alpha Leo barked and went on talking, expressing his disapproval of Damien's statement.

Damien ignored him and shifted his gaze towards me, and I quickly lowered my head. I had pinched him in reflex following the statement he made, which I felt was disrespectful. 

"Do you need something?" he whispered, almost speaking into my ears, his voice void of the angry tone with which he had replied to his father. 

I thought he would be angry with me for pinching him, but he wasn't.

"I am sorry. It was a reflex action on my side. What you said wasn't nice," I replied, my voice equally as a whisper.

"Fine, I will rephrase that," he whispered back to my shock, and rubbed my thigh as if to apologise for his statement.

"Let me rephrase that. Adolf is not married. You can arrange for Victoria to marry him. He is also a Dakota. It would keep Demitri at bay," I heard Damien say, and I frowned, wondering what that meant.

Why will the marriage keep Demitri at bay? And who is Demitri? I thought.

"Damien, stop spilling nonsense. You broke her virginity, and now you want to hand her over to your brother? What do you think she is? Some kind of a trophy to toss around?" Alpha Leo said and realised Damien went calm immediately. "You deflowered her; you must take responsibility," he said.

"Your seed could be growing inside me as we speak," Victoria added.

"You think, if you are pregnant, I wouldn't know? You think, I wouldn't feel my pups?" Damien questioned through gritted teeth.

"Silence, Damien. You will take responsibility. You know the rules," Alpha Leo added.

I remembered the night I lost my virginity to Damien. I left the room, and Victoria went in. Did he sleep with Victoria too, that night? I thought.

I stared at Damien's side profile, and I read the guilt on his face, even though he was angry. 

Okay, so he did. I thought. I think I need to go back to Jeremy. If I leave, Damien can take responsibility for Victoria. I think that is the right thing to do. I thought, but I was hurting inside just thinking about leaving him.