The Power Within

The night in the pack mansion was in serene silence. The moonlight streaming through the windows created long shadows on the golden floors. Diva stood near Derek's door, her hands moist and her heart pounding hard in her chest.

She was aware that he was indoors. His fragrance lingered in the atmosphere—recognizable, profound, and undeniably his. He had come back earlier that day from the nearby pack, and although everyone in the house was aware of his return, none had spotted him yet. The only ones stationed outside were the guards.

She had been waiting for the right time to go in.

She turned the handle and gently pushed the door open without knocking.

Derek stood by the window, slightly turned to her direction. The moonlight illuminated the contours of his face, emphasizing the strain in his shoulders. He didn't face her, but he could sense that she was the one who walked in.

"You're back," Diva whispered softly, her tone steady despite her chaotic thoughts.

He then turned, his weary eyes observing her closely. "You should be taking a resting, Diva."

“I know but I need us to talk about something,” she answered, remaining where she was.

He indicated a chair by the fireplace, but she declined with a shake of her head. She refused to sit. She preferred not to feel at ease. “Tell me the truth.” “Why am I here?” she questioned straightforwardly.

Derek's expression remained largely the same, but his eyes became more intense and focused. “You were chosen to be my Luna,” he said, his tone measured. “I didn’t even want you, I never imagined someone like you will be my Luna. But when the spirits speak, we listen.”

“But you hesitated,” she said, watching him carefully. “Even now, I feel it. Like I was placed in a story that was never mine to begin with, I have begged you free me so that I can go.”

Derek turned fully toward her, his arms crossed. “i can't do that, not now because something about this whole thing doesn't feel right and I need to discover every truth behind it before I let you go.”

Diva blinked, thrown off by the honesty in his voice. “What about the challenge you wanted to pull? You said if I win you will let me go. What about that?”

“I know I said that but the challenge is off” he replied instantly. “You belong to me and like I said, untill I discover every truth behind this whole thing you remain here.”

Her jaw tightened. “Fine, but why are you overprotective of me like you expect me to love you when you clearly dislike me.”

“I never asked you to love me,” he said, softer now. “But I won’t lie to you either. There was someone before. Linan. My true mate. She vanished years ago without any words, and everyone presumed she's dead because it has taken years and she's yet to be return.”

Diva felt something twist in her chest—an ache she didn’t want to acknowledge. “Do you still believe she’s alive?”

He hesitated, eyes fixed on the window again. “Sometimes. In dreams. In the way the wind sounds when I’m alone. But I have no proof. Just ghosts.”

You see what I'm saying, let me go so that you can concentrate on finding her. She may be alive waiting for you to come to her rescue."

“Don't tell me what to do Diva” he said firmly. “I accepted you because I had to. Because fate demands things of us we don’t always understand. But I see you, Diva. I see your strength. And I won’t let the past swallow that.”

Diva’s aura pulsed faintly—barely noticeable, but Derek caught it. His eyes narrowed. “It’s happening again, isn’t it?”

She nodded, eyes troubled. “I touched the wall in the northern wing earlier today. Something stirred in me. Since I came here, I’ve been... different. Like a switch was flipped and I can’t find the off button.”

He looked at her, a flicker of something like concern—or fear—passing through his gaze. “That power isn’t from me. I didn’t awaken it. But if it’s waking now... it’s not by accident.”

She stepped back toward the door, her breath shaky. “I need to think. I need space to figure out what’s happening to me.”

Derek didn’t move to stop her.

“And Derek,” she added, glancing over her shoulder. “If you're still holding onto her—truly holding on—then don’t expect me to be loyal to you cause I will never be. And also know that I hate you even more than you hate me.”

She walked out without saying another word, leaving Derek standing in the quiet of his chamber, the weight of memory pressing heavily on his shoulders.

The past hasn't finished yet.

And neither was the story that had just begun.