The lost mate
Chapter 64: Meeting old friends

Chapter 64: Meeting old friends

Annie was standing just outside the study, hidden from view, when she overheard Liana’s words. At first, her heart sank—hearing Liana talk about her like she was some kind of burden, something that was weakening Damien. But then the anger rose.

She wanted back to the kitchen and kept away the plates and started cleaning up. Damien walked out with his mum. Liana patted Ryan’s hair and kissed his cheeks. She nodded coldly at Annie and then left.

"Come of Ryan, I will give you a bath." Annie said and grabbed the boy.

She ignored Damien, who was left alone in the kitchen.

Annie was kneeling on the floor, carefully buttoning Ryan’s shirt as he squirmed and giggled. "Hold still, Ryan," she chuckled, trying to steady him.

Just as she finished adjusting Ryan’s tiny collar, Damien walked in, his tall frame filling the doorway. Annie glanced at him but didn’t say anything. She had spent most of the time over Liana’s words and was still fuming inside.

Damien strolled casually over to Ryan’s closet, pulling open the small wooden doors. His sharp eyes scanned the few rows of neatly hung shirts and folded pants. After a moment of silence, he spoke.

"Are these... all of Ryan’s clothes?"

Annie stiffened, her hands pausing as she reached for Ryan’s shoes. "Yes, that’s everything."

Damien made a low sound, almost a hum of disapproval. "This isn’t enough," he said, turning to face her. "I’ll take both of you shopping today. You can buy whatever you need. And you can pick out some clothes for yourself, too."

Annie’s jaw tightened, her fingers clutching Ryan’s small shoe with a little too much force. Whatever you need.

The words grated on her nerves like nails on a chalkboard. She didn’t want his money or his pity. She had managed fine without him all this time.

"There’s no need," she said through clenched teeth, her voice cool. "Ryan grows fast, and he needs new clothes every three months. It’d be a waste to buy him a whole new wardrobe."

Damien crossed his arms, his brow furrowing slightly. "He’s my son, Annie. He should be dressed well."

Annie’s head snapped up at that, her eyes flashing. Her anger spilt over before she could stop it. "Are you implying I haven’t been bringing up my son properly?"

Damien blinked, taken aback by the sharpness in her tone. "That’s not what I meant—"

"Then what did you mean, Damien?" She cut him off, standing up now, her arms crossed defensively. "Because from where I’m standing, it sounds like you think I haven’t done a good enough job raising Ryan. Is that it? You’ve been back for a few days, and now you want to swoop in and act like I’ve been neglecting him?"

Damien’s eyes widened, his mouth opening to say something, but Annie didn’t stop.

"You think throwing money at this will fix everything?" She continued, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "That buying him expensive clothes is going to make up for the fact that you weren’t here for four years? I’ve done everything for him, everything. And now you think you can just walk in and start telling me how to raise our son?"

"And whose choice was it to keep me absent from his life ?"

Annie was speechless for a few seconds.

Ryan, sensing the tension in the air, tugged on Annie’s shirt, looking up at her with wide, confused eyes. "Mommy?"

Annie immediately softened at the sound of her son’s voice, kneeling down to his level and giving him a reassuring smile. "It’s okay, sweetheart. Mommy’s just talking."

But even as she tried to calm herself, the frustration was still simmering beneath the surface.

Damien took a deep breath, his voice low and measured when he spoke again. "Annie, I’m not trying to undermine you. I know you’ve done everything for Ryan, and I respect that. But I want to be a part of his life now. And that means I’m going to do my part, too. Not just as his father—but as his Alpha."

She stood up, still holding Ryan’s tiny hand. She had a lot to say but she didn’t want to fight in front of Ryan and scare him.

"We’ll talk later," she said after a long pause. "We’ll go shopping."

Damien nodded, relief flickering across his face.

"I have cleared up my schedule today; lets go to meet Emily and Hether. Then I will take you to the Cresent moon pack."

As they walked out of the house after some time, Ryan skipped happily between them, oblivious to the tension.

Damien pulled up in front of Emily and Heather’s new house. Ryan was practically vibrating with excitement in the backseat, his small face pressed against the window.

"Mommy, is Aunt Emily going to live with us now?" Ryan asked for the third time since they’d gotten into the car.

Annie sighed, giving him a soft smile. "No, sweetheart. Aunt Emily and Grandma Heather are going to live in their own house, remember?"

Ryan frowned, clearly unimpressed with that arrangement. "But why can’t they live in Daddy’s house? Daddy has a big house."

Annie shot Damien a sideways glance, catching his faint smirk. "Well, buddy," Damien began as he turned off the car. "Aunt Emily and Grandma need their own space."

Ryan pouted. "But I want Aunt Emily to stay with us."

Annie and Damien exchanged a quick look, trying to figure out how to explain this to a four-year-old.

Before either could say more, Ryan was already unbuckling himself and bolting out of the car. "Aunt Emily!"

Emily opened the front door just in time, beaming as Ryan barrelled into her legs, hugging her tightly. "Hey, kid!" she laughed, ruffling his hair. "You missed me already, huh?"

Ryan looked up at her with wide eyes. "Why aren’t you living with us at Daddy’s house? It’s big!"

Emily chuckled nervously, glancing over Ryan’s head at Annie and Damien as they walked up the path. "Well, buddy, I have to work. And besides, you get to live with Mommy and Daddy now. That’s pretty cool, right?"

Ryan scrunched up his nose, clearly not convinced, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he bounced back inside, immediately drawn to Heather’s presence in the kitchen.

As they stepped inside, Damien looked around with an approving nod. "Nice place," he commented. "Chris did a good job helping you settle in."

At the mention of Chris, who was lurking near the kitchen doorway, Damien’s eyes narrowed playfully. "Chris, are you still my beta, or are you moonlighting as Emily’s personal handyman now? I barely see you around the pack."

Chris, who had been sipping from a glass of water, nearly choked. He coughed, turning slightly red as he glanced between Emily and Damien. "I’m still your beta, Alpha," he managed to say, squirming under Damien’s gaze. "I was just... helping them, you know, settle in. They needed... uh... shelves."

Annie couldn’t help but snort. "Shelves, huh?"

Chris nodded vigorously, thankful for any excuse. "Yep. Lots of shelves. And boxes. It was a lot."

Damien grinned, clearly enjoying Chris’s discomfort. "Right. Well, don’t forget your actual job."

Emily’s cheeks turned slightly pink, and Annie raised an eyebrow. But she let it slide for now.

"You are right on time; I have just put in a nice casserole in the oven." Heather said, beaming.

Once everyone got busy in conversation, Emily pulled Annie aside.

"So," she began, glancing over at Damien, who was talking with Heather and keeping an eye on Ryan. "How are things going between you two?"