A/N: the Darkness Rising is in this. If you do not know, that's another series in sync with the Darkest Powers, about the Phoenix Project on Vancouver Island, in Canada. A skin-walker is a mountain lion version of a werewolf, and they all have birthmarks. I have only read the first book of this series, but have read summaries for the other two. All official couples and sexual orientations will be followed (Maya and Daniel, Corey and Hayley, Sam being gay, Nicole being psychotic.) I'm not sure if that makes this a crossover, since they're in the same otherworld. I'm putting this up so if you don't want it, leave a review against it. Tori will still be with Rafe, though. If I don't get any against reviews soon, I'll start adding them to the story, starting with Maya, since she's Liz's adopted cousin. Like I said, Rafe's already in it.

Also- there's a mild sex scene in this chapter, let me know if I'm too descriptive, because I don't want to risk getting this pulled. Also let me know if it's not descriptive enough (to a degree) because I still want it clear what they're doing. I'm not used to do that- it's either all or nothing with me.

Chloe lay on her bed, in just Simon's old senior sweater and a pair of white cotton panties. Her hair was up, sloppily, and she'd just gotten done drying her hair from the shower. The bed was nice and cozy.

"You look so damn hot in that," Chloe heard Simon grin from the doorway. She blushed and laughed softly.

"You aren't too shabby yourself," She smiled out, glancing over at him. He walked in, naked under his wet towel, blonde hair damp and chest gleaming with sparkling beads of water. Chloe smiled in appreciation.

"Come here. It's been a long day..." Chloe spread her legs, just a bit. Simon grinned and came to her, laying gently on top of her after tossing the towel away, and kissing her lips.

They'd been together since they were 15. She couldn't believe it- what, eight, nine years? She kissed him back happily, their mouths fighting playfully, tongues dancing carelessly from mouth to mouth, almost mimicking sex. Usually it made her hot, made her belly stir, made the embers of her soul light on fire-

But now, it was just... Nice.

She felt his fingers somewhere deep in her, and she gasped. The embers instantly lit with his gentle, loving kindling.

She felt him inside of her after that, it could have been hours, days, or mere minutes. She focused on the lovely burning, heating her heart in the most delicious of ways as he cared for the flames tenderly, moving back, and forth...

And then it stopped as he finished without her. He pulled out, dragging a sheet to catch the mess, and she lay there, panting and melting back into the coolness without having peaked. She was shocked. Simon always made her come.

Of course, he didn't notice- she never made much noise, and she never made a mess. He must be so used to her orgasms being easy...

She decided not to say anything as he pulled on a pair of boxers and lay behind her, tracing her body with his, arms tight around her. It had still been nice, and his embrace was so pleasant... She drifted off into an unsatisfied sleep.

Derek was on all fours, screaming in pain. His body was shifting, bones, cracking, and it felt like his blood was boiling acid. He was at that minute long peak, where he felt like this was going to kill him- slowly and in the most agonizing of ways. He felt his muscles contract and morph and loosen, felt and heard the snapping and changing of bones and ligaments, smelt his insides as they twisted and shifted throughout his body. He was going to die, here in this forest, alone.

He couldn't get that word off of his mind.

Even as the peak ended and the pain lessened and lessened, he kept thinking how alone he was. No one could stand being around him when he Changed, not even his family, because his were worse than any of his. His dad didn't care, Grandpa didn't care, and sure as hell his cousins didn't. He was the odd one out in their little pack. He was alone, and he always would be.

When he collapsed in his panting wolf form, he thought of that girl- Chloe. She looked like a teenager, but she was so immensely beautiful. He wanted her near. Wanted her with him, always. He'd wanted to kill Carter when he'd kissed her perfect hand.

And that Simon guy. He seemed like a prick, all self righteous and arrogant. Derek closed his eyes.

He thought about what his dad had said about his mom. Her name had been Josephine Souza, and she'd picked his first name. She'd had other children, by other werewolves, but he never saw them anymore. Only when he'd been around his mother.

He remembered that she hadn't been a werewolf. A half-demon agito, he thought. He remembered what his dad had said.

"Your mother was the love of my life, Derek. The woman of my dreams. She'd been my mate." He'd been so sad, up in a tree with Derek, as he told him this story. It was back before puberty, back when he hadn't been so closed off. Back when he used to play chase with Nate and throw around footballs with Carter. Back when his uncles were alive, when dad had been alright.

Could Chloe be his mate? He didn't know much about that. He knew werewolves fell immediately, like that imprinting bullshit in Twilight. He knew that, most of the time, it was for another werewolf - and with another werewolf, it was always mutual. But he also knew that it was rare for someone else to love a werewolf.

His dad had been a prime example of that.

He didn't want to think about this anymore.

Derek stood, and after moving his joints a few moments, he burst into a quick run towards the house.

He felt alive, as he smelt all kinds of smells, as he caught the whiff of live rabbit that made his stomach growl and his feet waver towards it just slightly. He couldn't help but chase it, and when it was close enough to him, he slowed and crept the few last feet towards the bush it was next to. He smelt it so strongly, it was burned into his nostrils. He felt drool drop an held back his growls and his snarls. He leaped on it, sinking his long canine into its throat, killing it quickly. He didn't eat it, though- he would have to stay in wolf form to digest raw rabbit and not get sick. He just couldn't resist the hunt.

He turned and ran to the backyard, rabbit in his mouth. Andrew stood just outside the door, food in hand. Derek dropped the rabbit at his feet.

"For tomorrow?" Andrew asked knowingly. Derek gave a curt nod, then turned to Change back in his clearing, alone.