Derek
"In all honesty, Derek, I do not want you for my sister."
My jaw dropped as I listened to my best friend say that to my face.
"You do not want me for your sister?" I asked again to be sure that I heard right. "Do you mean that you do not want me as a part of Melody's life?" I repeated.
I wanted to be sure that Malcolm meant what he said and that he was aware of the sister he was talking about.
I mean, why would he even say that to me?
Everyone is aware that Melody is my mate and also the mother of my pups. Even though I might have done some things to her which are unforgivable, she still has to forgive me for the sake of our pups.
"Forgive me, Derek, that is just the bitter truth. It's the way I feel."
I have known Malcolm all our lives and he is not someone who hides his feelings. He speaks his heart as it comes. What I do not understand is why he doesn't want me for Melody.
Anyone would kill to have me be with their sister, but Malcolm is refusing me for his sister. Why?
"You don't want me for Melody?"
I don't know why I was repeating those words, but I just couldn't stop saying them. They keep replaying in my head and heart like some poem, they were stuck in my mind.
"In all honesty, Derek, I don't."
Did he just say that?
Malcolm just f*cking told me that I'm unsuitable for Melody.
Like did he?
"You do not want me for Melody?"
Malcolm clearly said it and I heard him right, but I wonder why I can't seem to accept it. Something in me wanted to believe that my best friend would never say that to me.
"Yes," he replied without a care in the world.
I stood up and paced from one side of the room to the other. I didn't know what to say because the words in my mouth would ruin things further.
"Why?" I asked instead. "Why don't you want me for Melody?"
I tried to stay calm and chose to punish my hand instead of Malcolm's. I dug my nails into my palm as I waited for him to explain why he didn't want me to be with Melody.
"Well," he cleared his throat. "After all you've done to her. I don't think it's right to ask that anymore, Derek."
Seriously?
I scoffed and turned away, letting out a soft sigh as I tried to keep my anger in. Though Derek has never done anything to make me angry ever since we were kids, he's always been the one to take my worries away. However, if there's anyone I'm so mad at right now, then it's him.
I mean, what does he mean by after all I've done to Melody?
I agree that I have been harsh on Melody and I have wronged her in a way, but I have apologized and tried to make up for that several times. Why does he still hold that against me?
"Malcolm, you know...."
"Derek, Melody has been through so much and why?" He closed his eyes and clenched his fist. "....Because she met you."
"Huh?"
My jaw dropped at the bitterness of his words. Did he just say that Melody's life became a living hell just because she met me?
"You were my friend but you despised my sister. How is that fair?"
He scoffed and shook his head, ignoring my question, and continued speaking.
"I chose to ignore it because I believed that you were aloof to everyone else. How would I know that you hated her so much to reject her even when you found out that she's your mate?"
Malcolm's voice shook as he spoke. It felt as if he was about to cry.
"I thought I loved my sister but I couldn't see her pain." Malcolm raised his head and I could see that he was hurt and whatever he was saying was from his heart.
"I did that because....."
I didn't know what to say. I had no excuse for rejecting Melody back then, but I knew I had to say something in my defence, yet Malcolm spoke before I could.
".... Because she was wolfless." He brushed his hand through his hair. "You rejected her because she was wolfless."
In a way, he's right. But who would have thought that I would fall head over heels in love with the same Melody whom I had rejected?
"But when you needed someone to ease you off the effect of drugs, you found her suitable."
"No. That wasn't the case."
I didn't know that the woman that night was Melody. Even though I knew it was wrong of me to pick just anyone without her consent. I still did and to make matters worse, it had to be Melody.
"Whatever the case was, my sister had to bear the brunt all by herself."
Yes. I feel bad for all Melody had to go through, but I'm not to blame, am I?
I didn't know that she was doing all that nor did I know that she was the woman from that night. If there's anyone to blame for Melody's suffering, then it's their father. Why is Malcolm blaming me?
"I know that Melody has been through a lot and that's why I offered to marry her." I held his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "I wanted to compensate her for all the suffering she had to face because of my mistake."
Malcolm looked at me with fury burning in his eyes.
"By marrying her out of obligation?" He shook his head. "That is no less than suffering too."
What?
Did Malcolm just say that marrying Melody to me was no less than making her suffer?
"Did you forget, Mal," I chose to remind him, just in case he had forgotten. "That Melody is the mother of my pups."
Malcolm smiled bitterly. "I know and that's why I'm going on this journey with you because I want this to get settled once and for all."
I furrowed my brow in confusion.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"What I'm saying is that if Melody's words can't stop you, then the kid's rejection probably would."
Really?
So Malcolm wants me to get rejected after embarking on this journey.
"Are you kidding me?"
I was in denial and so badly wanted to hear him say that he didn't mean what he said, but he went on.
"No, I'm pleading." He folds his hands. "Please let Melody live her life with Dorian."