Chapter 36
Over the next few weeks Lydia trained with each of the wolves, honing her ability to push and pull their shifts from a distance and at random. She was, however, getting frustrated with her inability to get Jackson to shift back into the Kanima. He was trying to convince her that it simply wasn't possible, but she felt like she was just missing something. While Lydia had been training with her abilities, Stiles had been training everyone else with firearms and experimenting with recreating the hunter's wolfsbane bullets with Allison's help. For her part, Allison was thoroughly frustrated with being stuck in the house and unable to help prepare the pack for the coming battle. Everyone made a point of coming by and hanging out with Allison, but she couldn't help feel like they were all babysitting her and it was not a feeling that she liked.
It was this frustration that Scott walked into after a long day of training with the pack. Opening the door, his werewolf reflexes barely saved him from a flying glass as Allison lost her patience with the constant rotation of friends who meant well, "Leave me alone!"
"Um, Allison? Do you want to talk about what the glass did to offend you?" He asks, utterly confused and a little scared of his girlfriend's mood swings now that she was on bed rest—it was like the crazy was just building up in the room and it just combusted every once and a while.
"No, no I don't want to fucking talk about it! I am fat and trapped in this bed and I can't help anyone and everyone keeps talking to me like I am dying or mentally handicapped!"
"Um, I think everyone just doesn't want you to get lonely Allison." Scott said gently, trying not to rile her ire.
"Well it is not fucking working!" She growled, then looking at his exhausted and slightly scared face, she burst out into tears, "Oh God I am so sorry, I know that they are just trying to help and that I am being crazy, but I just can't help it." She grabbed his face in her hands, her eyes wide and wild, "The baby is making me crazy." She collapsed into his chest and sobbed. "Um, honey, you need to calm down okay, just breath and calm down."
"I, I, I can't," she all but yelled.
Scott just rubbed her back and tried to calm her down, after a few minutes she pulled herself together, "I am so sorry I just can't seem to control my emotions lately. I am tired and bored and so over being cooped up and," She looks down, rubbing her hands down her belly, "And I don't know what is wrong with me or if she is okay." She starts to cry again.
"Allison," he takes her face in his hands, tilting it up, "Look at me," Reluctantly she does, "You are an amazing mom. Not 'you are going to be' or 'I think', you are. You are an amazing mom. You are doing all of this to keep our little girl safe and healthy. She is growing and getting stronger because of you. You are a miracle." Allison leaned forward and kissed him. She kissed him with all of the love and passion that she had been repressing over the last two weeks.
"God, you always know what to say!" She kissed him again. He smiled against her lips as the baby moved between them. "Hey little girl," Scott leaned down to her belly, pulling up her shirt and kissing her belly. "Hey, were you a good girl for your mom today?"
"Oh she was the best! She even let me sleep," Allison smiled. Looking up at her with eyes full of wonder, Allison could not help but think about how innocent he looked—like a little boy on his birthday. Scott was mostly just happy that the mood pendulum had swung back to the happy side of her personality. He pressed a kiss to her taunt skin again before looking up at her, "I think she needs a name. Do you have any ideas?"
"Well I have one, but it is more of a middle name. What about you? Do you have any ideas?"
Quirking his head for a moment, Scott looks reluctant, "Um, well maybe, I, it is just an idea and if you hate it please tell me but I was thinking about Sophia. It means wisdom and I want her to be wise, like you. It is also my mom's middle name and I don't know how often she will get to see her grandma so," Scott left the thought hanging, looking up from Allison's belly to see her reaction.
Rubbing her hands once more over her belly, she smiled a beautiful dimpled smile, "Sophia," she whispered, the baby moved inside of her, "I think she likes it," she giggled, "Yeah?" Scott asks.
"Yeah, and I love it, I was thinking about calling her Melissa because your mom has been so wonderful, but I love the name Sophia." They kiss once more. "So what was your idea?" Scott inquires and now it is Allison's turn to look bashful.
"Well, I don't want to cross any lines or make you feel uncomfortable, so please tell me if you hate it, but I was thinking about Louve as a middle name. It is French, like my last name, but it means she wolf. Argent means "silver" and it kills wolves but Louve means "she wolf" and that is what she is going to be."
"Really?"
"Yeah, look I understand if you don't want to use it. I mean the whole reason that we are here is because of my fucked up family and I understand if you don't want a reminder of them. God, this was just a stupid idea," Scott cut her ramble off with a kiss.
"I love it. Sophia Louve McCall," She giggled as she caressed her belly, "Do you hear that Sophia," they both giggled as they kissed again. Pulling Scott closer, she slide her figures under his t- shirt pulling it over his head, as she reached for his jeans Scott pulled back, "Wait, wait, are you sure that this is okay?" I mean," Allison grabbed him by the pants and all but growled, "Scott, I love you but if you finish that sentence I may have to kill you. I haven't had sex in over two weeks and I am going to now, so it is either you or I go find Boyd."
"Boyd? Really?" Scott quirks his head suddenly confused. "Shut up," She sing- songed as she pulled him into another kiss, finishing with his pants. Scott made quick work of her shirt and pj pants before he stopped her again. "Wait,"
"Scott," she warned as his led her from the bed and into the bathroom. Starting the shower, he stripped them both out of their underwear, "I don't want the others listening." He stated as he went back to kissing her. Pulling her into the steamy shower, the warm water ran over both of them as they kissed and caressed each other. As he slides his hands down her sides and over her ass, Scott lowered himself to the shower floor before pulling her thighs over his shoulders. "Wait, Scott you can't hold me," Allison started only to be met with Scott's comical raised eye brow before his tongue was suddenly inside her swirling a few times before he found her clit with his lips.
Allison leaned back against the marble of the shower wall pressing her shoulders into the cool rock as Scott quickly brought her to orgasm, releasing the built up tension she had been feeling. "Oh God you are good at that," She moaned as Scott stood, still holding her hips tightly as neither of them trusted her legs to hold her. "You just taste so good," he mumbled against her lips as he moved to kiss her again. As Allison came down from her high, Scott washed her hair and lovingly washed her body. She returned the favor, running the washrag over his bronze skin; taking care to run her fingers over the ridges and planes of his body, avoiding the sensitive skin of his groin. Dropping the rag, Allison kissed him once more before running her nails down his abdomen causing Scott's eyes to roll back in his head for a moment.
This moment gave Allison the time she needed to drop to her knees in front of him, running her nails down the "V" between his hips Allison leaned forward and ran her tongue up the hardened ridge of his shaft before circling her tongue around the head of his cock. Sucking down hard, she slid her mouth down his rock hard flesh, relaxing her throat and swallowing as much of him as she could. Distantly she heard Scott's strangled cry as she continued to bob up and down his dick, rolling her tongue around the tip as she came up. Scott buried his fingers in her hair, moaning and biting his lip trying to be quiet as she continued to suck him into her mouth, fisting her hand around the base of the shaft squeezing and sliding her hand in time with her mouth. Within minutes, Scott could feel himself on the edge, "Oh, God Allison, I'm gonna," Before he could finish his warning, she sucked him down again with enough force to push him over the edge; he came hard into her throat. Allison swallowed every drop before releasing him with a pop. Looking down at her, she met his eye from the floor of the shower, wiping the side of her mouth with her thumb, "Oh Jesus that was hot," He mumble, sliding his hands into her hair, pulling her up by the back of the head, "Wow," he kissed her, still leaning against the cool shower wall. "Not as good as the real thing, but it will do in a pinch," She smiled, now sated and much happier that she had been.
"So that was a compromise?" He chuckled, still trying to calm his heart rate. "Well, yeah, sex may not be ideal right now, but I needed that," She kissed him again, both of them needing the contact for a few minutes.
"Best compromise ever," Scott smiled before turning off the shower and helping dry Allison off. As they snuggled in the sheets of their bed, Scott kissed Allison's head once more, "Goodnight Allison, I love you," running his hand down, "I love you too Sophia."
Giggling, she kissed his chest, "We love you too." And for the first time in two weeks, Allison fell asleep feeling calm and relaxed.
Down the hall, Derek walked into his bedroom to find it empty. Sighing with exhaustion, he stripped out of his coat and boots before hearing a faint splashing in the bathroom. Walking into the room, he found Lydia in the tub, the water just covering her breast where she held Isabel close to her chest. The baby's dark head was a stark contrast to her mother's fair skin and the wisp of red hair floating down around her face. Lydia looked so calm and relaxed as she played with the baby's hands, giggling at the noises that erupted from Isabel that truly sounded like she was trying to form words. Simply put, it was one of the most beautiful sights that Derek had ever seen.
"I think that she is going to talk soon," Lydia said, not ever looking up at him standing by the door. The sound of her voice was the first indication that she gave that she knew he was there. Chuckling, he walked into the room fully and knelt beside the tub, "Lydia, she is only four and half months old, give her a little time."
"My baby is a genius, and she is going to talk soon." She giggled again as Isabel squealed in response as if she was agreeing. Tilting her head, she looked a Derek, "What was Jade's first word?"
"Dada. She said Dada when she was six months old." She giggled again, "A true Daddy's girl huh?"
Derek's face took on a look of nostalgia, "At the beginning I was a mess. That was after the fire and before we moved into Kay's house. We were all staying in Caroline's little apartment at USC. Jade and I slept on the couch. I was cooking breakfast one morning and she was sitting in her bouncy seat just loving life and she just looked at me and held out her little hands and said, 'Dada', it was like she wanted my attention and she knew just how to get it." He chuckled at the memory of her determined little face.
"That sounds like our girl," Lydia laughed in response, "Did um," She looked down at Isabel again, "Did she say Mama next? Did she call someone else Mama?"
"No," he response, slightly surprised at her question, "She never called anyone mom until you. Lydia, other than my sisters and Kay and her girls she has never really been around women."
"So Sarah never hung out with her?"
"No," Derek chuckled, "Sarah barely knew that she existed, she didn't actually know she was mine and I didn't want her around my daughter. I told you, she was just a hook up." Dipping his hand into the water, he ran his fingers up and down her calf. "You are the only woman that Jade has ever called Mommy, it is almost like she was waiting for you."Lydia teared up at the comment.
"I feel like I was born to do this. All of this time, my whole life, nothing has ever quite felt like it fit, you know, not my mom or my family. Not being the popular girl or Jackson or any of it. The only time I have ever felt at peace is with the pack, which is crazy because we have been running for months, but we are a family."
"Yeah," Derek nodded, resting his chin on his hands where they rested on the side of the tub, "You are beautiful, you know that."
Giggling, Lydia released Isabel's tiny hand to run her wet fingers through Derek's hair, "So are you," he chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Why are you taking a bath with Is?" He wondered out loud.
"She was running a low fever and Janie said that a lukewarm bath may help lower it. I think she is teething." He nodded and just continued to watch her for a few more minutes. As the water began to cool, Derek crossed the room to grab the towels and reached down to take Isabel from Lydia. Wrapping her in a fluffy towel, he handed the other one to Lydia. As she stood, water riveting off of her body, he was once again taken with her beauty. Her hair was tied up in a low bun, but several locks had fallen forward to frame her face. Her breasts were nearly twice the size that they had been just a month ago and her skin actually seemed to glow.
Quirking a sarcastic eyebrow at him, Lydia snarked, "I am already naked, you can stop trying to undress me with your eyes."
"I am not trying to undress you," He rolled his eyes right back, as he shifted Isabel to rest against his chest, "You just, you are starting to look pregnant." He said the awe in his voice undeniable.
"Is that a good thing?" She asked skeptical as she wrapped a towel around herself trying to figure out if he meant that she looked bloated.
"It is a very good thing," he nodded, following her into their bedroom.
"Okay," she was still skeptical, "How do I look pregnant?"
"You just do. You look all glowy and soft." This was seriously the mushiest that he had ever sounded as he moved to put a diaper on Isabel and dress her in soft yellow footie pajamas.
"Soft as in fat?"
"No, not fat, just, I don't know, soft. And I mean your boobs are huge," He couldn't help but stare a bit as she dropped he towel and pulled on her underwear.
"I know, I can barely wear a bra anymore because they are so swollen."
"I'm not complaining," he added.
"I know, because you are not the one carrying them around. " She laughed at his face as she crawled in the bed where he was seated with Isabel. Laying the baby between them, he leaned over and kissed Lydia. "Do I, you know, do I smell any different? I mean you said that the pack would be able to smell me, but, what does it smell like?"
"Yeah, you do, but I doubt anyone else is going to say anything about it just yet because they are not around you as much as I am. You just smell more like the earth and the rain. And," he paused, stopping himself from saying something that may freak her out.
"And what?" Knowing that she wouldn't let it go, he continued, "And more like me." After looking at him with a slightly confused and unreadable face, Lydia burst out laughing. "Like you? I smell like you?"
"Well, yeah," he was a little embarrassed.
"That is some strange territorial shit right there isn't it? I smell like you because I am pregnant with your child. I guess wolves don't have a lot of paternity suits huh?"
"Well no, mostly because most wolves mate for life, but yeah, if you are related you smell alike. Jade told you that Isabel smells like you just like she smells like me, which is probably why no one has pushed her paternity because she does smell just like you, so they probably think that her scent means that she will be a guardian like you instead of a wolf like me and Jade, but that little boy in there, he smells like me, so as long as he is in you, you are going to smell like me. Just like Allison smells like Scott right now." He explained and Lydia just nodded, deciding to ignore the mild ridiculousness of her life. "Wait, is that how you knew that Allison was pregnant? Because she smelled like Scott?"
"I knew she was pregnant because she fainted and I heard the baby's heartbeat, the smell hit me later." Looking down at Isabel, he ran his hand down her cloth covered back before continuing, "I try not to breathe too deeply around Allison because she smells like Kate and, it just brings up too many memories." Nodding Lydia kisses him before feeling a movement on their bed, looking down, they both witness Isabel rolling towards her mother for the first time. "Oh my God! She just rolled over, did you see that?" He nodded, smiling at her wide smile, "Yeah she did."
"I told you my baby was a genius!" Kissing Derek quickly before swooping down to kiss Isabel's head, she flipped the baby back over and watched her roll herself back on her back. Both of her parents laughed and watched as she continued to roll. After a few minutes of fun, it was clear that Isabel was tired. Derek went and made the baby a bottle and then he took a shower while Lydia feed her and then tucked her into bed. When Lydia returned, Derek was laying on their bed on his stomach, wearing a pair of black sweats. Climbing on the bed, she straddled his back and began to rub is tense shoulders.
"Oh God I love you," He mumbled into the pillow as she worked out a particularly sore knot in his back. Leaning forward she kissed between his bare shoulder blades, instinctively knowing that he was worried about protecting the pack in the coming battle. Leaning back she ran her hands over the large tattoo on his back.
"You know, you never explained this," She traced the shape with her nail, making Derek growl lowly. "Why did you get a triskale? The Celts believed that it represented the union of the sky, earth and sea."
"Well, a couple of reasons really, the triskale is a symbol of unity but it also represents three levels of being—alpha, beta, omega for me. I was in a pretty dark place when I got it, I needed the reminder of my paths and the possible paths my choice could lead me down."
"You were raised to be the pack master, you were a Beta and you were at risk of becoming an Omega."
Looking over his shoulder he nodded, amazed that Lydia seemed to get him. "Yeah, exactly."
"So," she continued massaging his back, "Have you given anymore thought to taking over as pack master, you know now that our one issue is not an issue anymore."
Derek rolled over, resting his hands on her hips where she still straddled his hips, "I can't say I haven't thought about it," he admits, rubbing his thumbs over her low belly, sliding up the t-shirt she was wearing a bit, "but just because I have a legitimate heir doesn't mean that I can pass the challenge or get approval from all of the pack Alphas. "
"What challenge?"
"Well, in order to become pack master I have to have a majority vote from the Alphas and the council. The council can give that to me or they can ask me to prove my worth to them through a physical challenge. Typically it involves an endurance test or fight to the death if someone challenges my claim."
Nodding, Lydia processed the information for a moment.
"Can someone challenge you?"
"I am the heir because my Dad was pack master and my Grandfather before him, however, Nathan has a claim as well because we share a grandfather. He has been an Alpha longer and he certainly hasn't had as many issues."
"And he doesn't have a human claimed mate," Lydia finished the words that he didn't want to say as she slid her hands down his shoulders and chest, resting them just above his heart.
"Well I was going to say he doesn't have quite as complicated a family structure, but no, he doesn't have a human mate." Seeing the trace of hurt in her eyes, he continued, "He also doesn't have a daughter whose birthmother is a mystery or a pack of oddballs. If he wants to challenge me he can, but I will defeat him. Honestly the best thing I can do is to beat the Alpha pack because then it further weakens his claim."
"Well then, we are just going to have to beat them," She smiles seductively as she leans down to kiss him. As their kiss deepened, Derek slid his hands up the back of her t- shirt, attempting to pull it over her head. Lydia sopped him by sitting up quickly as an idea hit her, "Union, that's it!" She squealed, kissing an utterly confused Derek quickly before bounding off of him and the bed and running out of their room calling for Jackson. Shaking his head as he sat up, Derek could help but think about how crazy his wife was.