Alpha Damon (Sienna) novel Chapter 253

Sienna:

The room was dark, lit only by the soft glow of the lamp beside the bed. The world outside felt far away, hushed beneath the quiet breathing of our daughter sleeping in the nursery and the thick hush of the forest holding its breath.

I smiled, finding myself being at rest. I knew that this was not a rest that I should be holding onto, but it was one that I wanted to keep. I was happy, and I knew that he saw it in my eyes.

Damon sat on the edge of the bed, his shirt unbuttoned, the tension in his shoulders visible even in the low light. He hadn’t said much since dinner. There was something heavy in him still… but softer than before. Calmer.

I approached from behind and wrapped my arms around him, resting my cheek against his back. I gently massaged his shoulders. And he smiled, leaning into our touch, making my eyes soften towards him.

“You’re not alone, you know,” I whispered. “You can let me stand by your side. I don’t think that you need me to tell you that, do you?”

He reached up and touched my hand gently, drawing in a breath. “I know. You don’t need to tell me that, but there is a lot that I am not thinking about.”

I moved around him, standing between his legs. He looked up at me, his hands finding my hips. He leaned in and kissed my stomach, making my eyes soften.

“You don’t have to keep carrying everything by yourself,” I said. “You can allow me to stand by your side. I know that you might not want me to get my hands dirty, but you can allow me to be there for you.”

“Sienna, I’m trying to stand strong. I’m trying not to show it,” he murmured, pulling me down onto his lap, “but I don’t know what’s coming. I don’t know how to stop it. I’m trying to figure it out but it just seems beyond my control.”

“We’ll face it,” I said, cupping his face. “But not right now. Tonight, it’s just you and me. Tonight, you are mine to claim and are yours whether or not you want to admit it. Whether or not you like it, I’m not going to take no for an answer, and I can assume that you’re going to end up enjoying it anyway.”

He looked up at me, really looked, and something in his expression cracked.