CHAPTER 25. Burn all
**— DEREK.**
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“Well, the Council really needs to meet again! There have been a lot of humans arriving in Loyalland lately because of tourism, but this just seems wrong!” My mother’s in an endless nonsense, but honestly, I couldn’t care less... Because all I think about is Vita’s words in the elevator, the way her piercing gaze seemed to despise me.
Run away…
Vita wants to run away from me…?
“We shapeshifters have been hunted for years! Humans amused themselves by creating legends about our existence, invalidating us, while our ancestors had to live in secrecy, like animals, like primitives, because if one of us were discovered living among humans, we would be burned alive, stoned, executed in the cruelest ways, or even become study material for some lunatic!” Mom says angrily in a restrained voice, slapping the fan in her other hand. “So all of a sudden, they want to come to our land and act like they’re on vacation? We’re not entertainment; how can the elders accept that?”
My eyes are stuck on my phone, on a photo of Vita. I’ve been staring at her innocent smile for at least five minutes, and I don’t even feel like blinking.
“You should take the initiative and talk about it, Derek! I’m sure many others are unhappy about this but are afraid to speak up because that cunning fox likes money and is charming everyone else.” Mother opens the fan abruptly again, awakening me from this sudden enchantment that even a photo of Vita can cause. “If you take a stand against humans, perhaps you can increase your influence over the Council even more...”
“I have nothing against humans, Mother.”
Well... just one.
“You should! You can’t forget what they did to our people, Derek! As an Alpha, you need to do justice for those who follow you. You need to love our people and keep the memory of those who suffered at the hands of those despicable humans!”
“I rule for the living... not the dead,” I say with bitterness in my voice, and a twinge of pain runs through my chest. I look at Vita’s photo one more time before finally deleting it in a rush of resentment and anger that ruins my heart.
Mother opens her lips to say something but is interrupted by quick, almost skipping footsteps. Wanda is approaching with a huge smile on her face, carrying a tray of tea and a jar of cookies. The smell is really inviting, even though I hate anything sweet.
“Auntie, I made your tea!” She says in a soft, innocent voice, placing the tray on the table in front of us. Then she looks at me a bit shyly, batting her eyelashes slowly, “And your coffee, Derek... Not too sweet this time.”
“Oh, Wanda, you’re such a good girl! Three years have passed since you two got engaged, and I already feel like family!” Mother says with a certain pride, and Wanda quickly kneels at her feet, taking her hands in a traditional greeting, in which the next Luna bows to the old one until she takes over. An archaic behavior of our people that is no longer practiced and that not even my mother used to do for her mother-in-law before.
“I’m really flattered by that, Auntie! I know I have a mother, and I hope she doesn’t hear this, but I feel like you’re a mother for me...” Wanda says weakly, her eyes lowered to my mother’s hands wrapped around hers.
“Darling, you’re so sweet... They say that finding your mate is a gift from heaven that allows you to receive a second family. Your mate’s mother is also yours, as everything that belongs to him — this is the strongest bond, which is why families have the custom of choosing it.” Mother brings her hand up to Wanda’s face and strokes it slowly, just as she did with Alice. And it makes me want to throw up. “Just as I will be your mother, you will also be my daughter.”
“I’m so happy that you chose us and that you accepted me as a daughter... you mean the world to me.” Wanda sniffles, with tears in her eyes, which my mother quickly tries to wipe away.
“I want you both to be happy... That’s why I think it’s time you finally tied the knot and got married, don’t you?” Mother looks at me, still touching Wanda’s face, but my fiancée seems afraid to do the same.
“Auntie...”
“I think we’re ready to move on, and this is the perfect moment!”
“Why the rush, Mother?” I interrupted her with a strange discomfort in my chest.
“Derek, you’re already twenty-seven! You’ve wasted too much time on things you shouldn’t, and now time is working against you!”
I run my hand through my hair, with this distress now spreading throughout my whole body.
“You are getting old; you must marry and give heirs to our pack… it’s your duty as an Alpha!”
“Heirs, you say?” This word causes a surge of anger that makes me clench my phone tightly and harden my gaze.
“You should take advantage of the fact that Wanda is in her prime. She’s still young and fertile. I’m sure she’d soon give me grandchildren if you two got into bed.”
“Auntie!” Wanda gives an embarrassed little shriek that makes my mother let out a low laugh. “Please, Auntie, don’t press Derek with these matters.”
“But I’m telling you the truth, you need to get married soon! Derek wastes too much time on human affairs and leaves aside what really matters — our pack, our family!”
My mother’s words are like a straight punch that takes the air out of me, a sequence of stabs that hits all my weak points, shakes my head, and bewilders me.
“Auntie, that’s not right,” Wanda murmurs, lowering her eyes again. “I don’t want to put pressure on Derek, and I don’t want him to make commitments he doesn’t want to. Although my feelings are clear, it’s not my intention to force him; I’m pleased to just spend time with you, Auntie... To be considered one of your family is the greatest honor I could ever receive.”
“Why are you saying these things now, Wanda?” My mother asks with a certain desperation.
And my fiancée finally looks at me, her fearful honey eyes searching mine... “Because, of course, I’m not the one who holds Derek’s heart.”
Once again, I feel lost by a few innocent words without any pretense. Wanda looks at me sadly as if she’s really suffering.
“What are you saying, Wanda?” Mother now touches the shoulder of the small, slight girl, just like Vita...
Why does this woman keep coming back to my mind, even in a time like this?
“I mean, I’ve been a substitute since the beginning; I’m just taking a place that doesn’t belong to me,” Wanda says with a weak voice and tears in her eyes, staring at my mother with a pitying expression. “I love Derek, but I’m aware that the person he loves isn’t me.”
“What makes you think that, dear?” Mother asks cautiously. “Has anyone told you such nonsense?”
“No, it’s not that... But if he doesn’t love my sister, why did he hire her for the Black Group?”
Mother turns her face towards me, her harsh gaze cutting me like a razor... “Is that true?”
I sigh, running my hand through my hair again, looking for answers to her question.
If it’s true, which part? The fact that I hired Vita, or that I still love her?
Whatever it is, I can’t answer it.
“Did you hire that wrench for the Black Group?” My mother raises her voice, but I don’t move a muscle. “DEREK!”
“Don’t raise your voice at me,” I say between my teeth with a low, hoarse growl. “You may be my Mother, but I’m still the Alpha, and I don’t like having my decisions questioned.”
“How could you?” Mother ignores my threat and frowns, her brown eyes so different from Alice’s and mine, reflecting deep pain. “Are you planning to ignore Alice’s death?”
“I won’t stand for you accusing me of something like that.” My eyes glow an intense yellow, and I feel the blood bubbling in my veins. “I would never do anything to tarnish my sister’s memory!”
“Then why did you put this woman in the company, Derek?” My mother stands up abruptly, oblivious to Wanda falling backward from the sudden movement. “Why would you do something like that?”
Because if I didn’t, maybe Vita would actually look for that human and join his company that works mostly abroad.
And because if she does that… If she really decides to leave the country, leave me... Maybe I’ll burn all this damn place down.
“Derek!” Mother advances on me, and I get up as well, annoyed by the way she tries to control me like a puppet, always telling me what I should do and feel.
I’m tired of it all.
“I did it because I wanted to,” I say firmly, totally shocking her. “I’m the Alpha! My father’s title now belongs to me... and so far, my Luna’s seat remains empty.” I look at Wanda, and she looks away, hurt, and covers her lips to stop the sobs from escaping.
“Derek!” Mother shouts, but I don’t dare stop or look back. I no longer care what she says or how she tries to manipulate me... I won’t let anyone get their paws on me and try to control my moves.
In the same way, I won’t let anyone come between Vita and me... Because if we’re going to kill each other, then we’ll find ourselves in this deadly dance with just the two of us.
Yes, that’s right.
Don’t run away from me, Vita...
I won’t let you go — never.