Hi! Thank you so much for all the reviews! A few comments that I wanted to address: I made this chapter a little bit longer since someone said that the first one wasn't long enough. I don't want to make my chapters too long, because right now I'm trying to find a good balance between plot and the fun stuff :) As for Diriel...you'll find out soon about whats going on. Please keep in mind that I haven't read Kelley's other books, so my knowledge of demons is pretty limited- I promise to keep the story true to the knowledge presented in Darkest Powers as much as possible.

At some point during the drive back, Chloe had fallen asleep. The last time she'd accidentally dozed off in a car she must've been five or six…she couldn't remember the exact age, but she knew it must have been some time before the accident. For a while she'd developed an outright aversion to being in cars- not by whining or admitting that she was scared (because she could tell that would only make her dad more upset) but she'd make excuses.

It's so pretty outside daddy- can we walk to the park?

I don't want to go to that movie- can we stay here and watch Homeward Bound?

My tummy hurts- If I go to school then the other kids might get sick.

It became pretty obvious to her Dad and Aunt Lauren what was going on- they gave her a speech, full of soft reassurances and comforting words- saying how it was okay, natural even, that she would be scared after what had happened with her mom.

But that only made Chloe feel worse- guilty that she'd made them worry- so she ignored all the bad thoughts and told them she was okay- asking if they could drive to Snowy Joe's the next day for ice cream just to prove her point.

For a long time, she drew the line at sleeping in a moving vehicle smaller than a bus.

She drifted in and out of sleep, catching bits and pieces of what was happening. She felt for a moment like she was floating, and in some dim corner of her mind she recognized that the unsteady up and down motion that reminded her of waves was actually the sensation of being carried. She heard voices: Derek asking Simon to hand him Chloe's bag, and then Simon shouting back that he'd carry it- but they sounded very distant- like they were speaking loudly, but on the opposite side of a wall. For a second she glanced up and caught a foggy image of Derek's chin and shoulder, but she was caught up in how warm and soft the fabric of his worn-in T-shirt felt against her skin, and when she snuggled a bit closer she caught a whiff of that scent that made her brain go a bit fuzzy- like deodorant mixed with fresh grass and forest and something else she couldn't quite place- but it smelled nice.

The last thought she had was that someone should bottle that smell- or at the very least she should steal one of Derek's hoodies.

When Chloe finally woke up she was a bit disoriented. Part of her had recognized that this wasn't a time to normally be sleeping, so she shot straight up, slamming her shins against the coffee table.

What the-

Oh.

She realized she'd been asleep on the couch. One of the light throw blankets, meant more for decoration than actual use, was still tangled around her torso.

"She's awake! C'mon sleeping beauty- we've got lasagna!" Simon shouted cheerfully. He sat down in the recliner, a full-plate and a bottle of water balanced in one hand as he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV with the other.

A carb-heavy, pre-packaged dinner meant that Kit and Aunt Lauren were working late again.

Lauren worked at a nearby hospital- it seemed safe enough as long as she used an alias. As for Kit, he recognized that even though they were in Iowa, far enough from New York to safely go out in public and take up jobs and public schooling, working as a public defender would be too risky. Instead he found a job with a small insurance firm, providing claims counsel and taking care of any legal paperwork.

"Here," Derek said gruffly, placing a bowl of grapes and a plate of steamed broccoli on the end table, next to Simon's plate.

He sat sown next to her, and she could tell by the slightly stiff way he held himself that he was still a little anxious. "You okay?"

She nodded, and as she tried to open her eyes a bit more, realized that the mascara between her lashes was stuck together. "Just give me a minute," she explained before getting up and jogging upstairs to her room.

After washing her face, the cold water jump-starting her brain, Chloe noticed something: her pendant seemed different. It sparkled on the chain that Derek had bought as an "early Christmas/I'm sorry for breaking this" present, but as she held it up to the light for closer examination, she could tell that the color had faded. It wouldn't be noticeable to anyone but her- the amulet had been a light shade of lavender since the incident at the Edison Group labs- but the color had definitely changed…

"CHLOE! WE'RE WATCHING A MOVIE- IS PINEAPPLE EXPRESS OKAY?"

She heard Simon's shout from downstairs, then a muffled noise- undoubtedly Derek throwing a pillow at Simon's face (super-hearing and shouting at close range? Not a good combination). She yelled back (at a significantly lower decibel) that it was okay with her and that she'd be right down.

She quickly brushed her hair and decided to worry about her pendant later.

After the movie was over, Chloe was alone in the living room with Derek. It was Simon's turn to wash the dishes and Tori was upstairs, chatting on the phone with some football player she'd just met. Kit and Lauren had both called and explained they'd be home around midnight.

Normally she'd be excited about having some alone time, but as she felt Derek get up, pulling her with him towards the back door, her stomach twisted in knots for a different reason.

I have to lie about this.

Saying that they told each other everything was an understatement. Half the time she could figure out if something was wrong just by observing his body language, and his sense of smell- which meant that he could usually pinpoint different emotions- more than made up for his lack of social awareness.

Right now she could tell by the way he moved, calm and confident- shoulders a little tense but otherwise relaxed, and by the gentle yet firm grip of his own hand around her much smaller one, that he had no doubt that he'd get her to tell him what was going on.

But her mind was already made up.

I can't let him know.

Normally if something was wrong, she wouldn't hesitate to tell him. It was the smart thing to do- she wouldn't let her pride get in the way of asking for help. But it was the fact that he couldn'thelp her- that telling him would just make him worry, and that worrying would just make his wolfy-side go into hyper-protective mode, which meant more stress for everyone- that steeled her resolve.

Not telling him was the logical option. If she had to explain later, surely he'd be able to understand that.

They'd been walking for a few minutes when he stopped. She noticed that they were in the same spot as last night- the small clearing where he'd changed. It was next to a pond, which during the spring would be filled with water lilies, but at the moment only held a rippling reflection of the trees and the stars and the moon.

"Chloe…What's wrong?" he asked softly. She didn't want to look him in the eyes, but if she kept staring at her sneakers he'd get suspicious.

She looked up, determined to not show any emotion.

He looked the same as always- hair a little too long, mouth set in a scowl- his eyes glowed slightly in the dark.

"I-" she started, but he cut her off.

"Don't tell me it's nothing," he said, not bothering to hide the gruff edge to his voice.

She scowled back, a little annoyed, but continued.

"I'm having trouble sleeping," she explained. For a moment there was silence, and she knew he was waiting for her to elaborate. "I'm just- I'm stressed that I might screw this up."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm scared because everything seems so good right now- I have Aunt Lauren and You, and Simon and Tori, and you guys have your dad back- and we have a home and school and it's all so normal, and nice, and..and I'm freaked out that I'll mess up and ruin everything. I still don't have a good handle on my powers yet, and if I accidentally do anything in public…" It all came out at once, then trailed off.

It was true though- not exactly a lie, just an omission of certain details.

When she saw how Derek looked at her though- how he seemed a bit…guilty…she felt horrible.

It was a cheap shot to express the thoughts that she knew he would react strongly to, because they were the same fears he had gone through and still struggled with.

It hadn't been her intention, but now that it had happened she realized that it was her best chance to hide what was really happening.

"Really, it's nothing to worry about," she said softly, stretching up to kiss him in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.

He was still for a moment, so she softly pulled him towards her, one hand resting against the side of his face and the other slightly tangled in the collar of his shirt, kissing him a little harder. After a moment he finally relaxed, letting out a slightly shaky breath and sliding his hands around her waist before responding, kissing her slowly and seriously, running his tongue across her bottom lip in a feather light touch that simultaneously made her gasp and gave him entrance.

She pressed against him, closer, but not close enough.

One of his hands played with the hem of her shirt, his thumb slowly tracing circles against the skin of her waist, his lips moving across her neck, leaving a trail of hungry kisses that made her shiver against him.

When it got to the point where she felt like she might spontaneously combust or just dissolve in his arms, he froze. When she glanced at his face, eyes wild, nostrils flared, she understood and blushed. She could make an educated guess about what he smelled.

It was frustrating as hell, but they always stopped at that point- right before it became too serious. After a moment she untangled herself from his arms and readjusted her shirt. She felt him nudge her hand with his own, and they started walking back to the house, all traces of earlier tension gone.

Please Review! I'm pretty busy with school, so if you think this is worth continuing/if you have ANY SUGGESTIONS please let me know! XX