Chapter 7
Scarlet woke up the next morning, warm and comfortable. She didn't feel safe though. Her eyes flew open when she remembered what happened last night. She shot straight up in the bed. Jackson gasped and sat up next to her.
"What is it," he demanded as she stared around the room. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, no, I mean, uh, I don't know," she babbled.
"Calm down, what happened last night?"
"I have to go," she said suddenly climbing out of the bed. "Thank you, but I have to go, there is something I have to do!"
"Scarlet, wait are you ok," Jackson called after her, but she was already rushing out the back door.
Scarlet walked back to her house, she paused when she reached the end of her driveway, but her dad's car was already gone for the day. She quickly found the key they'd hidden since Stiles always lost his house key and let herself inside. She heard a car pull up in the driveway and darted up the stairs throwing herself in her bed. She pulled the blankets up and pretended to be asleep. She realized as her brother clambered up the stairs that she was still wearing Jackson's clothes.
Her door creaked open but Scarlet faked sleep. Stiles shut her door back and went into his room. She threw the blankets back and got out of bed. She showered first before changing clothes. She couldn't stop thinking about what Derek had said to her last night. The last thing she wanted was to believe what he was telling her.
Scarlet left her room and went to check on Stiles. He was asleep in his room. Scarlet ran a hand through her still damp hair before walking down stairs. The keys to the jeep were sitting on the kitchen table. Scarlet studied them for a moment before scooping them up and heading out the door.
She climbed into the jeep, cranking it and quickly backing out her driveway. She sighed as she reached for the radio and cranked up the first song that she heard.
Just when you had me down
I go changing my ways
And I wait till the moon is out
It's just part of my game
This is a cautionary cry to you
Before you figure out what I've been turned into
Just close your eyes and try to think it over
You realize I'm not the man you know, girl
I hypnotize ya
I paralyze ya
Go on and scream 'cause nobody's gonna find ya
Scarlet turned the song up louder as she began to listen to the words.
Did I ever think to tell you that I am a monster?
You have never seen this side of me
Maybe I should wear a warning that says that there's danger
If you ever get too close to me
I've been telling you to run away
But you say you're not scared
But when I break your heart some day
Girl you need to be prepared
So listen close I got a dirty little secret
The kind that takes away the air you try to breathe in
You won't believe it
Until you feel it
If your love is blind I guess that's why you didn't see it
Did I ever think to tell you that I am a monster?
You have never seen this side of me
Maybe I should wear a warning that says that there's danger
If you ever get too close to me
She stopped the car and stared at the radio in shock. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized that Derek was right. She knew the truth she just didn't want to admit it. Fear, cold and steady settled in the pit of her stomach as she listened.
Well you don't know
What I know
And you don't know
What I know
That you're not safe
Woo hoo
Woo hoo
Did I ever think to tell you that I am a monster?
You have never seen this side of me
Maybe I should wear a warning that says that there's danger
If you ever get too close to me
Did I ever think to tell you that I am a monster?
You have never seen this side of me
Maybe I should wear a warning that says that there's danger
If you ever get too close to me
Did I ever think to tell you that I am a monster?
Scarlet struggled to get a breath but she felt like the jeep was closing in around her. She threw the door open and stumbled out gasping for air. She hadn't realized that she was at the lake until that moment. She let out a strangled cry and slammed the door to the jeep shut. She rested her forehead against the window for a moment as she tried to control her breathing.
Scarlet realized that she was having an anxiety attack. She grabbed the door handle to the jeep but the door was locked and her keys were inside. She began to panic as she struggled with the door trying to get it open.
A hand closed around her elbow and pulled her around. If she hadn't been in the midst of an anxiety attack she would have screamed. Scarlet came face to face with Derek. Tears welled up in her eyes as her heart rate increased even more.
"Are you ok," Derek asked concern all over his face.
Scarlet didn't know which was worse, the fact that knowing what he was had caused her to have an anxiety attack or having him here with her while she had an anxiety attack over it. She shook her head at him, and gasped again. She felt like she couldn't get enough air. Her heart was accelerating again as she stared at him.
Realizing what was happening, Derek grabbed her hand and held it to his chest. "Try to breathe with me," he said as he took a deep breath. She felt his chest rise and fall, she could also feel his steady heartbeat beneath her palm. She kept her eyes on her hand, unable to actually look at him. She wasn't sure how long it took but she was finally able to calm down and get her heart back to a steady beat.
"What are you doing here," she asked softly. She didn't look up as she spoke to him. She was afraid of what would happen if she looked at him.
"I knew something was wrong, so I came to find you."
Scarlet stiffened at his statement and shook her head. "I need you to leave me alone."
"That's not what you really want."
"How do you know what I want," Scarlet demanded as she looked at him for the first time.
"Because I can hear your heartbeat, and it sped up when you said that, so I know you are lying. You also still have your hand on my chest, even though I'm not holding it there."
Scarlet yanked her hand away. "Even if I am lying, you have to leave me alone."
"Why?"
Scarlet let out an exasperated sound and moved away from him. "I get it now, I understand... what you are. That doesn't mean I'm ok with it though. You hurt Scott!"
"I didn't bite Scott," Derek cried in annoyance. "I didn't, but I can help him. Trust me Scarlet, he's going to need help, because there is no way he can control this on his own."
"Fine, you didn't bite him. What's stoping you from biting me," Scarlet demanded. "How do I know that you aren't going to hurt me or ..."
"Turn you into a monster," Derek finished for her. "That's what you were going to say isn't it?"
Scarlet met his gaze for a moment and her brown eyes glazed with tears when she saw the hurt look in his eyes. She nodded as she glanced away from him.
"Scarlet, I didn't have a choice in this matter, I was born like this. I would never force this life on someone though. If I was asked, then maybe I would, but not without telling them what comes with it, the good and the bad. Trust me, there is a lot of bad. I know that better than anyone."
Scarlet looked at him again, putting more of the pieces together. "Your family," she whispered. "They were killed because of what... what you are?"
"Those men in the woods last night, people like them have been after us for centuries. I don't know if it was those men specifically that killed my family, but I have a hunch I know who it was."
"I'm so sorry."
"Didn't we agree that we hate it when people tell us how sorry they are for us," Derek asked.
"No, only when they compare me to my mom," Scarlet replied. "I am sorry though, you lost everyone. That must be incredibly hard for you."
Derek gave her a look and she pursed her lips. She glanced away from him and took a deep breath.
"You don't have to be scared," Derek whispered.
"I don't know what else to feel," Scarlet admitted. She met his gaze, holding it as he moved closer to her. Her heart was pounding by the time he was in front of her. He slowly trailed his fingers up her arm, across her shoulder to her neck then gently across her cheek. His thumb brushed her bottom lip for a moment.
"What do you feel now?"
Scarlet didn't speak, she simply stared at him. His green eyes grew darker as he stared back at her. Her gaze flickered down to his lips then back up to lock with his.
"I don't want to be scared of you, but there are so many ways you could hurt me, not just physically," Scarlet whispered. She looked down again. "What if this doesn't work? You barely know me, what if you change your mind? What happens when you leave again?"
"What makes you think I'm going anywhere now that I've found you?"
"That isn't enough Derek. You are a werewolf, and I'm just a human."
"Scarlet," Derek said as he tipped her head up and locked his gaze with hers. "You don't understand right now, but you will. I can't leave you, I will protect you. I promise."
With that, he crushed his lips to hers, pulling her as close as he could. Her hands landed on his chest, and she could feel his steady heartbeat against her palm. She parted her lips and let him deepen the kiss. They broke apart to breathe a moment later and Scarlet felt a burning sensation on her back between her shoulder blades.
Scarlet gasped in pain and reached back a hand. She reached inside the back of her sweater and could feel that her skin was raised. She glanced up at Derek for a moment. She tugged her sweater over her head and turned so he could see her back.
"What is that," she asked.
Derek's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't thought it would happen so fast. He knew she was his mate, but he never thought the mark would appear so soon. It was the same as his, but while his was black, hers looked as though it had been tattooed in white ink, the skin was simply raised in the same design.
"It's a triple spiral, also called a," Derek started to say.
"Triskelion, it's a celtic symbol for the phases of the moon," Scarlet said in wonder. "I don't understand. Why is... what happened?"
"Scarlet, are you sure that you are prepared for this," Derek asked.
"Just tell me what it is doing on my back Derek! I'm the one that is going to have to explain this if it doesn't go away," Scarlet snapped.
"It's not going away, this mark links you to me. I have the same one in the same place on my back. Mine is black though, while yours is merely raised. This connects us and makes the bond between us stronger," Derek explained. He skirted around the fact that it tied them together permanently.
"So... because we are... we don't even know what we are Derek! I'm pretty sure us being together is illegal is several states if not the entire country! Now I have your mark on my back to prove that I belong to you!"
"It proves that I belong to you too Scarlet! The mark means we are in this together."
"Are we going to talk about the age difference here? Or are you going to pretend its not an issue," Scarlet asked.
"I'm only four years older than you," Derek replied as though it were no big deal.
"You're twenty, and you have no problem dating a 16 year old? Do you really want to be that guy?"
"What guy?"
"Never mind," Scarlet said with a shake of her head. If he didn't get it she certainly wasn't going to spell it out to him. "So... what do you do? I mean do you have a job? Are you in college?"
"Neither right now, I'm looking for someone."
"Who?"
"My sister," Derek said as he glanced away from her.
"Your sister, I thought your entire family was dead."
"They are."
Scarlet stared at him in confusion. "Your sister died too?"
"She was murdered."
"By who," Scarlet asked.
"That's what I'm going to find out."