"Don't call me that. Why are you here?" I questioned, staring at him.

"Can't I come see my sister-in-law? My, my, my, you look beautiful in that dress," he complimented, and I frowned. Something felt odd about him; I couldn't explain it.

"Aurora is not your friend, peaches. The sooner you realize that, the better," My eyes widened. His face held no smirk; the seriousness in his eyes reminded me of Damon. I didn't think Dimitri was capable of such seriousness.

"Why do you say that?" I asked. He stared at me for a while before smirking, that playful glint returning to his eyes.

"As much as I'd like to stay and chat, if your husband sees me, I'm dead meat, and I don't feel like dying right now. See you later, peaches," he said. Before I could respond, he left the room, and I stood staring at the door.

That was weird. Now that I thought about it, Aurora's reaction to Dimitri was even weirder, but I couldn't explain it.

My thoughts were interrupted when Damon entered.

"Sorry I kept you waiting. I just wanted everything to be perfect," he said, kissing me.

"It's nothing. Are we leaving now?" I asked. He was about to answer when he glanced around.

"Aurora and Dimitri were here?" he asked, and my eyes widened. I hadn't thought he'd sense them.

Before I could reply, Delilah entered.

"Come on, everything's ready!" she squealed. I smiled, taking in her outfit. She wore a beautiful light pink gown that flowed to her ankles. She looked beautiful, and I was sure Luca wouldn't be able to take his eyes off her.

"Let's go?" Damon said, extending his hand. I smiled and left the room with him.

Hand in hand, we walked toward the stage. Everyone's eyes were on us; even his mother was there. She smiled, and I smiled back.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Dimitri; he flashed me a smile before turning to Aurora, who glared at me with anger and envy.

I turned away from the crowd and took a deep breath as Damon and I stood face to face under the full moon.

"Don't be nervous, okay? Keep your eyes on me," he murmured, drawing reassuring circles on my palm. I smiled.

The ceremony wasn't as awful as I'd thought. I simply repeated some words, drank from a chalice, and swore an oath to be a good and just Luna of the pack. Then Damon renewed my mark. Although I felt it was too intimate for public display, it was tradition. He pulled me close and sank his fangs into my neck. I tried to control my reaction. After I calmed down, I bit him back, and I felt his body tense, making me smile. At least I wasn't the only one affected.

"I, Alpha Damon Donovan, proclaim my wife, Clara Donovan, my Luna and future Queen Luna. Cheers!" Damon announced, and everyone cheered.

"My Luna," he murmured, caressing my face. I smiled, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"Can we go home? I want to spend the night with you," I said. His eyes darkened with desire.

"Let's greet everyone quickly, then we can leave, okay?" he said. I sighed but nodded.

We came down from the stage; his parents congratulated us first.

"Congratulations, Clara," his father greeted, smiling. His mother took my hand. "I'm happy to call you my daughter-in-law and my successor as Queen Luna. I know you and Damon will make your own legacy," she murmured. Tears welled in my eyes.

Damon's mother and I had grown close because I was treating her illness, and despite our differences, she was like a mother figure to me; her words meant a lot.

"Come on, Mother, don't make my wife cry," Damon said, pulling me close and wiping away my tears.

"Oh, I didn't mean to. I'm just happy. Your father and I always thought you'd end up single and rule the kingdom alone," his mother admitted, and his father nodded.

"That was my plan, but this little devil had to come into my life and ruin all my plans," Damon joked, and I rolled my eyes.

"You love me," I stated. He chuckled.

"I do," he replied, kissing my cheek.

"Congratulations on becoming Luna, Clara." We all turned to the voice and frowned; it was Aurora. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing the white dress anymore; she wore black, which I found odd.

"Thank you," I replied, hiding my hostility.

"And you two look good together," she added, smiling slightly at Damon.

I frowned, studying her appearance. Why did she seem so pale? Even her lips were white.

I was about to ask if she was okay when her eyes rolled back, and she fainted. Damon started to help her but stopped.

Everyone gathered, murmuring amongst themselves.

"Luca, take her to the hospital now," Damon instructed. Luca nodded, carrying Aurora away.

I watched until they disappeared, thinking it was another one of her schemes. Why had she fainted? What was she up to?

I was about to turn away when I saw Dimitri. He was staring at Luca carrying Aurora. Sensing my gaze, he turned, and we held each other's stare for a few seconds before he smirked and walked away.

Something was definitely wrong. I felt Aurora and Dimitri's appearance wasn't a coincidence. I needed to talk to Dimitri soon. I needed to know if they were working together and, if so, how to get rid of them. I was done running; to protect my relationship with Damon, I needed to be strong and put everyone in their place.