Another chapter from Derrick's point of view. I'll get back to Greg and Igor in a bit. I want to explore Derrick just a little bit more.

In the course of writing this story, things have evolved in my mind, and I've found things I wish I had done differently in earlier chapters. I also realized that I've made an impossible timeline for myself, forcing way too much into too short a time, as well as having some things happen much too soon. If I make adjustments in the future, I hope you will just roll with it. I do apologize if it causes any confusion or pain, but as the story has grown, so have I. At some point, I'll do a re-write, and solve many of these issues, and I'm sure I'll cause others, that's just my nature. 😉

Your feedback is taken to heart at Jst4fun2nyt@gmail.com.

The sex isn't a major part of it, nor is it graphic. If you're looking for masturbation fodder, look elsewhere. There will be many slow times in this story, just like there are in life. Other times, things will fly at you too fast. There will be boring days, and exciting days. It's just how it's flowing.

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Chapter 80

Derrick

The sound of a helicopter startled me. I looked around to see Brandon staring at me while everyone else was pretending not to notice me. Behind Brandon, I saw Jamie climb out of the hole they had pulled Samantha from. I stood and rushed to him, pulling him to his feet as I said "This is bullshit! If I can't risk hurting myself, neither can you. You and Steph are forbidden from any dangerous places, do you understand?"

Jamie looked me in the eyes and smiled as he said "I love you too hon, but like you said to us the morning after you phased, we're your mates first. Our job is to serve the pack, just like yours is. If you had been here when I jumped down there, you would have done the same as I did, ignoring any promise you had made us, so don't make me disobey you, please?"

It was then that the tears finally started to fall. Brandon rushed to my side, and he and Jamie pulled me back to my rock pile and sat down with me, holding me as I sobbed. When I could finally talk, I said "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked to you like that. Of course you and Steph can do whatever you feel is right, I just... all this has me thinking about so many things and I'm tired and on edge."

I hadn't heard Stephanie walk up, so when she took my hand and pulled me to my feet, it surprised me "Then you should come with me and we'll all eat something. Then you can sit your ass in a chair in the command center and take a quick nap, cause I know I can't convince you to go lay down with Grandma Mary for an hour or two, or can I?"

I smiled at her as I said "No, you can't, but I'll try to doze a bit in a chair, as long as you two stay with me?" Jamie and Steph nodded, so I turned to Brandon "Who's in the helicopter?"

"Allie. I forget what the pilot said they did, but she's back, and Morgan is probably already holding her hand."

The image of Morgan and his girlfriend made me smile. An honest, full-face smile that reached my eyes and I felt in my heart. One of very few I've had all day. Jamie convinced me to go to the command center with Steph and Brandon, saying he would meet Jarrod at the catering trucks. They would play waiter and bring us all some food. As we were approaching the command center, Grace, Ricky, and Kristine were walking out.

Grace looked at me and said "I'm glad you're here. Ricky wants to give the searchers a break, Kristine thinks we should suggest they go home and we call in the ones that were turned away, and either option you choose, I'd like to take a long slow pass with the drone and the infrared camera again."

I looked at Ricky and asked "What part of changing crews don't you like?"

"The lost time. Bringing the others here might take hours, I don't want to take a break for that long."

I nodded as I thought, then turned to Brandon "Work with Kristine, start getting new volunteers out here, as they arrive, rotate them with the ones that have been here the longest. Is that a good compromise?"

Ricky was smiling as he nodded, as Kristine said "We'll make it happen, Alpha. Now, if I may be so bold, who's going to rotate in for you?"

I smiled at her as I said "I'm going in for a mandatory power nap which, if it doesn't help, I'm sure you'll see my Beta dragging me to a bed, with help from my mates. For now, I'm a volunteer prisoner."

"I'm glad to see it, Derrick. I was worried about you. You're lucky to have those three as wardens." Grace said, indicating Brandon, Jamie, and Steph. I laughed, and was reaching for the door when Morgan and Allie came running up.

Trying to catch his breath and talk at the same time, Morgan said "Derrick... Derrick... I gotta talk to you... now!"

"Can it wait a few minutes buddy? I'm going to eat and rest, just a little bit, then we can talk?"

Morgan looked to Allie, and she gave a slight nod, so he said "Ok, ten minutes, but no more. I'll be standing here waiting for you." He stepped back and leaned against the RV, crossing his arms over his chest, and looking like the world had just killed his pet bunny rabbit, but when I tried to get him to talk, he just pointed at his wrist, and shook his head.

I shrugged, and headed inside to eat. While we were eating, the volunteers were taking their break and the drone was making a very low, slow pass over the rubble, taking in much smaller areas in a single pass than the last time. At the same time, three of Kristine's men had shifted and were in beast form, sniffing the areas the camera had covered, trying to pinpoint bodies, alive or dead. The thing that seemed most out of place, though, was Allie. She was walking along the edge of the pile of rubble, tilting her head from one side to the other, at times, seeming like she was trying to listen. I didn't know if she could separate her senses in human form, like Dad had taught us, but I assumed that's what she was doing. Watching her, she seemed to have her eyes closed, trusting to some unknown force to guide her steps. I started thinking about letting go and following your gut...

After that guy all but raped me, I gave up arguing. When they wanted to fuck me, I just made them pay more. I didn't care, all I could think about was the fact that summer was going to end soon, and we lived in a tent in north central Pennsylvania. We needed to start moving, and soon. I was doing my best to stash some cash, but food isn't cheap at a truck stop, and it's not like we had a refrigerator to store it in.

I was getting dressed after this guy sucked me, then fucked me really rough, when I saw it. He had a pistol, sticking out from under his pile of clean jeans on the shelf. I bent down to pull on my sock and glanced at him. He was half asleep, like most guys after they cum, so I stood back up and faked tripping. I caught myself by putting my hand on that shelf, and quicker than most of these old pervs cum, I slipped his pistol into my pack. I was terrified he'd catch me, and I didn't relax until the next morning when I saw his truck headed towards the interstate.

I turned to Morgan and said "Well buddy, it's gonna get cold, so we should start moving south. What do you think? Wanna see Miami?"

Morgan popped up and started packing as he said "Oh yeah, Derrick, that will be cool. Can we eat something first though? I didn't eat nothing yesterday, and all I ate Thursday was that burger you got me."

"We'll eat when we stop tonight buddy. If we start off on a full belly, it'll just drag us down, ok? Can you hold out til tonight?"

"I can do that, Derrick. Sure, it's just a day. Really half a day, cause the night's the day too, right?"

"That's right buddy. Help me fold the tent, then we'll go in and use the toilet, then come back and we can take off."

We did that too. We headed inside, but like an idiot, I left our stuff and while we were gone, someone dug through the pockets of the pack and found my cash. Thank GOD they were in a rush and didn't dig down and find the gun, but I think I would've rather had the cash. So, Morgan and I started off with just our clothes, our tent and sleeping bags, and my gun.

Whatever, I can sell my ass tonight while he sleeps. Who knows, maybe we can do some fishing. I heard someone say there's a lake just a few miles east of here. That's an idea, take a swim, make it a bath, and catch some fish. Yeah, that will get us back on track.

That's what was on my mind as my gut told me to take the little dirt road that headed off the county road we'd followed for the first hour. That is what was in my mind, the day I first laid eyes on my Dad. Where would we be if we hadn't gone fishing...

"You're late!" Morgan said to me, sticking out his lower lip and pouting.

"I know I'm late, and I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you somehow, but tell me what you wanted to tell me, please?"

"No. You're late, that means you don't care what I have to say."

I was about to reply when Allie came up shouting "Alpha Derrick, you gotta hear what I felt."

I turned to ask her what she found, but Morgan shouted "No he doesn't! He has to hear what I saw. I asked him first."

"That don't matter, cause what I felt cancels what you saw."

"No it don't. I saw what I saw." Morgan said, stomping his foot.

"Morgan, buddy, focus." Brandon tried to say.

"Just cause you saw it, don't mean it's true. I felt nothing, so there's nothing to see." Allie said, turning her back to us and crossing her arms over her chest.

I added just a touch of Alpha to my voice and said "Both of you focus. Morgan, what is your beast telling you? Listen to him and tell me what he's saying."

Morgan instantly went silent for a second, staring at the corner of the RV, then turned to me and said "He's telling me to focus, and to listen to you, Derrick. I can do that."

"Good, and Allie? What's yours saying?"

"She's saying the same thing, Derrick. She says you'll know what's right, and she's right, you will."

"Alright then." I turned again to Morgan "Is it ok if I let Allie say hers first? You know how they say, ladies first, that's polite, right?"

"That's right, Derrick. Ladies first, so yeah, she can go first, I'll wait."

"Thank you, Morgan." I turned to Allie and asked "What did you feel Allie? What do you mean you didn't feel anything?"

"When they were flying the drone thing over the house, I tried to feel feelings and I couldn't find any. There's no one alive in all the mess that used to be your house, Derrick. I'm sorry, but there isn't."

I felt the lump growing in my throat as I turned to Morgan. I had to cough and swallow several times before I could ask him "And what did you see, Morgan?"

"There has to be life in there cause I saw Val and Millie as adults, and they can't be adults if they're dead, so they gotta be alive so they can be adults, right Derrick? So, see? She's wrong!"

"I am not wrong, I didn't feel nothing, so they can't be alive."

"But I saw..."

"Focus! Listen to me, please?" They both got quiet, so I went on "It's possible that they're not in the house, and it's possible that you can't sense them for some other reason that we don't understand. Just because what you both are saying seems to disagree, doesn't mean either of you is wrong. Do you understand?"

Morgan nodded, but looked unsure. Allie said "But?..." then held her tongue and nodded.

"I think I should ask Dad for his advice on this one, but I need you both to listen to your beasts and stay focused. Dad needs your help, and I need your help, and you don't help us by arguing, ok?"

Allie nodded, and Morgan said "I'll do better Morgan. I know I can, I just lost focus cause Allie was gone, and I wasn't with you or Brandon, but now Allie's here and... I need to shut up, ain't that right Derrick?"

I laughed and gave him a hug "Just for now, so I can call Dad, yeah you do little buddy." I stepped back from the hug, and called Dad.

I told Dad that I was confused, and he asked to hear directly from Morgan and Allie. After he listened to them, there was silence, then I heard Grandma Donna sobbing. I was about to say something when Dad spoke in a very forced voice.

"Focus all your attention on the office wing. Continue to dig by hand until you either find the reinforced room, or find that it didn't hold. Call me when you uncover it." I was about to argue when he said "That's an order, Alpha Warnick."

I realized that having to say that tore him apart. Having to give up on Pop and Mom and my sisters was killing him, but he had to be the King, so I said "Understood, Your Majesty, but I refuse to give up hope until I see the bodies of Pop, Mom, and my sisters. Morgan says they'll grow to be adults and I trust Morgan with my life." Then I ended the call, not giving him a chance to say anything more.

I turned to my brothers and mates and said "He told me to focus all of my attention on the office wing. He didn't say focus all the available attention, just all of mine, right?" I saw Brandon's eyes light up as I went on "Well, I'm going to do exactly as my King ordered me to do. Are you with me? Or do you want to leave now before I get us all killed by our own father?"

Morgan smiled as he said "You're right Derrick. He said all your attention. Me and Brandon can focus everywhere else, right Brandon?"

Brandon gave me a smirk as he said "As long as you put enough attention to the office, none of us will be killed. Grounded for life maybe, but not killed. I'm in."

"And you can't put too many volunteers in one small area, or they get in each other's way, so if you use enough in the office, and the rest elsewhere, what can he say?" Grace added, trying to help spread the guilt.

"Not to tell you how to do your job, Ms. Burroughs, but you're best to remain ignorant of the issue, rather than involving the FBI in what might well become an international incident." Jamie said, trying hard not to laugh.

"And you best remain ignorant of the issue, lest you risk angering your Alpha, or your mate, or both! Seriously though, I want you, Steph, and Jarrod to stay out of this, and pay most of your attention to the office. If Dad's gonna freak out, I don't want him having very many targets."

Brandon laughed and said "He'll have two targets, Morgan and me. Derrick has to focus on the office, like he was ordered. That leaves us to do our Alpha's dirty work. And before you say it, we're proud to do it, Derrick. Can we shut up and go get in trouble now?"