Damon’s POV
The quiet of the room was a fragile thing, broken only by the sound of our breathing. I couldn’t look away from Lana. She was still pale, her eyes wide with the residual fear of my words, but there was a new trust there, too. She had handed me her terror, and I was holding it, keeping it safe. My wolf, a usually restless presence in my chest, was calm for once, soothed by the act of protecting what was ours.
Then, a sharp, precise knock landed on the suite door.
Lana’s head jerked towards the sound, a flicker of alarm returning to her features. My gaze, however, didn’t leave her. “It’s just Marcus,” I said, my voice low. “One of my Gammas.”
I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before I called out, “Enter.”
The door opened and Marcus stepped in. He was a mountain of a
