Big Red and the Little Wolf

Chapter 3

Echo pov

I stared at the bouquet of daisies in my hand as Derek and I trekked through the woods. Today was the anniversary of his father's death. Since his family members preferred to visit his grave alone, Derek asked if I would be by his side as usual. His father's grave was placed deep in the forest at a clearing where he used to spend time with his beloved mate, Derek's mother.

Once his father died, Derek had to assume the role of alpha at the young age of eighteen. The weight of responsibility had been set on his shoulders before he even had time to process the news or time to grieve. Derek had once confided in me about how difficult it was to assimilate into the alpha position without his dad. The role was a constant reminder of what his father did on a daily basis and he had to fill the position without any of his advice.

So many pack members informed me what a great man Derek's father was. Though I had never actually met him before, Derek's stories had given me a sense of familiarity with the past alpha. Besides, if Derek is anything like his dad was, then he would've been an incredible person and role model for the pack.

Four years ago, Derek saved my life by bringing me into his pack. He was the one who found me lost and alone in the woods, with next to no knowledge of my wolf side. I was raised by my single mother, who had never learned about the existence of werewolves. When I shifted for the very first time at sixteen, she didn't know how to comprehend the change and kicked me out of the house. If Derek hadn't accepted me into the pack when he did, I don't know how I would've survived on my own as a rogue.

Unfortunately, not everyone accepted me as easily as Derek did. In fact, most pack members still look at me as though I am a disgrace to the pack. I wanted to blame them for their harsh judgment of me, but I understood that they disliked me since I was a liability to the pack.

My dad must have passed the wolf gene to me, but I never received proper training because I never had a relationship with him. Additionally, since my mom was a human, my wolf wasn't as strong as many others. Most pack members considered me to be a runt and thought that a runt didn't deserve to be close friends with their alpha.

Derek and I stepped into the clearing, where we then walked to his father's headstone. The grave wasn't obvious until one got close enough to read the engravings on the stone.

"Before I know it, it will be a decade since he's passed away," Derek sighed. "It still feels like I lost him just yesterday."

I did my best to comfort him by resting my hand on his shoulder. Derek had always been there for me, and on days like this, it was important for me to show him that I could return the favor by being there for him. "I know you miss him. It's beautiful how much you loved each other."

As someone who had never met their father, I would have preferred to be in Derek's place. Despite the hurt he was going through, I viewed it as a blessing that he was able to form a strong relationship with his dad.

"My mom's been struggling lately. It's been really hard for her to go on this long without him."

Though losing a mate wasn't a death sentence for the other, a wolf was stronger with the bond they shared with their mate. Over the years that her mate has been gone, his mom's wolf has been slowly weakening and aging quicker than the average wolf.

"I can't even imagine how it feels losing a mate after all the time they spent together. She's so strong for making it through all these years without him." Though neither of us had met our mates, every wolf understood how special it was to create a mate bond.

"If I'm being honest, I don't think she's going to be able to make it much longer," Derek said with his eyes downcast. This day was always the hardest for him and his mom, especially as he was now facing the idea that his mom wouldn't be around forever either.

"Remember that no matter what happens, Derek, she loves you. She's going to last however long she can for you."

"Thank you for being here, Echo. My mom said she didn't think she could bear to come here this year. I'm so grateful that I'm not alone."

I gave him a soft smile. "You can always count on me. What else are friends for?"

Derek wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in for a side hug. He was never very talkative when we visited his father, so we took the opportunity to honor the memory of his father in silence. It was never awkward with Derek as we had been friends for several years. Together, we enjoyed the warmth and comfort that we offered one another.

"We should get back to the pack house. It's starting to get colder out here," Derek said as the wind picked up. Now that we were deeper into autumn, the morning air held a chill. Though werewolves were less susceptible than humans to the cold, we could still be affected by the temperature. Because of my smaller stature, I was especially impacted by the cold.

Derek and I turned to the direction of the pack house so we could walk back together. When we reached the pack house, we finally split up. Derek had to return to his office as the job of an alpha was never complete. There have been several times in the past that I tried to convince him that he could set today aside to commemorate his father's passing. However, he would only take a short hour or two to visit the grave. Derek believed his responsibilities as an alpha were too urgent to take a break.

Stepping into the den of the house, I ran into Violet. She was named for her eyes as the blue in them reminded her parents of the flower. Violet was one of the few people that I actually considered a friend. When Derek introduced me to her, she trusted her brother's judgment enough to get to know me better.

"Hey, Violet. How is your mom doing?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Not so good. I tried to go out to breakfast with her this morning but she doesn't want to eat and doesn't feel up to leaving bed."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know today is tough for all of you. Are you going to visit your dad later?"

"Yes. I would've gone with you, but I didn't feel like going there this early in the day."

"I understand. I would've preferred going later, but Derek said he wanted to go before he started his work."

"Sounds like my brother. Always working," she sighed. We were both in agreement that work consumed Derek. It was our inside joke that he's been searching for his mate in a stack of papers. When he does find her, I hope that she's able to drag him out of his office for more than a couple of hours.

"I'm going upstairs, but if you need anything at all, please let me know. I'm always here for you," I assured her.

"I will. Thank you so much." With that, we parted ways.