Chapter 19 Stay With Me
The words settled over the room like a shroud. Amanda's hand tightened around the edge of Derek's desk. She wanted to be brave. To say she wasn't afraid. But the truth was, her heart was hammering against her ribs, and the image of that dead bird wouldn't leave her mind.
"Then we'll be ready," Derek said. His voice was hard with resolve.”
Nadia nodded. "I'll begin my research. In the meantime, Luna, I suggest you start learning to control your gift. It may be the only thing that saves your life."
She turned and left as quietly as she'd come.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Amanda pulled away from the desk. She walked to the window, staring out at the estate grounds bathed in early morning light.
"Are you okay?" Derek asked behind her.
She laughed, but it came out hollow. "Someone wants me dead. I don't know who. I don't know why. And apparently, the only way to stop them is to use a power I barely understand." She turned to face him. "So no. I'm not okay."
Derek moved closer. He didn't touch her, but she could feel the heat of him. The solid presence that had somehow become her anchor in this storm.
"I meant what I said. You're not alone in this."
"Why?" The question slipped out before she could stop it. "Why do you care so much?"
His jaw tightened. For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer. Then his eyes met hers, and she saw something there that made her breath catch.
"Because you matter. To the pack. To me."
The words were quiet. Honest. And they hit her harder than any threat ever could.
Before she could respond, Derek turned away. "Get some rest. We start training with Nadia tomorrow."
Then he was gone, leaving her alone with her racing heart and the weight of everything that had just happened.
The nightmares started that night.
Amanda had moved into the room adjoining Derek's. It was smaller than her previous quarters but more secure. The walls were thick stone, and she could feel the protective wards humming faintly in the air around her.
She'd finally drifted off around midnight, exhausted from the day's events. But sleep didn't bring peace.
A sound woke her. Low and anguished. A muffled cry that made her heart clench.
Amanda sat up. Her pulse quickened. The sound came again. Through the wall. From Derek's room.
She threw off her blankets and moved to the adjoining door. Her hand hesitated on the handle. He'd told her to rest. To stay out of his way. But the cry that came through the wall wasn't the voice of an Alpha heir giving orders. It was the sound of someone in pain.
She opened the door.
Derek's room was dark except for the dying embers in the fireplace. He lay tangled in his sheets. His body was rigid and trembling. Sweat gleamed on his skin. His face was twisted in agony.
"No," he gasped. "No, don't... I can't..."
Amanda's chest tightened. She'd never seen him like this. Vulnerable. Broken.
She moved to the bed without thinking. "Derek."
He didn't wake. His head thrashed from side to side. His hands clawed at the sheets like he was trying to fight something off.
"Derek," she said again, louder this time.
Still nothing.
Amanda sat on the edge of the bed. She reached out. Her fingers brushed his cheek. The moment she touched him, her birthmark flared with warmth.
The familiar pulse of energy flowed down her arm. She could feel it now. The curse. It wrapped around Derek's wolf like chains made of shadow and malice. In his nightmares, he was reliving the moment it happened. The ritual hunt. The betrayal. The binding.
Her gift stirred, responding to his pain. Light bloomed beneath her palm, soft and golden.
"You're safe," she whispered. "You're not alone."
Derek's breathing began to slow. The tension in his body eased. The thrashing stopped.
His eyes opened.
For a moment, he just stared at her. Confusion flickered across his face, then recognition. His gaze dropped to her hand still resting against his cheek. To the faint glow of her birthmark visible beneath her nightgown.
"Amanda?" His voice was rough. Hoarse.
"You were having a nightmare."
He closed his eyes. A muscle in his jaw worked. "You should go."
"You were in pain."
"I'm always in pain." The words came out bitter. Resigned.
Amanda's hand stayed where it was. "You don't have to be alone in it."
Derek opened his eyes again. Something in them cracked. The walls he kept so carefully in place began to crumble.
"I can't..." He stopped. Swallowed hard. "What if we can't break it? What if I'm broken forever?"
The vulnerability in his voice shattered something inside her. This wasn't the cold Alpha heir who'd dismissed her on their wedding night. This was the man beneath all that armor. The one who'd been fighting alone for three years.
"Then we'll find a way to live with it," Amanda said softly. "But I don't think you're broken, Derek. I think you're still fighting."
His breath hitched. He stared at her like she'd just said something impossible. Something he'd stopped believing in a long time ago.
"Every night," he whispered. "Every night I'm back there. I see the shadow at the Altar. I feel the magic wrapping around my wolf. I hear him screaming." His voice broke. "And I can't do anything to stop it."
Amanda's throat tightened. She'd known the curse tormented him. But she hadn't realized how deeply it went. How it haunted him even in sleep.
"You weren't meant to fight it alone," she said. "Not then. And not now."
Derek's hand came up. His fingers wrapped around her wrist. Not pulling her away. Just holding on.
"I don't know how to let people in anymore."
"You're letting me in right now."
His grip tightened slightly. His eyes searched hers. Looking for something. Maybe reassurance. Maybe just proof that she was real.
"I'm afraid," he admitted. The words seemed to cost him everything. "Not of the curse. Not of losing my wolf. I'm afraid of what happens if I start hoping again. If I believe you can break this. And then..."
"And then it doesn't work," Amanda finished quietly.
He nodded.
She shifted closer. Her free hand moved to rest against his chest. Right over his heart. It beat strong and steady beneath her palm.
"I can't promise I'll succeed," she said. "But I can promise I won't stop trying. And I won't leave you to face this alone."
Derek's breath shuddered out. For a long moment, neither of them moved. The room was silent except for the soft crackle of the dying fire.
Then Derek pulled her down.
Not roughly. Not with any demand. Just a gentle tug that brought her into his arms.
Amanda's breath caught as she settled against his chest. His arms wrapped around her. Solid and warm. She could feel his heartbeat against her cheek. Steady despite everything.
"Stay," he said. His voice was rough. Almost pleading. "Just for tonight."