The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn

~CLARA~Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

My body was in shock, and not the bad kind—the very satisfactory kind of shock that had your heart racing and your belly doing all kinds of weird things.

Alaric had no idea what he was doing to me. I know he was trying to convince me to stay away from him during the full moon. However, he doesn't realize that this is making me want him even more.

Everything about this man made me crazy for him.

"Alaric," I whisper, and he growls, almost like he couldn't believe I'd just said his name like that. "I will be here during the full moon. I know what you and your family are scared of. However, I'm not scared; I will never be scared of you."

There is a defeated look on his face as he gazes down at me. Our bodies were close, and I could feel his hot, worried breath on my cheeks. I wanted to lean forward and bury my lips on his neck. There were so many things that I wanted to do with Alaric, but I knew that I couldn't push my luck. I had to take it slowly with him; he'd only just gotten out of a horrible marriage, and I knew the last thing he would be thinking about was getting into anything serious with me.

His jaw clenched and it looked like he was calculating something in his head before finally giving up on me.

He angrily lets go and storms out of the room. I fell back against the desk, trying to catch my breath. I couldn't believe that had just happened.

I gently touch my lips with my fingers. I was dying for another kiss. I couldn't stop thinking about what happened before.

Alaric told Carter just a few minutes ago that he's always cared about me. Was that the truth? Has he truly always cared about me? My heart melted at the possibility of that being true.

It would mean the world to me if he spoke from his heart when he told those things to Carter.

. . . . . . . .

~ALARIC~

The full moon was here. Preparation for tonight had already begun, and it was not easy. It's never easy. We've gotten used to it by now, but the trauma it causes us never eases, no matter how many times we've done this before.

"What's going on between you and Carter?" Ares asks me as he shoots the basketball into the hoop.

"Nothing." I lie.

He looks at me suspiciously, "Really? Usually, he's out here challenging you to a match. Recently, it seems like the two of you are not seeing eye to eye."

My jaw clenched; I knew it wouldn't be long before my brothers picked up on the tension between us. I just wasn't ready to speak about it yet. I didn't want the others to get the idea that I was interested in Clara. I didn't want to deal with that right now. I also didn't want her to feel uncomfortable when she came over to the house. I wanted her around here as much as possible, and that meant making her feel welcome and not like my family was gossiping about us.

"The silent treatment." Ares chuckles. "I guess if I don't get it out of you, I can always try getting it out of Carter."

"Don't," I growl. "Don't ask him anything."

"Okay, big brother." He says as he holds up his hands in defense. "Let's just get through this game without you wanting to strangle me."

"That's easier said than done, Ares," I tell him as I grab the ball.

"We have company." He announces. "It looks like you won't be able to complete the game after all. I suggest that you give me the win tonight."

I follow his gaze, and the ball drops from my hand the second my eyes fall on the woman a few feet away from me.

I felt everything inside of me go completely rigid.

She came.

Clara came, and she chose to fucking wear one of the sexiest dresses I've ever seen on her. She was showing off every inch of her curves, and her damn legs were shining like crazy under the light, not to mention the same breasts that nearly drove me to insanity just a few days ago. I was about to lose it. I knew I was. Why would she do this to me on the full moon? She knows what I warned her about.

Was her intention to drive me fucking insane?

"What's with that look of longing on your face?" Ares asks me, and I feel like punching him in his chest.

"You're right," I say. "Take the win tonight. I have something else I need to see about right now."

He doesn't say anything else. I storm into the house. Clara had already moved from my view, and I needed to find her.

I walk into the hallway and search the kitchen, and then the living room. She was nowhere around.

Fuck.

"Who are you looking for?" Carter asks me with his arms folded across his chest.

"None of your fucking business," I growl as I walk past him up the stairs.

I'm searching through each of the guest rooms next. She has me like a fucking madman. Did she know that I would run straight after her? Was this her intention? Did she come here to tease me tonight?

I felt like shouting her name, but I didn't want anyone else to know what was going on in my head.

There was one last guest room left to check, one that was closest to my room.

I pushed the door open aggressively.

And there she was. Staring out the window.

She slowly turns around to look at me, and her bottom lip trembles a little.

How does she do it? How does she make me this wild over her?

And what the hell am I supposed to do tonight to keep myself from going after her?