Derek looked at me seriously. “You really hate him that much?”
“You have no idea what he put me through.”
We ate in silence for a bit. Derek told a few funny stories about his cases to try and cheer me up. His humor and gentleness always managed to
make me relax.
“There’s a town fair fomorrow night,” Derek said suddenly. “I was thinking… maybe you’d like to go with me?”
It wasn’t the first time we’d gone out together, but this felt like the first real “date” invitation. I looked into his kind brown eyes, and my heart sped up.
“Okay,” I nodded, a smile playing on my lips.
After lunch, Derek left for the clinic to deal with an emergency. I was organizing medical supplies when I suddenly heard a commotion outside.
Kate burst in. “Elena, quick! It’s the Bloodfang pack! They’re hassling Scott!”
I dropped what I was doing and rushed outside. In the rain, Scott was surrounded by three big werewolves. I recognized one as the Bloodfang
Beta.
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+25 Bonus
“Well, well, look who it is,” the Beta sneered. “The Alpha who lost his power. Does your pack know how pathetic you are? Giving it all up for a human who doesn’t even love you.”
Scott stood his ground, not fighting back, not retreating. His eyes stayed their human color–he wasn’t even calling on his wolf.
“I told you, stay away from me,” Scott said calmly. “This is your last warning.”
The Beta laughed. “Warning? Who do you think you are anymore? Without your Alpha power, you’re just a stray mutt!”
Scott’s expression didn’t change. “Leaye. This is human territory.”
“Nope,” the Beta smirked. “Not until we get what we came for. Where is she? Your ‘human bitch“?”
At those words, Scott’s eyes flashed gold. “Don’t you dare call her that.”
The fight exploded in an instant. Even without some of his Alpha strength, Scott was still a hell of a fighter.
He took down two of them quickly, but the Beta was craftier. He pulled a silver dagger from his belt and, when Scott was distracted, lunged for
his back.
“Scott, look out!” For some reason, the words just flew out of my mouth.
Scott dodged in time, but the dagger still sliced a deep gash in his arm. Silver wounds were incredibly dangerous for werewolves.
Seeing Scott injured, the Beta grinned, ready for a killing blow. On pure instinct, I grabbed a wooden plank and slammed it over the Beta’s head.
“You!” The Beta turned on me, murder in his eyes.
Scott immediately threw himself in front of me. “You touch her, and you die.”
His voice was a terrifying growl, a deadly promise. The Beta clearly realized he was outmatched and backed off, furious.
“This isn’t over, Black Moon!” the Beta snarled, dragging his companions away. “We’ll be back!”
After they left, Scott collapsed, his face pale. The silver poisoning was already setting in.
“Kate, call Derek!” I yelled, then knelt beside Scott to check his wound.
“Why did you save me?” Scott asked weakly. “You hate me.”
“Shut up,” I said coldly, but my hands were gentle as I tended to his arm.
Derek arrived quickly and helped carry Scott inside. He expertly cleaned the wound and gave him an anti–toxin.
“He’ll be okay,” Derek told me. “But he needs to rest for a few days.”
I nodded and left the room, leaving Derek to look after Scott.
That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
The next day, Scott was doing better. He was sitting in the shelter’s backyard, looking out at the distant sea.
“Why did they call you ‘the Alpha who lost his power‘?” I couldn’t help asking.
Scott turned to me, his eyes weary. “Because I gave up my Alpha position. At the end of the third year. The council made me choose: either go back and do my duty, or be stripped of my Alpha status. I chose the latter.”
I stared at him, shocked. “You… you gave up everything? Why?”
“Because without you, the pack meant nothing to me,” he said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
His words stung. No, I couldn’t soften. I couldn’t forget those ten years of pain.
“That doesn’t change the past,” I said coldly.
Scott nodded. “I know. I don’t expect you to forgive me. I just wanted you to know… I’ve paid a price for what I did, and I’ll keep paying.”
I was silent. That evening, I still went to the town fair with Derek.
The fair was bright with lights. Derek held my hand, leading me to try different foods, we danced, we laughed. He was the perfect gentleman – funny, considerate, never pushy.
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“You look happy,” Derek said with a smile.
“I am,” I answered honestly. With Derek, I felt light and warm, not the pain and suffocation Scott brought.
“Watch out!” A drunk guy stumbled towards us, and Derek quickly pulled me aside, holding me in his arms.
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