CHAPTER 134: WHAT HAPPENED THE NIGHT OF KILLIAN’S RUT ( DAMIAN’S POV )

"Miss me already?"

"Shhhh. Talk more quietly. Don’t attract any attention!"

"Why? We’re basically family. You are to be married to Killian and I am to marry his sister."

"Don’t be ridiculous. Lucrezia will never let you marry her daughter."

"See, I always find that thing strange. Clara is Lucrezia’s daughter, but Killian is her nephew, despite Killian and Clara being siblings."

"Lucrezia adopted Clara as soon as their mother died."

"But not Killian."

"Mhm."

"Why?"

Well, this guy is nosy and a headache for sure. Why was he so interested in Akna family anyway?

Look at him— smirking in a Prada suit bought by his daddy’s money and Lucrezia’s pity. Why did she even take pity on this junkie?

That’s unlike her. Which means either he has something she wants or knows something he shouldn’t know about her.

It might be a good idea to talk more with him. The guy looks like an idiot so he might let something slip.

He did clean up his appearance. His eyes didn’t carry the unnatural purple of blood vessels exploding under them anymore. His pupils were still shaky and enlarged from what they were supposed to be, covering half of the eerie blue irises he had.

His neck didn’t show any type of injections. His hair was neatly cut and styled, dyed a deep, dark blue.

"Like what you’re seeing, darling?"

Ugh, guess I stared too much.

This pathetic b-atard bloomed an arrogant smirk across his dumb face.

"Get over yourself, would you?"

His chuckle echoed through the restaurant, turning more than a few heads. Great. No manners, no discretion.

Nothing.

I shouldn’t have met this guy.

But I need to know what happened on the night of Killian’s rut.

And what cards this guy has against Lucrezia.

"Ok. No need to get angry. It can’t be good for the baby."

"Caleb. I—"

"You want to ask me about that night, don’t you?"

I nodded.

No point in making this meeting longer than it has to be. The faster I get out of here, the less likely this is going to be a disaster.

"I’ll tell you all about it."

"Really?"

"Why not?"

"Do you remember that night? Were you there? You didn’t go out?"

"Of course not. I was there to see if something went badly. I was ordered to surveil and protect you."

I leaned in, ready to listen only for this idiot to call the waiter to our table.

"I would like the shrimp pasta with some side oysters and Sonoroso Sweet White wine along the side. As for my friend, he will have grilled salmon with roasted asparagus and quinoa, a freshly squeezed lemonade sweetened with honey and a sparkling water with ice. As for the desert, we want it served in the room 505, we will have the carrot cake with gold foil and the lemon tiramisu with some non-alcoholic champagne."

The waiter nodded and left in a hurry.

As for me?

I was fuming.

"Why would you order the dessert in a private room?"

"Well, I can’t give you the details about that night in public. It’s too risky. This restaurant has late-tech surveillance cameras. Imagine what scandal it will be if the audio of our conversation gets leaked."

"Since when are you that smart?"

"I was always smart. You just didn’t notice until now, darling."

Ugh.

Might as well eat. Get his comfortable enough to tell me how he blackmails Lucrezia.

It’s just a dinner.

I’ll eat, get my information and use it to gain Killian back.

This baby is his.

It has to be.

"How is your life now since you’re a father-to-be?"

"Really? Small talk?"

"I am only trying to not make things awkward. If you wish to eat in an uncomfortable silence, I’m down with that too. I’m a master at daydreaming."

"Yeah, put your skill to your test then."

"The only thing is— after long session of daydreaming, I tend to get tired. I will not be in the mood to go for dessert."

"B-stard."

"I am what I am, babe."

"What’s the deal with the nicknames? Stop it! Someone might misunderstand."

"Then? Small talk?"

"Beautiful weather we’ve had lately, huh?"

A dumb satisfied smile conquered his face. Disgusting. Annoying. Brat.

"Yeah. You’re really pretty, babe. Pregnancy suits you."

"What did I say about petnames?"

"Sorry. Force of habit."

"How charming."

The rest of the dinner was filled with my failed attempts to find out more about his relationship with Lucrezia and meaningless small talk.

Dreadful.

But the food was good.

Since I found out I got pregnant, I couldn’t really eat anything without getting nauseous immediately.

Yet, this went down smoothly, making me feel refreshed and full.

"Was the food to your taste?"

"It was surprisingly delicious."

"You look thinner. You have problems eating because of the pregnancy?"

"It’s bearable."

"You can call me. I can recommend you some food that won’t make you sick."

"What are you? A nutritionist?"

"Could be if you’d like."

"Oh, please, what would you know about pregnancy cravings?"

"Plenty. So call me."

"Don’t think so."

"Up for a bet?"

"What bet?"

"If you don’t get sick after the dessert, you will call me. And if you get sick after my recommendation, you can never call me again."

"Why would I bet on that?"

"Don’t get boring on me, babe. C’mon!"

"What if I get sick after the dessert?"

"I’ll tell you all you want about my relationship with Lucrezia."

"Huh?"

"It’s obvious that you’re dying to know, babe. Well? Up for the bet now?"

"I guess so."

Caleb didn’t hesitate.

He stood, pushed his chair back with practiced ease, and moved to my side. One hand slipped beneath my elbow, the other hovered just behind my back—not touching, but close enough that I could feel the heat of it.

He didn’t wait for permission.

He just helped me up.

Annoying brat.

My legs ached. My belly felt heavier than ever, and the constant hum of the restaurant—the clinking of glasses, the low murmur of gossiping voices—pressed in around me like a fog. I know that the first two months of the omega’s pregnancy are the worst since the baby is unstable, but this was ridiculous.

Caleb didn’t rush me. He kept his pace slow, steady, guiding me through the maze of tables and prying eyes without a word.

The elevator ride was mercifully silent.

Thank God. I couldn’t stand another small talk.

I was tired. And moody. And I needed to get back to Killian’s pheromones until the baby starts to act up.

The dinner was two hours. I just hope to get out of the desert in half.

Room 505.

He opened the door with a flick of the keycard and stepped aside to let me enter first.

"Sit on the bed. You look tired."

"Mhm. Hurry up and tell me about that night already."

He smiled and sat on the chair in front of the bed.

The clean sheets were comfier than I thought. I could just go right to sleep.

I wish Killian was here.

Well, not exactly.

I wish the old Killian were here.

He would have made me stain the sheets with more than tears. Spoiled me with sweet treats after.

Oh, how I miss him.

Caleb cleared his throat.

Right, right. I needed to focus.

I dug my fork into the carrot cake. Meaningless to say that the baby approved of this food too.

Maybe Caleb was a nutritionist for pregnant omegas after all.

"Start talking."

"After I injected Killian—"

"Skip until I lost consciousness. I don’t want you to describe how I railed my future husband."

Caleb chuckled humourlessly.

"Right. Well, after we helped Killian stabilize his pheromones by making him swallow— you, you blacked out. I— I just want to apologize about this. It’s not going to be nice to hear."

The fork stopped midair and then dropped completely. F-ck. I have a bad feeling about this...

"Talk."

"Killian’s pheromones seemed to change from mating to aggressive. He-He started to tear into your skin to the point of almost chewing off your neck. Your pheromones did nothing but make him more and more aggressive."

"That doesn’t make sense. How could he impregnate me if his pheromones switched to territorial and aggressive? Mating would have been incomplete in the best case."

"Lucrezia gave me something special for this case. A drop of Luther’s blood on a piece of material. I am guessing one of the guys wiped a bit of the blood resulting from the grenade. It changed Killian’s pheromones back to the mating kind."

"Hah. I— No. Luther is a Belladonna. The blood would have been dangerous for him. For you. It doesn’t make sense."

"I am guessing since the pheromones in the blood were faint, it didn’t had the effect of poisoning, but rather of an aphrodisiac. At least for Killian. I was too busy keeping you from bleeding out since the mating bite hit near an artery."

Caleb gulped and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

I-I just stood there. Laid in the bed. Crying quietly.

F-ck.

He couldn’t even pay attention to me when he marked me.

He probably didn’t even know he was marking me.

He thought he was marking Luther.

"Well, there is more. I-You couldn’t tell the difference between me and Killian at some point so—"

"No."

"Damian, I—"

"No. Why the h-ll didn’t you left? Why did you let me? Oh God."

"I’m sorry. The pheromones. Your heat, Killian bit the cloth and was out of it— of you. I— I know my reputation and all, but I didn’t mean—"

"F-ck off."

"Damian, I think it’s mine."

"F-ck off."

I couldn’t say the moment I started throwing things at him. It was hazy.

I don’t know if it was the lamp I threw or the plate still full of cake or the glass of champagne, but something hit his temple, making droplets of blood linger on the side of his face.

Before I knew, there was nothing else to throw and he got close.

Kissing me.

Letting his pheromone out.

Making my baby finally calm down after two weeks of nothing but pain and discomfort.

F-ck.

Caleb was the father.

And the worst part?

Someone in the hotel staff hid a camera in the room and the video will end up on Lucrezia’s table just a few days later.