Chapter 59

　　Erika's POV

　　Derek's birthday is coming. Carl mind-linked me.

　　Really? That's a good thing. But I haven’t prepared anything for him. Why don’t you tell me earlier? I mind-linked Carl. It was weird that no one talked about Derek’s birthday.

　　What Carl told me next answered what I wanted to know.

　　Derek's mother, the former Luna, was attacked after giving birth to Alpha. She died. So Derek refused to celebrate his birthday. But Kent and I both thought that this year might be different. Now that we have a Luna...

　　Carl hadn't finished when Derek returned from the window and walked back to his chair. As Derek walked past Carl, Carl was startled.

　　"When did you become so easily startled?" Derek asked in an amused tone.

　　"I'm... thinking about Sylvia. She's under the weather today," Carl stammered. He must be stressed about lying to Derek.

　　"What’s the matter?" Derek asked.