Chapter 17 - Damon
I sat down, pondering Clara's words: "Are you ready to lose a family member?" Her threat echoed in my head, and I chuckled. The little devil had a spine.
"Are you really going to let her fight Alicia? Alicia's almost as strong as Delilah," Luca said, standing before me.
"She wants to, so let her," I muttered, grabbing my book as Luca scoffed. "So you don't care if she's injured? Or killed?" he asked. I slowly turned. "If Alicia kills Clara, the purpose of marrying and bringing her here is void. I'll intervene if it gets too heated. I want to test her strength," I murmured. Luca raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you won't stop it because you care?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. I glared. "Her being out of my life is better for everyone, especially me," I muttered. He rolled his eyes.
"Sure, that's why you won't get her new clothes—you enjoy seeing her in yours and smelling her on you, right?" My fingers clenched on the book. He was right; I did, but I'd rather die than admit it.
"Get out. I have work to do. Prepare the cars for tomorrow, and everything else I'll need. Gather the men; we'll need as many guards as possible. We're going into human territory," I said. He nodded, bowed, and left.
As soon as he was gone, I dropped the book, sighed, and massaged my temples. "Everyone out," I commanded. My guards and maids immediately left. © NôvelDrama.Org
Tomorrow would be stressful. I needed energy to be with Clara all day. I groaned, stood, and went to bed. My wolf's excitement was almost unbearable; he nearly caused a scene with Clara earlier. "Control yourself, you hound," I muttered. My wolf scoffed internally. "You act like you don't want her, too," he retorted. "I don't," I replied. "Keep telling yourself that. My mate is a fiery little beast, isn't she?" he said as I climbed into bed. "Our mate," I corrected. He chuckled.
Chapter 17 (continued)
"And you said you didn't care or want her," he retorted. I groaned. "I don't… ugh! Goodnight!" I blocked him out, forcing myself to sleep, but Clara invaded my mind and dreams. I hated it. I needed to become Alpha King to reject her and get rid of her before I developed feelings.
"What's taking her so long?" I muttered, pacing below the stairs. I'd been ready for two hours, and Clara hadn't come down.
"Give her time. She's a lady; she needs to do her hair and makeup," Luca said. I frowned. "Who made you an expert on women? Shut up and get her; I haven't got time for this," I snapped. He sighed, starting up the stairs, when Delilah came running down, grinning.
"You won't recognize your wife, Damon. She's absolutely beautiful. Bring her out!" she yelled. I was about to push her away when I saw Clara, and the world froze. My eyes widened as she shyly stood at the top of the stairs. A guard reached out, but I growled, and before I could stop myself, I rushed to her and took her hand. She looked up questioningly, and I got lost in her sparkling hazel eyes for a second before snapping out of it. "We have to make it believable, remember?" I whispered. She nodded, smiling. Even if it was fake, she looked like a goddess.
"Shall we go down?" she asked. I realized how long I'd been staring. I cleared my throat, nodded, and led her down, ignoring Luca and Delilah's knowing looks.
"You look beautiful, sister-in-law. That white gown is stunning on you, Damon, you like what the makeup artist did, huh? I saw how you were staring," Delilah said. I turned sharply. "Don't spout nonsense, let's go," I muttered. She rolled her eyes, interlocking arms with Clara and leading her away. Then I noticed Clara's bare back. "Get a jacket from my room," I ordered Luca. He left. I went outside and found my family gushing over Clara's beauty, especially my mother. My eyes darted to Alicia; she looked away, fear evident in her posture. I ignored her and went to my parents.
"You two are going to make the cutest babies," my mother gushed. Clara's cheeks flushed. I internally slapped myself. Beauty? Had I called Clara beautiful? I must be losing my mind.
"Is that another man's mark on your neck?" My mother shrieked. My father turned, anger in his eyes. "To my office, now, Damon!"
This revised version addresses grammar, punctuation, spelling, and formatting inconsistencies. It also improves the flow and readability of the narrative. The use of asterisks for internal thoughts is maintained for consistency. The excessive use of capitalization has been toned down for a more natural feel.