keeper (d. Hale)

tell her.

Derek was gone for the rest of the day, off doing whatever task Peter had put him up too, leaving Delilah alone in the Hale house. It was an odd feeling being in Derek's family home without him. No one lived her now but it felt like she was a bystander to a memory she shouldn't be intruding on.

It was a private space and she felt the need to keep it that way.

Before leaving Derek had mentioned to her that she should be able to find an old pair of sweats and a shirt in the dresser drawer from when he had previously stayed in the house. It wasn't ideal as they would be a few sizes to large but at least she would be out of her blood covered scrubs.

She hoped Derek would keep his promise and swing by her place to pick up a fresh change of her own clothes since Peter was not letting her leave the house anytime soon.

Delilah knew Peter was using her as collateral against Derek and the idea of it made her deeply angry. She wasn't a bargaining chip or a toy to be used for manipulation.

Knowing the alpha was skulking around the bottom floor she knew she needed to confront him. If not for Derek than at least for herself.

Opening the bedroom door, Delilah carefully moved through the hallway and retraced the steps Derek had identified the previous night as safe. She must have looked ridiculous as she crept down the stairs with her legs spread as if she was in the middle of a contemporary dance.

"Impressive, Delilah." She heard a voice chuckle from the base of the stairs. "I was wondering when you would make an appearance."

Delilah flipped her hair out of her face and turned to look at Peter who was leaning casually against the livingroom entry way.

"Come, I have breakfast -." He stopped and looked at the time on her phone. "I guess lunch now."

Scowling Delilah blew out a calming breath and landed on the final step. Peter had disappeared into the living room again. She approached with caution wary of what game the alpha was playing at.

"I told you last night I wouldn't bite, Delilah." He grinned, showing his full set of teeth. "Besides I don't think I would be able to handle Derek's attitude if I did."

"Where is he?" She asked with her arms crossed over her chest. Delilah was attempting to give Peter her best intimidating stare.

"Put your claws away kitten. He is out running errands. He'll be back after nightfall."

Delilah did not like the idea of Derek "running errands." He was not an errand boy and she could only imagine the terrible things he might have him up to.

"Hmm." She hummed disappointedly in response.

"For now it is just us." Peter was relaxed against the back of an old couch in the centre of the room. His arms were outstretched on either side of the decaying furniture, like a king claiming a throne.

"Great." Delilah huffed as she made her way further into the room to look out the window Peter had been standing in front of the night before.

"Oh come now, Delilah. Don't sound so dejected you have to spend time with me. I have it on good authority you love to sit and chat."

Delilah thought of all the times she had snuck into Peter's hospital room to read to him from one of her books or to quietly sit and eat her lunch, not wanting to have him sit and eat alone. It had become one of her favorite past times at her job.

On the rarest occasions Peter would display the smallest movement. It gave her hope that he would recover peacefully but seeing the man walking and talking in front of her now she couldn't help but feel saddened with how it happened.