Derek stayed exactly where he was on the ground, still in his beast form, watching as the brilliant white glow that had surrounded her began to dim, fading like the last light of a setting sun.
Every single person still alive in that courtyard stared at her, frozen, mouths hanging open, completely forgetting there had been a battle raging only seconds before.
Then, the moment the last of that suffocating power lifted off everyone, Kira's Lycan form wavered and dropped to its knees.
Derek was up, still in his massive Lycan form and moving before his brain had even finished processing what he'd seen. He rose to his feet, snatched his discarded jacket off the ground where he'd tossed it earlier, and crossed the space between them in a few long strides.
By the time he reached her, she was already shifting back, fur receding into pale skin, and he wasted no time draping the jacket over her, tucking it round her properly before scooping her up into his arms.
