Lahat ng Kabanata ng Accidental Surrogate For The Cruel Alpha CEO: Kabanata 151 - Kabanata 160

Chapter 151DAMONI woke up to sunlight streaming through the bedroom windows and Isabella still in my arms.For a moment, I just lay there, afraid to move, afraid to even breathe, afraid that any motion that i would make, would shatter this fragile reality that was playing out right now and reveal it as nothing more than a desperate dream that i was clinging onto.But her warmth was real against my chest, her breathing steady and even, her heartbeat a gentle rhythm that my wolf recognized and responded to with bone-deep contentment.She'd stayed.After everything—after the attack, after the revelations, after watching me transform into the monster I'd been hiding from her—she'd stayed.The relief was so overwhelming it physically hurt to even breath. My chest felt tight, my throat constricted, and if I'd been alone I probably would have broken down completely. But I couldn't afford that luxury. Not when Isabella was still processing, still deciding whether she could truly trust me ag

Chapter 153DAMONShe sank into one of the leather chairs, suddenly looking exhausted. "I don't know. I'm functioning. I'm going through the motions. But Damon, everyone keeps looking at me like I'm about to shatter or run away. It's making me more nervous than I already was.""They're worried," I explained, taking the chair beside her rather than sitting behind the desk where it would create a barrier between us. "The pack has been waiting for years for me to find my mate. When you showed up, when I announced we were getting married, everyone was overjoyed. You brought life back to this house, made Lucas happier than he'd been since he was born, gave the pack hope for the future.""And now they think I'm going to leave because I learned the truth," Isabella finished."They're afraid of that, yes," I admitted. "A pack is only as strong as its Alpha pair. If you leave, if you reject the bond, it weakens everyone. Not just me, but the entire pack structure."She was quiet for a moment,

Chapter 155ISABELLA"Deal!" they agreed instantly, already scanning the shelves for their preferred options."You're going to spoil them," Elena observed with amusement."They deserve to be spoiled a little," I said defensively. "Besides, Legos are educational. They build spatial reasoning and fine motor skills.""You sound like you're trying to convince yourself," she said with a knowing smile."Maybe I am," I admitted. "I just want them to be happy. To feel safe and loved and like they can finally be kids without fear of punishment."Elena's expression softened. "You're going to be a wonderful Luna, Isabella. You already have the most important quality—putting your pack's wellbeing above everything else."Before I could respond to that loaded statement, I heard a familiar voice calling my name."Isabella? Is that you?"I turned to find Marcus and Lisa—the two guards Damon had assigned to accompany us—entering the store. And behind them, looking somewhat sheepish, was Damon himself.

Chapter 157THE MORNING OF ISABELLA'S ATTACKDARIUS VERSION OF THAT MORNINGDARIUSThe buzzing sound cut through my sleep like a knife, jarring me awake with the kind of sudden alertness that came from years of being responsible for pack security. My eyes snapped open, my body already tensing for whatever threat had triggered my instincts, before I realized the sound was coming from Kyle's phone vibrating against the nightstand.Kyle stirred beside me, his hand reaching out blindly for the device even as his eyes remained closed. He was still mostly asleep, operating on autopilot as he fumbled with the phone and brought it to his ear."Hello?" His voice was rough with exhaustion, thick with sleep, barely more than a mumble.I could hear Evelyn's voice on the other end even from where I was lying—sharp, demanding, completely unconcerned with the fact that it was barely six in the morning and Kyle had gotten maybe five hours of sleep after three days of being run ragged."Where are you?

Chapter 159DARIUS"Please don't follow me anymore," he continued, speaking over whatever I'd been about to say. "Please don't show up where I am or try to talk to me or—or any of it. It just makes everything harder. For both of us.""I can't promise that," I said honestly. "I can't promise to just walk away and pretend I don't know what you're going through.""Then promise me you'll be careful," he said, finally turning to look at me. "Promise me you won't do anything reckless that might get my mother killed. Please, Darius. That's all I'm asking."The desperation in his voice, the fear in his eyes, made something in my chest crack. "I promise I won't take any action without thinking through all the consequences," I said carefully. "I promise I won't do anything that would put your mother in immediate danger."It wasn't the promise he'd asked for, not exactly. But it was the best I could give him without lying.Kyle seemed to recognize the distinction, because his expression tighten