Alpha Damon novel Chapter 103

Sienna:

The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the bathroom fan. I curled up on Damon’s bed, my knees tucked under me, his scent wrapping around me like a second skin. I wasn’t sure when I’d started feeling safe in this room, when his scent had become familiar, comforting even, but it had happened, and now, it felt like the only place I could breathe.

The one place where I felt safest. The one place where I found myself feeling at home.

But tonight, even that peace was fragile.

Tonight, everything around me just felt out of place.

I stared at the far wall, my thoughts twisting in endless circles. Isla was safe, thank God for that, but I wasn’t sure I could say the same for myself. I wasn’t even sure what I could say about myself at this point. Not when everything I thought I’d worked for, fought for, was now tainted by Giovanni’s game.

The man had played me for a fool and despite me fighting everything just to prove a point, I found myself being put in this situation where I was just foolish.

The sound of the shower stopped, followed by the quiet creak of the bathroom door opening. I didn’t look up immediately, lost in my own head, but I heard the soft shuffle of feet on the floor.

“Sienna,” Damon’s voice was low, softer than I expected.

I turned slowly and found him standing there, towel slung over his shoulder, drying his hair. His dark pants hung low on his hips, his chest bare, water still dripping from his skin. The moment my eyes caught his, I looked away, my heart stammering.

He crossed the room and sat in front of me on the bed, crouching slightly so he could meet my gaze.

“You’ve been quiet since we got back,” he said gently. “What’s bothering you? Do you want to talk to me about it?”

I hesitated, biting the inside of my cheek before I finally spoke. “You were right.”

He frowned. “About what?”

“My job,” I whispered. “It wasn’t a coincidence. It wasn’t a real opportunity either. It was Giovanni. He owns the company, he orchestrated the interview, the offer, everything. I was just a pawn… I didn’t even realize it until he said it today. I was played for a fool and simply because I refused to listen, simply because I chose to be stubborn.”

Damon’s eyes darkened slightly, but not with anger at me, at least, not the kind I feared.

“I was so stupid,” I murmured, lowering my head. “I thought I was doing the right thing, trying to provide, trying to prove that I could stand on my own two feet. But I played right into his hands. I gave him everything that he wanted. I gave in to his game simply because he wanted me to be played the way that I was. And I simply because I wanted to be stubborn. I don’t know how…”

Before I could finish that sentence, Damon leaned forward and kissed me.

Soft. Firm. Reassuring.

“I didn’t mean to drag you into my mess,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into it. I should have just listened.”

He laid back slowly, pulling me with him until I was curled up against his chest, his arms wrapping securely around

me.

“You didn’t drag me into anything,” he murmured against my hair. “I walked into this. I chose this. I know that you would not have chosen a path like this one, at least not in the way that it happened. But since I dragged you into it, since it was me who put you in this mess… I’ll protect you, with everything I have. And not because I have to, it is because I want to protect you. It is because I want to keep you safe. Not only today, always. This is how our life is going to be.”

I let out a shaky breath, closing my eyes as I listened to the steady beat of his heart.

For the first time in a long time… I let myself believe it. Let myself hope.

Because wrapped in Damon Lockwood’s arms, I didn’t feel like a pawn or a burden.

I felt like I was home.