The lost mate
Chapter 59: Some old secrets

Chapter 59: Some old secrets

As the applause slowly died down, Damien glanced back at Annie, his eyes searching hers for a reaction. She looked at him, her lips curving into a small, tentative smile. As the pack began to settle back into their seats, the tension in the air began to lift.

After Damien’s speech, the atmosphere in the grand dining hall began to shift. The formalities over, the pack started to relax, engaging in conversation as they moved towards the long buffet tables laden with food. Laughter bubbled up from a few corners of the room.

Ryan, on the other hand, was clearly enjoying the attention from the crowd. A few of the women, pack members who had been cold just moments ago, now cooed and fussed over him, admiring his big blue eyes and how he was an exact replica of Damien at that age.

Damien leant in closer to Annie, his voice soft but firm. "Why don’t you grab something to eat? I’ll watch Ryan."

Annie hesitated. The idea of leaving her son, even for a moment, in a room full of strangers unsettled her. But she trusted Damien and Chris."

"Ok," she murmured. "But keep an eye on him. Please."

Damien gave her a reassuring smile, his hand brushing lightly against her arm. "I will. Don’t worry, he’s safe with me."

Taking a deep breath, Annie moved towards the buffet table, her eyes scanning the array of dishes. Platters of roasted meats, fresh salads, and fruits were laid out, the spread impressive and abundant. Her stomach growled softly, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since the previous night. She picked up a plate and began to gather a few items, mostly for Ryan.

As she reached for a serving spoon, she felt the weight of several pairs of eyes on her. Whispers floated behind her, conversations she wasn’t meant to hear.

"That’s her? The one who ran off?"

"At least she is pretty."

"Poor Damien, he deserved a nobel alpha woman by his side, not some tramp."

Annie’s grip on the plate tightened, her pulse quickening. The judgement in their voices stung, but she forced herself to ignore it. She’d been through worse than this. And frankly, she didn’t care what they thought.

Balancing the plate in her hands, she turned to walk back to Damien and Ryan. But then her heart dropped. Damien was no longer standing with Ryan.

Her breath hitched for a split second, her eyes darting across the room, searching for the familiar dark-haired Alpha. She felt her heart start to race until she saw Ryan nearby, still playing and surrounded by a pack of people who were cooing over him. He seemed perfectly content. But

Damien... Damien was talking to Jessica.

Annie’s steps faltered as she saw Damien standing with Jessica. The two of them looked like a perfect picture—Damien’s tall, commanding presence besides Jessica’s graceful figure. Her blonde hair shimmered under the soft lighting of the dining hall, and she leant slightly towards Damien, laughing at something he had said. The sound of it, even from a distance, grated on Annie’s nerves.

She couldn’t help but feel a twist of jealousy coil in her chest.

NO !

Annie shook her head and pressed her lips into a firm line. Now wasn’t the time to lose focus. She had to stay strong, for herself and for Ryan. So what if Damien was talking to Jessica? It didn’t mean anything. At least, that’s what she told her wolf, who was ready to pounce.

She approached Ryan, setting the plate of food down on the table besides him. "Here, sweetheart, I got you something to eat."

Ryan looked up with a wide grin, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "Thanks, Mommy!" He immediately dug into the food, too distracted by all the attention he was getting from the pack members to notice her unease.

Annie sat down besides him, trying to steady her thoughts. She glanced at Damien again, just in time to see him turn towards her, his expression softening as their eyes met. He excused himself from Jessica, leaving her mid-sentence, and made his way back to Annie.

"Everything okay?" he asked as he approached, his gaze searching hers.

Annie forced a smile. "Yeah, everything’s fine."

Ryan tugged at Damien’s sleeve, his mouth full of food. "Daddy, can we go outside? Please?"

Damien chuckled, bending down to ruffle his son’s hair. "After you finish eating, little man. We’ll go for a walk around the gardens, okay?"

Ryan nodded eagerly, shovelling more food into his mouth as fast as he could. Annie stood quietly, watching as Damien excused himself to greet some pack members across the room. She let out a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding. But just as Annie was about to sit down, a voice interrupted her.

"Congratulations."

Annie turned to see Jessica standing before her, a bright smile on her face that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"Thank you," Annie replied cautiously, her voice cool but polite. She wasn’t in the mood for small talk, especially not with Jessica.

Jessica’s gaze flickered to Ryan, her eyes softening in a way that made Annie’s stomach churn. "What an adorable boy," she said, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness. "He’s the spitting image of Damien."

Annie nodded, unsure of what to say.

Jessica stepped closer, her smile widening as she continued, "You must be surprised to see me here."

Annie stiffened. Surprised wasn’t the word. Annoyed, maybe. But she held her tongue.

"Are you surprised as well ?"

Jessica chuckled.

"Likewise. This pack is like my second home," Jessica said breezily, waving her hand as if the entire room were hers to command. "Liana entrusted me with the task of training the juvenile wolves. It’s a big responsibility, but I’m happy to do it. The pack has been like family to me for years."

Annie didn’t respond.

Then, Jessica leant in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, though her smile remained plastered on her face. "You don’t need to feel threatened by me, Annie. I wouldn’t want to come between you and Damien."

Annie blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in Jessica’s tone. Threatened?

"Even though I was engaged to Damien," Jessica added, her voice soft but pointed. "I promise, I won’t let that complicate things for you. I’m more than willing to stay out of the way."

The words hit Annie like a punch to the gut. Engaged? Damien was engaged to Jessica? Damien hadn’t told her. Not once in all the time they had reconnected, in all the moments of intimacy they had shared, had he mentioned that he had been engaged to someone else. To Jessica, of all people.

Jessica’s smile grew as she watched the realisation dawn on Annie’s face. "Oh, he didn’t tell you?" she asked, her voice falsely innocent. "I thought you knew. It was arranged by our parents, of course. But still, you’d think he would’ve mentioned something so important."

Annie swallowed hard; her throat suddenly dried. She didn’t know how to respond.

Jessica’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she took a step back. "Anyway, I just wanted to clear the air between us," she said, her voice still laced with fake sweetness. "I hope you’ll feel at home here. After all, we’re all family now, aren’t we?"

She glanced over at Ryan, still playing blissfully unaware, and then at Damien, who was across the room, deep in conversation with another pack member. Anger flared in her chest, followed by a wave of hurt.

"Visit me sometime. Your old friends Aaron and Nicky miss you," Jessica said with a smirk. She paused for a moment, letting the words sink in before delivering the final blow. "Don’t tell me you forgot them after using them to escape."

Annie’s breath caught in her throat. Aaron and Nicky.

"I didn’t forget them," she said quietly, but firmly. "They helped me when I needed it. I owe them everything."

Jessica’s smirk widened, satisfied with Annie’s reaction. "Ah, I see you haven’t forgotten after all. Interesting, isn’t it? How the past has a way of catching up with us."

Annie’s pulse quickened, but she kept her voice calm. "What happened to them, Jessica?"

Jessica’s smile didn’t waver. If anything, it grew even more condescending. "Oh, don’t worry. They are fine. I’m sure they’d love to catch up."

There was something unsettling in the way Jessica said it, something that told Annie there was more going on here than a simple reunion of old friends.