Chapter 153

Part 1

"Damon, stop that! Stop!" I screamed, walking behind him. When he didn't stop, I halted, then stamped my feet.

"Donovan Damon Gertrude!" I growled. That did the trick. He stopped and turned, his eyes wide.

"How did you?" He trailed off as Dimitri snickered, earning a glare from Damon.

"I swear I didn't tell her. I almost forgot your middle name was Gertrude," Dimitri said, laughing.

I had to admit it was funny. I remembered how shocked I was to see his middle name was Gertrude when signing the marriage papers. I hadn't laughed or said anything then because I was still wary of him.

"Oh, like yours is any better, Samantha," Damon retorted, silencing Dimitri. Delilah laughed, and they both turned to her.

"You can't clap back at me; I don't have a middle name. Perks of being Dad's favorite," she said, smirking and flicking her hair.

"Your name is Samantha?" I asked Dimitri, eyes wide. He frowned.

"Let's move on," he muttered. As much as I wanted to tease them, there was no time for jokes now.

"Damon, you're not going into the lion's den. You'll get yourself killed," I reasoned, knowing how stubborn my husband was.

"Immortal or not, he couldn't kill me if he wanted to," he boasted. I scoffed.

"Neither can you. He's immortal, Damon. If you fight, who's potentially going to die? You! Not to mention you'll be on his territory, making your survival even slimmer," I said. He sighed.

"Don't worry, he won't kill me—not yet, at least. If he's as powerful as we think, there's nothing stopping him from attacking now, especially with my army weakened. There has to be a weakness, something to help take him down, and I can't find it without seeing him up close," he explained. But I remained opposed.

"You're not going anywhere," I stated. He frowned.

"Clara"

"If you insist on going, by the time you get back, you'll no longer have a wife. If you come back, that is," I told him. His eyes widened; everyone gasped.

"Baby, what are you talking about?" He reached for me, but I stepped back.

"If you go, you'll be signing divorce papers when you return, and I'm not kidding. Dimitri, where's the nearest court?" I asked, staring intently at him.

"There's one around the corner" he trailed off as Damon glared.

"Go then. If you want to be unreasonable, I can't be your wife," I said, turning and storming away.

I didn't need to turn around to know he was behind me.

Part 2

"My love, wait. Clara," he called, but I didn't turn. I gasped as he took my hand and gently turned me around.

The soft look in his eyes and the gentle smile immediately softened my heart.

"What? You're not leaving?" I tried to sound fierce, but my voice had softened.

"I'm sorry. I'm used to facing problems head-on. I didn't mean to anger you," he murmured, caressing my face. I sighed.

"I'm not angry, Damon. I'm just worried. I don't want you hurt," I said. He smiled and kissed me.

"I know, and I'm sorry. From now on, my safety comes first," he said. I raised an eyebrow and wiggled my pinky.

"Pinky swear," I urged. He chuckled, intertwining our fingers.

"I pinky swear. Now come here, I've missed you," he murmured, pulling me close and burying his face in my neck.

"You're the one who's been neglecting me," I pouted. He sighed.

"It's because of training. We need to be prepared," he explained. I sighed.

"At least spend the night with me. You barely sleep," I said worriedly. He chuckled.

"My wife's wish is my command. I just need to give a few orders, and I'll be home, okay?" He pulled away; I nodded.

"Don't come back late," I said. He nodded.

"Of course, my Queen. Delilah is on her way; she'll escort you home, and you'll rest, okay? I'll be there soon," he said. I nodded.

Delilah arrived; Damon left with Luca. Delilah and I returned home.

"Do you really not know how to contact my uncle? I just need to talk to him," I said as we entered the room.

"No, I really don't. Now rest. Get in bed," she ordered. I was too tired to argue.

"What about Luca? Doesn't he know?" I asked. She sighed, tucking me in.

"No. Damon was the last one to contact your uncle with the number Dimitri gave I shouldn't be saying this," she said hurriedly, panicked.

"Does Dimitri still have his number?" I asked. She frowned.

"From what I remember, he gave it to Damon. I'm leaving; I've said too much. If you're hungry, say something, okay?" she said. I smiled slightly.

After she left, I searched the room for the number, assuming it was written down.

Hours later, still without success, I plopped onto the bed, wondering where it could be.

It was likely in Damon's study, but it was always locked when he wasn't around.

I had to find a way to convince him to take me there tonight.