Alpha Damon (Sienna) novel Chapter 168

Sienna:

The cottage was quiet, save for the soft crackling of the fireplace and the occasional rustle of the trees outside. The moonlight slipped in through the curtains, casting a silver hue across the room. Damon and I were curled beneath the sheets, our bodies tangled together, the warmth between us enough to keep the night air at bay.

Everything seemed peaceful, too peaceful. But I allowed myself to admire that peace. I allowed myself to live through it.

I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. His fingers brushed lazily up and down my spine, tracing invisible lines along my bare skin. My eyes were half-lidded, sleep tugging at the edges of my mind, but I didn’t want to close them. Not yet. Not when everything felt this perfect.

Not when everything felt whole. Not when I wanted everything to be completely as it is. I want it to be by her side. I did not want to lose him. I did not want to lose his presence. Nor did I want to ruin this moment. I wanted the silence together.

He shifted, pressing a kiss to my temple before whispering, “You know what I love about you?”

I smiled, eyes still closed. “Just one thing? I thought that you would love a little more, but then again I could be wrong.”

“You would be very surprised by how much I love you and how many things I love about you.” He chuckled lowly. “But I’ll start with the first.”

I opened my eyes, propping my chin on his chest as I looked up at him. “Alright then, Alpha. Impress me. Let me hear what it is that you have in mind.”

He rolled his eyes at the title but the smirk on his lips stayed. “I love the way you challenge me. You never back down. Not even when you should. The way you stood up to me, you stood up to everyone. You did not give up, not once. You did not step back, even though anyone else in your place would have.”

“Should I take that as a compliment or a complaint?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. He chuckled and tightened his arms around me before loosening them as he looked up at me.

“It’s definitely a compliment.” His fingers brushed a strand of hair from my face. “You stand your ground even when everything’s falling apart around you. You’ve always done that… even when I was the one pushing you. Even when I was forcing you to back down, you did not back away. It was as if you were more determined to stand strong.”

My heart thudded a little harder. I bit my lip, trying not to show just how much those words affected me. I laid my head on his chest for a moment, letting my self rest, allowing myself the moment to rest.

“And,” he continued, his voice softer now, “you look at me like I’m worth something. Even when I don’t feel like it. Even when sometimes it is difficult for me to be able to see things clearly, I can see them clearly through you. I can allow myself to see humanity through you.”

“You are,” I whispered, reaching up to trace his jaw. “You’ve always been worth it. You just… forgot for a while. You just seem to forget who you are. You seem to forget your humanity. And I wanted to remind you of it. I always did.”

He caught my hand, kissed my palm, then rested it over his heart.

“And your laugh,” he added suddenly, his eyes closing briefly. “God, your laugh. It’s like… everything slows down when I hear it. All the pain, all the anger, all the anguish that I feel, it just drowns down and I found myself allowing myself to rest simply because you are by my side.”

I let out a quiet laugh, blushing immediately.

“There it is,” he whispered, grinning. “The laugh that’s going to make my heart swell.”

“Stop,” I groaned, hiding my face against his chest. “You’re making it worse. And you’re going to make it harder for me to contain myself and control whatever it is that I’m feeling.”

The silence was filled with warmth. Safety. His hand found mine beneath the covers, our fingers interlocking as if they belonged that way.

“Damon?” I whispered, my voice barely above a breath.

“Mm?”

“Thank you. For this. For tonight. For everything.” I said, looking him in the eye. “It just makes me feel special when you do this.”

He didn’t respond with words. He simply pulled me closer, resting his chin on my head and letting out a soft sigh that said more than any sentence could.

And just like that, the two of us drifted off.

Wrapped around each other.

Hearts finally in sync.