Chapter 16
I folded my hands again, looking nowhere but Derek's eyes as he spoke. The Luna in me craved his words, I wanted to know him. "So," I said, "your family…" "Yes, dead." He grimaced slightly, "All with the exception of my uncle, Peter, who is pretty much not allowed around me, lest he lose a limb, and my younger sister, Cora. Cora lives in South America as an Omega." I sighed. I wondered how in the long run, we'd tell her about this. "Your family seemed wonderful. I wish I had gotten the chance to meet them. You're fonder of your mother when you speak." I was curious about that honestly. He loved his father, I could tell, but his mother seemed extra special. "I suppose. I didn't favor really, but you know how the parents differ." "Well of course, although I have no mentionable father. Mom is all I have now." "Not anymore. Never forget your wolf side." My heart skipped a beat. "I figured only that would change once I was changed." "You may be human, but your Luna is alive. The pack is already half yours." I smiled at him softly. I felt more accepted by this man who struggled to grasp me than I had my entire life around other humans.
"So, I told you of my family. Tell me," he leaned forward, "where is this unmentionable father? Tell me more of the woman who would still like to pick her teeth with my bones." "Derek!" I fought the laughter, but it won anyway, "She doesn't hate you that much. She just doesn't trust you." "Same difference, in my book anyway. Proceed." "All right," I pushed away the indifference settling in my chest, "my dad, damn him wherever he may be, is a lying, cheating bastard." "Wow, you think a lot of him." Derek raised an eyebrow. "I was eleven when he suddenly decided we weren't good enough for him anymore. I don't know why or how people like him just wake up one day and realize they don't want someone anymore." I felt a knot forming in my throat. Derek's eyes went steel cold for a moment before becoming curious, yet warm. I was not going to cry about this, especially in front of him. I needed to be the Luna: strong, independent and preserved. I sucked in a breath and continued. "Point being, it devastated my mother. After he left, we found out later he had been seeing some woman he met working. He was a flight attendant, and on a flight to, I believe it was Spain, he met her and it was apparently 'love at first sight'. It wasn't but about four months after he left that we found a picture in the newspaper, welcoming their new baby." My chest went tight with rage.
Derek's strong, warm hand found mine, and I realized that I'd been digging my nails into my palm. "Sorry, I should be more conserved." "No, it's the wolf." I looked up at him, "Glad I can't change yet." He gave me a small smile and released my hand as Rainer came back into the room. "Your order is ready!" He said rather cheerfully and set down our plates. "Thank you Rainer," Derek said, holding out what I guessed was pay and tip. "Thank you Mr. Hale, gracious as always!"
I smiled, plucking a fry from my plate and looked to him, "They really seem to like your company here." He shrugged, stirring his coffee for the millionth time. My heart swelled, for seemingly no reason. "Derek?" "Yeah?" He looked up to me, his eyes guarded, then settling. "Who are Paige, Jennifer and Braeden?" He had explained to me who Kate was already. A nasty woman, who not only swooped in to play with his heart, but killed his family also. Derek glanced to the side. "Paige was my first love. We were young and stupid, and she was bitten by another local Alpha. The bite didn't take, so I killed her in mercy." My eyes widened. How terrible that must have been! I wanted to reach out to him and gently run my hand over his strong jaw, but I withheld. "I'm sorry." "Don't be," he snapped before stopping himself, and he sighed, "In the end, it was for the best. If we had stayed together, sure, maybe my family would be alive, but you would have come along eventually." "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, somewhat irritably, "Do you think so low of me that I would have broken you up?" His eyes softened slightly, "Aaden, you would have. Even if you wouldn't mean to, you would have. Alpha and Luna are mates for life. An Alpha or a Luna may love someone else, but once they find each other, the other love no longer matters." I suddenly felt so dirty. Obviously, sure, he wasn't with anybody, but knowing I would have had the power to break up what would have been sickened me.
"Hey," he said, "don't feel that way. It didn't happen, and now that we've found each other, it won't." "How did you…oh." I said, looking down again. He could feel my emotions as easily as I sensed his, and the emotion I had just felt was strong.
After an hour or so, we got up to leave. Derek's hand gently pressed against my back, and once outside, he had me wait as he went to get the car. This man, the one who I was deemed to be with, was amazing. And not just because of his power, his status, or because he was nice looking, but because of the person he was. A strong Alpha, who defended his own, and who grew through terrible experiences and trials, even one as horrible as to take his family from him. And even though he was always so dark and angry, he thought of the little things, like wanting me to wait under shelter so I wouldn't get soaked in the cold rain. When I had first arrived, I felt like I hated him, because he was stealing my life from me, but now I realized it was so much more.
**Hiya everyone! Thanks for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed! I apologize yet again for such a long wait, but as life goes, I got sick with a stomach bug. Anyway, I am hoping that you'll all love the upcoming chapter, as it will be from Derek's POV!**