After a five year hiatus, I'm back.

Enjoy

I lay awake on my back staring up at the once white, now yellowing ceiling of the motel. My eyes followed a long, and from the looks of it, old crack the ran from one side of the room to the other, crossing right above my head. Tori's snores and Aunt Lauren's slow, heavy breathing filled the small room. Outside birds were chirping as the faintest of glows from the sunrise began to stream in from the east facing windows next to the front door, illuminating the bland room.

I looked around, comparing this motel room to the countless others we had stayed in. The cheaply plastered walls matched the yellowing and cracking ceiling. The green carpeting that felt like so patted down and worn that we all kept our shoes on while walking around. The old, thin wooded entertainment center with a big, chunky T.V. in the center of the room pressed against the wall opposite of me. The two beds being the only furniture in the room. Aunt Lauren slept on one while Tori and I slept on the other. Originally, Aunt Lauren and I were going to sleep on one and let Tori have the other bed all to herself, but she started complaining about how if I were to summon some dead thing she could quickly slap me awake.

I wonder if she just doesn't want to be alone?

Tori and I had spent a lot of time together recently. It had been two weeks since escaping the Edison Group and reuniting Simon and Derek with their dad, Mr. Bae. Tori and I usually do end up sleeping together, because she'd usually find some reason why she can't sleep alone. Either the other bed is too uncomfortable for Tori or the air vent was near her and made her cold. I figure she is just so use to sleeping next to me that she finds it a little hard when she's not near me. Which makes sense, right? Liz was Tori's best friend in Lyle house, and since then she's either been locked up alone by the Edison Group or with me.

And to be honest, I kind of feel the same way. Tori may have knocked me out and gagged me once to leave in a crawl space, but right now I trust her more than Aunt Lauren. After finding out the truth about Aunt Lauren working with the Edison Group, even though I know she's not with them now, I just can't help but feel distant from her. She still thinks I'm her little Chloe that doesn't know any better. Her little Chloe that would never think once about throwing a person's soul back into their decomposing body to kill someone.

The image of Tori's mom's corpse standing behind Dr. Davidoff at the lab flashed through my eyes. The hatred that burned in her eyes towards me..

I closed my eyes hard. Hoping the more tightly I pinched my eyelids closed, the image would leave faster. When I started to see tiny little white stars I opened my eyes again to stare at the ceiling. The little white stars danced on the ceiling before slowly disappearing.

Tori's sharp elbow jabbed me in the ribs as she let out a low guttural snore. I winced and tried to inch away, but I was already on the edge of the bed with Tori sprawled over most of it. I sighed and got up, deciding a morning walk wouldn't be too bad.

As quietly as I could, I slid off the bed and slipped my shoes on. I looked to the right thinking, staring at the door that led to the tiny bathroom, about maybe showering before deciding against it. I could take a shower later after breakfast. I quietly slid open the chain on the door and unlocked the deadbolt, my breath catching in my throat as the old lock clicked a little too loudly. My head whipped over to Aunt Lauren and I waited a minute, listening intently to see if she was still asleep. My heart beated fast just like how it would when I was little and in the basement of my old house playing with Mrs. Miller and Mr. Drake when Mrs. Hobbs would come and try to scare me, forcing me to try to get out of there as fast as I could.

When Aunt Lauren didn't move I let out the breath I was holding and quickly opened the door, slid through the small opening and closed it all in one motion.

"You're getting good at sneaking," a low, rough voice rumbled behind me. I gasped and spun around.

There stood Derek in all of his 6 foot something entirety. Wearing just a long sleeved shirt and some sweatpants, he leaned against one of the thin columns that held up the roof above the little porch of the motel rooms. A half crooked smile crept on his face as he gave a low rumble of a laugh.

"You are still a loud runner though. I can hear you running from a mile away," he said as he bit into an energy bar. His other hand shoved into his pocket to reveal another bar and extending it towards me. I grabbed it, thankful since I hadn't eaten much of last night's chinese dinner.

"Says the guy with the bionic hearing.." I grumbled as I looked out towards the near forest. "Why are you awake? And why are you out here," I asked a little peeved at his comment about my running, taking a bite into my energy bar and looking back at him.

Derek gave a shrug and scratched the back of his neck and looking at the same patch of forest I was just looking at, mumbling, "couldn't sleep."

We stood there in silence just enjoying the peace of the morning with no bickering between Simon or Tori or worried glances from Mr. Bae or Aunt Lauren.

I think that was what annoyed me the most. Was that everyone still thinks Derek is some dangerous werewolf that was about the go crazy at any moment and start killing people. Even Mr. Bae is cautious sometimes around Derek, never fully seeing Derek in his wolf form I think makes Mr. Bae still unsure of Derek's capabilities. Aunt Lauren on the other hand, doesn't even try to hide her concern anymore. Every Time Derek and I are within a foot of each other, she just can't help but to watch worriedly as if she's waiting for Derek to suddenly attack me. Only Simon, Tori and I are comfortable around Derek. Well, for Tori "comfortable" is a strong word. She's just not afraid of him like the adults are. Simon still is careful about what he says around Derek, trying not to get him angry. But for me, I feel completely and utterly comfortable with Derek. I have seen Derek go through the change and I know that it's still very much Derek even in wolf form. Without a doubt in my mind, Derek is the one I trust the most.

Derek's low voice broke through my thoughts, "wanna go on a walk?" He nodded toward the little patch of forest towards the right of the motel rooms. I smiled and nodded. Walks with Derek through the forest had quickly became one of my favorite things to do. It was a time where we got to be alone and just be us.

Derek smiled and took my hand in his big one. As we walked towards the patch of green, he tentatively entwined our fingers, almost waiting to see if I'd pull back. The small dirt path leading us into the dewy little forest.

We were currently staying just outside a town called Steamburg, just south of Buffalo. We didn't want to leave or really go too far from the state of New York, yet we also didn't want to get mixed up with The Pack either. So Mr. Bae wants us to lay low somewhere in Pennsylvania. There is a safe house somewhere near the Allegheny National Forest that Mr. Bae says is where we can stay for a bit. No more motels for a while after we get there, thank god. I had never stayed in a motel before going to Lyle house and my new life on the run began. My dad had always booked nice hotels for us. Dad...

I finally noticed that we had walked pretty deep into the forest. We had stopped walking now and Derek was just watching me. I looked up and sucked in a breath. His eyes, his green eyes were darkened and were so full of-

I shivered as I exhaled a long, shaky breath. Derek's brows furrowed as his hands rubbed my arms.

"Cold?"

"A-a little, b-but I'm fine," I blushed as I looked down. I was still not use to being so intimate with a guy yet. Yes, it's Derek. And yes, I'm extremely happy. But everytime I see his eyes grow dark with that look in them I become so self conscious. I had a very sparse and barren dating history. My old highschool friends, especially Miranda, the more experienced friend of mine would've called me a baby.

Derek's fingers were under my chin, tilting my face towards his.

"Chloe."

I looked in his eyes and leaned forward on my tippy toes. His hot breath on my lips, gently blowing my hair away from my face. My eyes slipping closed as our lips touched ever so softly. His hands sliding down my body to rest lightly on my waist. As our lips parted and moved together, my arms snaked around his neck. We parted for only a second, both breathing heavily as he leaned down and pulled me fully against him and lifted me off the ground. My feet just dangling over the dead leaves and pebbles that covered the earth.

We had never gotten any farther than just heavy kissing. Obviously, it is a little hard to be intimate when on the run and having four pairs of eyes on you, two of them nervously watching to make sure you don't die. It was also a silent agreement that we would take this slow. We didn't need to say anything, because it all came just so naturally to us. To care and protect each other came so naturally. Derek was still nervous and it seemed sometimes, conflicted about touching me. He was always so gentle and careful not to hurt me, as if I would crumble underneath his touch. I knew he was very much aware of his superhuman strength and only wanted to keep me safe, but it seemed he was afraid that if he even so much as gripped my arm a little too hard I would run away screaming. Which I don't blame him seeing as I did exactly that back at Lyle house.

As I finally worked up the courage to flick my tongue out to lick his lips, just how my friends told me to do it back when they tried giving me "kissing 101" classes, I felt Derek's grip on me tighten. A low growl grew from deep in his chest. He leaned down slightly again, and I thought he was going to set me on the ground when I felt his hands slid to the back of my thighs, just under my butt. In one move, Derek lifted me and my legs automatically wrapped around his waist. My hands wandering into his thick, dark hair. Then he softly broke the kiss, and began furiously kissing my jaw moving down my neck, leaving what felt like a trail of fire behind and finally slowed to a stop when he made it to my collar bone. Where he inhaled a shaky breath and then sighed. I smiled as I felt my heart beat fast, knowing he could clearly hear it. His less then trimmed hair tickling my collar bone. I rested my head against his and sighed. His hair wasn't as greasy as it use to be, I guess after he started fully transforming into a wolf, it helped push back the puberty smackdown that he was going through when we had first met. The acne had almost completely vanished too, leaving a few scars on his cheeks.

When he lifted his face back to mine, we lazily pecked each other's lips. We started to kiss faster again and just as I felt his hands tighten while holding my butt, I heard an annoyed growl vibrate through him. Just when I was about to ask, I heard the sound of a door close in the distance.

Time to go back.

"T-that was the longest time we've had alone together," I stated a little surprised with my voice a little raspy. I let out a little giggle at his annoyed expression as he gently, reluctantly lowered me to my feet.

"Yeah, record breaking." We headed back, again in comfortable silence. Hand in hand.

As we neared the motel rooms, Aunt Lauren came out and watched us worriedly as we approached. She tried for a smile, but didn't quite get it.

"Good, you're back. Kit just ran out for some breakfast, but he has some new information on the safe house."

"Are we going to be able to stay there," I asked as Simon opened the guys' room's door and waved his arm for us to enter.

"I hope so, unless the supernaturals who might be there are friends of Russel's or Margret's. But dad says that he's friends with another group of supernaturals who didn't work with Andre- uh, that group. Good morning by the way," Simon cheerfully said as I entered their room which was identical to ours, saying thanks as he held the door for me. It was still kind of hard for him to talk about Andrew. Even though Andrew had kind of betrayed us, Simon and Derek still grew up with him around.

I remembered back the last time I saw Andrew. First his ghost, confused sitting in a room in the basement of Dr. Banks' house, then laying his in blood, staring into his lifeless eyes after being sedated. I shook my head to get rid of the image. Derek who had been sitting next to me on the edge of his bed looked at me.

"I-I'm fine," I weakly smiled up at him as Tori whipped open the door. Aunt Lauren and Simon who were in mid conversation by the door jumped.

"Wow, why does no one wait for me to get dressed and come join to powwow. God, you'd think me being the most powerful spell caster I'd have the powwow come to me," Tori plopped down on the empty bed.

"Who said you're the most powerful? Dad is, so try not to get too high and mighty there," Simon retorted. And so it began as any morning.

Tori and Simon threw jabs back and forth at one another. I looked up at Derek who was looking straight forward deep in thought with his eyebrows furrowed. I gently brushed my fingers over his that were resting on the bed between us. He instantly looked down at me.

"You okay," I quietly asked so as not to alert the circus going on next to us.

"Yeah, just wondering about when The Edison Group will pick up where they left off hunting us. I know Dad said since they're a cabal, they had more pressing matters, but that doesn't mean they might not deploy a small team to keep track of us."

That's true. We, the experiments had escaped. They considered Derek and Simon successes. Tori and I however, were the defected ones. We were too powerful. And they wanted us there, whether to continue experimenting or to kill, I don't know. And that was the thought that worried me the most. If they were to get ahold of Tori and I, what would they do to us?

"If they were to try to get us as a easily as possible, they would do it now while there was only six of us. If we get to the safe house, there will definitely be more, making it even more difficult for a small team to take us. As Kit said, the Cabal has more on their plate now that the lab in Buffalo has been practically demolished," Aunt Lauren said.

"She's right, we've got two wizards, one genetically modified witch and necromancer, a gun, and one whole werewolf, just by ourselves that's one battle that'll be hard. Not to mention when we get backup," Simon said as he moved to sit on the other bed's edge, facing me he rested his elbows on his knees smiling.

Just then Mr. Bae walked in, the older korean man smiling with a plastic bag full of food and a cup tray full of what looked like coffee cups.

"Alright, who's hungry? While we eat, we'll go over what we can expect in the next couple of days," Mr. Bae set the food on the entertainment center next to the old T.V.

How did you like Chapter One? Please leave a review, I'd love to hear what you guys have to say! This is my first with The Darkest Powers Trilogy so please let me know any and all questions, comments, and concerns!

Ciao.

-Nekothorn