☼ Chapter XXIV ☼

picture; Lorelai Ylisove

song; "Can't Sleep, Can't Breathe" by Digital Daggers

author's note; I'm so excited that this story is now at 2000 reads! I am so happy to have people who like the story and characters I've created, and I'm very proud of it. Thank you to everyone who religiously reads, votes, and comments. I appreciate all your feedback and support, so much!

We are getting into the nitty gritty of the story now and the main conflict is starting to come to light. Remember, this story is very intricate and I never write any filler chapters. Everything is important.

Why do you all think Trent forced Sonya to take his blood? Was it just for personal gain, or do you think there was a deeper reason?

Comment + Vote, enjoy!

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Eyes the blue-black of the nighttime and his body thrumming with violent rage, Derik came and crashed me up against a tree. My friends stood around, watching the interaction with my Mate carefully, ready to protect me if they needed to. Lorelai was the closest, still standing right beside me and watching Derik with a stormy look.

The burning of his anger and our bond was beginning to heighten to a painful degree, and Derik kept his arm pressed over my chest, and I squeezed my eyes against the pressure, bowing and tilting my head submissively almost instinctively.

"Please," I whimpered quietly, hoping, praying to the Goddess he'd let me explain.

"You'd better have a good fucking explanation, Sonya." He'd never spoken to me this way. Derik's voice was a low, dark baritone of fury, and the carnal images flickering through the bond were genuinely scaring me.

"Derik," Levelling my jade gaze into his almost pitch-black one, I breathed out shakily, slowly to calm myself before pushing those same calming emotions through the bond, and I could see him falter. Derik was clearly confused as to why I was so calm in this situation.

My hands tentatively reached for him, and he accepted my touch, though the blackness in his eyes didn't fade. The bloodthirst quieted and for a small moment, I felt slightly victorious.

"The Mark... I thought I saw Rene and I chased him out here... or I guess I was just hallucinating, but it was Darkness. Trent followed me and was trying to snap me out of it, but I was so caught up in thinking he was really here that I was losing myself to the hunt." Derik gradually began to relax as I spoke, realizing that I was not in the right state of mind and that I didn't actually choose to forsake our bond at all.

"He forced his blood on me. I didn't realize what it was until I'd already drank it. Please... I'm so sorry, Derik. I didn't betray you; I promise, I love our bond and I love you and I didn't disrespect it." My words were quiet and almost whimpering at this point, tears springing to my eyes at how guilty and disgusting I felt.

I may not have consented to betraying Derik, but it didn't change the fact that our bond was disrespected. It was Trent who disrespected it. He disrespected me by tricking me into strengthening a Thread I didn't want with him and he disrespected my Mate and the bond I already held with Derik.

"It's true." Lorelai interjected cautiously, still making sure never to move from her place nearby us. "When we found them, Sonya was dazed and it took her a second to realize what happened. We told Trent to leave."

"Well, that's too bad, Lorelai. I was really looking forward to tearing him apart." He spat through clenched teeth at my friend, and Lorelai quirked a brow up, but I could tell by the rigidness in both their bodies that they were ready to fight.

"You won't." Lorelai spoke dismissively, crossing her arms as she scoffed. "Not unless you want to become a Rogue. Sonya can report him for blasphemy and disrespecting a Thread and he can be punished by Head Vierseut. But you,"

Lorelai jabbed her finger in Derik's face, a malicious look contorting her pretty expression. Lorelai still wanted to protect Trent from being killed. It hurt considering what he just did to me, but at the same time, I could understand. "Will not touch him."

"Get your fucking finger out my face, wolf." Derik sneered, grabbing her hand and I'm guessing attempting to snap the bones in her index.

"Hey, hey!" I cried, knocking his hand away and making him release my friend before stepping in between them. Ankiel was by his sister's side in a moment, but Lorelai was doing the opposite of backing down. Her gray eyes were once again the orange-red of her beast's, and the challenging smile on her lips was actually quite frightening. "Stop, Derik, please. I love her too. If you hurt her, you hurt me. Don't."

"This isn't even her fucking business." Derik said, though his eyes had slowly melted into a Navy blue. He was beginning to calm down, but I could tell through the bond that he was still feeling nauseous and pissed off.

"Sonya is my family, so it is my fucking business. I was the one who pulled Trent off her, so I protected her more than you just did." Lorelai bit back meanly, her accent so strong in the moment it was almost hard to understand her words. The sadistic smirk was still living on her lips as she spoke.

"So what? You're friends. She's mine." Derik sneered at Lorelai, and I huffed, wanting them to just stop arguing already.

"Yeah, well, she didn't pick you, mate. She actually chose to be friends with me."

"Lorelai, shut up! Please. We're supposed to be diffusing the situation." I looked at her with soft daggers, and her irises eventually faded back to their regular steel gray color, but she haughtily stuck her nose up at Derik.

Sighing, I opened my mouth to say something else, but the sound of gunshots reverberated through the trees, dancing over the white snow and kissing our ears.

Derik snatched me into him protectively now and pulled his own gun from his waistband, cerulean eyes surveying the area cautiously. The six of us looked at each other, brown eyes bounding to jade eyes bounding to blue eyes bounding to steel eyes.

Penetrating screams skittered through the trees, glued to the heels of more shots and Derik sprinted off in the direction of the raucous. My voice sounded panicked as I called after him, but he didn't pause or look back. He was in Protector mode.

I stood with my friends for one more moment before I took off after my Mate, my fear for his safety compulsively moving my feet forward.

Barrelling through the treeline, the Testificans celebration was in a state of chaos. People were backing away from a specific area, while others—those dressed in black Protector's uniforms were running towards the commotion.

Derik was leaned down over a form, the white snow at his feet being devoured by ruby lifeblood. A girl with deeply tanned skin and black tresses of hair had been shot multiple times, and the bullet wounds were sizzling even now, almost as if some type of acid was burning her flesh. As I neared the dead girl, the unmistakable scent of wolf's bane assaulted into my senses.

"What the fuck?" Horror threaded in my confusion, and I shook my head, pressing my hand over my lips as nausea rolled through my entirety.

"Get back, get back!" A black male Protector was waving his arms at the surrounding crowd, pushing Novices who weren't as squeamish to give Derik space as he examined the girl. "Testificans is over, people. Return to your dorms immediately."

Lorelai and Ankiel had caught up and were standing behind me. Lorelai placed her hand gently on my shoulder. "Sonya, stop looking. Let's go back to your dorm."

"No." My voice wavered slightly with tears, but I stood strong, rooted to the spot. My stomach was doing flips and a strange weakness rolled through my legs, but I didn't collapse.

"The Protectors are handling it. We need to leave the area." Ankiel tried, but I just shook my head, crossing my arms.

"I'm not leaving." Lorelai spoke my name comfortingly, but I spun on her, the fear most likely splayed over my face. My best friend looked sad, but I didn't care. "Someone just murdered her! I'm not leaving Derik. This is the second Novice that's been killed in only a matter of weeks and last time the Protectors said it was Hunters. I'm not leaving Derik."

"Last time?" Lorelai seemed to digest the information gradually, and her stormy eyes skimmed the area tentatively.

"I didn't tell you..." Realization showered over me and I sighed before pulling Lorelai and Ankiel to the side, but close enough that I was still in eyesight of my Mate. "A few weeks ago when Derik and I went on our first date, he took me to a farsa."

"That's weird." Ankiel commented casually, and when I gave him a jagged look, he seemed consumed with his own thoughts, so I huffed and continued.

"Ever was there... Her sister, Katherine, was murdered by Hunters. Two nights later, I was brought in by Protectors to Head Vierseut's office to be questioned since I was an eye witness. I didn't actually see anything though... just the girl's corpse and Ever crying over her body. Ever had said that they came for me. The Hunters I guess." My gaze dodged Lorelai's as I lied, and I noticed Ankiel lean in, seemingly examining my demeanor.

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" Lorelai wondered, her tone a little angry.

"Well, right after I was interrogated, I was... Marked... by Darkness. Derik brought me back to his house and we completed the Mating Rituals. That's part of the reason why we completed the Rituals, so he could protect me. Once he finally let me leave a couple days later, you found Ever and went MIA with her.

"I was caught up catching up on lessons I missed when I was gone, and then I went to meet Eloize... Since we went to meet Eloize and Nora last week, I've been staying with Derik because he makes me feel safe, so we haven't had much time to catch up on stuff. I was going to tell you, Lori. You know I wouldn't keep something like this from you." Lorelai was nodding before I could even finish explaining.

"I know... Well, I'm sorry I didn't know. I got so caught up in finding Ever that I completely ignored you." I started to object but Lorelai held her hand up, her brows shifting into a scowl. "What the fuck did she mean by they were there for you?"

Shrugging, I tilted my eyes away again, taking in Derik once more. "I don't know why Hunters would only kill one Sorcerer and leave the rest of us alive. But that's what the Protectors are saying happened."

"Hunters wouldn't have left you all alive." Ankiel reminded me he was still here with his words. He was shaking his head and looking conflicted. "It wasn't Hunters, was it, Sonny?"

"I don't know." Ankiel gripped my forearm and I stiffened as alertness surged through the bond. Lolling my head back to connect my gaze to Derik's, I found him already staring in my direction, and I shook my head slowly, letting him know it was okay.

"That night you had a vision." Ankiel tilted closer to me, his words low. "You saw a girl that murdered the Sorcerer."

"No," My voice was firm, but Ankiel drug me closer.

"Let go of her, Kel." Lorelai stepped in, tugging on her brother's wrist. He didn't let go.

"She's lying, Lori." He clicked his tongue and looked over my head at the Protectors behind us. "Who are you protecting, Sonny?"

"No one." I continued to deny, a slight sneer forming on my face. Ankiel abruptly released me and removed himself from my personal space, his expression going completely neutral.

"Princess," I turned to take in Genevieve's presence behind me. She seemed to be uneasy and she reached out to touch me, but then stopped herself, her cerulean eyes leaping over the still present crowd of nosy Novices.

I realized that Genevieve had been worried for me, knowing that I could've been in serious danger only minutes ago.

"Are you alright?" Genevieve wondered, her back straightening and her waterfalling blonde hair swaying back off her shoulders as she did.

I opened my mouth to respond, but arms wrapped around my shoulders, clutching me in a hug. "Fiică, praise the Goddess, you are unharmed." Eloize leaned back to look into my face, her slender fingers caressing my cheeks as she looked at me.

Eloize's identical jade eyes skittered with concern, but unlike Genevieve, her expression and actions were completely controlled. Her touch was cold on my skin.

"Yeah, thank the Goddess." Tears sprang to my eyes instantly and Eloize squeezed me again, but my gaze sought out Genevieve. Her face was impassive as she watched Eloize embrace me, and I wondered if she was jealous that she couldn't.

To be quite honest, I wished it was her that was holding me right now instead of Eloize. Genevieve had become like a second mother to me, and I wanted her comfort more than anything right now, but I accepted Eloize's touch.

A hug is a hug, no matter who it's from. It just felt good to be held because the blackness was ebbing in, splashing over the corners of my mind as I took in the dead girl and the Protectors all around us.

I am reminded of Meredith, and for a moment, the dead Novice's face morphs into my mother's, and anxiety breaks out over my skin in a cold sweat, despite the frigid air. Swallowing harshly, I released Eloize just as Head Vierseut makes his way over to our small group.

"Mistress Eloize, Mistress Genevieve. We are needed by the Protectors." Head Vierseut looked directly at me as Eloize took a step away and walked back to the body. "Princess, you should return to your dormitory."

"I'm waiting for Derik, Head Vierseut." I bowed my head slightly, my tears dripping off my face and onto the snow at my feet.

"Do not torment yourself, Princess." Head Vierseut responded, and though his expression was free of emotion, his eyes held the tiniest semblance of sympathy.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm okay. I need to wait for Derik, Head Vierseut." He smiled smally and nodded customarily before moving back over to the Protectors. He walked into my Mate's line of vision and gestured off-handedly in my direction.

Derik's back straightened, and he seemed to be protesting whatever it was that Head Vierseut was saying. Head Vierseut's eyes sliced into him, and I felt the tiniest sliver of nervousness through the bond. Before I could take a step forward, Derik was nodding respectfully and making his way over to me.

"Head Vierseut dismissed me for the rest of the night." Derik explained when he was in front of me again. "He wants me to see to it the Princess is taken care of."

"I told the man that I was okay waiting." I crossed my arms and glowered at Head Vierseut. Even though he seemed pretty occupied with examining the Novice's body, a ghost of a smirk tilted one corner of his mouth upwards. Everyone treats me like a fucking porcelain doll.

I'm not fragile. This might be dredging up memories of the night my mom was killed, but if I could withstand her being murdered in my arms, I could stand to look at this girl's corpse for a little while. I didn't even know her.

This didn't pack nearly the punch Meredith's glassy, lifeless jade eyes—wide open, filled with terror, but looking at nothing—did. Or the laborious gurgling noises she made as she tried to recklessly and desperately cling to vitality when her heart was violently ripped from her body.

"No," Derik's voice sliced the reveries to ribbons as he gripped me protectively. "He's right. I'm taking you home." He was watching me worriedly, so I let him take me to his Camaro after saying a quick goodbye to Lorelai and Ankiel.

The Camaro purred to life, but before Derik could pull off from the common square, Genevieve stopped us. She leaned down at my window, looking at me for a moment before quickly sticking her hand inside and caressing my cheek.

"I will call on you tomorrow, Sonya. Sleep well, Princess." She placed a kiss on the top of my head, and my nose burned with the threat of more tears.

"Thank you, Gen." I murmured, squeezing her hand before she withdrew and made her way back to the other Protectors. "Take me home, Derik."