Derrick

Twenty-Five.

I faded in and out of consciousness.

When I was awake, I was terrified. I could hear pieces of conversation between Derrick and whoever he spoke to, and even in my foggy state, I was able to understand what he was doing to me. The logical part of my mind told me it was impossible, but I couldn't deny the proof.

"How many left?" He asked, impatient.

"A few. Not much longer now."

"And her life expectancy?"

"Not affected. It will be as if the chemicals never mixed to begin with."

"Side effects?" He pressed further.

"Sebastian is strong. As is the dog. She was already altered when she arrived; she'll stay at whatever point she was at when she came in. I only stopped it from progressing and killing her."

An angry sigh.

"So we'll wait, then. See what she can do after she wakes up. You're sure she won't remember?"

"Yes."

He was altering my memories somehow, slowly but surely. He was adamant about maintaining my health, but that wasn't comforting to me in the slightest.

When I wasn't awake, I was being tortured by my own brain. Images constantly flashed in front of me: Isaac and I, laughing in the woods after he stupidly ran into a tree. Sebastian staring into my eyes as his kingdom burned behind us.

Just as quickly, I watched as those memories were warped into different versions of themselves: A wolf with familiar eyes, growling at me as the rest of his pack surrounded me. A vampire stalking me, murder in his eyes, as the flames of the village he'd torched raged behind him.

In every horrifying memory, Derrick always made sure I was safe. He always got me out.

As each fragment of my past was altered, I began to look forward to witnessing Derrick's heroism. His green eyes, filled with bravery, as he warned my attackers to run. His perfect smile as he winked at me. His utter selflessness.

He was like nobody I'd ever met. Every time I was taken from him, he relentlessly fought to bring me back. He was kind and caring and silly and always made sure I was happy.

He was my safe harbor, and I trusted him wholeheartedly.

Very abruptly, I was yanked back into consciousness.

I gasped and sat up. I looked around, my hand on my chest in an attempt to slow my breathing. My entire body was sore. I winced as I moved.

Fear gripped me; I didn't recognize the room I was in. My head throbbed painfully. I was ultimately overwhelmed.

Where was I? How long was I unconscious?

Regardless, I was determined to assess my surroundings. I was in a large bed. Everything in the room was deep red with golden accents, and a fireplace crackled in the corner. Wherever I was, the owner lived lavishly.

I considered walking around, but the intense burning in my legs warned me against it. Besides, what if someone came inside and found me snooping or trying to escape? It wouldn't be a wise move at all.

The doorknob turned, and I panicked; not knowing what to do, I yanked the covers back over me and slammed my head onto the pillows. My body protested angrily in response, and I bit my lip to suppress a groan. I screwed my eyes shut and waited.

The door creaked a little as it opened, and the sound of footsteps made their way to my ears. I could hear the heartbeat of whoever was next to me; it was a calm, steady thing. When I unfocused, the sound went away.

I heard the faint brush of their tongue against their lips as they geared themselves to speak.

"Elizabeth?" A familiar voice asked.

My heart started racing frantically. My eyes shot open, and then I was staring into a pair of glowing green orbs. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and relief washed over me.

Derrick. He was here, and I was safe.

Without thinking, I sat up and threw my arms around his neck. Just as quickly, though, I winced and fell back onto the bed. Derrick's eyes widened a little.

"What hurts?" He asked, frantic. He pressed his hand to my forehead, my cheek.

"Everything," I whimpered. Sympathy filled his eyes as he placed a kiss on my forehead.

"I'm very sorry, kitten. I'll go fetch someone to fix it."

He stood, but I grabbed his hand.

"Please stay," I whispered. "I had a terrible dream."

Derrick's eyes softened, and he crawled into the bed with me. His arms wrapped around me carefully, and one of his hands stroked my hair.

"Talking about it will help," He suggested. "I want you to tell me everything you remember."

Approximate word count: 770

Sorry for having updates SO LATE! Nighttime is the only chance I have to write, and getting up so early for work makes me very tired. I've been falling asleep really quickly lately :') Thank you for reading!