Derek's POV

I took a deep breath as I stared at the door. What was I going to say to Avril? How was I going to explain myself? I had no idea as I reached up and knocked on the door. There was movement inside and the door opened. Avril stared at me arms crossed as she blocked me from coming inside.

"Where have you been?" She asked. "You knew I'd be worried sick."

I blinked and I was laying on the hotel bathroom floor, it was all a dream I wasn't headed back to Avril yet. I sighed as I sat up and rubbed my face. I could hear my phone buzzing out in the room but I didn't care right now. Whatever info Kit had, could wait a few minutes. I was going through this whether I knew why or not. A phone call wasn't going to change that.

A wave of muscle spasms ran through my back making me think of when I first went through this. The terror of not knowing whether I'd complete it or not, especially when I found out about the genetic mutations. The fear of going through it alone when we were on the run, without Chloe by my side. That first night behind the Lyle House shed where she found me and my life changed forever. She never looked scared even though she didn't know what was happening. My heart sank as my thoughts drifted to Chloe and her first change experience. Nate forcing her to do it before she was ready and how she'd convulse and spit blood and never make it any further. No matter how badly my changes hurt, it would never be as bad as that.

The phone started buzzing again. I growled annoyed and forced myself to my feet. I went and picked it up off the bed. There was the usual missed calls from Simon trying to check in on me but Kit was calling this time.

"What?" I growled angrily as I answered. "I'm a bit busy."

"Derek," Kit ignored my anger. "I got good news and great news."

I sat down on the bed so I wouldn't collapse from the muscle spasms in my back. "What is it?"

"I've got answers for you that you'll love. You're changing feels like the first time because it's been so long since you've done it."

I rolled my eyes, "I could've guessed that. Why's it happening though?"

"Chloe," Kit said. "She's your mate isn't she? Well she's back."

My heart stopped. "Back?" I could barely get the word out of my mouth.

"Yeah. Matt got her back. She's here Derek, alive."

The phone slipped out of my hand and the room started to spin. I forgot how to breathe and hit the ground.

Chloe's POV

I wandered aimlessly through the woods, not really caring about how long I'd been gone or that Elijah said not to do this. I missed Edgar, he was fun to take into the woods the other night. We had to do that again sometime.

I don't know how much time had passed but my leg was really starting to bother me. It wasn't broken from that fight with the wolf but it was still banged up pretty good and hurting me. So I changed course and worked my way back with the hopes that Elijah would have pain killers.

The sun was well into the sky by the time I was approaching buildings, I must've been gone a while. I found the hospital building we stayed in at our last visit here and managed to retrace my steps back to the people. I looked around for Elijah or Jeremy but couldn't find them.

"Chloe," Ashe spotted me and came over.

"Where are they?" I asked.

"They're around somewhere. You're limping."

I shrugged it off, "I'm okay just banged up from the fight."

I bit my lip. Elijah didn't want me talking about what happened but it was too late. Ashe's curiosity was peaked. She took my hand and pulled me closer to her and smelled the dried blood on my shirt.

She pulled on my hand and brought me into the office that Jeremy and I had been in that night with Rich. Ashe shut the door behind us and let go of me.

"What did you do?" She asked.

"Elijah told me not to talk about it," I shook my head.

"I know that scent Chloe. You fought their alpha didn't you? You're the one who took him down."

I wouldn't make eye contact with her. "I didn't mean to. I was just protecting Jeremy."

"We need to get you a change of clothes," she said and walked over to a small dresser in the corner of the office.

She rummaged through it for a second before pulling some out and handing them to me.

"Elijah was right to tell you to keep your mouth shut but you need that scent off you too."

"Why do I need to shut up about it? It was a mistake I didn't mean for it to go that far."

She turned around so I could change without being watched.

"Intentions don't matter," she said. "There's consequences for killing alphas. Elijah's protecting you."

"Like?"

"It can depend on how much they liked the alpha. It can range from the alpha's killer taking over the pack as their own to the pack demanding we hand over the killer in order to reach an end to this. If no one knows you did it then you can't be handed over as dead meat. These people wouldn't mind doing that to you since they don't know you."

There was a knock at the door, I quickly finished changing so she could answer it. Her son Jacob was waiting there with Elijah.

"There you are," Elijah was surprised to see me here.

Ashe and I stepped outside. She gave Elijah a hug before grabbing Jacob's hand and walking off.

"I forgot you're an uncle," I said. "How's he doing with all this?"

Elijah waved it off, "He's too much like Ashe. What's going on here?"

"Ashe made me change clothes so no one else would pick up the scent. She figured it out," I said.

He growled under his breath frustratedly.

"Alright well that won't matter long. We have to find Jeremy and get you two home."

"Why?" I asked as I followed Elijah.

"You have to stay calm," he said. "You can't overwhelm yourself into changing with those stitches."

I nodded.

"I called Kit and he's been in contact with Derek lately. He's going to call him and tell him."

My heart raced and I took a deep breath.

"You alright?" Elijah asked me.

"Yeah."

He smiled at me. "Let's go find Jeremy and get you two home."

I followed Elijah but barely paid attention to anything around me. My mind was zooming through all the possible scenarios. Derek picking up that phone call and rushing back here. Or him finding out and hanging up on Kit, not caring. Or him neglecting to take Kit's phone calls like he wouldn't take Simon's. Or him picking this new French lady over me. Or him sitting on Simon's couch as I come walking in the front door, waiting for me.

A hand touched my arm pulling me back to reality.

"Hm?" I blinked.

"You ready?" Jeremy asked me. Elijah must've found him while I was lost in thought.

"Yeah. Are you going to be okay here Elijah?" I asked.

Elijah nodded, "Yeah we'll be alright. We'll negotiate peace soon and then I'll head home."

We followed him to the shed that led us back to the parking garage. As we stepped out of the elevator I saw Matt standing there, arms crossed. He looked furious.

"Thanks for getting them," Elijah said to him. "It would've been a long trip home for them."

Matt nodded as he looked Elijah over. Jeremy and I had been cleaned up but Elijah was still a bloody beaten mess.

"Good lord how are you not dead?" Matt asked.

Elijah waved it off, "I'll be fine. Just don't tell Tess it's this bad."

Matt shook his head at him. "As long as you don't break your phone next time. She was a nervous wreck."

"Sorry," Elijah apologized.

Matt looked at me and Jeremy and said, "Let's go."

Elijah gave us a hug goodbye and returned my phone. He went back to the elevator and we followed Matt through his spell to get home. We stepped out in the front yard of the house. Matt stood there, arms still crossed.

"What's wrong?" Jeremy asked him.

"Go inside Jeremy," Matt said. "Chloe and I need to have a little chat."

"No," Jeremy stayed beside me.

"Now Jeremy," Matt said angrily.

"No," he repeated.

"It's okay," I said to Jeremy. I knew this would come the next time I saw Matt.

Jeremy stood his ground that he wasn't going inside. Anything Matt had to say, he was going to say it in front of Jeremy. Irritated, Matt gave and turned his attention on me.

"Fine whatever. Chloe are you really that stupid? There's a reason I told you not to go there. It was too damn dangerous and now look at you. You can barely walk and you have stitches everywhere. And you got Jeremy hurt too. I told you not to go there. What the hell is wrong with you? You won't listen. You bring a demon back from the other side that's bound to kill someone and you refuse to acknowledge that that's wrong. He needs to go back but you won't listen. You threatened to go back yourself instead of protecting your friends from a demon. And now this. I explicitly told you it was too dangerous to go there and you did anyway and you could've died. Jeremy could've died. But no Chloe doesn't listen to reason anymore apparently. You want to just do whatever you want to do regardless of the consequences. Wake up Chloe you're back in the real world. You can't do whatever the hell you want to do. Why don't you consider how your actions are going to effect other people the next time you want to do something so idiotic. I might not be there to fetch you next time."

I blinked and Matt vanished into thin air after he finished. He was so angry he didn't want to stay. Jeremy put an arm around me and guided me to the house.

"Wow he's really pissed that we went," Jeremy said.

"That I went," I corrected him. "He's angry at me not you."

We stepped inside and I immediately went into the bathroom. I didn't even stop to look at who was home. I shut the door behind me and took a deep breath, trying to keep my composure. Matt yelling at me scared me good. I splashed some water on my face and could hear Jeremy talking to someone about what just happened.

I stared at myself in the mirror as I patted my face dry and took slow deep breaths. Elijah said to not get overwhelmed and the twitch in my shoulder said I was getting there.

There was a knock at the door. Jeremy said, "Clo you okay? Don't let him upset you."

"I'm fine," I responded.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, expecting it to maybe Tess making sure I was home safe. But the screen read, Incoming Call: Derek.