Another pause, then the line went silent as he hung up. I felt a bitter sting, my hand clenched around the phone. I should have expected as much. He was probably too far gone, too changed from the man I’d once known to come back for us.
But the next morning, as I was putting breakfast on the table, there was a knock at the door. My heart skipped a beat. I brushed my hair back, quickly tidying myself before opening the door.
There, on my doorstep, stood Damon.
He looked different. The wild, almost feral strength I remembered in him had softened. His eyes were red, as though he hadn’t slept, and there was an unmistakable vulnerability in his expression.
“A-Alpha Damon.” My voice was barely a whisper, both surprised and unsure of how to feel.
“Kierra.” He swallowed, his voice rough. “I… I’m here.”
“I… never knew that you would find us this fast,” I admitted.
“The moon goddess must've favored my side this time. I've been looking for you! You and our son… but I always failed. I felt like I was losing my own sanity when I woke up one day without seeing you,” he said, his eyes bloodshot as if he's stopping himself to cry.
I blinked before looking away. As much as I wanted to believe his words, I couldn't. Because I know that it was all just a lie. He shouldn't act like this!
When I was about to say something, I stiffened when I heard the familiar voice of my son.
At that moment, my son, still in his pajamas, came around the corner, his small face brightening with curiosity. “Mommy? Who’s that?”
