The morgue was the coldest place I’d ever been, and it had nothing to do with the temperature. They told me I couldn’t stay long, but I didn’t care. I just needed a moment to hold her again.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” I whispered, stroking Alyssa’s hair, even though she wasn’t there to feel it. “Mommy’s sorry I couldn’t protect you.”
The memories came rushing back, each one sharper than the last.
“Daddy, look! It’s a unicorn!” Alyssa’s voice echoed in my mind, her tiny arms wrapped around a stuffed animal Damon had brought back from a trip.
Damon had laughed, crouching down to her level. “That’s right, princess. I knew you’d love it. Unicorns are magical, just like you.”
She’d giggled, hugging the toy tightly. “Thank you, Daddy! Can we play with it now?”
He’d scooped her up, spinning her around. “Anything for you, sweetheart.”
I smiled bitterly, wiping my tears. Those moments used to mean everything to her—and to me.
Another memory hit, this time of them in the clearing during the full moon.
“Come on, Alyssa, keep up!” Damon called, his wolf form just ahead as Alyssa stumbled over her small feet, laughing.
“I’m coming, Daddy!” she shouted, her voice full of joy.
When they came back, Alyssa was grinning ear to ear, covered in mud. “Mommy! Daddy let me run so fast! I’m going to be just like him!”
I had frowned, hands on my hips. “Damon, she’s filthy! And it’s way past her bedtime.”
He’d shrugged, ruffling Alyssa’s hair. “She’s having fun, Florence. Let her be a kid.”
Alyssa had tugged on his shirt. “Can we do it again tomorrow, Daddy?”
“Of course, sweetheart,” he said, kneeling to kiss her forehead. “Anytime you want.”
And she loved him for it. She adored him.
Then Selena came back, and everything shifted.
“Damon!” Alyssa had run up to him one evening, her arms full of the pictures she’d drawn for him.
“Hold on, sweetheart,” he said, his attention on Selena, who was standing at the door with a casserole dish in hand.
Selena had smiled softly. “I just thought you might like this. It’s Clara’s favorite.”
“Thanks, Selena,” Damon said, taking the dish and inviting her inside.
Alyssa had tugged at his shirt again, her little voice growing quieter. “Daddy, look at my pictures…”
“Later, princess,” he said distractedly. “Go show Mommy for now, okay?”
And then there was Clara.
One day, Alyssa had come to me, her lip trembling. “Mommy, why does Clara call Daddy her daddy? He’s not her daddy, right?”
I hadn’t known what to say.
The night I confronted Damon played in my mind like a cruel film.
“Damon, this is getting out of hand,” I said, standing in the kitchen while he leaned against the counter. “Selena is here constantly, and now Clara’s calling you ‘Daddy.’ What the hell is going on?”
He had sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Florence, Clara just lost her father. She’s a kid. She doesn’t understand.”
“So, what, we’re just going to pretend this is normal? That she gets to replace Alyssa like this?”
“Don’t be a killjoy,” he snapped, his voice firm. “It’s not like I’m pushing Alyssa aside. She’s still my daughter.”
“Is she?” I’d whispered, the hurt clear in my voice. “Because it doesn’t feel like it anymore.”
The weight of those memories crushed me now. I stroked Alyssa’s hair again, my voice breaking.
“You loved him so much, baby,” I whispered. “But he let her take everything from us.”
The nurse opened the door behind me, gently reminding me it was time to leave.
“I love you, Alyssa,” I murmured. “And I’m so sorry. I’ll never let him forget what he’s done.”
With one last kiss, I said goodbye.
A few moments later, my phone rang, cutting through the silence. Damon’s name flashed on the screen. For a second, I thought about not answering. But I did.
“Florence?” His voice was hoarse, and I could hear the strain in it.
“Where are you?” I asked, barely able to keep the tears from my voice. “I’m here alone, Damon. Alyssa’s gone. You’re supposed to be here.”
He didn’t respond right away, and I could almost hear the tension in the silence. Finally, he spoke, his voice cold and distant. “I need to stay with Selena. She’s scared. Clara’s in shock, and she won’t stop crying.”
I blinked, the words hitting me like a slap to the face. “Are you kidding me?” I snapped, the anger rising in my chest. “You’re with her? My daughter is dead, and you’re with that woman and her daughter? Do you even care about us? About Alyssa?”
I felt like I couldn’t breathe, like my chest was being crushed by a thousand bricks. How could he be so cold?
“Of course, I care, Florence,” he said sharply. “But I know Alyssa’s not my daughter.”
My heart stopped.
“What?” I gasped. “What are you talking about?”
“I know you’ve been cheating on me,” Damon continued, his voice steady, but there was something dark in it. “With Selena’s husband. She told me last month, and she had proof. Pictures. Videos. I couldn’t break the bond, though, because my father—he’s part of the Alpha Council. They wouldn’t allow it.”
I could barely hold the phone in my hand, the world spinning around me. I wanted to drop it, to scream, but all I could do was sit there in shock.
“No,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “No, Damon, that’s a lie. It’s all a lie. Selena’s faking the proof! She’s poisoning your mind, manipulating you. She’s been doing it for months!”
I heard him take a sharp breath, then the sound of him clicking his tongue.
“I’m sorry, Florence,” he said, his tone flat, like he was already done with this conversation. “But I can’t do this anymore.”
The phone went dead.
I didn’t even have the strength to call him back.
What had just happened? What had he just said? My husband, the alpha of the pack, had just told me he didn’t believe our daughter was his, and he was throwing everything away because of some fake evidence Selena had shown him.
The weight of it all was too much.
I almost collapsed.
