fireicegirl16 – Thanks for the information. I'll look into it. (: And I'm glad you've really started to love the characters. Is it strange to admit that I already love them?
elizi02 – I thought about giving you a reply that was like "Oh, you'll have to wait and see…" but that can be answered in this chapter, so… I'll just thank you for being a reader and kindly reviewing! :D
Crixtine – Honestly, I'm pretty excited to have you guys find out what Derek says about the fact that Whitney and Chloe met. If it isn't obvious, I'll let you know that Derek was totally against Coe, partially because of some of his past (which is still a secret, muahaha) and partly because he's so protective over Whitney that he can't see her getting with anyone. Besides, he wants her to stay as far away from werewolves as she can.
The Darkest Powers Series belongs to Kelley Armstrong.
12: The Possibility of Trust
Whitney
I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. My nerves were so shot and giddy that I couldn't even get a good six hours of sleep. I was sleeping in fits and starts, aware that I'd probably dreamed, but if I did I couldn't remember anything. It felt like one of those sleepless nights, where the hours passed as slow as days. Or, I guess, as quickly as minutes, depending on how you looked at it. I glanced over at the clock for the third time in the past ten minutes. When I was awake, the seconds ticked by painfully slow. When I was sleeping, it felt like I'd only been sleeping for a few milliseconds.
Over the clock, I could see Zander. He was snoring softly in his own bed. I couldn't imagine how he slept. I wished that I could fall into a deep sleep just like he did. At least he'd followed my advice and gotten in some sleep. It was funny, though, because Zander could've slept in the car while I drove, but I couldn't sleep while driving. Out of the two of us, I was the only one that really needed to sleep.
I glanced at the clock again and sighed. Only one minute had passed. It was just nearing four in the morning. I'd planned on getting up a little before six. By six, I planned on having the car packed with our stuff, the two of us heading down the street. It would have to be silent because I didn't need Coe trying to step in and ruin things. He knew that I was planning on leaving since, in a fit of rage and annoyance, I'd blurted it out. But he didn't know when. I was hoping that he expected that he had a few days to try to get to me. It had taken Uncle Simon a few days just to decide that it would probably be wise to meet up with his half-sister. I figured that it was safe to assume that Coe thought he had a little while before I made my big getaway. Besides, he'd probably be thinking that I would sneak out in the dead of night. By waiting until morning, I was giving my plan another slim advantage.
I looked up at the ceiling, pretending to count the dips on the plaster. I couldn't really see them, but it was giving me the illusion of doing something. I was just itching to get up and push Zander out of his bed and tell him to hurry up and get packed. Or maybe I could let him sleep for the next two hours while I slyly snuck our stuff out into the car. But I had the feeling that Coe was waiting up for me, waiting for me to do something stupid. I chewed on my bottom lip. Just wait. At six, I'll get up and toss everything into the back of the car. It'll be fine. With a heavy sigh, I rolled over and pulled the thin sheet over my head.
# # #
I woke with a start. A incessant beeping was coming from underneath my pillow. It was the one watch Zander had tossed into his bag. It had become my alarm for the morning. Quickly, I fiddled with the buttons, hands still under the pillow. I didn't want to draw it out in case Coe was a light sleeper. Or maybe he was even awake. Wherever he was, I didn't want to tip him off. Finally it stopped, and I rolled out of bed.
Zander was still snoring, so I quickly threw on a comfortable pair of jean shorts and a loose T-shirt. My dad had hated the outfit – he said it didn't leave enough to the imagination. But my shorts were fingertip-length and my shirt was loose, so I didn't see the problem there. Still, thinking about it made a pang of homesickness shoot through me. I let out a shuttering sigh and leaned over the narrow way from my bed to Zander's, shaking him awake.
"Get dressed and get your stuff together," I said. "And for God's sake, be quiet." I whispered. Zander just rolled out of bed, his feet hitting the floor with a thump that made me wince. I bit down on my lip to keep from snapping at him, and instead threw the strap of my duffel bag over my shoulder and across my chest. I scooped up my pillows in one arm and wrestled the door open with my free hand. I had a feeling that this was going to be the hard part – getting past Coe's door undetected, since it was in between me and the front door. I took a deep breath and stepped forward gingerly.
The toes of my sneakers gave a tiny squeak on the tile. I let out my breath, pausing to strain my ears. When I didn't hear Coe moving around in his room, I scurried past the door like a scared mouse, slowly twisted the handle of the front door, and quietly let it swing open. I headed straight down the steps and fumbled with my keys for a moment, trying to find the unlock button. Finally it clicked and I pulled open the back seat, dumping my duffel bag onto the seat. I tossed in my pillows and a single blanket that I'd taken from Uncle Simon's hall closet.
I headed back into the house and grabbed Zander's bag. I heard him in the bathroom. I slung his bag over my shoulder and motioned for him to raid the kitchen for food while I tossed his bag into the car. I rushed back inside and slipped into the bathroom myself, brushing my hair out of my eyes with my fingers. Once I deemed myself ready and I was sure that I had everything that I wanted or needed, I headed towards the kitchen. Zander was zipping up a little baggie. He nodded to me, shut the fridge behind him, and together we headed down the steps.
This was it. This was what I had come to Georgia for. Finally, I was going to go help my parents. I wasn't just going to be hanging around with nothing to do. I was Whitney Souza, for God's sake. I wasn't about to let someone else handle something that had almost everything to do with me. I glanced at Zander, my heart pumping with adrenaline. And I couldn't help but feel elated. Even though I knew that this was dangerous, I couldn't help but think of it as an adventure. And honestly, that's what it was.
As I hurried to the car, I rushed to the car, looking over my shoulder to make sure Zander was following me down the steps. He closed the door softly behind him, locking the doorknob. I couldn't help but feel that burst of excitement. I mean, it was an adventure. It was for pretty depressing reasons; but even so, I could taste the adrenaline in the air. I stepped up to the car and tugged on the handle of the driver's side door. I jumped back, uttering a low oath.
Coe sat in my seat, fingers playing with the keys I had left in the front cup holder. He glanced up at me, his face fairly blank for a guy who had just managed to pull one over on me. If I'd been him, I would've been extremely smug. Zander, who had stepped up to the passenger side door, let out a low growl. Coe didn't react to him, or to me. Only when I let out an angry half-scream, half-growl did he look up at me, his eyebrows raised in surprise, but it was also a little bit in a sheepish way.
"What are you doing?" I demanded. I couldn't help but put my hands on my hips defiantly, taking a stance that I was comfortable with. I narrowed my eyes at him, debating on whether or not to yank him out of my car. What did he think this was going to do? It wasn't going to stop me, that was for sure. All it would amount to was a raised stress level and a smudge of anger on my part. Coe swallowed. I could see his Adam's apple bobbing as he did. His eyes met mine, their bluish color so intense that I almost swallowed. "Well?"
"I…." He shook his head, rubbing his thumb over the edge of my car keys. "I promised myself that I would make you stay here, that I would keep you out of danger." His eyes darted away from my face. I was almost sure that they connected with Zander's, but I couldn't be one hundred percent positive. "And I heard you last night," He said. Immediately I wanted to smack myself. Why hadn't I taken his presence into consideration when I talked Zander into coming with me? I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. I opened my mouth to say something, but Coe continued. "And I realized that no matter what you did, you would try to leave. And so my best chance of making sure you didn't get yourself killed was go to with you."
Zander scoffed. "You want to go with us?" He called it out like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. At the same time, I asked, "You want to come with us?" My voice was quiet, demur. Zander looked up at me, his eyes wide. I was sure he was freaking out about this. I was freaking out about it. The first thing that came to mind when Coe said he wanted to join us was to agree and tell him to get his butt in the back seat. Zander set his bag down on the hood of the car and came to my side. I couldn't remember the last time he'd looked so determined as he took a hard of my arm. Coe sat up a little more in his seat, like he thought he might have to get involved.
Zander actually sneered at Coe, a low growl slipping out from between clenched teeth. It was a face that said he was the alpha here. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, since I didn't want him to get a big head and think he could boss me around. Nobody bossed me around. Even so, I let him pull me away from the car. Already taller than me, Zander leaned forward to whisper to me feverishly. "Please tell me that you aren't really thinking about letting him come with us." I must not have answered fast enough – not that he really gave me a chance – because he hissed, "What are you thinking, Whitney?"
I pulled my arm away from him, giving him a sharp glare. "I was thinking that it might help to have someone else. Besides, he's a wolf. He has training. He's experienced." I said. If Coe's story about breaking away from his father and running away from everyone was true, then he had some street knowledge that I didn't.
Zander lowered his voice even more. "Think about it. I think he made a deal with Uncle Simon." Zander said quietly. "I don't think he would just promise himself that he was going to take care of someone he doesn't even know."
"How do you know, Zee? You'd do it." I shot off. My brother stopped, frozen. His eyes, blue like our mother's, searched mine for a second. And then he sighed and shook his head.
"Fine," He said shortly. "But you're watching him, not me." I bit down on my lip, shocked by his attitude. Zander almost never acted like that. The only reason he would be so sharp was if he really didn't like someone. It was obvious now that he really didn't like Coe. I didn't know what it was. As far as I knew, the two of them had never come to an altercation. The three of us had been in close quarters for days. I figured that it had to be something with the wolves – two wolves that didn't know each other and weren't too pleased with the presence of another.
Zander walked away from me, his footsteps on the driveway exaggerated. I sighed and pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes. I took a deep breath, trying to reign in my emotions. I wanted to yell at Coe for eavesdropping, for thinking that he could just walk up and expect to join us. But I wanted to thank him for offering. And then I wanted to slap Zander for acting that way, but I wanted to hug him for being my brother. And then I wanted to kick them both out of my car and go on my own, but I knew I needed the help. I couldn't do this on my own. With another deep breath, I turned to look at the two of them. Coe was still sitting in my seat, one leg half out of the car, an expression on his face that said he was debating on getting out of the car. Zander leaned against the passenger side, his back facing me. I could see his arms crossed over his chest.
I stepped up to my open door and leaned against it, holding out a hand. Coe dropped my keys into my palm and stood up fluidly stepping out of my seat. We stood so close for a moment that if I looked up, our faces would only be inches away from each other. As it was, my nose nearly poked him directly in the chest. I found myself holding my breath as he stood there for a half a second longer than was considered normal before sidestepping me. I motioned for him to climb into the back. With a bright smile, he pulled open the back door and climbed into the middle of the bench seat, Zander's stuff on one side of him and mine on the other. For the first time, I noticed a large black backpack that didn't belong to either of us. The way Coe picked it up and set it on top of my pile of things, I assumed that it was his. He had planned this, just the way I had. Except this time he'd outsmarted me.
I'd get my revenge.
I sat down in the driver's seat. Coe's scent – I wasn't really sure what it was, but it was something that was warm and natural – surrounded me. How long had he been sitting there? Zander opened up the door a little too roughly for my tastes. Usually I would've turned to face him and barked out that he needed to be careful with my car. But I kept my lips shut this time. Obviously, he was a little more on edge than usual, and I didn't want to be the one to push him over it. Zander and I were allies, and we needed to stay that way.
My brother sat down, slammed the door closed behind him, and pulled the seatbelt across his chest. I looked in the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of Coe pulling the belt across him in the backseat. I put my key into the ignition, leaned forward to get one last look at the house, and put the car into reverse.
# # #
Zander
I didn't want him to come with us. He didn't have a place with us. He was… I don't know. I just knew that deep down inside, I didn't want him in the same breathing space as me or Whitney. Whitney especially. I'd seen the way he looked at her. Honestly, I wasn't sure what it meant, but there was something more than an awkward acquaintanceship. I wasn't even sure if it was a friendship. But it was still there.
I wished that I could say it was the main reason that I didn't like Coe. But seriously, I thought it had a lot to do with the wolf that was seated deep down inside. I hadn't started any pre-Changes. Usually those didn't happen until you were older, Coe's age, probably. My dad had been different. He'd had his first Change at sixteen, my age now. But he'd been supercharged, affected by whatever it was that those scientists did to his cells. I, on the other hand, had showed no signs of Changing. It meant that I was safe… for now.
Even if I didn't, the wolf inside still had a mind. He was still howling inside over the fact that Coe was nearby. I didn't think it would've been that big of a deal if he didn't smell so strange. I didn't know what it was, but I didn't like it. I figured it had something to do with the fact that neither of us were considered Pack but we were both from different families. Dad didn't smell so distant to me.
When I got in the front seat, it was like I'd been slammed by his scent. I wanted to turn around and ask if he'd bathed in a bottle of cologne, but I didn't. Whitney was already stressed and on edge, and my tense outburst hadn't helped at all. I'd even felt a little bad after snapping at her, but I couldn't figure out how to take a step back and apologize for it. I'd let her settle for a little bit. Hopefully she'd understand.
I turned away from Whitney, angling myself to face the window. New York was quite a way away from Georgia. It was at least a sixteen hour drive, and Whitney had planned it to take us at least two days – eight hours for each day. Hopefully we could get there quickly, with a minimum amount of stops. Hopefully we could get there and help our parents, get there in time to help Uncle Simon and Aunt Tori.
I hoped we could get there before I really got into an argument with Coe.
# # #
Derek
I thought, for a minute, that Watson was going to let me out of my cell. Hope grew like a balloon in my chest for a moment, but it deflated when he waved away his torture device. The door stayed open behind him, probably to allow a quick escape if he needed it. I tried not to obviously eye it, but I couldn't help but give it a quick glance every now and then.
"Please, stay seated," Watson said, motioning for me to stay put. I knew what he was doing. I was a werewolf, after all. Signs of dominance were in my area of expertise. He was trying to make a point that I had to look up at him to meet his eyes. I fought the urge to stand up and have him look up at me. "Now tell me, Derek, where are your kids going?"
I swallowed hard, my brain scanning through options. I swallowed, giving myself more time while trying to seem like I was debating on whether or not this was a good idea. Finally, I sighed. "They're going to a friend's house."
"Where is it?" Watson asked, his eyes narrowing in on me. My brows drew together, as if I was really trying to think about this. I wasn't good at this type of stuff. Chloe had been the one that had taken acting classes. I was the one who had advanced math and science. "Derek," Watson tsked, "You do realize that if you don't help, it's the Iron Maiden for you and darling Chloe."
My control was slipping. A growl slipped out of me and I almost stood up to shove Watson out of my cell. Chloe was mine. For him to even think about touching her made my blood boil. But I needed to keep my cool. I took a deep breath and leaned back on my cot against the wall. "Utah," I said it quietly, as if I was uncomfortable telling him.
"Why Utah?" Watson asked, his brows actually drawing together. I remembered the fact that Whitney and Zander had been able to outrun the guys that had been chasing them. They had no idea what she drove unless they'd been watching the house, and I had the feeling, by their lack of knowledge, that they hadn't been. And even then, Whitney and Zander had fake IDs and license plates.
I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. I tried to give him a sly smile. "It's unassuming," I replied. Really, it was because I'd never really heard of anything interesting in Utah, besides large rock structures. And it was big enough that they'd have to comb the entire state to try and find them. And even then, they wouldn't be there.
Watson actually grinned, like he thought it was funny. "Smart thinking, Derek," He said. I had the feeling that he honestly believed me. It put me a little on edge. Most of the people I talked to were untrusting for the most part. I'd already decided that Watson was insane, though, so what was the big deal about him accepting a total lie? "What's the address?"
"I don't know." I said. I shook my head, as if I should've thought about this before. "I called my friend on a throw-away phone. He had just moved. I didn't know the address. It was with Whitney's things. If something happened to me and Chloe… well, she was supposed to take the envelope and go to his house. They were supposed to lie low and enlist his help."
"What's his name?" Watson questioned, leaning forward. The smile on his face was truly evil. And I was surprised – he was actually buying it. If he wasn't, he was much better at acting than I was.
"I'm not for sure. He goes by different aliases. I'm not even sure if I know his real name. He went my Jacob Rigsby when I knew him." I said.
"Why send your kids there, if you don't really know him?"
"You know what my kids can do. They're strong enough to take care of themselves. And Jacob owed me a favor." I said. "Watching Whitney and Zander was my payment."
"What did you do for him?" Watson asked.
I was digging myself into a hole, each lie digging up another foot of earth. Soon, I wouldn't be able to see the flat ground anymore. "I took care of some guys that were giving him a hard time. Jacob was a runner." I lied smoothly.
"Did you kill them?" Watson leaned forward, truly interesting in my answer. I had the feeling that he was more interested in that than the other answers. He didn't really care about where Whitney and Zander were, not as much as he cared about whether or not I had permanently destroyed someone.
"What does it matter?" I asked, allowing a hard edge to creep into my voice. If I could seem mysterious, the better it was for me. Watson had to stop asking questions eventually.
"Very well," The insane doctor said. He nodded towards me. "Thank you for your cooperation. And believe me, Derek, if you've lied to me, your punishment will be tenfold. As will your wife's." He turned to leave the room. I stayed sitting where I was until the door closed behind him and the guards. He seemed like he believed me, and if he did, I had a few days to try and figure things out. A week at most. Hopefully, Whitney and Zander had made their way to Simon's. Simon and Tori would be able to break us out of here, I was sure.
But for now, Watson was busy scouring Utah.
God help anyone named Jacob Rigsby in Utah.
# # #
Watson
I had the feeling that Derek was telling the truth. It was always questionable with a man like him, but I had taken extensive zoology classes. Wolves were different than man. More primal. They cared for themselves and their mates first, and then their children. When caged, they attacked. When given an exit, they took it. And I'd watched him. Derek seemed more in tune with his wolf than others did.
I'd seen the battle in his eyes. The distrust he put in me. But I was a man of my word. I'd promised him that he and his wife, little Chloe, would be safe. That is, unless he was lying to me. I'd made another promise, this one to be kept just as well as the first. I would not hesitate to do testing on them. Davidoff had failed with his experiments – half of them did not succeed, and the other half had a low amount of useable statistics. Science was statistics. He should've seen that, should've known that. And so I would finish it.
But first. Utah. Those children of his, while being fully able to destroy a couple of my useless employees, they couldn't stand up to me. I had been indestructible for these years. I had the strength of hundreds on my side. They would come with me, I would use them for my experiments. I would become famous. I would have a name in this world, an award, a prize for all my work.
And then I would let them go. After that, they were useless to me. I would find a way to get rid of them, so the secrets to my success would never be unearthed. I would take it to my grave.
"Go," I said to the guard next to me. He stood tall and silent, strong enough to protect me from Derek. "Get a group together to go to Utah. We've got some half breeds to catch."
What did you guys think? I know it took a while to build up to this, but this is a very important part of my story. I hope you've all enjoyed it.
Also, I wanted to thank you all for taking the time to read/review this story. It's thanks to you guys that I continue to write. I am forever thankful for you. (:
Please, as always, review. And don't forget to spread the word of this story. I would love to see as many people as possible read and review. Peace. (:
