Chapter 6 Chapter 6
Derek’s POV
The heavy scent of rain and pine—my father’s scent—filled the room before he even stepped through the door. He paused at the threshold, his nostrils flaring as he took in the air. A slow, knowing smile spread across his face.
"You marked her. Finally. Congrats, son," he said, setting the bags of food on the small bedside table.
I just nodded, the weight in my chest making it hard to find words. I knew this made him happy—it solidified the pack lineage—but my heart was still a tangled mess of Ellie and the guilt I felt for the girl lying in the bed behind me.
"I had to," I muttered, my voice rough. "She was slipping away, Dad. She’s still dying, and the doctors... they can’t explain why she isn't bouncing back."
I turned back to the bed, reaching out to gently shake Anna’s shoulder. She felt so small beneath the heavy duvet, like a bird with broken wings. She let out a soft, pained whimper as she stirred, her eyes fluttering open.
"Anna, wake up, little one," I whispered, leaning close to her ear so she wouldn't be startled by my father’s presence. "The food is here. You need to try for me."
She whimpered again, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand as she sat up. She looked exhausted, her hair a silver-blue halo of tangles. When she noticed my father watching her, a flash of deep embarrassment crossed her pale face. She tried to smooth her hair with trembling fingers, her gaze dropping to the floor.
"Hi, Alpha. I’m sorry... I didn't realize you were here," she said, her voice barely a thread of sound. "Thank you for the food."
"Eat, child," my father said, his voice uncharacteristically soft.
I began pulling the containers out of the bags, the smell of grilled meat filling the room. I tried to coax her, placing small pieces of chicken in front of her like I was taming a wild animal. She took tiny, hesitant bites, chewing slowly as if the very act of swallowing was an ordeal. My wolf paced inside me, howling at the sight of her protruding collarbones.
I set a chocolate shake in front of her, hoping the sugar would give her some semblance of energy. She took two sips and then pushed it away, her hand shaking.
"I'm full. I'm so sorry," she whispered, looking away as if she expected me to snap at her.
Panic flared in my gut. How was she even alive? We were werewolves; our metabolism demanded thousands of calories a day, especially when healing from a marking. To see her reject food like this felt like watching her fade out of existence.
"You did good, Anna. We’ll take it one step at a time," my father intervened, sensing my rising frustration.
Anna nodded weakly and slumped back against the pillows, her eyes already closing. Within seconds, she was out again, in the deep sleep of the truly exhausted.
"You’re starting to care for her," my father remarked, watching her with a look of genuine sorrow. He had always had a soft spot for Anna, a stark contrast to how he treated Ellie. He’d never liked Ellie—had told me more than once to get her out of his sight. Seeing him look at Anna like this made the guilt in my stomach turn into lead.
"I guess," I muttered, finishing my own food and what little she had left. I cleaned up the mess in a daze, my mind spinning.
When I came back from the bathroom, I found my father tucking the blanket around her chin. He was brushing a stray strand of blue hair from her forehead, his expression filled with a haunting sadness. He looked like a man mourning someone who was still breathing.
"She is a sweet soul, Derek," he said without looking up. "I only wish you would give her the love she deserves before it’s too long past the point of no return."
He left without another word, leaving me alone in the silence with her. The room felt too cold, so I stripped to my shorts and climbed in beside her. She was shivering, her skin like ice. I pulled her against my chest, wrapping my arms around her to share my body heat. She tucked her head under my chin, seeking the warmth instinctively, and for a moment, the bond felt like a physical cord vibrating between us.
A few hours later, I woke her up. She was still shivering, her feverish chill refusing to break.
"You need a bath, Anna. A warm one," I said. She was too weak to protest, too weak to even stand on her own.
I carried her into the bathroom and set her down on the stool while the tub filled with steaming water. As I helped her out of her oversized shirt, the sight of her body made my breath hitch—not with desire, but with a crushing, soul-deep horror.
'You did this,' my wolf growled, his voice a jagged edge in my mind. 'Look at her, Derek. Look at what your neglect did. You’re a coward.'
The wolf was right. Her ribs were stark against her skin, her hipbones sharp. I felt a wave of nausea. I had been so caught up in my "first love" and my pride that I had let my own mate waste away into a ghost.
I knelt by the tub, gently washing her skin with a soft cloth. My hands moved with a reverence I’d never felt before. When I moved to wash her hair, our eyes met. The bond flared—that magnetic, primal pull that made my blood run hot. For a second, looking at her damp skin and the curve of her neck, my body reacted. I was a man, and she was my mate; the physical attraction was hard-wired into my DNA.
But I looked at the sadness in her eyes and the way she flinched when I moved too fast, and I felt disgusted with myself. I didn't deserve to feel that way about her. Not yet. I had to earn the right to even touch her hand.
"I'm sorry, Anna," I said, my voice cracking. "I'm so sorry for everything."
The blank look she gave me was worse than a slap. She didn't believe me. Why would she?
"It's fine," she said, her voice hollow. "Can you... give me a few minutes alone? I want to soak."
"Yeah. Of course." I stood up, giving her the dignity of privacy she so clearly craved.
While she was in there, I channeled my restless energy into the room. I called the pack house, demanding they bring in a larger, plush bed and a top-tier entertainment system. If she was stuck in this room until the doctors cleared her, I would make it a sanctuary, not a prison.
But when I went back to check on her after twenty minutes, the silence from the bathroom was deafening.
I knocked, but there was no answer. My heart hammered against my ribs as I pushed the door open.
Anna was still in the tub, but she wasn't soaking. She was curled into a ball, her knees pulled to her chest, her face hidden. Her entire body was wracking with silent, violent sobs. The water had gone lukewarm, and she looked so small, so utterly broken, that it felt like someone had reached into my chest and squeezed my heart until it stopped.
"Anna! "I moved instantly, grabbing a thick, warm towel. I lifted her out of the water, ignoring her weak attempts to push me away.
"Shh, little one, it’s okay. It’s me. I’ve got you," I soothed, wrapping the towel around her and pulling her into my lap on the floor.
"No, it's not okay!" she cried out, the words finally breaking through her silence. "Everything is ruined! You hate me, and I’m dying, and you only marked me because you felt guilty! You should have just let me go when you had the chance!"
Her words were like silver blades. I didn't try to argue because she was right. I had been a monster to her. I just held her, rocking her back and forth as she fell apart, her tears soaking into my skin. I waited until her sobs turned into exhausted hiccups before I dried her off and dressed her in a fresh, soft nightshirt.
I carried her to the new bed, tucking her deep under the plush duvets. I climbed in behind her, pulling her back against my chest. She didn't fight me this time; she was too tired to do anything but exist.
I lay there in the dark, listening to her shallow breathing. I still felt the pull of the bond—the heat in my blood that told me she was mine—but I forced myself to be the anchor she needed, not the predator she feared. I needed to get over Ellie. I needed to be the Alpha my mate deserved.
"I'll fix this, Anna," I whispered into the silence, even though she was already asleep. "I promise. I'll fix it."
I held her tight against the shivering, praying that for once in my life, I was strong enough to keep a promise.