Elena Michaels (
survivesitall) wrote2014-12-20 11:46 am
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[[Wedding]]
Christmas Eve had seemed the perfect time to get married. Elena loved Christmas, a holiday she'd only come to celebrate as an adult and part of the Pack. This would be her first away from them; away from all of the effort Jeremy would go to, making sure Stonehaven was absolutely perfect. Here it was just Clayton and her, her hand drifting to her already curving belly at that thought. It would be their last Christmas alone, that was definite. But without the Pack, without Jeremy, it had made sense to them both that they try and make it as much a celebration as they could.
They'd decided to have the wedding at the house, clearing out the living room to make room for their friends. A crackling fire gave the room warmth, and the tree they had felled together stood proudly in the corner, covered with little lights but nothing else in the way of decoration. On the mantle there was a snow globe with two wolves in it, their only other Christmas decoration and a recent acquisition.
Elena wore the same dress that she'd worn to Hermione's wedding. Beaded and off-white, it didn't fit as well as it had then. By their count she was ten weeks pregnant, but already she looked closer to four months. She didn't care about that, she would have been happy getting married in jeans. The celebrant spoke of simple things; committment and love. Elena knew that they had that already. She knew that in the nearly thirteen years since they'd first come together they'd been through more than most couples could ever dream of. Being turned into a wolf, kidnapping, magic attacks, killer mutts... The list went on and on and that didn't include the things that they'd done together.
When she said I do she could feel the tears welling, and for once she didn't care about that either. She'd grown up needing to be strong and tough, and finally she could let another side of herself show. The side that was scared for what they were getting into, but loved Clayton completely and wouldn't want to have her life without him.
She kissed him and heard the cheers of their friends. It was done. They were now Mr and Mrs Danvers.
They'd decided to have the wedding at the house, clearing out the living room to make room for their friends. A crackling fire gave the room warmth, and the tree they had felled together stood proudly in the corner, covered with little lights but nothing else in the way of decoration. On the mantle there was a snow globe with two wolves in it, their only other Christmas decoration and a recent acquisition.
Elena wore the same dress that she'd worn to Hermione's wedding. Beaded and off-white, it didn't fit as well as it had then. By their count she was ten weeks pregnant, but already she looked closer to four months. She didn't care about that, she would have been happy getting married in jeans. The celebrant spoke of simple things; committment and love. Elena knew that they had that already. She knew that in the nearly thirteen years since they'd first come together they'd been through more than most couples could ever dream of. Being turned into a wolf, kidnapping, magic attacks, killer mutts... The list went on and on and that didn't include the things that they'd done together.
When she said I do she could feel the tears welling, and for once she didn't care about that either. She'd grown up needing to be strong and tough, and finally she could let another side of herself show. The side that was scared for what they were getting into, but loved Clayton completely and wouldn't want to have her life without him.
She kissed him and heard the cheers of their friends. It was done. They were now Mr and Mrs Danvers.
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He knows that he can't decline the invitation. It would be disrespectful as an alpha, for one, but also he finds that he does not want to. Going to wedding isn't high on his list of things he feels like doing, but he really is happy for them. They're good people, good wolves, and Derek is genuinely glad they found each other.
Derek lingers near the back of the ceremony in wolf form, red eyes glowing. He wants to be there, to show support, but he doesn't want to intrude. He has his black pouch strapped to his flank with a change of clothes, his phone, wallet, and keys in it, just in case.
When they say I do and everyone claps, Derek lifts his muzzle into the air and howls in celebration.
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Still, the wedding makes him a little sad. He's happy for Elena, but it makes him think of all the things he's missed out on while waiting for Jocelyn. He'll never have this. No mate, no child of his own.
He's hanging near the edges when he spots Derek and he pauses, then walks over to him. "Could you not find anything to wear?" he asks with a small smile. "I should have come as a wolf, too."
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Derek huffs out a sound that's something like a laugh and nods his big shaggy head, fixing ruby eyes on Luke. It's been a long time since they've spoken, and Derek regrets that. He knows that Luke is an alpha, or the equivalent thereof in his world, but Derek ignores ceremony and just greets his friend. He gets out and shakes out his fur, nosing at Luke's palm and sniffing a bit, re-familiarizing himself with Luke's scent.
He tilts his head a bit when Luke says he should have come as a wolf and lets out a quiet bark, nodding almost enthusiastically. He'd love to run with another wolf. Sometimes he aches with how badly he wants it. He's an alpha without a pack, and sometimes it's hard to bear.
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"It would be nice," he says. "It's been a very long time."
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Derek hears something in Luke's voice, something that makes him curious and he finds, frustratingly, that he actually needs to use his words. He huffs a huge sigh and nudges Luke's hip with his head, stamping his giant paw against the ground twice in a way that he hopes conveys stay here.
He trots off around the side of the house and shifts back into human form, stretching out his muscles and pulling on the jeans and henley from the bag that had been strapped to his flank. After taking a moment to reacquaint himself with being on two feet, he pads back around to the ceremony and finds Luke, tilting his head like he's still a wolf and blinking at him curiously.
"You seem very hesitant to shift," Derek says bluntly. "Even though you want to."
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It might not be like that here. Jocelyn and Clary aren't here for him to worry about, but adjustments take time.
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"I didn't mean right now," Derek says with a slight roll of his eyes. It's more out of fond exasperation than anything. He looks at Luke with a curious expression, eyes narrowing a bit. "I meant in general. I have never even seen you shift myself."
It's a personal thing, he knows. Shifting is a big deal. Derek hasn't had the full shift for long, but it's a very precious thing. It's like carrying on his mother's legacy. He feels close to her when he's on four feet. He feels free. "We should run sometime. If you'd like."
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Even in Idris, the wolves had had to keep to themselves.
"But I would like that," he continues, looking over at Derek. "I might need it.
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He should. He's been living in them for months. The thought of having another wolf to run with is exciting. It makes him miss Hayley, but even she wasn't all mentally there when she shifted. Even though she knew enough to not see Derek as a threat, she was still lost to the wolf. "Do you keep your mind when you shift? I mean, is it you in there, or is the wolf in charge?"
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There have been wolves who've spent their lives trying to gain the control it takes to still be themselves during the full moon, but Luke has studied the history and there's no record of anyone having ever managed it. Not in his world.
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"It's a gift. Being able to shift at will, I mean. Not many wolves in my world can achieve it." Derek swallows hard and thinks of his mother and his sister. "It means a lot to me."
He shakes off the sudden wave of emotion and looks up at Luke, eyes flickering like embers in the low light until he blinks. "Let me know when you want to run. I think it'll be good for you. For both of us, maybe."
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"That was lovely," Biffy assured him, sitting down across from the wolf and wishing his change could come easily enough for him to communicate properly.
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This a new wolf, one that Derek hasn't met yet, and he eyes him warily as he sits down. His experiences with meeting new wolves in Darrow have all gone well, but he's had enough bad experiences to make him a bit cautious. This one seems friendly enough and Derek flicks his tail, leaning in a bit to sniff and familiarize himself with his scent.
He nods in agreement and looks at Clayton and Elena with longing that's evident even on this face. Someday he'd like to have something like what they have. It just isn't going to happen for him, he doesn't think.
There isn't any easy way to communicate in this form so he reaches down to grip the strap of his pack in his teeth, tugging it free so that it falls to the ground. He pats his paw against the ground twice, hoping it conveys wait here well enough, and trots off to find a private place to change.
A few minutes later he comes back over in jeans and a t-shirt, barefoot with messy hair, and lowers himself back down to the man.
"I'm Derek," he tells him, and his voice is rough from misuse.
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Rather than voice such critiques, Biffy simply rose to his feet to meet the man's eyes properly. "Biffy."
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It doesn't even occur to Derek that his outfit could be seen as disrespectful. He was raised in a small pack who ran around naked all the time, so he doesn't think much of being barefoot. The man in front of him is dressed nicely and Derek can't help the way he raises an eyebrow at his name, but he doesn't say anything about it.
"Good to meet you," Derek says gruffly, holding out his hand for a shake. His eyes flicker red for a moment because he's been on his own in the woods for quite some time now and being around so many other wolves is a little overwhelming, but he blinks and they're just hazel again. "Been here long?"
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"A few weeks only," he said. The flash of red filled Biffy with a brief, odd desire. Had it lasted any longer, he would have bowed his head in instinct, exposing the back of his neck in a show of abeyance.
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Derek notices the uptick in the other wolf's heart when his eyes flash, and it makes the animal, alpha part of him want to exert his power, make the other wolf bare his neck and obey, sink his teeth in and claim. His gums itch with the urge to drop his fangs, and his eyes glow bright red as he tries to get himself in control. He's been an alpha without a pack for far too long, embracing his animal side and living wild, so it takes him a moment.
This wolf isn't his beta, and he has no right to try and make him his, but he finds himself craving that power, that pack connection. He takes a breath in through his mouth and swallows hard, blinking slowly. Between one blink and the next his eyes go from red to hazel, but he's still exuding power, and alpha.
God, he really has been in the woods too long. He clears his throat and tries to ignore the tension. "A little over a year and a half for me. How are you settling in?"
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"I'm managing, I would say. I've found an employment and friends."
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Derek truly isn't intending to exert his power over the other wolf, and part of him wants to apologize but he's an alpha. He can't really help it. All he can do is push the wolf aside as best he can.
"That's good," Derek tells him. The way Biffy speaks makes Derek think he may have come from another time, and it makes him curious. "Where did you come from? If you don't mind me asking, that is."
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"London," he said. "1873."
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