Alpha Damon (Sienna) novel Chapter 60

Damon:

The morning was cold, much colder than usual. Or maybe it was just me.

I sat at the head of the dining table, my fingers wrapped around a mug of black coffee, but I wasn’t drinking it. I was staring at the swirling steam, my thoughts tangled in a mess I couldn’t untangle.

The past few months had been… different.

Sienna had changed.

Or maybe I was the one who had changed.

I didn’t like the way she was creeping back into my mind, into my space. Into my control.

I didn’t like how easily she could just settle in my thoughts in a way that I couldn’t deny. I didn’t like how I managed to keep thinking about her more than I knew that I should have by the day. I didn’t like the effect that I believed she was having on me.

I heard the soft sound of heels clicking against the floor, and I knew before looking up who it was. I got up from the chair and walked toward her, taking her hand in mine as I gently kissed her knuckle. She smiled and nodded at me to take a seat.

I watched as she sat by my side before I wrapped my hand around the mug of coffee once more.

“Damon,” my mother’s voice was firm, but gentle. “You’ve been avoiding her. And I think that you know who I am talking about without the need for me to explain myself more than necessarily.”

I took a slow sip of my coffee, not bothering to deny it. “I have things to handle. And you know that I am not going to be fussing myself over something like this.”

“That’s not what I asked.” She said, her voice softening as she studied my expression.

I exhaled sharply, setting the mug down a little harder than necessary. “She’s fine, Mother. She’s training. She’s taking care of my daughter. That’s all that matters. Right now, she has other things to be responsible for. And I think that you know the responsibility that the mother of the Alpha’s heir has.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “She’s not just Isla’s mother, Damon. She’s…”

“An Omega,” I cut in, my tone colder than I intended. “An Omega who should never have been in my bed. An Omega who should have never carried my child. She carried her, and by some miracle, managed to give birth to her. If I am choosing to be merciful for that, for her game, it is because I know that it shouldn’t have happened the way that it did in the first place.”

My chest ached with each word that I said, but I knew that hearing them out loud was the better option. For myself, and for those who were around me too. I didn’t need to be stuck in a game like this one. I didn’t need to find myself being caught up in this.

Mom narrowed her eyes, leaning forward. “Yet she did. And you keep pushing her away like it will change the past. You dealing with this the way that you are is not going to change anything, Damon.”

I clenched my jaw. “It’s better this way.”

“For who?” she challenged. “For you? Because from where I’m standing, you’re not doing yourself any favors. I think that you know that very well.”

I stared at her, unblinking.

She shook her head. “You care about her. You just don’t want to admit it.”

I scoffed. “I have work to do.”

“Of course you do.” She let out a sigh, pushing back from the table. “Just don’t wait until it’s too late, Damon. You might find it harder to fix things if you ruin them more than you already are.”

I didn’t respond.

Because I didn’t have an answer.

*****************************************

Ethan stood at my side as the council gathered in the meeting hall. The air was heavy with tension, a storm brewing beneath the surface.

“We need to act now,” one of the board members stated, slamming his palm against the table. “Giovanni is a problem, and if we don’t put him in his place…”

“He’s already made his move,” Ethan interrupted, his expression grim. “He’s been messing with our businesses, and if we don’t act, it’s going to get worse.”

I was on my feet before I even realized it, barking out orders.

“Get a medic! Now!”

Ethan was already moving, the guards pushing through the doors, securing the perimeter.

Father’s expression was unreadable, but I saw the way his jaw clenched, the way his eyes darted across the room, calculating. His heartbeat was weak, and I knew that this was not how things were supposed to happen.

This wasn’t just an attack.

This was a warning.

I pressed my fingers to father’s neck, feeling the weak pulse beneath my fingertips. He was alive, but barely.

“Don’t you dare leave me now, father.” I whispered to him. “Don’t you dare leave mother now,”

I looked up, meeting Ethan’s gaze. “Find out who the fuck did this. We are going to need to get father out of here, and it is going to need to happen fast.”

Because one thing was clear.

This wasn’t just about Giovanni anymore.

This was a message.

And I intended to send one back.