Page 19 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

He’s not expecting that, his eyes widening ever so slightly before the shock is replaced with anger. And yet, his gaze dips to my lips, and I see the way his eyes darken as if he himself doesn’t know if he wants to hate me or fuck me right now.

“This isn’t a game,” he hisses.

As long as I get to be this close, you can do whatever you want.

“I never said it was, but I’m not the same Sienna who left this world for the Gods’ Realm, and this Sienna doesn’t back down.” I lift my free hand and pat his cheek lightly; the touch is intimate, defiant, a challenge wrapped in playfulness. His jaw tightens beneath my palm, but he doesn’t jerk away from it.

“See you around, Captain,” I whisper softly.

With those words, I tug free from his hold. Stepping away, I turn and head towards the barracks without looking back.

Dark Memories

Jayce

Iwatch her walk off, my jaw clenched. She fucking knows what she does to me, and she’s using it to play fucking dirty. It’s not like her; she’s behaving bolder…

Shaking my head, I take out a cigarette and light it, taking a long drag on it as I rest my head back against the wall of the mess hall and stare into the dark, foggy sky, closing my eyes as the night Mom was killed returns to me.

My entire body screams with anguish as I look at Mom’s body, trying to hold myself together as Dad holds Mom, his body racked with sobs, the pain in my brothers’ and sister’s eyes, the way Grandma tries to keep it together, but her heart is hammering, her hands shaking as tears stream down her cheeks. The way Grandad wipes away his tears that keep falling as he hugs Katara tightly.

“Secure the pack border, get the injured to the infirmary, gather our dead.” I hear myself give the order.

“I… yes.” Dad looks up, his navy eyes full of pain as he scans his surroundings. I go down on one knee beside him, placing my hand on Mom’s head, my eyes blurring as I look at her.

My heart shatters as anger and pain also rise within me. Whoever did this will pay.

I’ll manage, Dad. Leave it to me, I say through the mind-link, looking at Mom through blurred eyes, struggling to look at him directly, knowing I’ll break if I do.

It fucking hurts. So fucking much.

Mom…

Jayce… Dad begins. I force myself to look at him and place my other hand on his shoulder.

I know what to do; you will always have me. Don’t be afraid to lean on us, Dad. You need to stay with Mom and the others. I’ll handle the pack, I say, forcing myself to look him dead in the eye, no matter how hard it is. Those words somehow give me the strength I need. I promised myself I would always be there for my parents because they were always there for me, and yet I failed her.

Dad nods, his eyes softening, and I give his shoulder a squeeze, touching my forehead to his for a moment, wishing I could take his pain away.

“Grandad, get everyone home; I will handle the pack,” I say, turning to Mom’s head that Dad’s cradling. I bend down and kiss her forehead.

She’s gone…

I brush my finger down her cheek. Whoever did this decapitated her. I look away, standing up, the pain crushing me.

“No, you go, too, Jayce,” Zack, Dad’s Beta, says. “I’ll manage.”

He looks haunted, too. I know he and Mom were close. “We need all the help we can get,” I say as Uncle Damon comes into view, his eyes bloodshot as he stops in his tracks and stares at Mom’s body, as if not wanting to believe what happened. He runs over, dropping to his knees beside Dad, his face the image of devastation as he curses under his breath.

The pain is fucking ripping me apart, but I’ve got to be strong.

I turn and walk away from my family and the pain consuming me into the aftermath of the battlefield to deal with the destruction left behind.

The day is a blur, my emotions wanting to come out, but it’s my duty to stay strong. Right now, Dad is hurting the most, and with five sons, he shouldn’t have to worry about his duty as the Alpha.

I work on autopilot, giving orders. Even when Leo approaches, asking me to take a break, I decline. Ahren comes later, telling me to go home, but I refuse. And now Dante.

“Take a break, Jayce,” he says softly, his red eyes glimmering in the glow of the setting sun.