Dr. Luna
The Vampires Promised Bride Chapter 19

Ryan sighed. He reached up and brushed his thumb over Lucy's face as he gazed into her emerald eyes. "This is a lot to ask but please don't be mad at me. I know I was wrong now but that doesn't change anything. And... I can say this clearly. Before you were my mate, I loved you, Lucy. Finding out you were my mate was wonderful but to find out you are my soul mate... it is unbelievable. I mean that doesn't happen. Our fate together was connected by someone. Maybe your moon goddess?" Lucy shook her head and looked at him confused. "What are you saying?" She knew what it sounded like he was saying but this didn't make any sense.

"This has to be kept a secret right now. Just let me explain please." He sighed as he watched hurt begin to reflect in her eyes. He nodded his head slowly. "I'm Derek, Lucy."

"You are not the guy I have been seeing-" She suddenly stopped... but he more closely resembled the little boy she used to play with. She always excused his differences due to growing up. But looking at him now... he did look more like Derek. She thought to herself as she softly took in his scent. It was familiar. Derek... well who she thought was Derek told her before that his scent changed because of puberty. Which was true since Jaspers changed as well. Jasper however still had a hint of his normal scent while Derek didn't. But this Ryan... she was finally putting a puzzle together. There was a nostalgic scent to him... one that made her heart race. Her eyes were glued onto him as she waited for him to continue.

"That is my double, Ryan. The real Ryan. Let me explain, please. The prince's men must be people that can be trusted unconditionally. The only way to truly see that is to work among them. No one will show their true colors in front of the royals. They even act differently in front of Jasper. So, I swapped places with my double. I took on the soldier role and he took on the face of the prince. At the end of this summer, we would be switching back. The prince's soldiers would move into the palace as my elite trusted men. And the real face of the prince would be known to all. Right now, only a handful of people know who I am. I'm so sorry Lucy. I didn't realize how isolated and unwanted he was making you feel. I can tell by how you were talking how hurt you were by this. I'm so sorry..." His eyes watered slightly as Lucy's face looked more pale and pained.

"He was supposed to keep it on a friend level so you didn't fall for him. I never meant to hurt you. Please don't be mad."

Mad? Lucy wanted to laugh. Mad? She wasn't mad... okay maybe a little. But she was hurt. For years she felt like she was unwanted and not good enough. All of that could have been avoided if they just told her. Why was she left in the dark? And then Jasper... Her chest felt constricted by air as she turned her gaze to her... friend? She wanted to scream. That hurt the most. Her 'best friend' kept this secret from her. Was he her friend or just the prince's spy?

"Back to what we talked about before Jasper," Lucy said icily. He would know exactly what she meant by that. This was a conversation they have had several times if he could truly be her friend as the prince's cousin. A real friend would have told her, right? He had seen the pain that Derek was causing her by ignoring her and not joining her for dinner. Yet, he never said anything.

"Lucy, please. Don't be angry at me," Jasper said and Lucy stepped back from both men though her gaze was turned to Jasper. She felt the biggest betrayal from him.

"Angry? Frustrated... hurt and feeling naïve as hell. But angry? No..." Her eyes watered and she shook her head. "You knew Jasper. You saw firsthand how much I was hurting over all of this..."

"He was under orders. This was top secret Lucy."

Lucy turned her head and looked at Derek. "So it's Derek? I'm your fiancé but I couldn't know this secret? Instead, you wanted me to meet another man and he would be the picture of my fiancé. That was really thought out well. What if I developed feelings for him? course, that is why he treated me like dirt to make sure that didn't happen. So instead it is okay for me to suffer. For years I felt like I was the unwanted trash that the prince had to take as his bride."

"You aren't unwanted Lucy. I love you. You were always on my mind. You were so bright and your energy was so attractive. When I first met you as a baby, I admit I didn't think much of you but that started changing. The more we were together I felt myself becoming more and more drawn to you. We were too young to feel the mate pull but it must have been because we would be soul mates... If I could do it over, I would make sure you knew. I'm sorry. We were wrong not to tell you. My father said it was best to keep the secret with us and I listened to his suggestion. I know now how wrong it was." Derek dropped to his knees and took Lucy's hand in his. "Please forgive me Lucy. I need you."

Lucy sighed. "I've made my stance quite clear. I plan to stand by the treaty." She felt him grip her hand tighter and he lifted up into her with a low growl.

"No Lucy. Not for the treaty. For me. As a man, as your mate. You will choose me for this or not at all."

Lucy let out an airy laugh and pushed Derek back with a fierce look. "You think because I desire you from the mate pull that I will just give into those feelings? I should ignore the hurt I am feeling and just be thrilled that my fated mate has been deceiving me for years. And not care that my best friend kept the biggest secret ever from me even though it caused me pain. I understand that you both were following orders and to hell with my feelings over it. You love me?" She scoffed. "You don't know me. You love the idea of me. And now you feel the mate pull towards me. And if you would have just met with me, we would have known a long time ago we were fated mates." She squeezed her hands into a fist.

"Why? Why did it have to be like that? I attended parties and dances alone or with my cousin. I had you so I shouldn't have been alone. And I would have understood had the situation been explained to me. Look, I understand now. Really, I do. You both were just doing what you were told. But I need time...I need to process this away from the two of you."

"Lucy," Jasper said in a desperate tone as she took a few steps towards the door.

She looked down at the floor. "I thought of you as a brother to me... but Aiden would have never... in the end you are the prince's cousin first. I understand that. I just don't know what that means as far as our friendship is concerned." She looked up at Jasper and could see the hurt in his eyes. She was hurt too. He was under orders. She understood that but where is the line between their friendship and orders? Is there a place for it? And how far do orders go? If he was ordered to, would he have killed her? Where was his line? She lifted her gaze to Derek. She should be elated that she could be with her fated mate. But she had been struggling inwardly for so long. The feeling of being unwanted and unaccepted by the prince plagued her for years. And then to hear it was all for naught? She needed to sort out her feelings.

"I don't need to be carried." She met with Derek's eyes to make sure he understood. She then opened the door and walked out of the room.

She walked into the living room and felt like tearing something apart out of frustration. She was overwhelmed with emotions. Both good and bad. Okay, she could admit that if she ordered Justice not to say something she knew he would listen to her. So, she could understand Jasper's position... a bit. Part of it was them being dumb boys. She understood this from Aiden and Justice who very rarely thought about how their actions affected other people. She once had to tell them how they hurt a girl's feelings because the morons were oblivious. They just didn't think things through.

All Jasper had to do was explain to Derek that her feeling rejected by his stand-in was hurting her. Had he done this Derek probably would have made her the exception and told her what was going on. Which is the problem with boys not thinking. She felt the burden alleviate from her knowing that Derek was her fated mate. The guy she was ready to give herself to was actually the right guy. He was her fiancé. Which was not a coincidence. It couldn't have been. She was sure her parents would think the same too. She wasn't going to reject her fated mate especially since he was Derek. But... it was best to let them sweat for a bit. She was running the show here. If she wanted a relationship, then it would be her pursuing it. That was the other thing those two needed to learn. That they were not the ones in charge. She was. She was the alpha king's daughter and didn't run behind anyone.

And while on a primal level she wanted to mark her mate on an emotional level they needed to talk some. She just needed to think of the memory of a party where she stood by the punch bowl while everyone danced with their partners. She had asked the man she thought was Derek if he wanted to go with her, but he politely turned her down. And Jasper was busy, so she ended up going alone. Even if she would have known... the real Derek couldn't have gone with her. But she would not have felt rejected. The fake Derek didn't even give her a reason. He just said 'No thanks.. Yes, she needed to hold onto this memory for willpower.

"Are you okay?" Tonya asked, walking up to Lucy.

"Me?" Lucy gave her an evil smile and shrugged. "Sure, just teaching a lesson is all. I think they need to learn who is really in charge."

Tonya giggled. "Those are the best lessons to teach."

Lucy smiled. Finally, she wasn't being carried everywhere. Her injuries were healing, though not healed up completely. But she was a werewolf and didn't need to be coddled.

Through the wall, a messenger fairy whisked in quickly. She watched as it halted in front of her frantically.

Your parents have been attacked on their way here to find you-

Lucy didn't let the fairy continue its sentence. In a growl, she shifted into her wolf and charged out the door.

"LUCY!" Tonya yelled. "s**t, tell Ryan!" She turned as Zach opened the door to Ryan's room.

"LUCY LEFT! She shifted into her wolf and took off." Zach yelled.

Derek growled and shook his head. "If she thinks she is going to just leave she has another thing coming. Jasper and I will bring her back. You all stay here." He ordered and blurred out of the room with Jasper.

Lucy's fawn colored wolf pushed off the ground with all her might. Her wounds were opening back up, but she didn't feel them. Pure adrenaline had kicked in while she headed in the direction of her parents' scent. As their scent got closer another scent hit her

nose.

Blood.