Rejected, Abused, I Fall for the Forbidden Alpha (by Riley Scott) novel Chapter 222

Chapter 222

Damien POV

I can still see her face. Still hear that crack in her voice when she speaks. The defeated expression on her face just about broke me. I’d had to steel myself when I’d seen her and now it felt like a rubber band was squeezing my chest and refusing to let up.

What had I done?

“You did the right thing, Damien,” Aaron spoke beside me as we watched the warriors training.

“Did I?” I said darkly, unable to hide the bitterness in my voice.

I’d been hoping that Marissa might have changed, and she hadn’t even lasted a day before she’d gone back to her dirty tricks.

That was what was so infuriating.

I didn’t do it!

She’d practically screamed the words at me. Begged me to believe her. But I’d known Alice for years, and she’d never so much as harmed a hair on another pack member’s head. It was impossible and yet… Marissa’s voice had rung with sincerity.

“You can’t be soft on her just because of you know…” Aaron murmured.

He was one of the few who knew Marissa’s true identity and that she was my mate.

“But did I have to be so harsh?” I spoke, looking directly at him as he hesitated.

Alice came bounding over, her body slick with sweat, her hair braided and swinging over her shoulder.

“Hey, guys,” she greeted us enthusiastically.

There were no wounds on her anymore. She’d healed and was as good as new.

I should be relieved, but all I can think about is Marissa. The urge to go back downstairs and release her is so overwhelming it hurts.

“Damien, I can’t thank you enough for ensuring my safety and putting the girl who hurt me away. I can breathe much easier now.”

Her tone is breezy, but something feels off, although I can’t put my finger on it.

“It had to be done,” Aaron interrupted, “we can’t allow pack members go unpunished.”

“I hope you weren’t too harsh on her,” Alice batted her eyelashes at me. “She was still quite young. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for something horrible happening to her even if she deserves to be punished.”

“You’re too kindhearted, Alice,” Aaron complimented her as she preened, “I doubt anybody else would be so forgiving or concerned about somebody like that as you are,”

She shrugged.

“I just think we should all just try to get along. I mean, she must have been desperate to attack in the open like that,” she said with a furrowed brow.

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Except it hadn’t been out in the open. It had been in one of the few rooms that didn’t have a surveillance camera directly in them. Was it merely convenience, or was there more to the story that I wasn’t looking for?

Impossible. I was letting Marissa’s protests get to me.

“Damien, are you okay?” Alice put a hand on my arm and peered up at me, concerned.

Why did her touch repulse me so tnuch?

Why did the merest brush of her finger make me want to yank it away and break it?

Was this just the work of the mate bond?

I quietly dislodged Alice’s hand, and she looked slightly disappointed but continued to smile brightly at me as though it didn’t matter.

“So Damien, the gala is coming up,” Alice prompted me as I stared at her blankly, “it’s expected that Alphas bring a plus one. Who are you planning on taking?” she asked sweetly, “because if it helps, I’m available.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Aaron blurted out and turned to me, “you do have to take somebody so why not Alice? It could be a way of making up for what happened to her, and she’s good company. She’s been to these events before and she knows how to handle herself. Better her than somebody who might make a mess of themselves. You know how important it is to make a good impression,” he reminded me.

I already knew that. Because my father was currently travelling the country, I would be the one to go in his place. It was my duty now as the official Alpha of the Shadow Pack.

I’d never liked these galas. They were intended as a way to form alliances with other packs while also encouraging harmony and unity. It was going to be hosted on human territory to prevent anyone from shifting and causing a nuisance of themselves. I’d always thought it was dangerous, but to my surprise, it worked. Nobody wanted to be discovered if they could help it.

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