Chapter 111 - CLARA -

Before I could speak, Damon pulled me away and punched Dimitri in the jaw. "What the f**k are you doing here?!" Damon growled, ready to attack if I hadn't been holding him back. "Damon!" Delilah yelled, rushing over to help Dimitri to his feet. "You haven't lost your touch, brother," Dimitri said, spitting out blood and flashing Damon a smile that only seemed to enrage him further. Luckily, Luca arrived and helped me restrain Damon.

"Why is he here?!" Damon demanded, turning to Delilah.

"I know we have our differences, but I'm your brother, Damon. You didn't think to tell me you'd married such a beautiful woman?" Dimitri smirked. I frowned when our eyes met. Why was he deliberately provoking Damon?

As if on cue, the Alpha King appeared before Dimitri. "I gave him permission to come, Damon," the Alpha King announced, earning a scoff from Damon.

"And why in Goddess's name would you do that? I specifically said he couldn't come back," Damon muttered through clenched teeth. My grip tightened. I knew he was about to attack both Dimitri and the Alpha King.

"You seem to forget I'm still Alpha King until you assume the position, so I don't have to answer to you," the Alpha King retorted, eliciting a threatening growl from Damon. Everyone, including the Alpha King, visibly trembled—which surprised me.

Dimitri interrupted the Alpha King. "Look, my mother wanted to see me, and I wanted to see her. He's our son, and we know what he did was wrong…" He scoffed. "I stayed away as you asked, and wouldn't have returned, but I learned Mother was sick, so I had to see her. When she's better, I'll leave you alone, alright?" Dimitri said boredly, wiping blood from his mouth. "Did you forget what you did? Aurora is here and…" As he spoke, I looked around—Aurora was nowhere to be seen.

Chapter 111 continued

"She's gone," I told Damon. He immediately scanned the room. "S**t!" he muttered. I noticed Dimitri roll his eyes.

"I'll go look for her," I murmured, releasing Damon.

"Are you sure?" he asked. I nodded.

"Finish up here, and then come find us," I said, kissing his cheek before running off. I briefly glanced back; Damon was still arguing, but thankfully, Luca was still holding him.

I ran into the house, following Aurora's scent. The maids said she'd gone upstairs. I found her immediately. The minute she saw me, she frowned.

"Are you okay?" I asked, but she ignored me, staring at the door. I cleared my throat, sitting on the bed beside her. "I know Dimitri's arrival is upsetting, but…"

"You do know we're not friends, right?" she interrupted. My eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"I don't like you because you stole my man," she revealed. I scoffed. Her man? "But I'm willing to tolerate you because Damon seems to like you. So don't try to be friends, because I don't like you," she said. Before I could reply, Damon entered, covered in dirt, suggesting a post-departure brawl with Dimitri.

"Damon!" Aurora cried, and I was shocked to see her crying. The coldly aloof girl was suddenly weak and fragile. She ran to him, throwing herself into his arms. His eyes found mine; I saw the panic, so I smiled and nodded reassuringly. He patted her back, then pulled away.

"Why is he here, Damon? What if he does it again? Can't he be sent away?" she cried. I almost felt sorry for her until I remembered her earlier words.

"My mother wants him here, but don't worry, he's not going to come near you, okay? You don't have to be afraid of him," Damon reassured her. At that moment, I realized how much he'd changed. The Damon I first knew would have been thrown by her tears.

"He came here because of me, I just know it. He's going to come for me again, but if I'm close to you, he won't try anything," she said. I frowned. "Let me stay here with you and Clara. I'm sure Clara won't mind, right?" she asked, turning to me. I should have refused, but I nodded before I could stop myself.

"See? She doesn't mind," Aurora said, turning to Damon. He frowned at her, then at me. "She does mind, and you can't stay here. This is my marital home with Aurora, and I don't intend on sharing it with you," he said. Happiness surged through me. I smiled at him; he smiled back.

"Oh… can I at least be here during the day? I don't trust Dimitri. Please, Damon," she pleaded. He sighed. "Okay. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He moved away from her and towards me. "I believe I owe you lunch, wife," he murmured, extending his hand. I smiled brightly. "I believe you do, husband," I replied, taking his hand and standing. Despite not looking at her, I felt Aurora's sinister aura, and, for some reason, I was starting to get scared…

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