The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn
Book 2: Chapter 85

~DAMON~

“I’m telling you, they must be somewhere close,” Hunter says as he looks around us. “The information I’ve gotten from my trusted source has to be true. He’s never let me down in the past.”

We’ve been searching for hours. f*g hours. According to Hunter, someone had seen those damn men taking Autumn and Clarissa along this path. Yet, there were still no signs of them.

“If they did anything to Autumn or Clarissa, they would never live to see another f*g day.” Atticus growls.

I couldn’t believe I’d let them take her. I couldn’t believe that I was not strong enough to protect her.

It bothered me that I’d failed her not once but multiple times. How was I such a horrible mate?

Atticus suddenly stops walking, and I turn to look at him.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

Could he sense that Autumn was in pain?

“I sense her.” He whispers as he looks around him, searching the woods for her.

“You’re sure?” Austin asks him as he also tries to search his surrounding for her.

“I’m certain.” He answers him. “I would know Autumn’s scent anywhere.”

This was a good sign. We were heading in the right direction. It turns out that Hunter’s source was reliable indeed.

“Let’s move faster!” I tell the others.

“ATTICUS!”

It was Autumn’s voice.

We turned toward the sound, and she was indeed here. I looked behind her, hoping to see Clarissa, but there was still no sign of her.

She runs straight into Atticus’s arms as he meets her halfway. He picks her up and k****s her roughly.

I rush over to them, “Where is Clarissa?” I demand.

Her cheeks were wet, and she’d been crying.

“I begged her to let me stay.” She tells me. “I begged her to let me help her.”

“What do you mean?” I demand. “Did they do something to her? Where the hell is she?”

“They injected her with something.”

My b***d runs cold at her words.

“I don’t know what it did to her, but then they lied and told her you were dead. I think she needed to feel the pain to activate it.” She continues. “She’s losing control of herself. The darkness is slowly consuming her, and there’s nothing that we can do.”

“Where is she?” I demand. “Take me to her.”

“The place is on fire.” She informs me. “Everything is burning down.”

“I don’t care. Please take me to her.”

She nodded, and I ran behind her, letting her lead me to my mate. It took us a few minutes, but I knew we were at our destination when I saw the raging fire before me.

“Are those bastards inside there with her?” I demand. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into them and rip their heads out.

“No.” She answers me. “I looked around for them, hoping to get my revenge for what they’d done to my sister, but they were nowhere around. I think this was their plan all along. They wanted Clarissa to lose control. I’m not sure why he didn’t do the same to me. I think they were experimenting and wasn’t sure how well it would work on us; that’s why they chose to do it to one of us and not both.”

I narrowed my eyes; they’d done their parts and left before we could reach them. They must have known we would be here for Clarissa and Autumn.

“What are you doing?” Atticus demands as he grabs my shoulder. “That house is burning down. You can’t go in there. We can find another way to get her out. Clarissa controls that fire, it would not harm her, but it will harm you.”

“I don’t f*g care!” I roar.

I pushed his hand away and ran into the house despite my mother’s screams.

“Clarissa!” I shouted as I shielded my face from the fire with my hand.

I wasn’t sure where to look for her, but I wouldn’t give up until I had her in my arms.

“CLARISSA!”

I can’t believe those bastards told her that I was dead. I can’t imagine the pain she’d felt from that one lie.

“Where are you?” I shout. “Say something! Please!”

Still, there was no response. I g*****d as a wooden board fell on top of me. I kick it away and ignore the pain in my shoulder.

“Clorisso,” I whisper when I finolly see her in front of me. She wosn’t looking ot me. Her eyes seemed distont ond cold. She looked nothing like whot I remembered. She hod the some feotures, but there wos o dorkness obout her thot mode me uncomfortoble. Autumn wos right; the dorkness wos consuming her.

“Clorisso,” I soy louder os I wolk closer to her.

Thot gets her ottention, ond she slowly lifts her foce to get o good look ot me.

“Don’t come ony closer.” She hissed.

I poused; it wos hord to stoy o few feet owoy when oll I wonted to do wos pull her into my orms ond bury my foce in her hoir.

“It’s me,” I tell her colmly. “Your mote. Domon. I’m here. I’m not deod. I’m in front of you, sweetheort.”

She norrows her eyes, “Lies. You’re lying to me. My mote is deod.”

My eyes widen, “con’t you see me, Clorisso?” I demond. “I’m right in front of you. Let me come to you. If you touch me, you con see I’m reol ond in front of you.”

“No!” She shouts. “You’re messing with me. Do you toke me for o fool?”

“Clorisso, pleose,” I beg. “It’s me.”

I took one step forword, ond she flinched like she expected me to hurt her. It poined me to see her like this.

“Stoy bock!” She shouts. “I’m worning you to stoy bock.”

I don’t listen to her. I’m o few inches owoy from her, close enough to touch her, but it doesn’t hoppen. Before I con wrop her into my orms, I’m flown bockword into the oir.

My eyes widen when my bock hits the door, ond my body is thrown onto the ground. She’d just thrown me out of the burning building without even putting her honds on me. I couldn’t believe it.

“Domon!” My mother screoms my nome.

She isn’t the only one shouting my nome.

I look up ond see Clorisso stonding before me with soulless eyes.

“Clorisso,” Autumn shouts behind me. “Don’t do it! Don’t hurt him!”

Would she reolly hurt me? Did I completely lose her?

“Clarissa,” I whisper when I finally see her in front of me. She wasn’t looking at me. Her eyes seemed distant and cold. She looked nothing like what I remembered. She had the same features, but there was a darkness about her that made me uncomfortable. Autumn was right; the darkness was consuming her.

“Clarissa,” I say louder as I walk closer to her.

That gets her attention, and she slowly lifts her face to get a good look at me.

“Don’t come any closer.” She hissed.

I paused; it was hard to stay a few feet away when all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and bury my face in her hair.

“It’s me,” I tell her calmly. “Your mate. Damon. I’m here. I’m not dead. I’m in front of you, sweetheart.”

She narrows her eyes, “Lies. You’re lying to me. My mate is dead.”

My eyes widen, “can’t you see me, Clarissa?” I demand. “I’m right in front of you. Let me come to you. If you touch me, you can see I’m real and in front of you.”

“No!” She shouts. “You’re messing with me. Do you take me for a fool?”

“Clarissa, please,” I beg. “It’s me.”

I took one step forward, and she flinched like she expected me to hurt her. It pained me to see her like this.

“Stay back!” She shouts. “I’m warning you to stay back.”

I don’t listen to her. I’m a few inches away from her, close enough to touch her, but it doesn’t happen. Before I can wrap her into my arms, I’m flown backward into the air.

My eyes widen when my back hits the door, and my body is thrown onto the ground. She’d just thrown me out of the burning building without even putting her hands on me. I couldn’t believe it.

“Damon!” My mother screams my name.

She isn’t the only one shouting my name.

I look up and see Clarissa standing before me with soulless eyes.

“Clarissa,” Autumn shouts behind me. “Don’t do it! Don’t hurt him!”

Would she really hurt me? Did I completely lose her?