Chapter TEN! Yay, I never thought I'd get this far! Thanks to everyone for reviewing, and following my story! Disclaimer: I still don't own Darkest Powers, or any of the character, even, unfortunately, Derek. :( Also, I'm having a bad week, so sorry if I don't update. –Cari

CPOV

Derek seemed distant. He didn't sit with me this morning. Mason's prank was funny, but I could see that he only did it to cheer Zara up. Chip was sitting next to Zara, telling her funny stories, trying to cheer her up, too, but Zara wasn't responding. I wondered what was wrong. Oh, well, I was wondering why Derek was mad at me. Was it because I had asked about Liam and Ramon? I didn't know, why was he mad at me? Zara, I called out in my head, are you there?

Yeah, Chloe, what's wrong? I usually stay out of people's thoughts to give them privacy.

Just, what's wrong with Derek? He's being distant. Why is he mad at me?

She looked kind of uncomfortable. She fidgeted, glancing at me briefly. Uh, Chloe, he should probably be the one to tell you that. It's kind of a private matter.

Tell me, Zara. I'll be okay. He usually overreacts.

She looked really worried about me now. She was staring at me out of the corner of her eyes, not drawing the attention of anyone else. Are you sure, love, because I know he isn't overreacting. Some werewolves have killed themselves or others when they go through this. Mason is helping calm his feelings. Do you really want me to tell you?

YES, Zara, it'll be fine. I was sure. I wanted to know.

Um, okay. This'll be really awkward. Derek, as a werewolf, has to have a mate. He loves you, a lot, but he doesn't think you are his mate. There is a chance you will be able to feel his pressure point, but he doesn't think so. His werewolf senses are not reacting as they should towards you if you were his mate. I'm sorry.

My heart plummeted, and my eyes filled with tears. I was hoping I would be Derek's mate. I thought we had a future ahead of us. Zara, what do you think?

She winced and sighed sadly before replying. I'm sorry, love, I don't think you're his mate either.

The tears that were threatening to spill, finally did. But I asked one more thing. There's a chance, though, isn't there?

She looked at me sympathetically, and sadly. Yes, love, because the scientists messed with him, but it is small. I'm sorry, dear. Be content with the fact that he loves you.

A heart-wrenching sob ripped from my throat, and I ran out the door, away from everyone else. Zara came up next to me and put her arms around me. I laid my head on her shoulder and cried. Cried for everything I've lost. Cried for Liz and Brady, and everyone else the Edison Group killed. Cried for the life of directing I've lost. Cried for my dad and how I couldn't tell him anything. Cried for Rae's and my aunt's betrayals. But most of all, I cried for how I would lose Derek.

Zara sensed all my pain and murmured comforting words in my ear. I realized why she owned this place. She understood how we had to run away, and our emotions, because she had experience pain a thousand times worse. She could empathize with our every feeling. I realized why it bothered everyone when she was upset. She was the strength in the safehouse. She was the rock in the river that we all held onto, and when it wobbled, we all tried to stabilize it. She held us all together.

Her soothing words comforted me and I fell asleep in her arms. I woke up briefly to see her carry me up the stairs, but she told me to go back to sleep, and I was happy to comply. An empty, dreamless, blackness enveloped me, and I welcomed it eagerly. It would be a lot better than dreaming.

SPOV

When Chloe randomly started crying and ran out, Zara followed her. Why, I don't know. We all looked to Mason, who shrunk into the couch, and shook his head.

"Mason, just tell us already, that's my best friend," said Tori, surprisingly, sparks flying from her fingers.

Mason glanced back and forth to see everyone staring at him, and sighed. "They were talking in their heads, and Chloe was worried about something, and she kept on worrying, and she overreacted," he looked uncomfortable.

"What was it about?" asked Ani.

"I don't know, I can't read minds, only emotions and expressions," he answered, still a little uncomfortable with the attention.

Just then Zara came in. She stopped short at finding that everyone's eyes snapped to her. She looked straight at Mason, and nodded. He sighed. She looked at him sympathetically, before walking out through another door, turning into a panther as she left.

I gasped. I'd never seen her shapeshift before. An awkward silence filled the room again, and people started to head to bed. Nobody had done anything today. Soon I went as well, and left Mason there alone, staring at the wall.

DPOV

I was hungry, so I went downstairs to get a midnight snack. Shit, I forgot that Zara and Mason didn't sleep. Oh, well, I'll go down and get a snack and sneak up before they notice. But I heard them talking, and I was curious.

"Why did you tell her? You knew it was going to make her unhappy." Mason. I totally agreed with him.

"It would have been worse if she found out after he found his mate. Last time that happened, the ex-girlfriend killed the mate and then the weretiger killed her and then himself. I don't want three people to die, and you know Derek is the key to winning this war." Zara. She was explaining, and pleading, but I could smell that she wasn't telling him everything. And why were they talking about Chloe and me?

"Yeah, but couldn't you have broken it to her more gently? I mean, once she finds out that we think you and Derek are mates, she'll throw a fit! And the visions could change couldn't they?" What was he talking about?

"I broke it as gently as I could. And we can't be sure Derek and I are mates, since nobody can sense their own mates, only other peoples. And if she throws a fit, we'll send her to another safehouse. And yes, the visions could change, but not this one. Derek and his mate are the key to freeing supernaturals, they will be the leaders of the war ahead, the Second Supernatural War. I can't tell who his mate is, though, I'm losing my powers. If I use them much more, my energy will run out sooner, and I'll find my mate sooner, too, I guess."

"Sorry, sis, but won't you tell Derek, too?"

"No, he'll find out once he changes by himself, not when he has to, and he'll be overprotective and obsessive over his mate."

"Okay, sis, sorry for snapping at you. You have a lot to deal with."

"Thanks, bro, but I don't want to hurt Chloe anymore. I hope she'll find another mate. I could take her memories away, but that would be unfair, so I'm going to manipulate her emotions, so she's calm, and she'll get over Derek."

They didn't really talk after that, but I was shocked. I slipped back upstairs, so quietly and quickly that I didn't remember how I got to my bed. Zara was my mate? That was weird, but couldn't she sense the werewolf pressure point? Well, she never tried, but if I asked her, she would know I eavesdropped. Well, I'll just wait until she runs out of energy and finds her mate. Then I'd find out.

IMPORTANT! READ PLEASE! So this is what you Chlerek fans get for not reviewing more. Shame on you! Jk jk but Zara's based off me and really, can you blame me for wanting Derek? No, you can't because you want him too. Don't you try to deny it. It still could change, because there's a chance of Chlerek still. And Zara thinks Derek loves Chloe, but he says that he loves her, but he doesn't think he's in love with her. So Chloe likes Derek, Derek's not sure who he likes, Zara doesn't like anyone yet, maybe Derek if he's her mate, Tori likes Jace, and I'm still debating between Zara and Chloe because Derek's always been the smart, strong one who gets them out of bad situations and protects Chloe, so I think that it should change, because Zara's smarter and stronger than Derek, and he should be in the "damsel in distress" position for once. That makes for an interesting mental picture. And its about a tie for the Zara vs Chloe battle, because most of my friends say Zara. So review, and the next chapter will be up when I feel like updating. Sorry, bad week. Love, -Cari.