Derrick
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
I will not fall, won't let it go; we will be free when it ends.
Posts: 101
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Post by Derrick on Aug 29, 2008 11:23:55 GMT
Wolves were stubborn creatures by nature, though for the most part, they had the sense and the gut instinct to get out before things turned upside down and the odds were piled against them. Some were just worse than others, and Derrick had no doubt that he was one of the worst when it came to letting go, quitting; with most things, it wasn’t a problem anymore. Circumstances and experience had taught him that he had to let go, if nothing could be done, and he would back away if he had to. In a way, he had lost some of his courage. But never with Kaleigh. When it came to his mate, he was more courageous, steadfast, and even recklessly determined, and that would never change. If she needed him, he was there, and if he had to do something to save her, then he would; anything and everything would be sacrificed for her, in a heartbeat.
Neither of them were leaders, and they knew that; they accepted it and made no attempts to battle against their place. Derrick had been a fighter once, though he had never officially completed his training, but those days were behind him. Now, he was one of many, one of the pack, and he would stand with his pack mates if he needed to, shoulder to shoulder with any of them, and do what he had to. But he was no leader. He just didn’t have it in him. There was no shame in that, no point claiming he had it when he didn’t; not everyone could lead.
Stroking her blonde hair from her shoulder as she nuzzled him, he smiled quietly, though it was a concerned sort of smile. “I hope so too.” One arm around her, he held her there, supporting her but also indulging himself in his quiet possessiveness, just for a few moments, taking in her scent and drawing comfort and strength from that.
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Kaleigh
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 99
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Post by Kaleigh on Sept 4, 2008 15:19:06 GMT
She knew that Derrick would do anything for her, just as she would do anything for him. It didn’t matter what she had to do or what she had to give up. If Derrick needed her, she would be there as soon as she possibly could be and wouldn’t think about it twice. Her mate was everything to her and without him, she didn’t have anything, even if others might see her as having everything. Nothing was worth anything to her without Derrick because while to everyone else he might have been just another wolf, to her he was the world.
Kaleigh would stand with the pack, whatever happened where their leaders were concerned. Like Derrick, she accepted that they were not leaders and she was perfectly fine with that. She was more than content to help where she could and back up what was best for the pack when need be. She was happy with her place, even if she couldn’t honestly say the same about their current leaders.
Kaleigh settled herself a bit better in her mate’s lap, resting her head against Derrick’s shoulder. Right now, it was like they were in their own little space and she was all too happy to stay there as long as she could. While the concerns about the pack’s future were on her mind, she could almost believe that everything was okay when she was with Derrick.
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Derrick
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
I will not fall, won't let it go; we will be free when it ends.
Posts: 101
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Post by Derrick on Oct 13, 2008 0:43:23 GMT
Theirs was a relationship built on and around sacrifice. It sounded so negative, like such a dark cloud over their bond, but Kaleigh had given up so much, everything really, for Derrick, and along the way, they had both made constant, small sacrifices. Tiny things, things that would seem so insignificant if not downright inconsequential to most people, but to the wolfen pair, it united them. They were willing to give up so much for one another, without pausing to consider the consequences. But while it made them strong in that way, devoted and eternally loyal, it also made them weak. They were both weaknesses, one for the other, and Derrick knew for a fact that he would do anything that was asked of him should Kaleigh be threatened or used as leverage in any way.
In the past, the turmoil in the pack, any pack they had come to call their own, would have eaten away at him. But those days were gone; he was a fighter no more, now just a member, one of those who was locked away and shielded by others when danger came creeping onto their doorstep. One of those who followed the lead of all those above him, fighters, Betas and Alphas. One of many, a face in the crowd.
All of that, however, was wiped away as he felt Kaleigh settle against him, her head on his shoulder, their bodies seeming to fit so perfectly against one another, his hand stroking smoothly and slowly through her long hair, fingers sliding through the curls carefully and affectionately.
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Kaleigh
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 99
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Post by Kaleigh on Oct 21, 2008 17:31:58 GMT
As long as they both lived, there would never be anything that Kaleigh wouldn’t do for her mate. It wouldn’t matter what it was or what she had to do in order to accomplish it, she would always do whatever she could. She knew all too well that they were a weakness to each other, but Derrick was also her strength. One look from him had the ability to make her think she could do absolutely anything at all. It didn’t matter how difficult the task was, if Derrick thought she could accomplish it, then she would in one way or another.
Derrick might have been just a face in the crowd to the pack, but he was the only one Kaleigh saw. Everyone else was just a figure in the background. While the tension in the pack caused her some uneasiness, it wasn’t bad enough yet to push her into full blown worry. She trusted that things would be worked out somehow. Sitting as they were, feeling Derrick’s fingers moving through her hair, Kaleigh found it easy to put aside thoughts of the pack and simply focus on the here and now.
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Derrick
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
I will not fall, won't let it go; we will be free when it ends.
Posts: 101
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Post by Derrick on Dec 29, 2008 14:48:16 GMT
That kind of blind, unconditional devotion was effortless for Derrick, and for Kaleigh; he knew that as much as he knew that he needed her as much to survive as he needed air to breathe, if not more. Without Kaleigh, he had nothing and was nothing. There would simply be no point to it, and if he ever lost her, god forbid, he would fail to see any point in going on without her. It was as simple as that, a concept that should have terrified him to the core in its conviction and straightforward simplicity, but the male wolf felt it with all his heart and soul, and it did not frighten him. What frightened him was having that come to pass; losing her, feeling her slip away and realising he would never hold her, touch her, kiss her again, hear her say his name or embrace him. It frightened him so deeply, so intensely, that as the notion came into his head, it was immediately cast out again, too chilling and unsettling to entertain, even for only a moment.
The slight weight and the comforting, familiar warmth of her body against his, eased all of his troubles, and his fingers continued to glide slowly, smoothly through her blonde hair, over and over, feeling the silken texture and the way the lengths slipped against his skin so softly, feather-light. It was so soothing, so reassuring, that he felt his eyes close, his head coming down to rest gently atop hers, his body feeling relaxed and comfortable, a state that was always so easily achieved when alone with his mate.
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Kaleigh
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 99
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Post by Kaleigh on Jan 13, 2009 17:27:11 GMT
She didn’t know what she would do if she lost Derrick- lost him so completely that all the searching and determination in the world couldn’t get him back- and she didn’t want to think about it. To think about it would be to accept that there was something that could take him away and she couldn’t do that. She wouldn’t, not until she had no other choice but to do so. Until then, she kept such thoughts out of her mind as much as she could, pushing them back when they tried to come to the forefront. Sometimes she did so successfully, but sometimes, in the darkness of night, they along with other thoughts and threatening nightmares kept her awake for hours. At times, she would watch her mate sleep and try to stop the thoughts, hoping that watching him would silence them. It worked on occasions, but at other times, she felt like she might suffocate under the thoughts and had to make her way outside, hoping that, should Derrick awake and find her gone, he wouldn’t panic. She was certain that he knew that she would never go far.
Sighing softly in contentment- she only seemed to be content around her mate these days- she thought about how nice this was. Kaleigh rather wished that this moment would never end, knowing that once it did, they would have to go back to the reality of what was happening with the pack. For now, though, she could escape that and she was all too happy to do so.
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Derrick
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
I will not fall, won't let it go; we will be free when it ends.
Posts: 101
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Post by Derrick on Jan 14, 2009 3:07:25 GMT
It wasn’t just devotion and loyalty that ‘defined’ them — if that was even the right term — but also dependence; they really did rely on one another, and for so many reasons that the world outside of them as a pair wouldn’t understand. And that was okay with Derrick. They had been together for so long, most of their lives, that anything else just seemed strange now. Kaleigh wasn’t just part of his life, she was his life. She was the reason he could sleep at night, the reason he got up in the morning, she was in every breath he took and in every thought. Maybe to some that would seem too much, too reliant, but to Derrick, it was just how things worked. And they did work. For them, it was as functional, and therefore comfortable, as any other way of life. Yes it was that dependence that caused him to panic as he had not long ago when he hadn’t been able to find her, but so long as he was able to find her again, or hear from a reliable source that she was all right, then he could settle down.
As nice as it would have been to sit there all night, Derrick knew that it was only a matter of time before someone else from the pack came in and the serenity of the space would come to an end. Not that he thought he and Kaleigh had any kind of monopoly on the dining room, but there was no better way to spend time than alone with his mate. Maybe that made him selfish, wanting to keep Kaleigh all to himself, but he could ensure she was safe that way, and at the same time, something that honestly was selfish, it kept him calm, kept fears and concerns at bay. As her soft hair slipped through his fingers and settled over her shoulder and down her arm and chest, he was content to enjoy the time while it lasted; there was no need to move just yet.
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Kaleigh
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 99
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Post by Kaleigh on Jan 15, 2009 0:34:28 GMT
No one else needed to understand as far as Kaleigh could see. If they did, that was wonderful, but if they didn’t, then it didn’t really matter. She and Derrick knew their reasons and that was all that mattered. He was her world. The one that she would go to the ends of the earth for, never thinking twice about it and the one that had her complete trust, the one she knew she would never be able to live without. She wouldn’t want to. Perhaps it didn’t seem like sometimes, but she depended on Derrick just as much as he did her and that was perfect for them.
Kaleigh wasn’t about to think about getting up until she had to, nor was she going to think about the various ways the peace and quiet she was enjoying with her mate could be shattered. The moment was absolutely perfect and there was absolutely no sense in ruining it by thinking about it eventually having to end.
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Derrick
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
I will not fall, won't let it go; we will be free when it ends.
Posts: 101
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Post by Derrick on Jan 15, 2009 2:17:08 GMT
They didn’t ask for anyone’s understanding, certainly not their approval. Derrick, quite honestly, was done looking for acceptance from others around them. All he needed was the approval and acceptance and understanding of his mate. In receiving those things from Kaleigh, Derrick was satisfied; he could live his life without trouble, with his soul mate by his side, knowing that he had absolutely everything he needed. Even living in a pack, Derrick didn’t look to the leaders, or even the fighters, for any green lights or nods of recognition. Honestly he existed from day to day focusing only on Kaleigh. Biased, blinkered, distracted; whatever that made him, then that was fine. Derrick accepted it, without question. He was happy, they were happy, and that was all he wanted.
Derrick’s eyes were closed as he listened to the soft, steady rhythm of Kaleigh’s heartbeat as she leaned into him, her head on his shoulder, her weight perfectly slotted into his. It was soothing, the position and that recognisable beat, and if he wasn’t careful, it was going to lull him to sleep right there in his seat in the dining room. The only thing missing was their bed, really, but where Kaleigh was, so was comfort, at least in Derrick’s mind.
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Kaleigh
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 99
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Post by Kaleigh on Jan 19, 2009 19:44:04 GMT
Kaleigh had figured out long ago that seeking acceptance from everyone around her was a tedious task and had given up on it. So long as Derrick approved of her and what she did, then really, no one else mattered. Had she actually cared for the way the pack was led, she still wouldn’t have been concerned with what they thought, but as it was, she cared far less. So long as she was with Derrick and he was happy, the world- her world- was right. So long as the tension in the pack home didn’t cause an eruption, it was all too easy for her to be happy, especially when her mate was right there with her.
Perfectly comfortable where she was, Kaleigh thought that it would be all too easy to take a quick nap there at the dining room table, ignoring the thought that someone else might decide they wanted to use the table in the way it was originally meant to be used. There was plenty of table left, but it was doubtful that any nap would last past the entrance of any other pack members. Because of that, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to nap properly if that was what she wanted to do. Still, if her mate wanted to nap there, she was more than happy to stay right where she was. She was happy to do that, anyway, unless Derrick gave a sign that he wished to get up.
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Derrick
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
I will not fall, won't let it go; we will be free when it ends.
Posts: 101
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Post by Derrick on Jan 21, 2009 1:56:26 GMT
There was a point in life where you just had to come to terms with the fact that it was impossible to please everyone, and with the exception of a choice few, it was all but pointless to try. Especially now, here, in a pack where the leaders seemed to care only for themselves and anyone below their ‘rank’ in the hierarchy was unimportant and therefore ignored. It was hard to feel validated or valued in an atmosphere like that, but given the way he and Kaleigh had gone through their own kind of hell in the past, at the risk of sounding dramatic, it barely even registered nowadays. It did at times, certainly, like when he lay awake at night thinking and worrying about the future, times when it was impossible to shut down all thought, and such matters were impossible to stop from entering the mind. Still, in the long run, so long as the pack stayed together, and so long as he and Kaleigh were welcome, then it mattered very little to him how it was led.
Given his own drowsiness, even with his very real reluctance to movement of any kind, it wouldn’t do to actually fall asleep in the dining room, especially not when there was every danger of his balance slipping if he caved to said urge; Kaleigh wouldn’t be hurt but it was still a risk, no matter how minimal, that Derrick was just not willing to take. So, with what might have been a sigh, subtle though it was, he stoked a hand over her hair again, and asked quietly, “Do you want to head upstairs?”
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Kaleigh
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 99
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Post by Kaleigh on Jan 21, 2009 20:07:57 GMT
Pleasing everyone, Kaleigh had decided, was a fool’s errand. It would never happen and trying was silly because of that very fact. Still, it would have been nice if the pack’s leaders had at least tried to act like they still cared about those who were beneath them in the pack standings. They didn’t have to please everyone, but they could have at least tried to act like they cared about those who had been following them. She tried not to let herself dwell on thoughts like that long or hard enough to get upset, but it was hard, especially considering that those in question were the leaders. Even though she was so discontent with the leaders, she was grateful to them for giving her, Derrick and everyone else in the pack a home. That certainly counted for something.
Had Derrick gone to sleep in the chair, Kaleigh would have been quite content to remain where she was and hold him up if that was what was needed. Even so, it probably was for the best if they retired to their room before sleep called to either of them strongly enough that they gave in. She wasn’t particularly thrilled about moving, but she knew that it needed to be done. “I think it’s about time that we did. Do you want something from the kitchen before we go to our room?”
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Derrick
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
I will not fall, won't let it go; we will be free when it ends.
Posts: 101
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Post by Derrick on Jan 22, 2009 23:20:44 GMT
There had been a time when the leaders had cared. Derrick was actually surprised at just how well he could remember that time, especially when it seemed like it had been so long ago, so far back in the past that the contrast, given how they were now, was not actually as shocking as it was in reality. They had changed, especially in werewolf terms, so rapidly, doing sudden one-eighties without explanation. Derrick remembered that he and Kaleigh had been welcomed, that Rayne herself had given them that welcome and introduced them to the pack, told them that they could stay as long as they liked and that the pack would take care of them. Now, the Alpha female seemed like a completely different person. But if something had happened to cause that change, Derrick was just as in the dark as everyone else. He certainly didn’t have any answers, and wasn’t about to go digging them out.
If nothing else, retiring to their room would ensure that they were comfortable. They could sit together on their bed, and if Kaleigh fell asleep while curled up into his side, then that was perfectly fine with him; it was reassuring, even, knowing that she was right there where he could protect her and see that she was safe and well. It was how they spent most of their evenings, actually, not that that bothered Derrick at all. In fact, it made him happy, that kind of peaceful routine. “Maybe something to drink,” he said quietly, before adding, “are you hungry?”
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Kaleigh
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
Posts: 99
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Post by Kaleigh on Jan 23, 2009 21:51:17 GMT
Kaleigh also remembered the time when the leaders had actually cared about the pack, but sometimes it seemed that she was on the verge of forgetting. They seemed to have been withdrawn from the pack for so long that it almost felt like things had never really been any different. At times, it was almost as if they were with a completely different pack than the one they had been welcomed into, but only because of the leaders and the tension that seemed to have settled over the pack home. It almost seemed strange to think that things had once been so different- that the leaders had actually been their leaders rather than simply those that were consulted, usually by one fighter or another, when something drastic happened and it seemed only right to inform them of it. That wasn’t what the pack needed if they were going to stay together and stand strong…
It was always comfortable falling asleep, curled up against her mate, knowing that, even if things weren’t quite what they should be where the pack was considered, they were together and safe- that Derrick was safe. Even with the pack leaders having withdrawn, Kaleigh knew that nothing would happen to her mate because not only would she see to that, but so would so many of the others. At least they could still rely on them.
“I may see about finding something a bit more satisfying than animal crackers.” And if she couldn’t find anything she wanted, she could always take the animal crackers with her, just in case she wanted to have them again.
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Derrick
Pack Werewolf
Bella's Pack
I will not fall, won't let it go; we will be free when it ends.
Posts: 101
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Post by Derrick on Jan 26, 2009 19:44:53 GMT
It made Derrick oddly nostalgic, looking at the pack around him; it made him remember the pack they had been born into, the one where they had joined together as mates, essentially marrying, at least as it was in werewolf terms. At the risk of abusing a cliché, it had been simpler then. Everything had been so much more straightforward, and not only because of the advances of the human race around them leading them into new generations and new ages, where computers and cell phones and the internet slowly started to rule everything. Back then, packs might have seemed that little bit more feral, but they had worked. It was disappointing, in a way, to think that this could happen to what should have been a powerful group of werewolves.
Derrick chuckled quietly, nodding his head. “Animal crackers aren’t very filling, no,” he said to her in agreement, glancing at the box as if it was the first time he had noticed it since joining her in the dining room. “Maybe we can put something together and take it upstairs with us,” he suggested, even though it was very likely that Kaleigh had already come to such a conclusion herself.
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