Mine to Protect Chapter 67: YOU BETTER GO

*Hazel*

Derek reaches us, and tries calling his parents, tries helping them up, but they can’t hear him, and they can’t see him. They are living a nightmare, a nightmare I have created for them, to let them experience firsthand the horrors of that facility, enjoy have their organs and limbs removed one by one.

My wolf came up with the idea of using this power, and I chose the right setting. It’s amazing the illusions light can create, they feel so real.

“Hazel, whatever you are doing, stop it! They are my parents, stop hurting them!” Derek yells at me. I am tempted to let them suffer a little longer, but for Derek’s benefit I’ll free them. He looks desperate, and he is not the person I want to hurt.

I walk away, not wanting to be in their presence a minute longer, and I decide to take a run in the forest; I think the exercise will help me burn down some of this rage.

I sprint through the forest, the wind caressing my fur, it feels amazing. A blonde wolf appears beside me, and I can sense that it is Lukas. His wolf is big and agile, his expression looks like a dorky smile, which makes me want to laugh.

We race each other and hunt small animals through the woods, until I am tired enough to stop. I have never been in wolf form for such a long time, unless you count the time, I was unconscious, and it’s tiring me out. I mind link Lukas that I am heading back, and he stops for a second.

“You can mind link me!” he says astonished through the link.

Right, we are not from the same pack, I shouldn’t be able to! It must be another of my abilities.

“It seems so! Scared of the powerful white wolf, Alpha?” I tease him, unable to stop myself.

I feel much better now, spending time with Lukas is relaxing, not like with Derek, there’s always this tension between us, and we end up arguing more times than not. Why would the Goddess pair us together? To make us both miserable?

“Ah, ah, I can take you anytime, wolfy. You are no match for me,” comes his cocky reply.

“Race you to the packhouse!” I shouted, while I started running at top speed towards the packhouse.

When we reached the gate, I found Derek waiting for me at the entrance, still in the same sweatpants, naked from the waist up, his arms crossed over his broad chest, an accusatory expression on his face.

“Where have you been?” he asks me immediately, his voice low and cold.

“I went for a run; Lukas came along to make sure I was ok. At least, someone cares about me,” I reply acidly, knowing that I am being unfair, but I feel like he’s always putting others before me, letting me alone to fend for myself.

Lukas doesn’t say anything and goes inside, not wanting to be dragged into our argument. I feel a little guilty for using him to anger Derek, I will have to apologize to him.

“I do care about you! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have run like a mad wolf all the way back when Lukas told me what my parents were doing. I even went against them for you!” he yells enraged.

“We both know that you could have done more than that. You let your mother insult me and my parents over and over, without doing anything. At the end of the day, you always leave me alone to win my battles. She got what she deserved, and I am not sorry for what I did, so don’t even dare ask me to apologize.”

“They are my parents, for fuck’s sake! What did you want me to do? Did you want me to attack them?”

“And I am your mate! But it’s clear that it doesn’t mean much to you. Anyone is more important than me.”

I am being a brat, I know, but I can’t stop the words from coming out of my mouth. I know where they are coming from, deep inside I fear that Derek doesn’t love me enough, that I love him more than he loves me. It’s like, I want a confirmation that he really wants me.

“Again, with this nonsense! I told you over and over that you are the most important person in the world to me. I don’t know what else I can say or do to make you understand.”

He sounds pissed and defeated, the same way I am feeling this moment. Plus, sad.

“Maybe the problem is that your words and your actions don’t match,” I suggest bitterly.

“What do I need to do then? Tell me what I should do?”

“I don’t know. You need to figure it out on your own,” I reply coldly, now feeling angry again.

I turn to enter the packhouse, when Derek calls me back furious.

“Where do you think you are going? We aren’t done talking yet.”

“Maybe you aren’t, but I am,” I reply drily, hoping he can understand I don’t want to continue this conversation.

“You should leave for a while. Your temper has already made you lose control of your powers multiple times, causing serious injuries to others. You need some time to calm down and gain control, otherwise people will start thinking that you are dangerous to be around.”

Is he serious? He wants me to leave. So much for being the most important person in his world. He’s fucking shipping me away.

“Don’t look at me like that, I don’t want this either, kitten, it kills me to make you go, but it is the best thing for you. You are not safe here; we need to find the culprit and I need to talk things out with my parents. You can use this opportunity for…”

I put my palm up, indicating him to stop, I can’t take any more of his bullshit.

“When?” I ask in a clipped tone.

“Rose has prepared some luggage for you, and Lukas is getting ready as we speak. When you are both ready you can leave.”

He replies in a low tone, guilt and sadness thick in his words.

I nod, letting him know that I have understood, and enter the packhouse to take a shower, put on fresh clothes, and then leave as fast as I can, without looking back.

Derek follows me silently up the stairs and into our room, I grab some clothes and run into the bathroom shutting the door in his face, I lock it, then turn the shower on, I get in the shower and close the screen doors, that’s when I open the floodgates, I let my tears mix with the water and my sobs melt with the sound of the shower, hoping that Derek doesn’t hear me, I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how deep he’s managed to hurt me.

I cry until no more tears come out, then I get dressed, put on some heavy makeup to cover the fact that I have been crying, although my red bloodshot eyes give me easily away. Then I exit the bathroom, to find Derek sitting on our bed, his head in his hands; I would feel pity for him, if I wasn’t feeling so disappointed and angry.

Hearing me come out of the bathroom, he gets up from the bed, and retrieves a purse from the sofa, he catches me before I exit the door, I was hoping I could leave without having to talk to him again.

“Take this, I’ve had your sim card replaced and put it in a new mobile. There is also a credit card, the password is your birthday, and a tablet, with the same password. I managed to get your ID and wallet back from the police, they are in the bag too.”

He hands me the purse, and I take it, thanking him, without looking at him. I place the purse’s long strap on my shoulder, and turn to leave, when Derek hugs me from behind, making me tense up.