Derrick dragged Gloria out of Fittro Club.
Gloria thought Derrick would take her to some restaurant in downtown Gabbs, but he took her to the back of Fittro Club building.
He shifted quickly in front of Gloria, and his wolf was gray-black and huge. He lowered his head and gently bit Gloria's hand with his canine teeth.
Gloria put her arms around Derrick's wolf and got on his back.
Carrying Gloria on his back, Derrick spread out his legs and started running. She was so light for him and so he could still run at full speed.
He ran and took Gloria to a town near Shadow Forest.
Derrick put Gloria under a tree, and then he walked behind the trunk and shifted back to human form.
"This is the Blood Moon Pack." Derrick walked up to Gloria.
He took her to the pack territory. Gloria was not used to her hand being held, but Derrick wouldn't let go. She pulled her hand back several times, yet every time, Derrick would hold her hand again with a smile.
The square of the Blood Moon Pack was very busy at night. Many werewolves set up stalls here, while the young werewolves were hanging out and chatting. The place had a rich flavor of life.
Looking at the scene in front of her, Gloria felt nostalgic. It reminded her of her childhood.
She thought of the Silver Spring Pack.
As the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, Derrick naturally stood out among the crowd. Gloria also received a lot of attention as a rogue who was holding hands with Derrick, the pack's Alpha.
Gloria subconsciously wanted to avoid the gazes that were sizing her up. She hated these gazes very much.
She desperately wrenched her hand and said, "Let go! Let go! Mr. Fisher, would you please let go?"
She had wrenched her wrist red, and her voice, at last, revealed a hint of a plea, mixed with desperation and exhaustion.
She looked at Derrick, who turned to look at her. Suddenly, Derrick let go of her hand. Before Gloria could breathe a sigh of relief, Derrick grabbed her hand tightly again. This time, his grip was even tighter than before. She felt the masculine power that came from a man's hand.
"Don't be afraid. Just ignore them." Derrick said and suddenly pulled Gloria toward him. The next second, he hugged her tightly, raised his head, and looked around. "What are you looking at? Don't you have mates?"
The lines of sight were diminished thanks to Derrick's loud scolding.
"Let's go and eat." Derrick put his arm around Gloria's shoulder forcefully and took her to a corner of the square.
There was an old-fashioned diner there with no sign.
Derrick walked through the door with Gloria. "I'll have two okra stews and one French fries," he said casually.
"Derry! What brings you here today?" The owner was a man in his fifties with grey hair, looking very friendly.
As Derrick walked in, he hurriedly came over with two glasses of ice water.
"This is?" The owner could tell from the scent that Gloria was not a member of the Blood Moon Pack, so he looked at Derrick and asked.
"I am his friend," Gloria said.
Derrick smiled, "Carl, she is my mate, what do you think?"
Gloria gawked at Derrick and the friendly Carl as they were chatting casually.
"Carl, it's not like that."
"Is she your mate? A bit skinny is all," Carl said.
"Derry, just wait for a while. I'll go make the okra stews."
Gloria wanted to explain, but Carl had already walked away. She was stunned for a while.
"Are you often in a daze?"
Derrick's pleasant male voice made her come back to her senses. As she looked at the handsome face in front of her, a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart. She then softly called out, "Derry?"
Derrick was about to tease her with his hand. Suddenly, his hand paused in the air. His ears turned red as he said, "You should call me Alpha Derrick. When I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to eat snacks, so I often came here for okra stew and French fries. We have known each other for a long time. That's why Carl calls me that way."
"Derry," Gloria found the nickname interesting, so she called him by his nickname again.
Derrick's ears and neck all went reddish. He anxiously said, "Carl is an elder, and you are not. Don't call me that. Call me Alpha Derrick."
Gloria said nothing. Carl then served them two dishes of okra stew and said, "Dig in."
Derrick smiled and drove Carl away, "Carl, go ahead and do your work."
Gloria looked at Derrick and asked, "Why did you lie to Carl? I'm not your mate."
Derrick held a spoon in his hand and said, "Who said I lied to Carl? Gloria, you can try to be my mate."
Gloria's ears buzzed, and she gawked at Derrick for a while.
She said, "Mr. Fisher, what did you just say?"
He stretched out and held her hand. The moment she felt the warmth from the back of her hand, she heard Derrick say, "I said, would you like to be my mate?"
Gloria quickly retracted her hand. She said without hesitation, "Don't make that joke again, Mr. Fisher."
"I'm not joking..." Derrick didn't get to finish his sentence.
"You are!" Gloria suddenly shouted angrily. "This can only be a joke, Mr. Fisher!"
Derrick wanted to say something. Yet after looking at Gloria for a while, he sighed, "Fine. It's a joke."
A trace of pain flashed across Gloria's eyes, which was keenly captured by Derrick.
After the meal, Derrick held Gloria's hand again and walked half an arm's length in front of her, weaving through the crowd. From time to time, he told Gloria amusing anecdotes about his childhood.
Behind him, Gloria stared blankly at their intertwined hands. She was already in a daze, and she followed Derrick through the crowd.
"Aren't you embarrassed?" she suddenly asked.
"Why would I be embarrassed?" Derrick was puzzled.
Gloria opened her mouth, and after a long while, she finally said, "Because I am a joke."
"Jokes are good and bring people joy. Why would I feel embarrassed about it?"