She sags with relief as she senses his understanding. Another dizzy moment comes and goes before she looks up at him and nods. She feels like she’s been running in circles for so long, trying to find someone in this town who can help her — some way to be safe. She’s not a fighter, but now that she knows what he is … there’s hope in her eyes.
Derek almost wanted to be a little more frantic with his movements. It’s clear that this woman has had anything but good luck if her current apparel indicates anything. And more so, her scent indicated the stress and fear in her. Swiftly removing his jacket, he throws it over her, “Come on, my car’s up here, I’ll take you back to my place. We’ll figure out something there.”
She blinks up at him for a minute before a slight smile curves her mouth. She turns her face into the jacket and rubs her cheek on it, then pulls it from around her shoulders and holds it out to him insistently. Her other hand pats at her cloak, sweeping the forest bits from it, and when he takes his jacket back she scrambles to her feet and pulls the cloak back around her shoulders firmly.
She presses her lips together, frustrated. Fumbling at her throat, she pulls the cloak off, revealing that her clothes are ragged and dirty and she’s all but skin and bones. She spreads the gray material on the ground, and kneels beside it. Using pine needles, bits of twig, and whatever else comes to hand from the forest floor, she spells out, ‘AM EMPATH – AM MUTE – HUNTED – HELP ME’.
Derek’s eyes widen as he looks her over. She looked like death. He watched her create the words with everything that was around them, reading them out loud before turning to look at her. “How can I help you?” he asked, his eyebrow raised. “Do you need me to protect you?”
She sags with relief as she senses his understanding. Another dizzy moment comes and goes before she looks up at him and nods. She feels like she’s been running in circles for so long, trying to find someone in this town who can help her — some way to be safe. She’s not a fighter, but now that she knows what he is … there’s hope in her eyes.
Her lips part in a silent ‘o’ of understanding, and some of the weight seems to fall from her shoulders. Her smile is relieved. She steps back a little, and points to herself, then touches her ears, then reaches out and touches his chest, over his heart, very lightly.
Derek watches her, still unsure of her intentions. She didn’t speak and that was slightly uneasy. Her actions didn’t help and he flinched when she touched his chest, taking a step back. “I don’t understand,” he said softly. He wasn’t very good when it came to guessing games or charades.
She presses her lips together, frustrated. Fumbling at her throat, she pulls the cloak off, revealing that her clothes are ragged and dirty and she’s all but skin and bones. She spreads the gray material on the ground, and kneels beside it. Using pine needles, bits of twig, and whatever else comes to hand from the forest floor, she spells out, ‘AM EMPATH – AM MUTE – HUNTED – HELP ME’.
She touches one claw with a gentle fingertip, then holds up her hand, fingers curved a little, like his. Her fingernails are long, but they aren’t claws. She looks from her hand to his, then back up at him, still radiating that curiosity. It’s as if she’s saying, ‘why do you have claws and I don’t?’
Derek watched her, his eyebrows almost pressed together as he tried to concentrate. “What?” he asked, bringing his hand back to himself and letting his claws retract. “It’s because I’m a werewolf … It’s why my eyes glow, too.”
Her lips part in a silent ‘o’ of understanding, and some of the weight seems to fall from her shoulders. Her smile is relieved. She steps back a little, and points to herself, then touches her ears, then reaches out and touches his chest, over his heart, very lightly.
She touches one claw with a gentle fingertip, then holds up her hand, fingers curved a little, like his. Her fingernails are long, but they aren’t claws. She looks from her hand to his, then back up at him, still radiating that curiosity. It’s as if she’s saying, ‘why do you have claws and I don’t?’
“Answer me!” He almost shouted, grasping her arms and shaking her, “Can you please just answer me?”
“I’m not asking for anything,” he whispered.
She put her head down, trying to work out what was going on. ‘I don’t understand what you mean then. safety in numbers? it sounds like you want me to stay with you’.
“Exactly,” he replied, “You can trust me. I just want to help.”
She sighed, and shook her head, pointing to the paper, where she’d written, ‘I have nothing’.
“Answer me!” He almost shouted, grasping her arms and shaking her, “Can you please just answer me?”
“Don’t go. I’m not safe either. But, there’s safety in numbers. We’ll be safer together,” he replied.
She hesitated, and then her shoulders slumped, and she turned back. Picking up the pen again, she wrote, scratching out a couple of times, ‘I don’tthat’s not I have nothing’.
“I’m not asking for anything,” he whispered.
She put her head down, trying to work out what was going on. ‘I don’t understand what you mean then. safety in numbers? it sounds like you want me to stay with you’.
“Answer me!” He almost shouted, grasping her arms and shaking her, “Can you please just answer me?”
“What? Are there people coming after you?”
She nodded, avoiding his gaze. ‘I’m not safe’. She pressed her lips together, glancing back at him, and put the pen down firmly. Then she reached for the car door handle.
“Don’t go. I’m not safe either. But, there’s safety in numbers. We’ll be safer together,” he replied.
She hesitated, and then her shoulders slumped, and she turned back. Picking up the pen again, she wrote, scratching out a couple of times, ‘I don’tthat’s not I have nothing’.
“Answer me!” He almost shouted, grasping her arms and shaking her, “Can you please just answer me?”
Derek slowly let himself shift, eyes burning blue as he looked at the redhead. Slowly, looking at her hand, he led it to rest on his cheek where the extra hair sprouted with the shift.
She stroked the fur there, lifting a wondering gaze to his changed eyes and altered brow. Then she bent once more to the paper. ‘I don’t know if that makes you safe enough. I should not stay’.
“What? Are there people coming after you?”
She nodded, avoiding his gaze. ‘I’m not safe’. She pressed her lips together, glancing back at him, and put the pen down firmly. Then she reached for the car door handle.
“Answer me!” He almost shouted, grasping her arms and shaking her, “Can you please just answer me?”
“You’re supernatural, too, then. I’m a werewolf. Maybe that’s why?”
She stilled, looking at him, before reaching out as if she would touch him with one hand. Then she wrote, ‘can I see?’
Derek slowly let himself shift, eyes burning blue as he looked at the redhead. Slowly, looking at her hand, he led it to rest on his cheek where the extra hair sprouted with the shift.
She stroked the fur there, lifting a wondering gaze to his changed eyes and altered brow. Then she bent once more to the paper. ‘I don’t know if that makes you safe enough. I should not stay’.