Alpha Damon (Sienna) novel Chapter 224

Damon:

The office lights dimmed as I shut down the final report on Caleb. “I refuse to believe that he is going to be a traitor. There is something wrong about this. There is something that we do not know.”

My eyes burned from the hours spent reviewing files, hunting leads that led to dead ends, and trying to piece together what the hell happened to a man who had never once strayed without reason. Ethan and Carter stood quietly nearby, their energy heavy with the same exhaustion I carried.

“We tracked a few movements,” Carter said, his voice clipped. “One of the border outposts reported a presence two nights ago, but by the time our men reached it, whoever was there had already vanished. We don’t want to believe that he is a traitor, but there is also that possibility as he seems to disappear whenever we find him or at least hold leads on him.”

Ethan added, “Still no confirmation if it was Caleb… but the scent? It was familiar. Almost too familiar. We’re not giving up, Damon. Whether or not he is, we are going to bring him over. Dead or alive, we’re not going to stop until he is back.”

“I didn’t think you would, none of us want to give up on a man like him. We grew up together. Him disappearing this way at this time is wrong.” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. “Keep pushing. I want him found. Alive. I don’t want the possibility of him being dead to be mentioned at all.”

Ethan nodded once. “We’ll get him back.”

“Good. And now for the other businesses, we’re going to need to handle that quietly. Giovanni is playing his games, but that does not mean that we’re going to stop. He wants us to weaken and he wants to check our grounds for nausea and is not going to be going to the office, nor would this war brewing. She understands how dangerous it is. Plus, with Delilah and Lysandra being within the pack, I doubt that she’s going to want to leave them anyway.”

“How is she coping with that? She hasn’t mentioned a word. But knowing how things were, she might be annoyed with it, just choosing to be quiet.” Ethan asked, and I shook my head.

“She’s alright. She wants them to be with us. She believes that they are safer.” I said, and both men nodded. “Now come on, let’s head home. I believe that we still have a lot of work to take care of, but I also believe that we need to get back.”

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The drive home was quiet, the engine humming beneath me. My thoughts were louder. Heavier. There was too much going on, Giovanni, Delilah’s return, Nikolai’s death… and now Caleb disappearing off the face of the earth. No matter where we looked, no matter how much we tried to find them, no matter how calm I tried to act. Did not work. He had disappeared. One of my betas was gone. And this was not something that I could just easily accept.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Everything seemed to be closing in and the with this war nearing, I knew that things were going to be harder for me to cope with.

But when I stepped into the estate and heard the faint sound of Sienna’s laugh echoing from upstairs… for a moment, everything else faded. It seemed like I was not alone, like I was reminded that I had someone to carry that weight with me.

I followed their voice. They were inside the bedroom. I smiled, my eyes softening.

I didn’t go straight into the room. I stayed by the doorframe, leaning against it as I watched the scene before me unfold.

Sienna was sitting on the floor, legs crossed in the middle of the room. Isla, now steady enough to crawl, was giggling softly as she dragged herself toward her mother. Her tiny hands reached out, and Sienna caught her, pulling her close with a whisper of reassurance.

“You’re getting so fast now, it seems to me that you’re going to drive your mama crazy.” she murmured, brushing her fingers through Isla’s soft dark curls. “Just like your father… always in a hurry.”

I reached for her, pulling her into my side, letting her rest her head against my shoulder. She didn’t resist. She leaned in. “I didn’t know that you were coming home. You did not call me.”

“My phone died. I’m sorry, I would have called but I couldn’t get it to charge. For some reason I seem to have forgotten the charger at home.” I said, and she nodded. Are often arm around her, pulling her to me and she hummed in response. She kissed my chest, letting her lips linger right over where my heart was beating. My eyes softened as I looked down at her.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I whispered into her hair. “I don’t know how I would be able to cope and live with everything that I’m dealing with if you were not there by my side.”

Her breath caught slightly, but she didn’t pull away.

I kissed her forehead gently before whispering again, this time, to our daughter in my arms.

“You’re my peace, little one. You and your mother… You’re the only reason I still remember what peace even feels like.” And in that moment, for the first time in days, I let myself feel the calm. However fleeting it might be.

“And I give you my word that I’m going to keep you safe. No matter what happens, I’m going to keep my family safe…”