Chapter 36. Turmoil

Derek's POV.

When I was done tending to her wound, I stood up and walked away, feeling a sense of inner conflict, like a storm raging inside me. My mind was a jumble of conflicting emotions, a maelstrom of thoughts and feelings that I couldn't seem to untangle.

Ever since I discovered that Elena was my mate, I had been struggling to come to terms with it. My thoughts were a jumbled mix of excitement and anxiety, my heart racing with anticipation while my head warned of potential dangers.

No matter how hard I tried to avoid her, I just kept being drawn to her. She was everything - her scent was driving me crazy, her smile was haunting me, and her eyes were beckoning me. Liam, my inner wolf, growled in my head, urging me to claim her, to make her mine.

"Let's just mate her," Liam snarled, and I shoved the thought aside, trying to maintain control. But Liam pressed on, his voice insistent. "We need our mate, and we both know it,&quo