now.
Still, Derrick hated lies. Coming from Doc, they were a perversion. Doc was his mentor, his friend, hell, a pseudofather.
“Derrick, do you really think I’d tell Elliot anything? Really?” Derrick had to look away from Doc’s piercing gaze. “No. But I don’t like this.”
“How do you think I feel? I hate that I’m related to a man who does what Elliot does.
Derrick, he experiments on people. If you knew half of what I read in that file… Which is why I can’t, and won’t, do anything to Sabrina without her consent. And if you think about it, I’ve never done anything to you and the others against your will, either.”
“I guess.”
“I admit,” he said with a faint flush, “that I misled Kelly about the shots she was receiving. But that was a decision her mother made, one I didn’t agree with, but respected all the same.”
“I know, Doc,” Derrick said with a gentleness to put the man’s mind at ease. Kelly had told them all how she’d come to be a Circ. She’d been infected at a young age, but her mother hadn’t wanted her exposed to Pearl. So she’d convinced Doc to block her daughter’s change. Doc had, until Kelly’s body refused to suppress her beast any longer.
“I’m sorry.” Doc sighed. “I shouldn’t have lied to you, to any of you. But I was afraid if I said anything, you’d leave.” Doc took an unsteady breath. “You’ve become my family. I don’t know what I’d do without you all.”
Derrick started to panic. Sensitive, controlled Doc looked on the verge of tears. Shit.
“Doc, man, it’s okay. I believe you.” He took Doc’s shoulders under his hands, acutely aware of how easy it would be to crush the smaller man. His beast reared its head, wanting to protect, further convincing Derrick that Doc was on their side. “Doc, it was just a shock, okay? With you and Sabrina, well, I’m confused enough as it is. You know?” Doc smiled, blinking away tears. “Actually, I understand. I’ve felt the same way myself, Derrick.”
Derrick knew he referred to his quiet relationship with Diego -- their cook -- Doc’s best friend and lover. Diego and Doc had been together for as long as Derrick had known the man. He wondered what that felt like, to have such a tight, loving bond.
“It’s not that I think of Sabrina like a mate,” he hurried to argue. He didn’t need another woman in his life. Hell, he didn’t trust Sabrina at all. At least with his other troubled relationships, he’d begun on a positive note. And look at how those had ended.
“Derrick, you don’t need to convince me.”
He wasn’t sure, but it looked like Doc tried to hide a smile. “Good.” Sabrina stirred, taking his attention.
“I gave her some of this to counteract the sedative.” Doc held up a syringe. He turned to Sabrina. “Sabrina? Can you hear me?”
Her eyelids fluttered and then opened, revealing light gray eyes that reminded Derrick of diamonds. “Doc?”
“Sabrina, give it a few moments. Your vision and faculties will start to clear.” He turned to Derrick. “Derrick, help her sit up.”
Derrick put his arm under her back, his energy pooling where their skin made contact.
Was it his imagination, or did she lean closer on purpose? He felt her sniff him, and then the woman curled into his chest. Shit. There went his heart again, racing like crazy.
“Derrick?” Doc asked, his mouth open. “Are you purring?” Derrick wanted to crawl through the floor. “Yes,” he hissed. “And you can’t tell the others, okay? I catch enough shit about her as it is.” He nodded toward Sabrina, resting in his arms like a contented kitten. He stroked her back, wanting to put her at ease while she regained her wits. But only to even the playing field. I hate weak women, and I can’t fairly defeat this enemy if she’s facedown and knocked out.
His beast cried bullshit, but he knew better than to give it its way. He’d already fucked the hell out of the woman for hours.
Still, Derrick hated lies. Coming from Doc, they were a perversion. Doc was his mentor, his friend, hell, a pseudofather.
“Derrick, do you really think I’d tell Elliot anything? Really?” Derrick had to look away from Doc’s piercing gaze. “No. But I don’t like this.”
“How do you think I feel? I hate that I’m related to a man who does what Elliot does.
Derrick, he experiments on people. If you knew half of what I read in that file… Which is why I can’t, and won’t, do anything to Sabrina without her consent. And if you think about it, I’ve never done anything to you and the others against your will, either.”
“I guess.”
“I admit,” he said with a faint flush, “that I misled Kelly about the shots she was receiving. But that was a decision her mother made, one I didn’t agree with, but respected all the same.”
“I know, Doc,” Derrick said with a gentleness to put the man’s mind at ease. Kelly had told them all how she’d come to be a Circ. She’d been infected at a young age, but her mother hadn’t wanted her exposed to Pearl. So she’d convinced Doc to block her daughter’s change. Doc had, until Kelly’s body refused to suppress her beast any longer.
“I’m sorry.” Doc sighed. “I shouldn’t have lied to you, to any of you. But I was afraid if I said anything, you’d leave.” Doc took an unsteady breath. “You’ve become my family. I don’t know what I’d do without you all.”
Derrick started to panic. Sensitive, controlled Doc looked on the verge of tears. Shit.
“Doc, man, it’s okay. I believe you.” He took Doc’s shoulders under his hands, acutely aware of how easy it would be to crush the smaller man. His beast reared its head, wanting to protect, further convincing Derrick that Doc was on their side. “Doc, it was just a shock, okay? With you and Sabrina, well, I’m confused enough as it is. You know?” Doc smiled, blinking away tears. “Actually, I understand. I’ve felt the same way myself, Derrick.”
Derrick knew he referred to his quiet relationship with Diego -- their cook -- Doc’s best friend and lover. Diego and Doc had been together for as long as Derrick had known the man. He wondered what that felt like, to have such a tight, loving bond.
“It’s not that I think of Sabrina like a mate,” he hurried to argue. He didn’t need another woman in his life. Hell, he didn’t trust Sabrina at all. At least with his other troubled relationships, he’d begun on a positive note. And look at how those had ended.
“Derrick, you don’t need to convince me.”
He wasn’t sure, but it looked like Doc tried to hide a smile. “Good.” Sabrina stirred, taking his attention.
“I gave her some of this to counteract the sedative.” Doc held up a syringe. He turned to Sabrina. “Sabrina? Can you hear me?”
Her eyelids fluttered and then opened, revealing light gray eyes that reminded Derrick of diamonds. “Doc?”
“Sabrina, give it a few moments. Your vision and faculties will start to clear.” He turned to Derrick. “Derrick, help her sit up.”
Derrick put his arm under her back, his energy pooling where their skin made contact.
Was it his imagination, or did she lean closer on purpose? He felt her sniff him, and then the woman curled into his chest. Shit. There went his heart again, racing like crazy.
“Derrick?” Doc asked, his mouth open. “Are you purring?” Derrick wanted to crawl through the floor. “Yes,” he hissed. “And you can’t tell the others, okay? I catch enough shit about her as it is.” He nodded toward Sabrina, resting in his arms like a contented kitten. He stroked her back, wanting to put her at ease while she regained her wits. But only to even the playing field. I hate weak women, and I can’t fairly defeat this enemy if she’s facedown and knocked out.
His beast cried bullshit, but he knew better than to give it its way. He’d already fucked the hell out of the woman for hours.
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