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“Better be careful, little wolf,” Peter taunted from his perch near the window, “You’ve wandered far into the big bad’s den.”
Hestia snorted and rolled her eyes from her hiding place. She should have known the interloper would show up first. Suddenly, like lighting, a strong fist lashed out from the shadows to grab Hestia by her shirt collar. She felt the air next to her move, but that was as close as he would ever get. Before he could blink she had her claws out, fangs bared, and him pinned against the brick wall by his throat. Shock colored his eyes blue.
She snarled, shifting fully into her wolf form, letting the spittle from her muzzle spatter his panting face as she spoke the human words, “I’d have to be nine parts dead already, whelp, in order for someone like you to touch me.”
She watched with unamused red eyes as Peter smiled and sputtered apologies like an ingrate, but then she caught the scent she’d been waiting for. It was traveling steadily up the street to the loft. Pine needles, soap, old leather, and mint; smells as familiar to her as her own brothers’, but with a tang of sorrow. Faded, but still present. A metaphorical bone that ached on stormy nights.
She allowed the interloper drop to the floor without ceremony, and turned towards the door. Her heart filled as the rusty old metallic barrier slid open with a mighty heft, and a head of black hair popped into sight. He was tall now, and incredibly broad, and he carried himself like a man, she noted with a sharp squeeze to her heart. After the fire, Hestia hadn’t been able to stay with them for more than a month; everything had been so hectic, so bloody and horrible and frightening, and she was just starting to rise to power in her own pack. When she’d dropped them off at a safe house in New York, knowing that the hunters would know Thalia’s allies and would look for her children with them, she’d felt like she was abandoning members of her own family. But her sister was about to give birth to her first child and her father was dying, she couldn’t stay with the Hales longer than she did. And so, with tears rolling down all of their faces, she’d told them to be strong, that she loved them and that they would always have a home with her. And then she’d left. And in the few times after that that she’d seen Derek and Laura, while Laura was strong and seemed to slide comfortably into her new role as alpha, when Derek was around Hestia couldn’t help but notice the drawn corners of his mouth, the smell of sadness, of despair, the hunch of his shoulders. He didn’t recover the way Laura did and for a while Hestia was scared that he never would. But watching him now, with strong teeth and chest and head held high, she knew he was healing. Inside and out.
He didn’t notice her at first, he was too busy trying to finagle four bags of groceries and today’s mail through the doorway with him, but when he did, the sheer love and recognition beaming out of his wide hazel eyes was enough to bring tears to hers.
“Oh, baby,” she whispered, opening her arms wide. He laughed breathlessly, dropping his bags and packages and enveloping himself in her arms. He had to bend for her to get her arms around his neck, and his stomach brushed awkwardly against her baby bump, but it was worth it. So worth it to get to hold him after so many years, hear his heart beating strong and healthy, and realize that the taint of smoke was finally giving way to the smell of hope. She pulled him back a little to frame her hands around his face.
“Der, let me look at you,” she said with a watery smile. He grinned back at her, still holding the backs of her arms and laughing.
“Hes,” he said, “I can’t believe you’re here! And pregnant!”
Immediately he placed warm hands against her extremely round stomach, the residents of which were now squirming and kicking excitedly against his palms. She bit her lip as he listened to the heartbeats, waiting.
“Twins?!” he exclaimed, eyebrows shooting up his forehead. She laughed wildly at his expression and nodded, wiping away tears.
“Twins,” she said, “Two boys. Can you believe it?”
Derek just looked at her for a moment, eyes crinkling in what she liked to think of as his best smile.
“Yeah,” he said softly, “I can believe it.”