The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn

~ALARIC~

Fuck.

Clara's car was nowhere home. I went searching throughout the entire academy earlier with hopes of finding her somewhere. However, she was nowhere to be seen. Eventually, I realized her vehicle wasn't even in the parking lot.

I hoped she might have gone to her sister Scarlett to tell her what I had done. However, I was sure that she wasn't here either; the fact that her car wasn't here told me all I needed to know.

Still, maybe Scarlett would have some kind of details for me. Maybe she at least called her and spoke to her.

I rushed into the house and didn't stop running until I saw Scarlett. She's staring at her phone but looks up when she hears my footsteps.

"Scarlett!"

Her face tells me that she's worried, which means Clara must have spoken to her. Still, I had to ask to confirm my suspicions.

"Did Clara try to contact you today?" I ask her as I wait impatiently for her to answer my question.

She nods, "she told me that she needed to speak to me. However, that was over two hours ago. She should have been here by now."

My jaw clenched, "did you try calling her again?"

She nods, "I have, but I haven't gotten a response. She isn't answering any of my calls or messages. I'm beginning to get worried. It's very unlike my sister not to answer my calls or at least respond to a message."

Her eyes narrow when she sees my expression. I'm sure that my emotions were raw right now; I couldn't hide the pain and fear I felt.

"Did something happen between the two of you?" she asks me.

I run my hand through my hair; it's hard to even look Scarlett in her face as I say, "She found out today that I got Nicole pregnant."

Scarlett's eyes widen in horror and disbelief. I was embarrassed to even say those words out loud.

"You did what?" Ares asks as he enters the family room. "Why the hell would you do something like that?"

"What's going on?" Violet asks. "What's all the shouting about?"

"Our brother here got his ex-wife pregnant." He informs her.

My sister's eyes almost pop out of her head.

"That can't be." She whispers. "You will never do something like that, not when you've been trying so hard to move on from her."

Scarlett finally seems to break out of her state of shock as she walks towards me, "what was my sister's reaction when you told her?"

I swallow hard; I can barely look her in the eyes, "she didn't hear it from me. Nicole told her the truth today without informing me that she was going to do so. I asked her for some time to break the news to Clara first, but she didn't listen to me."

"What was my sister's reaction like?" she demands for a second time.

"She was heartbroken. She was crying—" I couldn't even finish my sentence. I didn't want to remember the look of betrayal on Clara's face when she realized that Nicole was telling the truth.

"She couldn't believe I would do something like that to her." I continue even though it hurts like crazy to remember.

"Am I missing something here?" Ares asks. Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

"Why would you get her pregnant?" Violet demands. "Why, brother, why?"

I close my eyes and tighten my hands into fists, "I wasn't aware of what I was doing." I answer her.

"You weren't aware?" Ares asks. "How? Unless it happened during the—"

"Full moon." Violet finishes his sentence in surprise. "You slept with her during the full moon?"

I nod, "I didn't do it intentionally. I would never do something like that intentionally. My feelings for Nicole are all gone. I was okay with the divorce; I was happy about it. I would never willingly go back to her or try to get her pregnant."

"How are you so sure that the baby is even yours?" My sister asks. "She could have made up that lie to trap you. We all know the kind of person that Nicole is. She isn't someone that can be easily trusted."

"I woke up next to Nicole the morning after the full moon," I explain to her. "I wouldn't have easily believed her if there was no proof that I fooled around with her the night before."

Scarlett falls backward, and Violet rushes to her side to hold her. "I think we should get Scarlett to a bed. She shouldn't be stressed right now."

"No." Scarlett stops her. "I have to find Clara. I have to find my sister and make sure that she's okay. She's been through enough already; she's always been there for me when I needed her the most. I need to be there for her as well."

"Do you have any idea where she would go?" I ask her. "Can you call home and find out if she's there?"

I didn't think to check there when it should have been the first place for me to look.

Wherever Clara was, I would do everything I could to find her and beg her to at least hear what I had to say.

I had to tell her that I loved her. I had to say to her that Nicole meant nothing to me. She had to know the truth.