CHAPTER Thirty One Investigation

　　Derek's POV

　　Elena's father stared at her for a long moment, then nodded solemnly.

　　"Good," he said, before turning and walking away, her mother following closely behind.

　　Elena watched, her eyes fixed on the door they had exited, before letting out a sigh of relief. Her hands flew up to cover her face, and I could sense the turmoil she was feeling.

　　I sat down, my eyes fixed on her, still trying to process the revelation. My mind was a jumble of emotions, and I could feel Liam, my inner wolf, growling and straining to be free, to claim his mate.

　　"How are you doing?" I asked, my voice a little rougher than I intended.

　　Elena removed her hands from her face and looked at me, her eyes searching.

　　"How does one who is cursed feel?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of bitterness.

　　I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "I can imagine how difficult this must be for you," I said finally, and Elena simply nodded, her eyes filling with tears.