No Better Than The Beasts

Chapter 9- The Hallway of Ancestors

"Can I at least have a hug?"

"No."

"Maybe hold my hand?"

"Definitely not."

"A handshake?"

"Not even that."

"A high five?"

"Seriously?" Derrick asked, both eyebrows raised at his soulmate walking beside him. Jake was, for some reason, desperately wanting his affection and Derrick couldn't see why. 

They were touring the castle.

Jake sighed and gave up. He wanted to touch Derrick in some way; to make the prince feel the same feelings he felt. He wanted Derrick to stop hiding from the fact that they were soulmates, but as their bond grew stronger, he realized that Derrick wasn't hiding.

He was avoiding his feelings.

Now it was Jake's mission to shove the love into his scowling face.

"Why do you hate me?" Jake asked, "What did I do to you?"

"I hate wolves," Derrick said, not really looking at him, "I hate them and I never really wanted a soulmate in the first place. You are both, so I hate you."

"Why do you hate wolves?" Jake asked, but as soon as he asked it, he knew it was a mistake.

Derrick's eyes grew angry.

"Okay, never-mind. You don't have to answer that," Jake mended, "But what about the soulmate thing? Why don't you want a soulmate?"

Jake was putting two-and-two together. Derrick was very guarded about certain things he said about his mother, the reason he hates wolves, and his feelings. He also noticed that he hadn't seen Derrick's mother at the breakfast table, or at all really. Jake didn't want to assume, but it was evident that Derrick's mother had died or left and he had a suspicion that wolves had something to do with it.

Jake may not be the smartest, but he was not an idiot nor was he oblivious.

Derrick sighed, stopped in his tracks, and turned towards his soulmate.

Jake stopped and turned towards him as well.

"My life doesn't concern you, okay? You may be my soulmate, but it is still not your right to go up to me and ask me personal questions," Derrick said.

"But I-"

"No," Derrick interrupted,"I know we are supposed to fall in love and all of that crap they throw at you, but I hate you, okay? You don't deserve to know about my life because you will never be in it. After we figure out how to deal with that weird pain, you can leave. And we'll both be happy."

Jake frowned, getting angry. He was happy most of the time, but all werewolves had a short temper. Derrick didn't really mean what he said, but Jake didn't know that.

Jake grabbed the prince by his shirt collar and pressed him against the nearest wall, not caring if anyone saw, which no one did. His eyebrows were pushed in towards the center of his forehead, his eyes almost lashing out with frustration, his expression deadly serious, and his throat vibrating with a low growl.

"What makes you think that will make me happy?" He said, his volume not raising but seething with anger, "What makes you think that I hate you back? I know that you're avoiding your feelings and it hurts, so I want to know why. Why are you running away from what you have because of what you had? I can feel the secrets in your heart and I have an idea of what they are. I know that you are hiding something that hurts you. As your soulmate, it's driving me insane! You don't have to tell me what is wrong yet, but I refuse to be kicked out of your heart just because of something that happened to you. And so help me, I will bust your walls down if you don't lower them. You don't know much about werewolves, but let me brief you: We are very protective. And even though I have only met you, what? Yesterday? I still want to protect you because, like it or not, you and I are going to love each other for the rest of our lives."