I stood at the airport. After convincing Trace I would be fine coming by myself to pick up the group, I had set out, and made it with half an hour to wait. Even so, the plane was twenty minutes ahead of time, and I arrived just in time to see their plane pulling up outside the window. I smiled in anticipation, glad it was no where near any sort of holiday, so the terminal's weren't busy. The doors opened up, and the waiting passengers moved aside for the people coming off the plane. Derek was the first one I saw. The relief that swept over me was nearly overpowering. I walked forward, paused, and swallowed thickly as he looked up.
My stomach twisted with unease when I saw the apprehension in his eyes. He schooled his expression well, but I read his eyes as easily as I had when we were younger. I saw relief, then hesitation, then betrayal flash through his green irises as though he'd shouted them out loud to me. I gritted my teeth and kept my tears back as Kit step up beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. His lips moved, and Derek glanced down at him. Though I was nearly ten feet away from them, I heard him clearly.
"She acted under my orders Derek. Daniella fought hard to stay with you, but I told her to run." Then, Derek looked back up at me, his eyes shining with tears. He stepped forward, and when he got close enough I pulled him towards me by his shoulders, and threw my arms around his neck.
"Daniella." he choked out, tears blocking his voice as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I kissed his hair, and rubbed his shoulder. I familiarized myself with his scent again. It had changed a little, since the last time we had seen each other. It was the same musky scent all were-wolves had, but it was something different, almost like a fresh rain mixed with oak.
"I'm so sorry Derek. I promised you I would contact you if we ever got separated, but I couldn't have done that without dragging you into the trouble I was in. Then when you ran from the Lyle house, I had no idea how to find you until Kit called." I murmured and stepped back, putting a hand on his cheek.
"You kept tabs on us?" he asked as he rubbed his sleeve under his nose, and then blinked back tears. His bottom lip quivered as he stood there, his eyes searching my face as though he would never get enough. I smiled softly, and kissed his cheek.
"Of course Derek!" I hugged him again. "I didn't do it nearly as well as I should have, but I tried. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if anything had happened to you and Simon all because I tried to save myself." He hugged me tightly, once more, and stepped back.
"It's okay Daniella." he smiled, and turned to a petite little teenage girl. "This is Chloe Saunders... my mate." His voice was still a little choked as he bent down to kiss her hair. I smiled down at her, still trying to reign in my tears, and picked up a lock of dank, faded black hair. Even through the lingering smell of hair dye, which usually only lasts with cheep brands, a mistake my brother would dearly pay for later, I could smell her. It was the same fresh rain as my brother, an inevitable similarity between mates, and Freesia's. Underneath that was a lingering smell of death. It was strong enough to mark her power, but not strong enough to deter anyone away.
"Let me guess." I spoke to her. "This was his idea." I tipped my head towards Derek, and she snickered.
"Yeah. Pretty much." she nodded, and I felt someone tackle me from the side. I braced my leg, and turned my head to see Simon's blonde spikes. I grinned, and hugged his shoulders.
"Daniella Shomecossee Souza, don't you ever leave us like that again! And get a shorter middle name!" he berated.
"Shomecossee?" she murmured, looking at Derek. "Do you have similar names?" she asked quietly.
"Derek Ezhno Souza." I smirked, when Chloe cocked an eyebrow. "Our father was Native American." I explained, my gaze meeting Derek's for half a moment, then I set Simon upright.
"Yeah. That's why they don't have to try to get a tan." Simon jabbed, and turned when Kit walked up.
"Hello Daniella." he smiled, and hugged me once, but quickly stepped back to size me up. I was taller than him now, an odd change. "This is Lauren, and Victoria, but we call her Tori." I glanced at them both. Lauren was the older version of Chloe, without the ugly hair dye, and Tori looked as though she belonged on the cover of an up and coming teenage model magazine.
"It's lovely to meet you both. I believe we should go get your luggage, then we're going to lunch with James. He's the southeastern Washington pack leader. Turns out, we've never met face to face before... well. Human faces anyway." I snickered, and we headed towards the luggage belt.
"So, Daniella." Derek caught the wrist of my left hand, and looked at the ring that rested there. "You married Trace?" he asked, dropping my wrist, and taking Chloe's hand, their fingers lacing together. I rolled my eyes, and stepped to the side when we reached the belt.
"You didn't think I wouldn't?" Derek shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. The luggage was just coming out of the little archway.
"I just… kinda hoped to be there." he grunted, and looked away. I rubbed his shoulder, and ruffled his hair on the back of his head.
"I'm sorry bud. If it helps, we can get our vows renewed, have the whole shebang, and you can be there." I offered as I helped Derek hoist the suitcases off the belt. He shrugged, but I knew it would make all the difference in the world to him. I leaned down to grab his, as he leaned down as well. "Trace wanted you to be the best man." I whispered, and Derek snorted as I took both Tori's and Lauren's while Derek grabbed his and Chloe's, leaving Simon and Kit to carry their own. We headed out towards the truck. The sun had made it higher in the sky, and the others shielded their eyes as we walked out. Derek eyed the truck skeptically, the couches bolted into the bed. With a pack of wolves that usually wanted to tag along at the most random of moments, it was good to have a truck that held a lot of seats. I tossed Kit the keys after swinging the two suitcases I had been carrying into the back, between the couches and the tailgate.
"You drive." I nodded to Kit, jumping up into the bed, and grabbing suitcases as Derek handed them up. I helped Simon and Derek in, and the other girls climbed into the cab with Kit. I settled onto one of the couches, and moved over so Derek could flop down next to me. Simon took the one across from us. Silence stretched between us as Kit started the truck and moved slowly through the parking lot.
"I'm glad you two are all right." I murmured, looking between them.
"Dad sort of explained what happened. But what did you do after you left?" Simon asked, leaning closer. I sighed and locked eyes with Derek, knowing he needed the most explanation.
"The Edison Group was after me as well. They said I was the first female werewolf they'd come across, and they wanted to see if it affected anything. AKA, they wanted to see if I could still reproduce. When I refused they knew I wouldn't ever come quietly, loudly, or in any other form besides dead. Trace and I got married so we could get out of the state without it being declared a kidnapping and we moved here. Brian, one of Trace's dad's pack, moved up to make sure we were doing okay. That's when he met Clarissa. We were the original three of the pack.
"Brian's parents died not long after he moved so he had to take in his little brother, Chase. He'd already started his Change, and now he's almost mastered it at eighteen. Jason moved up not long after Chase finished his first Change. Cody and Connor, both a year older than Chase asked to join our pack a while ago, around my twentieth birthday I think. Trace and I took them in until they were old enough to get their own place, and Change on their own. Then Samuel switched from the southeastern pack. Said he liked the small town scene better. Finally Brandon found us and -" I looked up when Derek interrupted.
"Why does that name sound familiar?" he thought for a moment, and I winced.
"He was one of the other test subjects when we were kids." I explained, and he winced as well.
"And he joined your pack?" Simon asked in surprise.
"He said he felt a bond of loyalty towards us. Said we went through too much to not be in the same pack." I shrugged and leaned back. We were silent as Kit gunned the truck onto the freeway.
"Hey, D. Have you restored that mustang yet?" Derek changed the subject to lighter things, as the wind swirled around us.
"Got the engine rebuilt, and the inside refurbished." I smiled, resting my feet on the opposite couch, and laced my fingers in my hair to keep it from whipping my face. "Trace says it still smells like tobacco, and peppermint."
"My two favorite scents." Derek laughed sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"So, Derek." I gave him a look. "How did you and Chloe meet?" I turned, leaning my back against the arm of the couch, and resting my feet on his lap. Derek sighed, and picked at my shoelace.
"Well, while we were at the Lyle house, she came, and I don't know what it was…" he kept his gaze fixed on my shoes as he searched for the right words.
"It was like she was the only person in the world, that first time you saw her?" I smiled softly, when he nodded meekly. "Then after that you couldn't get her out of your head, it was all Chloe, all the time?" He rolled his eyes.
"That seems a bit… chick flickish to me." he gave me a suffering look, but I saw the truth behind the joking. I was right, again. "But the funny thing is, Simon seemed to find out before I even guessed." I cocked an eyebrow at him.
"You grew up telling yourself you were dangerous. So, in the back of your mind, you weren't worthy of someone like her…"
"You should have heard him." Simon laughed, raising his voice over the rush of the wind. "Every night before we went to bed, the idiot kept asking me how things were going with Chloe, as though he was trying to push her on me. When I figured out what was going on, I told the poor bastard. You know what he said to me?" Derek glared at Simon.
"I have a feeling he'd get in trouble with me if you told me." I winked, and relaxed sinking lower into the couch. "So…" I reached behind me and pulled up a cooler, handing the boys a Pepsi. I pulled out a box of Chex Mix, and began munching on one of the pretzels. "Have you two…" Derek looked at me, and his eyebrows pulled down in a little 'v' over his eyes. Simon snorted into the pop can lid, and looked back at the cars behind us. Derek froze, then turned to glare at me.
"Are you seriously asking me this?" he glared up at me dangerously from under his lashes. I met his gaze unblinkingly.
"I just want to make sure you two are being safe if you are." I smirked, munching on a handful of Chex Mix. Derek flushed a dark scarlet, and looked quickly away. "I don't want to be an auntie just yet." I laughed when Derek snarled, glaring at me. "Oh calm down Little D. I'm just messing with you. And don't worry. Chloe won't catch wind of this." We looked up when the small square in the back window slid open.
"Kit says he has no idea where we're going." Tori called through the window.
"Tell him we're headed to the Olive Garden on Wall street. And that he needs to take the second exit." I called back.
"Also," Tori turned, looking at me. "He says Chloe's playing DJ, so we're pretty much not listening to much."
"Roll down the windows, and blast it out!" Simon called, and Tori laughed, relaying the message. A deep bass rocked the frame of my truck. We reached the restaurant with a few minutes to spare, and I hopped out over the side of the truck, and helped Simon down as Derek swung Chloe out of the front seat. As we walked inside I glanced at him, a moment of silent conversation passing between us. It was easy, just like when we were kids.
His eyes seemed to ask me if I was okay. I shrugged, letting him know I was. He snickered, and rolled his eyes. I knew I'd always be his girl. He just had another girl in his life. One who could love him the way a sister couldn't. I patted his shoulder, and held the door open for the others. I walked up to the counter, and gave the waitress James' last name.
"Of course Ma'am. Right this way." she smiled warmly, and led us to a table big enough for ten.
"Thank you very much." I nodded to her as another waitress brought over a tray full of water.
"Is there anything else you would like to drink?" she asked, setting the water glasses down as we settled into our seats.
"I think we'll wait for the other two to show up, but thank you." I nodded, and she grinned.
"Alright. My name is Sandy, just get my attention if you need anything." and with that she flounced away. I rolled my eyes at Derek, and he snickered.
"She's afraid." he hissed, grabbing a menu.
"Definitely." I giggled, and looked up when Kit said my name.
"What have you been doing with yourself lately?" Kit asked, grabbing a breadstick from the basket.
"I've actually just designed a new house, which will be starting construction in two weeks. Trace has started at the hospital up in Colville. My pack is really nice too. Extended family. So, if you guys see some random guy running around the house, only half dressed, or not dressed, don't worry." I snickered. We'd all grown out of modesty around one another.
"You design houses?" Tori asked, her eyebrows shooting up. I nodded, and glanced up when I caught a concentrated scent of wolf.
"Daniella Brevik, I presume?" a deep voice rumbled behind me. I stood and smiled, James was barley taller than my six feet, and the woman by his side was nearly a foot shorter.
"James." I smiled, and glanced back at the table. "Guy's this is James, and his mate…"
"Tara." she smiled, and Kit stood, holding out a hand.
"Kit Bae. I'm Simon's father, and the adoptive father to Derek and Daniella." James took his hand, and shook it firmly, but not bone shattering firmly. I knew he'd save that one for me.
"This is Derek." I put a hand on my brother's shoulder, "And his mate, Chloe. That is Tori, and Lauren. Trace couldn't make it." James raised an eyebrow.
"A very… mismatched group." he snickered, glancing at me. He helped Tara into her chair, and he seemed to hover a bit too long. I took my seat next to my brother.
"So, Tara. Is James always this protective? Or is it a new thing?" I smirked when Tara giggled.
"Ever since he learned I was pregnant, he's been a little like a mother hen. I'm warning you now Daniella. If you like your privacy, never tell your mate you're pregnant until the last possible moment." she rolled her eyes when James sighed, looking down at a menu.
"Probably not going to happen." I laughed, patting her hand. "My mate's a doctor."
"I don't know what you're always so grumpy about, love." Tara smiled. "She seems very nice."
"You should see her with her teeth bared." James grumbled, his eyes roaming over the menu.