Chapter 35

The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn Chapter 35 ~AUTUMN~

Atticus had just marked me. How was that even possible when we weren’t even mates? How was he able to mark me, and why does it feel this way? Why does it feel like we are mates when it simply wasn’t possible? I would have recognized him as my mate a long time ago if that was true. But all I’ve ever known was that I loved him, nothing else.

The feelings inside of me have only intensified now that we are bonded. I wanted him more than ever. How could he do this when I was finally trying to move on? Or at least pretending that I was ready to move on.

He lifts his body completely off mine so that he can now look me straight in the eyes.

“Now everyone will know that you’re f*****g mine. Nothing will ever change that.” He repeats.

I gape at him as he storms out of the room.

It took my body a while to get used to the bond; I was still in shock by his actions. What made Atticus mark me? He wasn’t making any sense. One minute he was running to be by Anya’s side, and the next, he was calling me his. Why was he this conflicted over what he wanted?

Still, I can’t deny the joy I felt knowing he refused to divorce me. It’s all I wanted, a sign that showed that I should still fight for him. This was the sign I needed. If he wasn’t willing to let me go, it meant that there was something between us; I hadn’t imagined it. He felt it too.

I’ve been trying to be nice to Anya because of our past, but I was done now. The voice note was the last straw. It was clear to me now than ever how badly she wanted to end my marriage. I was not about to let that happen.

I would have been in that hospital with Atticus if I thought she was indeed injured. I didn’t believe it one bit. I knew it was just Another excuse to get Atticus closer to her. It did work, but it also gave me the courage to start fighting for my happiness. I was always so concerned about others and what made them happy; I kept doing things with consideration for everyone’s feelings but mine. I wasn’t going to do it anymore.

I never truly wanted to divorce Atticus; I was just angry. But now I was glad I’d done that. It made me see that he didn’t want to divorce me, and it also got him to mark me. Something that I didn’t even think was possible until now.

This wasn’t something that I would be able to hide. Anyone would be able to smell him on me after today; they would know I belonged to him. Just like women would realize he belongs to me.

What possessed him to do this after always running to Anya’s side? Why did he choose today of all days when I asked him for a divorce?

Was that the way to get him to be ultimately mine? To act like I didn’t want him to begin with?

The academy was resuming classes tomorrow. This meant that things were about to get twice as tricky. Everyone at school would be keeping a close eye on us. They would be watching every little move waiting for one of us to slip up so that they could leak the information to any popular magazine. It’s not like they needed the money; only scholarship students would benefit from making money from leaking a story. The others were doing it for fun.

I force myself out of bed to look at the fresh mark on my neck. I still couldn’t believe he’d done this to me. Atticus Fawn had just marked me. This was the last thing I would ever expect from him. I knew we were forced into this marriage by our families, but no one forced him to join us in this way. Atticus chose to do this out of his own free will.

I slowly touch it and gasp at the rush of emotions that swarmed into my body from that little contact. Touching it made me want him even more. Was that how it felt for all who were marked?

I couldn’t let him know how much this affected me. I realize now that everyone was right from the start; I was too nice. It’s why I kept getting hurt. No matter how hard it was, I had to start fighting back for what I wanted.

Anya started this war, and I was going to end it. She knew what she was doing; It was no longer just because she wanted Atticus; she was purposefully trying to hurt me. I wasn’t having any of it anymore.

They would both see a side of me they’d never seen before. My eyes flash to a bright purple, and I gasp. I cover my mouth with my hand. How did my eyes change color? I blink, and it returns to normal. Had I just mistaken that?

The anger I felt inside was unlike anything I’d felt in the past. I was almost scared of myself or the person I’d just seen in the mirror. She looked like someone that could quickly go out of control.

I shook that thought out of my head. I was reading too much into it. I didn’t plan on leaving this room for a long while. I needed time to think about things and how I would deal with Anya and Atticus in my way.

. . . . . .

It was the first day back at the academy as a married woman. I was now officially part of the Fawn family. We’d connected our families and, in turn, made us more powerful than we already were.

Atticus didn’t return to our room yesterday. Part of me was disappointed, but the other half was relieved that I had gotten some time to come to terms with everything that had happened between us. No one had mentioned anything about him marking me, and it feels weird to me that they refused to acknowledge it.

The stares that went my way as I stepped through the door to the academy proved my earlier thoughts. Atticus is by my side, and I know I’ll have to get used to all the extra attention now that he’s by my side. It’s not just him; Clarissa, Damon, and Dante are behind us. Anya was still in the hospital, but I knew she was most likely faking it, hoping that Atticus would worry about her and rush to see her again. I was pleased he hadn’t done it, but I didn’t want to jinx it. I kept trying to act like I still enjoyed the idea of divorce, but I didn’t want to push him over the edge, either.

Damon separated from us to walk Clarissa to her class; she was in a lower level than the rest of us.

The stares don’t stop even when we step into the classroom.

“The Fawns are late.” Mr. Samuel announced. “Let’s give them a round of applause for keeping that tradition alive.”

My cheeks are red. I was never late to class in the past, but I’m a Fawn now as well, aren’t I? Things were different now. It felt that way. . . Different. I hadn’t gotten used to it yet.

“Our topic today is witches.”

Witches. Again?

“And a few important spells. Some that can cause more harm than good.” He says, pointing at the slides on the board.

“First, the infamous love spell.”

More like a dangerous love spell. I’ve heard of many stories where witches made men think they were in love with them, breaking up families and couples everywhere. There were some selfish witches, and then the good ones stopped them. The world was a constant battle between good and evil.

“I hope none of the witches in this classroom are planning on memorizing this spell to use on their crushes.” He warned. “I’m only making you aware. Let me clarify that no one is to practice any of these spells. They are very dangerous and can cause plenty of damage to those around you, including yourself.”

He goes through each of the slides and the last spell for the day happens to be the seduction spell.

To seduce a man or woman? Why would anyone need to know a spell like this? I didn’t like the idea of forcing someone to want you without them even knowing it.

“To activate the spell, a witch must repeat the words three times with a deep desire for it to work.” He explained as he zoomed in on the spell so that we could all get a better look at it.

‘With this fire, give me what my heart desires; with this name, ignite our flame.’

It’s the beginning of the spell. A candle has to be near for it to activate. Then you must repeat the person’s full name three times.

The class barely pays attention; they’re too busy making fun of the spell, laughing at the witches. I wouldn’t make the mistake of doing something like that. They had the power to mess with our minds and hearts; that’s not something I would ever want.

I look at the spell again, Atticus is next to me, and I suddenly have this weird urge to use it on him.

My hand tightens on the edge of the desk. Why was I thinking like this? It was scaring me.

Thankfully, the bell rings, signaling the end of class. I didn’t want to hear more of these spells; I’d had enough for today.

“Let’s get to Clarissa’s classroom,” Damon says as we walk into the corridor.

“I’m leaving the academy now,” Dante informs Damon. “Someone has to check on Anya.”

Damon nods, “call me if anything serious happens.”

I glance at Atticus, waiting for him to also ask for an update on Anya, but to my surprise, he doesn’t say anything. He’s silent as Dante walks away. He looks down at me, and I think he knows exactly what I’m thinking. Our gazes lock, and I try not to be affected by his beautiful eyes.

‘With this fire, give me what my heart desires.’

My cheek turned red as I realized what I was doing. Why was I repeating a spell in my mind? What on earth was happening to me?

I quickly look away from his intense stare. I couldn’t look at Atticus without thinking of the spell. It’s not like I’m a witch, and the spell would work on him, but it was still weird to me.

There wasn’t even a lit candle around us. There was nothing for the spell to work, so why was I so flustered by repeating a few words in my head?

Damon was already ahead of us, and I walked faster to catch up with him. Maybe Clarissa can help break this tension between us. I needed a distraction from Atticus, anything that prevented me from wanting to seduce the man.

Clarissa is already waiting outside her classroom when she spots us. It’s almost like she was expecting Damon to come for her.

Was this something he often did?

It does seem like it wasn’t unusual. He truly was very protective when it came to her. He scans the classroom for something, and I’m not sure what he’s looking for. He seems satisfied with whatever he sees as he smiles at her.

“How was class today?”

She beams up at him, “it was wonderful. I’m just glad you’re here now.”

Atticus quirks a brow at her and then gives Damon a weird look. So I’m not the only one noticing their reaction to each other?

Clarissa barely hid her emotions around Damon; he, on the other hand, was harder to read than she was.

I look up at Atticus once more, and he catches me looking at him. We haven’t spoken much to each other since he marked me. I know that there is plenty for the both of us to say to each other, but for some reason, there never seems to be the right opportunity.

Clarissa clears her throat, “should we give the two of you some privacy?”

We break eye contact, but before we can say anything, players run our way, chanting ‘the fearsome,’ catching our attention.

Atticus grabs my waist and pushes me backward before I can get trampled by them. They were members of the fearsome beasts, our academy’s football team. Every one of those players was popular; they made our school proud. They were better than good at what they did; everyone was skilled.

I gasp from having his hands on my body. Now that we were bonded, the feelings have intensified to the point that I felt like I needed him every second of the day.

The look on his face makes him seem like he’s in pain. Was he struggling just as much as I was? The fact that we were bonded meant that I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. He would also feel the connection as strong as I did.

“Easy, fellas!” Griffin shouts. “You almost knocked down my sister-in-law!”

He stops in front of us, and Atticus slowly lets go of my waist.

“Sorry about that.” He apologizes.

“You’re spending plenty of time with the fearsome recently. Are you planning on rejoining the team?” Damon inquires.

Griffin shrugs his shoulders, “I’m still thinking about it.”

“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” Damon says suddenly to Atticus. They both excuse themselves and leave the three of us behind.

“They’re waiting for me,” Griffin says as he looks over at Carter, the star player of the fearsome and also the man that broke Clara’s heart. I didn’t like him after knowing what he did to her. Cheating was never okay. “I’ll see you girls later.”

“It looks like it’s just the two of us now,” Clarissa says as she looks around us. “I heard what happened. Atticus should have never left you behind after he heard what happened to Anya. I know she faked everything. It must have been her plan all along.

The moment she learned that you and Atticus had left alone to help Austin and his family, she’d grown hysterical. I know she devised that plan last minute to get Atticus back. She was terrified of you two being alone with no one to separate you.”

She had nothing to be terrified over. Nothing special happened on that trip between us; if anything, it separated us more after she sent that voice note.

“I always saw Anya as my closest friend,” I confess. “I realize now how stupid I’ve been trusting her all these years. All the signs have always been there; I just chose to ignore them. I wanted to save our friendship, but I realize now that there was nothing to save, to begin with. How can I save something that was never there? She’s shown her true colors to me. I’m not going to sit back and let her hurt me anymore.”

Clarissa smiles, “I can’t tell you how happy I feel to hear you say this. I’ve always felt like it was just me against Anya all these years. The guys have always been so blind around her. She would do awful things, and they would forgive her in the blink of an eye. It’s good to know someone else can see straight through her lies.”

“Well, look at these two gorgeous women in front of me.” Tyler, one of the players from the fearsome, says. He was sweaty and smelled awful.

Clarissa and I gave each other the same look. We didn’t like him speaking to us one bit.

“Who will I be lucky to take home tonight after we win the game?” He asks.

“I don’t know, Tyler,” Clarissa says in a flirting manner. I give her a confused look. She nods her chin to the right, and it’s only then that I see Atticus looking our way. He wasn’t the only one; Damon was as well. “Maybe we will decide after you win the game.”

I smile flirtatiously, “Clarissa’s right. Maybe you can take the both of us out to dinner if you win.”

It felt wrong to flirt with another guy when I was married to Atticus, but I was only doing it to get him mad. I wanted him to feel what I felt every time he ran to Anya when he should have stayed with me. There were too many times to count. Every time I allowed myself to fall more for him, he did things that pushed us further apart.

It was my turn now. And it was up to him to fight for me, for this marriage.

Tyler holds my hand, and I hate the way his touch feels; it’s nothing like the touch Atticus gives to me. I pull back but try to play it off with a smile.

“We will be at the game tonight. I hope you don’t disappoint us.” I warn.

He grins and winks at me. “I’ll see you girls tonight after we’re holding the trophy. Don’t be shy and come looking for me; if you don’t, I’ll find you.”

Clarissa sighs when he leaves. “I can tell you hated that just as much as I did.”

“Was I that easy to read?” I ask her. If she could figure it out, then Atticus would be able to as well, wouldn’t he?

. . . . . .

~ATTICUS~

My blood was boiling at the sight of another man near my wife. Who the f**k did he think he was? Everyone in this school knew she was f*****g mine; marking her should have kept him away from her. Then why was he still around my woman?

And why was she entertaining him? First, she asked me for a divorce, and now she was flirting with a man that wasn’t me.

Autumn was pushing my limit now. I can’t remember the last time I’ve ever felt this angry over something like this.

I would be paying Tyler a f*****g visit later; I would make sure it’s the last time he ever steps near my woman. He wouldn’t even look at her after today. Hopefully, it would be a lesson to any other man that tried to get near her.

“You marked Autumn,” Damon says, forcing my gaze away from Autumn and Tyler. I knew that everyone noticed already, it wasn’t hard to notice her scent on me or mine on hers, but Damon was the first to mention it to me. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone did.

“I did,” I confess. “I didn’t even think it would be possible for us since we aren’t mates, but I don’t know. . . I feel so confused. She felt like my mate right before I marked her. More than Anya ever did. But something still pulls me towards Anya even though I marked Autumn. I can’t explain either of these feelings. They’re both different but strong in their ways. I’m puzzled. It doesn’t matter what I feel for Anya; however, Autumn is my wife; I’m done hurting her because of Anya. I know where my priorities are now; I shouldn’t have left her at Austin’s like that. I was wrong. I’m trying to fix it, but I’m unsure if she will let me. I feel like I’ve already let her slip away even though I never had her to begin with.”

I’m f*****g confused by my own emotions and thoughts. Why did it take me so long to feel a strong connection with Autumn?

Why did I mark her when she asked for a divorce, and why was it even possible when Anya was my mate? Many unanswered questions were in my head, and I was dying to find the answers.

“Maybe it’s for the best.” He says. “I’ve noticed that I’ve been making things harder for you since you married Autumn. I should have realized that she’s your priority now. I guess I’ve just been so upset with being unable to make my mate happy that I was blaming you to make myself feel better. I’m sorry, Atticus. I should have done better as your brother. I’m not going to insist that you look after Anya now; I understand it’s not your place anymore. Autumn should come first. It’s the right thing to do anyway. I’m glad that you’re choosing to do the right thing. I wish I had your strength, to begin with. I can’t imagine ever leaving Anya to marry someone that our parents chose. It just isn’t something I can ever do to her or myself. You’re a lot stronger than I am. I’m proud of you, and I look up to you.”

Hearing Damon say that to me made me feel at peace inside. There was this wedge between us for the longest while, but with just those few words, I felt it breaking free.

I grin, “where did all of that come from?”

He chuckles. “Don’t look for more of it anytime soon. That’s the first, and the last time I’m saying those words to you.”

“Thank you, Damon.” I thank him in a more serious tone. I want him to know just how much those words have impacted me.

“That means more to me than you will ever understand.”

“Something seems to be bothering you still.” He notes. He could always read me well. He never paid much attention until now;

maybe that’s why he’s now noticing it.

He was right. Something else was bothering me; it’s been bothering me since yesterday. I haven’t been able to wrap my finger around it, and maybe that’s why I’m so miserable.

“When I marked Autumn, I could taste her blood,” I explain.

“And?” he asks. “Did it not taste as good as you’d think it would?” he teases.

No, it was f*****g amazing. But that wasn’t what I was getting at.

“It was different.” I try to explain. “I know what a werewolf’s blood tastes like. Her blood was a mixture of something else. . .

Almost like a hybrid. But I know my head must be screwing with me because both of her parents are werewolves; she can’t be different.”

“Autumn has always looked different from her parents.” Damon points out.

It was true. She was a bit different from them, even from her siblings. But that still didn’t make any sense. We would have known if they weren’t her birth parents. That was something they would have mentioned to us before the wedding arrangements were made. My parents are the type of people that loved doing background checks on anyone that came close to our family. They would have looked into something like that.

“I think my mind is playing tricks on me,” I repeat. “It’s nothing. I’m reading too much into something that isn’t even there. If Autumn was a hybrid, I think someone would have noticed by now. There isn’t anything different about her than any other she-

wolf.”

That was the truth. I had to put that theory to rest since it made no sense.

My eyes return to Autumn and Tyler; I’m pissed when he holds her hand.

“Since when are they so close to Tyler?” I ask Damon, though it comes out as an aggressive growl.

He followed my gaze and immediately tensed.

“Why does he think it’s okay for him to talk to Clarissa?” He demands. “I think I need to pay the fearsome another visit. I need to remind them she’s completely off limits.”

“I can never understand how you’re so overprotective over her. She needs to live a little.” I remind him. “She’s coming of age.

She can date.”

“Says f*****g who?” He growls. “She’s too young. She is not ready for dating.”

“And when do you think is the right time for her to date?” I ask him.

I quirk a brow when he’s unable to give me an answer.

“That’s what I thought.” I point out. “Give her a chance to experience what you have with Anya.”

“Anya and I are mates.” He reminds me. “Just like you and she are. Clarissa’s mate is nowhere around. She doesn’t need to waste any time looking for anyone that isn’t her mate. That will only bring her pain.”

I sigh, distracted by Autumn once more. The anger intensifies by the way she smiles as Tyler walks away. What exactly did they talk about? I wouldn’t rest until I found out the answer to that question.

“Go get your girl,” Damon says suddenly. “I can see you want to go to her.”

My girl? I loved the sound of that. I stroll over to her, and she watches me all innocently like she hadn’t just been flirting with Tyler a few minutes ago.

“Clarissa.” I say, without breaking eye contact with Autumn. “Damon will take you to your next class. Autumn and I have something important to discuss.”

Clarissa mumbles something under her breath but she quickly obeys.

“I don’t have anything to say to you.” She snaps as soon as Clarissa is gone.

I grab her waist and shove her into the storage room with me.

“What the hell are you doing?” she demands as I lock it.

“Do you forget that you’re married to me, Autumn?” I demand. “Why the f**k are you letting other men flirt with you?”

She laughs, actually laughs in my face. “Do you think I can control who flirts with me, Atticus? I’m not running after other men like you are running after other women. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

“Tell me,” I growl. “What did the two of you talk about? What was Tyler so happy about when he walked off?”

“How should I know why Tyler was so happy?” She hissed. “I can’t read minds, Atticus.”

“I want to know what the conversation was about,” I repeat, my anger holding onto a thin thread. “If you don’t tell me in the next few seconds, I will find him and beat the answer out of him. Do you understand what I’m saying to you, Autumn?”

She gasps, “you can’t be serious.”

“Oh,” I whisper as I move in closer to her. “But I’m very serious.”

“He invited us to watch the game tonight. He wants to take Clarissa and me to dinner if they win the game. We promised to go with him as long as they won the game.” She answers.

Her words only pissed me off even more than before. Why the f**k were they promising him to go to dinner?

“Why did you agree to that?” I demand. “Your last name is now Fawn. You are my wife. It’s disrespectful to accept dates from random men.”

“And it wasn’t disrespectful when you hugged Anya in front of me on our wedding night?” She demands.

“I already explained to you what happened that night.” I remind her. “It was not intentional, and you misread the entire situation.

When did you become this stubborn?”

She gapes at me, “stubborn?”

“Yes, stubborn,” I repeat for her benefit.

I lean into her, my nose close to hers. She lifts her chin, and my nose travels to her neck. I growl as I inhale my scent on her. It was f*****g sexy. I loved how her body was covered with my scent, and it wasn’t f*****g enough. I wanted every inch of her to be covered in my scent. I wanted men like Tyler to back off the moment they got a whiff of her because they would know who she belonged to.

I slowly pull back, refraining from taking things further.

Her eyes glow a strange purple, something very unusual, and suddenly I want her. Like f*****g dying for air kind of want. It’s never felt this strong before.

I grab her waist and shove her hard against the wall behind us. She cries out, and f**k, what the hell was going on? I barely have control over my body as I rip her blouse open. I don’t know what I’m doing. My hands are on her bra, pulling it off her body. I’m seeing everything happen so fast in front of me, but there is no way for me to stop.

“I don’t know what I’m doing.” I manage to gasp out right before my mouth closes over her breast. I suck, and she moans, spreading her legs open for me to settle between her.

“Touch me,” she whispers. “Touch me, Atticus.”