Chapter 45 EVIL DOESN'T COMPARE
AMBER’S POV
The blinding light in the room has me shutting my eyes tightly once I try to open them.
“Amber? Are you okay?” Damien’s voice reaches out to me, making me wince once I try to see again.
“Damien,” I whisper, squinting under the bright light until I can make out the outline of his face.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” he asks me, moving closer to me, till I can clearly see him sitting on the bed with his hand on mine and a relieved smile on his face.
“My head,” I moan in pain, as I feel my head throb and he leans in, concerned, to examine me, and albeit the pain I’m going through, I note how adorable he looks with worried eyes, and with how he tries to examine me I believe he’s forgotten he isn’t a healer.
“Sorry, hold on, I’ll get the healer,” he says, after a moment of keen observance before dashing out of the room.
I look around the room, keeping my head movement at a minimum and it’s lavish, from the silky curtains to the fur rug and the queen size bed as well as the flower décor and overall lively furnishings.
It’s a thousand times better than the room given to me when I first arrived. If I had known the passing out was the key to getting luxury treatment, I would have done it sooner.
At the memory of losing consciousness, instant dread settles within me. How had I forgotten that Derek almost killed Damien right before my eyes.
Why was Damien in my room looking like I was the one impaled with alpha claws, when he should have been resting?
I feel like a bucket of ice water has been poured over me as the memories rush back to me.
The shocked look on Damien’s face when life was slowly leaving him, the furious look on Derek's face, ready to draw blood without a thought, and the extent of hurt he showed me when we had our fight.
I’m rattled all over again and I just want to go back to being unconscious to avoid these emotions.
With Damien still alive, there’s no telling what his punishment would be, because I’m positive Derek isn’t going to let him off easily.
It hurts more that it’s my fault, he is about to go through a tremendously difficult punishment because I couldn’t keep my hands to myself.
It was reckless to kiss him, to give in to the fantasy that we could have a shot at happiness together, as idiotic as it was.
I badly wanted that moment to last forever, no worries that I was pregnant for someone else, or that I was mated to someone else, or that my mate was his alpha, or that we were out in the open where we could easily be spotted.
That was insanity, but damn me for loving every second of it, for basking in every feeling rushing through me at the fact that I was truly loved by someone.
Even a blind man could see the extent of love Damien had for me and I basked in it, dropping all my inhibitions, which I should have held onto to save our hides.
Because one look at Derek and I felt an intense chill of terror run down my spine, I had never seen him so angry and it shocked me into submission.
I wish I could just live here, I'd definitely be comfortable and I would be far away from the pack to not have to look into Derek’s eyes and see a new layer of disdain and disgust for me. I can spare my heart that torture.
The door opens revealing Derek with an impassive look and my fantasies of escape instantly die. Thankfully, Damien and a healer walk in as well.
I barely acknowledge the healer as she checks me and asks questions that I answer absentmindedly. My focus is on the two males standing side by side and looking at me, one wearing his emotions as a second skin and the other as expressionless as a stoic statue.
“I’ll get some herbs for you, for the headache and you’ll need lots of rest. You’ve been overworking yourself, so take a while and just relax, it’ll help both you and the babies,” the healer says and I look at her.
“Thank you”
“Thank you Vivian.”
“Thanks.”
Derek, Damien and I say to her and she nods before heading out the door.
“You look better,” Derek says simply, running his eyes over me for a moment and I nod.
“Yes, thank you for bringing me here,” I say to him, observing every reaction he gives.
“You’re carrying my children,” he says blandly, his four words speaking volumes, I’m not worth more to him than a baby vacuum, “ say your goodbye, you leave at dusk,” he says to Damien before walking out the door and worry instantly fills me.
What did he mean by that?
The fact that he just left me and Damien in the same room after what happened, terrifies me, coupled with the sad look Damien is giving me in response to my worried look.
“What did that – ” I start saying before my eyes widen upon realization, “Is he sending you away?” I ask, moving to sit upright and he’s immediately by my side.
“Hey, you shouldn’t try to sit up, you are still weak,” he says, gently moving me back to my lying position and I grab his arm.
“Answer me,” I say, my voice firm but still low.
“Amber,” he calls me tenderly with sorrowful eyes and my heart breaks.
“Goddess!” I exclaim, feeling misery creep within me.
“It’s not permanent, I promise. I’ll come back,” he explains and the depth of sorrow I feel makes me cry.
“You can’t leave, you can’t leave me,” I plead, and the hurt in his features tells me that no matter how much I beg, he won’t stay back.
“I don’t want to leave you, Amber. I don’t ever want to be away from you, but I don’t have a choice. And I wish you could come with me but that’ll put you and the baby in danger. I’ll find the relic and I’ll come back for you, I promise,” he says solemnly, his voice weak and compelling and I can tell he’s struggling to stay strong.
“What relic?” I ask and his face pales.
“I can’t tell you that,” he says, spiking my concern and a bad feeling settles at the pit of my stomach at the thought of him leaving.
I’ve lost him, and I might never see him again, all because of an unfortunate connection to a dreadful mate. If I wasn't sure I hated him in the past, I’m certain now.
WHIPLASH