Chapter 74 - AT THE PARTY: GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY MAN!

A blush still coated Emma's cheeks as she stepped into the party venue, with her arm entangled with Derek's; his last statement before they had reached the venue still was on replay in her mind and the possessive look on his face as he walked with her did her insides good.

"Derek!!" A shrill voice called, startling her and grasping her attention. She piqued her eyebrows at the new face who sauntered towards them with a bright wide smile, and an overly dolled up face. She could already tell that the lady approaching them was the celebrant. Her gait had given her out. She could also see that the stares they had been receiving since they stepped into the party had increased.

She didn't know yet whether it was a good development or a bad one.

"Derek, do you know the celebrant?" She heard Maya ask, and turned her face towards Derek in anticipation of what he might say.

"Not really. She is just a co worker." He replied; causing Emma to wonder if it was the same co-worker that he had spoken to over the phone, some days ago.

"Yes,that one." Derek replied her thought, gazing steadily at her. He had perceived that his little witch must have thinking of that call he had with Cassie some days back, with the way her face was all scrunched up in thought.

"You know her too?" Maya whispered to Emma, as the brunette was already very close to them.

"No, I really don't." Emma answered, with a shrug.

"Here she comes.." Shane stated, already anticipating a comedy drama. He knew Cassey could be so dramatic and silly. Well, he trusted the redhead to put her in her place.

"Hey Derek. You finally made it." Cassey stated, throwing her arms around Derek suddenly and battling her eyelashes at him.

Maya and Emma were agape. Shane shrugged, already knowing how silly Cassey could be.

Emma's was worse.

She couldn't help but think whether the brunette didn't see that the man she had just hugged had his arm around a lady. 'She had even acted like I wasn't here.' Emma thought, fuming slowly. She glared at Derek, awaiting his reaction.

"Cassie, get your hands off me." Derek stated through gritted teeth, holding himself from flinging the human's hands off his shoulders by himself. People were watching.

"Oh, Derek..How can you say that? Don't you miss me and our…" Cassie was saying when Emma cut her off.

"Hey, didn't you hear him? Get your scrawny hands off my man!" Emma screamed, not minding the attention she was attracting to them.

"Who are you? I haven't seen you before." Cassie said, anger clothing her facial features as she dropped her hands from Derek's shoulders reluctantly. She had thought her Derek was single. Now who was this? She thought, determined not to let another girl have the too handsome male specimen in front of her.

Ever since she had set her eyes on him some weeks back when her father had introduced him to her and the other co workers, she had been swallowed up in thoughts about him. She even touches herself whenever she fantasizes a great deal about him. And she had already told her friend's about him; letting them believe that he was her date for her birthday day. But he had come with another girl. She thought, gnashing her teeth.

"She is Emma, my girlfriend." Derek stated, earning a glare from Cassey.

"You didn't tell me you had one when you were.." She was saying, now trying to fake tears to attract people's pity for her and scorn for Emma, when Shane cut her off.

"When he did what?" He asked, with an amused look in his face.

"As far as I know and can tell, you were the one running after him like a scaredy cat. He never touched you. Or did he?" He questioned, the smirk still on his face, as he dared her to lie in front of them. He wouldn't mind exposing her escapades, to defend his Alpha in front of the people who had come closer to hear the gist of the matter. He could tell that they were not the only wolves here.

"You..you.." Cassie stammered, trying not to cry. This was the worst day of her life. It was supposed to be the best. She screamed in her mind. But it had been ruined because of the redhead. She promised to utilize her resources well, even if it meant using her father's position, to get the redhead out of her Derek's life.

"I would deal with you all." She threatened, before walking off; also determined to expose Derek this time around to those concerned. No one messes with her and go scot free. Perhaps then, he would come back to her.

"Who the hell is that?" Maya asked, laughing hysterically. She had found the whole scenario funny, and had just been holding herself from laughing. The brunette's actions were totally stupid. She thought.

"No one. Don't tell Mum about this." Derek implored, ignoring the fact that Shane was still holding hands with his cousin. He was more concerned about his mother's reaction if she ever heard of this scenario.

"I won't." Maya stated, making a sign of sealing her lips like a zip.

"But who exactly is she? She lives in much affluence, for someone that works in a cleaning company." She asked, having observed the entirety and arrangement of the mansion. She could tell that the brunette, Cassie, was walking on money or perhaps related to someone who was doing that.

"Yeah, right. I noticed that." Emma concurred, agreeing totally worth her friend. "Who exactly is she and what is the celebration all about?" She queried, registering the formal dressing of people like they were at a ball.

"She's the Mayor's daughter, and today is her birthday party." Derek answered.

"Mayor? Like he's in control of the activities in the county?" Emma asked, her eyes widening at the information she was getting.

"Yeah." Derek replied, not finding it necessary to pinpoint that his father had more functional powers and wealth than the mayor.

"So..that means Melvina is her mom?! Oh God!" Emma whined, running her fingers across her hair.

"What!"

"What!"

Maya and Shane screamed together, trying to hold in their laughter but failing miserably.

"Why are you guys laughing? Derek told me that Melvina was the governess of the county, literally the same with the mayor's wife. Or are they different?" She asked, hoping that the latter was true.

" Well..." Shane said, scratching his neck as he tried to come up with what to say. He could already see that his Alpha was speechless.

"You guys are here already."

A voice said, breaking the haze and saving Derek from a time of confusion.