CHAPTER 10

And I kept repeating those few words, over and over, as tears started to run tracks down my face, though I fought to stop them, my hands brushing my face uselessly. And the scene was like a penultimate scene of a horror film, members of the Edison group losing their cover and running for the hills, quite literally.

Simon was backing up, trying to look completely nonchalant, and failing, for though he looked normal to me, he was only background, and his expression had upset Derek. Most of my attention was focused on Derek, as he looked hurt, confused and angry, calming down, preparing to change back. But when he saw Simon, he froze, and looked so lost that I was sure that if I wasn't crying already, it would have been a time to start. The expression was 100 times worse than when Andrew looked scared, maybe even 200. It was depressing to watch.

I covered the ground between us in four hopefully confident looking strides, but it seemed to make him more nervous. He shook his head, and scampered into a bush. And the reversal seemed to be as sudden and easy as the transformation, as less than a minute later, he was back in human form, or so I guessed, as it appeared that wolves couldn't cuss their way to hell, and if it was most definitely possible for someone 10 miles away in a coma to hear you, then Derek would have most definitely achieved it.

Simon chose that moment to snap out of it then, and turned his head towards the bush.

"Hey bro, you okay?"

"Stupid question" was something I couldn't help but mutter, though my tone was slightly marred by my incessant crying. Unpredictably, a low rumble of a laugh came from the general direction of Derek.

"This is going to sound really stupid, but three guesses why I'm swearing?"

That was weird. I thought having killed someone, it would be pretty obvious. Simon took a guess anyway, going straight for the answer that would be first to cross anyones mind.

"Ummm, because I'm starting to smell rotting flesh?"

Dereks laugh in response seemed to be more than a little forced, but at least it was there. That was a good sign.

"Guys, considering what just happened, this shouldn't be the first thing on my mind, but has any of my clothes survived?" I looked around, and couldn't help but let out a somewhat hysterical laugh.

"You have half a sneaker, a one armed shirt, and what looks like it could have possibly been jeans." I reeled off, smiling in spite of myself. More cussing and Simon turned to a backpack that he had slung over one arm.

"Hey bro, I've got some of your clothes in my bag. You have sweatpants, and a hoodie. I know you hate dressing like a stereo-typical chav, but it takes up less space." He pulled both items from his bag and chucked them across to where he estimated Derek to be.

"Thanks. Hey, why do you have my stuff in your bag?" Derek seemed uncertain; like he wasn't sure he wanted to know the reply.

"Simple. I set an intruder spell especially for them a mile around where I was. When it went off, I put all of our money, and the clothes that took up the least space for all of us." He sounded rather proud of himself, probably thinking that this classed as a worthy cause for redemption.

Derek stepped forward, his face much less relaxed than his tone had been, and I was sure that it wasn't because he was dressed like a chav. And I ran up to him, arms clamped around his neck.

"Are you okay?" I couldn't help but ask, though it was obvious that he wasn't.

"Been better. I'm so confused. Simon, how did you end up here? Chloe, why aren't you running away from me? I killed a man. One we didn't even know, couldn't have just been shoved into the group. Don't you care?" He sounded really worried, and pissed off, probably because he wasn't used to not knowing precisely what was going on – he was meant to be the smart one, making up for the rest of us having pea-sized or 'blond' brains.

"Derek, I only care about YOU. Yes, you killed someone, but you also saved all of our lives. You killed one man – if anyone in the Edison group can be called a man- but he really asked for it. I know you didn't want to kill him. I would only be freaked if it had been a premeditated murder. You understand? Okay?" My words flowed really fast, so fast that I was surprised he heard any of it.

"Really?" His voice had suddenly changed rather dramatically, making him sound about 3 feet shorter, mentally younger and very vulnerable.

"Yes."

"Hey, how's your arm? We're going to have to get that fixed up. Can you move it?"

Sudden change of topic, probably as a defence for himself. Something I understood- he was meant to be a big tough werewolf, not a frightened kid.

"Since I have both arms around your neck and I'm not collapsed in pain, I figure that I'll live." In a second he had turned into intellectual doctor Derek.

He was still worried though. Not that he got a chance to say anything else.

"We can take her to Arizona State. Remember Regrof? We can get some ID off of him, then find a hospital, then find a very cheap, run down motel." The way Simon had said it made me feel like there was an invisible 'simples' hanging in the air around him.

I was about to question this Regrof guy, but Derek seemed to trust him, as his eyes had lit up.

"Great!!!!!" There was no sarcasm in his voice. "We can trust him Chloe; he's an illegal, generally distrusted guy."

And I finished the words for him. "Just like we are now"

"Basically, yeah."

The question was how to get there.

Author's notes

UPDATED IN THE FIRST TIME IN FOREVER!

Sorry you lovely people who were asking when I was gonna update and telling me to update quicker. I HEART/LOVE Y'ALL!

XD XP