I felt myself shivering from anxiety as we made our way through the woods. How did Rae find us? How did she learn to use her powers so good so quickly? These questions and many more buzzed around in my head as I tried to keep my pace with the group. I almost ran into Tori's back when Derek stopped sharply and sniffed the air. He turned his head to the right, and then the left before grunting and moving on.

There were several times that I tripped over a tree root and fell forward, trying to grab the back of Tori's shirt to keep me upright. Every time she responded with a cold stare before going on, whether I was still on the ground or not. After what must have been hours, I finally got to the point that I could jog ahead of Tori and Simon. I lingered behind Andrew as I tried to think of what to say to Derek.

It was funny, the Edison Group was hot on our trail, there was a bounty on my head, and my aunt Lauren might be dead, and all I could think of was the kiss that Derek and I had shared earlier that day. Had it really only been earlier that day? It felt like it happened decades ago. I was so caught up in everything that I didn't even noticed the subtle fall of night surround us.

"Where exactly is the overgrown canine taking us?" Tori said, not even trying to keep her voice down so that Derek couldn't hear. I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it. There really was no point in arguing with her.

"Derek, lets take a break here." Andrew said. It sounded more like a command than a request, but Derek slowed down and eventually came to a halt.

"I'm gonna go scout ahead, just in case." He announced before retreating into the trees. The moon was still full, and I could make out his bulky form as he walked ahead. Simon walked over to a tree root and brushed off some dirt before motioning for me to come over. I shook my head and tried to think of a polite way to sneak away.

"Thanks, but I have to go to the bathroom." I declined, pointing my thumb behind me. I heard Tori let out a disgusted sound, but Simon and I ignored her.

"No problem. I'll try to save you a spot, but I can't guarantee anything." Simon joked. I grinned slightly and made my way towards the direction that Derek had disappeared. I tied my horribly-dyed hair back in a pony-tail as I strained to hear his heavy footsteps, but couldn't hear a sound. For such a big guy, she could be quiet when he wanted to be. I almost let out a cry when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Derek whispered severely. I spun around to face him.

"I need to talk to you." I answered bravely. He let out a sigh and removed his hand from my shoulder.

"I'm starting to not like our little talks." He said, turning away and walking farther into the bushes. I followed until he stopped beside a large oak tree and leaned against it.

"I j-just wanted t-to say th-that…" I stuttered. I had practiced what I was going to say a thousand times in my head, and yet I still tripped over the words like a child.

"I don't need your pity." Derek interrupted before I could get any more broken-up words out.

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"I said I don't need your pity. Like I said the other night, I don't need a girl to make me happy." I was shocked by his words, and it took a while for their meanings to sink in.

"You think I kissed you because I felt sorry for you?" I tried to stifle back a laugh. I'd heard a bunch of ridiculous stuff come out of Derek's mouth, but this topped everything. "You honestly think that I'd be willing to kiss a guy because they never had a girlfriend?" my disbelief was becoming anger. The whole conversation that I had planned in my head was taking a nasty turn. Derek just shrugged in response. I felt my eyeballs sting from embarrassment and heartbreak, but I held back the tears. I tried to turn away and walk off, but I couldn't let him think these things without giving him a piece of my mind.

"You really think you can read me like a book, don't you?" I asked, my voice rising higher. "You think that you know everything there is to know about me. Well you know what? I didn't kiss you because I felt sorry for you. I kissed you because it felt right." My words seemed cliché, but in my heart I knew they were the truth. We were both silent before I went on. "I kissed you because you're smart. Without you, we would've died so long ago, because none of us can plan ahead like you can. I did it because you're funny. Even in the scary moments, your little bit of humor manages to light me up. I did it because you're protective. When I'm with you, I feel as safe as possible with two werewolves bearing down on you, or guns being shot at you. When you're there, I know it might not turn out ok, and yet I feel as safe as can be." By the time I finished chewing him out, my cheeks were wet with tears. I looked down at the ground to try to hide it, even though I knew it was way too late.

I felt Derek's warm hand on my cheek, and the image of him pulling me towards him flashed in my mind. He lifted my chin to face him, but I desperately searched for something else to fix my eyes on. But, it was in vain, and I finally looked up into his face. There was something different in his features; they were softer, gentler. He wiped a few strands of black hair from my face, and I pictured a love scene in one of my favorite movies. Oh, what was the name of that stupid movie?

"We need to get back." Derek whispered and lowered his hand. He gave me a moment to wipe the tears from my face before turning around and heading back to the place where we had left the group.