Page 7 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

My heart clenches, remembering that day again. Her body, Jayce, Uncle Liam, Renji, and the funeral. I shake my head when I feel the pain become suffocating and exhale.

“The duties of a leader… They’re never easy,” I murmur.

Duty.

Jayce said he saved me because it was his duty; I want to believe it was more than that… “Get some rest, both of you; it’s been a long day,” I say as I head to the door.

“I’m going to go see how Aunty Kiara is doing.”

They nod, and I leave, shutting the door behind me. This is Skyla’s home, and although I see the symbols of Helios all over the place, I try to ignore them. It does feel odd, though; I won’t deny that, especially as the pack members look at me with reverence. The whispers that I was the wife of Helios are a mark that I will forever have to carry. That, and the intricate golden sun on the side of my right ribcage – the symbol of a goddess, although that is a title I no longer hold.

The mansion is huge, and it takes me a bit of time to find Skyla, Royce and Aunty Kiara in the lounge.

“Mind if I join?” I ask.

“Come on in; I thought you had gone to sleep,” Aunty Kiara says, looking up tiredly from her coffee.

I shake my head. “No, I just showered. Don’t really feel sleepy,” I admit.

“Coffee, hot chocolate?” Skyla asks. “The staff were about to take some up for you guys.”

“I’ll have hot chocolate,” I say with a smile as I walk over to them, and Royce offers me a small smile.

“Your control over your power has grown immensely,” he says.

“Thanks,” I reply, accepting the mug Skyla offers me, and sit down on one of the armchairs. Only now, as I lean back, does the exhaustion of the day settle into me.

Aunty Kiara looks at me and smiles softly, but it’s the look in her eyes that makes me wonder if she’s thinking about our men in Russia… Although I don’t have the right to call Jayce mine right now.

“Have you seen Grandpa since he left?” I ask quietly.

She nods. “Once, and we talk every few days.”

“You don’t think you’ll go down there?” Skyla asks as she walks over to Royce and takes her seat in his lap, wrapping her arm around his shoulders before kissing him passionately. I look away, blushing lightly.

“I’m needed here; the pack needs running,” Aunty Kiara says, sipping her coffee.

Skyla nods. “And you, Sienna? What about Jayce?”

“I have no right to go,” I say, keeping my voice level.

“Because he’s being a stubborn asshole?” She cocks a brow.

I don’t know how to answer that, so I remain silent.

“How many casualties were there tonight?” Aunty Kiara asks.

Royce sighs as he rests his forehead against Skyla’s shoulder. “Seventeen; it could have been a lot worse,” he admits grimly.

Seventeen, that’s still a lot. “And the enemy? How many did they lose?” I ask.

“Twenty-nine,” Royce answers.

“Great, at least we took more of theirs. The last attack on one of their allied packs was pretty good, too,” Skyla says with a small smirk.

Aunty Kiara sighs. “I truly wish things could be resolved without bloodshed, but I know it’s a futile dream.”

The rest of us nod slowly. She’s right… There’s no hope of settling this without bloodshed. We’ve tried, and now we just meet them in the way they love. In battle.