#itsericareyes

All that is left of his family is only enough for one monument, but the stone he was staring at held his father's name.  There was a lot he wanted to ask him, things he never got to ask because Derek never thought to ask because he was only eleven.  How do you let yourself love someone when everyone else you've ever loved died?  How do you even recognize the feeling when it's been so long since it's coursed through your veins?  He's still scarred up, it'll take another day or so for the scars to fade from the attack.  He doesn't feel like himself, and he can recognize Erica before she even gets within hearing distance.  "My father", he says quietly but knowing she can hear him.

Frowning, Erica stood some distance behind Derek, unsure of what to do. She'd been having fun just goofing around but she hadn't realized just how serious Derek was taking everything. She could smell his confusion and it made her wrinkle her nose. She took a few steps toward him until she was standing next to him. She didn't go to the private cemetery much for obvious reasons, but when Derek was there with her, it was okay. "He was really important to you... wasn't he."

He turns and looks at her and then back at the stone, he simply nods, "he died when I was eleven, the only person I had to get advice from after that was my older brother, my mother, and Peter".  He reaches up and pulls on her arm gently to make her sit down, "I'm not really good at this sort of thing..or groups...I don't think you're some whore that wants to sleep with everyone.  I've never thought that of you".

"I'm sorry about your father," she said gently and truthfully. "And I'm sorry you had to get advice from Peter." She got advice from Peter once and it was awful. She bit the inside of her cheek when Derek admitted to being uncomfortable in a group setting and she leaned against him when he cleared the air about her wanting to sleep with everyone. "I like to joke with them, but I don't mean it. You're the only one I want. I worry when you take things so literally... but they're my friends and I don't want to stop talking to them."

"You don't have to stop talking to them, and I don't for the most part take things literally, my sense of humor and there's are not the same".  He's discovered he has a very dark sense of humor which seems to make sense to him.  "As far as the other stuff....the first time I say that to you I don't want it to be in a chat..or by someone else forcing it out of me.  You have to understand that..people...everyone that has ever loved me..is here".

"I don't want that coming out in a chat, either. I want you to say it on your own terms," Erica said softly, reaching out to hold his hand and lace their fingers together. "Not everyone. Peter and Cora are still here. And you have me."

He snorts, Peter needs him he doesn't love him, and he almost laughs until he realizes what she said.  His head turns so fast to look at her he's kind of shocked he didn't break his neck.  "What do you mean I have you?"

Erica turned a bright red that spread from her cheeks to her ears and she hastily pulled her hair in front of her face to hid it. "Well, I mean... I don't just... I might flirt with people but it doesn't mean anything. You're everything to me and always have been. Ever since you approached me in the hospital." She took a deep breath and managed to look him in the eye. "I almost told you the other day after we went  to bed. I said it over and over in my mind."

Just takes in her, her blush, her heartbeat, her scent, the way it changes when she looks at him.  He feels rather dumbfounded, because she means it, she really..and Derek doesn't know what to even say to that.  He's sure he has some sort of look of disbelief on his face as he stares at her, "you..love me?"

Erica swallowed thickly. It felt like somehow that saying it out loud would make it sound cheesy. Or that it would hang in the air and make everything awkward. So she nodded. "Don't look like it's that much of a surprise, Derek. Why would I try so hard for you if I didn't?"

He gives her a smile, a real smile that reaches his eyes because he doesn't want her to feel awkward and because it's the first time in close to ten years that someone has loved him enough to tell him..anyway.  He gives her a soft kiss, only deepening it slightly before pulling her into his lap as they sit there.  "I think I love you too", he says against her ear so softly no one but the two of them could hear.

Her heart skipped a beat and she knew Derek would be well aware of it. She couldn't help it. She thought hearing it out loud would be cheesy but it wasn't. Not at all. Hearing it from Derek after that gentle kiss made her wonder why it took her so long to say something in the first place. She settled herself onto his lap and tried to even out her breathing. "Derek, this is..." she wanted to say incredible but couldn't. The words caught in her throat. Instead, she smoothed his hair back and smiled so wildly at him, she thought her face would break. She wanted to see that smile on him all the time. "I love you. I don't think I do. I know I do."

He's pretty sure he could hear his heart beating wildly in his chest, he knew Erica likely could hear it.  Hearing her say it, looking at him like that, he can feel it in his chest, that warmth that he hadn't experienced in so long.  He buries his face against her throat, he feels like claiming her, marking her so everyone would know she was his.  Instead he mumbles against her skin, "I love you too".

Because his heart was beating so loudly, it made Erica feel less alone. She'd never seen him so vibrant before--not even when they'd been intimate. It was like Derek came alive right there in the graveyard... the last place he'd placed her and the first place he saw her when she came back. It was fitting, somehow, and for once Erica wasn't worried about having been dead. She didn't think it would happen, but she could feel her eyes stinging with tears. She spent much of her life alone and now she didn't have to be. She never expected something like this could happen to her. She carded her fingers through his hair and hummed so that her throat vibrated against his lips. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice shaking. "For crying. I didn't think I would do that but my eyes have a mind of their own."

With the power back on, it was imperative that Jordan make sure the library was okay. He’d left it in such a state of disarray that it wouldn’t sit right with him until he checked up on it and the man at the helm. He opened the front doors, glad to see that the barricade had been taken care of for the most part, but as soon as he stepped into the main part of the building, he was shocked to see some of the shelves out of place. Upon inspection he found that someone had painted some complicated symbols he didn’t understand. He didn’t know what they meant, but when Jordan went to touch one, he found the closer he got, the more his hand felt like it was in a vice grip, stinging like a thousand needles came at him from every direction. He pulled his hand back, confused, but he stayed away from all the bookshelves after that.

 “Alistair?” he called out, looking out over toward the balcony. Perhaps his fiancé was putting away and reshelving books? He heard footsteps echoing across the library, but they were too light and close together to belong to Alistair and it wasn’t until the bright blonde mop of hair rounded the corner that he realized Alistair might not be in the library at all. He struggled to remember the girl’s name. She was Derek’s something-or-other. Erica! That was it.

 She had a smile on her face until she recognized Jordan and then it fell. “Nope. Just me. Your boyfriend’s off somewhere having an adventure without you. It’s just me.”

 “Don’t sound so happy to see me,” Jordan retorted, going to cross the room to meet her. Suddenly her hands went up and her eyes widened in panic.

 “Stop!” she called out. “Go around the rug.”

 Confused, Jordan stopped and nudged at the corner with his foot. The same paint he saw on the bookshelves was on the floor and he stepped away from the rug quickly. “What are these symbols?” he asked.

 Erica shrugged. “Something Alistair said might work against the Horsement. There’s Devil’s traps under the rugs. Anything Celestial would get trapped there. Or anything evil? I don’t know. I forgot. But I don’t want you ruining it.”

 Remembering how much it hurt to get close to the symbol on the bookshelf, Jordan decided it was a good thing to avoid anything that looked like it had paint on it. The hound recoiled just as Jordan had and he got the same feeling he did whenever he wore the graveyard roots on his wrists and he got the feeling that maybe some of the symbols would work on him. The last thing he wanted to do was get himself stuck in a trap and having to shamefully wait until someone rescued him. “Thanks for the heads up,” he said, instead.

 With a nod, Erica hopped up on a table and crossed her legs. “You gonna stick around or…? Because I’ve been shelving stuff and if you’re not going to make yourself useful, you can go away.”

 Jordan shook his head. “I don’t know the first thing about shelving books and I get the feeling that maybe some of these symbols aren’t very friendly to hellhounds.”

“Yeah, what’s the deal with that anyway? Like, what’s a hellhound?”

 Jordan was used to this question by now and answered easily. “Hellhounds are fiery dogs that guard both the supernatural world and the gates to the underworld. Their powers center around fire and they’re harbingers of death.”

 “Uh… so has anyone told you fire and wood and books don’t mix?” she asked, raising her eyebrows slightly in a way that insinuated she knew exactly how it made her look and she did it often for attention.

 “I won’t hurt the library,” he said immediately. It was the first time he was so openly sure of his abilities. For so long he worried about burning everyone and everything around him, but as he learned more about how his powers worked, those worries dissipated.

 He didn’t know what else to say and contemplated just leaving anyway and try to find Alistair elsewhere.  The library looked like it was in good hands, although Jordan hadn’t been aware that Erica had so much responsibility there. She looked so young, but if Alistair trusted her, Jordan would too. He was just about to say his goodbyes and leave when Erica suddenly spoke up.

 “So did you really give Derek a hand job?” she asked coyly, clucking her tongue on the roof of her mouth.

 Jordan groaned. He really didn’t want to have to deal with that again and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Why would I lie about something like that, and in front of my fiancé no less?”

 She shrugged. “No reason. I was just wondering because I mean… it took me like forever to get him to do me and you just waltzed up and gave him a handjob like it was nothing.”

 “We were friends for a while,” Jordan said carefully. “He was in pain and I thought… you know what, I don’t have to justify myself to you.”

 “Aw, come onnnn,” she whined, sticking her bottom lip out like that would work on him.

 “I’m not here to talk about my private life with you.”

 “Stop being so uptight, Officer Parrish,” she said his last name with force, mocking him more than anything. “I like Derek and I want to make sure you weren’t one of the people that scarred him, that’s all. Besides, I’m also invested in Alistair’s happiness so if you screwed over Derek, chances are, you’ll screw over Alistair and I am not about that life. You make that man cry and I will end you.”

 Jordan didn’t want to laugh at her when she was being so serious but he couldn’t help it. She looked younger than Talia and certainly wasn’t as strong. He didn’t have anything to fear from Erica. How was she going to take him? He wasn’t one to brag, though, so he kept quiet on that matter and instead focused on her beef with him. “I haven’t done anything to you, Erica. By all accounts, we should be friends, not picking on each other. I love Alistair, more than I’ve loved anyone or anything. I had no idea I could feel this strongly about someone, but it’s there and it’s real. I’m not going to hurt him. Not intentionally, at least.” He’d seen Alistair when he cried and although both times had been because of his past, Jordan didn’t like seeing him upset and would do anything in his power to keep that smile on his face.

 “Wow. So cheesy,” Erica snickered. “I don’t know, you’re just so… so boring.” She flipped her hand about in the air to exaggerate her statement and then stuck her finger in her open mouth, pretending to gag. “I bet whenever you’re with Alistair everything around you dies out of boredom. Do you talk like this to each other? Thank god Derek doesn’t talk much at all. I couldn’t handle him saying that shit to me.” She puffed out her chest. “He’s all ‘You were beautiful before the bite’ and ‘Don’t leave me’ and ‘My name is Derek.’” When she quoted him, she dropped her voice an octave and stuck her lips out to make herself look more masculine.

 She looked and sounded so ridiculous Jordan couldn’t help but smile to herself. At least she was animated, which he couldn’t say for many of the people in the town. “There’s a certain quality to quietness that I admire. Alistair is the same at times.”

 “Yeah… he is,” Erica surprisingly agreed. “He worries me sometimes because he looks like he’s thinking so hard or that he’s putting too much on his shoulders. I kinda want to get him high so he’ll let go for two seconds and oops—am I supposed to be talking about that to a cop? It’s medicinal. I swear.”

 “Probably not,” Jordan said, raising an eyebrow. “But I know about Talia and it’s California so I can let it slide.

 “Oh yeah, speaking of Talia, have you seen her lately? She like, up and disappeared on me. We were hanging out and just kinda shooting the shit you know, and then bam, haven’t heard from her.”

 “She’s probably in mourning. She was looking out for Lydia’s mother and… you know.” It was easier not to say it and it wasn’t like Jordan was trying to state the details of a case so he could be a little more discreet.

 “Oh,” Erica said thoughtfully. It was her turn to fall silent and Jordan could see the cogs turning in her head. He didn’t know how much Erica knew about Talia and Lydia but everyone seemed to be connected here, so he could only assume she knew a fair amount. When she spoke again, her voice was really quiet. “I’ve been thinking about seeing my own parents again.”

 Jordan gave her a double-take. He hadn’t been expecting that. He knew she’d died and came back. It was obvious, especially the way the hound uncurled around her. After the fiasco with Lydia, though, the hound didn’t rear his head at the walking dead anymore. “Were you estranged from them?”

 “I kind of ran away and died, Parrish, it’s not like it’s a secret or anything anymore. Enough people know. It’s why I work here, because it’s hard to explain I’m not going to abandon a job to anyone who knows me from the missing posters,” she sighed and uncrossed her legs, letting them swing under the table. “I don’t know if my parents know I’m back. I don’t know if they think I’m dead or not. I was buried on the Hale property and not in some cemetery or cremated or anything. I don’t even know if I had a real funeral other than maybe Derek crying at my grave or something.” She’d never seen Derek cry before and it wasn’t fair to say that of him, but the damage had been done. “But after Lydia lost her mom, I’ve been thinking about going back to mine and making up with them. They probably miss me.”

 “I know what you mean,” Jordan said carefully. “I lost my father while I was fighting overseas and when I came back, I came straight here instead of going home to my mother. She doesn’t know if I’m dead or alive, either.”

 “Huh,” Erica clicked her tongue again. “Who knew we were so similar. How about this: if I go see my parents, you have to go see your mom. Deal?”

 Jordan thought about it a moment. He was afraid of what his mother would say if she found out he’d spent several years purposely not saying anything to her, but he was more worried about what his mother would say when he brought home a man. He’d never mentioned to her that he was into men at all, and the few girlfriends he had growing up had only been temporary. Jordan knew Alistair would be calm and not overly affectionate when around her. After all, they were both on the same page when they first met, making the unanimous decision to keep their relationship a secret for a while for fear of backlash. Jordan wasn’t ready to go through that again, but he knew it was for the best.

 “Deal.”

 “Good!” Erica held her hand out with her pink pointed upwards. “We have to swear it or it doesn’t count.”

 Jordan rolled his eyes. It was such a childish thing to do, but she insisted and so he found himself wrapping his pinky with hers and shaking on it. Erica seemed satisfied with the development and began swinging her legs under the table again. After their pink promise, Jordan pointed toward the door. “I should probably get going. If Alistair comes back, let him know I was looking for him, okay?”

 “I’m not your messenger,” Erica said, blowing some air out of her mouth and hopping down from the table. “But yeah, sure, whatever. Thanks for the break, but I’ve got to get back to sorting. You can go back to arresting people for sneezing too loudly or whatever it is you do.”

 “Hah,” Jordan deadpanned and finally turned to leave, giving her a short wave of his hand on his way out. “Be good to Derek, Erica. He’s been through a lot.”

Alistair strolled easily through the trees, like old friends he hadn't seen in a while. Despite everything that was happening, it was comforting to be among them again. A little too comforting. He started to wander off the path and away from Jordan, taking the baked pie he was carrying with him.

Jordan didn't even look up from his phone as he reached out and took a hold of Alistair's elbow, steering him back the right way. Kowalski got him hooked on some dumb farm game and he needed to harvest all his tomatoes. It distracted him from being nervous about why they were seeing Derek in the first place.

 Alistair blinked as he was righted, refocusing on the path ahead with a look of sudden determination. "Thank you, Jordan," he said sweetly as he took exaggerated steps forward, "It would have taken me forever to get to Derek's without you here. I'm surprised they let you have the time off for such a thing."

Jordan was too afraid to look up from his phone because the moment he did, he'd probably back out. "They want to avoid the overtime," he explained casually. And yet the closer they got to Derek's place, the more nervous he got anyway. He couldn't concentrate on his tomatoes so he put his phone down. "Derek will appreciate a warm apple pie instead of a room temperature one. It's not like I can keep it warm for him anyway." There was the house. It loomed. "You sure you don't want to just... leave it on the porch and go?" It was easy to get cold feet when he didn't have a hellhound inside anymore.

Alistair nearly charged forward towards the familiar home, but was halted by Jordan's words. He turned, scoffing at the idea and shook his head. "No, of course not! That would make him feel bad. He's a dear friend and deserves to have some company. If if he thinks he doesn't want it. He says he doesn't, and then he talks for hours. Come on, it'll be fine. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you too." Then, without waiting for Jordan to answer, the book keeper bounded up to the door and knocked gently, sure the wolf would hear it.

Erica pulled the door open looking like she wasn't prepared to be the one opening it at all. She didn't even have her makeup on and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. When she saw who it was, her face was a mixture of happy and annoyed. Happy that there was pie. Annoyed she'd have to share it with probably four people now. "Derek!" she called behind her. "It's Ali and the cop! Want me to let them in?"

Alistair gave Erica a puzzled look when she opened the door. It wasn't that he didn't expect to see her there, but... "Erica? Aren't you supposed to be at the Library right now?"

Derek had spent most of the day between the basement and his bedroom. He hasn’t slept and he’d already snapped a few times at Erica then apologized. He felt on edge, raw like an exposed nerve. Hearing her voice carry through the house he sighs, so Jordan is serious about telling Alistair. That’s when he realized he had to tell Erica too, he can’t pretend he didn’t hear so he drags himself up the stairs and pulls the sleeves to his sweater down over his hands. “She stayed home with me today..”.

Erica bounced a little. "Yeah, you told me to take a few days off, remember?" She was glad she stayed. Derek was acting even more reclusive than usual and she didn't want to leave his side. After letting their guests in, Erica immediately took the pie and set it in the kitchen. "Close the door behind you. You'll let the wasps in."

Alistair blinked in surprise, rewinding his thoughts. "Oh, I suppose I did, didn't I..." he said idly as they walked into the building, his hands suddenly pie-less so instead he let them hang at his sides, "I guess that means the Library is closed today. That will upset Janet, I'm sure. Ah well. I have better plans for that space she was going to use anyway." As he said it, Alistair backed up slightly, purposefully pushing his rear against Jordan's lap without a word.

Jordan closed the door behind him, as he was the last one in, trying to trail behind Alistair. As soon as he went inside, he gave Derek a worried look, wondering if he was still under the truth spell and if so, it would probably be better if he did the talking. "You okay, Derek?" Jordan had seen that look before many times on soldiers right after he came back from the war.

Derek Gives Jordan a look and just nods, scratching his head and turning to the kitchen, he felt closed in so he needed to get out of there. He grabs himself a piece of pie, he wanted to concentrate on something that wasn’t whatever Jordan was about to say.

Erica placed a reassuring hand on Derek's side to help calm him.... but then also ate a piece of pie with her other. She wasn't going to leave because she was in a room with three beefy men. It was bound to be interesting.

Alistair watched the two carefully, his attention drawn by Jordan's concern. Derek did seem a little more stand-offish than usual. He wanted to go to him, but Erica seemed to have that part down already. "Are you ill again, Derek?" he asked curiously, following them into the, by now, familiar kitchen and peering at the wolf as one would a lying child.

Jordan still hung back, shyly brushing off Alistair's playful advances. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He'd seen Derek like this before, back when they used to share a bed. "If he's still under the truth spell, maybe we shouldn't be asking questions," he said carefully.

Derek growls quietly, putting another bite in his mouth. He leans slightly into Erica’s touch, giving her a look, she can tell them he’s not that it had worn off the day before.

Erica laughed a little into her pie. She was very glad these two weren't wolves and couldn't smell all the mess going on between her and Derek. "Guys, he's fine. It's not like he's going to suddenly blurt out all the stuff he's ever wanted to do to you guys. Well. No." She pointed at the deputy. "Maybe not you. I don't know. He never talks about you. But YOU." She pointed to Alistair. "I'm surprised he didn't tell me about all the secret hanky panky between you two." And then, because she suddenly felt the room judging her she turned to Derek and smiled. "What? I don't need a truth spell to be honest. This pie is really good, by the way." And she shoved another bite into her maw.

Alistair turned roughly the same shade as a ripe tomato, sputtering immediately as he turned between Derek and Jordan, pointing rapidly to both in turn. "I never...we never! She's just...Erica! Derek and I...not once...just friends!"

Jordan turned to look away and cleared his throat a little. He believed Alistair. Always had. But that was because... "Well, actually. Funny that she mentioned that." It was his turn to blush as he tried to look everywhere but at Derek or Alistair. "Derek and I... Erm..." He couldn't say the words out loud. He was a grown man and couldn't do it.

Derek chokes on the pie in his mouth, well that was a way to get it out in the open. “He jerked me off after I got attacked one time, I was kind of high”. The words weren’t loud and he stared at his pie the whole time.

Erica raised her eyebrows with excitement, which should not have been her reaction and yet it was. "Seriously? You and cop-boy over there?" She nudged at him, partly to help him not choke on his pie. The deputy looked like he was going to melt into the floor. Erica would have felt sorry for him, but Derek's penis was irresistible so she didn't blame him. "You guys should have a threesome and get it over with."

Alistair brought a hand to his chest, turning to look at Jordan with a curious expression. He'd told him about the man in the army, but he never said anything about Derek. "Really?" he asked, face still bright red and showing no signs of cooling off, "When did - ERICA! - When did this happen? I know Derek said when he got attacked, but in this town, really, that could be any time. I hadn't realized you two had feelings for each other."

Jordan inwardly winced as each accusation became worse than the others. "The Yuki-Onna held back the hound and I was cold. I didn't know you yet, if at all, and Derek and I have been friends a long time. He used his werewolf heat to keep me warm and I thought... I was helping him out. It might have ruined our friendship because we've hardly spoken since it happened. But that's... probably my fault. I made too much of it, I think." With all the secrets Derek let out during his truth spell, Jordan realized that he was the one who was being childish about it.

Derek shakes his head, “it’s not the same kind of feelings I have for Erica”, and well maybe the spell wasn’t entirely worn off. “I like beautiful people”, he shrugs giving Erica a strange look, “why do you”, of course she’s turned on by it.

Erica gave Derek a flirtatious smile. "Aw, you big softie. But really, he gave you a bro-job? That's kind of sweet, actually. I wish I had friends who would get me off when I'm frustrated. Must be nice. And here you were acting like you were all alone." She stood up on her tippy toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. "You've got these two idiots baking you pies and whacking you off. It's a wonder you have feelings for me at all." Except this time when she said it, the words were playful and held no hint of jealousy. And yet, she still curled her hand around his ass to mark her territory.

Alistair sighed fondly as he took Jordan's hands in his own and held them to his chest. "But you guys are talking again, right? It's a sweet thing Derek did for you during the cold and frankly what you two did with each other is none of my business. Appealing, but none of my business," Alistair said sweetly, before turning to look at Erica. "Honestly, it's not like I only bake for Derek. I cook for Jordan all the time and those blondies at the Library are specifically for you."

Jordan felt touched at how understanding and patient Alistair was with the whole ordeal. Jordan really should have known better, that Alistair would take the truthfulness in stride especially after showing time and time again how kind he was. He would have cried a little if Alistair hadn't added the little word 'appealing' at the end of it. "Am I the only one here who would say no to a threesome? Or Alistair and Derek touching intimately?" He knew he was conservative, but didn't realize just how much. "Yes, I made Derek feel better after a very difficult time. Believe it or not, that kind of thing happened overseas more than most soldiers ever care to admit. But we're friends. And I'm glad it's out in the open because I've truly missed his company. But it won't be repeated. Besides.. I think maybe he has that taken care of anyway." He said, eyeing Erica.

Derek: just turns and walks down to the basement, he couldn’t breathe suddenly. Smelling all the arousal around, it was too much for his overly sensitive senses. He just takes off, shutting the door behind him and curling up against it. He could feel the bars around him and the people standing around, just staring at his body. He felt like shifting and running away.

Erica puffed her cheeks out and gave an angry stare in the deputy's direction when the door to the basement slammed. "Now look what you did!" she huffed and made her way to the basement door and stopped because she could hear his heartbeat behind it. "Derek, I'm opening the door okay? And then shutting myself in there with you and your friends can go away." And then she stared daggers at Alistair and Jordan.

Alistair made a small noise as his shoulders deflated, knowing that look on Derek's face. He'd told him how he felt about people objectifying him. Especially after Kate. "That's, not what I meant," he said quietly, figuring the best course of action was exactly what Erica suggested, "I'll contact you later, Derek. I'm sorry."

Jordan felt it was for the best that they leave at this point anyway. No doubt he and Alistair had much to talk about, and Derek needed Erica in a way Jordan knew all too well, because he needed Alistair the same way. "I'm sorry too, Derek." He didn't know what else to say to console him so he turned back to Alistair and said in a much quieter tone. "We should go. Too many people around might make things worse."

Derek had so much to say but his words were stuck in his head. He didn’t want anyone to leave. Because his head was in a fog. Instead he sinks his claws into his arm, growling loud enough it probably worried Erica. But It’s enough to get his head under control. So he slowly opens the door, “you didn’t do anything wrong”.

Erica was all set to roundhouse kick her boss and his boyfriend when suddenly Derek made a noise and Erica's hackles rose. Despite her better judgement, she threw her arms around Derek's middle as soon as he emerged, her wolf temporarily taking over as she buried her face in his chest. She didn't say anything. She just clung there. Like a tumor.

Derek smiles at her even as his arm bleeds, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “I’m okay...just needed a minute”.

Erica pulled away just enough to shoot another look at Jordan and Alistair, but the scent of blood caused her mind to switch gears and she noticed his arm. "Did they make you do that?" she snuffed, her protective instinct kicking in. "You've been upset all day, but I get the feeling it's not about these guys at all."