Chapter 4
1557 Words
DEREKS POV:
The sound of my stomach grumbling woke me, it was still dark.
Within seconds I was flooded with guilt again and my mind raced back to a few hours ago.
Did I check on her? Leave her to die?
If she survived, did I train her or leave her rogue?
She would find it too hard, expose so much so soon.
Get herself killed.
I had to find her.
Stretching sore muscles, and rubbing my eyes I got to my feet and started heading in the direction of her sweet scent.
My wolf stirring at the tones of her with glee.
I wanted to blame his primal instincts for this mess, but I knew it was the alcohol.
Regret hitting me as hard as a hangover would if it were possible, I pictured her lay in a pit of her own sweat.
Her faceless figure tense with pain and her breath slowly haltering as the venom embedded itself in every organ and each vein replacing every last drop of her blood with the new, mystical concoction.
I threw a punch into the grand old tree, hearing it crack and creak under the pressure.
how could I be so f*****g stupid?!
Hate for myself hitting me in waves, making my blood boil and making me want to shift.
I needed to control my breathing, so I slowed down and took a minute to think.
what do I even say to her? how do I explain all of this?
Why was this woman out in the woods so late anyway? Around a derelict lakehouse?
Maybe she was a bad person, some sort of psychopath hiding a body.
My wolf growled at the negative thoughts about her.
Don't be so protective, you don't know her.
My insides churned as if he turned his back on me, and made me question if maybe I did.
My alter being never responded to humans, nor to women protectively, that was usually my d***.
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The lakehouse came into view and with one last deep breath, I approached it slowly and silently.
As not to worry her with my presence.
I could smell her stronger now, she smelled so rich and beautiful like a fresh bouquet of flowers in the middle of spring.
I felt a stir down below, it had obviously been way too long since I had my needs met.
This was not the time nor place.
I listened intently, I could hear her heart beating rapidly and her breathing shallow but she sounded at peace.
I gathered I should wait outside for her.. not just let myself in like some creep.
While waiting I noticed some moss seeping through the roof and jumped up on to the beam to pull at it.
I stepped across the beam to reach the last peice and as my hand gripped the last of the sludgy green plant, the beam cracked beneath me and I felt myself falling.
I hit the decking with a loud thud and fell through it sending dust and leaves flying into the air.
I knew being chivalrous would come to bite me in the ass, quite literally, there was a sharp pain in my ass right now and as I moved to see what it was, it worsened.
I felt around the culprit area and wasn't surprised to find something sticking into my flesh.
It was wet and sticky from the blood and pulling it out caused me to let out a growl.
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AMELIAS POV:
Something inside me stirred, I'd been awoken by a loud thid and a growl that sent shivers down my spine in the most pleasurable way.
Was it the beast?
Without thinking I put hand on my wound, expecting to need to change the dressing or for it to sting like hell but it felt fine.
I peeped out of the window, and my jaw dropped at the mesmirising 6ft tall man crawling out of the hole in the patio flooring.
The sight of the damage would have angered me if it wasn't for his deliciously golden eyes reflecting off of the sunlight or the way his biceps flexed with each movement he made.
Snapping myself out of it, I realised he was brushing his jeans down, and I spotted a deep red mark on his thigh.
He must've hurt himself.
I opened the door and there he was.. staring directly at me with those hypnotising eyes.. making my heart work harder than a v12 engine.
He was stunning.
"I- uh.. I'm Derek" he stammered.
I smirked, a man like this, nervous?
"How're you feeling there Derek?" I pointed my eyes down to the blood on his jeans.
"Just a scratch" he smiled, "and your name?"
I gulped, did I want to tell this man my name?
He was gorgeous, but he was a stranger and in the middle of the woods.
Just tell him your name, my subconsiousness tells me off.
I've always been an overthinker.
"It's Amelia" I smile, "why are you out here?" I ask, taking a step closer to look at the damage to the patio.
"I am so sorry about that" he scratches the back of his head.
"I was trying to get the moss up there, and I fell.
That beam is not as strong as I initially thought" his nervous laugh is adorable.
As I move closer to him to look up at the now clean roof, his cologne hits me almost as hard as he must've hit that patio.
It makes everything inside me explode over, and over again.
Like igniting a chain of fireworks.
Suddenly my legs don't feel to strong, and I have pain in wound, my chest and my head.
I'm breathing hoarsely and next thing I know I'm falling, before Derek's strong arms are holding me and lifting me.
I black out and the last thing I feel is his breath against my face as he lays me on the dining room table.
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I wake and my head feels funny, like static on a TV.
I try to lift it, and I manage enough to see its dark outside.
"Here, drink this"
Comes his raspy voice, and Derek comes into sight with a bottle of water.
He lifts me up and keeps his hand rested on my lower back supporting me as I sip generous amounts of the water.
His touch is like volts to my body, and I feel myself getting a little hot and bothered by it.
I gulp more water.
"I'm so sorry" I manage, my voice still hoarse.
"I don't know what's wrong with me, I was attacked last night.
Maybe the wound is infected"
I look down at the bandage and start unraveling it, and I hear Derek gulp.
Somehow his heart beating rapidly is audible.
He must be closer than I thought.
I'm shocked when I see the scars of perfectly straight teeth marks across my calf.
"h-how" I voice, shakily.
"It only happened yesterday.
How long have I been out?" I question.
Hoping his answer is more reassuring.
"Hours now" he says, looking down at the floor.
"Oh, and you stayed. You didn't have to do that" I state.
"I did, you shouldn't be out here alone" he almost whispers.
"I don't understand how this has healed already" I'm confused, feeling woozy and my eyes are trying to close on me again.
"Amelia i-" he starts.
"You weren't attacked by a beast, it was me" The remorse almost visible in his words.
"You? How? I saw it's.." and that's when I realised he had the same coloured eyes as the beast.
"I saw it on all fours, it was huge and fury" I'm baffled.
"Why would you attack me?" I ask after a few minutes of silence pass.
"I didn't mean to, I thought you were an animal.. I didn't see you until afterwards" and his voice is trembling.
"I'm so sorry Amelia" he adds.
Still supporting my back, still sending electricity through my veins.
"How could you possibly?" I mumble.. trying to hypothesise how I could have mistaken this man for a four legged animal, almost like a bear or a wolf.
"I'm not like you, well, not yet anyway.
I have an alter-being. An animal, more specifically, a wolf"
He's got to be joking, or I'm hearing things.
"So you turn.. into a wolf? Like in the movies?" I giggle.
Jeez this bite has gotten to my head.
"Yes Amelia, just like in the movies" he sounds almost annoyed.
"Sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but whatever you did to me has my head feeling woozy"
"You're changing, becoming like me" he says, with hints of regret and pain in his voice.
"I'm what?" No, that couldn't be true.
I was becoming mythical creature?
"Not so mythical now" he replies
"You can hear my thoughts?" I feel a little angry at this point, reality of it all kicking in.
"Some of them, all once the transition is complete" he replies.
"What's going to happen to me Derek?" I snap, fear starting to take over.
"It's not going to be pretty" he states, "but I'll be here with you"
And he takes my hand, looks me in the eyes and finishes with "for as long as you'll have me".
- Writer
