Chapter 22 Isla
TWENTY-TWO
ISLA
For a moment, Damon looked like he might say something else. Then he nodded curtly and was gone, leaving her alone in his chambers.
She flopped back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling.
The romantic haze of the morning had evaporated completely, replaced by a stark reminder of the vast differences between their worlds.
She’d spent so many years dreaming of a love story like her parents’, but she’d never considered that epic love might come with epic complications.
She sat up with a sigh, resigned to spending the day as a pampered prisoner. At least she could shower, eat well, and maybe find a good book in Evelina’s extensive library. If she was going to be trapped, she might as well get comfortable.
One day at a time, she reminded herself again. But this day is definitely going to test my patience.
The day stretched endlessly before Isla like an ocean without horizon.
She’d explored every corner of Evelina’s magnificent library, her fingers trailing along leather-bound spines that whispered of centuries past. The collection rivaled some museums—first editions of classics, rare manuscripts, and volumes on dragon lore.
Yet even surrounded by literary treasures, she couldn’t shake the hollow ache in her chest.
He just... left.
Damon’s transformation from tender lover to commanding Alpha had been swift and brutal. One moment his thumb was tracing her cheekbone, the next he was issuing orders about her confinement with the efficiency of a military commander. The whiplash left her reeling.
She understood, intellectually, that he carried enormous responsibility.
Hundreds of lives depended on his decisions.
A rival clan posed genuine threats. Security couldn’t wait for romantic breakfasts and lazy morning conversations.
But understanding didn’t ease the sting of feeling dismissed, relegated to the role of helpless damsel who needed protecting rather than partner who deserved consideration.
Would it always be like this?
The question haunted her as she settled into a leather armchair with Jane Austen’s Persuasion—a choice that felt ironically appropriate given her current circumstances.
Would she spend her life competing with Alpha duties for scraps of his attention?
Fighting for moments between crises and clan obligations?
Her parents had been partners in everything. Equal voices in their shared life. Her father never made her mother feel like an afterthought. They’d always found time for each other, made each other a priority despite external pressures.
Maybe I’m being unfair.
She tried to focus on Anne Elliot’s romantic struggles, but the words blurred as her mind wandered.
He’s dealing with potential war, not just a busy day at the office. This isn’t normal life, Isla.
But a treacherous voice whispered that for an Alpha, crisis might be normal life. There would always be threats, always be clan politics, always be something more urgent than the woman waiting at home.
Shadows lengthened across the library’s Persian rugs as the sun began its descent. Still no word from Damon. No quick check-in, no message through Kaelith, nothing to acknowledge her existence or ease her growing unease.
Something could have happened to him.
The thought sent ice through her veins. What if Veyrik had retaliated already?
What if Damon was injured, or worse? She’d felt that terrifying helplessness yesterday watching Evelina battle two dragons.
The shifter world operated on a level of violence and danger that her human experience couldn’t fully grasp.
But even as worry gnawed at her, hurt festered alongside it. If he was safe, then his silence spoke volumes about his priorities.
Dinner arrived with Evelina’s gentle presence, a welcome reprieve from her spiraling thoughts. The older woman moved carefully but with obvious improvement, her dragon healing already working its magic on yesterday’s wound.
“You look troubled, dear.” Evelina settled across from her at the dining table, candlelight softening her aristocratic features.
Isla forced a smile, cutting into the perfectly prepared salmon. “Just thinking about the bookstore plans. There’s so much potential in that space.”
“Hmm.” Evelina’s knowing look suggested she wasn’t buying the deflection. “And how are you feeling about Damon’s absence today?”
Heat crept up Isla’s neck. “He’s doing his job like he should be. I understand that.”
“Understanding and feeling comfortable with it are different things entirely.”
The gentle observation cracked something open in Isla’s chest. “I just... I thought maybe he’d check in. Send word that he was alright, at least. After last night, I expected...” She trailed off, embarrassed by her own neediness.
“You expected to matter enough for basic consideration.” Evelina’s voice held no judgment, only understanding. “That’s not unreasonable, Isla. Mate bonds create expectations of connection, of priority. Your instincts are telling you something important.”
“Which is?”
“That you deserve better than being an afterthought in your own love story.”
“But he’s under enormous pressure. The clan, the threats—”
“All true. But great leaders learn to balance duty and desire.” Evelina reached across the table, her touch warm and steady. “Damon is still learning that. The question is whether you’re willing to wait for him to figure it out, and at what cost.”
They finished dinner in contemplative silence, the weight of unspoken truths settling between them. But as night deepened outside the estate’s windows, Isla’s anxiety transformed into something sharper—disappointment edged with growing resolve.
She prepared for bed alone, slipping into her silk nightgown. The bed felt cavernous without Damon’s intoxicating presence, too cold after the intimacy they’d shared. She lay staring at the ceiling, every sound making her heart leap with hope that he’d finally returned to her.
Maybe he realized this is too much. Maybe a century of solitude can’t be undone by one night of passion.
The thought sent fresh pain lancing through her chest. Had he decided she was more complication than she was worth? That her humanity made her too fragile, too much of a liability in his dangerous world?
Hours crawled by with agonizing slowness. Each minute that passed without his return felt like confirmation—that she’d been a momentary distraction for him. That mate bonds meant nothing if the man involved refused to prioritize them.
I can’t live like this. The realization crystallized with painful clarity. I won’t be the woman waiting in the tower while her knight fights enemies, never knowing if I matter enough.
Her parents had taught her that love was a partnership, not a hierarchy. That being cherished meant being chosen, not just in moments of passion. Damon’s absence today spoke louder than any words—and what it said made her heart ache with the familiar pain of not being enough.
If this was what being an Alpha’s mate really was, she wasn’t sure she wanted it.