Chapter 21:
Derek was back at the house looking after Dylan with Isaac's help as I was running through the woods, trying to lose the baby weight I'd gained from being pregnant. So far it was working, in a few weeks I'd lost twelve pound; another ten and I'd be back to my original weight again.
I slowed as I heard someone following behind me, coming to a stop and pretending to adjust my wristband before spinning round and kicking my leg out. My foot connected with a hunter's face and he reeled backwards, crumpling onto the forest floor unconscious. I strained my ears and managed to hear a couple more lurking between the trees.
I regulated my breathing and watched as the two other hunters had their backs to me. I crept up behind one of them and pressed my thumbs hard against the pressure points in his temples, making him drop down and the other to quickly face me. I kicked him in the wrist before he could reach his gun, making him cry out in pain.
"You know, you guys really aren't as discrete as you think you are." I remarked, kneeing him in the groin as he tried to grab me.
"You only gave birth four weeks ago, you're still meant to be weak." He wheezed, bending slightly as he clutched himself. My face hardened and I grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking his head back so he could look at me.
"Stay away from my baby." I warned before punching him in the face, releasing his hair before jogging back in the direction of my house once I made sure all three were unconscious.
Derek's P.O.V.
I was walking around the living room with Dylan resting on my shoulder, bouncing him slightly to make him stop crying. I went into the kitchen and saw Isaac struggling to make up a bottle.
"Here." I said, handing Dylan to him before doing it myself.
"It's harder than it looks." He defended. I smiled softly as I tested the temperature of the milk on my wrist.
"I know." I replied, taking Dylan back before feeding him the bottle of warm milk. He stopped crying almost instantly and I had to pull the bottle back a little. "Not so fast." I muttered before replacing it back in his mouth. Isaac and I were making our way back to the living room when the front door opened, revealing Steph.
"How was running?" Isaac asked as she kicked off her trainers.
"Good, knocked out three hunters on the way back." Dylan coughed slightly and I wiped the milk away that he'd spat back out before gently feeding him again. "He's drinking it too fast." She said, standing in front of me and looking down at him.
"I know, he won't slow down." I replied, shifting my arm that was under him to support him better. "Are you okay?" I asked, looking down at her.
"Yeah, they didn't have a chance to touch me." She smiled. "Although, I didn't think my leg could get that high; I kicked one of them in the head." I chuckled as a small frown creased her forehead. "Slow down mister." She scolded, grabbing my wrist and pulling the bottle from Dylan's mouth. Dylan's face scrunched up and he whined, getting ready to cry. "Hey, you can have it back if you don't drink it so fast; you'll make yourself choke." He looked at her with wide green eyes and she nodded for me to continue feeding him.
"How did you do that?" I asked in shock as he was drinking the milk slower than he had been before. Steph smiled and tapped the side of her nose.
"Mother's intuition." She grinned cheekily. I rolled my eyes and nudged her in the leg with my foot, making her stick her tongue out at me.
/
"What are you thinking about?" I asked as I noticed Steph staring off into space as she was slouched down on the couch beside me while Dylan had been put to bed an hour ago. I poked her in the thigh when she didn't respond, making her jump away and look at me; her heart rate blipping slightly.
"You scared me." She sighed, running a hand through her long hair.
"You were out of it." I stated. "I asked you what you were thinking about."
"Ways of disposing some old fucker that wants to get a hold of our baby." She muttered, rubbing her eyes before stretching her legs out in front of her, tucking them close to her chest after.
"Gerard wants Dylan?" I frowned, looking at her as she nodded.
"He wants you to give him the bite; he's trying to get bargaining chips to force you to do it." She sighed. "You should know that by now from what happened last time."
My frown deepened as I remembered him kidnapping Steph and the condition we found her in before we got her back. I felt her small hand slip under mine and her fingers laced between mine, making me grip it securely.
"He won't get him." I stated.
"Trust me, I know. He can stick it if he thinks he's even gonna touch him."
"Never get in the way of a mother's rage." I muttered, looking at her as she shoved my shoulder lightly.
"I heard that asswipe." She smiled, turning slightly so her legs draped over my lap. I smiled and pushed her head away, making her laugh. "Twat, you're gonna get it later." She nudged me in the ribs with her foot.
I grabbed her foot and tickled it, making her jerk away and slam a hand over her mouth to stop the yell from waking up Dylan. She tried to kick me away, but I managed to get between her legs so she couldn't reach me as I tickled her. She whined and squirmed as she looked for a way out, making me chuckle. She curled up into a small ball under me so I couldn't reach her ticklish spots.
"You're a dick." She muttered, peeking through her fringe at me. I pouted and laid down so my face was beside hers. "You could have made me wake Dylan up." She pouted, untucking her face from under her arms.
"You still love me anyway."
"I do." She smiled, leaning forward and kissing me quickly. "Very much so."
"Love you too." I smiled, pecking her lips. I paused and listened for a few seconds. "Dylan makes noises in his sleep. He got that from you, you sometimes talk in your sleep."
"I do not!" She blushed and I smiled, cupping her cheeks in my hands and looking at her.
"You do, but I love you for it." I smiled, rubbing my nose against hers. "Come on, you're tired." I pulled her off the couch and onto her feet as I stood up.
"I can't be bothered to move." She whined, leaning against me as I slid my arm around her waist, I rolled my eyes before lifting her into my arms and carrying her as I walked upstairs. Dylan started crying and Steph squirmed free of my arms, walking into the nursery with me following behind her. "What's up baby?" she cooed, leaning over the edge of the crib.
"He dropped his dummy." I said, picking it up off the floor and wiping it off before leaning down and sticking it back in his mouth; making him settle back down. Steph lightly wiped the tears off his cheeks with her fingers and I listened to his heartbeat as he fell back asleep. "He's good now."
She nodded and I gently pulled her from the room, leaving the door cracked open slightly.
"I can't believe it's been a month already." She sighed, collapsing front first onto the bed. "Next thing you know he'll be sixteen."
"We've got a while yet." I chuckled, lying beside her and watching as she curled up to my chest.
"You could bite Gerard, and then let his own hunters stick him." She mumbled, stopping my hand that was rubbing her back.
"You can be really sadistic sometimes." I remarked, continuing my actions.
"I think you mean tactful." I felt her smile against my chest and chuckled.
"Sometimes you go a little too far. Now go to sleep." I kissed her head as her arm curled around my side.
"You may be older, but that doesn't mean you can boss me." She muttered.
"I'm Alpha." She tilted her head back to look at me.
"I never listened to you when you were a Beta; Alpha makes no difference to me. You're still my same old Derek."
"And that's what gives me near heart attacks, the possibility of you getting hurt when you don't listen to me." I said, tucking her head back under my chin.
"You'll live; you're a werewolf for Christ's sake."
I chuckled and squeezed her gently before listening to her fall asleep.
End Derek's P.O.V.
Who loves daddy Derek? :) I'm liking this series so far and was thinking of making it into a trilogy right at the end, just so you guys get a small insider of what it would be like further down the line with Derek's pack and family. What do you guys think? x