Clara

"I'm not going!" Hunter yelled, running to the bed and jumping on it.

I sighed and turned to Damon. "You said he wasn't going to be a problem," I whispered.

"I've got this," he replied, walking slowly toward the bed. We were in Damon and my room; we'd just told Hunter the news, but he wasn't taking it well.

"Hunter, stop being a baby," Haven yelled from beside me, her lip trembling.

"You said I could sleep next to you tonight, Mama! I'm not going!" He yelled again, bursting into tears.

Damon said, "I happen to know Grandma and Grandpa have a big gift for you and Haven. If you don't go with Haven, she'll get her gift, and yours will be given away. Do you want the gift or not?" He looked at Hunter, who still had a stubborn pout.

"Fine, suit yourself. I'll take only Haven. And Grandma baked those cookies you like," Damon added, rising from the bed and walking toward us.

"Yay, cookies! Will Grandpa take me for ice cream, too?" Haven asked, reaching for Damon, who immediately picked her up. "Of course, baby. Your grandparents will get you anything you want—take advantage of it, okay?" Damon murmured, caressing Haven's hair. I heard Hunter groan.

"But Mama…" he cried, and I sighed, walking to him. I pulled him into my arms as I sat on the bed. "I promise when you get back, you'll sleep next to me, and we'll cuddle every night, okay? Don't cry anymore," I murmured, wiping away his tears.

"Will you pick me up tomorrow?" he asked softly. I nodded. "I'll personally pick you up. I love you," I replied, kissing his forehead.

"Okay, I'll go," he muttered, and I smiled, turning to Damon. With Damon's help, I quickly got Hunter and Haven ready and packed a small bag for them. Property belongs to Novel(D)r/ama.Org.

"Are you sure your parents won't mind?" I asked as I buckled the kids into their car seats.

Ever since the fight with Sebastian, Damon's father's wolf had weakened and gone into seclusion, diminishing his strength. I felt Damon's mother already had a lot on her plate, and adding two energetic toddlers wasn't ideal.

"They asked for them, not me. Don't worry. And be ready for me tonight," he murmured seductively, kissing me.

I smiled, kissed Haven and Hunter's foreheads, and watched as Damon drove away. Only when they were far off did I turn and go back inside.

"When are you going to start your Queen Luna duties?" I shrieked, turning to find Dimitri leaning against the door.

"Dimitri, you're back!" I exclaimed, hugging him. Four years ago, after Damon woke up, Dimitri chose to continue exploring instead of staying in the pack. Though he kept in touch and always asked for pictures of Hunter and Haven, we hadn't seen him in person until now.

"I am, and you should be happy; you're the first person I came to see," he replied. I raised an eyebrow, chuckling.

"I would be if I didn't know you better. You want something, don't you?" I asked. He stared at me before a vulnerable look appeared in his eyes.

"I met a woman…"

"Oh, goddess! I thought you'd die single!" I exclaimed, and he rolled his eyes.

"Calm down," he muttered. I shook my head.

"I won't. I thought you were still hung up on Alicia," I replied. A dark look crossed his face. I guessed there would always be a part of him that liked Alicia, for whatever reason. I never asked what happened to her; I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"Why didn't you bring her with you?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I would have, but… she hates my guts," he said, and my eyes widened.

"What did you do to her?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I did nothing. She just hates me, and I don't know what to do. You made Damon love you despite his past. You must have some tricks," he muttered. The hopefulness in his eyes made me smile.

"You don't need anything extraordinary. Just be yourself and show her how much she means to you. Be true to your feelings," I told him. He sighed and nodded.

"I'll try. Maybe I'll bring her for Thanksgiving," he murmured, and I smiled.

"We'd love that." Dimitri stayed a while before leaving to see Damon.

I didn't want to stay home, so I decided to visit Delilah and see how she was doing. Delilah had helped me a lot over the past four years, and I wanted to be there for her.

I bathed, got dressed, and drove to her mansion. Her butler let me in, and I found Delilah on the sofa, crying with Mia in her arms. I rushed to her.

"Delilah, are you okay?" I asked, taking Mia from her.

"No. Everything's a mess, and she won't stop crying…"

"Shh, it's okay. I'll take care of her. Go wash up," I said. She sighed, wiped her tears, and left.

She returned minutes later, and I had calmed Mia and put her to bed.

"What's wrong? Do you want me to take Mia for a while?" I asked, sitting next to her on the couch.

I was going to murder Luca. I'd noticed Luca had changed since four years ago. He was more focused on work than before, prioritizing it over Delilah and their child, which was wrong, and I wouldn't stand for it.

"I'll talk to Luca, okay? Don't cry. And if you ever feel lonely, come to me. I understand, and you're right, Luca should be by your side. He will be. I'll make sure of that, so don't cry," I murmured, hugging her.

Luca better be ready for the slap I was about to give him…

—NOTE—

The book is essentially finished. There will be one more bonus chapter. If you want a chapter dedicated to Delilah and Luca, please comment.