38: Derek

"Lily!" Jayce called out for his Mate in what sounded like desperation. Penelope was already ahead

of him up the stairs and making a dash to their bedroom. When Derek approached behind her,

Jayce was leaning over Lily's still body on their bed. Jayce put his hand on her cheek, trying to coax

her into waking up. Did the pathetic child overdose maybe? From her previous history with abuse,

he would understand why. Now with the pressure of marrying a King and running a species that

wasn't her own?

What a fool's way out.

Lily suddenly gasped, her eyes shooting open and Jayce took his Mate into his arms. She was

sweating a bit, like she was going through some realistic dream.

"Dammit woman, don't scare me like that.” Jayce growled at her, but he looked relieved. When did

his son stoop so low? Not once had he cared about anything aside from his power as King and the

bitches he took to bed. Yet here his King was, tending to his future Queen like she was some sick

child. Speaking of child...

"Lily?" Elias spoke up between Derek and Penelope, peeking his head around. He was still holding

that damn toy of his. It appeared to have new stitch work to it. Lily glanced over to the entryway,

ignoring that Derek was standing their and smiled at Elias. His youngest child darted pass them,

jumping onto the bed and crawled over to her.

"I'm sorry for scaring you. I had to meet with someone.” She told Jayce as she hugged Elias close.

Jayce leaned his forehead against hers, breathing her in.

"You were speaking with my Wolf again?" Jayce asked her.

So that's what this was about. She needed to be in a sleep like state of mind in order to contact his

Wolf spirit. Interesting.

"I just needed some answers." She looked away from Jayce as if avoiding the topic. Jayce's jaw set

and his lips formed a thin line.

"Can you talk to me?" He asked her.

Why the Hell is he asking Why? Demand it from her.

Lily looked back at Jayce, reaching over and touched his cheek, then her fingers stopped on his

neck. It was out of sight, but she appeared to be tracing something.

"I asked him if there was a reason as to why my bite didn't heal.” She mentioned. She bit him? Derek

wanted to laugh.

A human Marking a Wolf, what a joke.

"What did he tell you?" Jayce asked her eagerly. Did he truly believe in her nonsense?

"He thinks it's due to our bond that we have. Since it's so strong, my Mark must have worked." She

informed him. Jayce's shoulders relaxed and he watched his King smile. "I'm still a little lost with the

Mate bond, but Nox has the greatest knowledge.”

"Nox? Did you name my Wolf?" Jayce asked her. Her cheeks flushed and she smiled innocently at

him. Elias sat in her lap, playing with his toy. Jayce ran a hand through her hair slowly. Derek

watched the scene before him. Jayce looked truly happy sitting beside her. If a pup of their own

ever entered the fray, it would complete their circle. This angered Derek even more. It was just so...

"I don't mean to interrupt, but Lily, we have an appointment at the wedding boutique.” Penelope

said to them. Lily looked over to the doorway, finally registering their existence and looked down at

Elias.

"I have to go, Elias, but we'll play when I get back. Okay?” She told him. Elias pouted, but he didn't

fight her. He didn't go into one of his tantrums. His youngest had also grown while he was away.

Was it because of her?

"Will you be okay?" Jayce asked Lily as he helped her out of bed.

"I'm getting fitted, I think I can manage.” She poked Jayce's nose. He wrinkled it, nipping at her

finger. They were practically radiating their disgusting love for one another.

"Fine. I'll have dinner ready when you get back.” He told her. Lily's eyes lit up. Penelope shooed

Derek away from the doorway, leading him down the hall. Their voices joined in behind them. When

Derek glanced back, Jayce had Elias on his shoulder while his hand enveloped Lily's. Her smile, her

attitude. It only amplified his rage even further.

A woman with red hair stood by the door with Beta Damion. How was it possible that he also ended

up with a human Mate? An ally of Lily's even. She glanced at the stairs, and their eyes met. Her eyes

narrowed at him and he lifted his lip in a snarl.

Pest.

"Are you ready to go, Erica?" Penelope asked her. Erica shifted her gaze away and smiled at

Penelope.

"Yep, we even have a ride.” She thumbed toward Damion. He smiled down at her like she was the

only light in the room. Friction weighed heavily in the air as Jayce stepped onto the foyer, the

tension practically visible between the Alpha and his Beta. Lily looked over to Erica who only

shrugged, unsure of what was going on between them.

"Damion." Jayce spoke up, but his Beta gave him the cold shoulder.

"What the Hell is going on with you two?" Erica asked them, but they both chose to ignore her.

"Damion." Lily spoke his name and his shoulders twitched before he looked over to her. Did

something possibly happen between the both of them? "Everything's okay now.” She told him. Erica

still looked a bit confused, but Damion relaxed.

"I'm sorry, man. I shouldn't have ripped into you." Damion suddenly apologized.

"Don't apologize, it was needed.” He said. What the fuck was happening? The tension evaporated

and whatever underlining issues that had occurred were now gone. The Alpha and Beta shook

hands and everyone seemed relieved. All except Derek.

"If we're all done here." Derek spoke up. Jayce let out an involuntary growl in his direction, and was

cut short by Lily's hand to his chest.

"Are you ready?" Penelope asked Lily. The woman let out a breath and nodded. Jayce kissed her

before they left. Elias let out a soft whimper as Jayce set him on the ground.

"She'll come back, right?" Elias asked Jayce. Jayce took his brother's hand and lead him into the

living room where Nathan was watching football.

"Of course she'll come back. This is her home." Jayce reminded the child. Elias jumped onto the

couch beside Nathan. The man chuckled as Elias shifted into his Wolf and curled up on the couch.

He reminded him so much when Jayce was so young.

"Elias, you ruined another set of clothes.” Derek growled at him. Elias’ ears laid flat, lowering his

gaze. Jayce sat on the other side of Elias.

"He's a child. Leave him be." Jayce growled at him. Jayce rested a hand on Elias’ head. Elias relaxed

instantly. He was always like that with his little brother.

"He needs to learn how to properly behave if he ever becomes the next Alpha.” Derek took a seat

on the other couch. Not like he could with his condition.

"He'll be a better Alpha than you." Jayce shot at him. Derek breathed sharply at the insult. Nathan

looked uncomfortable between them.

"Elias, want to go play in the snow?" Nathan asked him. Elias’ ears perked up instantly and he

jumped off the couch, his tail wagging like crazy. Derek went to speak up, but Jayce's glare made

him stay silent. As Nathan escorted Elias out back, Jayce turned off the TV.

"Speak your mind, Derek. You gave your answer at the meeting, yet you appear to still have much to

say." Jayce sat back in his seat, his arm draped over the back of the couch.

"Trying to get through your damn skull of the mistake you're about to make.” Derek told him. Jayce

rolled his eyes.

"There is no law ever written that it has to be a She-Wolf to be a Luna or Queen. It just worked out

that way every time." Jayce reminded him. Derek shook his head still.

"But you're the King. You can have a far more capable partner. Someone of pure blood to carry the

bloodline." Derek said. Jayce snarled, the vein in his temple pulsing lightly as his anger meter started

to rise.

"Lily is my Mate, and that is final. There is nothing left to discuss.” Jayce rose up from his seat,

"Leave my city. Go back to your pack where you should be.” Jayce growled deeply before leaving

the room. Derek ran a hand through his hair. There was no getting through to Jayce. He still had

one more option.

He waited outside the dress shop, sitting in his town car when Penelope walked out with Lily and

Erica in tow. Damion was nowhere in sight, this was going to be his only chance. Lily was holding a

black bag in her arms as the women waited outside. The sun had already gone down, the streets

were not as busy anymore.

"Luna Lily." He called from his window. Lily stopped, glancing in his direction. She looked alarmed to

see him, all of them did. Penelope put an arm around Lily's shoulder, her eyes glaring at Derek. His

own Luna betrayed him. He could barely make out Erica warning Lily from approaching him, but she

passed her bag over to Penelope and made her way toward his car. His driver stepped out, opening

a door for her. She hesitated, looking back toward Erica who was shaking her head at her.

"I don't have all day.” He said to her. Lily finally got in, the door shutting behind her. She sat as far

back as she could from him, staying close to the door.

"What do you want, Derek?" She asked straightforward. He leaned back in his seat, pulling out a

glass from a small section they makeshift into a tiny bar. He poured a small bit of red wine into the

glass and extended it to her. She kept her eyes on him, not once reaching for the glass. He

shrugged, downing the drink.

"This bullshit you're doing needs to end.” He told her.

"What bullshit exactly?" She asked him. The driver drove off. Derek looked out the window to the

Christmas themed streets. Restaurants began to close up for the evening.

"That you actually love my son." He said. He noticed the pain in her eyes after he said that, her

brows knitting together in shock.

"Do you even know what love is, Derek? Have you actually ever experienced it?" She asked him. His

jaw tightened as he remembered his Mate. Her happiness was elsewhere. He stared at Lily, the hair...

the eyes...

"From the stupid look on your face, you have." She said, looking out the window. Derek growled,

lunging across the space and grabbed her throat. She gasped, trying to kick him off of her. With his

momentum, the car swerved a bit, but maintained steady on the road.

"Why does it have to be you?" His hands shifted into claws, tightening his grip more. She continued

kicking him, her face in a panic. He listened to her heart race. She tried to gasp for air.

"Humans are inferior creatures meant to be below us, yet here you are trying so desperately to fit in.

With the fake love you keep spilling to my son.” He growled. Tears welled up in her eyes, her face

darkening little by little. One of her legs slipped between his, planting a foot to his groin. He

grunted, releasing her after the low blow. She tried to move away from him, but with him partially

shifted and the car still moving, she had little space to move.

"Just because your Mate didn't love you, doesn't mean my love for Jayce isn't true.” She gasped out,

holding her throat. "You keep talking all of this nonsense about tradition, and doing what is best for

your King, but you failed to realize that maybe Jayce is happy for once.” She said. Derek snarled at

her, but to his surprise, his Wolf retracted his claws.

What the Hell are you doing?

I will not harm my Queen.

A deep voice rumbled in his mind, silencing any further argument. The driver made the turn up the

long curved road. They would arrive soon, but he barely got anywhere.

"You made him weak." He told her. Her eyes widened a bit at his words, but she shook her head. If

he couldn't make her see that he was right, then he'll make her be the culprit.

"As every King before him, their Luna was only kept for breeding. He won't care about you or the

pup.” He said to her. Her hands went to her belly. Was it on instinct? Or was she...?

"Sir, we have a problem.” The driver called back to him. The car came to a sudden stop, and Lily

took that opportunity to get out of the car. He stepped out after her, not expecting Jayce's true

form standing in their way. He stood nearly ten feet high on his hind legs, his black coat speckled

with snow. He was growling, his body shaking with the rage he was proliferating. Why would he be

in that form? His life isn't at risk. Derek's gaze went to Lily.

Could she have brought out the beast?

"Lily." Jayce's guttural voice called to her. She didn't hesitate. She ran to him, burying her face into

his fur. Derek could hear her soft sobs being muffled. Jayce wrapped an arm protectively around

Lily, but his full attention was on Derek. He let his next growl shatter the air around them, the trees

bending away from them, the snow crumbling. The car shifted back down the road, the driver

hitting the brakes hard to keep it from rolling further.

"Leave!" Jayce roared at him. Though Derek's mind told him to stand his ground, his body went

against him and he climbed back into the car. The driver took that notion to reverse down the road

as carefully as possible.

Derek sat back in his seat, trying to settle the fear his beast felt. The woman was not so easily

swayed, but he knew now that he can still get to her mentally. That part of her probably has yet to

heal after what she went through. Aside from that, she could be hiding a secret. A big secret. He

could use that knowledge as well, but only if it was true. He'll need to wait. He'll need to abide his

time now. His phone buzzed softly in his jacket pocket.

"Alpha Lukas, I thought you turned tail." Derek said sarcastically.

"You were the one that left the meeting first." Lukas retorted, "Did you get the job done?" His tone

softened a bit. Derek looked out the window as he rubbed his tender groin.

“No, but..."

"There are no buts, Derek. She does not accept excuses." Lukas’ voice changed to a more sinister

tone. Derek felt a seering pain on his forearm, and as he rolled up his sleeve, he spotted the tattoo

that was engraved into his flesh. It burned with an ominous gold hue. He touched the Mark

carefully, tracing the intricate pattern until the pain died down.

"I have no excuse. I'll deal with the Luna.” He said before hanging up. He fixed his sleeve, and

reached into his pocket where a photograph was taken out. A beautiful blonde woman stood

perfectly in a sunflower field, her smile brightening her green eyes. For someone that loved summer

so much, just to be given the name for fall.