Chapter 21
~Aaden POV~
I touched the fading yellow bruises on my throat. Several weeks later, and they still hurt sometimes. Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I could definitely tell there was a difference in me. I was now set to become the Luna, all that needed to be done was my acceptance of mating to Derek, and he had to accept me as well. It wasn't exactly like a marriage, and I had never wanted a fancy, big white wedding, but it was basically saying we were officially legal. The look in my eyes, even though I was relaxed, was determined and in charge, and I was more than ready to take on the responsibility of his pack.
Our pack.
It still sent chills up my spine, thinking that I'd be his, and only his, for the remainder of my life. And he'd be mine.
Since the ambush that night weeks ago, we'd been on one more date, one that he had surprised me with. It hadn't been as fancy as the first, thankfully, but the point was gotten across. He'd kissed me again, teasing me with brushes of his fangs on my jaw. It was then that I decided, and rather forcefully explained to him, that we didn't need to wait any longer with this. He had been hesitant, but the intrusion had taken its toll on us both. I needed to be changed, and I needed to 'marry' him. It felt odd, the thought of being with him, when the big "L" word hadn't even been exchanged yet, but I knew how I felt. The only question I had was, did he? Over the course of the seven months I'd been here, yes, I had fallen in love with him. I knew he knew it was his duty to change me, as it was mine to be his mate and help him build a pack, but lifetime commitments cannot be based strictly on business.
Quickly, I changed my thoughts. I didn't want him to pick up on the way I was feeling, and I certainly didn't want him busting down the door while I was only wearing a large shirt. I quickly found and pulled on my jeans, then proceeded to perform the task I'd been doing for the previous few weeks: covering the bruise lines. Derek's anger drifted all around me every time he saw them. He blamed himself for not being there, for not protecting me when his instinct had told him to come to me, but I didn't blame him. As the Luna, I needed to care for myself, because our pack came first. The only setback was that I was human, and couldn't fend off the vampires who had broken in. That wasn't his fault, and it wasn't mine, it had just happened. Farren had saved the day, and I had lived to tell the tale, but Derek took it personally.
So now here we were.
I walked down the corridor to his room. I needed to see him, and if we weren't going to discuss anything further, I needed to at least just be in his presence. Even if he was angry, agitated, or acting cold, he calmed me just by being there. Slowing my heart, I knocked twice, but he didn't have to answer for me to know I was permitted. I could feel just from his emotions that he seemed to need my presence as well. I walked in, closing the door behind me, and turned to look at him. He wore only his black sleeping pants, and he was sitting on the edge of his bed. The covers behind him were a rumpled mess, which I took to mean he hadn't slept well. His bloodshot eyes only confirmed my suspicions.
"Hey," I said lamely. I didn't know what else to say, considering he could turn irritable at any second. He didn't say anything, but instead, patted the spot beside him once. I sat, but he didn't turn to me, just stayed still. So, instead of breaking the silence, I reached out and softly traced the Triskelion on his back. Alpha, Beta, Omega. As he had once told me, we could rise and fall to any position. Betas could become Alphas, or vice versa, but even Alphas could fall to Omegas. He'd never be one on my watch. Gently, I circled the impeccable swirls, taking in the smoothness of his skin, the scent coming from him. He'd once told me that I had a special scent, one he could always find, but until I was changed, I'd only smell clean skin and his cologne.
As I finished the outline of the last swirl, he gently turned, facing me fully and pressed the softest kiss he'd ever given me on my lips. Emotion surged through me, making me tremble. The feelings rolling off of him made my heart race. Hearing my heartbeat, he smiled, and lightly ran his lips along my jaw. "I have something for you." He said, his voice sleepy and sexy. "Okay," I mumbled. He shifted then, laying horizontally across his bed as he reached into his side-table drawer and pulled out a small bag. Smiling gently, he plopped the little bag into my hand. There was something hard and small inside. Curiously, I turned the bag up and a small, very expensive looking little ring fell into the palm of my hand.
My heart stopped all at once before taking off again, this time nearly out my chest. I looked up at him questioningly, as he had sat up again beside me, his gaze intent on the little glinting object in my hand. When his eyes finally met mine, they were sad and regretful, and that part knocked the wind out of me, but another part of them was amused, yet vulnerable. The combination both confused me and made me fall apart inside. In shyness, and to escape the emotions slamming into me, I turned my attention back to the ring that seemed to have a thousand stories around its little band.
It was a beauty, a silver band, delicately woven like silk threads that came to settle as a pedestal for a beautifully cut and shaped, deep blue sapphire. The gem was framed by silver as well, and upon closer examination, some flawless artist had carved microscopic black flowers and leaves in the frame.
Derek's warm, large hands folded mine over the ring, enclosing it in safety. I raised my eyes to his again, to find a more serious, Derek Hale look, but not angry, just calm. "Gonna explain to me what this is?" I asked gently, knowing my heart was in my eyes. A smile played at his mouth, and he spoke. "This ring belonged to my mother," his breath caught for a second, "when I was younger, she used to tell me that one day she'd pass it on to her daughter-in-law, the only one she'd have considering I had only sisters." I could feel tears wanting to well up. I felt my grip on the ring tighten. "It's what she wanted, and it's what I want," he said, looking me directly in the eyes, "because I know that when I see you with this ring, it will be real. She'll always be gone," his hands tightened around mine, "but what she's left behind will live on. Aaden, I know I'm not talkative, and yes, I am a giant asshole ninety-nine percent of the time. I will never be perfect, and I'll never heal from what the past has cost me, but-" "Yes," I said, reaching out to touch his lips. He leaned into my hand. "Yes what?" "Yes, I understand. Yes, we'll work it out, always. And yes," I grew courage and my heart leapt into my throat, "I love you. I know what I'm feeling, and I don't know if it will ever be a part of things for you, but I wanted you to know."
"Do you think I would have entrusted my mother's ring to a woman I didn't love?"
His words hit me in a million different ways, and I felt every emotion possible to humans in those next few seconds. It all ended with warmth pooling in my stomach, my heart beating like drums, and lightheadedness. Without another word, he took the delicate band from my hand and slid it onto my left ring finger, watching it as if it might fall off. Once in place, it felt all too natural. Of course it belonged there, and of course he loved me. Carefully, he sat up and leaned forward, pressing his lips to mine again, but not in such a soft kiss this time.
"I'd better get downstairs to start training some more," I said once he took his mouth from mine. He smiled, standing and pulling me up. Lightly, he kissed the ring on my finger and then my lips and neck. "Yeah, I'll be down in five." He said, smacking me on the ass as I walked by. I closed his door, and leaned against the wall for a second to regain my composure. There was no helping my hammering heart, but I needed to appear collected as I worked with the vampires and the pack.
Once downstairs, I glanced outside, and seeing the snow on the ground made me smile even bigger. It was beautiful, just like always, but today, it seemed even brighter, and purer. "You're glowing." Farren's voice came from behind me. "Yeah?" I asked, turning to face her. A smile broke her face, and she stirred the liquid in her cup. "Everyone is training, come sit with me for a second." I followed her into the den, and sat across from her. "What is it?" She asked. I said nothing, but held up my left hand for her to see, and the silver glistened in the sun rays coming from the window beside us. "Derek proposed?" "Not in so many words, but yes, I suppose he did." I could barely contain the joy wanting to burst from my chest. "Congratulations." She smiled, taking a sip from her mug before putting it on the coffee table in front of her. I smiled, but something was off about her. "What's going on?" Suddenly, business came first, and my jittery bliss could come later. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I've got word that more of Lorcan Kern's men are in the area. They appear to be lost as to where we are, and I'm sure they've been awaiting news from those that we slaughtered last time. We've got another ally coming in soon, and I know she'd never do it on purpose, but I'm afraid that her stumbling in may draw their attention and lead them here." She sat back, crossing her legs. "The full moon is in two days. The wolves are in no shape to strategically prepare for battle. There is also no way for me to contact this ally. We could be in danger, and this time, we might not win, and it definitely won't be without casualties." I sighed, suddenly feeling like a weight dropped onto my shoulders. "We need to talk to Derek." I said, looking at her. "Yes, and fast. One thought was that we send someone to lead her here, but sending out a convicted vampire or werewolf will most definitely lead them to us."
Suddenly, an idea came to mind. Derek was sure going to be pissed with me, but I had to do it. The need to protect our pack overrode any other feeling. "We can do it. Me and Spencer. If two humans are out driving or hiking innocently, it won't stir up any suspicions, right?" "I don't know, if they caught your scent…" "Say they didn't, say we mask it, then what?" "It could work. You'd have to act completely natural, do you understand? Do EXACTLY as I say." "Will do, send us out."