Reborn To Change My Fate

Chapter 350 - Three Hundred And Forty Nine

Derek pulled her tightly against his broad chest. He buried his face deep into the crook of her neck, hiding his face in her dark, curly hair. He held her so firmly it almost lifted her off the stone floor. He needed to feel her body pressed against his. He needed to feel her chest moving. He needed to hear her heart beating.

Marissa gasped softly in surprise at the sudden, tight embrace. But she quickly raised her own arms and hugged him back. She rubbed her hands gently up and down his strong back, feeling the thick fabric of his uniform.

"Derek," Marissa asked softly, her voice filled with sudden concern. "Is everything alright?"

She felt his broad shoulders shaking. Then, she felt something wet and warm dropping onto the bare skin of her neck. She realized he was crying. The strong, untouchable Grand Duke was weeping in her arms.

Derek, still hugging Marissa as tightly as he could, continued to cry. He did not care about being a strong leader right now. He was just a man who had gotten his entire world back.

He spoke, his voice very low and muffled against her skin so that only she could hear him.

"I thought I lost you," Derek whispered, his voice cracking with deep, raw pain. "I was so scared, Mari. I was so scared."

He squeezed her tighter, remembering the cold, empty days.

"I thought Lord Colton’s ritual didn’t work," he rambled, the words pouring out of him in a messy, desperate rush. "You were sleeping for so long. Thirty days, Mari. You didn’t open your eyes for a whole month. I sat by your bed every single night. I talked to you. I thought the magic had failed. I thought I would have to bury you. I thought..."

He couldn’t finish his sentence. A loud sob tore from his throat. The heavy burden of holding the kingdom together while his wife was trapped in a magical coma finally crashed down on him.

Marissa’s eyes widened in pure shock. Thirty days? Lord Colton’s ritual? She realized that a massive amount of time had passed. She realized that she truly had died in that snowy alleyway, and Derek had moved heaven and earth to bring her back. The depth of his grief and his love hit her heart like a heavy stone.

Marissa gently pushed against his chest. She broke the hug, pulling back just enough to look at his face.

Derek looked down at her. His face was wet with tears. His dark eyes were red and full of a desperate, lingering fear.

She reached up with both of her hands. She cupped his rough, handsome face. With her soft thumbs, she gently cleaned the tears that fell down his cheeks. She looked deeply into his eyes, pouring all of her love and reassurance into her gaze.

"It’s alright," Marissa whispered softly, offering him a warm, steady smile. "I’m here, Derek. I am right here. I am not going anywhere."

She pulled his head down slightly. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. It was a long, tender kiss, meant to chase away the nightmares that had haunted him for the past month.

Derek closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. The warmth of her lips against his skin finally grounded him. He took a deep, shaky breath. The panic in his chest slowly began to fade, replaced by a profound, overwhelming sense of relief.

Just as they stood there in the quiet sunlight, the sound of small, heavy boots came running into the bedroom.

Ryan ran onto the balcony. His face was slightly red, and he looked a bit upset.

"Mother!" Ryan called out loudly, interrupting their quiet moment. "I am hurt."

Derek and Marissa turned to look at the young boy.

Ryan walked up to them and stopped. He pointed down at his legs. He showed Marissa his injury. The knees of his dark trousers were dusty, and he had a small, red scrape on his left knee from when he tripped on the stone stairs earlier. His hands also had a few small scratches. It was not a serious injury, but to a young boy, it needed a mother’s immediate attention.

Marissa’s motherly instincts took over instantly. The serious, heavy atmosphere vanished.

"Oh, my sweet boy," Marissa said, her voice filled with gentle sympathy.

She let go of Derek and walked past him. She went back into the large bedroom. She walked over to a wooden cabinet near the washroom where she always put her medical supplies. She opened the drawer and took out a small wooden box containing clean bandages, a soft cloth, and a small jar of healing ointment.

She walked back to the balcony and crouched down in front of Ryan.

"Let me see," she said.

She took the soft cloth and gently wiped the dust away from his scraped knee. Ryan hissed slightly, but he stood still. Then, she opened the small jar. She dipped her finger into the cool, green ointment and carefully rubbed it over the red scratch. Finally, she took a clean white bandage and tied it neatly around his knee. She did the same for the small scratches on his hands.

Derek watched her from a few feet away. He watched her gentle hands. He watched the way she smiled at the boy. He simply could not look away from her. Every movement she made was a miracle to him.

When she was finished, she closed the wooden box. She reached out and playfully ruffled the young boy’s messy brown hair.

"There you go," Marissa smiled. "All better now."

Ryan grinned, looking down at his new bandages proudly.

Marissa stood up. She looked at Ryan with a soft, serious expression.

"Now," Marissa said gently, pointing toward the bedroom door. "Give your father and I some time alone, okay? We need to talk alone for a little while."

Ryan nodded his head in understanding. He knew that adults needed to talk about boring things sometimes. But before he left, he looked up at her with big, hopeful eyes.

"Can I have a kiss?" Ryan asked, tapping his own cheek with his small finger.

Marissa laughed. It was a beautiful, clear sound that made Derek’s heart flutter.

She bent down and kissed his warm cheek loudly. "Of course. Go and ask Mrs. Alma for a sweet biscuit. I will come find you later."

Ryan smiled brightly. He turned around and ran back through the bedroom. He left happily, closing the heavy oak door behind him.

Now, Derek and Marissa were completely alone on the sunny balcony again. The quiet returned.

Derek still couldn’t believe it. He took a slow step closer to her. He raised his right hand. He had removed the bandages from his palm a week ago, leaving a long, pale scar where Colton had cut him.

He reached out and touched her face again. His fingers were incredibly gentle, as if he was afraid she was made of fragile glass and would break. He traced the soft line of her jaw. He moved his thumb and traced her pink lips. She was so warm. She was so real.

Marissa looked into his dark eyes. She felt the slight trembling in his fingers. When his fingers came in contact with her lips, she turned her head a fraction of an inch and kissed his fingers softly.

She held his hand against her cheek. Her expression grew very serious. She remembered the pain in her back. She remembered the poison. She knew she should be dead.

She spoke, her voice quiet and full of questions.

"What really happened, Derek?" Marissa asked. "How am I alive? Ryan told me a whole month has passed. The last thing I remember is the green arrow in the alleyway. I remember saying goodbye to you."

Derek looked at her. He thought about the trial in the Great Hall. He thought about King Alistair stepping down from the throne. He thought about the dark dungeon, Lord Colton’s sacrifice, the bleeding pentacle in the snow, and the terrifying lightning storm.

It was a massive, unbelievable story of magic, death, and political change. It was too much to explain while standing on a balcony.

Derek let out a long, heavy sigh. He offered her a small, comforting smile.

"You will need to sit down for this, Mari," Derek replied softly. His voice was gentle but serious. "It is a very long story. A lot has changed in the kingdom since you went to sleep."

He did not let her walk to the wooden chair.

He leaned forward. He placed one strong arm behind her back and his other arm under her knees. With smooth, effortless strength, he scooped Marissa from the floor, lifting her up into his arms bridal style.

Marissa let out a small gasp of surprise, wrapping her arms securely around his neck to steady herself.

Derek held her close to his chest. He carried her away from the sunny balcony, walking back into the quiet warmth of the master bedroom.

He took her to the large, soft bed, ready to sit beside her and finally tell his wife how he had moved heaven and earth to bring her back home.