CHAPTER 27. Waste of time
**— VITA.**
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I feel like I’m in the clouds. Consciousness is slowly returning, bringing me back to cruel reality and waking me up from this wonderful dream where I can see Alice’s smiling face once again.
Honestly, I don’t want to wake up.
Please, Alice... Stay with me a little longer.
Don’t let me wake up... [...]
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But I do wake up, my body feeling heavy and painful.
I don’t know exactly when or how long I slept, but I slowly remember everything that happened — how Derek was bleeding, how I rushed him to the hospital, and how he had surgery to stop the bleeding. The knife hit one of his arteries, and that’s why there was so much blood. If we’d taken a little longer, he could have been dead.
Derek could be dead.
Just thinking about it makes me feel like my world is falling apart, like my chest is tearing open in excruciating pain. That’s why, even though the doctor says the surgery was a success and he’s no longer at risk, I couldn’t leave his side for an instant.
I must have fallen asleep when the adrenaline lessened.
I lift my head slowly, a little dazed, my back aching... And when I look at Derek’s sleeping face, I actually find his blue eyes wide open. He has a large bandage around his chest and abdomen, covering part of the defined muscles that I didn’t know were so strong.
“You’re awake...” I say slowly, with such immense relief that tears wet my eyes. I give him a soft smile and wipe my eyelashes, holding back the urge to touch him and check every part of his body with my hands to make sure he’s really okay.
“Of course I’m awake,” Derek says hoarsely but calmly, without taking his eyes off me. “That was nothing but a scratch.”
“A scratch?” I frown. “You could have died, Derek.”
“Oh, yeah? So you missed your chance… how are you feeling about that?” He asks sarcastically, moistening his lips… But I can’t smile like that; his words really hurt me.
My eyes glisten with sadness, and my eyebrows furrow in an expression of hurt... How could he talk like that? I was truly worried! I even cried my eyes out… I shouldn't care about him… That is a waste of time!
“Fine, you can keep being a jerk, I’m out.” I start to pull away, pursing my lips and swallowing the lump that forms in my throat…
But Derek is quicker and grabs my arm, even making a sudden movement that he shouldn’t, and that causes him pain because he grunts and disguises it with a throat clearing, “Look, I’m pretty good, Vita. Don’t you see it?”
“Great.” I don’t have the heart to try to pull my arm and cause him any other slight pain, however small and quick. “That’s great! So now, I don’t owe you anything, and I don’t have to worry about you saving my life. If you’re that fine, I won't keep wasting my time on this.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, my love,” Derek runs his hand slowly down my arm, finally reaching my hand, my fingers that he touches so softly that I shiver. “I’d not save you because of the goodness of my heart. I’ve already told you that I won’t allow someone else to take what’s mine.”
I frown, looking directly into these deep blue eyes that have some dark circles on them.
“And you… Your life and death belong to me.”
“I’m not yours, Derek.” I pull my hand away, pushing away this touch that has the potential to destroy all my convictions, not caring if it hurts him a bit now. “Not anymore.”
He doesn’t seem to like my words because his smile disappears and his eyebrows furrow, making his gaze rigid. I imagine that he will start again with his insults, with his harsh tone, and bitter words, but it doesn’t happen... He just sighs, runs a hand through his black hair, and calls loudly, “Shadow.”
The door opens slowly, surprising me as this is the first time the man has approached like a normal person. He still has a hood over his face and doesn’t pay me a single glance; he just comes to the edge of the bed with his head down, “Yes, Alpha.”
“When can I leave this place?” Derek asks, crossing his arms and making a brief grimace of pain because he shouldn’t be pushing himself so hard... Goddess, what a stubborn man!
“You need to stay in the hospital for at least a week, but the doctor says it will take at least three months for you to recover fully, Alpha,” Shadow says slowly, raising his face to meet Derek’s annoyed expression.
“You’re kidding.” He laughs sarcastically, an amused laugh from his heart like he really believes Shadow is making a joke...
But faced with our silence and my serious face, which he spies briefly, Derek rolls his eyes, closing them after that and sighing with disdain. “Three months? Who do you think you’re talking to?”
“Alpha, you could have died. If it hadn’t been for your regeneration skill and Miss Vita driving you here, you would have died in that parking lot. The knife ruptured your artery; you could have lost all your blood in a matter of minutes.” Shadow says slowly, but I notice his voice is a little louder and shakier than usual. In fact, this is the first time I’ve seen him talk so much. “Three months we’re already counting on your aptitudes... it could be a lot longer for normal people.”
Derek sighs once more, touching his bandaged abdomen, with more glimpses of pain taking over his countenance as he tries to move a little more abruptly.
“We’re really worried, Derek. Please cooperate with the doctors and don’t move too much; your body is still recovering from the surgery.” I cross my arms, impatient, and this simple act attracts Derek’s eyes, which finally landed on me.
And as if a crazy idea had crossed his mind, Derek smiled seductively, making my heart beat a little harder and a chill run down my chest to my stomach.
“Looks like I’m really paying a higher price than I expected for helping you out, huh?” Derek says unpretentiously, moistening his lips in that damn smug smile that makes my legs weak.
“Yes, you got hurt because of me,” I say impatiently, running my hand through my black hair, brushing it back, making the waves pass past my shoulders — and this gesture seems to catch his eyes as well, making him hold his breath only to release it harshly soon after. “But I said I’d save your life, so we’d call it even.”
“Even? No, not at all... You think you can get away with just doing your duty?” Derek’s smile widens, becoming even more vile. “It’s nowhere near enough, my love.”
I sigh deeply, crossing my arms as if that would somehow defend me. “And what else do you want from me? You’re already making my life a living hell; what else could I give you?”
“Hmm, you have a point. What else can you give me, Vita?” I catch a glimpse of something strange in his eyes, something that I don't quite know, but it seems like a glint that I would see in a predator’s eyes. “Oh, well… I miss having a servant. That's it, Vita… I guess you’ll have to be my private Omega servant from now on.”
“Omega servant?” I repeat in surprise, my eyes widening slightly.
“It’s only natural, don’t you think? You need to pay the debt for almost killing two brothers.” Derek’s words hit me hard, completely robbing me of air and bringing tears to my eyes again... And I know he must see the hurt and resentment on my face, but he doesn’t seem to care, as he doesn’t take his eyes off mine.
“Fine.” I nod a few times slowly, swallowing the knot forming in my throat and wiping a tear away. “I will be your private Omega servant if that’s what you want.”
I notice that Derek shudders, and his smile falters for a moment. I also catch a glimpse of Shadow’s expression, and I can finally see his face, the big scar and the angular chin with no beard; he seems young, more than I imagined. But isn't that what holds my attention, but how he seems curious about the Alpha’s reaction, who smiles again, a little unconcerned.
“Good.” He clears his throat, then makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. “How about you start now? Go and make me something decent... I hate hospital food.”
“Yes, Alpha,” I say, eager to get out of there as quickly as possible, and so I do, slamming the bedroom door behind me, breathing deeply when I’m finally in the corridor, with my cheeks burning.
The scent I smelled... The glimmer in his eyes…
No, it can’t be... There’s no way Derek would be moved by something like that… by me.
I shake my head, mustering up the courage to face this new challenge — to serve Derek until he’s fully recovered and perhaps finally let me go.