Seventy six

~Isabella's POV

The room held an uneasy stillness as Damien straightened, his demeanor shifting from the haze of intoxication to a semblance of sobriety. I watched with guarded apprehension, my senses on high alert. The interlude of vulnerability felt like a fragile thread, and I knew the Alpha's return to his usual self loomed.

Damien's gaze locked onto mine, the remnants of his confession lingering in the air like a haunting melody. The room seemed to shrink, the boundaries of our individual struggles merging in the silence.

The intensity in his eyes wavered, a subtle acknowledgment of the internal turmoil that defined him. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture a manifestation of the complexities entwined within his existence.

"What the fuck are you doing, Damien," he muttered, seeming frustrated with himself and the situation.

I remained silent, allowing him to navigate the intricacies of a sentiment he rarely expressed. The acknowledgment of his own shortcomings held a pecul