Page 102 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

My heart slams against my ribs as I stare at him, at the rawness in his expression, the anger and pain tangled so tightly together it’s impossible to separate them.

Those words are what he believes, but they’re wrong.

My heart aches for him. How can he see himself like that? How can he blame himself for his mama’s death?

“It makes you anything but a coward,” I whisper, stepping closer despite the tension still crackling between us. I cup his face gently yet firmly; my fingers rest against his jaw and the side of his neck.

“You showed me how to live when I was drowning,” I continue, wanting him to see what I see. “You gave me a reason to breathe when it felt like I was suffocating. You made me smile when it hurt just to exist. You loved me at my lowest.”

He takes hold of my wrists and tugs my hands off his face, looking away.

“You crossed to the Realm of the Gods and brought a god to his knees to rescue me from a life I never wanted. You marked me and broke Helios’ hold on me even when you were angry with me. You have done nothing but protect me. You know I am speaking the truth. Why can’t you see that you have not failed anyone? It is not your fault your mama died; you were not the only one there,” I say gently, hoping he understands what I’m saying, but I can see him already shutting me out. “Jayce…”

“Because I can see what it means to be the mate of the Deimos King. I can see how I failed time and fucking time again. You are better off not being associated with me. We have done what we needed to do. We can continue with our lives now. Go home, Sienna.”

He turns away from me as that settles it, like everything between us can be left behind with those few words. But before I can respond, something shifts.

Both Jayce and I turn at the same time as the takeaway sign flickers, the light blinking three times before it dims; then the sign next door follows, the glow dimming and flaring in uneven pulses.

My heartbeat quickens, his hand clamping around my wrist as he pulls me close. Even now, he continues to try to protect me.

We move at the same time, turning as one, so we’re back-to-back, our bodies aligned as we scan our surroundings, every sense stretching outward into the uneasy quiet that has settled far too quickly.

Goosebumps rise along my arms as the air shifts, a cold creeping in that doesn’t belong, sinking into my skin, and a shiver runs down my spine.

We’re not alone.

Her Truth

Jayce

My eyes flash as lightning crackles around my hands when suddenly there’s a small puff behind us. I sense Ahren’s presence as his hand grips my shoulder, then we’re being sucked away. Another puff, and we land at the edge of the Blood Moon Pack territory.

“What the-” I begin, but Ahren pushes us both towards the barrier, looking over his shoulder. He’s in a right state, breathing hard as he keeps looking over his shoulder, an urgency in his eyes.

We cross the threshold of the barrier, and only then does he exhale, allowing himself a moment to slow down.

My mind is still reeling from what went down with Sienna not long ago. For once, I’m grateful for the fucking distraction, although for a fleeting moment, I felt as if history was about to repeat itself. Only this time I refused to lose.

“What happened?” I ask sharply, turning to Ahren as Sienna supports him.

“They came for him, so I ported him to Leo’s pack instead. He’ll be safe there until we can find a way for him to get to Alaska… I then went into the past. Fuck…”

He pulls away from Sienna and drops to the ground, flinching as he clutches his side.

“You’re hurt!” Sienna says as she begins whispering a spell, pressing her hands to his side. “Gods, there’s a blade.”

“I know… Just listen. I got caught up with whoever was after that information in Italy, and I think he was the one outside the takeaway shop just now. I had to get you both out of there, just in case.”

“Care to share how exactly he renders shifters useless?” I ask as I bend down, grab his arm and drag him to his feet. “Let’s get you inside.”

“Through open wounds. If we have even a scratch on us, it’s all he needs. An open cut exposing even a speck of our blood,” Ahren mutters. “It was Tomaso Andretti who destroyed his own papers, knowing someone was after them. That’s the father of Saul – the man we met up with earlier. He said the man looking for the research was the one with primordial energy. Well, when I tried to remain there longer to witness it… I…”

He turns to look at me, and I arch a brow, moving my head away and shoving him towards Sienna. “Way too close, man.”

But he doesn’t look amused at all as he stares ahead. He then looks at Sienna, and I can tell they’re mind-linking.

Sienna looks at me; her eyes filled with that same open vulnerability she wore earlier when she pushed for answers, and then I feel her trying to enter my mind.