Chapter 8 UNCERTAIN
POV - Hazel
I wake up in my bed, all dreamy thoughts of the steamy time spent with Derek gone, replaced by the grief of the events occurred in my dream.
Why do I always dream of Derek dying? Am I seeing the past, or do I just have some anger issues I need to address with him?
I dry the tears on my cheeks with the back of my hand, this time, unlike last time I don’t only feel devastated, but angry too, more like furious actually.
The three people following us in both dreams were the same three, this must mean something. Is the Moon Goddess trying to tell me who our new enemies are? Do I have to find those three and kill them, before they find us and kill us?
So many questions this early in the morning, questions that I can’t handle before a liter of black coffee and a bagel, after all that exercise, I am starving.
Derek and I yesterday spent the whole day and night making love non-stop. Thinking about it, I am not sure if the heat affects me or affects Derek most, it’s like we keep fueling each other with need into an endless circle of sex. Luckily somewhere down the road we both passed out from exhaustion.
I wonder if me going into heat means that the poison has finally worn off, and that I could be able to bear children. I should ask Doctor Simons to give me another check, but I wouldn’t want my hopes to be crushed by modern medicine again.
Derek is already convinced that I am back to health and ready to shovel out pups, and I don’t want to deny him this little victory.
So, let the chips fall where they may, and que sera, sera.
I sit up and look around.
Derek, as always, has woken up bright and early to train, so I do my best to rein in my emotions to avoid disturbing him, and worrying him, he already has enough on his plate. I wish I had his consistency in training, but honestly I can’t throw punches and kicks before 10 o’clock in the morning, the only thing I can handle is a run in the park, and that’s already a big effort.
I’m the lazy kind of Luna, what can I say.
When I get down to the canteen, Meera ambushes me before I can get my fuel and kindly reminds me that we are supposed to leave for the Moonlight Walkers Pack, Cindy and Lukas’ pack, tomorrow, which I, crap crap crap, completely forgot.
“I am not so sure it is safe for us to be far from the pack at this moment of time. After the attack and everything…” I say hesitantly.
Damon and the stupid dreams and the suspicious driver I still need to Alpha-question! Definitely not a good time.
“I was going to say the same,” Meera readily agrees, “I don’t feel comfortable leaving Damon after what happened. I know that the doctor made many checks, and they were all negative, but I don’t know, I just have a bad feeling about it.”
“You and me both.”
Meera exhales the breath she was holding.
“Everything alright?”
“Yes, sorry, I just didn’t want to disappoint you, that’s it, I know you were very excited to see Cindy again. You haven’t seen each other for at least one year now. You must be missing her badly.”
“I do, but we mind-link and video call often enough, and I guess if we have waited one year, we could still wait for another couple of months.”
I still wonder what piece of news Cindy wanted to tell me in person at all costs, she refused to say it over the phone or through the mind-link, sometimes she’s stubborn like that. I feel bad for letting her down on this, I know she was looking forward to my visit as much as I was, but the safety of the pack comes first.
After drinking an indefinite number of coffees, and eating the most luxurious bagel on the planet, filled with all the goodies the kitchen could offer, I have enough energy to confront my driver and extricate the truth from him. I am quite sure that I am on to something, and if it can help solve the mystery of Damon’s abduction, then it will be completely worthy.
I try to mind-link my driver, but get no reply, he has his block on again. This guy is starting to unnerve me.
Then I mind-link the packhouse staff manager and new Gamma, Landon, to ask about Samuel’s whereabouts, and he tells me that Samuel had taken a week off, because he was still feeling unwell. I ask him then if he could provide the address of his home, as the Luna it is my duty to take care of all my subjects, especially the ill ones.
Got the address, I speed off down the road in one of Derek’s sports car, and have a huge surprise when I reach Flowerbed Drive n.12, which is registered as Samuel’s address, and I find a lonely old lady living there instead, and she has never heard in her life of a Samuel working as a driver at the packhouse. Wonderful, now I know for sure that he is involved in something, and that I have lost him. Why haven’t I Alpha-commanded him that day? I want to beat myself up for being so stupid!
I need to tell Derek of my suspicions, in case Samuel is still on pack-lands; we could still intercept him.
Later in Derek’s office, after I have reported all the information I have gathered, I am looking at a quite pissed Derek, perched over his desk, his arms folded, muscles bulging, his ocean gaze pinning me down on my chair.
“Why didn’t you say anything yesterday? I could have got him before he disappeared.”
“I know, but at the beginning I thought I was being overly suspicious, later I thought I could get him to talk, then I got distracted by you, and here we are.”
“Me? You are the one who distracted me, you sneaked on me during the Alpha meeting, smelling all delicious and ready; I nearly had to chop a few unmated wolves’ heads off for you,” he replies indignantly.
“Well, then next time I am in heat, and you are in a meeting, I should go bother someone else, this way everyone can keep their heads attached.”
His shoulders tense up visibly, and his gaze turns hard on me, making me squirm a little in my chair.
“You wouldn’t dare?” he says in a very low voice, so low that is nearly menacing.
I immediately see my mistake, after what happened before with Lukas, this must still be a sore spot for him and his wolf. It is a constant shameful and painful memory for me too.
I need to change the subject, somehow, before we go down painful memory lane.
I stand up and close the few steps between us, then I place my arms around his neck and take advantage of his lower position to kiss him, putting all my love and devotion for him into this kiss.
He’s a little guarded at first but then joins in the kiss and encircles his strong arms around my waist.
“I would never, because I love you, and only you, and no man can make me feel what you can. If this causes a few heads to fly, so be it. Some people don’t use them anyway.”
“That’s my girl!” Derek comments with a smirk in his face, patting my behind, and making me want to do more than just kissing.
“So, what time are you leaving tomorrow?" he asks.
Right, I haven’t told him yet that I am not going.
“Meera and I have decided to postpone the trip. With everything that is going on, it wouldn’t be safe for the pack. And Meera doesn’t feel comfortable in leaving Damon alone, after what he went through.”
“I completely disagree. You should go; you’ll be safer there. The fact that your driver, someone so close to you, is most probably an infiltrate from our enemies, makes me think that there are more, anywhere on pack-lands or even in this packhouse, or among our villa staff. You are in danger here, and as much as I wish I could be with you 24/7 to protect you, I already know I won’t be able to. So, it’s better if you go to the Moonlight Walkers Pack, while I lure out all the traitors. If we are lucky enough, one of them might even try to follow you.”
“Can’t I stay here and help you find the hidden enemies, instead? I could play bait.”
“No, it would be too dangerous. It’s clear you are their target, and I don’t want to give them any chance to hurt you or my pups.”
“Your pups?” I arch a brow, bemused.