Dr. Luna
The Vampires Promised Bride Chapter 22

"You are sending me home?" Lucy shook her head no. "Why? Don't you want me here with you?"

"Of course I want you with me Lucy." Derek trailed his hand down her arm and gazed into her green eyes. "I never want to be away from you. But not here. Not part of a battle party. You need to be where it is safe."

Lucy let out an airy chuckle. "Please don't tell me you are going to be that guy... Don't go making the same mistakes all the guys make about the women in my family. We are not the ones who wait back at home for the men to return."

Derek's eyes flickered in amusement. "My future queen, your existence is too important to risk. I'm not calling you weak. Just that you are a target. This witch is after your family, and I won't make it easy for her. I don't know what she is planning but judging from the voidless army she has created we need to be cautious."

"I won't be leaving your side. So don't be ridiculous." Lucy could see in his eyes that he was going to be insistent. Lucky for her she had her own tricks up her sleeve. "Very well... if you really wish for me to leave then I guess I have no choice but to comply." She watched his face drop in confusion.

A faint smile spread on Derek's face. "Good. I will send you back with your parents and I'll come for you as soon as all of this is taken care of."

Oh, naïve Derek... Lucy stood up and walked up to the bedroom door. As if she was really going to obediently listen to him just like that.

"Lucy? Where are you going? I wanted to talk more." Derek jumped up and followed her out the door.

"I'm informing my parents that I will be returning with them of course."

Derek noticed the flicker in her eyes and could feel an odd emotion glimmering from his mate. "Lucy... what are you planning?" She smirked as she entered the dining room.

"Lucy. Much better. I am glad you got that all sorted out." Freya stood up and looked at the glint in her daughter's eyes. What is it?

He wants to send me home. Since he can't have me fighting by his side...

Freya could read her daughter clearly. As a parent she wanted to protect her daughter. But she also trained with Lucy and knew how capable she was. And being the former huntress she had no problem being an advocate for her daughter.

"I guess I'll be coming back with you guys tomorrow." Lucy said innocently as Derek walked in keeping a suspicious eye on her.

Freya smiled and nodded her head. "Of course... probably for the best." The devil in Freya's eyes came out. "After all, we will need your help to lead one of the armies into battle."

"What?!"

"What?!"

Derek and Wyatt said simultaneously.

Lucy smirked. Gosh she loved her mother. She was always in her corner and fighting for her to never be overlooked.

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I figure Aiden and Lucy will lead a group while we lead the other." Freya turned an icy glare to Wyatt. "You wouldn't be thinking of leaving me behind, right?" "Well... no, but-"

"And after our daughter was injured and taken, we are planning to retaliate in full force, right?" Freya asked as she quirked her brow up at Wyatt.

Jason chuckled already knowing exactly what was taking place. Wyatt sighed in defeat. His queen has taken the king in this chess match. It was lost before it started.

"Alright. I'll have Lucy and Aiden lead a group together. Not individually mind you. They will work together." This would have to be Wyatt's compromise. "Perfect." Freya said, winking at her daughter.

Derek growled lowly. "With all due respect. I do not want Lucy fighting. Period."

Lucy turned her head from her mother to look at Derek. "Sorry 'Ryan'. This is official werewolf business. Best not to stick your nose in where it doesn't belong."

A deep dark chuckle escaped from Derek's throat. "You are mine Lucy. And you are my business. I won't risk it. The witch is gunning for your family. She has been preparing who knows what for this moment." He turned his head and looked over at Wyatt. "Let the vampires handle it. Keep your pack away from this witch."

"I understand what you are saying... but you have to understand we can't just sit by and do nothing. We have to set a precedent for attacks on werewolves. And that is we will come back viciously and mercilessly." He glanced up at Freya and Lucy. "I understand wanting to keep your mate wrapped up in a bubble and to keep her safe. Trust me. I know what feeling you have all too well. I want to keep my family safe." He looked at Derek and smiled. "But don't you think they also want me safe too?"

"Mates are stronger and weaker together. It is a fact of life. Mates give you a vulnerability, but they also give you a strength and an edge in battle. It isn't right for you to ask your mate to stay somewhere safe while you are out risking your life. Especially someone as strong as Lucy." Freya gave Derek a faint smile. "We want to be there fighting and protecting our mate. As much as Wyatt wants my safety, I want his. My desire to fight and protect is just as strong." She looked over and gave Wyatt a crooked smile. "I even fought pregnant in the big demon war because I couldn't bear not being there to help protect my mate."

Wyatt chuckled. "I never would have allowed it had I known she was pregnant." He shook his head. "You are fighting a battle that all of us have fought before." He looked over at Jason who nodded his head. "Lucy is a strong fighter. And even though I tend to baby her as my little girl I know she is an asset in battle."

"I do not doubt that Lucy would be an asset. And I don't want to send her away from my side. But the things we have been seeing... like these mixtures that have been used in fights like the vervain and silver. And the experiments that have been going on and the voidless army. We have things we need to discuss." Derek met with the sharp silver eyes of Wyatt. "This is not just about Lucy. This is about your whole family Wyatt. It is my recommendation for your family to stand down. Let's discuss this in more detail in my office."

"I think you need to hear about these things in more detail so that you can see the complete picture and then make your decision." Jasper finally spoke up. He knew what Derek wanted to talk about. And he knew why he wanted Lucy somewhere safe and far away from the witch. "Jasper, would you please show everyone to my office?" Derek said as he focused his gaze on Lucy.

Lucy watched as everyone slowly followed Jasper out of the room. Leaving her alone with Derek. He was quiet for a moment and stood there just quietly watching her. Then he walked up to her. He pressed into her, backing her into the wall. He leaned his two arms on the wall behind her holding her captive while she looked at him curiously.

"I didn't want you to hear about this... what I am going to tell everyone now. But I guess it is only fair for you to hear it too." Derek whispered into her forehead as his lips lightly brushed against her skin. "My little mate." She looked up into his eyes. His amber eyes reflected so much emotion, but anger was not one of them.

"Don't think that I don't have faith in your abilities for a moment. And NEVER think that I don't want you by my side. Sending you away is going to be incredibly painful..." He leaned his head down and rested it on her forehead. "I'm afraid to lose you. I'm afraid for your family to fight this time. Listen to what I have to say in there... please... I don't want you to be upset with me. Please listen and understand my actions here." He brushed his nose over hers and smiled near her lips. "My feisty Lucy."

She felt his breath beat upon her lips making her body shiver from his contact. His voice that started out almost sad and pleading ended with a sweet raspy breath. Every inch of her body craved him. She raised her arms up and rested them around his neck. She couldn't imagine him saying anything that could convince her that she shouldn't be by his side. But she would listen... really listen to what he wanted to explain.

"You aren't mad at me?" She bit her bottom lip as she watched a smile spread across his face. A low chuckle reverberated from his throat.

"I actually think it was quite adorable. You went to your mother to try to get your way."

"I went to the person who always has my back. Regardless of my gender."

"I always have your back. Forever and for always." Derek closed the small gap between them and brushed his lips against hers. Her lips were soft and sweet. And he really wished the timing could have been better for them. He wanted to spend more time with her and really connect to her as his mate.

"I love you, Lucy." He breathed out against her lips. "Come on. We shouldn't keep everyone waiting."

He reached his hand and interlaced their fingers together. Then looking down at her with a sweet smile he led her to his office where everyone was seated waiting for them. When they walked in he continued to pull Lucy along with him instead of her sitting next to her parents' side. Jasper had taken a seat next to a dark wooden desk and there was another large chair behind it.

"Jasper, did you get out the pictures?" Derek asked and Jasper pushed a yellow envelope towards him on the desk. He grabbed the contents and walked it over to Wyatt still keeping his fingers interlocked with Lucy's. "Take a look at these."

Lucy watched as her father opened the envelope. He reached inside and pulled out several pictures that she couldn't see but she noticed her father's shocked face immediately. Her mother even gasped looking at the pictures as they scanned through them. "What... what caused this?" Wyatt asked in a quiet breath.

Lucy moved up on her tiptoes trying to get a better look. When that wasn't working, she walked a bit more forward and leaned her head to the side. Freya grabbed one of the pictures and turned it around so that Lucy could see.

Lucy looked at the picture of a girl laying on the ground. She had blood pouring out from her eyes, mouth, nose, and ears.

"She was a werewolf..." Jasper spoke up quietly. "But within an hour of being injected with one of the witch's creations, she was dead."

"It was like nothing we had ever seen. This was one of the first cases we documented. We watched in secret as we studied the events. She was in her werewolf form at first when whatever it was, was injected into her. Then she started coughing up blood and within fifteen minutes she shifted back to her human form. Blood soon started dripping out of her and she was screaming in pain. Within the hour... she was dead. But that is not all of it. We later got ahold of the discarded body and ran our own tests on it. She no longer had any traces of being a werewolf. It was as if she was a normal human." Derek watched Wyatt shift uncomfortably.

"What do you mean?"

"Whatever was injected into her... it was like it pulled the wolf apart from her. And her losing her wolf is what killed her ultimately. She was only the first of many cases we have witnessed. All that we were able to test were the same way. They had lost their wolf blood. They were no longer werewolves." Derek stepped into Lucy and wrapped his arm around her. "This is why this time... the werewolves need to stand down from this fight. And why I need Lucy far from this battle."