Mine to Protect Chapter 52: AWAKE

*Hazel*

The wolf whines hurt by my words, but I don’t feel guilty in the least, she deserves them.

“I am sorry, I couldn’t show myself to those people. We are the only hope for survival of the entire werewolf species, if they managed to permanently inhibit our powers, or replicate them, or steal them even, everyone would be doomed; I couldn’t risk it. I am sorry about your parents, I loved them dearly too. Although you never knew I was there, I have always been inside of you, I have seen you grow, I have experienced their love through you, and when they met their end, my heart bled together with yours.”

The words resonate in my head, not coming from my eardrums, but right from inside my mind. Even if she hasn’t moved her mouth, I know it is my wolf talking to me. Her voice is gentle and deep, and I can feel the sincerity in her words, feel her desperation, making my anger dissipate, replaced by acceptance and gloom.

“Why are we so important? Is it our powers? How are we supposed to save the werewolf species?” I asked her frustrated.

“We are important because we hold the purest of powers, the power of light, able to defeat the darkness, to illuminate the way for those who have lost it.”

“Yes, but how?”

“I am not sure myself. I know that we can manipulate the light, use it to blind, to burn, to create illusions, but even I don’t know how we will defeat the darkness, or who is the darkness. I guess, we’ll find out along the way.” If she were a person, she would have shrugged her shoulders.

“Great, they could have at least provided us with a manual or something!” I exclaimed defeated.

“Maybe they have. Your mom mentioned that we could be able to find something in the diaries written by your ancestors. It’s worth a try.”

“I agree. Pity I don’t even know what pack she is from.” I reply, saddened that I know so little about my mom’s real identity, and now I will have no opportunities to ask her more about it.

“I am sure our delicious mate can help us find out.” She licks her lips, making me chuckle.

“Apparently, I am not the only one who wants to take a bite out of him,” I say raising my eyebrows.

“Obviously not, and if you don’t stop wallowing, and hurry to wake up and mark him, someone will try to snatch him from us!”

And I am not the only one with a temper; no wonder the Goddess paired us together.

“How am I supposed to wake up? I don’t even know how I got here, or where here is.”

“You are in the realm of the Goddess, this is the only place where I can talk to you, after you wake up, you will be able to feel me, but not hear me. Next time you want to chat with me, you can call me here, or me you. To wake up, you just need to imagine yourself in human form and concentrate on that image.”

I nod in understanding, even though I am not sure I have understood.

“Goodbye, then,” I say uncertainly.

“See you soon,” she replies with a smile in her voice.

I close my eyes and imagine myself in my bed, sleeping, and a second later I wake up in Derek’s bed, alone.

Immediately my head splits open with a loud buzzing sound, a heap of voices mingled together, indistinguishable. At first, I think it is an after effect of my dream, but after a while the noise in my head doesn’t recede, and it starts driving me insane. I need help, I need to find Derek.

I get up on shaky legs, the buzzing noise disorienting me, affecting my balance. I get out the door, and start walking down the corridor towards the stairs, placing my hand on the wall for support. I don’t need to walk far because Derek climbs the last steps of the stairs and appears in front of me, worry written all over his handsome face.

“Hazel, you are awake! What’s wrong?” he asks, wrapping me in his arms, supporting my weight.

“There’s a noise in my head, it’s loud, so loud. Like thousands of people talking at the same time.” I reply, hardly hearing my own voice over the terrible noise.

“It’s the mind link! You can mind-link now that you have shifted, and being the Luna, you can mind link any pack member.”

“But I don’t want to mind-link anyone! Make them all shut up!” I cry out frustrated.

“You need to learn to block the mind link when you don’t want to use it. Imagine pushing all those voices out of your head.”

I try, I imagine pushing invisible people out of my head, but it doesn’t work, the buzz noise still reigns in my head. I try covering my ears with my hands, but of course it does nothing to help.

“Try building a wall inside your head, brick after brick, erect a wall to keep your inner mind protected, your safe fortress,” a stranger’s voice suggests.

I look up, noticing a man standing beside Derek; his long blond hair glimmering under the sunrays, his light blue eyes gazing at me, urging me to try.

It sounds silly, but if it can help me get this pandemonium out of my head, I am all for it. I place down brick after brick building my fort, with high impenetrable walls, when the fortress is completed, the buzzing stops, making me heave a huge sigh of relief. I welcome the silence, before I open my eyes and look at the blond stranger.

“Thank you, it worked!” I tell him smiling brightly, hoping to convey how grateful I am for his help.

“I am happy I could be of help, Luna Hazel,” he replies smiling back.

“Just Hazel.”

“Ok, I think I better go before your mate cuts me to pieces and eats them for dinner. It was a pleasure meeting you, Just Hazel.” He winks at me, then walks away down the corridor. Who is this guy?

I shift my gaze to Derek, and notice his eyes are bright blue, a murderous glint in them, while he’s watching the blond man retreat.

“What is it?” I ask him, caressing his jaw.

“I just didn’t like the way you smiled at each other, and no one asked for his help anyway. I am wondering if it was just a scheme to see you naked.”

Naked? He didn’t see me naked! I look down to check that I am covered, and I am horrified to see that I am in fact naked, I even have dried blood and dirt covering my skin in some spots. I gasp, then turn around and run to Derek’s room as fast as I can. I hope I never see that guy again; I wouldn’t be able to face him!