October 17, Tuesday

Chapter 150

After Delilah and I got home, I immediately went to my room, bathed, changed into my nightgown, and lay down in bed while I waited for Damon.

Just then, my phone dinged on the nightstand, indicating I had received a message. I immediately grabbed it, knowing it was Damon. I rarely used this phone; I only kept it nearby when Damon was away.

As I suspected, it was Damon. I frowned as I read the text, then let out a huff. The message read: “[I’m sorry, baby. I’ll be back later today. Don’t wait up for me, and get some sleep. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.]” That night, however, Damon didn’t return, and I fell asleep waiting for him.

I woke up the next morning and frowned when I didn’t see Damon beside me or smell his scent, which would usually indicate he’d returned. I immediately got out of bed, grabbed my phone, and dialed his number while pacing the room, but he didn’t answer. Damon always answers.

“What is going on?” I muttered to myself. I paused when I glanced out the window and saw how unusually busy it was. I moved closer, furrowing my eyebrows as I stared at the men and women training. What was going on? Had there been an attack?

Just then, I heard a knock on the door, and Delilah walked in.

“Rise and shine, babe,” she greeted, a wide smile on her face. It faltered, however, when she saw my expression.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, and I sighed.

“Damon isn’t answering his phone. Why is everyone suddenly training so hard? Did we get attacked last night? Is that why Damon isn’t back?” I asked, worry creeping into my heart.

“No, but Damon realized we’ve been slacking off and decided to take training seriously again, just in case something happens,” she said. I narrowed my eyes.

“You aren’t telling me the whole truth. What happened?” I asked, and she nervously chuckled.

“Nothing. Damon just wants to be prepared. Anything can happen now, and we barely have enough able men and women. He’s just being cautious,” she explained, and I frowned. Something must have happened.

“I need to speak with him,” I said. I was about to leave the room when she blocked my way.

“I’m sorry, but Damon specifically told me not to let you leave this room when he sent me here,” she said. I tilted my head and folded my arms.

“I thought you said nothing was wrong?” I questioned, and she pursed her lips.

“Yeah, nothing is wrong, but…”

“If nothing is wrong, then there’s no reason why I can’t see my husband. You, or anyone else, cannot stop me,” I told her. Seeing how serious I was, she sighed and stepped aside.

I immediately left the room and the house, searching for Damon. Delilah quickly followed. I soon found him training several men. I stood and watched him single-handedly defeat them all. None of them stood a chance.

“Is this how far down my army has fallen? Why have you all gotten so weak?!” he thundered, silencing the entire training ground. Everyone bowed their heads in shame while I stared directly at him.

“I feel like I’m wasting my damn time training every single one of you. If this is my army, then I might as well surrender to the enemy because you’re all pathetic!” He scolded them, and I frowned at their dejected expressions. It wasn’t entirely their fault; this pack was rarely attacked because it belonged to the Alpha King and Damon; thus, they’d relaxed. With a little more practice, I was sure they’d return to normal.

“No need to be so hard on them,” I said, drawing his and everyone else’s attention. His eyes widened as soon as he saw me, then he glared at Delilah, who stood beside me.

“Continue training! No one is allowed to stop or leave until I have seen a significant change! Now!” he ordered. Everyone immediately scattered and resumed training.

“I’ll go find Luca,” Delilah said hurriedly, walking away. Damon approached me.

“What are you doing here? You should be in your room,” he said, taking my hand and leading me toward the house.

“You didn’t come home last night or this morning. Is something wrong? Did something happen? Tell me, I can…”

“Nothing happened, okay? I’m just being cautious. We need to be prepared for anything.” He said the same thing as Delilah, but I knew it was more than that.

“I want to train as well. It’s been a long time since I trained,” I told him, and he scoffed.

“What you’re going to do is go home and stay in our room. I’ll have someone bring you food. Trust me, it’s safer there,” he said, and I yanked my hand away.

“Safer for who? Why? If something happened, then tell me…”

“Nothing happened, Clara…”

“Then I’m staying here. Even if I don’t train, I’ll just stay and watch and…”

“No, Clara, you’ll go to your room now!” he ordered. I gasped, staring at him with wide eyes. He seemed shocked that he’d raised his voice.

“Listen, I don’t want to fight with you, and I’m sorry for raising my voice, but please just go to your room. After I’m done, I’ll come meet you there. I don’t want to worry about you,” he said softly, and I scoffed.

“I thought you said we were partners? Then why are you keeping things from me? If something is bothering you, or if something is wrong, talk to me,” I urged, placing my hand on his cheek.

“Nothing is wrong, Clara. Please just go back to your room,” he said, and I frowned.

“I don’t want to go back to my room,” I told him, pulling back and crossing my arms.

“You don’t have a choice. As long as I know you’re safe, that’s all that matters. You’ll either go with Delilah or I’ll have my men take you there. You choose,” he said, and I glared at him.

“I’ll go on my own,” I muttered through clenched teeth, turning away and walking off. I heard him sigh before he asked some guards to accompany me.

I was furious as I walked into the house. Why was he suddenly pushing me away? Why wouldn’t he talk to me?

As soon as I reached the room, two guards stood by the door, making me scoff. I walked past them, into the room, and paced angrily before collapsing onto the bed. I knew Damon was trying to protect me, but I didn’t like that he was excluding me. Don’t I deserve to know what’s going on?

I sat up when I heard the guards outside scream, followed by silence. I couldn’t hear their breathing anymore.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” I asked, slowly standing. Instead of a reply, the door opened. I assumed a fighting stance as I caught a scent—a man I’d never seen before. His aura and scent were unlike anything I’d ever encountered.

I looked behind him and gasped, seeing the guards lying in their blood.

“Who… who are you?” I asked, slowly backing away.

“It’s finally nice to meet the famous Clara. All you need to know is that I’m one of your husband’s many enemies, and I’m here to cause a commotion.” As he spoke, his eyes turned red as he slowly approached me. Before my brain could process it, a scream escaped my lips…