Chapter 49 049
~DERRICK~
I stared intently into the lonely night, my eyes fixed on the endless stretch of darkness beyond my window while the distant sound of owls echoed loudly through the forest, their haunting calls blending with the restless whisper of the wind.
The night was alive, breathing, watching, but none of it comforted me. None of it eased the storm raging inside my chest. My jaw tightened as my fingers curled into fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms as if the sharp pain could anchor me to reality.
“Why is he getting out of hand lately?” I mumbled under my breath, my voice hoarse and strained, almost unrecognizable to my own ears. My throat felt dry, my chest heavy.
“Is this how I am going to fade away?” I added quietly, the words tasting bitter and foreign. My eyes burned, reddening with anger and helplessness as memories of what transpired earlier in the room replayed mercilessly in my mind. I could still feel it. The loss of control. The terrifying emptiness when he took over. I didn’t even know when it happened. I never did. It was always sudden. Always violent. Always terrifying.
He had taken over my body again just like every other time, slipping into my skin like a shadow I could never escape, and this time… this time he had almost attacked her. Lyka. The mere thought of it made my chest constrict painfully. It terrified me more than anything else ever had. The thought that my own hands could hurt her. That I could become the monster she feared.
I swallowed hard, my breathing uneven. I had thought it would be like before, that I would be trapped in the darkness of my own mind, forced to watch helplessly while he did whatever he wanted.
But Lyka… Lyka had been different. She hadn’t just submitted. She hadn’t just feared him. She had fought back. She had spoken against him. She had hurt his pride. And that was the one thing he hated more than anything else. His ego. His authority. His dominance.
He despised being challenged, and Lyka… she had done exactly that. My chest tightened at the memory, a mixture of fear and something else I couldn’t name twisting inside me.
I was still lost in my thoughts when the door creaked open, pulling me back to reality, and I turned my head to see Scott walking into my room, his expression serious and unreadable. My brows furrowed slightly as I straightened in my chair. I wondered what he had returned with.
“Did you have a word with her?” I asked immediately, my voice quieter now but carrying urgency I couldn’t hide. Scott nodded silently and extended his hand toward me, holding out a letter.
My eyes flickered to it, and I quickly reached out, collecting it from him with more eagerness than I intended to show. My fingers tightened around the paper as my eyes scanned its surface, expecting answers, expecting something—anything—but my breath hitched in confusion. My brows drew together.
“Why is this happening?” I whispered, my voice filled with disbelief as I stared harder.
“There is nothing written in this letter,” I said, louder this time, my confusion turning into frustration. It was blank. Completely blank. It couldn’t even be called a letter. It was nothing but an empty sheet of paper, mocking me with its silence.
“I don’t understand,” Scott said, stepping closer and frowning deeply.
“I was sure she was writing something on it before she handed it to me,” he added, his voice equally confused as he took the paper from my hand and examined it himself, turning it over as if the words would magically appear. But there was nothing. Just emptiness.
“Yeah,” I muttered bitterly, running my hand through my hair and slumping back into the chair, exhaustion weighing heavily on my shoulders.
“But why would that old woman give you a blank paper?” I asked, more to myself than to him. Scott sighed deeply, mirroring my frustration.
“I don’t know,” he admitted.
“But this is confusing. I was…” He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening slightly like he had remembered something important, and my attention snapped to him immediately.
“Did you remember something?” I asked quickly, leaning forward. He nodded slowly.
“Yes,” he said.
“She told me… that if you can read this letter, it means he is taking over.” My breath caught in my throat. My heart skipped violently.
“What?” I whispered, my eyes dropping back to the blank paper still in his hands. It was still empty. Still silent. Still nothing.
“Does she mean… this letter is addressed to both of you?” Scott asked hesitantly, his voice filled with uncertainty. I swallowed hard before answering.
“Yes,” I said slowly. “It means… I will only be able to read it when he is the one in control. When he takes over completely. Which means… right now…” I paused, my voice trembling slightly. “…I am still in control of my body. And my mind.” Scott let out a loud breath of relief.
“That’s good,” he said quickly, almost excited.
“That means we don’t have to panic yet. It means you’re still here.” Yet. The word echoed in my mind like a death sentence. Because I could feel it. He was still there. Waiting. Watching. Growing stronger.
I was thirsty. Hungry. Not for food. Not for water. But for something darker. Something violent. Something that didn’t belong to me. His greed. His hunger. His darkness. It was bleeding into me. Slowly. Patiently. Inevitably.
“Did she give you a portion?” I asked suddenly, my voice tight. Scott shook his head.
“No. She said you would know when you no longer needed it.” My breathing grew shallow. Of course she knew. She always knew. I stood up slowly and placed my hand on Scott’s shoulder.
“If… if I ever lose control,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper.
“If I ever become him… promise me you’ll stop me.” His eyes filled with tears.
“What are you saying?” he asked, his voice breaking.
“Nothing,” I said quickly, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes.
“Just… keep the pack safe.” He hesitated before nodding.
“I won’t abandon you,” he promised. “Never.” I watched him leave, his words echoing in my mind, and I picked up the blank letter, placing it inside the safe.
Waiting for the day it would speak. Waiting for the day I would lose myself.
But was that day ever going to come?
“I should just be optimistic…” I whispered weakly, but my words were cut short when the door suddenly burst open and Scott rushed inside, his face pale with alarm.
“We are in trouble, Alpha!” he shouted.
“The pack is under attack!” My heart dropped.
“What?!” I roared, already moving. I rushed outside with him as he explained, but I could already feel it. The darkness rising again. The presence pushing forward. Trying to take control. I fought it with everything I had. I wouldn’t let him win. Not now. Not ever.
When I reached outside, the night was no longer peaceful. It was chaos. Growls. Screams. Blood. Rogues. Everywhere. My pack was fighting desperately, but the enemy numbers were overwhelming.
“What happened to the border guards?!” I demanded.
“They aren’t responding!” Scott replied. My jaw clenched.
“Protect the pack house!” I ordered before leaping onto the rooftop. My wolf roared inside me.
Furious. Bloodthirsty. Ready.
I jumped down into the battlefield, and everything stopped. They saw me. Fear flickered in their eyes. My pack’s morale surged instantly. I mind-linked them. ‘Don’t show mercy.’
“Attack!” the rogues screamed.
Then I saw it.
A massive brown wolf charged forward, tearing rogues apart like they were nothing. My heart slammed violently against my ribs.
‘Mine!’ my wolf roared.
My bones cracked.
My body shifted, and I charged into war.
Who dared attack what was mine?