Chapter Nine

Autumn's POV

Oddly enough, I enjoyed the werewolf's company. It wasn't until he asked how I lost my sight that I started to feel uncomfortable.

"I was six at the time. It was a really bad car accident. We were coming home from visiting my mothers' parents. A truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and swerved into our lane. Dad didn't have enough time to swerve into the ditch or anything. He ended up hitting us straight on. I'm told my dad and I were lucky to get as few injuries as we did. We're lucky to have survived. I got a severe concussion, cuts from glass, and I broke my leg in three places. The force of the concussion is what caused me to go blind."

"What about your mom?"

"She died on impact. She was pregnant at the time too, so the strain it was putting on her body would've killed her in the hospital if she had survived with the same injuries as us. It took forever for dad to come out of his depression, not that I can really blame him. After that, he took me out of school and started home schooling me. He said it was to protect me from those who wouldn't understand if they found out about us and what I am. I still think the reason he did it was because he was afraid of loosening me too."

"I'm sorry." Derek whispered, laying a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Me too." I said, feeling my throat tighten up, so I swallowed hard and plastered a smile on my face. "Thanks for listening. There aren't many people who know the whole story."

"So, that's how you got this." He stated rather than asked, running his thumb over the scar on the left side of my temple for the second time that night.

"I've got more. That's just the only one that's not coverable." I said and there was a low rumble coming from next to me. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but I was guessing it was a growl of some sort.

"Are you okay?" I asked, truly concerned.

"I'm fine." He said as he let his hand fall from my face. I was embarrassed to admit it, but I missed the warmth.

"What about you?" I asked, clearing my throat. "How did you become a werewolf?"

"I was born into it. Same as my sister." He answered simply and I smiled. It was nice to know he was willing to open up somewhat with me.

There was a loud clap of thunder outside and, as usual, I jumped and ended up bumping into the only other occupant in my room. "When did it start raining?!" I asked, surprised I'd missed something like that.

"It hasn't yet. It's getting ready to though." Derek answered and, as if to confirm, there was another loud boom. I moved closer to the larger body next to me, not caring about my embarrassment anymore. I'd been terrified of thunder since I was little and it was just one of those things that didn't go away.

"Sorry." I mumbled, but didn't make any attempt to move from the werewolf's side. It did, however, surprise me when Derek moved his arm so that it was wrapped around my waist and I could get more comfortable. "Thank you." I whispered and laid my head on his shoulder, enjoying the comfort he was offering.

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I didn't know when I fell asleep, but when I woke up, I knew I didn't want to wake up. There was an unfamiliar heat next to me, but it was something I could definitely get used to it. It wasn't until the night before came back to my mind that I flew into a sitting position. "Oh god!" I yelled and I felt my bed shake as the werewolf jolted awake.

"What's wrong?!" he asked, sounding still half asleep.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep on you last night!" I apologized and I felt the bed move again as Derek fell back into his earlier position with a laugh.

"Don't worry about it. It was...quite relaxing." he chuckled and there was no doubt in my mind that there was a grin on his face.

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Derek stayed with me for the rest of the day, but when it started to get dark, I had to practically shove him out the front door. "Derek, if my dad finds you here, not only are you dead, but so am I. I promised no boys and no werewolves! You just happen to be both!"

"Wait, can I do something before I go?" he asked, stopping in the doorway before I could get him completely out of the house.

"That depends. What is it?"

"This." he said and before I could ask him what he meant, I felt something warm press against my lips and a hand caressed the cheek that still had a band-aid on it. I was completely in shock. I had no clue what to do. It wasn't as if this had ever happened before. Before I could register how I should act, Derek pulled away and was gone.

I ended up standing in the doorway for what felt like hours, wondering if that had really just happened or if I'd just imagined it.

Then I laughed a little at the thought of what my dad would do if he found out. Knowing him, he'd drop dead from shock and then come back to life just to kill the younger male. Who knows what he'd do to me. To be completely honest, I was too afraid to even consider it.

Letting out a shaky breath, I shut the front door and went into the kitchen. I needed to think things over. What better way to clear your mind than to make dinner. I knew dad had already made something, but I needed to keep my mind occupied while simultaneously clearing it.

Cooking proved to be a little more of a challenge than I was used to, but with dad teaching me what to do, I was able to somewhat master it.

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! It took a little longer than I would've liked, but I got it done and that's what matters!