Chapter 11
The forest was slightly too cheery for after what had just happened. The impact from the fact that I'd just killed two people hit me once we stopped. Derek finally couldn't carry Farren another step, and he collapsed against a log covered with moss after laying her gently down on the ground. The strips of raw, open wound on his back were still bleeding, and I was worried that they might not stop. My chest felt full, it was half pain and half disgust. The pain was for Derek and Farren. How the hell they could survive something like they just did was amazing, but it hurt that they'd had to go through it. They hadn't deserved it, no matter how much of a pain in the ass they could be. Even Victor's death had been quick, and he sure as shit hadn't deserved THAT. The disgust was for myself. I hadn't been concerned with anything when I killed them. What kind of person did that make me? Obviously it was in defense of my friends, but still. I hadn't felt the full force of what I'd done until it was way past too late.
I leaned down, bracing myself on my knees, taking deep breaths and willing myself not to puke. That was the last thing I needed to do when Derek was bleeding like he was and Farren was bruised to hell and gone. "Spence," I said and he looked at me, "make sure she has no significant internal injuries. I can't set any bones, but we still need to check." Derek sat up, wincing, but ignoring it as he pulled Farren closer to take a look at her. Spencer came to her other side, so very gently laying his fingers against her forehead. "Give me your arm." Derek demanded. "What?" Spencer asked. "Give me. Your arm." Derek said, more forcefully than before. Spencer's look was questioning, but he surrendered his arm. "Hey!" I shouted as Derek quickly leaned forward and took a bite out of Spencer's forearm. Spencer hollered, and I stomped forward. "What the hell is your problem?!" Derek did not answer me, but instead placed Spencer's bleeding arm to Farren's lips, tilting her head. "Farren, drink." Derek said. For a few seconds, she didn't move, and then she suddenly came to life, sinking her fangs into Spencer's arm. Spencer jumped, but didn't disturb her. I couldn't swear it, but his look seemed to turn tender. Was I missing something?
Farren drank deeply, and I began to get worried when Spence's lips and skin began to turn a light hue of white. After a few more seconds, she pushed his arm away, and sat up, looking around. She put a hand to her head. "What the hell…how did we get out?" she mumbled. "Maybe that story is best saved for later," Derek said, "right now, we need to find a place to rest." Farren turned and looked at him. "Good grief Derek," she said when she saw the extent of his wounds. "C'mon," she said, reaching out and helping him up. "Grab his jacket Aaden, we've got to go before Natalie sounds the alarm." "It's not going to matter," Derek grunted, "Victor is dead." "What?! How? What about Marcus?" "Marcus too, we'll talk about it later." She let it be, and we began to head north.
I had to only assume that they knew where we were going. Since we'd had to leave Derek's car behind, much to his anger, we had to travel based on instincts. "Okay," Farren spoke after we'd walked for an hour, "this is good." At first, I didn't see anything, but when she began helping Derek up the side of a tall hill, I just did make out a small crevice. She slowly walked up the side, letting Derek put some of his weight on her. Spencer and I came up behind them. "How's your arm?" "It's fine, doesn't even hurt really." I had to wonder how it didn't hurt. Both Derek and Farren had bitten him, and then I was curious as to how he hadn't been changed. Common sense could tell me that they had probably suppressed releasing their venom, so I guessed that was why Spence was still human. "In here you two." Farren said, poking her head out from the cave. Spencer crawled in and reached around to pull me in by my shirt. "All right, get comfortable, we're staying here over night. Here's a comforter, it'll be better than the rock floor." "Where did you get a comforter?" Spencer asked. "Vampire magic." Farren said sarcastically, "I found this place two years ago. I set it up as a hideout spot. As you can see, it's needed occasionally." Spencer sighed, irritated, and took the blanket, spreading it out in the back of the cave. "When you get ready, you can share with me Aaden," he said and laid down with his back to us.
Derek had already crashed out on another blanket, and I'm quite sure he'd been needing to do that for the last eight miles or so. Farren went out and sat on the edge of the cave, looking out into the cold night. Ironically, it began raining a few minutes later. Usually, that was better than any sleep aid for me, but tonight, I doubted it would work. Victor and Marcus and my friends getting hurt still weighed on me a little too heavily for me to rest. So, I decided I'd join Farren. I had a lot of questions that needed answers anyway, and she'd been keeping them from me long enough.
"Hey," I said, sitting down beside her, letting my feet dangle off the side. I let the raindrops fall onto my bare feet, even though it had to be sinking to forty degrees. "Hi." She said, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on top of them. "I'm so sorry that that happened today," I began. "Don't apologize," she said, "it wasn't anywhere near your fault. I shouldn't have been so stupid as to trust Natalie had something good up her sleeve." She gazed off into the distant woods. "Truth is, we're not doing great on alliances, obviously. I want to believe we're not desperate enough to need everyone we can get and then some, but we do." I said nothing, letting her words hang there.
"Farren, I need some answers." I finally said after a few minutes. The rain had grown even heavier, coming down in apparent sheets. I was very surprised nothing had become sleet yet. She sighed, "I know Aaden. Everyone has kind of let the cat out of the bag, or should I say wolf?" She glanced at me with a dull, but amused, sparkle in her eyes. I couldn't even muster up a smile; I felt so lost. "All right Aaden," she began, "please don't be angry or worried. I didn't say anything because it was evident that you weren't a fan of Derek and it's obvious that his heart is not in it." I didn't want to feel the way I was beginning to feel. Somehow, I felt cheated. What if I had chosen wrong before she'd told me? "What is a Luna?" I asked. "A Luna," she began, "is the Alpha's mate. Rarely do they find each other, and it's never been like this. A Luna has never been a human before. Lunas are usually born, not bitten." My heart was beating out of my chest.
The Alpha's mate?
Holy hell. That was hard to process. I was meant to be Derek's mate? Suddenly, all of the awareness of him made sense. Maybe that was why I reacted so badly to some things. It was because my inner wolf was trying to get out, but my human skin was keeping her trapped. It's why I had a bloodlust to kill Victor. He'd threatened and injured my mate. That sounded so weird. I'd never had much of a boyfriend before, and now soulmate? I hadn't even believed in such a thing before. "So Derek knows?" "Oh yeah, he knows." She said, "Everything in him pulls him to you. You're like the center of his world. The only reason yours isn't as evident is because you're still human. If you were to change, you couldn't stay away from him." Okay, that was a little scary. Derek and I were sort of friends, but if I changed, if I accepted my wolf side, my whole being would be dedicated to him. "Is this why I would be a turning point in the war?" "Yes." She put her hand into the rain, "With the Alpha pair together, you'd be almost unstoppable. Fighting side by side? You'd be damn near invincible." My heart thumped loudly. I heard my blood roaring in my ears, and I fought strongly the urge to look back at Derek's sleeping figure. This was the reason I craved his arms sometimes. This was the reason his touch was electric. "So you knew, all along," I said, smiling a little at her. "Yeah, but like I said, Derek is still partially not into it, and for a while, I didn't think you would be either." "Am I going to have to make him care?" I asked, suddenly afraid I would have to. I'd never played the vixen before, there was no way in hell I knew how to. "Honestly, I don't know. He's never met his Luna before, I have no clue what it will take to make him go for it." "How many girls do I have to make up for?" I'd known for a little while now that women had not been good to him. Victor's comments had only assured me. "Four. Each and every one of them special in some fucked up way to him. Paige, Kate, Jennifer, and Braeden." I felt myself almost give in to the weight of the world I suddenly felt on my shoulders. Four women had hurt him. Four times, he had given his heart to a relationship, and they had broken him. "Can you tell me anything about any of them?" "No. Derek would never forgive me if I did, because each of them played different parts of wrecking things. He'll have to explain when he's ready. However, I can tell you that Paige is dead. She never hurt him, ever. She was a very sweet girl." Farren's eyes seemed to go distant. I silently thanked Paige for being so good to him. His first love. I felt it when I thought her name. I supposed this was why I could read him so well, even without looking at him.
"I have another question. This one is probably going to piss you off." I said, preparing myself as well. "Then why ask?" "Because, I'm curious and you owe me," I laughed and she grinned. "What is your tie to the Princess title?" She stiffened, but much to my surprise, she answered. "Unfortunately, it's what I am." "Princess Farren?" "Yes," she hissed, angry, but not at me. "Wait a minute, if you're a princess… that means that-" "Yes," Farren said.
"The King is my father."
