Chapter 27 027
~DERRICK~
I finally released the breath I didn’t even realize I had been holding as I watched the girl flee from my room, escaping from me as though I were some kind of monster. The sound of her footsteps faded down the hallway, yet the sting of it lingered sharply in my chest. I hissed in frustration, running a hand through my hair as irritation and confusion tangled inside me.
What the hell just happened?
What came over me?
‘You shouldn’t have let her go!’ Charles roared inside my head, his voice raw and furious. ‘You should have made sure she stayed!’
I hissed again, this time in confusion and irritation, pacing the length of the room.
“How can you even understand what’s happening?” I muttered under my breath, clenching my fists. “You don’t know what’s at stake if everyone finds out who she really is to us.”
The thought alone made my chest tighten.
“Why did I even kiss her?” I said aloud, frustration dripping from my voice. “Now I look desperate… hungry.”
My voice trailed off as my eyes swept over the room.
The bed was overturned, furniture displaced, glass shattered on the floor. Scratch marks marred the walls....deep, violent marks that no ordinary struggle could have caused. My shoulders sagged as memory finally slammed into me with full force.
“That jerk is back,” I roared suddenly, rage exploding through me as I punched the wall.
Pain shot through my knuckles, but I barely felt it.
I stared at the wall in shock when I noticed the deep gashes left behind by my strike. My eyes widened as realization hit me like a blow to the chest.
“Did he hurt her that badly?” I exclaimed, panic twisting my gut.
I spun toward the door, ready to go after her, ready to make sure she was safe....but my steps halted abruptly when Scott entered the room.
He froze.
His eyes widened as he took in the destruction around us.
“What happened here?” he asked sharply, worry lacing his tone. “Was there an attack?”
I scoffed bitterly, turning away.
How was I supposed to tell him that I was the attack?
That I was the one who had torn my own room apart?
“What are you....” Scott started, then stopped. He stepped closer, scanning my face carefully. “You’re not hurt.”
His expression shifted as realization dawned on him.
“Is he back?” he asked quietly.
I nodded once.
“But this time,” I said slowly, forcing my voice steady, “nothing out of the ordinary happened. I’ve felt his darkness hovering around me for a while now… lingering. Watching. I don’t think....”
A sudden memory flashed before my eyes.
I squeezed them shut, pain slicing through my head.
Fear crawled up my spine.
I was terrified of everything happening all over again. I wasn’t sure I could survive it a second time.
“But you’ve been in control of your mind for a long time,” Scott said carefully. “I didn’t think he could surface so easily. What were you doing when he appeared? Where exactly were you in the room?”
I exhaled slowly and walked over to the bed, sitting heavily on its edge.
“I went to ask that old wizard about what he knew,” I explained. “About him. But the moment I returned, I felt overwhelmed....smothered by his darkness. That was the last thing I remember before he took control. I didn’t even realize it was happening.”
Scott frowned.
“If you were with him,” he asked cautiously, “then why was he here? And why is this place in ruins?”
I clenched my jaw.
“She was here,” I said quietly. “She met him.”
Anger churned violently in my chest.
“The ‘she’ you’re talking about is Lyka, right?” Scott asked.
I nodded.
“What?” he exclaimed. “That’s.... that’s huge. How could she be the one to run into him?” His gaze drifted back to the destroyed room. “I hope he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary… though judging by this mess, I’m guessing he did.”
I swallowed hard.
“But she’s okay, right?” Scott pressed. “She doesn’t seem like someone who would go running her mouth to the pack.”
My mind drifted back to the moment I regained control....how she had held me, how she had looked at me without fear, without accusation.
She hadn’t asked questions.
She hadn’t screamed.
She had stayed.
“I don’t think she’s the type to do that,” I said slowly. “If anything, she’d spend her time devising an escape plan.”
Scott studied me.
“But how was she able to face him?” he asked. “He’s… different.”
“She’s no ordinary woman,” I murmured. “If she could come into contact with that jerk and still remain that calm… then she’s different.”
I rubbed my lips absently, and my breath hitched when I felt the lingering warmth there.
The memory of her kiss made my pulse stutter.
“So you’re saying she might be able to....” Scott began, trailing off.
I shot him a sharp look.
“What were you about to ask?” I demanded.
He hesitated, then sighed. “You know what I’m asking. Do you think she’s fit to be Luna, considering how strong she is?”
I shook my head immediately.
“No,” I said firmly. “Strength alone isn’t enough. She doesn’t even know about their existence. How is she supposed to fight an enemy she doesn’t know exists?”
Scott nodded slowly.
“Then why keep her here?” he asked. “Her pack members… she doesn’t look like someone who settles for crumbs. If you want her to stay, you’ll have to give her more than just a roof over her head.”
I smiled faintly, understanding exactly what he meant.
Of course I knew what kind of woman she was. There was no mistaking that fire in her eyes. She wanted security, power....control over her fate.
But I couldn’t give her what she truly wanted.
And that would be a problem.
“I don’t need to give her a reason to stay,” I said quietly. “She’ll find one herself.”
The glint I had seen in her eyes earlier flashed through my mind again.
I hadn’t imagined it.
She wasn’t someone who waited for permission.
“What about you?” Scott asked suddenly.
I turned to him, confused.
“What about me?”
“Can you live with your mate within reach,” he asked evenly, “and do absolutely nothing about it?”
Before I could respond, loud commotion erupted outside.
Scott and I exchanged a sharp glance before rushing out of the room.
The sight that greeted us made my blood run cold.
My eyes widened in shock, my heart slamming violently against my ribs.
“What is happening?” I yelled, my voice echoing through the hall as my wolf roared in fury inside me.