Derek
"Do you know who you were about to mark?"
Dorian looked beside him and a smile crept up on his lips as he saw Melody.
"You mean, her?"
I followed his gaze and my eyes darkened as I saw her. She was standing right there even though I ordered her to leave. Although she didn't come closer, she stayed back. Her disobedience irked me so much that I tightened my hold on Dorian.
Her eyes were filled with so much worry that I couldn't help getting pissed. The fact that she cares so much about him and not me got me so angry that my whole body trembled.
"You're getting this wrong, Your Majesty, Melody is my fiancee. My love."
Did he just say, love?
If Melody is his love, then what am I?
"Keep quiet!" I yelled, clawing down at his arm.
"Don't hurt him, Derek!"
I raised my head and darted my eyes in her direction. Did she just ask me not to hurt him?
Melody just asked me not to hurt Dorian.
She asked me not to hurt the man daring enough to come into my kingdom and was about to mark my mate right in my Palace.
"Stay out of this!" I hissed, making Melody flinch.
I don't know how loud and cold my voice was, but it made Dorian uptight.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty, don't yell at her."
"What did you say?"
I raised my brow and my eyes squinted at the same time.
"I said. Do. Not. Shout... At Melody."
Dorian's breath hitched. He gritted his teeth together to get the words out.
Really?
Is he warning me?
"Did you just warn me?" I decided to ask for clarity.
Dorian smiled and returned his gaze to me. Making sure that I could read the emotion in his eyes.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, I can tolerate you shouting and misbehaving with me, but not Melody."
His eyes went in her direction and she returned his smile with a nod.
"She is my bottom line and no one is allowed to cross it. Not even you, your majesty."
I felt my wolf jump to the surface and my eyes darkened, such that I couldn't see a thing. All I wanted was to tear him apart.
I don't know what I had done or how much I had hurt Dorian, but I could hear Melody's loud cries from a distance and I was suddenly shoved and pinned by some strange forces.
"Your majesty!"
"Derek stop it!"
"Stop it, Derek, you'll kill him!"
"Damnit Derek, stop it!"
Why is it so noisy? Whose voices were those? I wondered as I slowly opened my eyes.
I found myself holding tightly to Dorian by his collar. Even though I was off him, I still had him tight in my hold.
Malcolm was holding me on one side and my father on the other side. The viscount was also present and so was my mother. They all gave me an odd stare as if I was a monster they were meeting for the first time.
I released him and he coughed violently as he struggled to get some breath in his lungs.
"Are you okay?" Melody rushed to hold him.
"I'm fine, Mel, relax."
His response was short but taunting. He showed a smiling face to Melody and glared at me.
"What happened here?" Father asked, staring from Dorian to me.
I know Dorian was supposed to be our guest, but how was I supposed to stay calm when he treaded the forbidden lane?
Yes. I agree that I rejected Melody, but that doesn't mean that I'll stand by and watch her get snatched away from me. Especially when she is still my destined mate and the mother of my pups.
"Derek att......"
Melody probably realized what she had said. She bit on her lips and looked at Dorian who responded only with a slight nod.
"It was a misunderstanding," Dorian replied, offering a playful or more like a taunting smile as he said, "Wasn't it?"
I didn't know what to say.
How do I tell my father and best friend that I went berserk because I saw Dorian smooching Melody?
How do I explain my anger and jealousy and most importantly almost killing Dorian?
I wish Father didn't show up, I would have killed him for touching my woman.
"Let's just go," Melody stated and she passed Dorian his shirt and they both moved to leave.
However, Jay was restless. He wouldn't let his mate get taken away right in front of him.
"Come with me," I took Melody's hand.
Ignoring the surprised gazes of both Father and Malcolm, I took Dorian's hands off her and led her away.
"Let go of me!" She protested, but I ignored her protest and led her away, leaving the others staring at us.
"Excuse me, Dad, I'll just have a word with Melody," I said, walking as fast as I could to leave a distance between us. I couldn't wait to take her out of there.
"What are you doing, your majesty," She complained.
"We need to talk, Melody," I replied, swiftly leading the way back to my study.
"I have nothing to say to you."
She spared me no side glance. I gave no room for her to escape. Today is the day I tell everything to her.
She has to know all about my feelings and how I'm related to her pups.
"Wrong," I told her.
"Seriously Derek," She suddenly turned back to look at me, her eyes glaring dangerously at me. "What do you want?"
She sighed and brushed her hand through her hair.
"Why won't you just let me be!"
I stood there staring at her. I have never seen Melody so angry before.
Is it because I ruined her smooching time with Dorian or is it because I hurt him?
"What exactly do you want from me, huh? I wasn't good enough for you, yet you won't let me be with one person who loves me. Why Derek? Why do you do this?"
She hissed and turned her back to me, probably to hide her tears.
I won't shy away this time.
I went closer to her and turned her face to look at me. I was right, she was crying.
"Please Derek, let me be." She begged through tears.
"I can't," I replied honestly.
"Why? Why can't you just let me be? Why won't you just stay out of my life?"
I leaned closer to her and she inched backward, but I placed my hand behind her back to stop her from leaning backward. Then I kissed her tears before they could fall.
"Because I love you."