Chapter 176

LUCA

It was dark. I tried to move, but my whole body was chained. Where the hell was I?

I struggled against the chains and tried to scream, but my mouth felt sewn shut. What the hell was happening? Where was I?

Then, I heard Delilah’s voice. It was faint, but I recognized it—she was calling my name.

I struggled against the chains, only to make them tighter. The more I struggled, the tighter they became, until I could barely breathe.

"Luca, wake up!" Delilah yelled. She came into view, and my eyes widened. What did she mean, wake up? This felt too real to be a dream.

She rushed closer, grabbing my face, her eyes frantic.

"Wake up!" she screamed, and I jolted awake.

I sat straight up in bed, breathing as if I'd run a marathon.

"Are you okay?" Delilah asked, wrapping her arms around me. I didn't know how to answer.

She took my silence as an answer and tightened her embrace.

"It's going to be okay. Those fucking witches—I'm going to end them," she murmured. I cracked a smile and pulled back slightly, just enough to see her face.

"You're not coming with Damon and me," I said. She frowned.

"Of course I'm coming. I…"

"Delilah, please don't fight me on this. I don't want you to get hurt, and I'm sure Damon and I can handle a bunch of witches. Trust me, please? I'll tell you everything when we get back," I murmured, kissing her lips. She frowned.

"I want to be there for you, Luca," she replied. I smiled.

"Knowing you and Mia are home waiting is more than enough. I just want to get better so I can be the perfect husband and father to both of you," I said, caressing her face. She sighed.

"When do you leave?" she asked. Before I could answer, we heard Damon yell my name from downstairs.

"Luca, let's fucking go!" he yelled. We heard Clara shush him.

"There's a kid in the house, no cussing," she scolded, and I chuckled. Delilah pulled away, and we both stood.

"I'll check on Mia and be right there," she said, kissing me before leaving the room.

I quickly brushed my teeth before going downstairs to meet Damon and Clara. They were on the couch—Damon was seated, and Clara sat on top of him.

"Good morning," I greeted. Clara frowned immediately.

"You look like shit," Damon pointed out, earning a slap from Clara.

"Shut up. Have you been sleeping well?" she asked as I sat on the couch opposite them.

"Not really. I had a nightmare—it felt so real. I can't explain it. My head hurts," I admitted, massaging my temples. A hand touched my shoulder.

I looked up and saw Clara looking down at me kindly.

"It's going to be okay; we're all in this together. You're in this mess because of me, and no matter how you all try to convince me otherwise, I can't stop blaming myself. So, no matter what, we're going to get through this," she said. I couldn't help but smile.

Despite everything, I'd never regret making that deal with the witches—it saved Clara. I always knew she was Luna material, but she was different now that she was Queen Luna. It was like she saw all wolves as her children, and it warmed my heart.

"Okay," I said. She smiled before returning to Damon, who was staring at her adoringly.

Chapter 176 (Continued)

"I'm here, and so is Mia!" Delilah called, descending the stairs with Mia in her arms.

Clara immediately hugged Delilah sideways before taking Mia.

"Aren't you the cutest?" she gushed, kissing Mia's head as they walked toward us.

"We need to go, Luca. The witches' coven is far, so we need to leave early so I can get back to my family," Damon said, standing.

"You know the witches hate you, right? I'm not sure getting in will be easy," I pointed out, standing.

"Don't worry about me; I have my ways. Just get ready," he said. I nodded and went upstairs to prepare, kissing Mia's forehead.

Soon, I was ready, but I was growing nervous. What if they refused to remove whatever they'd put on me? What if I was stuck like this forever?

I shook off the thought and got dressed. To be the best husband and father, I had to get rid of this spell.

Downstairs, I found Clara and Damon hugging while Delilah, looking worried, fed Mia. She turned to me, frowning.

"I'll be okay, trust me. Take care of yourself and Mia, okay?" I murmured. She nodded. I smiled and kissed her face repeatedly until she giggled.

"Okay, that's enough; no brother wants to see his sister's face eaten," Damon grumbled. I rolled my eyes.

Like he didn't know his PDA with Clara was far worse.

"You should both be careful," Clara said as they separated, Damon smiling down at her.

"I killed an immortal; basically, I'm a god now," he joked. She rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Let's go," Damon said, turning to me. I glanced one last time at Delilah before nodding.

I was coming back better, no matter what…

NOTE:

Hey everyone, if you're reading this, please leave a comment so I know how many of you are still here. My editor suggested continuing Luca and Delilah's story here, as their arc isn't that long. This book will continue! There will still be a series, but it will focus on the kids. Stay tuned for more chapters!