The fact that despite his snap, Deucalion hadn't gone defensive felt like it weighed a ton in Derek's thoughts. It just went to show how far Derek had to go, to grow. He was never more aware that he wasn't alpha material than in this sort of moment. His mother had always seemed so calm and collected, and Derek still let things effect him more than he should. The calm also went to show that things had changed. Something between them didn't feel as tense as it had before. Derek could only assume everything that happened that he seemed to have missed was the cause. It made him wonder how he might act had he stayed.
"The best I could wasn't exactly enough, was it?" Everything that happened was likely going to weigh in on Derek until the day he died, but he hoped he would learn from it. Yet, some part of him felt like he wasn't. He didn't seem to take away anything worthwhile when you consider how easily he'd let Jennifer into his life, even Braeden. "I'm just as foolish of a pup as I was back then." He admitted. He wanted to be comforted by the older wolf's words, and probably some part of him was. "I just don't have any excuses now. He might love me, but he's probably still disappointed in me."
It was hard not to find his thoughts drifting, though, over Deucalion's excitement over a small cat. Had Derek ever seen him that way? He couldn't remember, but even if he had, it was many years ago. "She might grow out of it, once she learns to use her claws." That was the deal with most predator animals. It was nice to think about something positive, though, compared to everything that had been happening. "The forest is beautiful." He said, somewhat offhandedly as he looked around. "The magic protecting this place is strong. I've been thinking of moving, though."