With a flourish, Maia stepped out of her limousine at Town Hall, smiling widely for the flashing cameras as she waved.
The streets were lined with people, all cheering and waving flags for the newly appointed Mayor – in their eyes, she could have damn well been the President.
She was clad in a fitted black blazer with a sheer nude top underneath, her deep purple pencil skirt stretching tightly over her wide hips and muscular thighs. Maia posed for a few pictures before moving inside where she would sworn in officially, sensing Deucalion and her young pack not far behind her.
"Do you Madame Mayor, solemnly swear to hold this office in all regalities…"
Derek and Peter made their way through the crowd in front of Town Hall, the Alpha male feeling the presence of his pack mates, even if he couldn't see them or pick them out in the celebrating mass of people. "Damn. She's already been sworn in, but it sounds like she just started her speech," Peter said almost impatiently, dragging a hand over his newly shaven face. It felt strange for both of them to be back in civilian clothing after so long in only their wolf hides, Derek trying to shake off his wolf and stand firmly on two legs.
"And so I promise you now that this is the beginning – change is coming. Its change for the better, for all of us, men, women, children, the elderly and the young, the able-bodied and the invalid. It was my mission to bring something… more to this great city in which we live and tomorrow-"
Maia's eyes fell on Derek as he pushed to the front of the crowd, her voice faltering, "Tomorrow is a new day. A better day."
The crowd burst into applause and she moved from the podium down to where her husband stood. Derek could feel all eyes on the two of them, but as much as he hated the attention, he just really needed to have her in his arms. "You're home." He felt the foreign sense of detachment spring up between them even as he reached out to cup her cheek in his hand. Derek realized exactly how beautiful she was, as if he had never truly understood it before, even when she had been standing right before him. Maia's loose waves cascaded around her face, her eyes glowing against the background of her dark skin. There was a fire in her eyes that went unrivaled by anything he had ever seen, his wife moving to wrap stone-like arms around him, burying her face in his chest, "Derek."
She didn't care if he was angry or upset with her- he was still there and that was all that mattered. Her hands curled on his back to press him closer and Derek froze for a moment before running a hand down her curls; things had changed, but she still felt like his wife… they still felt exactly like themselves.
"Do not think that I have forgotten that you let me fall over a cliff and walked away."
Whatever Derek had planned on saying died on his lips as Maia pulled back after a moment, inhaling deeply and looking up at him. She stroked his face lovingly before standing on the tips of her toes to kiss his forehead, sighing quietly, "I missed you so much."
"Let's go home," he murmured, seeing her half-smile.
"Okay."
Maia moved around her dinner party in a classic black sheath, making sure to smile often so her pictures would be warm and inviting as the photographers captured the first few moments of her term for the countless spreads being done on her. She had become a minor celebrity and although the notoriety made it somewhat difficult for her to go unseen when she wanted to, she took it all in stride.
The most senior members of the pack and those who had worked on Maia's campaign were having dinner, laughing and celebrating. However, Derek hung back away from the others, preferring to sit in his armchair with a glass of scotch he refused to let go dry.
"Hey."
Peter came out of the kitchen, moving to sit across from his nephew and crossing his legs. "So, I found out where the rest of the pack is. She's placed them here and there outside of town until they can be slowly introduced to the community. Less suspicious that way," he murmured, reaching over to the small coffee table to pour himself a drink. "However, most of the younger ones are at Hale House. She's keeping them close."
The Alpha nodded before looking upstairs, sighing, "The kids should be down here celebrating."
"She doesn't want to put them on the front page of the newspaper and have too many eyes on them. Not with… well, it doesn't much matter," Peter replied, Derek draining his glass before pouring another.
Both males moved to look up as Maia stood in the doorway, Peter standing and clearing his throat. "I think I'm going to go have a cigar on the patio. Excuse me…" Derek averted his eyes to the glass in his hand before his wife sat down on his knee with ease, running a careful hand through his newly cut hair. "You took a little more off of the top than I'm used to," she murmured quietly, her husband reaching up to grab her hand. He kissed her fingertips before placing it back in her lap, looking up at her.
Maia wasn't sure what she saw in his eyes, but she knew that she did not like it, swallowing. "Please Derek… don't hate me," she whispered lowly enough that the other wolves would have a very difficult time hearing, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ears. When he didn't respond – either to deny or confirm her worst fears – Maia started to worry with her bottom lip, the Alpha male placing his glass down and sighing.
"Because I hate… her," Maia continued without letting her voice waver, Derek knowing immediately that she was talking about her wolf. "And I know that somewhere, deep down inside them all, they hate her too. You are the only one who could ever love what I am, what she is, what we have become."
He moved to grab her hands in his, shaking his head – her words were so intensely wrong and she didn't even know it.
"I need to talk to you – but without all of… them. Please," Derek murmured, seeing his mate nod and smile.
"You up for taking a few pictures?"
When the humans had left, Maia kissed Derek once and asked him to come up once she had had a chance to shower, disappearing upstairs. He started cleaning up, moving into the kitchen to find the other Alphas and their Betas still there, feeling their eyes fall on him. Derek bit back a growl, unable to fight off the rising of his hackles when Deucalion spoke to him, "Welcome home Derek."
"Thank you," he replied curtly before looking at the clock. "Its getting late…"
"The others will be gone soon," Deucalion said in a nonchalant tone, his eyes glittering with challenge. Maia's mate bared his teeth and set his glasses down in the sink, his words forced, "And yourself, brother?" The older Alpha feigned confusion, looking at Derek and shaking his head. "Maia must have neglected to mention that I live here now. As her Beta, in a sense, she wanted to keep me… close."
Derek knew that it would be frowned upon for him to attack a pack mate- however tenuous those ties were- and Maia would have his hide for such a thing. Deucalion looked at his stance and his eyes started to glow around the edges; Derek would be no match for him. "You know, you're coming into a very powerful alliance – Maia and I rule this pack. Together. And mate or not, I won't let you come between that-"
The dark-haired male scoffed and shook his head as he turned back to the sink, knowing that his very presence bothered Deucalion. "Ah, so the truth finally comes out: you're threatened by me. As you should be," Derek replied quietly, smirking at the warning growl he received. Deucalion took a step towards him, his teeth bared, "She would kill you as quickly as she would a deer – rip into you and not think twice about it. Whatever you thought about pack bonds and mentality, you can throw out of the fucking window, Derek! Your wife is like nothing you've ever seen!"
"That's right, mutt, my wife," Derek growled menacingly, reinforcing the words forcefully. "Mine. And I could give a fuck what she is."
There was a quick movement of feet before Maia appeared at the foot of the stairs, her robe cut conservatively at her knee and her hair piled on top of her head in a wet bun. She looked at Derek and Deucalion evenly, the latter inclining his head to her respectively in a reflex reaction, "We meet again, Mayor Hale. I hope we didn't disturb your shower."
"No, of course you didn't," she replied firmly, her hand on her hip. "But I do think it is time that all guests have taken their leave – and I think it is best if you stay with Kali tonight Deucalion."
He started to protest but her steadily lightening eyes forced him into silence, the male glaring at her with nostrils flared. "Of course, Maia. I will see you in the morning." Red eyes glittered with a barely hidden rage as she moved to stand beside her husband, the Alphamega silently challenging her pack mate.
Derek almost questioned her before watching Deucalion storm out of the front door and slam it behind him, the male watching the others leave as he smiled to himself.
He then turned around to look at his wife, Maia's muscular arms folded across her chest and her eyes slightly narrowed. "Has anyone ever told you to just let sleeping dogs lie? I need you to stop teasing that ass of a werewolf Deucalion and dangling our marriage in front of him like a cape in front of a bull. You're not making yourself any friends and the two of you are only causing me problems-" Derek moved to kiss her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and pressing his forehead to hers. "Can we just not argue tonight, Maia? Let's argue in the morning…"
"No, let's argue now," she replied insistently, pulling away from his mouth and bracing her hands against his chest. "I want to talk about the cliff you led me out to and let me fall over and walked away from as I was clawing at the rock."
"Alright, then after that, we can talk about why you offered me up like a sacrificial lamb to Peter and used my blood to help strengthen your position as pack leader without so much as blinking on your part."
Maia paused for a moment before rolling her lips against one another and nodding, moving to wrap her legs around her husband's waist, "You're right baby, we'll argue in the morning. Take me upstairs."
"I can do that."