Derek
'Melody'
That seems to have become the only name I hear lately. Even my name is starting to sound like that.
I wonder what has gone wrong in my head. Sometimes she even appears in my dreams.
The irony of my situation is very funny, isn't it? I mean, the woman I spent half of my life hating has started haunting my dreams. Just not in a frightening but in a disturbing way.
I feel disturbed and restless.
She doesn't care what I think or do to her. Unlike before what I think mattered to her.
Sometimes I wish that Melody could return. I am not used to this phlegmatic one. She doesn't even care about who I am.
The respect she gives me is just a necessity. I'm sure she wouldn't respect me if she had a choice. I see no ounce of respect for me in her eyes. The way she addresses me sounds like a taunt coming from her.
She never hides her hatred for me and that hurts something in me. Probably my male ego.
I see her everywhere. I hear her laughter every time and I keep remembering those long tresses of hers. Her memories have slowly erased that woman from my mind.
Previously, the woman from that night was all I saw every time and everywhere. In my dreams and when I am awake, I search for her in every woman. But since Melody's arrival, I have started to think about her less. At first, I felt a bit of her in Melody, but I knew that it was probably my imagination.
My mind disagrees with me, but my brain just doesn't accept it.
It just can never be Melody. It just doesn't feel right. I mean, back then, Melody wasn't as curvy as that woman was. Or was she?
I never got under her clothes. How would I know?
I didn't even know what Melody's scent was like because I never allowed her anywhere around me. The closest she came to me was that night when I rejected her and I was too livid to notice anything.
However, the kiss I shared with Melody recently felt so familiar and I just couldn't explain why.
Should I ask for one more kiss so I could figure out if it was her that night or not? What do I say to her? Melody, may I kiss you? I want to figure out if you were the woman I slept with five years ago.
That doesn't make sense, does it?
She almost slapped me the other time. This time, I'm sure that even my crown wouldn't be able to save me.
However, I'm sure that Melody and that woman are two different people. My feelings for that woman were natural. Even though I didn't know who she was, I felt connected to her. My feelings for Melody are because of the mating bond.
Nevertheless, I will find out why I have suddenly developed this feeling when I didn't years ago. I mean she's messed so much with my brain that I almost embarrassed myself today.
I was busy gawking at her curvaceous body when I lost my footing, tripping on Sofia's gown. If I hadn't struggled to hold still. I would have fallen flat on my face.
Thank goodness that I stumbled on Melody. In that split second, I was able to save myself and her. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't done that. To hide my embarrassment, I even blamed Melody.
'That was so cheap.' Jay grumbled in my head, reminding me of his existence. He hasn't spoken to me since I banged my head against the wall.
"I know, I just couldn't accept that I almost tripped over because I was staring at her."
'You wouldn't have had to gawk if you had accepted her. She would have been yours.' Jay chided.
I know I should make peace with my wolf. Especially when we are about to go to war, but I can't help getting pissed when he keeps reminding me of my bond with Melody.
I shut Jay temporarily out of my head so that I could think. Yes, I agree that I shouldn't have rejected Melody back then, but what could I have done?
I was to be crowned king and my mate had no wolf. How was I to accept that?
Anyway, it's no use thinking about the past. I have to get my life back. I have to return to the way I was before Melody came back and to do that, I will have to speak to her. I will have to ask her what she has done to me and what the cure is. However, to do that, I would have to wait until the war was over.
I can't wait for this war to end, so I can have my life back.
I will go back to being the Derek I used to be before Melody returned.
Oh, that reminds me. Speaking of war, I need to speak with the Viscount to ask about the preparation. I have to be sure that we are well prepared for tomorrow.
I hurried towards Viscount's study where I knew he would be, but then, I noticed Melody also going in the same direction.
No, not again. Am I hallucinating now?
No. This is real. I could hear the sound of her shoes against the ground. I wanted to call out to her, but I noticed that she was walking funnily.
What happened to her leg? I wondered as I watched her go inside.
Did I probably injure her when I stumbled earlier?
I was busy in my thoughts when I suddenly heard the Viscount yell.
I know that I shouldn't eavesdrop on their family issues, but I wanted to find out why he was yelling at Melody. I felt bad when I heard him say that she bumped into me when that wasn't the case at all.
I was about to go in to tell him that it was my fault, but my feet stopped as the words I heard got me stunned.
Melody was raped on the night of the coronation?