Chapter XVII- Where She's Cherished

*Derek's POV*

I lay her on my bed and limit myself to observing her every feature, there's no way she looks like Arabella. They are total opposites, she's an angel and Arabella the devil woman. Lydia is an angel... after the huge mistake she did today, I can't even scold her.

I well understand what she feels every time a memory of mine plays in her dreams; and it will be so until she knows everything about me and I about her. Maybe I treated her with much outrage and hostility in the beginning, but I didn't want to accept that fate just gave me a second chance at mating. It was scary just the thought of having the pain of rejection ignite throughout my body once again.

After I marked her the empathy I grew for her and the struggle she went through, throughout her whole life; she never deserved that.

Reason why I couldn't control my wolf as we attacked the guy, he hurt her before and tried to do now again.

Just the fact that I could avenge all the mistreating she suffered her whole life, made me feel good. But maybe she won't approve and will hate me even more and will see me as the monster she thinks I'm. Which I really am. I wish I was there to protect her against that evil couple that misused her and then sold her as if she just anything but a person.

Vanessa was right when she said I'm just like my father... I Don't deserve Lydia; I'm just going to hurt her. I'm no good!

If they only listened to me, nothing of what took place the previous night would have happened. I wouldn't have killed the boy...

But for everyone I'm just trying to be a hard-ass. Frustrated by the fact that I'm stuck in a wheelchair.

*sighs* I could do this, every night, watch her sleep; her chest moves slowly and she looks so peaceful. I stand up and stop by the window watching outside, the view of the valley from my room is green and beautiful every morning. I never quiet appreciated it, my world was made of darkness and thorns, now the colours changed somehow.

I feel just that she woke up and is now staring at me, but I didn't turn to look at her. "Good morning." I utter before turning to see her surprised gaze on me.

"Derek!" I hear her sweet voice exclaim surprised.

*Lydia's POV*

I feel well that I'm in a safe space until I open my eyes and travel my eyes around the strange room, not so strange, I'm sure this is Derek's room. What calls for my attention is the tall figure standing by the window, I frown and wonder if... "Good morning!" He greets... That's Derek's voice. I try to put my mind to recall the previous night, but until where I can replay I met Steve and then...the wolf...sounded just like Derek... Maybe I'm just still very much tipsy.

"Derek!" I exclaim nonetheless. He turns to me, not just walking, but smiling. Somebody pinch me.

He sits on the bed next to me eyeing me and he's not mad. I sit upright and pull the sheets on me as I find myself only in my underwear. I look at him terrified and blushing. Don't know what is happening, he could stop grinning and tell me why is he walking and smiling, why am I in his room? In his bed? only in my underwear?

"How are you feeling?" He asks politely. But, I think I should ask the questions here.

Da fuck, am I doing here?

"Did we?..." I swallow dry ignoring his question completely. Was I supposed to say it was great, just to boost his ego even though I remember nothing coherent. "I mean..." I try to formulate and he giggles. I always wanted him to be a more smiley person, but now he looks creepy. And I feel awkward. "It's not funny, I wanted my first time to be special." And remember it. "... And let's be honest, I must have been really drunk because not even if you were the last man on the face of earth I would...thinging...with you." I gasp and for his hurt face, I was really harsh. But he knows I don't like him...

"Ouch..." He complains. "I never felt so...undesirable in my whole life, not even when riding that wheelchair." he's hot, I'm just not the bad boy's girl type.

"I'm sorry, Derek, but-"

"You can relax. We didn't have sex." Derek interrupts me and I sigh so loud before glaring at his offended expression.

"Why am I in my underwear then?" I demand.

"I figured you wouldn't remember anything that happened yesterday." He says shaking his head. "You were drunk, you left with some guys that wanted to force into you."

"-and you saved me?" I kind of start to remember and he was definitely a wolf, beautiful black wolf, his eyes were red and he talked to me. And we had an unbelievable connection.

He saved me. Again...

"How did you know?" I needed to ask. He just knew where to find me. Did he snoop me out there? How did he even know I needed help?

"Lydia, when I bit you, I claimed you mine, and.... maybe I should have been less of a dick and explained to you before, but You are now my mate and whatever is it that you feel, I feel. I felt that you were in danger." he explains and I don't know what to feel or say. I just stare at him...my so said Mate.

Mate. To. Derek. Me?

"Elaborate that." I say after a while stuttering and not being able to make any word out of my mouth.

"You are mine. My soulmate, my Luna." he says and I cringe. Yeah that's clear, but how? "Since you stepped in my grounds, my wolf woke up inside me. You gave me life back, reason why I let you stay and wanted you near." He strokes my face and fireworks explode in my body. This is different from what I feel from Fabian and have felt this before near him, I didn't like and still don't like to feel this way towards Derek.

"And you are not mad that I disobeyed your orders to stay in my room?"

"No." He shakes his head. "I'm very disappointed with all of you and next time you do such a thing, there will be consequences, mate."

"How can I be mate to a wolf?" I sounded very disappointed, in reality I wanted to cry.

"Fate has been a bitch to me as well, my last mate was a witch and now a weak human." He announces making me look at him disgusted.

"And I have the awful feeling that this is not going to work out to."

"We will make it work out, you will be my Luna, Lydia." He assures holding me so close, suddenly I could not breath as my body was reacting in manners I didn't want, to his touch.

*Derek POV*

I look at the three figure silent standing in my study, waiting for them to say something. "Will you talk or I will have to rip it out of you?" I threaten.

"We are really sorry, Alpha." Caleb apologises first.

"I don't know what to say-" Derek sighs. "My very Beta, My sister and my brother in law. You know just what it means to disobey your Alpha!" In my rules it was take them to the dungeons, which is only in extreme cases, but I won't let it reach to extremes, the iniquity has to be chopped from the root.

I was just about to dictate their sentence when the doors fall opened with a thud.

"Am I interrupting something?" Arabelle says in that annoying smile of her. After so long, after years she comes in as if nothing happened.

*****

New character, yeeey.

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