Mine to Protect Chapter 43: PROPOSAL

*Hazel*

Derek crouches down on the grass, his muscles tensing and flexing; this man is really made in the image of a God. Then he jumps ahead like he’s doing a leapfrog, only when he lands on the ground again, his body has morphed into the one of his black wolf. I didn’t even see the shift clearly, I just saw a mass of fur, and heard the pop of bones rearranging, and in a matter of seconds he had shifted into his wolf.

I am paralyzed with awe at the sight of his majestic wolf. It’s huge, taller than me, covered in thick silky black fur, which shines under the sunlight. His paws are big, armed with deadly claws, as deadly as his sharp fangs, which I can see clearly in his open mouth.

His eyes are the same blue shade as Derek’s, and I find myself staring into them, trying to find out if I can recognize any of the emotions swiveling inside them. I think they are looking at me in amusement, but I am not completely sure.

I am standing close to his snout, and all of a sudden, his tongue comes out and laps my whole face in one go, leaving in its wake a fair amount of saliva.

“Eww! Gross! Bad Alpha!” I scold him, and he whines, putting his muzzle between his paws.

Seeing him like this makes me feel guilty, so I decide to make it up to him, by petting his head and neck. He seems to enjoy it and lifts his head back up to watch me.

“Now, that’s a good wolf!” I encourage him, caressing his snout with my fingers, which he licks playfully. I laugh at his naughtiness, thinking that he and Derek aren’t that much different in the end.

I pick up the backpack and place it on my shoulders, then I master up some courage and get closer to the big wolf, who is already belly down on the grass, waiting for me to climb onto him. Aren’t you a smarty wolf?

I am starting to like Derek’s wolf counterpart better, he seems more accommodating, and less bossy.

I climb on his back, grabbing a handful of fur on his neck with both hands, marveling at its softness. “I am ready,” I tell him, and immediately he sprints forward, running at high speed. I never imagined wolves could run this fast, the wind lashing at my face like small whips. I anchor my arms around his thick neck, and hide my face into his soft fur, protecting me from the sharp wind.

Thankfully it does not take long to reach our destination, and as soon as he stops and crouches down to let me down, I do just that, getting another face lick, before he shifts back into a very naked Derek.

He laughs amused at my disgusted expression.

“Are you alright?” he asks, still laughing.

“Grossed out, but alright. You wolf is a naughty one, just like his human.”

“Hey, I am a well-behaved human!” he counters jokingly, while putting his clothes on.

Then he shoulders the backpack and leads me by my hand through a line of thick trees.

I am not prepared for the view that awaits us on the other side of the trees. A small lake of crystallin blue water at the feet of a steep rocky mountain, the water so clear that it resembles a swimming pool. The pool is contoured by rocky terrain which gradually changes into thick grass adorned with colorful flowers, the nearer it gets to the forest.

“Derek, it’s beautiful! It’s like a small piece of heaven,” I exclaim amazed by the incredible view.

“I am happy you like it! This is my favorite place in the world. Here I feel at peace, even when things aren’t going great. It’s my secret hiding spot, really, not even Damon knows about it.”

“Then why did you tell me? You won’t have anywhere to hide next time I piss you off!” I reply jokingly, to which he chuckles.

“Next time you piss me off I am not planning on hiding; I’ll just spank your pretty ass and then fuck you until I forget why you pissed me off in the first place.”

I stared at him appalled at his words, and to my dismay, a little turned on too.

“Why do you always need to act like a brute?” I asked him, trying to sound annoyed, and failing.

“Because you like it. Don’t try to deny it, I can smell your arousal from here,” he replies cheekily, making me blush, and at the same time making me want to throw something at his head.

Bloody werewolf’s super sense of smell!

He reaches the pool and places his hands into the water feeling its temperature.

“Try it, this is thermal water, it’s warm,” he encourages me.

I come near him and crouch down to test the water, it really is warm, it feels great on my cold skin. Derek is distracted looking at the landscape, it’s the perfect opportunity to get my revenge for his cheeky attitude. I collect some water in my hands, stand up slowly trying not to attract his attention, and then as fast as I can, splash the water right on his face.

He gasps startled and remains frozen for a second, his eyes wide and unblinking. I take it as my opportunity to run before he retaliates, but he is too fast, and grabs me easily by my waist, holding me close to his body with one arm.

“Aren’t you a naughty little kitten?” he says, alarmingly sweet.

Then he picks me up bridal style, holding me close, preventing me to escape.

“I think this kitten wants to take a swim,” he continues mockingly, and then pretends to thrust me into the water. I hastily place my arms around his neck in an attempt to anchor myself, but I soon notice it’s pointless, as he never intended to really throw me off.

I lift my head and glare at his mischievous smirk but relax into his embrace when he pulls me in for one of his delicious kisses.

He then lets me down and reaches for his backpack, pulling out a blanket, which he places on the floor for us to sit on.

“Today, apart from showing you this place, I wanted to bring you here to ask you something,” he says all serious, a stark difference from is playful behavior from minutes ago,

“I know that we have not known each other for long, that you are still getting used to being a werewolf, and I don’t want to put any pressure on you. But, for me, I know you are and will be the only woman for me, the only woman I’ll love, nor time nor anything will change that. Yesterday you let me mark you, making me the happiest wolf on the planet, and I just want to make sure you too understand the meaning of it. For werewolves marking each other is the same as getting married in the human world, well, maybe even more profound than that, it is the union of two souls, something you can’t break with just a simple divorce. But I think, in human standards, marriage is definitely the closest thing. You have been raised as a human, so I want to let you know my feelings in a way that is familiar to you.”

He takes out a small velvety box from his jeans’ pocket, opens it and gets on one knee, while I am starting to hyperventilate.

“Hazel Channing, will you marry me?”