Simon's POV

Damn it, bro, I cursed in my head. Where the hell could Derek have gone? I was just asleep for a few hours, I wake up and he's gone. I searched all the rooms, except Chloe and Tori's, I don't want the queen bee to wake up and see me, although I wouldn't mind seeing Chloe. I stepped outside. I had been practicing one of the finding spells Dad had taught me. I whispered it into the dark and hoped that it could lead me to Derek.

I saw, what looked like, a path. I followed it, certain that this was what the spell was supposed to do. It led me deeper and deeper into the woods and I began to worry. What if this was a ploy by the Edison Group? What if I had done the spell wrong, and it didn't take me to Derek? I calmed myself down. I had to trust, and I could always run screaming if something went wrong. The path ended by running into a tree. I peered around the side of the tree, and there was Derek.

After I felt the relief, the worry set in. Derek was in his boxers, and something was wrong. It was gross, he was retching everywhere, and his skin was . . . moving. It was like the muscles underneath it was shifting, changing. When my brother arched his back and I saw the movement in the light of the moon, I turned around and puked. I'm not usually grossed out by things, but this was too much. I looked around the tree again, and was surprised.

Chloe was beside him. She didn't seem to care what he was going through. She kept a hand on his shoulder. I puked when Derek started sprouting hair, but she didn't even flinch. It was almost like she had seen it before. I stopped and thought of the night we were to flee Lyle House, but Derek was missing, and Chloe stayed behind to look for him, and on the bus when we were heading to Andrew's, how they both just disappeared. I puked again when Derek did, ashamed. I couldn't be there to support him, but Chloe could. I even heard her talking to him.

"It's okay, Derek. We've gone through this before -" She was cut off by an unhuman growl from Derek. The moonlight filtered onto his face, and I had never seen him so scared. Not Derek, but he was. His eyes were wild, crazy, scared. "Derek, it's okay. As painful as it is, this is natural for a werewolf. It's going to be okay. It should be over soon, and we can go back to the house, and listen to Simon and Tori snore."

Derek let out a low rasping noise, hands digging into the dirt. I think it was supposed to be a laugh. Chloe slumped, as though relieved. "There, see, the hair is receding. We're almost there." It didn't escape me that she said 'we'. They were in this together.

As I watched, feeling the bile rise in my throat, Derek started to return to normal, he wasn't twisting unnaturally, he wasn't as furry anymore. I had always known what my brother was, but somehow I had never managed to wrap my head around it. I always pictured him as Derek, nothing more, nothing less. Seeing him tonight, though, made everything seem different. This was why he kept it a secret from me. I was drawn from my thoughts as Chloe spoke again.

"Is it getting easier?" Derek was pulling on his clothes.

He grunted. "Still hurts like hell, but not as much as the first time."

"We're getting there." Chloe smiled at him encouragingly.

"You didn't have to be here." I almost laughed. Typical Derek.

"We've argued about this before. I don't want you to be alone." Chloe touched his arm, facing him. I saw the look on her face, the look that someone in love gives the object of her affection. I felt angry and heartbroken. Angry, because Derek knew I liked her, and heartbroken because she didn't love me.

Derek was silent, then, "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, c'mon, we don't want anyone waking up and realizing we're gone."

Derek snorted, "They could sleep through a rock concert." Chloe laughed.

I ducked into the bushes as they passed the clearing. On any other night, Derek would have known I was there, but tonight he didn't. Tonight he was tired, and his arm was wrapped around my Chloe. That stopped me. My? I hadn't realized it, but I had been calling her mine for weeks now, probably because I hadn't considered competition, but there he was. I waited until I couldn't hear Chloe's footsteps, and set off for the house, careful to avoid my vomit.

Once back in my bed, Derek already asleep, I had the chance to think about what I had seen tonight. Derek's transformations, or half transformations, were creepy, disgusting. I could never watch another one, I knew that for sure. I snuck a look at Derek. I also knew I had lost the competition we had never had. I had to let Chloe go.

I do not own Darkest Powers. I hope I did everything justice. Reviews are appreciated.

~DI4MGZ~