I was sitting on the curb of the petite swimming pool at the hotel we were temporarily residing at, watching the others splash each other continuously. Tori gave a shrieking laugh when Kit grabbed her by the arms and tossed her to Simon, who was prepared to dunk her. She tried to slip way, splashing them away from her with her feet, but Kit grabbed her legs and lifted them so Simon could pull her under the water. Her eyes bulged out as she went plunging in. She surfaced ten seconds later laughing, splashing at her dad and half-brother.

Aunt Lauren was lying on a long chair silting in the sun wearing big sunglasses and a one piece swimsuit. Drops of water reached her dry body and she shot upright in surprise, she glared at Tori, Simon, and Kit. They all held up there hands apologetically and went back to playing around. She layed back against the chair with her mouth set in a glower. I chuckled and went back to watching the others have fun.

I was tempting to jump in the pool and play right along with them, though I really wanted to stay dry today. I had just started my period two days ago, and even though Aunt Lauren told me it was okay to swim on my period, I decided I'd prefer waiting until my monthly embarrassment was over. So I just sat there with my legs dangling in the pool, reading a Teen magazine.

"Chloe! You're leaving me to fend for myself out here!" Tori laughed. She was trying to swim away from Simon who was trying to dunk her again. She came straight toward me.

"Well, considering you've treated me like crap since the first day I met you…why should I help you?" It was meant as a joke, but her expression changed to remorse. Then she sighed and started climbing out of the pool.

"Hey Tori. Where you going?" Simon swam up beside me and watched Tori grab her towel and walk off toward our hotel room. "What's with her?" He asked, turning to me.

I grimaced and said, "I tried a little hate humor on her. I guess she took it the wrong way." I looked back toward the way Tori had just run off to. Now I started feeling a pang of guilt.

Simon shrugged, and then he sighed when he saw my expression. "She's trying to cope over mom's death. Don't let guilt overstep you. It's only been three weeks, she'll need time. It wasn't your fault." He gave me a reassuring smile, showing teeth and all. I smiled back, but I still didn't feel any better. I was hoping Tori wouldn't actually think I was still upset with her. After running away with her, Simon, and Derek, she and I had gotten to respect each other over the time.

Though she still seemed guilty about not being nice to me when we were at the Lyle house. Simon didn't know what I had said to her, so he figured it was just one of those mom-coping periods. I knew better. One, because she told me she wasn't really even that distressed over her mom dying right before her eyes, and two, because she's told me abundance of times lately that she was going to earn my friendship one of these days so we could forget all about our time at the Lyle house.

And there you go and blow that! Good job Chloe.

"Why don't you get into the pool?" Simon asked, gesturing that I jump in. I shook my head. "No. I'm going save myself the embarrassment."

His forehead creased in confusion. I mouthed period, even though there wasn't anyone else around us, which helped his forehead clear. O he mouthed back. I nodded, and then something caught the corner of my eye. I looked to my right to see Derek coming toward me. Seeing him put knots in my stomach, again. Derek was tall and very attractive. He was muscular, with dark hair and green eyes. Though it was at least eighty something degrees out and he was wearing dark baggy jeans and a hefty t-shirt. But the best part of all that was that he was all mine. He walked up and sat down next to me, attempting to cross his legs. Though he stumble forward, catching himself before falling into the pool.

Simon smiled up at his brother and said, "Hey, bro. You going to come swimming with us?"

I watched his face light up in hope, then fall as Derek said, "No. I've already swam with you everyday this week. I want a day to myself." I measured Simon faced, knowing exactly where this was going. He was going to get disappointed, but act like everything was cool. Derek and Simon got along great as brothers. Even though they aren't actually blood brothers. Kit had taken Derek from the labs when he was young and had raised him like a son. So they brothers, but they were also best friends.

"Okay. Never mind then. I'll just…" He turned and swam back toward his dad without finishing his sentence. Pool Simon.

I heard Derek sigh beside me. "He took that the wrong way," he murmured.

I nodded, "He thought you were getting sick of hanging out with him."

Derek shook his head and looked at me with a guilt filled face. "That's not what I was trying to imply," he persisted. Poor Derek.

I nodded again. "I know. Today's just a misunderstanding kind of day." Derek raised his eyebrows at me. I just shook my head look over at my now asleep aunt getting a little bit of a sun burn. I should wake her up so she doesn't get too bad.

It was quiet for a while. I was just about to get up and wake up Aunt Lauren when Derek said, "I found a field half a mile into the woods back there. You want to check it out?" I was surprised he'd asked that, but at the same time completely flattered. I smiled at him and said, "What about being by yourself today?"

"Actually I just wanted be alone with you." He smiled back, got up, and held out his hand for me to take. "Are you coming?" Yes! I quickly scrambled to my feet and took his hand. We were quiet walking around to the back of the hotel where the dark woods were. We made it to the edge, then he told me to wait, and then went into the woods. He came back after a few minutes and said, "Coast is clear."

So Derek wasn't going to be taking any chances with me. When it came between me and any slight of danger, Derek's wolf instincts immediately kicked in. Even though we have practically gotten rid of the Edison group in New York, there were still other places with Edison Groups who could have been tipped of about us. Or they could just figure out that we were supernatural's and try to get, us either way.

Then there was his whole suspicion for the other werewolves running around. He didn't want me getting tangled in that kind of thing again, like the way he and I almost got killed by the werewolves we met when we were separated from Tori and Simon when trying to get to the safe house. Liam and Ramon had found us wandering on their packs "turf" and decided they should kill us. Well, actually take Derek to their pack so they could kill him and keep me as their little pet. Though they did try to kills us then. We had managed to escape them then, but then when Derek and I were out in the woods behind the safe house because Derek was completing his finale stage of transformation, they had found us and tried to kill us then too. That time, under orders from the Edison group.

Derek had ended up accidently killing Liam, and Ramon ran off, we never ran into him again. So I guess with everything we've had to deal, Derek's paranoid attitude wasn't a big deal. It was actually a good thing, and it was a good thing that Derek was a werewolf and had god sense of smell and hearing. Otherwise we know who or what was lurking in the woods or around the corner.

We walk the half a mile to the field, and I found it absolutely wonderful. It was filled with small violet and auburn flowers. The grass was rich green and it looked soft enough to sleep on. Experiment time!

I got down on my knees and laid on the ground. It was pretty bumpy, but the feeling was still great. I noticed Derek was watching me. He had a vast grin of amusement on his face. I grabbed his hand and pull him down next to me. It was so right to have him next to me. We stared and smiled at each other for the longest time. I loved being with him, especially here. It was so peaceful here, and I loved that he brought me.

We had started getting into conversation, talking about our interest and best memories, since he and I never got around to talking about that yet. Talking with him was so easy. This was the first time he and I have ever actually talked, without the conversation being about the Edison group, werewolves, or necromancers.

When I had finally finished telling him about my favorite action movie, he propped himself up on his elbow and asked, "So am I going to have an actual date with you?" He had a crooked grin on his face, and my heart did twenty little leaps with five big leaps in between them. God I loved him.

"Maybe," I said, trying to play hard to get. "If you show you deserve it."

Derek scooted closer to me. He leaned down with me still lying on the ground, and put his hands on both sides of my head. I could smell his mint breath from his toothpaste. It smelt really good. I wanted to grab a hold of him and kiss him passionately. That would show he deserved me. But I would wait, because I was a good girl.

"How would you like me to show you?" He asked. He leaned closer, making our foreheads touch. I closed my eyes deliberately and slowly, then I sighed.

"You're going to have to treat me like royalty."

"Royalty? Like a princess or something?"

I opened my eyes and grinned. "More like a queen."

Derek nodded and cupped my face in his hands. "Well, then your majesty, how about I kiss you and then we can talk about that date."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and nodded. "I like the sound of—"

Derek kissed me, breaking off anything else I was about to say. His lips were hard, but soft against mine. It was a hungry kind of kiss that turned into a passionate one later. We broke away a couple of times to breath but only until the other person went for that hungry kiss again. Derek had wrapped his arms around my waist and was holding me against him now. I wrapped my legs around him and pull him more aggressively to me. I gave silent moans as I heard Derek's fierce growls and grumbles in his chest. Were clinging to each other in the middle of a field, like primates.

Finally we broke apart gasping. We still held each other but we were trying to get our minds back. I chuckled and said, "Guess we were getting a little caught in the moment there."

"I always react like that when I'm with you." He sighed and kissed me on the check.

I laid my head back against the ground. Derek buried his face in my neck and started kissing me there. If my Aunt Lauren was here to see Derek and I positioned like this…she might have a stroke. His breath was warm against my neck. My fingers were tangled in his hair. "Well, then maybe we should slow down."

Derek gave me a cocky grin. "Now why would we do that?"

"Because I'm still trying to get Aunt Lauren to like you, and if she knew what we were doing, she'd try to kick your ass. Plus there's the whole one-thing-leads-to-another thing," I said, trying to keep my voice from cracking.

Derek read my expression and sighed. "Chloe, you know I'm not going to pressure into anything you're not ready for." I knew that! Of course you aren't…that's the problem.

"Oh I know. It's just…"

"Just what?"

Well the truth is that I want to jump your bone right here and now buddy, but I was just waiting to find out if you wanted to. Really? "Nothing. Never mind." Yeah. Like I was actually going to tell him that! I tried to scoot away from him. He wasn't having that. He pinned my arms to my side and looked me in the face. All traces of humor gone.

"What's wrong Chloe?" He asked seriously. I bit my lip hard. Should I answer him honestly? Yes. Will I answer him honestly? Hell no!

Instead I kissed him again. He seemed shock at first, but it didn't take him long to respond to the kiss. The way our bodies started forming again made it seem like we might actually might go all the way then. But I knew better. We weren't going to rush into anything, and I was somewhat glad we weren't. But I still had that longing sensation.