CHAPTER 17. Bold mouth

**— VITA.**

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“Alpha!” Mr. Bug calls out between pained grunts as his expression of despair becomes even more visible. “Please, Alpha, I think you misunderstood me...”

“Oh, did I misunderstand you?” Derek squeezes harder, and I can swear I heard a pop mixed with a muffled scream. “Do you take me for a fool, Mr. Bug?”

“No, no! Of course not, Alpha!...” The man swallows hard, trying to control his grunts. “I just wouldn’t dare cross any lines in front of you... I wouldn’t dare!”

“Really, huh?” Derek gives a low laugh that reverberates through my chest and cuts into a dry smile. “So let me get this straight... Are you saying I’m stupid? That I can’t understand what’s happening before my eyes? Or maybe you doubt that the neurons are working in my head?”

“No! I wouldn’t dare think such a thing! Please forgive me, Alpha... I made a mistake. Please forgive me...”

I watch the scene in surprise, blinking a few times... That is the second time I’ve seen someone scared because of Derek, and it makes me so strange that I can’t help but widen my eyes. People used to admire and respect him. In fact, it’s as if they were naturally attracted to him because he really used to be a nice, radiant, smiling guy. People were always around him, but now... It’s like they need to be cautious when it comes to Derek. And honestly, it scares me a little...

“All right, Mr. Bug... You seem to be honest, and I understand that you’re being sincere with all your heart, so yes, I can forgive you with the goodness of my heart.” Derek lets go of his shoulder, and I notice that it seems to be in an... abnormal position. That alarms me, and I widen my eyes even more at Alpha, who remains with his rigid gaze on the man...

“Thank you, Alpha, thank you-” Mr. Bug touches his own shoulder and keeps saying thank you, over and over...

But Derek interrupts this empty gratitude with a hard slap at the man’s face, making me flinch. The huge hand that slams into the chubby face makes it turn around, marking Derek’s five fingers in a humiliating red.

“Don’t you ever appear in front of me again, understand? Otherwise, I’ll have your head.” Derek says coldly, making me swallow hard. “Whether it’s on the street, here, or anywhere else on this land, you’ll be dead if you cross my path again... Do I need to repeat myself, or do you understand with that rotten brain of yours?”

Mr. Bug lowers his head, with humiliation and anger in his gaze, and I expect him to yell, make a scene, and rebel against the Alpha... I mean, they say this man is important in the area, with underworld businesses that I didn’t even know existed. However, he just nods, his eyes downcast... I think he knows that something like a war or dispute never ends well, no matter who starts it... “As you wish, Alpha.”

“Shadow,” Derek calls out, and the figure appears before my eyes, the hooded man who always answers Alpha’s calls. “Take Mr. Bug to the airport and make sure he finds his way out from Loyalland.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Without saying another word, the hooded man slaps Mr. Bug on the back, making him walk away and leaving Derek alone with me.

Yes, the two of us are alone now since Foxy sneaked out at some point.

I start to turn around, feeling a sudden discomfort, my heart racing, but Derek throws his body in front of me, blocking my passage. I hold the air in my lungs, looking at him fearfully.

“Miss Bunny.” He says with a sarcastic smile, making my eyebrows furrow. “I wonder where that name came from.”

I open my lips to answer him but remember that I’m in disguise and that he can easily recognize the sound of my voice if I say something.

“Don’t you worry about being surrounded by wolves? One of them might bite you.”

He says with some amusement, making me snort and lose control of my tongue.

“Rabbits also have teeth,” I say, crossing my arms, no longer caring about my identity, and I notice that his eyes sparkle with a certain amusement.

“And apparently a bold mouth.” He advances a little further, decreasing our distance, and I feel completely overwhelmed by his imposing scent.

I breathe slowly as Derek’s hand slowly moves up my arm. I think about pulling away from his touch, but it’s so light that I shiver and bite my lip, trying to resist the temptation to let out a sound. His fingers move up to my shoulder so gently that I wonder how it could have hurt Mr. Bug before.

“I didn’t know you like singing.” He says huskily, his low voice reaching only my ears. “Let alone with such a sweet voice.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Mr. Alpha.” I retort in the same tone and notice that he seems surprised and, at the same time, annoyed by my words, which forces me to add, “After all, we don’t know each other.”

Derek is silent for a moment, then says, “Well, I suppose we really don’t.”

I feel a pang in my chest because being so close to him and yet so far away bleeds my heart. Just like in the lyrics of the song, I feel like a lonely moon far away from the one who holds all my love, my bruised soul.

“But we don’t have to,” Derek says, and then his hand reaches for my wig. He slowly plays with the blonde strand between his fingers, making my heart skip a beat, fearing that he’ll pull and reveal the true color of my hair. “I just need to know your price.”

“My price?” I frown and raise my voice, slightly offended.

“If you’re selling yourself, my love, I can pay the price.” Derek brings his hand to my chin this time, looking deep into my eyes that can be seen through the eyeholes of the mask. “Whatever it is, it’ll only be a few pennies anyway.”

I look directly into his blue eyes, and they used to be like universes, but now they are nothing but emotionless emptiness. But I’m sure that mine are the windows to my soul as well, and they’re showing how hurt and offended I am by his words.

“Well... I’m afraid that it’s not possible... Even if I were selling myself, Alpha, you’d never be able to buy me — not with all the money in the world.” I practically spit out these words, causing Derek’s expression to become increasingly rigid. “Because certain things, like dignity and love, cannot be bought... And once you lose them, you have nothing left.”

Derek opens his lips to say something, but I don’t let him finish; I slap his hand away from my chin and pull away from his touch, which burns my skin like fire. I give him a sharp look that could cut him if it were daggers and leave without saying a word.

I know his eyes and all the other customers are on me as I make my way through the bar, passing Foxy, who looks at me sneakily. I stop next to her for a moment and say, looking into her eyes, “By the way, I quit.”

Foxy raises her eyebrows but doesn’t say a word, and I don’t give her any time either... I just walk quickly out of this stifling bar, taking a deep breath of the air outside.

I approach the dumpster and throw off this wig without hesitation, letting my hair fall, swaying its dark waves like the starless sky that has only the lonely and extremely majestic moon. Suddenly, in front of its great majesty, it doesn’t seem so bad to become like it — at least being alone doesn’t make your heart disappointed.

I take my phone out of my pocket and look at my notes, everything that was really interesting in my not-very-productive investigation. Among them, I find about a new pack of rogues created five years ago, most of them deserters..., but there are rumors that some of the members were fired people from the Black Group — the company founded by Derek’s grandfather that is now in his hands.

“I need to look into this carefully, personally... That’s the only lead that seems to be a light.” I mutter to myself, raising my eyes to the sky once more, spotting a single star that, for some reason, reminds me of Alice. “So you’re watching over me from up there, Princess?”

A breeze blows past me and ruffles my hair, and I can swear that this little star has shone brighter... which brings a smile to my lips and tears to my eyes.

“Please keep watching over me, Alice...”

Yes, being a moon and being by your side really doesn’t seem that bad.