Chapter 75 - Damon - 63%

After Clara and Luca unlocked my chains, they pulled me from the cave and had me sit on a bench to clear my head. Once I was clearheaded, I glared at Luca. "Why did you bring her here? Are you stupid?" I asked. He bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Alpha," he murmured.

Clara spoke, turning my attention to her. "I asked him to bring me. We're leaving together. I'm not letting you suffer in there."

"This place is dangerous, Clara. I could have seriously hurt you if Luca hadn't intervened," I said. She sighed. "It wasn't your fault. It's because of the spell"

"It doesn't matter, Clara. I could have hurt you. Is that what you want?" I raised my voice. How could she be so careless?

"You didn't hurt me, so it doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm not leaving you here. You're coming home with me," she said. I sighed. "Go home, Clara. I'll finish my punishment, then I'll be back. You didn't need to come here," I muttered, standing to go back inside. She scoffed.

"I came all this way because I was worried and missed you, but the first thing you do is push me away?" she asked. I sighed.

"Clara…"

"Save it. Die in there for all I care," she muttered, standing and hurrying away. I watched until she disappeared. Sighing, I turned to Luca. "Go after her and make sure she gets home safely," I said, starting to walk away.

Luca spoke. "Why are you angry at her? She was just worried about you."

I glared at him. "I'm not angry at her, I'm angry at you. I explicitly instructed you not to bring her here because I didn't want her to see me like this. You disobeyed my orders."

"Because she missed you, Damon. She hasn't been coping well with the miscarriage, and she needed you. I'm sorry I prioritized your wife's well-being over your orders," he said. I frowned. "What happened?"

He sighed. "A woman accused her of trying to kidnap her child at the pack yesterday. It triggered Clara; she was inconsolable last night." My eyes widened, and I clenched my fist in anger. "Did you find the woman?"

He shook his head. "Clara didn't want me to pursue it, and her guards and maid won't tell me anything." I groaned. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"You didn't give me the chance," he murmured. I sighed. "Stay here. I'll go talk to her," I said, running after Clara.

I found her car and saw Clara crying in the back seat. Opening the door, I got in. She wiped her tears, avoiding my gaze.

"Look at me, Clara," I murmured softly. She shook her head. "I don't want to. Get out and leave me alone," she murmured. I sighed, gently turning her face toward mine. "I hope you won't mind if I kiss you," I murmured, my eyes trailing to her lips.

"Why do you want to kiss me?" she asked as I caressed her cheek.

"Because I missed you so much," I murmured, kissing her. She kissed me back with equal passion. I pulled her close, deepening the kiss. After a while, I pulled away, resting my head on her forehead.

"I'm sorry. I didn't like the thought of hurting you, that's why I reacted like that, but I missed you. Thinking of you kept me going in that cave," I murmured. She smiled slightly, resting her head on my chest.

"Please come home with me. I need you right now," she murmured. I kissed her head. "Okay, baby, let's go home."

I mind-linked Luca, and he arrived shortly, driving us away.

"Is all your stuff there?" Clara asked, her head resting on my chest.

"I packed some luggage to avoid suspicion, Clara," I murmured. She hummed, and after a while, she fell asleep.

"Delilah said she didn't really…" Luca began, but the car stopped abruptly, jolting Clara awake.

"What the hell is your problem?" I asked, glaring at the back of his head.

"I'm sorry, but Delilah came with us. I'll call her," Luca said, dialing Delilah's number. After several rings, she answered. "Where are you?" he asked. I heard Delilah say she had to leave immediately.

"And you couldn't tell me?" Luca asked. She sighed. "I didn't think you'd care." Luca ended the call and started the car.

"She's fine. I'm sorry for waking you up, Clara," Luca said as he drove. Clara glanced at me, then rested her head back on my chest.

"If it's because of Delilah, it's okay. You seem to really care about her," Clara murmured. I scoffed.

"Of course he does, she's my sister, and practically his too, since we grew up together," I said. She glanced up at me with a pout. "I wasn't talking to you."

I kissed her lips. "But if you were implying anything else, dismiss those thoughts. Delilah and Luca are like siblings."

"I see Delilah as a sister, nothing else, Clara. Damon is right," Luca interjected. I raised an eyebrow at Clara. "See? I know you're worried about Delilah being single, trying to match her with my Beta, but don't. Besides, she's too young for a relationship."

She scoffed. "Too young? She's older than me by a year! If she's too young, then you and I shouldn't be married." I rolled my eyes, wrapping my arms around her.

"You and I are already inseparable. Aren't you glad you bumped into me that night and threw up all over my expensive suit?" I asked.

"Shut up, it was an accident," she murmured. I grinned. "Well, I think you were trying to get my attention. You couldn't let a handsome guy like myself walk past without trying, could you?"

She rolled her eyes. "If you keep talking, I'm going to throw up all over you…"

The passage has been cleaned up for grammar, punctuation, and excessive profanity. The original's informal style is largely maintained, while improving readability.