The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn

~ALARIC~

"How is he doing?" I asked the doctor.

He looks at me with a concerned look on his face, "Not good at all."

It wasn't the news I was hoping for. Carter hasn't been doing well since he woke up and found out that Scarlett was missing. He still thinks he did something to her. He still believes he somehow hurt her even though I knew that was bullshit. He loved her too much to ever hurt her even in that state.

"His body is still in shock from losing Scarlett. He doesn't want to accept that someone took her. Plus, exhaustion from the electrocution last night is messing with his body's ability to heal as quickly as it should. He's going to be down for at least another day."

Fuck.

When he finally came out of this shock, he would hate himself even more than this.

I couldn't let that happen.

I had to find a way to get Scarlett back or at least have an idea who had taken her before Carter woke up.

I thought last night would have been like every other full moon. It turned into one big mess instead.

I had to start searching for answers. Who was in our home last night? How did they know where our camera system was set up? How were they able to turn everything off? I wanted to stay and look after Carter but I knew he would want me to find Scarlett while he was down.

I turn around to leave the room and see her.

Not my wife Nicole, but Scarlett's older sister.

Clara. Content is property of NôvelDrama.Org.

There was something about her that made me always want to protect her. I've never felt such protective instincts for anyone else in my life. At first, I thought it was a brotherly instinct. I thought that because Carter dated her, I considered her as a little sister. However, now that they weren't in a relationship, I couldn't explain why I wanted to protect her so badly.

Seeing her cry over Scarlett was fucking driving me insane. I didn't just want to help because of my brother; I wanted to help because of her as well.

I knew I was walking on dangerous waters. Waters that should never be fucking crossed. However, I couldn't help it. I had to be there for her. She needed someone, and no one else was going to do it.

There was just one problem. I didn't want to upset Nicole either. Thankfully, she'd just left for some important business.

But the hard part was still left for me to do. I had to tell Clara about our family's curse. It would be the first time that she would hear about it.

I knew she wouldn't be thrilled that we'd kept this from her and Scarlett for this long, but there was no running from it anymore.

"Are you ready to tell me what's all this about?" She demands with tears in her eyes. It took all my self-control not to lean forward and wipe those tears away.

"You already know that my family cannot have mates," I say, and she nods. "The curse also came with something else. I will just say what it is because there isn't an easier way to say this. On a full moon, our body loses all control. Well, we lose all control of our bodies; that's the better way to put it. We aren't aware of what we're doing on those nights. All memories are always lost when we wake up. We go hunting each full moon."

I can't bring myself to say the rest.

"Hunting?" She frowns. "Do you hunt animals or something like that?"

I shook my head and swallowed hard, "We hunt for women."

"Women?" She gasps.

"Any random woman. Maybe the first one that we see; I'm not sure. But when we find her, we. . ."

"You what?" She demands.

I couldn't tell her. It was hard for me. For some reason, the thought of Clara knowing my family's curse disturbed me.

"What is it, Alaric?" She asks again. "I need to know. Carter always disappeared on a full moon. Last night was a full moon, and he was chained to the ground in a basement that I never knew existed until now. I've been over so many times, and I never knew about its existence. I think it's only fair that you tell me the truth now. I deserve to know."

"My brother broke up with you because he was scared you would hate him when you discovered the truth about us. He felt like he was leading you on. He was protecting you from ever finding out about us. He did what he thought was the right thing for you." I explain. "It's why he behaved like such an asshole after the breakup. He wanted you to hate him. And it worked."

Clara looks torn at my words.

"I don't understand," she whispers. "What could he have been keeping from me? What exactly happens on a full moon, Alaric? Tell me now. I need to know."

I couldn't look at her when I told her the truth. Instead, I focused on the wall behind her. "We lose control of our bodies, then we hunt women and force them to have sex with us. Maybe some are willing, but I can't say for sure. When we wake up in the morning, we can't remember anything from the night before. It's why our parents designed rooms like the ones in the basement for each of us. It's to keep us locked in there so we don't get out and harm anyone."

I hear her gasp, but nothing else comes out of her mouth. It prompts me to look at her.

I expected to see hatred in her eyes, like in Nicole's when she first found out. However, I was shocked when I saw compassion.

She surprises me when she closes the distance between us and gently touches my cheek, "It must have been tough for you, Alaric. For all of you. I can't imagine the pain you endured all this time."

My lips parted slightly; how was she always so kind?

"You don't hate us?" I ask in disbelief. "You don't feel disgusted after what I told you?"

She frowns at me, "The fact that on every full moon, all of you are forced to lock yourselves in a room to protect others from your family's curse tells me all that I need to know. You aren't the bad guys here, Alaric; none of you are; you're the good ones. No matter what you think of yourself, I know you're a good man."

I felt some unknown emotion in my chest at her words.

What the fuck was happening to me?

"SCARLETT!"

Clara jumps, and I turn around wide-eyed. It was Carter. He'd woken up again.

I rush over to his side.

"Where is she?" He roars. "Where is Scarlett? What have they done to my baby?"

Clara joins me and takes a wet cloth to place it on top of his head.

"We will find my sister Carter." She whispers. "I promise you. We will find her. Whoever took her from us will pay. I promise you that."