Chapter 25

Derek's POV

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"Come on. All of the guys are there; they will be happy to see you.", Laila said, holding her hand in excitement.

"It will be good to see everyone."

"Though you better watch Lucy around Derek because we all know how big flirt she is, and she won't miss a chance to try to do the same which she did with Adams."

"To be frank, I won't mind if she does that because I trust my man.", She said, grabbing my arm with her other hand. I was not sure whether she was pretending or telling the truth because I felt like she meant those words. Or maybe she was an amazing actor. "But she will be getting warned to stay away from him."

"Come on, Bet…I mean Derek. We men are going to have fun in that area.", John said in excitement, pulling me away from Stacey.

"Hey!" Stacey faked her glares for stealing me.

"Don't worry. We have not invited any strippers." John winked at her before taking me away from her.

"You haven't partied since our mate's death, isn't it?', Rex asked.

'Yeah. I hope I don't make an idiot of myself among all her friends.'

'Don't worry. You won't.'

***

"It's good to see her being herself again. I hate what that bastard did to her.", John said after looking at Stacey, who was laughing with her friends.

"Yeah, she is healing, but I'm sure that soon she will be back to her avatar.", I said, looking at her. "And if he would not have been her mate, then I would have beat him black and blue for hurting her like that.", I said, gritting my teeth. I always used to observe the way Adams used to treat Stacey, but I never interfered in their matter because that was something that she had to stop first.

Everyone blames the people who treat someone badly repeatedly, but there is one more person to blame, and that is the victim himself or herself because he or she let the other one treat him or her in that way.

"Trust me, Mate. We, too, have the same feeling, but then Stacey was not ready to listen to a thing about him, so all her friends waited for the moment when she would realize her mistake on her own because sometimes people love to learn the lesson from the life rather than by friends and family.", He joked on which I nodded because he was right about that part.

And the lessons taught in the life were generally painful compared to the lesson learned from friends and family.

"But we kind of like you.", Owen, her other's friend mate, said. "Though you are higher rank than us, but still you are treating us like humans otherwise, Adams used to give us looks like we are some dirt.", he added in a disgusting tone.

"Yeah! That sounds so much like him.", I joked. John, Brandon, Owen, Jack, and a few more started talking about other things as well, like words and future plans.

Immediately we heard a seductive voice of a female, "Hey everyone," and a few of them smiled at her while mated werewolves just stayed away from me.

I looked at her; there stood a woman bikini with an average height of five three, blonde hair, and soft caramel brown eyes. She was looking stunning and sexy; anyone could tell that. Her long slender legs and her curves were something for which men die. I didn't take much time to realize that she would be none other than Lucy.

Giving a smile to everyone, she jumped into the pool. I averted my eyes from her, and unknowingly it went on the Stacey, whose eyes were on me already.

'Found her beautiful and sexy?', She mind linked me.

'Nah. I have seen better than this.', I responded truthfully.

'Hmm.'

'If you are thinking that I will ditch….'

'No. I'm not thinking anything like that.', She said, cutting me in between. 'I know, you are not that kind of person who cheats on the woman even when you are just pretending with her. So, I know. When I had said at that moment that I trust you, I meant it. I meant each and every word.'

My heart fluttered hearing that. We didn't talk that after that; we just kept staring at each other until John brought said something which brought my attention to him.

"So, when is she choosing as her chosen mate?"

"Chosen Mate? You are taking our casual relationship too far.", I responded. "It's just we are finding our Solace in others to move on in our life. Nothing serious.", I added.

"Really? Finding Solace in each other?" he asked, arching his eyebrow.

"Casual relationship?" Owen asked as if he was hearing this word for the first time. I nodded my head in response. Only if I could tell them the truth that, in reality, there was nothing between us; we were just pretending. But then, I was not the right person to disclose this truth in front of Stacey's friends. It was her job.

"Yeah! Maybe when we met after six months, then both Stacey and I would have been moved on in our life.", I added, assuring them.

"Yes! Yes! There is no doubt in that.", John said, nodding his head. "After six months, you both would have surely would move on in your life with each other.", He added.

"Exactly, I bet on that.", Brandon said.

"And the way both Stacey and he was looking at each other, I'm sure that by the end of this week, they will think of changing their casual thing to a serious one.", Jack added.

"We will see that.", I said, shrugging my shoulder instead of arguing over the things which I was sure would never happen.

Before we could have talked out something else, Lucy came out of the pool, and water was dripping from her body.

"Can you pass me the towel?", She asked, pointing toward the towel that was near me. I nodded; taking a towel in my hand, I stood on my feet to give it to her. I observed her activity, and I could say that she was planning to push me into the pool.

'Not happening.'

I gave her a towel, and she tried to my hand, but I was quick enough to pull it away before she could have grabbed my hand.

"You missed it.", I smirked.

"I like it. I like when men know how to use their brains even after seeing this sexy woman in front of them.", She said with a smile, a genuine one. She could be a flirt, but she wasn't bad. "Hi, I'm Lucy.", She said, forwarding her hand for a handshake.

This time I forwarded my hand for a handshake, but Stacey held it, pulling my hand away from her hand.

"Hand and eyes off, Lucy. He is taken.", Stacey said, narrowing her eyes.

"God! Woman! I was just asking his name.", she exclaimed.

"His name is Derek.", She responded on my behalf on me.

"And I must say that Derek is so handsome and looked like a gentleman to me.", She openly flirted openly.

"Tell me something that I don't know. Now, come with me, the girls' gang is there. So, if you don't want others to kill you for showing your figure in front of their mates.", Saying this, she dragged her from there. Before Lucy couldn't have to say anything, she was already being dragged. She turned toward me and pointed her index finger and me and then at her and then showed her thumb.

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#TBC