Disclaimer : Hear ye, hear ye. I do not, yes do NOT, own the Darkest Powers trilogy.
I waited a minute just to make sure Collin was gone. The wind was picking up, leaving the light but cold breeze. The leaves rustled softly all around me. I shivered.
"Derek?" I whispered.
I heard an odd whimpers then some noises in the bushes on the other side of the river.
"Derek, if t-that's you, c-can you p-please come out?"
A figure popped from the bushes.
"Derek?" I whispered again just making sure it was him.
He fully came out, making eye contact with me. The he bowed his head, as if taking a look at what he looked like in the water and not liking what he saw. He looked back up, then made his way running through the river, over to my side.
The paws wet, he stood there looking at me with his gaze. A gaze of acknowledgment and intelligence.
"Is that you?" I whispered walking tentatively over to him with my hand reached out for him.
The second I got to close to him, he snapped his teeth very closely to my hand then growled, making me jump and pull my hand back brusquely. I then lost balance and fell on the ground five feet away from the wolf.
Yes I said the wolf because I no longer thought that it was Derek. This was an actual wild wolf and I was trying to pet it! Though it didn't look like a normal wolf. That's what was confusing me.
Still on my soar bottom, the wolf started whimpering and stepped toward me.
I tried getting up but then it yelped softly making me stay where I was. I t kept on getting closer to me until it was practically next to my horrorstruck face.
It looked at me in the eyes again. It had piercing green eyes, just like Derek has... Now that I looked at it, it was probably bigger than the average wolf, just like Derek was... It also had nice dark fur, like Derek had nice dark hair...
"Derek." I said, not as a question but recognition.
He bowed his head and I grabbed his face to bring it back up so that I could now look at him straight in the eyes.
"I told you. It doesn't matter what you are to me, and I truly mean that. You're not that monster Derek and you know it. Don't make what you are control who you are. You're still you."
He whimpered softly.
"I know this might be hard for you, but that's why I'm here. So that you don't have to do this alone. So that we could do it together, because I know that I would want someone there for me."
He put his wet muzzle on my shoulder. A little silence passed.
"You know, you're probably the best looking wolf I've ever seen if that makes you feel any better."
He gently growled, almost like a cat's purr but raspier. I think it was a laugh.
I could almost see him in human form rolling his eyes at me and laughing at my absurdities.
"Ha ha... So what do we do now?"
"Chloe! Derek!" I gasped at the unexpected voices coming from far away. They sounded very much like Simon. "Chloe!?"
Derek lifted his head at the callings.
"Simon?" I asked him.
He bowed.
"Chloe? Derek?" That voice was a little deeper so I guessed it was Andrew. I didn't hear Tori but I was sure she wouldn't want to stay alone in the safe house, so she probably tagged along.
Derek nudged me. I got up from the ground. "What do we do?" I said whispered urgently.
He started to look around, contemplating. I could still hear the muffled shouts in the quiet forest.
Derek started to wipe his right paw in the dirt. I was wondering what he was doing when I started to see some letters engraved in the ground.
I guess Derek kept his brains even as a wolf.
He kept on scratching until I made out the words, my back.
"You want me to go on your back?" I asked incredulously.
Well he was a werewolf so maybe he kept his super strength just like all his other enhanced abilities. I really hoped so.
He was pretty tall so I had to work to straddle him. I felt like I was on a little pony except this one had very long, soft, fur. Clearly not your average pony by any means.
When he started to walk forward, I lost my balance but managed to get it back so I wrapped my arms around his collar before he started walking again.
We went through the river, managing to keep me dry. Although it was a cold night, Derek was seriously a space heater and I was able to get warm in no time.
Now that we were on the other side of the river, he broke into a run. With the moonlight gone once more I could barely make anything out, only seeing blurry things pass by at full speed beside me.
Scared out of my mind that we were going to hit something, I buried my face in his collar. It was quite peaceful, I could barely feel his run, just a soft rocking that could eventually make me go to sleep. It was like closing your eyes on a moving boat or a swing, only sensing the rocking motion.
His fur was so soft it was like hugging a teddy bear and he smelled very woodsy. I started stroking his fur feeling the texture and the softness.
I didn't know what I was going to expect from Derek. I couldn't wrap my mind around the whole Hollywood version of werewolf, but I also couldn't wrap my mind around the fact of a human being turning into a full on wolf either.
Though I was much happy that he didn't turn out as the Hollywood horrifying man eating beasts version, I kind of knew he wouldn't because that's not the kind of person Derek is. Now if he would of acted like an obnoxious, rebellious, angry person then maybe I would have changed my mind.
I think I fell asleep because when I opened my eyes I was now on the ground. Confused and a little tired from the sleep I pushed myself then wiped my eyes with my hands. I looked around and saw Derek in human form still in only his shorts sitting about three feet away from me, knees up and arms loosely around them, looking at me. He had a weird expression on his face. One I've never seen before.
I sprang up and gasped "Derek! Are you okay?" and went to sit beside him. "I'm so sorry. I dozed off. I shouldn't have. Ugh, that was so stupid of me! And I knew - "
"Chloe. Chloe. I'm fine okay? Don't worry. You needed your sleep anyways."
"Oh Derek!" I said as I wrapped my arms around him. "I'm so glad you're okay." I muffled against his bare shoulder. " How long did I sleep for?" I pulled away from him, cheeks a little red.
"I'd say about an hour."
"Oh. Well do you know what time it is?"
"I'm guessing, from the position of the moon and the light, about one thirty in the morning." he said as he scratched his head.
"Thanks."
"So were you talking to a ghost earlier? I heard you talking."
"Oh, yeah. I met a little boy who actually died in here. Isn't that horrible? He said that him and his mom were running away from people and he got lost."
"That sucks."
"Yeah. And the weirdest thing of all is that he's an Agito half-demon."
"What? Really?"
"Yeah. Do you think they were running away from Dr. Lyle. He was born in 1937, so that's possible right?"
" I think it's just a little bit more than possible."
"I wonder what happened to his mom...." I suddenly gasped loudly, put my hands to my mouth and almost started to cry because I think I knew who Collin's mom was.
"Chloe, what's wrong? Are you okay?" he said shaking me a little.
"D-Derek? Do- do you remember the s-spirits that I summoned back at L-Lyle House? That one woman...." I shuddered.
"That wouldn't make sense Chloe, she was a witch remember?... Unless the little guy was using magic to move things."
"He looked exactly like her." I remembered her spirit so clearly.
"Maybe. But I don't recall any sorcerer ghosts being able to move things except for Agitos Chloe. I just think were missing information."
"Missing..."
A good long silent minute passed.
"Why did you leave?" I whispered looking at the ground. I looked up but he was now staring at the ground.
He sighed. " Chloe, I never want to have to hurt you. Never. I didn't know what I was going to become and I didn't want you to be there if things went badly."
I could tell that he wasn't telling me the whole story. " There's something else." I whispered looking straight at him.
He finally looked up at me, his green eyes piercing. " I didn't know what you would think of me."
"Derek.."
"No, it's okay. I know now that you don't care what I am. That's basically what helped me change back. To know that someone cares about me. I'm not used to that." He smiled a little smile.
"It really doesn't matter. As long as you're always you, you'll always have someone caring for you." I said blushing a little, making myself look at the ground.
I didn't expect his to do what he did next. He grabbed my chin very softly and pulled it up so that I could look at him.
"Thanks." he said uncharacteristically soft. His green eyes were scorchingly beautiful and penetrating.
He slowly made his fingers go the long of my jaw.
We looked at each other straight in the eyes then he looked like he was concentrating on something.
"What are you thinking about so hard?" I whispered.
A little pause.
"Umm... this may sound weird, but...I feel like I...I think that...umm..." he took a deep breath " You know what? Never mind."
"No Derek, tell me."
He looked at me carefully with strained eyes. "Chloe, do you have any feelings for Simon?"
"Why are you asking me this?"
"Please Chloe, just answer."
"Well your brother is a very nice person and really fun to hang around with…" Derek looked a little devastated by my answer. So I tried again, attempting with all my might to convey the message. "But he's not you." He slowly raised his head and stared at me to what seemed like an eternity to see if I really meant it. I guess my face showed what I felt because Derek smiled one of the most dazzling smiles I've ever seen.
Please please review... Please.
PS. I've changed the ending for continuation purposes because I didn't think that Derek saying ILY was quite the right time for him to say that. But don't fret, I'm most definitely sure that he will in future chapters.
