Hidden Strength

Chaper twelve

"I knew that I wasn't ever really important to them but this.." my voice cracks and I cover my face.

"I'm sorry baby, I promise I won't let them hurt you again," Derek says as he rocks me in his arms. We're in his room sitting on his couch, well he is I'm in his lap.

*knock knock*

"Hey I brought your stuff Jessie." Tony says opening the door but when he sees I'm crying his tone becomes hard, "Now can you explain to me why my sister is crying?"

I don't say anything but Derek explains our meeting with my, I don't even know what to call them anymore.

By the end Tony is just as pissed as Derek and I, before I dissolved into tears.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THEM?" he growls.

"I don't know but I'm not letting them near her again, and there is no way in fucking hell I'll ever let some jackass take her from me," Derek says holding me close.

After everything that's happened I feel so tired, but before I let myself succumb to sleep I call Tony over, "Tony."

"What's up, want me to egg the house?" He asks squatting down to look at me.

Snorting I shake my head, "can you ask mom and dad to adopt me? I dont want to be a Mills anymore."

He smiles, "sure but I think your mate would rather you had his last name not mine."

I look at Derek and he gives me a "damn strait" look, "true but isn't it too soon to get married?" I ask.

"Not to me but if you want a big wedding we can wait," he winks.

"I don't want a big wedding just us and the Rushes, and your family too ofcourse." I smile, "but I still think we should wait till we graduate."

"As long as I have you I'm good," Derek says kissing my head.

I snuggle into his chest closing my eyes, I don't even remember falling asleep.

Derek's POV

She sighs in my arms and falls asleep.

"She doesnt cry often, so it hurts when she does," Rush says.

"What did they say when you grabbed her stuff?" I ask.

"Not a damn thing, they wouldn't meet my eyes or tell me why she was crying. It took everything I had to just ignore them and start grabbing her things. Which I'm gonna need your help bringing up by the way," he says standing.

I stand and carry Jess over to my bed and lay her down. Taking off her shoes I tuck a blanket around her, kiss her head then follow Rush out.

It takes us three trips to bring everything up which is surprising. When we finish Rush turns to me, "can we talk?" I nod and we leave my room without waking Jess.

"Thankyou for stepping up and being a good guy for my sister, but I think we should tell your parents everything that just happened right now instead of waiting," he says what I was already planning on doing.

"I linked them a few minutes ago asking them to come home, they're on the way here. Can you ask your parents to come as well?" I ask he looks surprised but smiles and nods.

He links them and we go downstairs, my mom is opening the door with my dad behind her.

"Honey what's going on you said it was urgent?" Mom asks looking me over for wounds.

"Son what's the matter? Hello Rush," my dad says.

"Alpha" Rush replys respectfully.

"Hold on dad we are waiting for the Rushes," I say as there's a knock on the door.

"Alpha, Luna, Derek, son why are we here?" Mr. and Mrs. Rush ask.

"That's what we would like to know," my dad says and I lead us to the living room.

"Ok here we go..." I begin.

Tony, he insists that we call him by his first name, helped me explain the events of this afternoon with the people who brought my mate into this world. To say our parents were pissed was an understatement. Both mothers wanted to beat the shit out of Jess' bio mom.

Would Jess be pissed if I called her, Jessica's incubator? Hmm I wonder if I should ask. My dad decided to summon them to his office back at the packhouse. Mr. Rush also agreed to get as much information out of them as possible.

Tony and I wanted to go with them but they told us to stay, just incase. So we did and both our moms began making food. Tony put on Sherlock Holmes : game of shadows, while I went back up stairs to check on Jess.

Even in her sleep she has tears falling out the sides of her eyes and it kills me that she is hurting.

I take off my shoes and crawl into bed on the other side pulling her close to me. She snuggles her face into my neck breathing in my scent and the tension in her body relaxes. Her tears stop and her breathing let's me know she's deeply asleep.

I stay and I fall asleep too, till my mom comes and wakes us for dinner. I swear its adorable how food oriented my girl is, she was dead to the world but mention food and she's alive.

As soon as we enter the dining room Tony's mom envelops her in a hug. And I'm torn as she starts to cry again. I don't hear what she's saying to Jess but whatever she just said makes her laugh. It's a short hiccup of a laugh but it's something.

We sit and start eating, it's like we're having Thanksgiving except there's no Turkey. With tons of comfort food in front of her Jess starts loading her plate. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, corn on the cob, ham, peach cobbler, I bet she would have put more but her plate was full.

I smile because I know it means she's going to be ok, her moaning over her food doesn't help me though cause now I can't get up.