Choosing My Ex Mate's Father

Chapter 2.

Kiera's P.O.V.

Damian continues standing there, his presence filling the space between us like a storm on the horizon. For a moment, the world feels like it’s holding its breath—waiting. I can’t move. I don’t want to move.

His gaze locks with mine, unwavering. There’s something in his eyes, something sharp, calculating. But beneath it? A flicker of something else—something I can’t quite place.

He takes a step forward, and for a heartbeat, I swear my pulse skips. This man—this Alpha guardian—moves with a confidence that sends shivers down my spine, like he knows exactly how much power he holds and isn’t afraid to wield it. The air thickens with his presence, and it feels like the walls around me are closing in, even though there’s only the alley between us.

“Walk with me, Kiera,” he says, his voice low and smooth, like the rumble of thunder before it breaks the sky.

For a moment, I just stare at him, confused. My instincts scream at me to walk away—run, even—but something holds me in place. There’s no malice in his voice, just... invitation.

“Why would I walk with you?” I ask, my tone sharp but unsure.

He doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he steps closer, just enough to make my breath catch. “Because you came here for answers,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper, yet it feels like a command. “And I’m offering you a way to find them.”

I should say no. I should walk away and leave him with nothing but silence. But something in the way he watches me—intense, almost like he’s waiting for me to make the wrong move—compels me to take a step forward. Against my better judgment, I follow.

He doesn’t lead me down some forgotten street or into an alley where no one can hear us. Instead, we walk side by side, through the heart of the city, where the world is alive with the hum of traffic and distant voices. The cold night air bites at my skin, but the warmth of his presence feels like a fire beside me, pulling me in.

I don’t say anything as we walk. What is there to say? I’m still reeling from the sudden shift in the air when he showed up, the weight of his gaze still lingering on me. It’s impossible to ignore how my body responds to him—how my skin tingles every time he moves, how the tension in the air builds with each step.

It’s suffocating.

But then, he speaks again, breaking the silence like a c***k of thunder.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he says, his voice still low, but with a trace of amusement. “You think I’m just another obstacle in your way. Another man who ruined your life.”

I freeze, but he doesn’t stop. He keeps walking, unbothered by my sudden halt.

“You’re wrong,” he continues, his voice soft, but there’s an undeniable force behind it. “I didn’t ruin anything. Not for you. Not for anyone.”

His words sting more than I expect them to.

I want to snap at him. Tell him that he’s wrong, that he’s just as much a part of the destruction as Rowan. But something about the way he says it—like he’s already won, like he knows exactly how I’m going to react—stops me.

For a split second, I almost believe him.

I force the thought away. He’s not going to win me over that easily.

“I’m not here to talk about the past,” I say, the words coming out sharper than I intend. “I’m here for my future.”

His steps slow, and I can feel the shift in the air as he turns toward me. The streetlights cast long shadows, but the intensity in his gaze doesn’t fade, even in the dark.

“I’m not the enemy here, Kiera,” he says, his voice low but certain. “If you’re looking for revenge, you’re looking in the wrong place.”

My chest tightens, and for a moment, I almost lose control. But I fight it back. I won’t let him see me unravel. Not when I’ve come so far.

“Then why are you here?” I ask, the words slipping out before I can stop them.

He steps closer, his presence overwhelming. I notice another smallest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips—like he knows exactly what’s going on inside my head, like he can read me better than I know myself.

“Because,” he says, his voice barely a whisper, “I see what you’re really after. You’re not just looking for revenge, Kiera. You’re looking for control. And you think Rowan is the one who holds it, but you’re wrong. I hold it.”

The air between us crackles with energy, the tension palpable as he watches me, waiting for my response. His words land heavy in my chest, the weight of them settling deep inside me. I want to argue, but somehow, I don’t. Not when everything in me knows he’s right.

I hate him for it. I hate him for seeing through me so easily.

But damn if it doesn’t feel like the world has shifted just a little bit. Like something has clicked into place that I didn’t even know was missing.

Damian isn’t just Rowan’s father. He’s something else. Something dangerous. And suddenly, I realize: he’s exactly what I need.

My heart skips a beat, my breath catching in my throat as I look up at him. For the first time since I came back, I feel like I’m truly seen.

And it terrifies me.

But I won’t run from it.

Not now.

Damian's gaze deepens, and for a moment, the world around us disappears. There’s nothing but him and me, our breaths mingling in the cold night air. His presence is all-encompassing, like a force I can’t escape, even if I wanted to.

“You can run from the past, Kiera,” he says, his voice now more a soft command than a suggestion, “but you can never outrun your future. And I’m offering you a choice. A chance to take control of your own fate. Not by seeking revenge, but by using the power you already have.”

I feel his words settle into me like a weight I can’t shake. My heart races, not out of fear, but out of something darker, more insidious. Something in me, buried deep, recognizes the truth in his words. The truth that I’ve been avoiding.

“I don’t need you to tell me what I want,” I snap, but even to my own ears, the words lack the usual conviction. There’s an uncertainty to my voice, one that makes me want to swallow the words before they can escape.

Damian doesn’t flinch. He simply tilts his head slightly, as if considering me. “No,” he agrees, his tone is so calm, so certain. “You don’t need me. But you need what I can offer. And deep down, you know that.”

His words hit too close to home. I want to tell him he’s wrong, that I’ve been fine on my own, that I’ve made it this far without relying on anyone. But the truth is, he’s right. I’ve been fighting against forces I can’t fully control, and every step I take feels like I’m running out of time.

“I’m not asking you to trust me, Kiera,” Damian continues, his voice low, intimate. “I’m asking you to see the bigger picture. To stop fighting against it, and start using it to your advantage. To stop being a pawn in someone else’s game.”

I shake my head, trying to dismiss the gnawing feeling in my gut. "And what’s the game you’re playing, Damian?" I ask, a touch of skepticism creeping into my voice.

His smile is small, but it’s enough to send another shiver down my spine. “The same one you’re playing. But I’m not asking you to play by their rules. I’m offering you the power to change the game.”

The weight of his words presses down on me, but there’s something else—something in the way he says them—that makes it impossible to ignore. He’s not offering me some grand scheme, not a quick fix to my problems. No, Damian is offering me something far more dangerous: a chance to seize control of everything. Of myself. Of my future.

“I’m not your pawn, Damian,” I say, my voice steadier now, though the doubt lingers in the back of my mind. “I’m not anyone’s pawn.”

“You will be,” he says, and for the first time, there’s a coldness to his words. “Unless you learn how to play the game the right way.”

The silence stretches between us, thick and heavy. I can feel the weight of his words settling over me like a shroud, and for the first time in a long while, I feel the sting of uncertainty in my chest.

Damian is right. I’m not in control—not yet. Not until I figure out how to play this game. How to take what’s mine.

And somehow, I know that Damian might just be the one to teach me how to do it.

With that realization comes another: I’ve already made my choice. I’m in this, whether I want to be or not. There’s no turning back now.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. “Fine,” I say, my voice almost a whisper but with an undeniable edge. “Teach me.”

Damian’s eyes gleam with something dangerous—something that promises this is only the beginning. And just like that, I know I’m no longer the same person I was before I stepped into this world.

I’m something else now.

And for whatever comes next- I'm ready!