Mine to Protect Chapter 124: STAY CLOSE

*Hazel*

I keep my eyes lowered, racking my brain, trying to decide what I should do.

“And what if I need to go to the toilet?”

I know it is a stupid question, and I beat myself for it, but it is the only thing that came to my mind.

Derek does the unexpected, he laughs, and this time I look at him, because I haven’t seen him laugh in so long, and when he laughs, he becomes a piece of art, something so precious I would never stop admiring.

“Then I would hold you on the toilet too,” he says, kissing my nose softly.

I can’t help a smile; his good humor is contagious.

Then he becomes serious again.

“Hazel, listen to me, you are still weak, the doctor yesterday said that your wolf has been weakened by the rejection, that’s why you are healing slower than normal. Look at this,” he says, while pulling the hem of my shirt collar down, revealing my naked shoulder. I am going to protest, when I see the long red marks there, running from my shoulder to just above my breast.

“He said that my wolf closeness can help speed up the healing and give your wolf some strength back, that’s why I settled you in my room.”

I search his eyes for any sign that he’s trying to deceive me to make stay here, but I find none, he’s telling the truth.

“But this is not your room,” I point out.

“It is now, it has been for a while,” he answers, his voice a little thicker.

“Why didn’t you move back to your room on the third floor?”

“That’s not my room anymore, it is our room, and I won’t stay there unless you are with me.”

His gaze is intense, like he’s trying to convey more than what words can express. My heart is running a marathon in my chest, I feel so confused now. His sweet yet sincere words call at every string in my heart, and then there’s the fact that my wolf has been weakened, and only his wolf can help. Should I stay here? At least until I am completely healed.

“Ok, I will stay here, until I am healed. But I want to go to the toilet on my own.”

Derek beams at me, flashing his white teeth and his cute dimples; this man is absolute perfection.

“I can’t promise you that I’ll let you go willingly after you are healed, but who knows, maybe by then, you won’t want to leave anymore,” he says, tilting his head, a smile still on his face.

I don’t have the heart to spoil his good spirits, but there is no way I will agree to stay longer; we are not meant to be, and everyone hates me here, plus, I have my brand-new apartment waiting for me, I can’t give up my baby just like that.

Eventually Derek releases me, now sure that I won’t run away the first chance I get. He has my old clothes brought to his room, the ones I didn’t take away with me the day I left. We haven’t talked about sleeping arrangements yet, I just hope he doesn’t expect me to sleep with him in his bed.

I open the suitcase with my clothes, and then I freeze, right on top is the skirt and ripped top that I was wearing that day in Derek’s office.

“Hazel, what’s wrong?” Derek asks me worriedly, coming over, he must have picked up on my elevated heart rate.

I try to shut the suitcase’s lid before he can see the contents, but I am a moment too slow. He freezes too when he sees those pieces of garment, and his expression immediately clouds, being brought back like me to the memories of that day.

“Hazel, what I did to you that day, was horrible and inexcusable. I don’t know what possessed me to get to those levels, and I felt bad immediately after, I just wasn’t brave enough to own it. I shouldn’t have done that, and then I should have at least apologized, made sure you were ok, but I just acted like a dick. I am sorry, Hazel, I really am. Something like that won’t never happen again, I swear it to you, I would cut my hands off before I hurt you again.”

His pained expression tells me that he’s being sincere, and that he fully regrets it, it is still not enough to forgive him, but at least I can try to let this thing go, bury it in the past, with some of my resentment.

I got up from the floor and threw the skirt and ripped top in the garbage.

“Let the past stay in the past,” I say walking to the bathroom, needing a moment to gather my thoughts and push those ugly memories away.

“Hazel…” Derek catches me by my arm to stop me, and I break free from his old with too much force, my heart wildly thumping in my ribcage; the memories from that day melting with the present, making me think that he was going to hurt me.

He freezes, his hand suspended mid-air, a pained look on his face. I should say something, maybe apologize, but I am feeling too overwhelmed, so I just turn back and hide in the bathroom, trying to calm the storm of emotions I am feeling inside.

I hear him swear, and then hear the door open and close; he’s left, I just hope I haven’t made things worse between us.

I take my time in the shower, letting the warm water melt away some of the tension, and it works a little, I feel much more relaxed now that I am warm and clean.

I get out of the bathroom, expecting to find Derek there, instead I am met by a smiling Alice, who jumps to hug me as soon as I am within arms’ reach. She squeezes me hard, and then makes a face, “Yuk, you smell like the Alpha, I need to get you some feminine shower products!”

I laugh at her comical face, I love Alice, she’s like a small candle on a stormy day, luminous and warm. I have missed her so much in the last few weeks; she tried to meet up with me a few times, but I decided to keep my distance, not wanting to maintain any connection to Derek or his pack. A clean cut.

But it was not fair of me, I owe her and Damon a lot, after the rejection, they helped me so much.

“Alice, I am sorry for the last few weeks, I have been avoiding you, I have been a horrible friend,” I say with a pout, hoping that she can forgive me.

“You have, but I forgive you, because I like you too much!” she says, squeezing me harder, and getting a laugh from me.

“Now, what would you like to do?” she asks me eagerly.

“I am not really sure what I am allowed to do,” I reply tentatively; Derek said I can’t leave this bedroom, and I am afraid the order still stands.

I see her eyes go out of focus, and I know she is mind linking, so I busy myself finding some clothes from the suitcase, as I am still in Derek’s bathrobe. I chose a pair of grey sweatpants and a white T-shirt, it’s not like I am going anywhere anyway, better be comfortable.

“Those are not going to gain you any points with the Alpha, why don’t you try on a dress?” Alice says, having finished mind-linking.

“I am not interested in gaining any points, so these will do,” I reply pointedly, making Alice pout.

“He is waiting for you at the packhouse’s entrance, he said he’s going to take you shopping in the nearest town. Still going is sweats and T-shirt?” she says, with her eyebrows raised.

It’s not really the best outfit to go shopping, but I don’t really care, so I reply firmly, “Yup, could you let him know I’ll be down in a minute?”

“You two know that with your powers you can mind link directly, without me acting as the middleman, right?” Alice replies a little unnerved.

“Please?” I ask, with my puppy eyes on show.

“Ok, but you owe me.”

“You are the best!”

I put my clothes on and dried my hair, then went downstairs accompanied by Alice. Luckily, I didn’t meet any pack members on the way to the entrance, I don’t think I would be able to handle their stares today.

Derek is waiting for me leaning on his car door; he’s changed into a pair of black jeans and a grey T-shirt with a sexy V neck. The shirt hangs to his muscular chest perfectly, showing off his body in all his godlike glory. He has even styled his hair, making him look totally droolworthy.

When he sees me, he cocks his head to the side, but his expression gives nothing away, if he thought I am underdressed, he kept the feeling to himself.