Alpha Damon (Sienna) novel Chapter 240

Sienna:

I stood at the edge of the clearing, my arms wrapped around myself, trying to hold it together, not for me, but for him.

He did not want to admit it, but he needed me to stand strong. He needed me to show him that it was okay to stand strong despite this pain. And if I weakened now, then it would give him a chance to do so too.

To say that I was scared was not going to be a lie. I was afraid of everything that we were facing and I did not understand how we were going to be able to deal with them. I did not understand how hard it was going to be for us to be able to cope with all of this at once.

Damon’s voice still rang in my ears. Steady. Strong. But I could hear the ache under it, the grief that clung to each word. The fire he spoke with wasn’t just fury, it was heartbreak. It was the sound of a man who had been torn open and was trying to stitch himself back together in front of everyone. It sounded like a man who was doing his best not to show weakness because he needed everyone around him to stand strong.

And despite his pain, despite his agony and anger, he stood.

Still, he led.

Still, he allowed himself to speak to them with such pride, to show them that they would be able to do this together.

I watched as the mist vanished as suddenly as it had come, leaving behind a silence so thick it felt sacred. No one moved. No one dared breathe wrong. It was as if everything around us seemed to stand down. I knew that we were being watched, but I did not expect it to be from within.

This wasn’t just mourning anymore. This was transformation. This was rage and danger, and this was a preparation for war.

Damon turned toward the pack, his pack, and I knew then that every single person here would follow him into the flames if he asked.

But me?

I would walk through the flames beside him.

I would walk through the flames and burn by his side. If I needed to, I was going to do it. Beside him without hesitation. And it was at that moment that I realized how much I loved him, how much I knew that I could not live without him. How far the two of us have come together and how strong we have become.

He caught my eye for the briefest second. Just a flicker. But it said enough. Later. When it’s just us. I gave him a small nod. I understood. I was going to stand by his side through it all, through his pain and anger, I was going to be there by his side.

He needed to be their Alpha now. Later, he could be mine. Later, the two of us could stand by one another side. The two of us could talk about this, and I could allow him to vent and let out his pain. I could allow him to speak to me about how he felt.

As the crowd began to slowly disperse, murmuring prayers, exchanging looks of confusion, anger, fear, I stayed back. Letting them pass. Letting the moment settle into my bones.

Delilah looked down at the grass. “I know that you might not trust a word that I’m going to say right now, but even if it means that I’m going to take my last breath, I’m going to keep you and her safe. That little girl is not going to lose her mother, but you are not going to lose your child. You don’t deserve that. You at least managed to find something to build. You do not deserve to lose it.”

I stared at her. “Then stand by me. Not as a soldier. Not as a pawn. As a sister. Though I do not trust you a hundred percent and I know that you understand that very well, I want to be able to do so.”

She nodded, slowly.

I exhaled, watching the final mourners walk away from Caleb’s grave. The earth was still fresh. Still unsettled.

Like us.

“Come on,” I said, turning toward the house. “This war isn’t going to wait for us to heal. And neither are the monsters hiding in that mist. There are things for us to prepare and are standing back here is not going to help anything.”

“That I agree with. But first I’m going to need to check on Lysandra. Do you want to come with me?”