The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn

The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn Chapter 29

~ATTICUS~

I wish I hadn’t made such ridiculous promises to Anya. I should have been upfront with her from the start. But she wasn’t the problem currently; getting Autumn to open this door was more important to me. I knock once, then twice.

“Autumn!” I shout loud enough for her to hear me. “Open the door. Please!”

I try again but she shouted for me to leave her alone. Hearing her say those words to me bothered me more than it should. It was almost like her feelings affected mine. Like we were connected. But that couldn’t be possible. I was connected to Anya, not to her. My mate bond was with Anya, not Autumn. So then why did this hurt me just as much as it did her?

“Why are you wasting your time with her?” Anya demands. “She doesn’t wish to speak to you. I’m the one that’s trying my best to make things better between us. I’m the one that’s fighting for you. Can’t you see that Autumn doesn’t care for you at all?”

“She’s only ignoring me because of you.” I remind her. “Are you purposefully trying to cause problems between us Anya?”

She narrows her eyes and folds her arms stubbornly.

“Are you out of your mind Atticus?” She inquired. “It’s not my fault that Autumn doesn’t trust you. I was never like that when we were together. I knew you loved me, and I didn’t have to worry about any other woman in your life. I know you still love me. That’s why I can never let go of you. It’s why I plan on fighting till the end for you.”

I was right. Anya wasn’t going to let our past go. She was determined to keep fighting for us.

I hear footsteps, and I see my brother walking up the stairs toward us. His eyes find us, and he looks surprised to see us alone together.

“What’s going on?” He asks as he joins us. “Everyone is waiting for you, Atticus. I didn’t expect to see you with Anya. Did something happen between the both of you?”

Was Damon also about to misunderstand the situation? He should know that I would never disrespect my wife like that.

“Let’s start the search,” I say without answering his question about Anya. It was useless trying to get Autumn to talk to me now, and I had already promised her to bring her friend back safely. The longer we waited, the harder it would become to keep my promise to her. Maybe if I found her friend, then she would forgive me. That is if she remembers anything from tonight when she wakes up.

Did I want her to remember this? I didn’t think so. The look on her face even though she was drunk told me that she wouldn’t forgive me easily for this incident.

It was even more useless trying to speak with Anya about her behavior. She never likes when I ignore her, but when I try to be friendly and not hurt her, she does things like this which makes it difficult for me to be there for her.

“Are there any leads so far?” I ask him as I walk past Anya towards the stairs. Damon looks at her before following after me. He knows something has to have happened; he wasn’t stupid. But lucky for me, he didn’t try to ask any other questions.

“No, none except that Griffin confessed to provoking Kane before they went missing.” He informs me.

“How did he provoke him?” I ask. Griffin was always looking for trouble. This wasn’t news to me.

“This is where it gets interesting,” Damon says. “Kane is supposed to be mates with Maya, Austin’s sister who they’ve recently been reunited with. It turns out Kane had something going on with the girl he went missing with. Griffin was trying to get him jealous by flirting with her. Apparently, Griffin promised to help her make him jealous. It worked.”

“Are you telling me that it’s possible they both ran away to be together?” I ask.

He shrugs his shoulder, “there is really no telling what happened until we find them. The way I see it, this is the least of our problems. When Austin discovers what Kane has been doing behind his sister’s back, he might kill him if he isn’t already dead.”

“This doesn’t make any sense. If they’re mates, why is he cheating on her?” I ask.

That was a question I shouldn’t be asking. Anya was my mate, but it didn’t stop me from desiring Autumn. It’s not supposed to be that way; mates didn’t desire anyone else but their partner.

Damon looks at me, and there is a guilty look on his face, almost like he understands Kane. Did he also desire someone other than Anya? We never spoke about feelings; we did in the past, but after Anya came into our lives, we’d drifted apart. It didn’t feel right to explain what we each felt about her; it was awkward since we would be talking about the same woman. Now here we are, knowing very little about each of our feelings.

Damon looks tensed as Clarissa joins us, “how does my outfit look for the search?” She asks.

Damon and I look at her as though she’d lost her damn mind. “Where do you think you’re going?” He asks her.

“To help you with the search.” She answers him. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Damon grabs her wrist and pulls her to his side, “you’re not going on this search with us. When do we ever involve you in things like this? Stay here with the guests and keep out of trouble.”

“Keep out of trouble?” She asks. “I am not a child Damon. I’m all grown up; this is not the body of a child, in case you haven’t noticed.”

What the f**k?

“Clarissa.” I hiss. “Are you feeling okay? What the hell is wrong with you all of a sudden?”

I’m surprised that Damon didn’t respond to her little comment, and I’m even more shocked when I turn to him and see that his cheeks are bright red.

“I’m perfectly fine.” She assures me. “I hate that everyone treats me like I’m a kid. It’s frustrating. I want to help. Why can’t you let me?”

Was this really happening tonight? First, I had to keep Autumn from joining us, and now I also had to deal with Clarissa. We were wasting precious time.

“If it means that much to you. Fine. Join us.” I tell her.

Her face brightens with a smile, and Damon looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“She can’t come with us. We’re not sure how long we will be out there. It’s safer for her here.” He complains.

“Well, then you try and talk her out of this because I don’t have time to convince her not to come with us.” I point out.

I knew Damon was even more protective over her than I was, but I couldn’t stay here trying to convince her not to go when I had to find Autumn’s friend. I was still pissed over what had just occurred. I was desperate to find a way to get Autumn to forgive me.

Clarissa grabs a bag and walks in front of us, “what do you even have in that bag?”

“Just girl stuff!” She shouts as she runs to the jeep.

Dante joins us and quirks a brow when she opens the back door and jumps in the vehicle.

“Clarissa is joining us?” He asks.

“You can thank f*****g Atticus for that,” Damon growls as he joins her in the backseat.

“You’re welcome!” I respond sarcastically.

“Do we have everything?” I ask as I start the jeep.

Dante nods, “should we have asked Anya to join us as well? She’s probably going to be pissed that I told her no, but allowed Clarissa to join us.”

My hands tighten on the steering wheel, and before they can agree on bringing her, I’m already moving the jeep into the pathway to the front of us. I wasn’t giving them a chance to get her involved in this search. I was already in deep s**t with Autumn; I didn’t want to worsen things. Besides, I couldn’t trust myself around Anya; she would find some way to get us alone.

“Honestly, Atticus, I’ve never been more proud of you.” Clarissa cheers in the back. “Not having Anya with us is the best thing that has happened to me all day. It’s tiring being around her. I’m honestly not sure how you can stand being around her for more than a minute.”

“No, the best thing would have been if you had stayed your butt home.” Dante retorts. “How did you convince Damon to let you come with us?”

isn’t the boss of me.”

tone. “You’re speaking about me like I’m the one

be like for the entire search? With these three constantly bickering and giving me

contact with Arthur about the search. “And where is Griffin? He should be in the center of the search since he’s partly to blame for trying to

no new leads,” he informs me. “And Griffin, he’s leading one of the searches, but it’s in a completely different direction. We’re trying to spread out as far as possible since we don’t know where they might

entire island. I had to find them.

loves to cause trouble,” Damon says, “name one event we’ve ever had that he

I couldn’t find a single event where Griffin hadn’t caused trouble for the rest of us. This was only his most recent

here,” I say as the jeep abruptly stops. “We’re going

“You can still take the jeep back; we can shift and return to the beach house in

all this way to be of no

first to step out of the vehicle, she attempts to grab her bag, but Damon takes it from her.

relationship I’m accustomed to seeing between them—Clarissa in

looks at me, and I shake my head. We’re used to this. It

I’ve heard their story. Didn’t he go insane trying to find her when she went missing? How could he

and she isn’t his mate. She agrees with him,

Dante growls. “Just another reminder why

my opinion Dante.” She

smell that?” I

me, and his

any witches on

answers me. “It’s not something I paid

perform any weird ritual or whatever the f**k this is,” I say as I look down at the burning circle in the

what spell this is?” Dante asks

sure. We’ve studied witches and their spells at the

a teleporting spell,” Clarissa says as she goes closer. “Someone used it to

at her, completely

and quirks her brow, “what? Have none of you ever

her, “it looks like there was more than one person here judging by the

you think it was Kane and the girl?” I

witches,” Damon points out. “If it was them, a witch

just gets weirder and weirder,”

the others of what we’ve just found out. I don’t know how we will explain this,

asks. “Is that the conclusion

say for sure,” I respond as I scan the area. “We can’t jump to any conclusions, but what we could

were always looking for ways to trick you and benefit in whatever way they could. Their spells always freaked me out. Knowing that there were people out there that could make you fall in love with them through magic alone didn’t sit right with me. They had the power to control and make you do things you wouldn’t normally

keep looking,” Damon

fire. Damon

she whispers as she hides

us,” Damon growls. “You could have seriously burnt yourself, and that’s not even normal

apologizes. “I’ll be more careful from now

think it’s time I take you back to the jeep,” Damon

could do this.” She complains. Damon looks frustrated, but

clues, but we didn’t see

head back to the jeep; we can

Even though I wanted to find Autumn’s friend, I was still distracted because of what had happened earlier. She

shouts suddenly. His words broke me out of my thoughts just before

your mind

Clarissa with us; you can’t be so f*****g careless,” Damon

I apologize. “I have a lot on

Anya.” Damon reminds me. “It looked like you were in an

person I

noticed recently that her behavior has drastically changed?” I

she’s behaving. You’re the one that doesn’t have any sympathy toward her pain.” Dante says with a hint

I couldn’t discuss anything with my brothers; they would instantly take her

and I mean this in the nicest way possible, maybe you’re finally able to see her for what she truly is.

came here to

“You’re right.” I agree.

think I’ll stay

her. “You were

Anya has given me an

I laugh, “You’re exaggerating.”

to ensure that no witches turn up and try to kidnap her.

questions as we continue the search. I hope we find more clues that

. .

there was no sign of anything or anyone. I was beginning to believe that Kane and the girl were indeed kidnapped by witches. It’s the best way to explain their disappearance. We’ve been in contact with Griffin this entire time,

asks me suddenly. “I want to make sure that I’m not hallucinating. We haven’t slept in hours, and we’ve been on our feet for a long

have been on our feet for a long time without

follow his gaze; there’s a note stuck to a tree and a knife at the top holding

will leave a note in the middle of the forest? How were they so sure that someone would find

it. Whoever left it knew that there

knife and pulled it off the tree. Dante takes the letter and reads through it thoroughly. The frown on his face

a look at this yourself.” He

I’m dumbstruck. What kind

the letter, Austin’s baby

happen? Witches were definitely behind this; there weren’t any questions about their

it’s just gotten more serious.” I

desperate to get to the bottom of things now that an innocent baby was involved. The letter was threatening his life. How cruel were these people? How did they even get the baby from Austin and Lucy? And if this was true, why

the jeep door shut as soon

jumps up. She’d fallen asleep on Damon

when I finally got her to get some rest,” Damon says, annoyed with us. He wouldn’t be when he found out what was

him. “You’ll understand

we hear

shouts. “Who the f**k did

Clarissa gasps. “Who’s

read this

I command. “He needs to inform

as another jeep pulls up behind us. It was

where they are.” He informs us. “But we need to hurry. Things are getting crazy out there

you know all

Arthur’s family sold us. Luckily I remembered we had one on the island

problem,” I warn.