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Chapter 8- Are You Kidding Me?

Salara’s POV

I turn to look at Henry in disbelief. He has been pushing for me to reject Derrick, but now that he is presented with a mate, he is considering keeping her… How could he?

Henry rises from his seat on the bench and walks over towards Savannah, his eyes not once looking in my direction. Apparently he is serious about finding a way to work this out.

My eyes widen as I watch him make his way closer to Savannah. Does this mean that he will let me go be with Derrick? When I glance in Derrick’s direction, I notice his eyes are on me, conflict raging behind his eyes.

“I’m going for a walk.” I say suddenly, needing to get away from Henry and his apparent mate and be by myself for a little bit. After taking a couple of steps away from the pair currently staring into each other's eyes, I stop in my tracks. I have no idea where I am headed or how to get back if I go for a walk.

Letting out a resigned sigh, I turn to head back to the others when I feel a hand on my elbow. Sparks zip through my system, sending the hairs on my arms to rise from the contact. Without saying a word, Derrick leads me away from my husband and down a path away from the gardens.

We walk together in companionable silence for a few minutes before we come upon a small stream that cuts through the woods. A deer drinking water on the other side of the stream stands up, looking at us with its ears twitching on its head. After a second of staring the deer runs off into the woods.

The sounds of birds go quiet all around us, leaving us in dead silence as we stand quietly looking at the stream. Even the insects go quiet, causing the silence to be deafening around us. “They can sense my wolf inside of me.” Derrick says, somehow knowing the direction of my thoughts.

His husky voice moves through me, causing me to shiver beside him. Derrick misconstrues the action for what it was, thinking instead that I was chilled from the cooler air here in the woods. Taking a step closer, he wraps his arms around me, enveloping me in his warm heat.

My heartrate picks up, sounding like galloping horses in my ears. Embarrassment flushes my cheeks as I realize that with Derrick’s werewolf hearing he is able to hear the increased rate of my heart beating in my chest.

“You have nothing to fear with me.” Derrick says softly, his voice sounding as if it was right next to my ear. “I know.” I say softly, sure that he heard me despite the low volume of my voice. My words rang through within me. I know that I am safe here with Derrick, he would never let anything happen to me.

We stand like that for a while, neither of us breaking the comfortable silence that surrounds us like a warm hug. If only we could stay like this forever. A resigned sigh leaves me as I pull away from Derrick’s hold and put some distance between us.

There is no use in getting comfortable with him if Henry is going to force me to stick to our wedding vows once we leave this place today. Derrick goes to open his mouth to say something, but the sound of running feet draws his attention to the path that we followed to get here.

Before long, Miguel’s familiar form appears at the top of the trail, Hayden wrapped in his arms, giggling as they run closer to us. Miguel begins to slow down when he is around twenty feet away until he stops completely in front of us. Hayden looks up to him with a pout when he stops running until her eyes land on me.

Her arms move out excitedly in my direction, indicating that she wants me to pick her up. “Mommy!” She squeals, waving her hands around until I pluck her out of Miguel’s arms. “Megel showed me doggies!” She tells me enthusiastically, her little body bouncing around in my grasp.

My widened eyes meet Derrick’s gaze over Hayden’s head, a question in their depths. As if sensing where my thoughts are headed, Derrick speaks before I can ask. “The pack breeds dogs in a large facility back behind the packhouse.” He smiles down at Hayden before asking, “Which one was your favorite?”

A serious expression appears on Hayden’s angelic face as she thinks over Derrick’s question. “ I liked the wolf the best.” She says after a moment of thought, her eyes lighting up at the reminder of her favorite dog.

Confusion appears on Derrick’s face over her words, his gaze moving over to his son in question. “She saw one of the warriors as he returned from patrol.” Miguel says, shrugging as if it was no big deal. “He let her ride on his back before he headed back to the packhouse.”

My eyes widened again. A warrior wolf allowed my daughter to ride on his back as he was coming in from patrol? I will have to be sure to thank the warrior if I ever get the chance to meet him.

Derrick nods his head to his son before turning his attention back to me. “We shouldn’t leave your husband waiting.” He says, a grimace appearing on his face at the word husband left his lips.

Miguel stiffens in place at his father’s words. “They aren’t leaving yet are they?” His worried eyes look over to Hayden and I before landing on his father.

Derrick places a comforting hand on his shoulder, shaking his head no. “They are not leaving just yet, Son.” He reassures him and I see the tension begin to relax in Miguel’s shoulders.

I wonder what that was about.

Miguel smiles at us broadly, reaching his arms out to take Hayden from me once again. “Then can I take Hayden to meet the pups down at the pre-shcool?” He asks excitedly.

Derrick turns to me in question, Miguel’s sweet face soon following suit. Giving him a bright smile, I run my fingers through his hair in comforting strokes. “I think Hayden would like that very much.” I tell him, placing a soft kiss on both his and Hayden’s head.

A grin appears on Miguel’s face before he races off the way he came, the sound of Hayden’s giggling following behind his retreat.

“He’s such a sweet boy.” I tell Derrick, turning to look at him. His focus is on me when I turn around, causing a blush to move up my cheeks. “We should get back.” Without letting Derrick say a word, I head up the trail and back towards that loving husband of mine. I roll my eyes in my head at that thought.

After a few minutes of walking back silently, I break the silence and ask about Miguel’s mother. Derrick stiffens slightly beside me, his pace staying steady despite the obvious discomfort. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” I tell him quickly, afraid that I might have offended him with my question.

“Miguel’s mother was not my fated mate.” Derrick says, displeasure in his voice. “The council pushed me to choose a mate to give my pack a Luna.” He looks over at me. “I was nearing thirty and hadn’t yet met my mate.” He says, surprising me. That would make him around forty, but he doesn’t look any older than I do. “Werewolves don’t age the same as humans.” He explains, yet again reading my thoughts.

Derrick lets out a heavy sigh. “Everything was good for a while. She was a good Luna and a great mother to our Miguel.” A faraway look appears on his face as if he was remembering an event from his past. “That is until she met her fated mate.” Derrick goes quiet after that, an angry look plastered onto his face.

“What happened after that?” My burning need to know is too strong for me to deny myself.

His eyes drift back over to me, the memories of his past clearing away in his mesmerizing eyes. “She left us to be with her fated mate.” His lips thinned in anger. “Her new mate wanted nothing to do with a child that wasn’t his so she left the both of us behind to please him.”

A gasp leaves me before I can stop it. “What kind of a mother leaves such a sweet boy behind?” My anger rises at the thought of sweet little Miguel being left behind by a cruel mother. When I look over at Derrick, he is smiling at me, confusing me with the sight.

“It is nice to see such fire in you Salara.” He tells me, causing me to blush. The way he says my name sends arousal through my system, creating a need to hear him say it again, but in the throes of passion.

Derrick’s eyes darken as I watch him scent the air around us, knowing deep down that he can smell the arousal he has caused. Turning away to hide the blush that he has caused for the hundredth time.

When I look around I see that we have made it back to where we were when I stormed off and the sight before me sends tendrils of anger to course through my system. “Are you fucking kidding me Henry!?” I scream, startling Henry who is currently being straddled by Savannah with her tongue deep in his mouth.

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