Chapter 9
Sienna:
“Good morning.” Luna Evelyn said, entering the room. I was already awake. I hadn’t eaten anything. I refused to do so. I just thought as I stared into space, wondering how it was going to be dealing with everything that I had to deal with. Wondering how I was going to cope with things here.
And noticing my disorientation, Luna Evelyn raised her hands in surrender.
“Relax, Sienna.” She said softly. I wanted to open my mouth to speak, however my eyes landed on the bundle in her arms. It was my baby.
The guilt that I felt in my chest was one that I could not describe. I looked away, unable to look at her, unable to explain to myself why I was resenting her this much, especially after I had fought for her. I was more than willing to fight for her. I was more than willing to protect her. But now I couldn’t.
“What you are feeling Sienna, it is normal. After everything that you’ve been through, your fear, the pressure, that’s all overwhelming. Mothers that did not go through half of what you did sometimes resent their own children, sometimes reject them too. But look at her, Isla has nothing to do with her. She’s innocent of all of this. She needs you. You are the one person that she knows, and she needs you by her side.”
“Isla?” I repeated looking at her as I processed which she had said.
“Damon named her,” Evelyn said, glancing down at the baby. “He chose Isla, short and sweet. I believe that it suits her. Do you want to take a look at her?”
I swallowed hard, the weight of the name settling over me. Isla. A name that felt so small and fragile, much like the baby it belonged to. But I knew this looking at her was going to make me weaken and I was not going to be able to protect her.
“She’s beautiful, Sienna,” Evelyn said, stepping closer. “Would you like to hold her? All you have to do is look at her. Your body is going to take charge. Her instincts are going to do so too.:
“They said I wasn’t fit to be her mother,” I whispered. “Even he thinks so…”
“You carried this child alone for months. You endured unimaginable hardships. You protected her when no one else. If that does not make you fit to be her mother, I don’t know what does.” Luna Evelyn said softly. “People are going to speak, they are going to tell you that you’re not right as a mother. Some of them are going to keep throwing you into situations where you are
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+8 Points >
going to want to give up. Others are going to keep shaming everything that you do. Will that make you any less of a mother? No, it will not. You are this baby’s mother and she needs you right now. More than anything, she needs the one person that she knew. And I think that you need her too.”,
I hesitated, my hands trembling as Evelyn stepped closer. She held Isla out to me, and for a moment, I couldn’t move. The baby whimpered, her tiny hands twitching, and the sound pierced through my hesitation. Slowly, I reached out.
“Support her head,” Evelyn guided, her voice calm. “It’s okay to feel frightened the first time you carry her. I am going to be by your side and I’m going to help you out.”
I took Isla into my arms, her warmth spreading through me like a blooming flower. My breath hitched as I looked down at her for the first time. Her eyes fluttered open, meeting mine, and a sob escaped my lips.
“Hi, baby,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I’m your mom…”
Isla’s small face scrunched up before she let out a cry, startling me. I wanted to give her back to Evelyn, only she shook her head at me and put her hand on my shoulder.
“She’s hungry,” Evelyn said, placing a steadying hand on my arm. “That’s how babies let us know what they need. Would you like to try feeding her? I think that it’s going to be good for the two of you.”
“I- I don’t think I can,” I stammered, panic rising in my chest. “What if I do it the wrong way? What if I don’t feed her enough? What if she’s not fed…?”
“Easy…” Evelyn handed me a blanket and helped me drape it over my shoulder. “There’s nothing more natural than a mother feeding her child. Guide her to your breast. She’ll know what to do. It’s their instinct, they know how to do it.”
Hesitantly, I followed her instructions. The moment Isla latched on, a strange mix of pain and warmth spread through me. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched her feed, her tiny hands curling against me.
“She’s strong, just like her mother,” Evelyn said with a small smile. “And I’m pretty sure that as she grows older, she’s going to be a lot stronger.”
Evelyn watched as I kept my eyes on my daughter. I watched as she fed. I had to close my
eyes as prevent myself from crying more than I wanted to.
“I’ll have her crib moved to your room,” Evelyn said, standing. “She’ll need to stay close to you. Babies feel safer when they can hear their mother’s breathing. They even learn how to breathe
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even easier by their mother.”
+8 Points >
“But Damon won’t approve,” I said hesitantly, glancing up at her. “She still needs to be in an
incubator.”
“I’ll speak to him,” Evelyn said firmly. “This is your child, Sienna, not the nurse’s. You have every
right to care for her. As for the incubator, I believe that her being by her side is going to be a lot more beneficial. She is the daughter of a wolf. She’s no human. Her body needs to fight for her
to grow stronger. She might be the weakest of the litter. But this is her first challenge show.
Even as an infant, she’s going to need to fight to survive.”
“What if I can’t do it?”
“Sienna…” Evelyn hesitated at the door, her tone shifting. “Raising a child is never easy,
especially under these circumstances. But you have a chance to build something here. For
you. For her. Even for Damon.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, frowning.
“You’re a beautiful woman with a strong heart,” she said, her voice softer now. “You can win
him over. Show him what he stands to lose. Create a home he won’t want to leave. Every
woman has the capability of doing so. All you have to do is be smart about it.”
I stiffened at her words. “You’re suggesting I manipulate him?”
“No,” Evelyn said, meeting my gaze. “I’m suggesting you fight for your family. You kept Isla
alive when no one else would. You’ve already proven your strength. Now prove your worth as a
mother, and as a mate.”
“I won’t be a replacement for Lysandra,” I said, my voice hard. “He rejected me. I’m no longer
his mate anyway.”
“No one is asking you to replace anyone, Sienna. But if you want your daughter to have a
father in her life, sacrifices will need to be made.” She said before taking a step back as she
walked out of the room, leaving me alone.
I looked down at my daughter, her tiny face peaceful as she fed. My heart ached with a mix of
love and uncertainty.
“I’ll figure it out, baby,” I whispered. “I promise.”
Damon entered the room without knocking, his presence filling the space like a storm. Right now, even his presence inside the room was not one that I wanted. The idea that he could be a
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Chapter 9
threat to her to me, was one that I couldn’t just ignore.
I tensed, my arms instinctively tightening around Isla.
“How is she?” he asked, his tone clipped.
“She’s fine,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Is there anything that you need, Damon?”
“She’s stronger than I expected.” He said, ignoring my question.
“She’s your daughter,” I said coldly. “What did you expect? Me being her mother does not change the fact that she is the Alpha’s daughter.”
+8 Points >
“Don’t mistake my tolerance for acceptance, Sienna. This doesn’t mean things will go back to how they were.” He said, glaring. Got me.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I shot back, my voice sharper than I intended.
His eyes darkened, and for a moment, I thought he would lash out. But it was my turn to be the one to speak to in this conversation.
“Her name suits her,” I said, watching as he looked at me over his shoulder. “Isla. It’s a beautiful name…”
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