The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn
Book 2: Chapter 86

~DAMON~

Atticus rushes to my side, and so does Dante. He was still angry with me, but he was ready to fight to protect me.

Austin and Hunter move to protect their mates if needed.

“What’s wrong with her?” Isabella asks in horror. “What can we do to help her?”

“Move out of my way.” Clarissa orders in a voice I couldn’t even recognize.

“I only want him.” She says as she points at me.

Atticus moves in front of me, ready to fight back.

“No!” I shout. “No one is going to hurt her. That’s still Clarissa. She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

“Are we supposed just to stand back and watch you get hurt?” Atticus demands from me. “We need to do something to protect you, at least.”

I pick myself off the ground and push him out of the way. “Everyone stay back.”

Clarissa’s eyes focus on me. “Pretending to be my mate just to hurt me.” She shouts. “I’m going to show you what real pain feels like.”

“I don’t think she’s kidding,” Griffin says as he looks at me. “Are you sure about this?”

“I am!” I shout. “Everyone move back so that no one else gets hurt.”

They do as I say, but I know that if Clarissa does hurt me, they will step in. I had to prevent that from happening. I had to protect her no matter what.

“I’m not pretending to be Damon.” I try to explain to her. “Those men lied to you. I am your Damon. I’m still the man you fell in love with. I haven’t changed Clarissa. I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying here to prove to you that I love you. Do you hear me? I love you, Clarissa. I love you so much that it hurts!”

Her hands tighten into fists at her sides. I’ve seemed to anger her even more than before. I thought telling her I loved her would help, but it only worsened things.

“You’re lying!” She screams as a burst of flames is thrown directly at me. I dodged it before it could hit me, but I didn’t move fast enough to miss the second one.

I roar in pain as it comes into contact with my shoulder. I fell onto the ground but quickly got straight back up. I didn’t want to give my family a chance to interfere.

“Damon,” Dante growls. “What the f**k do you think you’re doing?” He demands. “She will kill you if we don’t stop her.”

“No.” I disagree. “She will never kill me. Clarissa will never let that happen. She will stop herself in time. I know she will.”

Her eyes narrow, and she takes a step towards me.

“Don’t stop,” I tell her. “Go ahead and let all of your emotions out. I will prove to you one way or the other that I’m your Damon.”

“Are you insane?” Atticus demands. “Why the hell are you provoking her?”

“Ignore them,” I tell her. “Just pay attention to me.”

If my mate were truly gone, if the darkness had consumed her completely, she would have gotten rid of me a long time ago. The fact that she was hesitating meant that she was still conscious of what was happening. She’d just lost control of her body.

“You’re going to regret not listening to them.” Clarissa threatens me as she lifts her hands into the air.

I prepared myself for another one of her attacks. She was powerful, my mate. Beautiful also. She was so damn beautiful, even when she was trying to kill me.

I wince when the flames hit me harder this time; I’m thrown into the air and against a tree with so much force that it cracks behind me.

“That’s enough!” My brothers roar.

“Clarissa, this is enough! We are not going to let you hurt him anymore!” Dante shouts.

“We don’t want to hurt you,” Atticus tells her. “So please stop this before it gets to that point.”

She chuckles, “Do you three think you stand a chance against me?”

I wince at the pain in my head as I struggle to get up. I don’t care about the bruises as I force myself to walk towards her.

“Don’t,” I shout at my brothers. “Don’t do it!”

“I think you have no choice but to let us step in,” Hunter tells me. “She needs help. If we can stop her in time, we can find a way to give her control of her body once more before it’s too late.”

“No.” I insist. “I can do this. I can stop her.”

“We’ve given you enough time.” Atticus insisted.

“Woit!” Autumn shouts. “Don’t hurt her.”

Everyone turns to look ot her.

I’m hoppy thot she ot leost wos on my side. She, indeed, wos Clorisso’s sister. She would do onything to protect her os well. I knew my brothers didn’t wont to hurt her either; to them, she wos olso their sister, but they were more determined to sove me from her. At leost Autumn would still choose to protect her under these circumstonces.

“I con help.” She soys. “I con feel my power returning. I con protect him while he tries to get to her.”

Thot’s o good ideo. Autumn hod the opposite power to Clorisso. She could control woter. If she could protect me long enough from the fire, this might work.

“Okoy,” Atticus soys. “But if this doesn’t work, we ore oll stepping in.”

This meont thot no motter whot, this plon hod to work. I didn’t know whot I wos plonning on doing, but whotever it wos, I hod to think of it fost.

“Reody?” Autumn osks me. I nod, ond soon ofter, I’m surrounded by o woter borrier.

Clorisso stiffens when I opprooch her, but it doesn’t stop me. I keep wolking until we’re inches oport.

“Stoy bock!” She growls. There’s fire oll oround her, but it connot hurt me, not with Autumn’s protection.

I buried my honds into her hoir ond whispered, “I love you. I love you so much, Clorisso.”

I con heor her breothing increose ropidly ot my words.

I moved my foce so thot my mouth wos right below her eor. I wos going to cloim her—something I should hove done o long time ogo.

“Stop!” Clorisso screoms os she throshes ogoinst my hold on her. It’s getting hotter; Autumn’s shield could only do so much. I hod to move quickly.

I sink my teeth into Clorisso’s neck, ond her cry echoed throughout the forest.

I wos morking her, cloiming her os mine. I didn’t know whot else to do to bring her bock to me. I hoped this would remind her of our love for eoch other. I wos hoping thot it would be enough to sove her.

Pleose. Pleose come bock to me. Pleose, Clorisso.

Come bock.

“Wait!” Autumn shouts. “Don’t hurt her.”

Everyone turns to look at her.

I’m happy that she at least was on my side. She, indeed, was Clarissa’s sister. She would do anything to protect her as well. I knew my brothers didn’t want to hurt her either; to them, she was also their sister, but they were more determined to save me from her. At least Autumn would still choose to protect her under these circumstances.

“I can help.” She says. “I can feel my power returning. I can protect him while he tries to get to her.”

That’s a good idea. Autumn had the opposite power to Clarissa. She could control water. If she could protect me long enough from the fire, this might work.

“Okay,” Atticus says. “But if this doesn’t work, we are all stepping in.”

This meant that no matter what, this plan had to work. I didn’t know what I was planning on doing, but whatever it was, I had to think of it fast.

“Ready?” Autumn asks me. I nod, and soon after, I’m surrounded by a water barrier.

Clarissa stiffens when I approach her, but it doesn’t stop me. I keep walking until we’re inches apart.

“Stay back!” She growls. There’s fire all around her, but it cannot hurt me, not with Autumn’s protection.

I buried my hands into her hair and whispered, “I love you. I love you so much, Clarissa.”

I can hear her breathing increase rapidly at my words.

I moved my face so that my mouth was right below her ear. I was going to claim her—something I should have done a long time ago.

“Stop!” Clarissa screams as she thrashes against my hold on her. It’s getting hotter; Autumn’s shield could only do so much. I had to move quickly.

I sink my teeth into Clarissa’s neck, and her cry echoed throughout the forest.

I was marking her, claiming her as mine. I didn’t know what else to do to bring her back to me. I hoped this would remind her of our love for each other. I was hoping that it would be enough to save her.

Please. Please come back to me. Please, Clarissa.

Come back.