Clarissa POV

After everything, how could he still hold her in his arms and treat her like he was in love?

I felt hatred for Damon growing with every second that passed. The man I once adored, who had been my protector, was now the cause of my pain. Things had changed so much between us. And yet, despite everything, I wanted to protect him from Anya. I would not let her hurt him. I would not let her hurt any of us.

When Damon lifted his face and finally broke his kiss with her, he didn’t look at anyone else but her. The sight was a dagger to my chest. In all their years together, I’d never seen him act like Anya was the only woman that mattered. Was he trying to change for her? Did he feel guilty? Was he trying to be the husband she wanted?

“I don’t understand,” Autumn whispered beside me. “Just a second ago, Atticus told me that Damon—”

She didn’t get to finish. Damon’s gaze caught mine, and his eyes widened as they dropped to the bruises covering my body. He took it all in, shock rippling through his expression as he tried to understand what had happened.

I watched as he slowly let go of Anya, and before I knew it, he was running toward me. My heart skipped a beat, betraying me. I should not be happy to see him. Not after witnessing him kiss Anya, not after everything.

“Damon!” Anya’s voice rang out, panicked. She called again, but he ignored her, his feet carrying him faster toward me.

Her scream echoed in the air, desperate. “DAMON!” But her eyes shifted from him to me and then to the woman standing behind me—her sister.

For the first time, I saw fear flicker across Anya’s face. She knew it wasn’t a good sign that I had survived her trap. She was shocked I’d made it out alive, and the fact that I had found her sister terrified her. She knew I’d uncovered something she never wanted anyone to know.

But I couldn’t let her realize how much I already knew. Not yet.

Damon grabbed my arms gently as he reached me. “What happened to you?” His voice was tight with concern, his eyes scanning my bruises. “Who did this to you?”

I didn’t want to answer him. I was still furious, still reeling from the sight of him kissing Anya. I could hear the concern and anger in his voice, but right now, my focus was on getting Anya out of our lives for good.

“I need to tell you something important,” I said, catching a glimpse of Anya approaching us from the corner of my eye. I needed a distraction.

I turned to Willow—Anya’s sister. She was the perfect diversion. “Go to your sister and ask her what she’s been keeping from you. Ask her to tell you the truth about your mother and why she died.”

Willow nodded and moved toward Anya with a determined expression. I could see that, despite everything, Anya cared for her sister. That was exactly what I needed.

Damon looked at me, confused. “Her sister? Anya doesn’t have a sister. How do you know her?”

“Look,” I said, gesturing toward Willow. “Anya’s been lying to all of us. That girl is her younger sister. I have proof, and the girl herself told me.”

Damon blinked, clearly baffled by the revelation. “Why would she hide that she has a sister?”

“I think we should ask her that ourselves,” I replied, eager to hear what excuse Anya would come up with. I knew the truth, but I wanted her to confess.

Atticus joined us, his sharp eyes taking in the situation. He could always tell when something was about to go wrong. “What’s going on?” he asked, his tone cautious.

“Why don’t you ask Anya that?” I said, my voice steady. “I want her to explain why she’s kept her sister a secret from all of us. What is she hiding?”

Anya’s face paled. She knew she was cornered. Fear flickered in her eyes—fear of what I might reveal.

“Her sister?” Dante spoke up, his voice filled with confusion. “Anya told me she was just a friend.”

Her *friend*? When had Dante met Willow?

Atticus’s voice broke through the tension. “We can’t have this conversation here. We need to leave.”

“During the wedding?” Dante protested. “There will be a million rumors.”

“And a billion more if everyone hears this,” Atticus countered. “We’ll continue this at the new pack house.”

The pack house. We’d been rebuilding it after the countless attacks on our family. With the help of Austin and his family, who were skilled in protection, we were fortifying our home to keep threats like Anya and her mother out.

Griffin’s voice cut in. “And what do we do about everyone here?”

“We’ll deal with them when we return,” Atticus replied. “Something tells me this can’t wait.”