The warmth of her body as Katniss scoots closer is a comfort that Derek hasn't earned and so he tries not to acknowledge it; tries not to pay it the amount of attention he has the urge to give it. He might not have his werewolf senses to hear the uptick in her heartbeat, but he can still feel her stiffen and her breath hitch. She's trying, at least. He knows how hard it can be to try.

"Every time I close my eyes, I see Laura's bottom half. Just the bottom, because the top was torn off and discarded several yards away. I know it's hard, Katniss," he says in a soft, low voice as he shifts the two of them, gently guiding her onto her side so that he can hold her from behind, knowing that in that position, his arms — his body, really, in general — can more fully surround her than he can right now. Knowing that there's a seed of security planted, but that he can try to sow it if he can make her feel that his sentiment is real.

When he's finished moving them, Katniss is on her side facing the door and Derek has drawn her back against himself, both of his arms around her now, and he's tucked her head beneath his chin, closing his eyes. "But you have to force yourself to see past it. In the forefront, your sister burns and mine is in pieces, but there is one thing that that pain can never, ever, ever take away from us and that's the fact that we still have memories of when things were good. Close your eyes," he whispers, tilting his head down a little to press his lips to the back of her head, letting them linger there thoughtfully. "Close your eyes and look past the burning girl to the one you knew before it. She's still there. I promise, Katniss, if you look past the burning girl, your sister is still there waiting to be seen and embraced and to comfort you. She's there. Keep looking."