(Chloe's point of view)
"Oh," I gasped. "D-d-does that mean that I-I-I'm a-a werewolf?" I stuttered.
"I don't know. My dad said that after a human gets bitten the first transformation happens within the hour." He said spacing out.
"Well what does it mean?" I asked panicking. Derek was zoning.
"I told you. I don't know." He growled. I shrunk back, he was angry, but it couldn't be at me. I didn't do anything. "Don't give me that look Chloe, please." He said reaching out to gently stroke my cheek.
I felt a tear slip down my face and he caught it on his finger. It was so fast but before I knew it his muscular arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. I wanted so much to be strong and face this like I'd faced being a necromancer, but I couldn't. I rested my head against his chest and cried.
"I didn't mean to yell at you." He whispered. My sobs were so loud and his voice was so far away, but I heard him clearly. That made me erupt into even more sobs.
"Do you want to go back?" He asked. I could smell my salty tears on his shirt. I could smell his deodorant and shampoo.
I shook my head against his chest and tried to stop my sobs. Once I was sure that I was done crying I stretched up on my toes to kiss him. He pulled back looking down at me.
"Do you really think that's the best idea?" He asked raising one eyebrow.
"What do I have to lose?" I asked.
"Umm, your stitches?" He said smirking.
"Oh yeah," I muttered settling for planting a kiss on his neck.
He smiled and let out a deep chuckle flinging his arm around my shoulder. "Are you okay with this?" he asked.
"Of course." I said smiling and putting my arm around his waist.
"Not that, I meant the whole werewolf thing." He explained looking down into my eyes.
"I won't say I'm happy with it, but I'll learn to come to terms with it." I told him. "With some help," I added grinning up at him.
He grinned and we kept walking. I was getting used to Derek's scent. We walked for a few miles. It was starting to get dark, the other's would be wondering where we were.
"You shouldn't be out here." A voice that recognized with some thought called to me. I stopped walking and pictured myself pulling a spirit through. I opened my eyes, Derek was watching me.
"Hello again," The witch from a few days ago said standing in front of me.
"Hello." I murmured.
"I see you didn't take my advice about that wolf." She said gesturing toward Derek.
"No, I didn't." I said scowling at her.
"You seem different, like you're not the average necromancer anymore." She said walking around me; I shivered when she walked right through Derek.
"Are they bothering you?" Derek asked concerned.
"No, just an old acquaintance," I told him. He nodded and followed my eyes to where she was standing.
"You're right; I guess I'm sort of a hybrid you could say." I told her.
"Oh really," She said interested. "Of what sort?"
"Part necromancer, part werewolf," I said trying to sound brave, but my voice cracked on the last syllable.
"Because of this one?" She asked jerking her head in Derek's direction.
"His name is Derek." I growled at her.
At his name Derek moved over to my side.
"Derek huh? Looks like you have yourself a pet." She said analyzing the way he stood by my side.
"Goodbye." I said grabbing Derek's hand and pulling him away, back toward the house. Why was she analyzing me? It wasn't of any personal interest to her what I was or what I did anyway.
We walked in silence, it was getting dark but my eyes adjusted well. After awhile I grabbed Derek's hand and started running, letting go of his hand as soon as he broke into a jog beside me.
We jogged most of the way home, but it was still dark by the time we made it back to the house.
Andrew met us on the porch. "Where have you two been?" He asked angrily.
"Walking," Derek said moving around him.
"Until two in the morning?" He asked skeptically.
"I ran into some trouble with a few ghosts," It wasn't quite a lie, yet. "They gave me some trouble and said some things that got to me. It was hard for me and Derek helped me. I took awhile to get over it." I was never a good liar but the sympathy in Andrew's eyes told me he believed my story.
"Fine, you two should get to bed though." He said.
"We need to talk to you first." Derek told him. He was scowling again. He'd smiled so much that night I'd almost forgotten how bitter he could be.
"Sure," Andrew said leading us into the living room. "What is it?" He asked sitting on a chair. Derek and I sat on opposite sides of the couch.
"I don't think we got all the saliva out of Chloe's blood stream." He told Andrew.
"Did you change?" He asked alarmed looking at me.
"N-n-no I-I J-just," I stuttered helplessly under his intense gaze.
"Slow down." Derek whispered under his breath. Andrew didn't catch it but I did.
"I've been feeling different. I can hear and smell things that I couldn't before." I explained.
"What could it mean? If it had spread she would have changed awhile ago, but if it were all gone she wouldn't be different at all." Derek questioned Andrew.
Andrew seemed lost in the thought of the possibilities for a second but finally replied. "All I can think of is that there is an extremely small amount left in her blood. Not enough to spread causing the transformation. That would cause the side effects without the change. But that raises another question, will or won't she change late, and that I can't give you an answer to." Andrew said deep in thought.
Derek just sat there staring at his hands. He looked worn out. It made me feel bad knowing that I was the reason for all this stress on him. I slid across the couch to grab his hand.
"We better get to bed; it's late." I said standing up.
"Chloe, can I talk to you just a little more?" Andrew asked.
"S-sure, Derek you go ahead." I said giving him an encouraging smile telling him that I was okay.
He stood there for a second undecided but finally grunted a "Sure," And left the room.
As soon as he was gone Andrew moved over to the couch motioning for me to sit beside him.
I sat down by him and waited expectantly for what he had to say.
"So it seems like you and Derek are getting pretty serious." He said looking as uncomfortable as I felt. I felt the blood rush to my face and looked down at my hands. This was not a conversation I wanted to have with Andrew.
"I wouldn't call it serious." I muttered. "That makes it sound like more than it is."
Andrew just nodded and looked at the ceiling; he must have realized that if he wanted me to have this conversation with him at all we would not be making any eye-contact.
"Okay, well I just wanted to warn you Chloe; I'm not sure you know exactly what you're getting yourself into." He tried to sound serious while keeping it light, but failed.
"Oh I think I know exactly what I'm getting into." I said firmly.
"A teenage werewolf can be very unstable and dangerous. I just don't want you to get hurt." He said frowning at the floorboards now.
"Derek wouldn't hurt me." I told him knowing that it wasn't a lie or even an assumption.
"Have you ever seen him as a wolf? Until that moment you won't know that he won't hurt you for a fact." Andrew said sharp now. It must frustrate him that I wouldn't take his warnings seriously.
"Actually I do know it for a fact. I've been with Derek for two partial changes. I was also with him for his first and only full change. I am the only one who has seen Derek in his wolf form, and I'm standing right here." I said making eye contact this time.
"He, he never told me he'd made the full transition." Andrew said shocked. "I don't think Simon knows either, he would have told me." Andrew said looking away.
I was shocked. Derek hadn't told anyone?
"When was this?" Andrew asked. I thought back. It seemed so long ago, but it was just yesterday. I told Andrew this and he seemed not to hear, spacing out and staring at the floor. "Must have forgotten to mention it," Andrew finally decided standing up.
"I just thought I should give you a fair warning." Andrew said looking down at me.
"Thanks." I said standing up and leaving the room. My lip was throbbing and swollen and my body ached all over. The best thing to do now was take a couple Tylenol and go to sleep; and that's what I did.