Author's note: Hey hey! Hope y'all are still enjoying the story! :)
**** signifies time passing.
ENJOY!
The rest of the week flew by in a blur. Aurora was so bogged down with homework that she wasn't able to make it back to the woods to see Silky. Apparently her teacher thought coming back from winter break equaled trying to kill their students. By Friday, Aurora felt exhausted. Elizabeth had asked her for a ride home that day after school and they both spent half the car ride in silence.
"Dear Lord. You would think that we are sixty not sixteen." Elizabeth joked.
"Right? #Honor student problems." Aurora joked back.
"That's not all that is wrong with you though." Elizabeth said turning in her seat to look at Aurora.
"What you talkin' bout?" Aurora deflected.
"Don't even try to act like nothing's wrong. I've known you since kindergarten. I can tell when you are upset." Elizabeth said.
"I went to see Silky on Monday." Aurora shot out.
"Of course you did." Elizabeth said in judgment.
"Shut up. I told him I would try to come back on Tuesday but I didn't make it. Now it's Friday and I'm afraid he might be mad at me." Aurora said in a low tone.
"Aurora. He's a wolf, not your boyfriend." Elizabeth said with a laugh.
"Get out of my car ya jerk." Aurora shot back as she pulled up in front of Elizabeth's house.
"Thanks for the ride, you wolf obsessed crazy person." Elizabeth giggled as she got out of the car. "Love you A."
"Love you too Lizzie." Aurora said with a small wave at her best friend as she shut the passenger's side door.
Aurora waited until Elizabeth was safely inside her house before pulling away from the curb.
When she got home, Aurora was nearly knocked over by her brother as he was exiting the front door when she was trying to enter.
"Hi Sis, bye Sis!" Nathaniel said as he walked past her carrying a large overnight bag.
"Where do you think you are going?" Aurora asked.
"To Ben's. Remember? Mom and dad left for their business trip today. They won't be back till Monday night. Ringing any bells?" Nathaniel asked sarcastically when he saw the confused look on his sister's face.
"Oh! That's right! How could I have forgotten about that?" Aurora said to herself.
"Cause you have been Captain McSpace Pants since Monday." Nathaniel joked.
"Shut up peasant. Now, go bother someone other than me." Aurora said waving her brother away.
"See you later Sis." Nathaniel said walking down the front porch steps.
"Be safe! When will you be back?" Aurora called after him.
"Sunday night!" Nathaniel called back.
"Call me if you need anything. Love you, brat!"
"Love you too Sis!"
After her brother left, Aurora tried to get some homework done. She didn't have much, a present from her teachers who had tried to kill her with homework during the school week. Aurora got halfway through the first paragraph of her English reading assignment when she decided she couldn't take it anymore.
'I've got to go check on Silky.' She thought.
Before she left, Aurora decided to change her clothes. Partly because she didn't want to wear her school clothes in the woods, but mostly because she held out a slight hope that she would run into Derek. She quickly changed into a tight black long sleeve shirt that was cut lower than most of her others and slipped on her favorite pair of jeans. She was so glad they were True Religion™ and now she hoped more than ever she would run into Derek, just to aggravate him. Making Derek's blood pressure rise shouldn't be something that brought Aurora so much joy, but she couldn't help it. She grabbed a heavy jacket on her way out the door because it was still rainy and headed to her car.
When Aurora pulled up to the camp site there was no sign of Silky. Her heart sank a little.
'I'm not giving up just yet.' She thought putting her car in park.
When Aurora opened the door a chill ran down her spine. The wind was whipping around and a streak of lightning ran across the sky. Heading toward the woods, Aurora wrapped her jacket tightly around her body. It was only 3:30 p.m. so she didn't have to worry about it getting dark anytime soon but the black clouds in the sky cast a shadow over the trees which gave Aurora an eerie feeling. After a few minutes of looking around for Silky, she decided to go a little deeper into the woods. Aurora walked along a path that seemed somewhat familiar until she found her way back to the clearing she was all too well acquainted with.
"Silky?!" Aurora shouted into the silence of the woods.
"Are you going to make it a habit of getting lost in the woods in hopes that some kind, selfless stranger will come along and save that sexy little ass of your?"
Aurora nearly jumped twenty feet in the air.
"Are you going to make it a habit of sneaking up on me in your creepy backwoods fashion so you can give me a heart attack for the hundredth time?" Aurora asked clenching her hand over her heart as she turned around to see Derek standing a couple of feet away from her, smiling from ear to ear.
"I see your fixation with my ass hasn't dulled either." Aurora added making Derek chuckle.
He closed the gap between them quickly until he was right in front of Aurora, his hands automatically grabbing onto her hips. Following his lead, Aurora took the hand that was once over her heart and ran it through Derek's hair.
"And I see your fixation with my hair hasn't dulled." He mocked nuzzling against Aurora's touch.
"Let me guess? You are out here making all the exercising fanatics of the world proud by running some insane amount of miles while maintaining your back to nature creepy reputation?" Aurora asked with a giggle.
"Maybe I was out here because I was hoping to run into a pretty girl with no sense of self-preservation and a whole lot of attitude." Derek said pulling Aurora closer so that his face was inches from hers.
Aurora could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Derek had a way of making her go all flustered just by looking at her.
"What are you doing out here again? Looking for me?" Derek asked with a cocky smile.
"I think all that exercising has cut off the oxygen to your brain." Aurora said placing her hands on Derek's chest to push herself back. "I'm looking for Silky."
Derek loosened his grip on Aurora's hips but didn't let go.
"Do you usually dress like that for a wolf?" Derek asked running his eyes up and down Aurora's body.
"Maybe I do, pervert." Aurora teased noticing her jacket, that she hadn't zipped, had opened slightly to reveal her low-cut shirt. She gave Derek a playful slap when she saw his eyes gravitate toward her chest.
"Well I've been out here all day and I haven't seen any docile wild animals lurking about waiting to be tamed by beautiful girls with death wishes." Derek said shrugging his shoulders and letting go of Aurora.
"Oh, now you've got jokes?" Aurora mocked. "It's okay, I figured he was probably off doing his wolfy thing."
Derek cocked his head to the side curiously.
"Silky does the same thing." Aurora told him. "You both look at me like I'm speaking in Ancient Greek sometimes."
Derek froze.
"What? You okay?" Aurora asked taking a step toward Derek putting a hand on his face.
"I'm fine." Derek blinked. "Just didn't know if I should take it as a compliment or an insult that you compared me to a wolf." He said recovering from his faulted.
"If I'm comparing you to Silky, it's always a compliment." Aurora said beaming up at Derek. He was probably about six-foot which compared to her five foot six made it look like he towered over her. "Do you want to go to dinner with me?" Aurora asked in a hurry so she wouldn't lose her nerve.
Derek looked like that cat that got the canary.
"On one condition." Derek said with a sly smirk.
"What's that Davy Crockett?" Aurora asked narrowing her eyes.
"I get to pick the restaurant." He said.
"Fine." Aurora agreed sticking her tongue out at Derek.
"And I get to drive." He added.
"Slow your roll Mr. Control Freak Forest Dweller. You said one condition!" Aurora pouted.
"I changed my mind princess." Derek smirked.
"Fine!" Aurora said with a glare.
"Did you park your car in the same place as before?" Derek asked.
"Yes, I'm a creature of habit." Aurora said.
"You think you can find your way back without getting lost? I need to take a quick shower and I will meet you at the camp site." He said.
"I can make it back. Ye have little faith." Aurora said. "You aren't one of those guys that takes forever to get ready are you? Cause I said I wanted to go to dinner not breakfast." Aurora teased. "And let's face it, we both know that gorgeous hair gets blow dried."
"I do not blow dry my hair." Derek barked walking away. "I'll be about twenty minutes."
"We'll see." Aurora called over her shoulder as she made her way back to her car.
Derek wasn't kidding when he said it wouldn't take him long to get ready. Aurora had only been sitting in her car about ten minutes when Derek pulled up to the camp site.
"You are a ninja." Aurora praised as she got in to the passenger's seat. "And you drive a Camaro." She added admiring her surroundings. "Damn, and you smell amazing."
Derek's hair was still damp from his shower and the smell of his freshly sprayed cologne filled the small space of the car.
"Better watch it princess, it's starting to sound like you are being nice to me." Derek teased as he pulled out of the camp site and onto the nearby street.
"Don't get used to it, Super Cardio Nymph." Aurora taunted as she put on her seat belt.
Derek tried his best not to laugh.
"So, where are we going?" Aurora asked.
"It's a surprise." Derek stated simply.
"Okay. Well…How old are you?" Aurora asked trying to make conversation.
"Eighteen." Derek said.
"I knew it! Damn I'm good." Aurora said extremely pleased with herself.
"You had a debate on my age? You've been talking about me?" Derek mused.
"No. I just assumed you were a couple of years older than me. No debate. Just me, thinking…To myself." Aurora lied.
"I see, and what other thoughts about me did you think…To yourself." Derek asked in a slick tone.
Aurora felt as if she could light a match off her face.
"Moving on. When did you turn eighteen?" Aurora asked bashfully.
"October. My birthday was on the ninth." Derek laughed.
"Oh, so you just turned eighteen a couple months ago." Aurora stated thoughtfully.
"What about you? When is your birthday?" Derek asked politely.
"February twenty-first. I'll be seventeen." Aurora said proudly.
Derek smiled.
"How long have you lived in Georgia?"
She heard Derek chuckle before he asked "What is this? 21 questions?"
"Indeed it is my wilderness loving friend. Now spill." Aurora urged.
"I moved here two years ago. You?" Derek inquired cordially.
"Born and raised." Aurora said. "And do you have an eco-friendly tree house or?"
"I live in a normal house, Aurora. It's my family's estate." Derek said in an annoyed tone as he took a left.
"Ooo an estate. Fancy." Aurora joked.
"My family owns most of the land in the woods starting at that clearing where we first met." Derek said. "Actually, I could have you arrested for trespassing on private property."
Aurora shot Derek a 'yeah right sure' look.
"Why are we crossing the county line?" Aurora asked noticing the 'Welcome to Glendale County" sign they just passed.
"The restaurant I want to take you to is about a mile from here." Derek said.
Aurora raised her eyebrows.
"I work in Glendale. I'm taking you to my favorite restaurant over here." Derek explained.
"What do you do?" Aurora asked.
"I'm a mechanic." Derek told her.
"And here I thought you were a lumberjack." Aurora taunted as Derek pulled into the parking lot of a little Mom and Pop restaurant called Mrs. White's Golden Rule Cafe.
Derek gave her a dirty look before turning off the car.
"This is not what I was expecting." Aurora said getting out of the car.
"Really? What were you expecting?" Derek asked taking Aurora's hand.
"You name it, I thought it. Except for a down home southern restaurant." Aurora said.
When they got to the entrance of the restaurant Derek opened the door for her and motioned for her to go ahead.
"Aw, you're such a gentleman." Aurora teased. "Thank you sir."
"Table for two, please." Derek said to the hostess.
"Right this way." She said with a smile.
Derek and Aurora followed her to a booth and sat down. The hostess handed them both a menu and told them to enjoy their meal.
"So, what do you suggest?" Aurora said looking over the menu.
"The chicken fried steak." Derek replied without hesitation.
"Oh yeah!" Aurora agreed putting the menu down.
After a few minutes their waiter came over and took their order.
"Back to our game of 21 questions." Aurora said breaking the silence that had set in.
Derek let out a groan.
"Suck it up Mountain Man." Aurora giggled. "Do you live with your parents?"
Derek's jaw went slack.
"My parents passed away a couple of years ago. That's why I moved out here. To live with my older sister Laura." Derek told her in a hollow voice.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Derek." Aurora apologized.
"It's okay." Derek said with a small smile. "You know my sister would love you."
"You think? I can't wait to meet her." Aurora joked, thankful for Derek's skillful subject change.
"Who said you get to meet her?" Derek asked raising an eyebrow.
"You don't want me to meet you sister?" Aurora whined with a fake sniffle.
"And have you both bust my balls? Absolutely not." Derek said shaking his head incredulously.
Aurora threw back her head and laughed making Derek smiled wide.
"You two seem like you are having a good time." A young blonde man said walking up to their table.
Derek's body immediately tensed.
"What do you want Alex?" Derek barked out.
"Easy Derek. I just wanted to meet your lovely friend here." Alex, as Derek had called him, said turning his attention to Aurora. "I'm Alex. What's your name, darlin'?" he inquired holding out his hand.
"I'm Aurora." She said extending her hand to meet Alex's, but Derek grabbed her arm before she reached him.
"Leave Alex." Derek growled.
"Derek, what's wrong with you?" Aurora asked shaking her arm free from his grasp.
"Yeah old friend, what's wrong? You seem on edge." Alex said and Aurora could tell he was being coy.
"We are not friends." Derek spat. "Now leave, before I make you." Derek threatened.
"As you wish Hale. Don't want to cause a scene in front of your pretty little friend." Alex mocked.
At the words 'pretty little friend' Derek made a feral noise that sent a chill down Aurora's spine.
Alex gave Derek and intimidating glare but Derek refused to back down.
"See you around gorgeous." Alex shot back at Aurora as he turned to leave.
Derek didn't say a word until Alex was completely out of sight.
"What the hell just happened?" Aurora asked extremely confused as their waiter brought out their food.
"It's a long story." Derek huffed.
"Indulge me." Aurora said taking a bite of mashed potatoes.