Huntress [Derek Hale] [Teen Wolf]

Chapter 28

The pack seemed to take my request to be left alone until the next day to heart as they barged into my loft at the asscrack of dawn. Well, Derek, Scott, and Stiles did, at least. I'm sure Lydia would have been with them if it hadn't been so early. I'm sure the three of them slept in Derek's loft last night so they could be here bright and early.

I glare at the trio standing at the foot of my bed and pull a pillow over my head to fall back to sleep. I quickly twist my blankets in my hand as I feel someone grip the edge, ready to pull them from me. "Do that, and you'll all have a bullet in you," I warn, pulling my pistol from beneath my pillow. "It's too damn early for this shit. Leave me alone." My voice was dripping with venom.

"We need to talk," Scott says.

"Later. Sleep now." I wave them off, pistol still in hand.

"Can you not wave that thing around?" Stiles shrieks.

I groan and throw my pillow at him as I sit in bed. "The safety is on, and my finger wasn't even on the trigger. I would have done it the second you barged into the loft if I wanted to shoot any of you. Brave of you to go through a once barricaded door." I glance between the three of them. They all look equally pissed.

"Peter told us that it wasn't. We all just agreed to give you the night." Scott replied.

"Asshole. Just when I was starting to like him." I chuckle.

"That's why we're here. To talk about what Peter told you." Scott sits on the edge of the bed. I know he's the Alpha, but I'm shocked Derek hasn't said a word. He must be really pissed at me.

"And?" I press.

"Deucalion will be here this afternoon. He's the only one who will have that kind of knowledge." Scott, though confident, seemed worried. "He's tricky. We've fixed our differences, but I wouldn't trust him when you meet. He's smart. He is so smart he sometimes knows things you've probably never told anyone. So, be careful. We'll all be there, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"You needed to tell me this at the asscrack of dawn?" I raised my brow.

"We got tired of waiting." Stiles smiled.

"Get the fuck out before I shoot you. Come back when it's time to meet." I snap, pointing my pistol again, honestly ready to shoot them so I can go back to sleep. Scott and Stiles quickly leave the room, and I don't lower my pistol until I know the door shut in the main room. "Brave of you to stay." I lay back on the bed, shoving the gun under my pillow and pulling the blankets around me.

I close my eyes as the bed dips beside me, and Derek's body presses against me. His arms worm around my waist. "You haven't spoken to me in days." He mutters against my hair.

"You lied to me for weeks. You're lucky all I did was shut you and everyone else out for a few days." I snap, trying to keep my anger from boiling. I wasn't mad at him anymore, but that didn't mean I couldn't be provoked into being angry again.

"I was–"

I'm quick to cut him off. "Only doing what Chris asked. I know. But next time something like this happens, tell me that whoever has something to tell me wants me to hear it from them. Then at least you aren't lying to me, saying you don't know anything."

"Okay," Derek whispers.

I wiggle his arms loose and roll over to face him, allowing him to lock me in place once again. I smile as his green eyes bore into me. "Good morning," I whisper.

"Morning, beautiful," Derek kisses my lips briefly. I didn't know I could miss human contact as much as I did his the last few days. "I know Scott told you, but you do need to be careful today. Deucalion is smart, and I don't know what he could pull out of his pocket with how close it is to the full moon. I'll be at your side the whole time, but I'll be having a hard enough time trying to keep from killing him."

"Why's that? I thought you guys worked out your problems."

"We have. But, him being close to you and the moon coming." Derek takes a deep breath closing his eyes. "We haven't made anything official."

I stare at him, momentarily confused, before my mouth opens slightly. "Oh." He was talking about us being mates.

"We've scented each other at best, which could set him off easily. He's an Alpha; they always know when mates have found each other. He could take it as a sign of weakness or power. Weakness because we haven't completed the bond. Power, because werewolves are more powerful if they have their mate, bond complete or not." Derek explains, the worry in his eyes never fading.

"Couldn't we?"

"There has to be a full moon." He sighs, probably having the same thought that I did. "If you even want to." My brows furrow.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Do you really want to be tied to someone, let alone me, forever? You'd feel my pain, my every emotion. If something ever happened to me, you'd never be able to move on like normal humans. You'll have an even bigger target on your back than possibly already do." Derek's face was now a mix of fear and pain. He still expected me to reject him, almost like he'd sooner that happen.

"I don't care, Derek. Shit, if I could feel your emotions, I might be able to understand what's going through your head right now. I had a target on my back before I was even taken in by the Argents; we all do. Derek, I've already told you if I lose anyone else I care about, I don't think I'd be able to keep living, and if I lost you, I'd be going with you. We go down together, no matter what." I thread my fingers into his hair, pulling his head to mine as I lean our foreheads together. "You're never getting rid of me. We're going to fight and be mad at each other. But, from what little I know about love, that's normal, and no good relationship will last if there isn't a little conflict sometimes. Unlike normal relationships, we were made for each other. We are going to love each other no matter what. So yes, Derek, I want to be tied to you for the rest of my life because I love you."

Derek's eyes flash that pretty electric blue before he captures my lips with his. He's holding himself back, and I can tell. There's heat in the kiss, but he's not letting it out, not right now. I pull at his hair, seeing if I can bring more of that heat out, but Derek growls, breaking the kiss.

"A couple more days." He breathes heavily. "A couple more days, and I'll show exactly what will happen if you keep doing that." Despite the heaving breathing, which I'm sure is from his fight to hold himself back. Derek's smile is bright and reaches his once again green eyes.

"I love you too." My heart flutters. I knew he did, but hearing him say it– I understood why he held back when he kissed me.