Bound by Justice

SMALL BONUS (DAMON & ALISON)

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello, dear readers!

Before diving into this small bonus, I wanted to express my gratitude for joining me on this journey. Your support means a lot to me and it helps me every day.

This bonus scene was originally intended to be published with Chapter 30, but it didn't feel right to do it so I decided to share it as a standalone piece. The reason I decided to share it was because I wanted to show a new perspective of the book.

The other reason is because I've been thinking a lot about turning this book into a series. I know it's a crazy idea, and it's a huge commitment. And though it's exciting, it is also scary because I'm not sure I can truly commit to it. I have a lot of ideas for the series ( I won't share the details), but unfortunately, I have no plot. I don't want to make a commitment I can't uphold. It will be too dishonest of me.

Consider this bonus as a sneak peek into potential future storylines, not a definitive teaser. I know it was probably a bad idea to publish this bonus because readers would think this was a teaser for a series, but I just couldn't help myself. I hope you can understand and I'd love to know your thoughts about it.

Thank you again for reading. I hope you enjoy this bonus, and I'll see you again for the next chapter update. <3!
Xealta

BONUS

Damon is in the cemetery, staring at the grave at his feet. The name inscribed on the granite is like a constant reminder that the person he loves the most is gone forever.

For him, it all feels wrong. It feels unjust. His brother was the best person he ever knew, and death was the last thing he deserved. His heart throbs again. If he has the chance to save Carter, he will do it in a heartbeat. He will give away everything just for Carter to come back, even if it’s his life. He doesn’t care about himself; he only wants Carter.

A hand falls on his shoulder, and he turns to find Alison. She gazes at him with eyes, not full of sympathy but of sadness for him. This is exactly what he needs. He doesn’t want the sympathy or pity from other people.
He doesn’t want their understanding of his situation. Even though grief is more common nowadays, he doesn’t want someone to sympathize with him. He wants someone to acknowledge that what he’s feeling is right.

It’s not his first time experiencing grief. When his parents died, it had hit him hard. But this time, it’s a different grief. It’s the kind of grief where even poison tastes sweeter than this. It’s the kind of grief that not only tears your heart, it burns it down to ashes. It reaps it apart and all you can do is watch. It’s the kind of grief where even your soul begs to feel numb, but that wish is fleeting because the pain always comes back, no matter how you try to heal it.

Damon watches as Alison turns to Carter’s grave. Her voice is soft, but heavy with sadness as she says, “Carter, thank you for protecting and saving me. I know it will not bring you back, but I want you to know how grateful I am. I wish you had survived that day. I wish things had happened differently. I truly wished you had survived and I’m so sorry. I know that whatever I say will be useless and it’s not my fault that we got attacked that day, but I sincerely wanted for you to survive. It’s not fair that you had to die this way.” She sighs as a drop of tear slowly rolls down her cheek. “I will take care of your brother for you. I will support him the way you did. He won’t be alone, I promise. I want you to rest in peace knowing that I’m here for him. This will be my way of thanking you and I will never forget your sacrifice. Thank you again and rest in peace, Carter.”

Hearing her words, Damon doesn’t know how to feel. On one side, he’s happy that his brother saved Alison. He’s even proud of it. But on the other, he wishes his brother had protected himself first. He wishes his brother had thought about himself first before thinking about others, but that’s too selfish.