Fake Heiress True Luna (Irina) novel Chapter 96

Chapter 19: Who Is He?

Derek’s POV

I didn’t go to the midnight run, so I’m sure Kael must be looking for me already. I know I didn’t follow protocol and that it may look bad, but I want to find Cindy.

I… agreed to give her some time, but not seeing her, even for a day, is driving my wolf and me mad.

“You shouldn’t have let her go that day,” Rowan scolded me.

“And what should I have done?” I asked. “Continue to make cry?”

“I didn’t make her cry,” Rowan growled. “She is just… trying to figure things out!”

I dragged a hand through my hair, pacing faster beneath the shadows of the pines. The moonlight filtered through the branches, painting the forest floor in shifting silver streaks.

“It still hurt her,” I muttered. “Rowan, our presence causes her pain.”

“No,” Rowan corrected sharply. “That Alpha hurt her.”

“But she thinks all Alphas are the same, meaning our presence isn’t exactly…” I paused, thinking about what I should say next.

I know this is even more difficult for Rowan, since his connection to her wolf is even stronger,

but I want him to understand why Cindy is acting the way she is.

“You are just too scared to claim her,” He huffed.

I sighed. “Rowan… if we come too strong, we might scare her. That’s it.”

“And if we come too weak, she might leave us for someone else.”

I winced because Rowan was right. She hasn’t rejected us yet, but that could change at any

time.

“Rowan,” I muttered, forcing myself to breathe as the panic in my chest tightened. “She’s not ready. You felt it. She couldn’t even look me in the eye without shaking.”

Rowan growled in frustration. “Ask her about her past!” He demanded.

“I’ll try, but… if she doesn’t want to tell us, you need to hold back.”

Rowan huffed, but in the end agreed. “Very well, but now what do you want to do? Return to

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the training grounds?”

I shook my head. “Perhaps we should return to our room. I’m sure Kael is looking for us, and we don’t want to worry him and Debbie”

Rowan snorted. “I doubt Debbie is worried.”

“I doubt she is,” I confirmed. “But Kael is a different story, and she is his mate in the end”

Rowan circled my mind and then sat, tail flicking with irritation.

“Fine. I don’t want you to cause trouble at our mate’s pack,” He grumbled reluctantly. “But

tomorrow-

“We’ll look for her,” I finished for him. “I promise.”

That finally calmed him enough to stop pacing. A low rumble of approval vibrated through my chest, and I started heading back toward the pack house, weaving through the trees. But halfway there-

Rowan’s ears shot up.

“Stop.”

I froze instantly.

“What now?” I whispered.

He didn’t answer, but didn’t have to, because it didn’t take me long until I smelled it.

The softest breeze carried her scent until it reached me.

Cindy…

I turned my head and looked at the forest. This was the opposite side from where the midnight run and the challenges were taking place, meaning she hadn’t gone to either of

them.

“Do you think she is safe?” I asked Rowan.

“Dunno, but what are you waiting for? Go find her! I’m sure the warriors are not paying as much attention as they should, and last time there was a rogue attack.”

I glanced back.

He had a point, but at the same time, that attack only happened because someone was pretending to be an Elder. That couldn’t happen again.

Chapter 19 Who is He?

But no matter how much I tried to pretend she was safe, in the end, my legs moved on their

own because I had to see her.

I was already following her scent before my mind caught up to what I was doing, but it was too late to stop now.

I had to look at Cindy and watch with my own eyes that she was safe and sound.

Her scent grew stronger with every step, but so did something else…

Was she… sobbing?

Rowan snarled. “She’s upset. Hurry.”

I ran faster, weaving between trees, ducking under low branches, ignoring the sting of bark scraping my arms.

Then I saw her.

Cindy sat on a small patch of moss near a fallen tree, hugging her knees to her chest. Moonlight filtered through the canopy, touching her hair and making the tear tracks on her cheeks shimmer.

I quickly assessed the situation to see if she was in danger, but it looked like she wasn’t bleeding or bruised.

I sighed in relief. She might be upset and crying, but at least she is not hurt.

I took a step closer, when…

“You are really going to cry like that?” It was a deep, male voice I couldn’t recognize.

Yes, I may not be part of Aiden’s pack, but even his scent was all wrong. He wasn’t from Shadow Pack, but I could tell he wasn’t a rogue either.

“It’s none of your business,” Cindy barked back. “I’m not even sure why you came here.”

The man stepped closer, and Rowan growled as he pushed forward to take control, but I held him back. Before I acted, I had to see who the f**k he is.

“Why are you so surprised? I always come at least once a year.”

The man’s voice was smooth. Confident, relaxed, familiar in a way that made my skin crawl.

Cindy flinched at the sound, scooting back until her shoulders hit the fallen tree trunk behind

her.

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Chapter 19 Who Is He?

Rowan growled. “He’s scaring her.”

My pulse spiked. I stayed half-hidden in the shadows, eyes narrowing as I assessed him.

Tall. Broad shoulders. Dark hair. Smug posture. He didn’t look familiar, meaning he must not be from around here.

Cindy’s voice was tight. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Oh, come on,” he said, stepping closer with a lazy smile. “Don’t pretend you don’t remember me.”

She stiffened. Her hands curled into fists.

She absolutely remembered him.

Cindy lifted her chin, voice trembling with anger. “Go away.”

The man laughed under his breath, stepping even closer.

“You always used to say my name so sweetly when we were-”

“SHUT UP!” Cindy snapped, the sound so raw and panicked that Rowan nearly broke out of

I didn’t wait another second.

I stepped out of the shadows.

The man stopped mid-sentence.

His head snapped up. His posture straightened. His eyes flicked from Cindy….

to me… and something like irritation passed through his expression.

Rowan bared his teeth in a silent snarl.

Cindy gasped softly. “D-Derek…”

But I couldn’t look at her yet.

My eyes were locked on him.

“Who,” I said quietly, dangerously, “are you?”

He didn’t flinch. Instead, he smirked-like I was an inconvenience.

“Who are you?” he countered.

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Chapter 19 Who is He?

I stepped forward, closing the distance slowly and deliberately.

“Her mate,” I said flatly.

The man blinked. Once. Then scoffed.

“A mate? So that was what you were hiding, Cindy,” he sneered. “You didn’t strike me as the type who could get one.”

Cindy’s breath hitched.

My jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached.

“And you,” the man continued, eyes raking over me with bored annoyance, “you must be the Alpha she ran to. Figures. She always had terrible taste.”

That was it.

I moved.

I couldn’t let this asshole leave this place alive after what he said to my mate. I didn’t care if ! never found out who he was.

He was dying today.

One blink, and my hand was fisted in the front of his shirt, crushing the fabric, dragging him forward until our noses nearly touched.

His eyes widened just a fraction.

“Say that again,” I said, voice low, calm, lethal.

His throat bobbed once. “Let. Me. Go.”

“No,” I replied simply.

He scoffed and shoved at my chest-or tried to-but he might as well have tried to move a mountain. He didn’t budge me an inch.

I tightened my grip on his shirt, pinning him with my gaze.

Cindy scrambled to her feet behind us. “Derek! Please, don’t-”

Her voice cracked.

My body froze instantly.

She was… defending him?

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* Chapter 20 You Can Reject Me

Claim

Chapter 20: You Can Reject Me

Derek’s POV

I didn’t release him-Rowan wouldn’t allow it–but I stopped pushing forward.

The man smirked again, as if mistaking my restraint for weakness.

“See?” he said to Cindy. “Exactly the kind of man you always fall for. Controlling. Angry. Violent.”

Cindy shook her head rapidly. “Stop. Lucas-”

Lucas?

That name didn’t ring a bell. He wasn’t an Alpha or Beta from any of the packs I knew of.

Who the f**k is he?

“By the look on his face, you haven’t told your dear mate who I am,” He sneered. “Are you sure you are her mate?”

Who the hell is he?

I didn’t loosen my grip, and Rowan was practically clawing at my insides, demanding to take

over.

“Let me out,” he snarled. “He’s mocking us. Mocking her. I’ll rip his throat-”

I kept my glare locked on Lucas, but my voice stayed low and controlled.

“Careful,” I warned.

Lucas didn’t take the hint.

He tilted his chin up, eyes glinting with twisted amusement.

“Mated don’t have secrets. If my dear Cindy hasn’t told you about me, then that means she doesn’t trust you, mut.” He sneered, lips curling.

Rowan lunged against the barriers in my mind, furious.

Cindy gasped. “Lucas, stop-”

“Oh, come on,” he cut her off with a roll of his eyes. “He should know, shouldn’t he? Or are you embarrassed to admit you threw yourself at me first?”

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1 Chapter 20 Cu Can Reject Me

Cindy flinched, and in her eyes I saw he was lying.

This piece of s**t was trying to drive a wedge between her and me.

That was it.

I slammed him back against the tree so hard that leaves shook loose from the branches

above us.

Lucas grunted in pain but still tried to grin through it

“Finish that sentence,” I growled. “I dare you.”

He glared. “Or what? You’ll hit me? Just like every Alpha who thinks his title means something? I knew Cindy had bad taste, but a violent Alpha for a mate-‘

“Shut up!” Cindy cried out, voice cracking.

She sounded hurt. Wounded. Panicked.

Rowan went utterly still inside me.

Is he…?

I turned my head to look at my mate. “Cindy, I’ll only ask this once. If you don’t want to answer me, I’ll understand, but I need to know.”

“Yeah, tell him-ah!” He gasped as I tightened my grip, cutting the air flow.

I didn’t need his stupid interruptions.

Cindy’s eyes widened. She could tell what I wanted to ask her, and I could even smell her fear, like she wasn’t ready to answer all the questions I had.

“Is he the man who destroyed your family?” I asked.

The moment the words left my mouth, the forest held its breath.

Even the wind stopped.

Cindy froze.

Her pupils blew wide, fear spiking so sharply I felt it like claws raking across my skin. Rowan stiffened inside me, hackles raised so high it physically hurt to keep him back.

Lucas stopped struggling.

His lips curled into something dark-too satisfied, too smug-and that alone almost made

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< Chapter 20 You Can Reject Me

me snap his neck.

But my eyes were only on her.

Claim

“Cindy,” I said softly-softly compared to the storm inside me. “You don’t have to tell me. You don’t have to explain anything. But I need to know if this is him.”

Her breath trembled.

Lucas chuckled under his breath.

“I guess she told you more than I thought.”

I tightened my grip so hard his feet left the ground.

“Shut your mouth.”

He choked, grabbing at my wrist.

But Cindy… Cindy slowly wrapped her arms around herself, shrinking in on her own body as if she were trying to fold into invisibility. Her shoulders shook once.

Then twice.

And when she finally lifted her eyes to mine-

It shattered me.

She didn’t speak.

She didn’t have to.

She nodded.

Barely. Weakly. But enough.

So, this was him, the one person I wanted to find.

“Aww, you are hurting me, Cindy, at least I would like to-”

He didn’t get to finish because I extended my claws and cut through his throat. Blood sprayed across my arm in a hot arc.

Lucas gurgled, eyes widening in shock as he stumbled backward, clutching his throat with

both hands. He tried to speak-tried to spit out another insult, another lie, another stab aimed

at Cindy-

But only wet, bubbling choking escaped him.

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Chapter 20 You Can Reject Me

Good.

Rowan roared with satisfaction inside me, finally, finally tasting even a fraction of the justice he’d craved.

But I didn’t finish the kill.