Chapter 59 Your Title Or Your Mate
As Derek walked into his Alpha chambers, his footsteps faltered, and he froze at the sight before him.
Sitting on a high stool near the wine cabinet, a glass in her hand, was Clara—his Luna. The warm glow of the chamber’s lanterns reflected off her auburn hair, and her emerald-green eyes locked onto him with an unreadable expression.
Noticing his presence, Clara turned gracefully, her gaze unwavering. “I’ve been expecting you,” she said, her voice smooth but edged with something cold. She took a delicate sip from her glass, savoring the wine. “What took you so long?”
Derek blinked, caught off guard. He hadn’t seen Clara in months, and her sudden appearance was the last thing he’d expected.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, still shocked.
Clara tilted her head slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Is that supposed to be a question?” she replied. “Or is it that you don’t want your Luna back?”
Her tone wasn’t accusatory, but it wasn’t warm either. It was indifferent, cutting.
Realizing how his words might have sounded, Derek quickly recovered. “Clara, sorry. I didn’t mean it like that,” he said, his tone softening. “It’s just… you didn’t tell me you were coming back. I just wasn’t expecting you to return so suddenly.”
Clara set the glass down on the nearby table with a soft clink, turning fully to face him. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I came back as soon as I heard what was happening here. I thought my presence might be needed.”
Derek’s brows furrowed. “This isn’t a safe time to return, Clara. He said cautiously. The plague hasn’t ended yet, and you know your immune system is weaker than most.”
Clara set her glass down on the small table beside her and stood, her movements deliberate, her lips curled into a bitter smile. “Is that coming from a place of care, Derek?” she asked, her voice sharp. “Or is it that you simply don’t want me here? Maybe because you’ve found her again?”
Derek’s jaw tightened. “What do you mean?” he asked, though he knew exactly what she was implying.
“Don’t play dumb,” Clara snapped. “You know exactly what I mean. Ella is back, isn’t she? And now that she’s here, you suddenly don’t want me around anymore.”
Derek brushed his hands through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. “Clara, this isn’t the right time for this conversation.”
Her laughter was sharp and bitter. “When is the right time, Derek? For five years, I’ve been your Luna in name only!” Her voice rose, anger bubbling to the surface.
She stood abruptly, the stool screeching against the wooden floor. The sudden movement made Derek step back slightly. She moved closer to him, her steps deliberate, her emotions radiating off her in waves.
“You sent me abroad because of the plague,” she said, her voice trembling with both anger and pain. “But you never wrote to me. You never called. You left me with nothing, Derek. This isn’t what you promised me. This isn’t what you promised my father!”
She screamed the last words, her hands clenching at her sides.
Derek flinched at the mention of her father. Guilt settled heavily on his shoulders, but he struggled to find the right words.“Clara, please calm down,” Derek said, trying to appease her. “It’s not what you think.”
Clara shook her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Then what is it, Derek?” Clara demanded, her voice cracking. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “You haven’t forgotten about her, have you? You say it’s not what I think, but I know the truth. I’ve always known.”
Derek swallowed hard, her words hitting him like a blow. The guilt he had tried to suppress for years surfaced, clawing at his chest. She wasn’t wrong—he had neglected her. Clara was his responsibility, and he had failed her.
“Do you know how much I’ve waited, Derek?” Clara’s voice broke now, the tears finally streaming down her face. “How much I’ve hoped? I’ve stayed by your side, waiting for the day you’d see how much I love you.”
Her confession hung in the air like a heavy weight, and Derek struggled to find the right words.
“Clara…” he began, but she cut him off.
“Everyone sees me as your Luna,” she said, her voice quieter now but no less anguished. “But we both know the truth, don’t we? You haven’t marked me. Not after all these years.”
She stepped closer, pulling back her hair to expose the smooth, unmarked skin of her neck. She tilted her neck, the smooth skin exposed as if to taunt him. "You refuse to make this official because your heart isn’t with me. It’s still with her.”
“Do it, Derek,” she said, her voice steady despite the tears still glistening in her eyes. “If I’m truly your Luna, then mark me.”
Derek’s heart pounded in his chest as he stared at her. His wolf stirred within him, uneasy. He knew what she was asking—what it would mean. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Clara’s lips trembled as she stepped back, the vulnerability in her eyes replaced with something colder. She straightened her posture, drawing on a resolve that seemed to harden her entire being.
“You made a promise to my father, Derek,” she said, her voice sharp and unyielding. “And as an Alpha, I suggest you keep your word.”
Derek opened his mouth to respond, but she didn’t give him a chance.
“You have a choice to make,” she continued, her tone final. “Your title or your mate. Decide Derek”
With that, Clara turned on her heel and strode out of the room, her head held high despite the tears still streaking her face.
Derek stood rooted to the spot, her ultimatum echoing in his mind. The door to his chambers shut with a soft click, and he was left alone, the weight of her words pressing down on him like a heavy stone.