Stuck with the enemy

Chapter 29: I Feel You

Derek's Story.

The air was crisp as night fell, a biting chill cutting through the forest surrounding the outskirts of the city. My breathing was steady, controlled, but every fiber of my being was alight with fury and fear. Deniz was close. I could feel her. The mate bond was still there, a faint but unmistakable thread pulling me toward her.

I had left without telling anyone-no guards, no Paul, no packmates. I had to find her myself . No one else could understand the torment of feeling her pain through the bond, of knowing she was out there, vulnerable, while I was stuck pretending I didn't care.

"Derek."

David's voice echoed in my head, calm but firm, as though sensing my turbulent emotions.

"What is it?" I growled back at him, my patience already wearing thin.

"You can't do this alone. You know you should have coped with Aras and with the whole patrol. This is reckless."

"I don't need anyone else," I snapped. "I'll find her myself. No one will know she is my mate, so the patrol is out of this."

David's presence surged in my mind, his tone growing sharper. "Your pride will get her killed."

I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms. "I'm barely keeping myself together, David. The moment I let go..." I stopped, taking a shaky breath."I'll rip through anyone who stands in my way," I finished.

"Good," David replied, his voice softer now. "Then stop holding back. Focus. She needs us."

My jaw tightened, and I gave a curt nod. David was right. She needed us.

Flashback. Earlier that day

After Aras and the others left, Alya had tossed a videotape onto my desk without me knowing.

Sliding the tape into the player, I watched the footage from the cafe.

At first, it seemed unremarkable. Deniz, sitting at a table with Alya, sipping her coffee. Then, my eyes landed on him.

A man, sitting just a table away, his attention fixed on her in a way that sent a jolt of recognition through me. My brows furrowed as I leaned closer, trying to place him. There was something familiar about his posture, the way he moved-

And then it clicked.

Leo. The son of the rogue emperor. My blood boiled as the realization hit.

How the hell did he get into my city?

My teeth clenched, and I felt David growling deep within me, his anger mirroring mine. I slammed my fist against the desk, the wood splintering under the force.

"That bastard," I hissed through gritted teeth. "He's been watching her. Stalking her. Right under my nose."

The protectiveness I always tried to suppress surged to the surface. Deniz was mine to protect, and I'd failed her.

But it wasn't just the cafe. Using my connections, I'd gotten my hands on footage from around the city, piecing together Leo's movements. He'd been tailing her for weeks, even at the hospital.