You had always known that dating Derek wasn't going to be easy. From the moment you met him, there was something about him that drew you in — something dark, something dangerous.

But you never expected that darkness to grow so all-consuming.

When Derek killed Peter to become the Alpha, everything changed. The brooding but caring man you knew and loved vanished, replaced by someone distant, cold, and consumed by his new power.

His new responsibilities as an Alpha pulled him further and further away from you, leaving you feeling like a ghost in his life. The once-warm embraces turned into brief touches, and the conversations you used to share were now replaced by terse, one-word answers.

You missed the old Derek, the one who would let his guard down around you. But now, his eyes glowed red more often than not, and his temper flared at the slightest provocation.

He was always on edge, always thinking about the pack, his new Betas — Isaac, Boyd, and Erica, who followed him around like a lost puppy.

He was slipping away from you.

One evening, you decided you couldn't take it anymore. You needed to talk to him, to try and find the man you fell in love with beneath the layers of his new Alpha persona.

You found him in his loft, his back turned to you as he stared out the window into the night. Derek's ears perked up when he heard your footsteps behind him, thanks to his supernatural hearing.

Before you could get a word out, Derek spoke, his tone clipped. "I'm busy."