Derek's Feelings
POV: Alexandra
My father had bothered me for days about me giving up the family title after the successful negotiations for the engagement between my brother and Alesha. In truth, I was quite relieved to give it up. I wasn’t sure about being the Duchess of Blackwood. I had two goals in my mind: finish school and become betrothed to Lucien. It was a lot of pressure that the man I was in love with happened to be the King of Vellum but Lucien assured me that I would need to go through a year’s worth of Queen lessons with his mother before I could marry him and assume the throne. He informed me that they would be eliminating four more candidates before the fall masquerade, I was waiting for the assembly invitation yet again. I was writing down all the happenings that happened over the last week in my journal when Jess and Litha walked into my room. We made plans to take the horses out for a ride through Blackwood. Of course, with a crazed man who hated me out there and was commissioned by The Order to have me killed, we had to invite my own personal bodyguard with us. Jess hadn’t complained but Litha had since she couldn’t invite Blake. She tried to but he had business at the castle with the princesses so he said he had to regretfully decline. Litha asked if I had a guy that I was crushing on “now that Blake and Meldon weren’t available.” I had not told my friends that I had a major crush on the man three of us were still competing over. I told them that I had no interest in guys until the competition was over. I told them there was no sense in crushing over a guy if I couldn’t have him. In reality, I was crushing over a guy that I potentially couldn’t have. If I won though, it would be a dream come true.
I looked up and smiled at the two women as I closed up my journal and tucked it away in the drawer I kept my letters from Lucien. I hadn’t written to him since the curse lifted but I told myself that I would fix that tonight. I would deliver it to the Headmaster the next day. I hopped up from my seat, “Are we ready to head out?” Jess plopped down in the bed and sighed, “Derek isn’t ready yet. He said something about looking good for the beautiful women he gets to escort today.” Litha sat next to her and giggled, “He is such a flirt. Once he becomes your betrothed, you need to reign him in.” Jess threw a pillow over her face to hide the bright red blush that was creeping onto her face, “Who said he would ask for my hand from the King and my father? Besides, my dad would need to be here to get asked.” I patted her pillow, “Hey, he likes you! I know that it’s only a matter of time before he will ask.” She pulled the pillow from her face and she was pouting, “No, you can’t know that. He’s only laying it on thick because he knows your curse is lifted. You’re his first choice, Xan. As long as you are available, he won’t look my way.” Her tone wasn’t mad but it was a tone of frustration knowing that he would always look my way. I would need to have a chat with him before his run tomorrow night. He needed to know where my heart was at so he could move on. I didn’t think I needed to speak with him delicately as I had dreaded with Blake. Derek’s thoughts had always been torn between me and Jess. I had only hoped that my turning him down would let his heart stay with Jess and she would find her happy.
Derek knocked on my door frame as I was lost in these thoughts, “What are three of the most gorgeous women in Vellum talking about?” Litha smirked at him, “As a matter of fact, you’re the topic of conversation.” He had been leaning on the frame but jolted up, “What?!” Jess threw the pillow she had been hugging at Litha, “You just can’t help it, can you?” She buried her face in her hands and she was pink. I sighed, “On that note, Derek, would you like to accompany me into town later? I need to pick something up for the ball that my mother ordered.” He winked at me, “It’s a date babe.” I rolled my eyes, “Sure, think of it how you want.” He smiled, “Well, shall we get our ride on then?” He held his arm out to me to escort me but I pulled Jess from her spot on the bed and linked her arm to his, “Be a doll and escort the most beautiful of us.” Jess widened her eyes at me and mouthed, “I want to kick your ass now.” I shrugged, “Let’s go.” I pushed the couple away from the door and Derek chuckled, “I can see Alexandra’s in a different mood today. I can’t say I hate it though. She’s not wrong about the beautiful woman on my arm though. I can only be so lucky to escort you everywhere, Jess.” I was looking at her ears and they turned the shade of crimson, “Th-thank you.” Litha whispered to me, “What’s the plan with them? I know you have one. So far you’ve fixed Alesha up, and you’ve set me on a path to win over Blake. You’re like our de facto matchmaker.” I shrugged, “I am the child of Aphrodite. You’d have to believe that I had those skills. Derek is simple though, you just have to steer him away from his current attentions.” I pointed at myself, “I’m clearly not into him but I need to make that clear to him which I’m going to do on our outing later.”
The ride through the forest was rather uneventful, it was nice to see all the orange and red hues of the leaves changing to indicate the slow transition to fall. We had stopped by to see Vanessa who happened to have Dorothea, Whisperia, and Zebinezer at her home. Apparently, it had been a daily visit when Vanessa wasn’t teaching classes. It was almost like a coven of the elements with each woman being a master in her own element. They had gifted me with several trinkets to ward off evil because they had heard that I was being targeted again. I had wondered why my uncle was there when he wasn’t at home. Vanessa had sent him out into the woods to collect a few things for Dorothea so she could make a potion she wanted to try out. I had fully expected to run into him on the ride but I had not had the luck. We got home about midday and I promised to meet Derek downstairs after a shower and change into clothes that didn’t smell like sweat and horse. He had agreed because he wanted to look good for our “date.” I let him believe it was a date because he would argue with me on the merit of what a date entailed. He had been waiting for me downstairs, he was checking his breath by breathing into his hand and smelling it. I rolled my eyes telling myself under my breath, “You won’t get a kiss from me dude so save it.” I finally got all the way down the stairs and tapped him on the shoulder. He jumped a little, “That was impressive that you could sneak up on me like that. Usually, I can hear you with my wolfy sense of hearing but you were stealthy. Congrats, sweetie.” I sighed, “Let’s just get going.”
I stepped out of the door where the carriage was waiting for us. He helped me inside and he climbed up and sat right next to me. He pulled his arm around me and kissed me on the cheek. I wasn’t into him like that but the act caused warmth to creep into my cheeks and he chuckled, “If you didn’t have long black wavy hair and violet eyes, I could swear it was Jess sitting next to me with that blush.” I smacked his chest, “Shut up! I wasn’t expecting you to kiss me! That’s all!” I crossed my arms on my chest and I sank into my seat. He chuckled some more, “You look so cute like that.” I shot up and turned to him, “Look, Derek, I invited you out for a reason.” He shrugged, “Well yeah, I need to escort you. Kind of my job, Lex.” I shook my head, “I could have invited Jess.” He smirked at me, “You wanted me then huh?” I nodded, “Yes…I mean no! What?!” He pulled me into his chest, “I didn’t think you liked me like that yet. I’m super flattered, Lex.” I pushed myself away from him and sighed, “You’re very exhausting. You know that?” He laughed, “I’ve been told but not by a woman before. You’re very different, Lex.” I looked out the window and silence set in before he spoke, “So why did you invite me then, Lex? Seriously.” I turned to him, “I wanted to let you know something that I haven’t even told Jess yet. I’m telling you because I regard you as a best friend.” He smiled at me, “Thanks, Lex. That’s really one of the highest honors a guy could have.” I smiled back at him and continued, “Which is why you deserve to know something about me.” He pulled his arm from around me and looked me in the eye, “What’s that?” I sighed and looked down, “I’m in love with Lucien. I’m going to try and win the competition so I can be with him.” He laughed, “Is that all?” I shot my gaze up to him, “What do you mean?” He smiled at me and patted my head, “I kind of figured all of that out when we were at the assembly. I saw how he was looking at you and more importantly how you looked at him. My flirting today has just been to tease you, Lex. I had a crush on you but I really want to give this thing with Jess a shot. She’s really always been in my heart since we were pups together. No crush on the new girl would have deterred me, sweetie. I’m starting to regard you as my girl’s best friend who happens to be my own best friend.”
A sigh of relief escaped as he was confessing all of this, “You don’t know how relieved I am to hear that, Derek. I didn’t want to hurt you but my heart has been with Lucien for a long time, I just wasn’t aware.” He sighed also, “I just don’t know how to ask for Jess’s hand when her father isn’t here and she’s still very much in the competition. She told me that she wouldn’t drop out because she’s duty-bound to be a part of it. What if she wins, Lex? I don’t think either of us could handle that.” I clenched my hands, “It’s a very real possibility since she’s neck and neck with me. She won’t ease up her efforts either. You wouldn’t know it but she is super competitive even if it is against her best interests.” He laughed, “Sounds like her. Meek and mild but bring competition into something and she turns into Ms. Bring It On.” I laughed hard, “Oh my goddess, that is so accurate. I love her though.” He got this dreamy look in his eye, “I do too. I just don’t know what to do about her and the competition.” I patted his leg, “Leave it to me, Derek. I will win this thing for the four of us.” He smiled, “I do not doubt that you will try. Just let me know when you think you can beat Jess so I can plan the time to do a human-like proposal. Okay?” The carriage had stopped in front of the shop and Derek hopped out of the carriage and held his hand out. As I stepped out, I felt a sharp pain in my side. I grabbed it and pulled my hand up to my face to see the crimson liquid. The world went black as I passed out and I felt Derek’s arms around me shouting, “Lex!”
