The Girl that Ran with Wolves

Chapter 5

After that day in the training room, Derek had always accompanied Cora and I. He called out tips and I tried to ignore him but that soft, deep voice seemed to seep it’s way into my brain and down all the way to my toes, making me shiver every time I heard him start to speak. He was working his way into my life. And I was just starting to let him.

It had been almost two months since we had started to hang out with the Hale pack and I think my father was beginning to catch on. He wanted to know where we were and what we were doing all of the time. I told him to buzz off which earned me a slap. It still hurt. Alphas were stronger than regular wolves and my father was no exception. A handprint shaped bruise was on my cheek when I went to the Hale household. I rang the doorbell and waited for Cora to answer. Derek opened the door. He was wearing a tight gray tank top with black sweatpants. He smiled at me like he always did and that’s when he saw the bruise.

“Derek I can-“ His whole body had gone rigid and his arm started to shake. His eyes burned red at the sight of a bruise on my cheek.

“Who. Did. This. To. You.” His voice was low and steady, which scared me more than if he was yelling. Tears started to well up in my eyes. My dad scared me. I was only human. I flung myself at Derek and clung on to him. The tears spilled on to his shoulder but he didn’t seem to mind. He just seemed shocked. His body relaxed and I knew his eyes had gone back to their regular beautiful green. “Shhhh its ok Shay. It’s all going to be ok. I am going to protect you. It’s going to be all right.”

I cried for a while. Derek just sat with me, rocking my shaking body, soothing me, pushing my long dark away from my tearstained face. The story spilled out of me, how my alpha father was an angry drunk. And I pissed him off regularly. Derek listened and comforted me. As I finished my story he pressed his face into my hair.

“You’re so beautiful. You’re so strong dealing with that. You know the pack loves you. You order pizza, and make food. You make them do their homework and clean their rooms. They love you.” I pulled away from Derek and turned so that I was facing him. I reached up a hand and gently lifted his chin.

“And what about you? Do you love me too?” I asked quietly, searching his eyes for an answer. It scared me how much I wanted him to say yes. Over the past two months Cora had told me about Derek, about this seemingly strong man. He had a history so broken and scarred I was afraid to touch him sometimes. Just a hand on the shoulder, a hug when I saw him. Just to let him know that I was there. And I cared. I cared quite a bit. Derek looked at me and said,

“Yeah. Yeah I do.” Our faces were inches apart. The air around me grew warm and close. I needed to be closer to him. I turned around fully and wrapped my legs around Derek’s hips. I slung my arms around his neck and Derek put his arms around my waist, pulling me even closer.

“Shay…” Derek said and then there was no more space between us. Our lips slid across each other and it was slow and sweet. It showed me how much Derek really did care. It was sweet and soft. It was a perfect first kiss.

Friday night was always hectic at the pack house. I could barely concentrate with Derek around. Our kiss, hours earlier had completely changed the dynamic between us. Derek asked me to go out with him on a date and I had agreed. We would be going out next week sometime. It was like being on cloud 9. I felt like I was floating. The pack seemed to notice too so as soon as I sat down with the last plate of food Erica piped up.

“Ok so what’s going on with you and Derek, Shay?” I spit out my drink and I raised my eyes to look at Derek at the other end of the table. He just smirked and shrugged his shoulders a bit. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“What are you talking about?” I asked turning to Erica. Scott rolled his eyes.

“You can’t be serious. You two have been making lovey eyes at each other all day! And I mean more than usual. Did you finally ask her out Derek?” Derek just smiled at Scott mysteriously. The pack burst into noise then. The girls rushed up to me and asked how he had asked, if he had kissed me. It was like I had been proposed to! The guys clapped Derek on the shoulder telling him good job for finally doing it. Once things finally quieted down I shot Will a warning look. Every time I got a new boyfriend, he scared them away with the whole big brother speech he gave. He ignored me.

“Derek. I swear to god if you hurt her in any way shape, or form I will tear your throat out. With my teeth.” The entire pack laughed because that threat was one that Derek used often. Stiles grinned impishly. I grew nervous because when Stiles was going to say something with that look on his face it usually meant disaster.

“So does that mean I can call you Pack Mama now?” Stiles asked. Now it was Derek’s turn to spit out his drink. Isaac thumped him on the back and I smirked at Derek like he had done. Derek shook his head and grinned. This, this is what family is like I thought to myself. Grinning and laughing with each other. Not scared out of your wits every time you see them.

It was late and no one wanted to leave so I texted my dad saying that Will, Alexa, and I would be staying over at a friends house. I turned off my phone and got Isaac, Scott, Boyd, Stiles, and Will to drag out air mattresses and pillows. They younger kids had wanted to have a sleepover in the game room. It was nice down there with navy painted walls and tan carpet. Once everything was set up I got them to promise that there would be no funny business because we were in a house full of werewolves and they can hear everything. That got a laugh. Everyone kind of dispersed after that. I stood surveying my handiwork when I felt an arm slip around my waist. I stiffened and turned to see who it was. Derek stood behind me and smiled down at me. I wrapped my arms around his waist, slowly getting more comfortable doing this with him. Because now it actually meant something. Not that it hadn’t before it was just I hadn’t realized it then.

“Good job getting everyone settled,” Derek complimented. Leaving down to my arm he whispered, “So now where are you going to sleep?”