The True Union

Chapter 9 Derrick

Derrick stepped into the shower on the third day. He needed to take his mind off of the sleeping wolf. He didn’t know what it was about her, but he couldn’t focus on anything else. Jared thought this whole situation was hilarious, and his uncle was getting more and more pissed at being blocked from him. He understood his uncle wanted to protect him and help guide him, but he was quickly becoming annoyed by his uncle’s demands to know what was going on.

Even while showering, he left the door open and listened carefully for any noises from the bedroom. He had had Jared bring him a couple changes of clothes from his room, not wanting to be away from her even for that short of time, but he only had two outfits left. If she didn’t wake up soon, he’d have to have Jared bring him more or go get them himself. He made himself rush through his shower, even knowing he shouldn’t. He wanted to distract himself, but it was useless. Immediately after washing himself, he turned the shower off. Normally, he would enjoy the hot water running over his body for a while letting it relax his muscles. Today though, as with every day since he’d met her, he couldn’t bear the extra few minutes.

He stepped out of the shower and quickly dried off. He kept his ears open for any sounds coming from her room. Just as he was pulling his boxers the rest of the way up, he heard shuffling on the bed. Worried about her, he ran out without thinking about how he was mostly naked and froze when he saw her sitting up staring at him. He watched as she looked him up and down and then did it again. He couldn’t help the cocky pride that welled up inside him at her admiration. He really hoped she liked what she saw.

When her eyes settled on his, he finally spoke, asking what he soon realized was a stupid question. He had only asked what her name was, but any question was stupid when she was still in wolf form, obviously she couldn’t respond. Mentally berating himself, he offered her privacy while they both got dressed. He grabbed his phone on the way, letting Jared know she was awake and asking him to bring them something to eat. He didn’t bother checking the reply when his phone went off as he was pulling on his pants though. He knew his best friend well enough to know he’d be on his way and have a million questions if he let him. It was safer to leave that text unread for now. He threw on his shirt and waited listening as clothes rustled on the other side of the door. He felt a twitch below his belt, knowing she was naked. That surprised him though. Nudity wasn’t a big deal with wolf shifters, since you had to be naked to shift. It wasn’t uncommon to see someone stripping anywhere on the pack grounds. He hadn’t even seen her human form and already his body was responding to her. When he heard the unmistakable sound of the bed rustling again, he left the bathroom.

He was speechless when he walked out. Before him sat the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was far prettier than even he could have imagined. From her blonde, almost white, wavy hair to her perfectly tanned skin to her more than a handful of breasts, and the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. That reminded him of the lake he loved to sit at on his southern border. She was perfect.

He needed to know her name, craved it w ith an immense desire. Actually, he wanted to know everything about her, but her name was a good start. He introduced himself and saw her panic a little at his name. Great she’d heard of his reputation, which he didn’t earn, but few knew that. He had to make her trust him. They talked for a few minutes before Jared arrived with the food. He had brought a feast, and Derrick was beyond thankful. He knew his best friend would come through. Jared knew him better than anyone, he knew without Derrick telling him that she was special. It was only a few minutes before he was dismissing Jared and setting the food up for them to eat. He sat down across from her, and they ate in silent solace.

He couldn’t remember being so at peace. Something about her made even the most mundane things better. She made everything better. Even while eating, he found himself repeatedly glancing at her beauty. She was everything and so much more, and he still didn’t even know her name. When he got her chocolate cake, and she moaned he had to shift in his seat on the bed. That sound made being on the bed with her take on a whole new meaning in his head. He would feed her cake every day to hear that sound, until he could rip it out of her with his tongue. When they finished eating, he put the dishes back on the cart and pushed it towards the door. He would ask Jared to pick it up later.

He looked into her beautiful eyes and asked again, “What’s your name beautiful?” Seeing her blush at his compliment, he was relieved. She wasn’t opposed to his endearment. Beginning to wonder if she was going to respond, when more than a few seconds passed she quietly replied “Sam”. It didn’t go unnoticed that she didn’t reveal her last name, but it was a start. He had a million other questions, but he didn’t want to overwhelm her, instead he simply asked; “Are you in trouble of some kind?”

He saw the confusion on her face at his question, so he continued. “It’s only that, given your reaction to my name, I doubt you would be near my territory if you didn’t have to be. Were you running from something?” Slowly his words sank in, and he thought she would avoid this question too, but was surprised when she didn’t. “My father tried pushing me into an arranged mating. I begged him to let me out of it, but it was hopeless. So, I ran.”

He growled, surprising even him, hearing the idea of her mating someone else. She was his, even if he didn’t understand why. Now more than ever he needed to protect her. He couldn’t let her mate anyone besides him. The thought should have scared him, but it made him happy instead. The idea of her being his forever was enchanting, of marking her. He could see that she was uncomfortable talking about her family, so he did the only thing he could. He offered her sanctuary. “You’re welcome in the Dark Moon pack as long as you need, you’ll have my full protection, and no harm will come to you during the duration of your stay.” Watching the relief engulf her, he knew he had made the right decision.

Needing to give her a break, he texted Jared to come retrieve the cart. It barely took any time at all, letting Derrick know he was down the hall in his office. When he got there, his demeanor was completely different than it had been when he last saw him. Something was wrong, he just knew it. It was confirmed when Jared asked him to step out in the hall for a minute.