Chapter 10

Clara

Being teased and scorned was nothing new. Back at Liam's pack, only Aunt Amelia, Liam, and his father—who had taken me in and treated me like a daughter—cared for me. The others saw me as trash, but I learned to ignore them.

"Sit, dear, the food will get cold," Damon's mother said kindly, smiling. I smiled back. I had just met his parents, and they seemed nice. So what was wrong with Damon?

The Alpha King sat at the head of the table. Damon sat beside him, and I sat next to Damon.

"Next time you speak to my wife like that, you will be skinned alive and fed to the rogues," Damon said as soon as he sat down. I stared at him, wide-eyed. I hadn't expected him to defend me, especially against a family member.

"She…"

"Apologize now," Damon commanded, his authority silencing everyone at the table, including his parents.

The girl pursed her lips, sighed, and turned to me. "I'm sorry," she muttered through clenched teeth. It wasn't sincere, but I didn't want to push it, so I smiled.

Silence fell until Damon's mother cleared her throat. "How about the maids serve our food, and in the meantime, we introduce ourselves?" she suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement except Damon and me.

I glanced at Damon; he looked bored, like he'd rather be anywhere else. At that moment, I couldn't help admiring his features. He was the epitome of dangerous, sexy beauty. He seemed to have inherited his mother's features and his father's aura, but Damon's aura was vying for dominance over his father's—and in my opinion, Damon was winning.

Damon suddenly turned to me, and I quickly looked away, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. He'd think I was admiring him… which I was, but still.

"So, dear, I haven't formally introduced myself. I'm Agnes, and this hunk is my husband, Raymond," Damon's mother said. Damon groaned but said nothing.

I later learned that the mean girl was Alicia, Damon's step-cousin. He apparently had a brother and sister, but they weren't present. There were also two aunts and three uncles at the table, all of whom greeted me warmly. Damon's young cousins were there too; they were adorable, all looking regal. Despite Alicia's unpleasantness, she was beautiful, and the way she kept staring at Damon suggested she had a crush on him—a thought that made me slightly nauseous. They were step-cousins, but still…

"I noticed you didn't tell me your last name. Why?" Alpha King Raymond asked, silencing everyone.

"I never knew my parents," I murmured. "My ex-Alpha's father took me into his pack, but I never adopted their last name." Alicia scoffed but said nothing.

"Oh, that sounds rough, dear, but now you have a last name because of my son," Agnes said kindly. I smiled and was about to eat—I was starving—when the Alpha King spoke again.

"So you never bothered to find out your origins?" he asked. I frowned and shook my head.

"I never thought it was necessary," I murmured.

"How old were you when you were taken in by the Crescent Moon pack?"

"Six," I replied. He raised an eyebrow.

"And you don't remember your last name? Not even where you're from?" A wave of nausea rose in my throat. I shook my head, but he seemed dissatisfied.

"Surely, you…"

"Drop it, old man. She doesn't answer to you; she's my wife," Damon interrupted, turning everyone's attention to him. I was grateful.

The Alpha King stopped questioning me, and dinner continued with much chatter.

"So, Clara, tell me about your first interaction. What happened when you discovered you were mates?" Agnes asked. I looked at Damon, who was staring at his food with disinterest. I considered telling them the truth for a laugh, but then I had a better idea.

"Damon fell in love with me at first sight," I murmured. Everyone gasped. Damon raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"But he said he was going to reject you," the Alpha King pointed out. I glared at Damon. So he had wanted to reject me at first sight.

"Ah, yes, but that's because he felt I was too good for him," I said, fluttering my eyelashes innocently at Damon. "He felt he couldn't give me the love I deserved, but he couldn't stay away. Isn't that right, hubby?" An amused smile touched his lips.

"How I remember it is you falling to your knees and begging me not to reject you," he murmured. My eyes widened.

"Clara really needs to rest," Damon said, pushing back his chair. "She's starting to daydream. We should all leave so we can go to bed."

"I know why you're so eager to get rid of us, Damon," one of Damon's uncles said, winking at us. Then I noticed the faint pink blush on Agnes' cheeks.

"Oh, don't tease them. It's their wedding night, after all. They need to start planning for an heir. Isn't that right, honey?" Agnes said. I gasped, looking at Damon, whose expression mirrored my shock.