“It’s not fair…” Aislyn huffed against his shoulder while he held her. “I thought he knew.”   It’s deafening to hear her now. Her messages are clear; mournful… as if he was everything to her.    He could feel her want to apologize; to double back, to comfort him past her own hurt, but Derek wouldn’t allow it.    “I’m sorry,” he managed before her. “You don’t owe me anything,” he half said because of his own building hurt but mostly to stabilize her. “If you need to let this out, I’m here. I won’t leave.”   Unlike before, he remained settled, like a fortress within her castle. There wasn’t time for extra. There was only time for being there while she got through this. It was his fault after all. 

======Aislyn ======   Aislyn frowned.    Maybe it was all of the overactivity coursing through her body since they met in the club, or maybe it was more than that. The whole day felt as though an alignment was at play, but no matter how often she checked the sky or mapped out the land with her studious eye, she couldn’t understand what was happening.     She felt like a fucking goddess at work, surrounded by her music and then this guy practically assaulted her with his energy. There was no way her ability to feel the world around her could have doubled unless her wolf was present. All the while, she chased it, quieting her rational

Slipping into the kitchen was one thing. Having a fucking clue what she was after was another.    Derek’s intensity seemed to follow her throughout her tiny studio apartment, even there. It was like he knew he was working her up.    How could he know that, she chided herself.   It was complete nonsense… It was… well, it was everything. It set her entire being on fire, alight with anticipation that maybe there could be something there to chase. She’d never felt like that before; never allowed herself to. But… fuck, she whined to herself. A heads up that she’d find him one day would have been nice and a note, maybe, that he was going to be a fucking house would have been great. At least then she’d have someone to imagine each time she felt like this. 

Aislyn waited patiently as she recorded the new content and whatever else was chasing her around in her feelings. It had to have been hours that went by because not only her charge was flashing, ready for shut down, but even her stomach rumbled too. Aislyn groaned at the prospect of having to get up to face the hypothetical music but if she didn’t get moving now, she wouldn’t have enough time for content adjustments later.    Being in the booth meant that she’d have time to work on this, uninterrupted; without having to be caught up in her feelings about her now, very complicated, life.    Leaving the apartment would be hard though, she decided while she wondered what packlife meant. Honestly, Aislyn just assumed that Derek just wanted to be with her and after being alone for so long, having something like that be offered,

It was hard enough to live it but telling them how she practically threw herself at him was relieving.    “Woah…” Micha replied, unable to think or give much else in response.    “That was pretty ballsy,” Candice added.    “I know. And I just feel like I’m all over the place right now…”   “But you’re still dreaming of being surrounded by him,” Micha said, waving over Aislyn’s program.    Aislyn shivered at the thought.    “Covered is more like it,” she groaned as the women exchanged their shock.   “Good,” Micha sna