Alpha Damon novel Chapter 92

Sienna:

I closed the door to Damon’s room quietly behind me, careful not to make a sound. My hand lingered on the handle for a second longer than necessary, as if the warmth of the moment we’d just shared could still cling to my skin if I stayed close enough.

He had held Isla like he had done it a hundred times before.

And for once… it hadn’t felt strange.

It hadn’t felt forced.

It felt natural.

And that was something that I was more than just a little thankful for. At least I knew there was accepting her, though deep down it scared me a little. I knew that trusting him with her was something that I was more than willing to do.

I took a deep breath and turned to head back to my room, hugging my robe tighter around me. The hallway was dimly lit, silent except for the soft hum of the estate settling for the night.

I didn’t hear her until I saw her shadow stretch across the floor. Her scent filled my nostrils and I knew that she had been watching.

Evelyn.

She stood just at the edge of the hallway near the stairs, half in the dark, half in the light, like she’d been standing there for a while. She smiled when she looked at me but did not say a word. She just stood there.

Watching.

Waiting.

I froze for a heartbeat, unsure whether to offer a greeting or just keep walking and pretend we hadn’t seen each other. But before I could decide, she took a step forward. And I feared what was to come. I knew that she was thankful for me stopping her the other night, but I did not know how she felt with me spending a little more time than necessary, at least in her eyes, with her son. I knew that she did not want me as a Luna. And I knew that she did not want me to be around him. Not longer and unnecessary at least.

Her expression wasn’t cold.

Not warm either.

But… softer.

“Sienna,” she said, her voice calm, not accusing. “Couldn’t sleep? I did not expect you to be up at this hour, especially since you have work in the morning.”

I blinked. “I… no. Isla needed calming. Damon, he was with her. She managed to sleep in his arms but I couldn’t get her to rest. She seems to be growing restless as she grows. I believe that it is the teething.”

“He has children tend to get restless when they start growing teeth. It is only a matter of time before they start biting everything that they get their hands on and trust me when that happens you’re going to need to be a little more ready than you are right now.” She said, laughing. I looked at her for a moment before looking down at my feet.

Her eyes studied me for a long second, her usual sternness subdued tonight. “And you?”

“I’m heading back to my room.” She said, and I hummed in response. I knew that breaking the silence was one that I should not be holding on to. She might end up turning against me, but I also knew that it was the only way for me to be able to understand her.

Her gaze lingered. I expected the judgment, the reprimand, the bite in her words that had once made my chest tighten with dread.

She nodded again, looking away for a moment. “I see that. And I’m appreciating every moment of it.”

And for the first time in a long time, Evelyn Lockwood didn’t look at me like I didn’t belong here.

She looked at me like she was still deciding… but this time, she wasn’t ready to push me out just yet.

“Goodnight, Sienna.” She said, her voice softening. “Try and get some sleep. You’re going to need it if you’re going to be able to stand in the office where you’re working tomorrow morning. The last thing that you’re going to need is to end up weakening or your body dropping. And I don’t think that you would be making good impression, especially on your first week if you decide to sleep on the desk.”

“Goodnight,” I said, watching her turn and walk back toward her own wing.

And as I walked back toward my room, I felt something shift again, not as sharp as a turn, but subtle, like the wind changing direction.

Like maybe… this war I’d been fighting inside this house was beginning to ease.

Not end.

But ease.

And that, for tonight, was enough.