An Unexpected Wave
1978 Words
NATALIA
~~
He never came back.
It has been six years since my broken heart got delivered to me on a platter of gold, six years since I watched my lover claim my best friend as his mate, six years since I found out I was pregnant, and five years since I delivered my babies into the world without their father.
Yes. babies. I have two of them…
Six years was a long way to come for me, a broken woman who was almost killed in the woods while Rylan and Lycia kissed and partied the night away, but I was healthy thanks to the man who had saved me and my babies' lives. We were hale and healthy.
Stupid of me to think Rylan would come for me… He never came back.
The morning light flooded into the kitchen as I served breakfast for myself and my kids.
"Mama!" Davin and Davina skipped into the room with smiles on their faces. I beamed at my five-year-old children, the little bundles of joy the goddess had blessed me with after all I went through.
"Hey, little ones! Are you both ready for our breakfast before our outing?" I questioned.
Davina nodded eagerly, "Yes mummy." She loved eating actually unlike her brother who was more of the quiet type who preferred reading books and playing word games than eating actual food.
"What about you, Davin?"
Davin rolled his eyes. I swear the young boy had sass even at his young age. "I won't eat, we are going to a party after all... Won't food be served?"
"Uncle Derek says it's not nice to eat at a party," Davina argued as she dug into the pancakes I had just placed at her front.
Derek, the reason why I was still alive and had not died at the mercy of whoever wanted to kill me six years ago in the woods. Derek had saved me from my captor, and given me shelter and a well-paying job I enjoyed so much.
I remember how I had thought Rylan had come for me while I slipped into unconsciousness because he had the same hazel eyes as Derek, only to wake up to Derek standing above me. I had screamed, thinking he had kidnapped me but he assured me that he only wanted to help and proceeded to do so.
My phone rang, dragging me out of my walk down memory lane. I picked it up hastily, knowing it was Derek.
"Hey, Derek."
"Natalia. Are you on your way now?" He asked, skipping formalities.
"I'll be leaving home with the twins soon. I just need them to finish eating." I said into the speaker of my phone.
"Do you want me to come to pick you up? You know I can stop whatever I am doing right now because of you–"
I cut in immediately, "Oh no. Don't worry. I'll just take the car. Is that not why you got it for me last year on my birthday?"
He sighed over the phone. "I just want you to be alright," he said honestly. I knew that. I knew how much he cared for me. I mean, no sane person would allow a woman with two kids to live off of him for six years.
There was a longing in his voice that I recognized so well. It made my heart ache. I could not pretend that I did not know how he felt about me, but I also could not pretend that I could accept his feelings for me.
I simply could not. It was not fair to either of us, not when I had kids for someone else whose face still appeared in my dream. Not when I might still be in love with the man who had broken my heart into pieces years ago. Besides I did not want to put the responsibility of the kids on him even though I knew how much he loved them, and how much they in turn adored the ground he walked on.
Derek was the father figure Davin and Davina craved.
I felt bad that I could not reciprocate his feelings, after everything he did and was still doing for me, but it was all complicated. I loved the way Derek treated me, it was different than anything else a man could offer to a woman. It gave me hope, a reason to fight, but also reminded me that it was temporary because sooner or later I would have to leave and I could only imagine the hurt that it would cause him.
I only hope that he will give up on me sooner rather than later.
"I'll be there soon, don't worry about me, Derek," I answered him over the phone.
He heaved a sigh again. "Okay, I will be expecting you."
"Sure, bye..."
He ended the call and I cast my attention back to the kids. "Okay, finish up quickly, we have to be on our way. Uncle Derek is expecting us."
"Okay, Mama," they both answered in unison.
Forty minutes later, we found ourselves entering the Royal Pack where Derek had said the party was being held. He had invited me to be his plus one and of course, I could not reject.
As I entered the Royal palace, I frowned in confusion because it did not seem like a party was going on at all. No maids were running around to put things in order, neither were there guests loitering around. There was even no music to do it all.
"Uncle Derek!" Davina yelled at the top of her voice, causing me to turn around to where Derek was supposedly coming from.
"Hey, pretty girl!" He rushed towards the kids and scooped them both up in his hands, showering them with pecks all over their faces.
I smiled warmly at his display of affection, knowing that the kids enjoyed it even more.
"How are my little angels doing?" Derek cooed sweetly.
"We are fine. Mama said we are here for a party, but I don't see any party, or is it somewhere we can't see?" Davin asked, taking the words right out of my mouth. I always knew that boy was smarter than his age.
"You know what, go on inside. There is someone who will lead you to where the party is. I need to speak to your Mama," He assured them and gently dropped them while they ran off to the maid standing behind.
"Careful, both of you!" I yelled after them.
Derek smiled. "They will be fine."
"I know. What I am worried about is why you brought me here, Derek. There is no party going on?" I said pointedly.
His expression turned apologetic. "Come, I need to show you something."
His large hand took mine and guided me through a maze of hallways until we reached a dining room.
My mouth dropped instantly when I saw what Derek mentioned… more like who. An important figure whose appearance caused my mouth to drop even more.
It was the Alpha King.
"Derek?" I pressed down on his hand tightly, looking at him questioningly while I bowed my head in respect to the King.
"Derek," The Alpha King grinned at him while Derek pulled me closer.
To my surprise, Derek answered with, "Father."
"Father?!" I blurted out in shock.
I looked over at him in confusion and he gave me a small smile. “Don’t freeze, Talia but I’m Alpha Prince Nathan. I had to keep my identity hidden for security reasons," he blurted out gibberish.
"Then who is Derek? And what Security?" I stuttered as I managed to remain composed before the Alpha King.
The Derek I knew couldn't be Alpha Prince Natan Junior– The heartthrob of many females around.
“I’m still him, Talia. I am Alpha Prince Nathan but my second name is Derek and I have never pretended to be someone else.” Derek answered.
I stared at him skeptically and unsure of everything…. Everything could have been a lie. However Derek or should I start saying Alpha Prince instead? Regardless, he voiced, "When I found you in the woods, I was supposed to be at Alpha Rylan's ceremony but then I stumbled upon you. I must admit that at first, I took you in to get information about the Starfall pack, but when I realized you were rejected by Rylan, and you were pregnant with his kids, I couldn't do that to you.”
"Right," I mumbled but I still had a lot of questions…
In fact, I didn't know what to believe anymore.
"Who is she?" The Alpha King asked Derek, or rather, his son.
"She is the woman I told you about. The one I want to mate with."
I stared at Derek. I'm shocked again because he seemed to be full of surprises today.
"What are you talking about?" I whisper-yelled.
"Actually, there was no party. I wanted to introduce you to my Father as my chosen mate," Derek answered slowly.
I scoffed. "Without asking me? I don't even know who you are anymore. You really can't be serious.”
“I’m sorry, Okay?” Derek apologized and knowing him, he was sincere. I considered accepting his apology but then he added, “I love you, Natalia.”
My mouth dropped open in disbelief. I never thought his feelings had grown big enough to be called love…
“Don’t do this, Derek. Please.” I begged him. "You know I cannot do this, Derek. I cannot bond with you. I have told you several times, I thought we were over this?" I tried not to let any emotion leak into my voice but this was getting harder every time.
"Why not? Don't you care about me, Natalia? Don't you love me? Even after all these years?" He pleaded. I swallowed hard, this time unable to find the will to reply. Why couldn't he understand that I could never accept his love? That nothing was ever going to happen between us at all?
I shook my head, trying not to think too much of the hurt flashing through his eyes.
"I care about you, Derek. But just not in the way you want,” I added silently.
"Then why? Is it the kids? You know I love them like they are mine, I would never make them feel like I am not their Father, Natalia please." He begged before his father.
"No, Derek, it's not the children," I lied and bit my lip because I hated lying to the man who had done everything for me. If only I could tell him the truth... But I could not. I did not want to break his heart more, because I knew what it felt like to be broken. I had felt that before when Rylan and Lycia had betrayed me and I wanted no one to go through that same pain, especially not Derek.
"Then what?" he asked quietly, almost pleading. His hazel eyes bore into mine with such intensity that they burned. "What is it?"
I was about to answer when the doors to the dining room opened to reveal the man who looked me in the eyes and called me names. The other man I knew whose hazel eyes used to do things to me.
My jaws dropped, and my heart rate seemed to multiply at that time as his familiar hazel eyes met mine and that of Derek, it was like a nightmare, one I never would have dreamed of seeing.
Because right now, I stand in between the man from my past and the one who could be my future.
Not reading the room or paying attention to the man by the door, Derek held my hands and asked, “Natalia Bruce, Please be mine forever…”
- Writer
