Derrick

“I could have died back there…” Cami’s voice came out as a soft whisper as the doctor left our ward, “But you saved me.” She laced her fingers with mine, and I responded with a reassuring press on her skin. I breathed in relief as my eyes trailed to her right ankle, covered with an elastic bandage. Thankfully, her injuries were not life-threatening; all she suffered from was a sprained ankle.

“Thank you,” she mouthed.

I shook my head slightly, “I’d do it over and over for you, Cami.” My hand slowly moved to her leg, making sure my massage was as tender as possible.

Her lip curled upward to form a hearty smile. Unfortunately, it didn’t infect me. I was battling with my own unrest inside, too. We won the war, but our losses were not small either. Our doctors have been trooping in and out of anterooms restlessly, and nurses are busy wheeling our injured warriors on stretchers to various ward rooms. Never have we faced this magnitude of attack from rogues.

And then there’s Dahlia, for some reason, her injuries are not healing. A wounded back and a deep claw injury to her neck, at least that’s what I can presume from what I saw; it could be worse. Laila has been performing surgery on her for more than thirty minutes now, and as much as I hate to admit it, it bothers me. My wolf has been restless ever since. Dahlia is a fine warrior. I thought handling a rogue or two wasn’t a problem for her. But one minute I was entrapped in fighting four on my own, and the other…she’s pinned to the tree, gasping for her life.

Maybe I should just check up on her. I won’t be able to bear it if something happens to her. Not because she’s my wife, but ultimately she’s my Pack member.

“Hey…” Cami flipped her thumb and index finger in front of me, snapping me back to reality. “Is something wrong?” Her brows creased in worry.

“Nothing,” I tried to assert with a smile, but my muscles had grown stiff. “I think I should check up on Dahlia, see if she’s fine.” I stood up from the stool, but Cami whimpered as her hand latched to her side.

“Are you in pain?” The question burst out of me with the speed of light. She freed a deep exhale that did nothing but heighten my anxiety.

“I’m fine…” she released, her words barely audible.

“Let me see,” I tried to reach for her side, but she stopped me.

“Really, Derrick. I’m fine,” she moaned.

“I’ll get the doctor–”

She grabbed my wrist, stopping me abruptly. She might say she’s fine, but her eyes were betraying her. She’s far from it!

“I just…” Her lips pressed into a thin line, trapping the rest of her sentence. “C-can you stay with me, please?” she patted the bed space by her side. “With you here, that’s all the comfort I need.”

I glanced at the door and then back at her before releasing a deep exhale. Dahlia will be fine; she’s in safe hands, that’s what I told my wolf before returning to my seat. Holding on to Cami like she’s my life source. She breathed in relief and started to draw circles on the back of my palm. No words were needed; my presence was all she desired.

The door suddenly opened, and Laila marched in with her white lab coat and bleary eyes. Although they turned irritated at the sight of Camilla and me holding hands.

“How can you be here when your wife is suffering?!” she spat with enough iciness seeping into her voice. “Her wolf isn’t healing her because of you! And here you are—”

“What do you mean she isn’t healing because of me?” I snapped with a sharp frown as I gradually peeled away from Camilla.

“I don’t know what you did that hurt her deeply, but her wolf is in pain!” her breaths furiously stormed out of her.

“I didn’t do anything!” I rumbled. She got hurt by the rogues, not me!

Her chest heaved up for a moment before deflating alongside all her fury. “Thankfully, the surgery went well. She’s still unconscious, but she’s resting.”

“Can I see her?”

Before she could answer,

“Derrick!” Lucas barged in, panting as he had just finished battling the hordes of hell. His clothes were ripped, and his skin covered in bruises, too. “Your father!”

My brows pulled together even deeper.

“He was helping some of our injured men and suddenly collapsed. The Pack doctor says he’s dying!”

“What?!” Camilla and Laila blared at the same time.

My heart skipped, and my eyes widened to their limits as cold energy ruthlessly encroached on my skin down to my toes.

“Follow me!”

“I’m coming too!” Cami interjected.

“Stay there! It’s family only!” Laila scowled, but I was too shaken to care.

I followed him immediately, my steps even faster than his and Laila's, till we arrived at the private wardroom waiting room where Uncle Bode, our Beta, was busy trying to comfort my weeping mother. Teresa, my red-haired sister, was seated on one of the chairs. Arms crossed, face red and swollen from tears.

“Where is he?!” I demanded, about to break into the room, but Lucas restrained me.

“You can’t.”

“Out of my way, Lucas!” I roared, but he held my shoulder, giving it a light press.

“Please…the doctor is still with him.”

So I’m supposed to wait here and die from despair?! On one hand, Dahlia is unconscious, and on the other…I’m about to lose my father. My hand latched onto the roots of my hair that I nearly pulled out. I wanted to tear everything down, to yell my lungs out, but I can’t. I’m the heir; I have to be calm. Composed. A beacon of support for the others. I can’t break down.

My eyes met with Uncle Bode, and his gaze did justice, passing all the words that needed to be said. My family needs me. And so, I painstakingly took deep, shaky breaths before managing to steady myself. I went to my mother first, but she didn’t bother listening to my words. She just gripped me, soaking my shirt with her tears. Laila stayed with Teresa while Uncle Bode left. As the Beta, he has to keep the order in the Pack.

The next fifty minutes were the most hellish wait of my life until the Pack doctor appeared. His tongue failed him for the first couple of seconds,

“I’m sorry, Luna Angelina…but our Alpha is old. His body is too weak to survive the magnitude of his injury–”

We were far too gone beyond reason to wait for the remaining rehearsed lines. I barged in first, and there he was on the bed, all patched up. But his breathing was slow and lacked vigor. Life was draining out of his life, yet my old man still managed to pull up a tiny smile.

“Dad!” I sped to him in a flash. My mother and Teresa joined too, stealing his attention from me. I watched both of them wail while my father kept trying to ease them, like everything was going to be alright. I couldn’t tell which one was a bigger battle between keeping my thumping heart at bay and stopping my eyes from bleeding.

“My boy…” My father finally reached for me, and I clasped onto his hand with mine.

“D-a-dad…” Just that one word and his waning warmth made me lose the battle and let my lashes get soaked.

“How is Dahlia?” he strained to ask.

“She’s–she’ll be fine. She’s in good hands,” I batted my lashes, and he grinned.

“Your old man has lived long enough, don’t you think?” if this was his attempt at a joke, then it hit the sore spot for me.

“Don’t! Don’t leave us this way…” I shook my head. “Not like this!”

“Promise me,” My father’s grip tightened. “Promise me that you and Dahlia will always protect the Pack.”

“No…no…no…Dad…” I winced. I don’t want to make a promise I know I can’t keep.

“That both of you will never leave each other…”

“Dad!” More tears flooded out of me. Even in his last breaths, he’s still enforcing Dahlia on me.

“That you will always love each other…”

I nodded slowly, but it wasn’t convincing enough for our old man.

“I promise…” my voice dropped low, it almost couldn’t be heard by the others except him. He shot me his widest grin before heaving in relief.

I’m sorry, Dad. But I can’t keep this one. My mind is made up, Cami will be my Luna.

Dahlia

By the time I woke up, Laila was beside my bed. Her bleary eyes were moist with sadness, and her face was worn out by stress. The battle must have been horrific if the future Pack doctor could be this heavily drawn out, too.

“Oh…thank goodness you’re awake!” She held my hand in between hers, stroking my skin softly. “How are you feeling? Is there pain anywhere?” She tried inspecting me, but I was enveloped in worry for another cause entirely, and I didn’t care about the pain that lingered around my neck.

“Wh-what ha–ppened? Where’s Derrick?” I looked around the room devoid of Derrick’s presence. Somehow, I could feel his wolf in deep pain through our bond.

“Dahlia…” water toured down her cheeks like a gentle stream. The sadness and pain reflected in her eyes slowly pushed me to sit up on the bed. Something happened. My husband…

“It’s Alpha Christoper,” she cracked.

“What?” I gasped as a whirlpool of angst twirled in my stomach.

“We won the war but…Alpha Christoper…” she sniffed as those eyes sparkled with another ball of water. “H-e-e di-ed last night. His injuries were too heavy…”

My jaw dropped to my bed. My ribs constricted, stripping me of the ability to breathe, think, let alone digest those atrocious words from her.

“I don’t believe you,” It came out of me as a whisper, and she responded with a gentle squeeze.

“I’m sorry–”

No! I refuse to accept this! I tried to swoop out of my bed, but she pressed me back.

“Dahlia, wait!” She groaned at my insistence, which only ended the moment the door opened for Derrick. His eyes were tired and rimmed with red, telling how much despair had consumed him. Hair was as messy as a bird’s nest, and the smell of blood still reeked from him.

Even if I didn’t want to believe Laila, Derrick’s countenance told the ugly truth. The one man who cherished me so much like I was his daughter had died. And what was more wrenching was the fact that I wasn’t there for him in his last moment.

Who should I blame? The rogues? Or myself?

“Alpha…” Laila greeted him, and a lump clogged in my throat. It really happened. There’s no more Alpha Christoper. “I think I should excuse myself.”

She rose from the stool before easing out of the room. Derrick didn’t take a step further, as if being close to me would kill him. But he was at least kind enough to check me out.

“How are you?”

That same tone. That gruffiness. Except that the potency was sharper this time.

“Is it true?” I foolishly asked, even though I knew the answer. “Father…”

“He’s gone,” his throat bobbed, and his gritted teeth outlined themselves against his skin. Guilt. Pain. Despair. Those three screamed the loudest in just two words, and it made my heart shrivel. It shattered me to see my mate consumed by this energy. I tried to leave my bed to comfort him. Even if it's a hug at least, he stopped me with a gesture of his hand.

“I’m fine,” he grunted.

“You’re not fi–”

“The official coronation ceremony as Alpha is in one month,” he cut me off abruptly. “Let’s get divorced, Dahlia.”

I blinked like a zillion times, but the iciness in his eyes remained resolute. My ears rang deaf. My thoughts wiped themselves like a formatted memory card as a chilling sensation shot straight to my spine. Am I in a nightmare, or is this my ugly reality?

“You can’t be my Luna.”

My palms grabbed a fistful of the sheets as tears itched my eyes.

“You don’t deserve to.”

Pain twinged in my heart, incapacitating every muscle and nerve.

“I only married you because of my father, and now that is gone—”

“Camilla, right?” her name barrelled out of my mouth with enough hate. His chest heaved up for a moment, and then he relaxed. Back to his default settings. Even his wolf, I couldn’t feel him. Derrick had deliberately shut me out.

I’ve been nothing but a fool. All this time, he only put up with me because of his father. Does he hate me that much? A day hasn’t even passed since his father passed, and he’s already dropping the bombshell. What makes me so inadequate? What makes me so undeserving of his love? Why her?!

“You…do you love her?” How I didn’t shatter letting that question roll out of me was a mystery.

“She’s the woman I was supposed to marry before you invaded my life.”

Invaded?!

“I’m your mate, Derrick!” tears fell recklessly to the sheets.

“And I never wanted you. I have always wished for Camilla to be my mate, but the moon goddess just had to fuck up everything,” he spouted. If only he knew he had just left a million holes in me with his stabbing words.

“You–” my lips pressed into a thin line to stop my venom, yet my wolf made me lose control anyway. “You really are a dick, Derrick. A fucking big one.”

His eyes exclaimed with shock, but I didn’t care. I was angry, rightfully so. I gave him my all, I sacrificed everything just to be with him. Just so one day, we could be happy, have a family, and this is what I’m rewarded with? He didn’t even let me grieve for my father-in-law. What kind of bastard is he?!

He didn’t talk; he simply watched me as I crumbled like a broken dam.

To think my father warned me against marrying Derrick. As his only child, he wanted me to settle for someone else in the Pack. To produce an heir so I can claim my inheritance as the next Luna in my Pack. But I chose Derrick instead. I foolishly did. Mates are supposed to love each other; that belief grounded me to believe that I could win Derrick’s heart someday. That he would finally be mine. Instead, I almost died because of him.

Last night, he chose to save Camilla over me, the moment I needed him the most. I was blind, too blind to see that I was never his priority and never will be. This is the man I gave up my whole life for!

But it shouldn’t be so! My wolf spoke up. Why should my life fall apart all for a man who doesn’t give a damn about me? I should just move on. I can’t lose on both sides. I won’t let him destroy my life. I’m going to return to my Pack, claim my inheritance, and be the Luna where I’m actually needed.

“I’ll give you time to think about it. Any amount you want, you name it–”

“I accept,” I cut him off, wiping off the messy trail on my cheeks before wearing the straightest face my muscles could offer. “Let’s get divorced.”

“Good,” he nodded, breathing in relief in fact. “I’ll get the papers ready tomorrow.”

I scoffed, “You’re that desperate to get rid of me, huh?”

“You got yourself in this mess in the first place,” he replied with the same straight face. “You chose to stick with me even when I made it clear to you.”

“You don’t need to remind me,” I curtly answered.

“Saves us both the stress. Get some rest,” he was about to turn away,

“Just give me one month, and I’ll sign the damn papers.” I chirped, his brows furrowed with the speed of light.

“Can you be any less pathetic? You’ve tried for one year. A month is not going to make a difference, Dahlia. You can never have me.”

That’s the thing, I don’t want him anymore either. But I need to give birth to an heir if I want to claim my inheritance. I don’t want to share my body with another man, nor do I have any love in me to give out to any man again. Derrick has made sure of that—to shatter me into pieces beyond recovery.

“I need time to sort myself, and it will be too sudden if I leave just after your father died,” I lied, and my body turned rigid as Derrick squinted at me like he could see my soul.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “Just one month and you are out of my life for good.”

Yes, Derrick, all I want now is to mate with you. Get pregnant so I can claim my inheritance in my Pack and leave your life for good!