Mine to Protect Chapter 66: THE DROP

* Derek*

I can’t believe my parents would show up to cause more havoc!

I told them on the phone that I’d found my Luna, and that I would be happy if they could take part in the Luna ceremony. I have even asked them to help Hazel as much as they can, her parents have just passed away, I thought they could somehow replace them as parental figures, give Hazel the guidance she needs.

Instead, here they are, attacking her behind my back, my mom ready to rip her throat out! What the fuck they think they are doing?

I walk briskly into the room, positioning myself between Hazel and my mother, who hasn’t retracted her claws yet. Lukas, who was already standing beside Hazel, ready to intervene, is now standing beside me, our bodies creating a barrier between my parents and my precious kitten.

I am lucky Lukas was here, otherwise I wouldn’t have known of their arrival, and of their mistreatment of my Luna.

“Mom, what the fuck do you think you are doing?” I have never addressed my mom in such a tone, I have always been kind of a mama boy, but today she is pushing my limits.

“Language, Derek! Don’t you dare talk to your mother like that!” my father thunders.

“You mean the same way she was talking to Hazel? You didn’t seem bothered by her poor language then,” I countered angrily.

Mom looks hurt by my words, but I honestly don’t care, this time she crossed the line.

My father has always been very strict, he never left room for dissent, his words were absolute; but he is not the Alpha anymore, I am, I bend to no one, and it’s time he learns his place too.

He sees that I am not going to back down, so he changes his strategy and softens up a little.

“We are your parents, Derek, and we want what is best for you. We heard the news about your mate’s controversial past, and we decided to help you get rid of the problem, as you seem too clouded by your emotions to do it yourself.”

A threatening growl rips from my throat, making my father’s eyebrows furrow in displeasure. Damon enters bringing a pair of sweatpants for me, preventing me from jumping on my father, and sinking my claws into him.

“The news you saw is fake, it was given to the press by a unanimous source, possibly with the intent of hurting our Luna. She never worked as a hooker. And she is our Alpha’s fated mate, so I really don’t see what’s this problem you are talking about,” Damon explains in a business-like manner, getting the conversation back to civilized levels. Always the diplomat.

“We saw the video of her strip dancing into that filthy club! Don’t lie to us!” mom shrills at us, her posture still in attack mode.

“The video was tampered with, she was actually dancing in a classroom at the training grounds; Derek, Alice and I were there too. And she was pole dancing, which doesn’t require any stripping,” Damon continues with his calm defense. He should work as a lawyer; I don’t know how he can keep his cool.

“She was practically naked! What kind of dance would require that state of undress? Stop bullshitting me, Damon! I have always seen you as my own son, but today you are making me feel very disappointed in you!”

I feel Hazel moving beside me, trying to push her way between Lukas and me, what is she up to now? Why can’t she stay put and let me handle this?

“Hazel, stay where you are!” I Alpha command her through the mind link.

But she keeps pushing me, so I guess the Alpha command does not work on white wolves, damn it!

“Let us handle it, please! If after we finish talking, you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can say your own, ok?” I try again through the mind-link, and this time she stops struggling, I can feel she has her arms crossed on her chest, so I know that she is still majorly pissed, and she has every right too.

Damon is still impassive, I know my mom’s words must have hurt him a little, but he is not showing it. Instead, he replies with a little smirk on his face.

“Madam, I think you are probably too mature to know about this new type of dances, so I think you should document yourself before you start firing accusations which have no ground.”

This riles mom more than ever, and she growls warningly at Damon.

“Melissa, enough, keep it together!” dad admonishes her, and she backs off, and sits on the chair sulking.

“Why would someone try to hurt Hazel? Who did she make an enemy of?” dad asks suspiciously.

“We don’t know yet,” I reply quickly, not wanting Damon to reveal the truth about Hazel being a white wolf, although maybe he wouldn’t. The pack already knows, so sooner or later my parents will get to know it too, but I hope I can buy some time to let them get to know Hazel first. Not all werewolves are accepting of white wolves, for some, they are a bad omen, they think they bring trouble wherever they go, and my parents share this same belief.

“I am a white wolf, that’s why,” Hazel says from behind me.

Damn it! Why did she have to open her mouth and say that? Didn’t I tell her to let us handle it! Fuck!

Mom immediately jumps to her feet, branding an accusatory finger at Hazel, who is still hidden behind me.

“I knew there was something wrong with her! She might not be a hooker, but she has surely used her dark powers to let you believe you’re fated mates. Can’t you see that? She needed an Alpha and his pack to protect her, and now she will use you as her pawns. People will come for her, and you will lose life after life, until no one is left, and then she will find another one to exploit, just like all white wolves do.”

I stare dumbstruck at my mother. Does she seriously believe what she is saying?

“Mom, you are talking nonsense. She really is my fated mate, and protecting her is my duty, something I want to do, not something she requested me to do.”

“Don’t you see? she has already brainwashed you! You need to throw her out of this pack, Derek! Before she destroys everything, you have,” mom rants on, she looks frantic, insane even.

“Stop it, mom, you don’t understand. White wolves are blessed by the Moon Goddess, they are here to better our world. Like Hazel’s mom, she gave her life to save hundreds, she was amazing and selfless, just like Hazel is.”

I feel Hazel tense at the mention of her mom, I know I shouldn’t have brought this up, but I really want mom to understand how wrong her concept of white wolves is.

Mom doesn’t seem moved in the least, instead she smirks sadly and replies in a tone full of sarcasm.

“I can imagine, it was probably just a masquerade to guilt trip you into taking care of her daughter. White wolves are cunning, and they’ll go to any extent to get what they want.”

I don’t know how to communicate with her anymore, I feel defeated. My mom has always been quick tempered, but I’ve always seen her as a smart woman, not this stubborn lunatic that she is now.

I feel a powerful aura surge behind me, and I know this is promising nothing good.

“Take it back,” Hazel orders in a low tone.

I turn around and see Hazel surrounded by white glowing light, her big eyes reduced to two narrow slits of fury, the coldness of her voice sends chills down my spine.

“TAKE.IT.BACK!” she shouts at my mom.

I need to do something, mom is in real danger, if Hazel loses it and attacks her, no one will be able to stop her.

“Now she is showing her true colors!” mom says disdainfully, adding fuel to the fire.

Why can’t she just shut the hell up?! Can’t she see that this is getting out of control?

“Mom, back off!” I warned her.

“You can insult me as much as you want, but I won’t let you throw mud at my mother. She was a hero, and you would be lucky to be even one cent of the woman she was. Say another word against my parents, and I will make you regret it,” Hazel says through gritted teeth.

I can see it in her eyes that she is not joking; the pain at the loss of her loved ones fueling her rage. I need to get her away from here, make her calm down.

“Hazel let’s go outside, you need to calm down,” I tell her gently, but my words don’t have the desired effect.

She pins her glare on me, her fury increasing exponentially.

“Calm down? Your mother just insulted me and my parents, portrayed us as the devil incarnate, while we have gone through torture and abuse, my mother even lost her life, for what? For people like her, who keep living their wealthy happy life while spitting at the ones who have granted her this safety. Don’t ask me to calm down, Derek, because I can’t.”

From the corner of my eye, I see mom ready to open her damn mouth again, so I call on dad, hoping he is saner of mind.

“Dad, take mom away from here,” I mind-link him.

He gets immediately to it, dragging her away from the room. She doesn’t go willingly, but she is no match for dad. Though, before the office door closes behind them, mom manages to throw another insult in.

“I spit on your mother, and on all the white wolves ever existed, you are just trash, and you will be our doom!”

I don’t even see her shifting, I see a blur of white fur moving at impossible speed towards the door, her hot light burning the door into ashes at her passage. She is on them in an instant leaving a trail of burnt carpet in the corridor, I follow as fast as I can, I can hear my dad’s and mom’s screams of terror echoing in the limited space.

When I reach them, I can’t comprehend what is happening. Hazel is in her wolf form, in front of them, unmoving like a statue, while my parents are cowering on the floor and writhing in agony.