Chapter 27 HOPELESS

Chapter 27 HOPELESS
Hazel P.O.V.

How can he not have it?
“Then, fucking go fetch it!” I snarl, lacing my words with another Alpha command.
To my utter bewilderment, the prick starts laughing like a madman—a gravelly, unpleasant sound.
I kick him in the ribs just to silence him. The force of my blow sends him rolling onto his side. He spits blood. I might have broken something, but at least he’s no longer laughing.
“WHERE IS IT?” I yell, rage and desperation fueling me like a tidal wave.
“Stupid girl,” Lacroix mutters from the floor. “There is no antidote. It was never part of the plan.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me breathless and reeling.
There’s no antidote.
I can’t bring Derek back.
The weight of this revelation presses down on me like a ton of bricks, and everything seems to lose its color. My mind refuses to accept it. So does my heart. A life without Derek? No. That’s not life. It’s endless torment.
A roar echoes in the background, distant beneath the ringing in my ears. But I don’t register it. I’m staring at the broken figure writhing at my feet. He took everything from me. It’s only fair that I take everything from him, too.
I shift my hand into a claw, ready to rip out his heart. But before I can follow through, two things happen at once. Danny shouts my name in warning. And then Derek—still in human form—slams into me. I’m thrown to the floor like a rag doll. Before I can even process what’s happening, his hand closes around my throat, squeezing tight.
I try to summon my powers, to push him back, but again they’re AWOL—which explains how he got through my barrier.
Gunshots and shouts fill the room. Lacroix’s henchmen have joined us, and they’re not happy. But my focus stays on the threat closest to me: my mate. He’s extended his claws, ready to plunge them into my ribcage and tear out my heart. It’s fitting, really. It belongs to him. He should have it.
Take it, my love. I don’t want a life if you’re not in it.
I close my eyes, welcoming the numbness. But before I can sink beneath the black waters of unconsciousness, heavy footsteps pound nearby. Something slams into Derek, knocking him back. He doesn’t release my throat, though, so we both go sprawling across the floor like two sacks of potatoes. I hit my head hard. I wish I could say I saw stars—instead, everything goes black. The blow knocks me out cold.
The last thing I see is Danny punching Derek hard in the face. Then I’m gone.
A dark blue sky full of bright stars welcomes me back to the land of the living—or rather, the land of the awake. The view is breathtaking, something we never see in the city, where artificial lights rob the night of its glory.
I lie there enjoying the beautiful canvas for a moment, until the recent events come crashing back. My heart somersaults.
Derek. Danny. The antidote.
I want to leap to my feet and search for them, but my body won’t cooperate. Why? Have I been poisoned too? I don’t feel numb—just stuck.
Suddenly, someone comes running, shouting my name. I spring upright like a cord.
“I’m here. What is it, Ether?” I call urgently.
“The witches are here!” Ether’s eyes are wide with panic and fear. That’s when I notice her attire: a white tunic, belted at the waist with leather, and sandals.
Definitely not twenty-first-century clothing. I don’t need to be a genius to guess I’m in another dream. I might as well lie back and enjoy the 5D movie about to unfold. I just hope this time no one I care about gets killed. I’m tired of drama. Honestly, I need a comedy.
I waste no time. I jump to my feet and sprint in the direction Ether came from.
Ahead lies a village of small stone houses encircled by a wooden fence. From a distance, I see fire and wind wreaking havoc while the ground trembles—mirroring the rage boiling inside me.
I leap into the air, letting the wind carry me toward our enemies: a cluster of witches spread across the meadow before the village. One stands on the ashes of what I believe was once the main gate.
Corpses litter the grass like fallen daisies. I feel the sorrow and blind rage pulsing inside the me of this dream. I can relate. I fucking hate witches. They bring nothing but gloom and destruction.
I send a powerful blast of wind at them, throwing several backward—but not enough. My attack is countered with blasts of their own. I shield myself with my powers and dive down from above, hurling balls of light and fire. I force them to focus on me instead of the villagers.
Fire, wind, water, and spells hammer against my shield from every direction. I hold my ground—until the ground itself is literally taken from beneath me. A deep black hole, two meters wide, opens below.
Damn. I wasn’t expecting that.
Before I fall too deep, I use the wind to propel myself upward. But now the wind witches concentrate all their power on pushing me back down. Alone, I can’t counter their united effort. Inch by inch, I sink into the hole, knowing that as soon as my head goes under, they’ll bury me alive.
Through my struggle, I hear the cries and howls of the villagers—trying and failing to defend themselves against the witches’ ruthless power. With renewed resolve, I fight harder to break free. To no avail.
Tears of desperation prick my eyes. Is this it? The end of us?
Then, suddenly, I see a flash of light. Something dark blurs through the midst of my attackers, taking them down one by one.
The pressure on my body lifts. I spring into the air and rejoin the battle, leaving the question—what the hell was that?—for later.
With our efforts combined, it doesn’t take long to defeat the witches. Some die by our hands; others vanish into thin air, retreating.
I gaze desolately at the havoc around me. Corpses and injuries. Mates and children weeping over loved ones. Collapsed houses and smoldering ruins. I feel useless. Heartbroken.
Then I hear heavy footsteps approaching.
I turn and see two sparkling blue eyes watching me from the body of the largest wolf I’ve ever seen. His fur is black as night, shining like the stars. I know immediately: he’s the dark blur that saved me. I’ve never seen him in the village before—and I would have noticed him. The power he exudes, the strong pull I feel toward him… no. I wouldn’t have forgotten.
He stops one step away and lowers his head in respect.
“Have we met?” I ask, knowing he’s no ordinary wolf and can understand me.
Instead of replying through the mindlink, he shifts back to human form right in front of me—in all his glorious nakedness.
My stunning mate. Derek.
My heart thuds wildly. I feel myself blushing fiercely.
Oh, come on. Don’t go all shy on our mate! He’s here, all naked for us. Just jump him! I try to pep-talk myself in the dream, but of course, dream-me can’t hear me. She just keeps acting all embarrassed and awkward.
Derek smirks. I clear my throat, cheeks still flaming.
“You are?” I ask in a small, uncertain voice.
“You can call me Derek. I was created by your mother to protect you.” He bows his head reverently, then lowers himself to one knee. “I’m at your service.”
“My mother sent you?”
He raises his gaze to mine again, making me feel all kinds of bothered.
“Yes, Hazel. From now on, my duty is to protect you with my life.”
Goddess. Why is he even allowed to say things like this when he already looks like that and is standing there naked? I say we whisk him to the first bedroom we can find and put him to good service.
But of course, dream-me never listens. Instead, she replies with a hint of annoyance:
“I don’t need your protection. And I don’t want anyone risking their life to save mine. Every life is equally important.” She frowns at him.
Without breaking eye contact, he rises slowly to his feet and comes to stand so close that our chests nearly touch.
His fingers graze my jaw lightly—sending a shiver down my spine and leaving a trail of tingles where our skin met.
“Let’s make one thing clear,” he says. “I was made to protect you. But I make my own decisions. And I choose you—over everything else. Nothing can ever change that.”