A/N: Well well well, we're back again, WOOHOO! :P So here's the run down, my cousin and I had way too much fun writing the first multific, so we're doing another projected ten chapters, picking up from where we left off, with Chloe and Derek at Stonehaven. For those of you who don't have a clue what I'm talking about, please see our first multific, Life After Danger, which is T-rated. Please note that this section will be M-rated, and for good reason. :D Three cheers for lemonade! And without further ado, here's Chapter 1 of our new story, hope you guys enjoy!
Disclaimer: We're not Kelley Armstrong, we don't own DP, we don't own the characters and we make no profit from these stories.
Oh. Dear. God.
"Derek?" I wheezed, too bewildered to do much beyond gape uncomprehendingly. "You're- they're- what-…" My voice trailed off as I finally started processing the scene in front of me.
Derek had been deep in conversation with the older man Elena had briefly introduced as Antonio before he'd been pulled into meeting with the other Pack members. At the sound of my voice, he wrenched his head around so quickly that his neck cracked.
"Fuck. Chloe, what are you doing up?"
My eyes, still wide in disbelief, dropped briefly to the perfectly taut, smooth skin that stretched over the side of his hip before I slammed them closed, feeling faintly dizzy as most of my blood rushed to my face.
Conversation had flagged for a moment among the other men, but it resumed slowly, cupboard doors banging, refrigerator door opening and closing as they casually got themselves a bite to eat. Naked.
"I couldn't sleep," I murmured, dropping my head into my hands. "God, I'm sorry." Well, maybe not that sor- Stop it! You've just seen five naked men, four of whom are old. Not bad for forty-year-olds though…Shut up brain!
The younger guy, Antonio's son Nick, I think, chuckled. "Derek, I thought you said she stays through your Changes."
"But I don't look!" I cried, still battling against the images of ridiculously good-looking guys barrelling through the kitchen door in their nothing-ons. Where were their clothes?
I must have made some sort of strangled noise, because I felt the blast-wave of heat as Derek came close, his palm burning even through the fabric of my pyjama top as he laid it on my shoulder.
"You ok?"
"Are you still naked?" I asked miserably, my face still in my hands. As much as I appreciate the few glimpses I get of Derek's amazing body during his Changes, I'd really rather not have an opportunity to gape while surrounded by several other nude people I don't really know.
A little huff of laughter escaped him before he cleared his throat. "Uh. Yeah."
"Where are your clothes? You didn't leave like this."
Jeremy's low voice startled me on my left as he put what sounded like a glass down by my elbow. "Milk," he said, then, "The clearing where we left our clothes is…otherwise occupied at the moment."
I lifted my head automatically to thank him, but then I caught sight of Derek crouched down by my side, his green eyes amused and what seemed like acres of skin bared. It was tempting to let my eyes wander, especially down that faint line of dark hair that wandered…Dammit! As if he knew what I was thinking, Derek's eyes darkened and dropped to my mouth. If this kept up, we'd have a whole other situation to contend with. Not that I would have minded. But with everyone else around, well…I kept my eyes open but made sure to keep them on faces. Focus, Chloe, focus. I looked at Jeremy. Most precisely, I made the little birthmark on his right cheek the most important thing in the world at the moment.
"Sorry, you said the clearing is occupied?" I slanted a careful look at the sleek older man Derek had told me was named Karl as he snorted. "I don't understand."
Nick pulled his head out of the fridge and looked over, deep brown eyes twinkling. "You mean you can't hear them?"
Taking a moment to focus my hearing, I was able to catch the faint lilt of laughter from beyond the screen door. It sounded like Elena, and I realized the two tall-blond-and-deadlies weren't wandering through the kitchen in their birthday suits. Funny, I would have been more ok with that, considering I'd already seen everything there was to see.
"They're laughing," I said slowly, raising my brows when Antonio howled with laughter and slapped an oven mitt against the counter. "What? They're-"
And then a very feminine moan drifted from the trees and even in my ignorance of sex beyond the basics of making out, I knew what that meant.
"Oh!" Clearly the usual rules didn't apply at Stonehaven. Four middle-aged men were completely at home while they moved around the kitchen naked, calmly discussing the inconvenience of not being able to get their clothes because a couple was making love on top of them. This was like finding out about the supernatural world all over again. My head started to ache from the strain of carefully keeping my eyes above neck-level and I must have winced, because Derek touched my knee.
"Chloe? Come on, let's go to bed."
He looked worried, probably thinking that this was too much for me. I straightened my spine and gave my head a sharp shake.
"No, I'm alright." I softened my abrupt tone with a touch to his face. "Good thing it's not winter, huh? You'd have frozen without your clothes."
He leaned his head against my hand, enjoying the caress as he offered a lop-sided smile.
"Yeah."
Nick clanked a pot against the range and got a flame going. The noise brought me back into the moment and I tuned back into the conversation as he was griping to his father.
"-tripping over them all the time."
"I could write a book about everything that's happened to us," I said quietly to Derek, "but no one would believe it."
Reassured that I wasn't about to take off screaming or faint away or call for my vinaigrettes, Derek pulled out a chair and settled next to me, stealing a sip from the milk that Jeremy had left for me. After a couple of minutes of listening to the men's banter and teasing, I had almost forgotten that penises lurked, barely hidden behind waist-high counters and under the kitchen table where Karl and Nick had grabbed seats.
Eventually, the two blond lovebirds showed up on the porch, more or less dressed and bearing armfuls of clothes. I wasn't really surprised to see them toss the clothes aside and tuck into sandwiches that were disappearing almost as fast as Antonio and Jeremy could make them, nor was I surprised that no one made a dash for their belongings. At this point, it was just easier to sit and enjoy the food and drinks and worry about stuff like that later.
When Elena finished the last bite of her huge sandwich, she sighed in contentment and relaxed back in her chair, grinning at me. "Welcome to Stonehaven," she said.
"Any other surprises?" I had to ask, distracted as Jeremy came over to hand her a fresh mug. She sipped slowly and pretended to think.
"Hmm. No, I think that's it. Unless you count the skeletons in the backyard."
Every eye landed on me and I cleared my throat anxiously as my gut clenched.
"What? Oh," Elena said, remembering why I might not be quite as amused as most people at that fact. "I'm kidding, Chloe. Jaime's got the bodies under protection, you can't raise them."
Jeremy appeared after having excused himself to pull on his pants. He offered a reserved smile. "Things are a little different around here," he said. Talk about stating the obvious. Nick broke into the odd silence and started ribbing Clay and Elena about their little romp. I felt my eyes widen at the intimate details so I looked at Derek who was just swallowing the last bit of his food.
"So, did you have a good run?"
He nodded, washing down his mouthful with the last of my milk. "It was ok," he said shortly.
"Whaddya mean, just "ok"?" Antonio boomed from across the room. Damn werewolf hearing. He threw his hands up. "Your boy out-thought the rest of us and practically brought that deer down single-handedly!"
Deer? I thought confusedly. Then it dawned on me; they'd gone hunting while in wolf form. Oh. Derek wouldn't meet my eyes. I saw Jeremy's observation and realized that he might think I was bothered or disgusted by that.
Was I bothered by that? I'd seen Derek kill, but only ever in self-defence, not as part of a hunt. Looking at him, I couldn't find a single drop of disgust or revulsion in me, and I decided that I was ok with it. Well, I thought, running my tongue over my teeth thoughtfully, as long as he brushes his teeth before kissing me.
Under the table, I hooked my foot around Derek's ankle and smiled at him. "Oh, yeah? Sounds like you had a good time."
A strange look passed over his face and he got up rather abruptly, snagging his pants and tugging them on, then urging me up and wrapping my smaller hand in his as he started leading me towards the hall. I bemusedly waved to the group in the kitchen as I followed my boyfriend, curious about his abrupt retreat.
I was half expecting – ok, fine, hoping… - that I'd get tackled as soon as the door closed. But Derek only gave me a gentle push towards the bed as he searched for his towel and toiletry kit. I went compliantly. If he wasn't going to tackle me, then I was darn well going to tackle him, but I kind of wanted him to brush his teeth first. Nothing ruins the moment like finding deerskin in your boyfriend's teeth.
I doubt anyone could blame me for that.
"I'm just going to jump in the shower," he said by way of explanation as I hopped back into the nest of blankets and got comfortable.
"Ok. I'll wait for you."
"Don't go sneaking back downstairs now," he said with a little chuckle, but I wondered if he was thinking of the too-handsome Nick. I shook my head slowly, my eyes on his as I smiled.
"Only you," I said firmly. He winked and disappeared down the hall. I curled up and watched the door, my body tight and warm and tingling with the knowledge that we had this room to ourselves for the whole night. The possibilities raced through my head and I grinned into my pillow. Hurry up, I thought.
