When Emma stood before Derek, her eyes cut across everyone standing around him, including his parents who both averted their gazes when they met with hers.
A deep seated fury roaring its head in her body, threatened to burn the whole hall down and Emma, although she didn’t really understand it, didn’t want to dare give it an expression. No matter the fact that she felt like screaming the walls down, and burning up the whole place, she couldn’t. She still loved him. And it hurt so bad, so bad that it confused her.
Now, she could understand the vision Queen Zipfarah had. The woman had been trying to protect her, but she had stubbornly refused, deciding to save Derek before herself. And what had she gotten in return, betrayal. A stab on the back from the person she cherished the most. This was more than Pain. Zipfarah couldn’t have seen it more. This was painful. Love was painful. She thought, tightening her fisted as her gaze landed blankly on Derek who was watching her with an indifference that hurt, like she was, as he had painted her to be, a whore, a disturbance. So, why had he marked her then, if he had seen her in that light? Why?
She wanted to release a fresh stream of tears, but she shook her head, holding them back. She wouldn’t cry again. She would get his final answer, and if it was still the same, she would walk out of his life no matter how painful it would be. She would never beg.
“Derek, what is the meaning of what you just said?” She asked, keeping her tone light like she was talking about the weather.
The murmurings started again. And of course, she could hear them. And for once, at that moment, she wished her ears were blocked. Because their words were almost enough to break down her resolve not to weep in front of her only love who had betrayed her for Claire.
“The audacity of that whore!”
“How did she even come to the pack?!”
“I thought as much when I saw her clinging to him in school. Good, she knows her place now!”
“Humans are always pathetic!”
” She even dressed like a whore she is.”
” Who has the last laugh now huh.. bitch.”
” I wouldn’t mind having a taste of her honeypot though…”
” A waste of beauty.”
” Whore!”
” Derek should just have her head in the gallows.”
Emma shut her eyes, reeling in pain.
She sighed deeply, as she felt the soft wind of confort envelop her again.
Prescott.
If he was a human, she would have perhaps dated him.
” Eeewwww… don’t think like that.” She heard him whine, and smiled, then laughed.
A full blown boisterous laughter. It was as if she had inhaled a pinch of laughing gas.
Courtesy of Prescott.
” Thanks.” She said to him telepathically, before refocusing her vision on Derek.
He still hadn’t given her a reply. He just stared boredly at her.
She scoffed, crossed her arms across her chest which housed her broken heart, and glared at him.
” Cat got your tongue Derek. I ask again. What the hell is happening?” She asked too calmly. A calmness that shocked Aiden. No one was supposed to be that calm and happy when their heart just got broken by a mate. He had half expected her to burn down some parts of the building.. if he was the one… there would be no community to tell the story.
“I don’t see why my mate would answer a whore like you.” Claire replied. She was still snuggled by the side of Derek.
Emma laughed again. An evil laugh.
” Don’t bite off more than you can chew ratface. I was talking to this dingdong here, not you.” She replied, shocking the people in the hall.
Freya and Maya smiled.
That was the Emma they knew. She wouldn’t cower in front of the others.
“I would pretend that you didn’t insult me human. But you don’t deserve my apology or explanation. Just get your bags and leave.” Derek replied, in a steel voice.
That almost broke Emma.
Hearing him talk to her that way, almost broke her to pieces. It had actually, but her resolve not to weep in front of him triumphed.
So, rather, she snorted, masking her pain.
“Why did you mark me then? Alpha…” She asked, piquing her eyebrows at him, daring him to deny it.
He did .
She had expected it, but she hadn’t wanted to believe that he would, especially not in this way.
He laughed in a way that she had never heard before, that she almost thought it was the beast, except that the necklace was still around his neck.
“That was the beast in control, nothing much. Don’t get over yourself. You were just there to warm my bed.” He had said.
Emma inhaled in deeply, then let out another gush of air, basking in the soft wind of comfort around her.
She wondered then what would have happened if Prescott hadn’t come with her. A lot would have gone wrong.
Now hearing Derek speak like they both hadn’t saved his life, she decided to ask for the necklace.
” Can I have my necklace back?” She asked, unmoved when she saw Melvina’s pleading gazes or Peter’s frown.
She smirked, watching Derek keep mute.
Claire was watching between the both of them, not understanding what was going on.
What necklace?
“What necklace? I don’t remember taking a necklace from you. Do you have one?” She heard Derek ask, and scoffed, balling her fists.
This was the height of it all.
“Give me my necklaces now or…” She was still talking, when Freya walked up to them. Right behind her were Yodah, Aiden and Julius.
“Let it go, Emma. You wouldn’t be able to bear it if he is ravaged by the beast. You know that.” Freya said to her telepathically.
Emma sniffed then, unable to stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks this time around, especially as the former grasped her hand in hers.
Freya was right. She thought. She wouldn’t be able to bear it, that is, seeing Derek as a beast.
She still loved him.
Claire scoffed, watching Emma tear up.
“Manipulative whore! Are you dumb all of a sudden? She asked, but Emma didn’t answer her.
Rather, she turned to Derek, who was looking away from her to the crowd
” Look at me Derek, while I make this declaration.” She stated and Derek turned to look at her.
And although Emma was a bit moved seeing his eyes redden, she decidedly refused to back away from her resolution now. She didn’t care what had made him humiliate her this way, but she was sure going to make him regret it.
When she was sure to have gotten his attention, and the rest of the people in the room.
She made the declaration.
“I Emma DRACKSON, hereby, reject you, Derek, Alpha of the Blue Moon’s Pack as my mate.”
Derek’s eyes twitched, and his fists balled, but Emma was far from being done.
“Don’t ever search for me for whatever reason. I never want to see you again all the days of my life. If I ever find any of your people spying on me, I will kill them, or better, I will burn them alive. Do you understand what I just said?” She asked when she was done.
But Derek was mute.
Melvina tried talking, but Emma shut her up with a wave of her hand.
” I’m disappointed in you, Melvina. So, keep shut.” She stated in anger, not minding the murmurings from the crowd.
She knew why, but she didn’t care.
Melvina wasn’t her Luna.