Ruins

Chapter 2

When the car parked itself in its spot on the ship, Carter is out the door the second it stops moving. I sit for a moment, waiting for him to leave the garage before climbing out of the car and walking briskly out of the garage and down the long, pale blue hallway on the right. After a moment I let out a growl, long and deep, the one for when I call Derek. He rounds a corner just up ahead of me and stands in the middle of the hallway, staring at me for second. "You're mad at me." He isn't asking.

"Very observant D."

"It's because I told Carter he's just a play thing." Once again, not asking. "Come on, Cee, he was going to ask you to marry him! We all know you can't be with him. You'll rip him apart, just like Mark did to mom. Plus, he's not your ma..."

"He did ask me to marry him. And I said no, for exactly that reason." I say before Derek can finish that sentence.

"You didn't tell him, did you?" Now he's asking.

"Please, I'm not stupid." You are though, you tried to tell him. I'm too tired to fight so I don't say it out loud, but damn I wish I had the energy for it. It would be a good one. 

"I know, I'm just making sure, you aren't looking too great right now."

"Yes, because that's what I want to hear from my brother, that I look like crap. Well thank you for that. Not! Now, if you'll kindly get out of my way, I'd like to go to my room."

"Cee, you know that's not what I meant." Yeah, I know what you meant, and I feel even worse than I look.

"Well it's what you said and I don't have the energy right now to try and figure out what you mean."

"I'm sorry, Cee, jeez. Here, let me walk you to your room, you look unsteady on your feet, probably a result of whatever injuries you may or may not has attained from the fight today."

"Better, but I am an Alpha; your Alpha. I do not need to be escorted to my room." I say sternly and begin to walk towards Derek, intending to shove past him, but I stumble and would have fallen flat on my face if Derek hadn't been here to catch me. I glare up at him and he grins down at her.

"Come on, sis. Looks like I'll be carrying you to your room." I don't object the whole way there, though I want to, I just crossed her arms and glare at the adjacent wall. When we get to me lavender bedroom, which is more of an apartment, complete with kitchen and bathroom, Derek puts me down on my bed and looks around the room. "Where's your emerge stash?"  I point out the door, towards the kitchen. "Where in there?"

"Far right top cupboard. Top shelf at the back. It's in a flask." Derek goes the kitchen, I hear the cupboard open and he just stands there for a moment before popping his head back through the bedroom door.

"There are lots of flasks in there, which one is it?"

"The one that says 'I've got style, I've got class, mess with me, I'll kick your ass'." He chuckles as he grabs the flask. He comes back over and helps me sit up, I have absolutely no strength left. He tilts the flask so I can drink the sweet water-like orange liquid.

"Get some rest Cee, even with what we are; we still need to rest when we're injured to let the juice do its job."

"Yeah, yeah you're right, okay. I'm going to sleep then I suppose. I'll find you when I get up." Derek nods and leaves the room.

When I wake up, I get out of bed immediately, flick on the light, throw on a pair of sneakers and walk to the kitchen, grab the same flask from the top right cupboard that Derek had gotten for me earlier and take a deep swig of the watery orange liquid. I put the flask away and lean against the counter, waiting for the energy I desperately need to kick in. It still hasn't hit me when there is a single sharp knock on the door.