SIENNA Benjamin paused and remained cautiously quiet. It was almost as if he wanted to say something but instantly decided against it. “I've been busy,” he finally said. The better part of me knew that he was lying. I was very aware of the fact that he had been avoiding me for quite some time. Since the day that he found out that Sylvester was going to be stationed here. The thought of him wanting to stay clear away from me hurt. I could feel the familiar pang in my chest. I tried not to think about it too much, tried not to linger on the thought of him not wanting anything to do with me. “You looked a little disconcerted earlier. Did anything happen?” He furrowed his brows slightly and the concern was etched on his face. I couldn't tell him that I just had a conversation with Sylvester. The thought of Sylvester seemed to upset him. “I'm fine. I was just feeling a little dizzy. It must be all the stress from what's been happening lately,” I finally said after a while. I could tell
SIENNAI looked at Clara in horror because I couldn't believe she was actually serious about going the extra mile to get Sylvester's attention. That was why when she asked my father if she could be Sylvester's assistant. I clenched my fists on the table and as I glanced down at my white knuckles, I quickly hid them underneath the table. My father seemed to be perplexed about why she would be asking him such a question. “Think about it. You don't exactly trust him so at least you'll have a pair of eyes to watch over him.” I remained silent trying to process whatever it was that she was explaining to my father but I knew Clara and I knew her well enough to know that she had no intentions of keeping an eye on Sylvester. She was just looking for an excuse to be close to him. I sighed, trying really hard to calm my racing nerves. I couldn't react because I was afraid that I was going to be raising suspicions. “I think that's an excellent idea, Clara. I should have thought about that soon
SIENNAI was beyond petrified. Every inch of me was engulfed in flame and I didn't want to think about the burning need that I felt in my core. I didn't want to think of the way I desperately ached to touch him or align myself with the taste of his lips. I wanted, so badly, to remember what he tasted like. I closed my eyes and sighed, trying to quell down the panic and arousal that were threatening to suffocate me. I didn't want him to stay away, and the emotions of my wolf were heightening mine in the process.“Get your hands away from me!” I growled.I knew that I didn't mean it but at the same time, it was too risky to have him touch me. It affected me to the point that it could almost be considered overwhelming. I closed my eyes and sighed. Somehow I needed to calm my racing nerves. My emotions were beginning to spiral out of control. “Say it,” he said and for some reason, I couldn't. I was unable to. I didn't want him to go away, I wanted him to stay. I wanted him so close to th
SIENNAThe feel of the fresh breeze was soothing against my face. It was even better as it ran through my hair. I clutched onto Benjamin's waist tighter as we rode in his motorcycle. I can't remember the last time I was in town. Everything looked unfamiliar and foreign to me. I remember Hailey and I going to the mall regularly to shop. After she moved away, and after I became assigned as Luna. I stopped going out. The only place I ever got to go to was the meetings that were mandatory to attend. I never really knew how to have fun. Memories of Sylvester and I drifted through my mind and I tried to forget it. It was hard. At the memory of what happened an hour ago between him and I, my whole mood crashed and it was impossible to stop thinking about him which felt absurd considering the fact that I was in Benjamin's company. I decided that I was going to enjoy the ride and well… Benjamin's company. At some point, we came to a halt and when I came down from the motorcycle and lifted th
SIENNAI was almost convinced that my teeth were going to fall out from eating so much sugar and yet this was a memory that I never wanted to let go of. I made a mental note in my mind that I was going to develop a habit of coming into town often. I certainly could not remain cooped up at home all the time. I never knew that Benjamin could be so flirty, although It disconcerted me in a way.The fluttering that I felt within the confines of my belly added to my confusion. Even if I felt a bit awkward, especially after my incident with the waitress, conversation still flowed smoothly between us and we laughed over memories of us coming to this place when we were younger. I guess we all grew up too fast. I considered taking a picture of the scene and sending it to Hailey to let her know how much I missed her and how I wished she was here, but I snapped my head out of the thought and decided that I would do it some other time. When we were finally done with the ice cream and the food, Ben
SIENNAI turned to him in surprise, mainly because I wasn't expecting him to still be here. He ought to have gone home by now. Benjamin tensed and I could tell that he was doing his best to remain composed and not to react in a way that was going to make me uncomfortable. Sylvester’s shirt was undone slightly and his hair was tousled as if he ran his hands through them more often than usual, maybe tugging at them in frustration. He looked tired from a hard day's work. I noticed how much his gaze darkened as they fell to me and Benjamin’s joined hands.I suddenly felt uncomfortable and I was tempted to pull my hands away but for some reason decided not to. I was going to hurt Benjamin's feelings just to soothe away his displeasure. But at the same time, why did I feel like I was doing something that I wasn't supposed to be doing? I ignored the Unnerving feeling and I raised an eyebrow at him. “Sylvester? What are you still doing here? It's late,” I finally said and I could hear him sc
Chapter Seventy FourSIENNAI was afraid to believe it made sense of whatever Sylvester was trying to say. I was trying to make sense of what he had told me. How he was willing to make a demanding sacrifice because of me. I didn't think that he was capable of that kindness. I didn't want the resentment that I had for him to shift into my former emotions for him. If I thought that I was exhausted then it had certainly intensified now. I noticed how close we were and I didn't want to allow myself to dwell too much on the thought. Somewhere in the deepest corner of my heart. I knew that he was right. I was certain in the deepest corner of my heart that he was right. I felt my stomach clench with disappointment when he walked away from me and headed over to the other side of his desk. “Come and take a look at this,” he said and I hesitated and walked over to where he stood on the desk. I watched as he arranged papers on the desk. I headed over to him and tensed as he stood beside me. “I
SIENNAAs I led the way back to the room. I hoped with everything within me that I wasn't going to encounter anyone. It was late, early in the morning per se and it didn't exactly help matters that Clara's room was exactly opposite mine. I turned around and narrowed my eyes on him, sending a quiet message for him to be silent but his eyes glistened with amusement and I could have almost sworn that I saw his eyes coming alive with mischief. I shot him a look and I exhaled when I realized that we didn't encounter anyone on the way to my room. I quickly opened the room door and tilted my head for him to quickly come in and when he did, I quickly shot the door and bolted it for extra caution. If there's anything that I didn't want to do. It was to be caught off guard. I closed my eyes and sighed. “I could have just decided to go home because I know how much of a risk you're taking to keep me here,” he said. “It was too risky to let you go home,” I finally said after the uncomfortable
SIENNAI was beyond overwhelmed and yet I clutched my weapon closed to the side tightly. The muscles in my body were knotted into tension and no matter how tired I was, I couldn't bring myself to stop. One way or another, I needed to find Benjamin. “I can hear your heartbeat from here,'' Sylvester whispered. I could feel his lips against the lobe of my ear. I could see that some of the soldiers were searching in their human forms while some were in their wolf forms. This wasn't the time to be thinking about how he smelled or what his lips against my body was doing to me.My father had decided to stay back home. Apparently, we might have to conduct another search party for Clara. My father had said that she ran to her room when the attack started. The rogues didn't come anywhere near the house so how was it even possible that she would disappear without a trace? I couldn't even make sense of it. “You think they took her?” I blurted out the question that had been on my mind for some
SIENNASylvester and I left the den, ready to confront the return of the rogue attacks on our pack. The air outside crackled with tension, and the scent of anxiety lingered as we approached the site of the disturbance.Drawing near the borders, I observed my father who was encircled by a few pack soldiers. His stern expression betrayed a mix of anger and concern that was apparent in him. The gravity of the situation hung heavily in the air, and I steeled myself for the challenges awaiting us. I saw the force of their destruction up ahead and I crumbled as a wave of despair washed over me. This wasn't supposed to occur if we had been vigilant enough. If I had behaved like a true Alpha was supposed to, these rogues would never have breached our territory. “Sienna, you've got to stay strong. Calm down," Sylvester urged."Easy for you to say; you're not the one whose territory is being destroyed," I snapped, but I regretted my words almost immediately. Swiftly, I apologized, "I'm sorry, I
SIENNAI sighed, realizing that this was the difficult situation I had put myself in "Dad, let me explain. Sylvester—""Explain? Explain why you're associating with a Lycan. Do you know what they're capable of?" His voice grew louder with each word."Dad, Sylvester is not like the others. We've formed a bond. There is a connection between us. He's different," I insisted, the desperation I felt evident in my voice.His eyes flickered between Sylvester and me, and the disapproval he was feeling was quite obvious on his face. "Different? What in the name of the Moon Goddess is he different from all the others? So far he’s the Alpha.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “Sienna, you're risking everything by involving yourself with him."“If you would calm down and let me explain to you, you’ll see how different he is,” I implored him.“Did he hurt you?”As my father continued his stern warnings, Sylvester remained silent, his demeanor composed. He looked so calm. Wasn’t he w
SIENNAThe moon was gradually surrendering its luminous glow to the impending dawn as Sylvester and I lay entwined in the quiet haven of the cottage. My fingers traced idle patterns on his chest, and I could feel the rhythmic beat of his heart beneath my touch. The silence between us held the weight of unspoken words, echoing the complexity of our intertwined destinies. If anything, I was glad and relieved that we had cleared everything between us and that the tensions were all ironed out. And I was calm now.I knew that Tamara held no place in Sylvester's heart. She was inconsequential to him, and she shouldn’t dare overstep. If she did, I was quite capable of meting out the treatment that such intruders deserved. And I was ready to go home. Back to my pack and back to my dad. I was ready to tell my dad about Sylvester. "Sylvester," I whispered, breaking the silence that lingered in the air. He looked down at me, his gaze tender yet guarded."What is it?" His fingers brushed a stra
SIENNA“But if he doesn’t?” he asked softly“I don’t care what he thinks anymore. It’s either you or no one. But you’re never getting married to Taylor or whatever her name is”“Tamara,” he corrected, a teasing grin spreading across his face.“I don’t care what her name is, and I don’t care who she is either. She’s an Alpha’s daughter, but I’m an Alpha. If she crosses my path one more time, she’s gonna know what this Alpha can do,” I said defiantly. His eyes held a mix of admiration and pride. "Damn, you can’t imagine how turned on I am by this.”“W-wh-what?” I blushed, my face getting beet red and hot at the same time.“You want to see?” He smirked. I slapped his arms in embarrassment. “Stop it, love. You can’t say things like that.”“Are you kidding me?” He chuckled. “Stop pretending like you haven’t seen what it looks like.” He raised an eyebrow at me, the mischief glinting in his eyes.“Oh my goodness!” This was so embarrassing “You can beg. I’ll show you if you beg.” He chuckl
SIENNASylvester stood by the counter of the kitchen with a soft smile on his face as he watched me emerge from down the stairs. I wanted to watch him smile this way at me forever but at the same time, I wanted to go away from him because what he did hurt me. I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions, but at that moment, I chose to focus on the calmness I felt after the bath, which was really nice, by the way. "Feeling better?" he asked, his eyes filled with genuine concern.I nodded, still unable to find the right words to express my gratitude. The clothes he provided may have been a bit oversized, but they carried a comforting warmth that seemed to extend beyond just the fabric. It was his, and wearing whatever was his just gave me this sense of comfort. "I appreciate this," I finally said, my voice a gentle acknowledgment.He nodded in return, his gaze lingering on me. "It's the least I could do,” he said.“Of course.” The air held a fragile tension, a silent acknowledgment of t
SIENNAThese days I had come to the conclusion that maybe the only person that I put into consideration was myself. I felt selfish, I felt blind, and I felt stupid too. I couldn't make it go away. As if he was only just realizing the impact his words had on me, Sylvester crouched down and stared up at me with sad eyes. “Sienna,” he said softly but I wasn't so sure that I had in me to give him a response. “I'm sorry. I really am. I shouldn't have said what I said. I lost control for a moment,” he said as he looked up at me. I wondered how he could bear to look up at me with the affection in his eyes when all I ever did these days was hurt him, and make it more and more obvious how much I resented him. I knew he didn't mean what he said. Yes, but that didn't mean it wasn’t true. Every bit of it was. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying very hard to put my emotions under control, to gain some sort of composure. But for some reason, I couldn't seem to do that. “I'm having a headach
SIENNA“What do you mean you were running out of options?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. My hands were starting to become clammy with sweat. I was beginning to become more and more conscious of my panic as I looked at him. So I pressed my finger against my temple just to calm myself down.He dropped the cup of tea against the bedside table as he looked at me. I didn't know what to do. “I just wanted us to be alone. The two of us needed some alone time,” he replied.“What alone time are you talking about? How do you think it's possible that I could stand to be in the same room with you, knowing that you're going to be married in less than a week!” I snapped. I was trying to let the anger and rising panic not take over me. But this was Sylvester I was dealing with. No matter how I tried to escape from my emotions, from my feelings, he sure did have a way of invoking them and they always came rushing back, no matter how much I tried to escape them. “I'm not getting married," Syl
SIENNAI wanted to die rather than feel this pain that was making me suffer. It was happening gradually and that was what I hated about shifting. It was too slow and gradual. “Sienna,” Sylvester called out again as he made his way over to me and crouched down in front of me. His face was contorted in pain, and it was just as if he was going through something similar. I didn’t think it was possible for him to feel whatever I was feeling. It just wasn't possible. I closed my eyes and sighed. Then I started to breathe in and out. I kept breathing in and out again and again. Maybe that was going to help.But I knew that I was deceiving myself. Nothing ever helped when this was happening. All I could hope for, all I could wish for was for the pain to go away. But all I did was internally count as I looked forward to the time that it would be dawn again. “I'm here,” Sylvester said softly. His hands went through my hair in tender soothing motions and I found myself leaning into his touch