Chapter 78 DANGER MOVES QUIETLY
DEREK’S POV
The next few days were days I didn’t even want to relive again. I thought the day Amber received the letter was bad, the remaining days were worse being that her mood changed drastically, she was now shorttempered, preferring to be on her own all the time. I noticed this and tried to talk to her but yet again, she gave me the cold shoulder which was something she had never done before no matter the condition we were in. I knew something bothered her, something she didn’t want to say and I had a feeling that it was due to that letter she received.
“What’s wrong Amber?” I asked one evening as we were taking a stroll within the pack grounds.
I had practically forced her to take this stroll with me, preventing her from doing any chores because I knew quite well she would use that as an excuse. I just wanted her to be free to not only talk to me but to tell me what the content of the letter was.
Asides her sudden change of mood, I realized that Trent and her pack in general had been quiet, there was no latest news about them which was shocking to say the least but I realized there was nothing really I could point out without her actually telling what the problem was.
“Nothing, everything is fine.”
That was the same generic answer she had been giving me ever since and I had gotten sick of it. She was clearly not fine but apparently, she wasn’t letting me in on whatever it was that was going on with her.
“But with everything that’s been going on, you are clearly not fine. I just want to know what’s wrong with you.” I said.
I was usually not like this, not this affectionate but for her, I decided to let down my guard and actually speak to her, to find out what exactly made her be in this mood.
“Well, you have to give me something. You are clearly not alright, I can see it in your eyes and the earlier you tell me what the hell is going on, the better for you. As you already know, I am not a patient man and I will not be especially in a case like this, so either you tell me what the hell is going on with you or I force it out of you.”
I didn’t want to be rude, far from it but she was testing my patience and I hated it. I wasn’t usually this calm and accommodating but having stayed with me for a long time, some of her attitude was slowly rubbing off on me bit by bit.
She sighed yet again and I couldn’t help but think that she had aged even more which just told me that she was passing through a lot of strain.
“You’ve been very cold and detached from me.”
“Is it that noticeable?” she asked, going over to sit on a dead tree trunk.
“Yes, as clear as the sky.”
That was my sorry attempt at a joke and she managed a smile even as I joined her where she sat. In an act of familiarity, she placed her head on my shoulder, an act I found totally adorable but the problem was that I am an Alpha and I don’t do adorable things.
“So are you ready to tell me what’s wrong?” I asked again.
She shrugged and I knew she wasn’t and at this time, I was going to have to force it out of her but I didn’t want to do that because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.
My hands found a loose strand of her even as she jumped in fright, jerking her head backward. I realized that ever since she had received that letter, she had been feeling wary anytime I moved near her. I didn’t understand why she was doing this but I realized it was due to so many months of treating her like garbage which was my fault.
“Why do you jerk away from me? I’m not going to hurt you Amber.” I said.
Based on the look she gave me, I realized she didn’t believe me. Have I hurt her so badly that she feels like I’m the most meanest person ever? The more I thought about it, the more worried I became because everything that was happening now was as a result of how I had treated her in the past. If I had been nicer to her, more open, she wouldn’t need to hide important things like this from me.
“This is about the letter right? I just know it so don’t even hide it. Ever since the letter came in, that’s when you’ve been acting all strange and worried. I know it has to do with your pack.” I said.
She stood up abruptly, walking away. I couldn’t believe she would do this but apparently, she didn’t want me knowing her business or anything that had to do with that godforsaken letter. Whatever was in it had to have scared her so badly, she couldn’t even utter a word about it,
“Trouble in paradise?” Damine chuckled, walking towards me.
He clasped my shoulder but I wasn’t in the mood at that moment. No one had ever reacted that way to me, much less a woman I had rejected as my mate. Her behaviour shocked me but I concluded that I had brought that upon myself, that and nothing else.
“Remember that letter you brought to me, right?” I said.
“Yes, the one from the Spirit pack?” he confirmed.
“Yes, it has something to do with Amber but she’s not forthcoming with whatever it is that’s going on.”
“Have you tried asking him?”
“Of course, what do you think I’ve been doing? But I can’t even check the letter because she has burnt it.” I said.
“That’s crazy.” Damien said, a worried look in his eyes.
“She has been keeping a lot of things from me but I want to find out what it is. From there, I would be able to help her.”
He paused, so many thoughts running through his mind. I loved Damien for one thing and it was due to the fact that he was a quick thinker and knew just what to do or say anything when we were faced with a situation.
“Do you want me to talk to her?” he offered.
I thought about this for a while and I realized if I couldn’t talk to her, then maybe he could break the ice she had put up against me.
“Try your luck.”
I sighed, walking towards the elder’s pack where I had a meeting. I had other things to discuss and if Amber was not ready to talk to me about what was g
oing on with her, then that was her luck.
WHAT POWER DEMANDS