Chapter 9

Scarlet didn't see Derek again for the rest of the week. She was also avoiding her brother because he wanted to know what was going on, and Scott was avoiding her because of Jackson, who she was avoiding because she was pissed at him. The only people she was speaking to at school were Allison and Lydia, which wasn't going so well on the Lydia front because she knew something was going on with Jackson and Scarlet.

Friday after school, Scarlet had put up with all she could handle so she left early, and headed to the woods. She hated to leave Stiles without the jeep but she needed to get away, she told him she wasn't feeling well and took off. In reality she just wanted to see Derek.

It didn't take long to get to the parking lot where they usually met. She left her car there and followed the path that led to his house. She couldn't believe he was actually staying there, but knowing what she did she couldn't really blame him. Scarlet paused when the house came into view, she didn't want to bug him, but she needed to see him.

"You going to come inside or stand there and stare," a voice asked from behind her.

Scarlet jumped and let out a yelp in shock. She twisted around to find Derek standing behind her a smug look on his face. "Shit, you scared me. Don't do that," Scarlet exclaimed.

"You want to come in," Derek asked again.

"Sure," Scarlet replied before following him toward the front door. "What have you been up to this week?"

"Trying to deal with Scott."

"He's not letting you help him?"

"Any idea why that is," Derek asked instead of answering her question.

"He's still convinced that you are the one that bit him, you aren't right? I mean I know you said that you didn't but maybe you don't remember because you were ... I don't know how it works, were you a wolf when you did it or you blocked it out because you regret doing it, I mean you were in the woods that night because you found me. Remember? I had fallen down and was tangeled up in those thorns or whatever, you showed up out of nowhere," Scarlet rambled nervously.

"Do you remember what I told you that night," Derek asked as he opened the door and waved her inside.

"That I talk too much," Scarlet said as she stepped past him and moved inside. "I only do it when I'm nervous though, I told you that."

Scarlet paused and stared around the inside of the house in amazement. It was still beautiful even in this state. She could see that Derek had started doing some work to restore some of it, but it was going to take a long time to return it to its former glory.

"Why are you nervous," Derek asked. He leaned against the door as he watched her stare around. She slowly made her way into one of the rooms, her fingers trailing over the wall as she did so. She gasped softly and pulled her hand back staring at it. Derek moved over to her and took her hand, examining it. He carefully removed the splinter from her finger, briefly glancing up to catch her gaze.

"Why are you nervous," he asked again.

"I thought you might have changed your mind," she whispered as she pulled her hand away.

"I told you I wouldn't, I couldn't even if I wanted to."

"What does that mean," Scarlet asked.

"DEREK," someone bellowed from outside. Scarlet jumped and took a step closer to him. "DEREK!"

"That's Scott," she whispered. "What is he doing here?"

"I'll deal with it, stay in here," Derek said before heading out the of the room. Scarlet stayed where she was, afraid that if she moved Scott would know she was there.

"Stay away from her, she doesn't know anything," Scott shouted. Scarlet worried that Scott was talking about her, but realized that he had to be talking about Allison, because she already knew.

"Yeah? What if she does," Derek asked. "You think your little buddy Stiles can just google werewolves and now you've got all the answers is that it? You don't get it yet Scott, but I'm looking out for you. Think about what could happen, you're out on the field the aggression takes over, and you shift in front of everyone, your mom, all your friends, and when they see you, everything falls apart."

Scarlet snuck a glance out the window and saw Scott still staring at the house, but Derek was nowhere to be seen. Scott let out a frustrated groan, then walked over to his bike and climbed on. He glanced back at the house once more, before pedaling away.

"He doesn't get it," Derek said as he came back into the room. Scarlet jumped and turned to look at him. Derek was staring at her with a strange look on his face. "Why are you so jumpy today? What is going on?"

Scarlet started to speak, but her phone ringing interrupted her. She pulled it out of her back pocket and sighed when she saw Stiles' name on the screen. She held up a hand to Derek and answered the phone. "What is it Stiles," Scarlet asked.

"I thought you were going home, why aren't you here?"

"I went for a run, the jeep is parked at the lake, what is the big deal?"

"Just wanted to know where my dear twin was with our jeep, half of which is mine."

"It's fine, no one is going to hurt the jeep, like they could if they tried."

"Have you talked to," Stiles started to ask but she cut him off.

"No, he's not talking to me, I'm not talking to him, leave it alone. We'll work it out on our own."

"You could tell me what the fight is about," Stiles suggested.

"Then you would be pissed too, it's not a big deal, don't worry about it."

"Whatever, Scott's calling, I'll talk to you later."

Scarlet hung up and put the phone back in her pocket. She leaned against the wall and stared at Derek for a long moment. "What did you mean before when you said you couldn't change your mind even if you wanted to?"

"Do we have to get into this right now," Derek asked.

"You want to know why I'm so jumpy? That is it! You tell me one day that you are a werewolf, the next day you kiss me and I have a triple spiral on my back, two days later you tell me we can't have sex or do anything sexual because you think we should take things slow, which isn't a decision you get to make by yourself by the way, then you disappear and I don't see you for four days. I'm more than a little confused and I'm trying really hard to deal with all this but I keep freaking out, like I'm doing right now," Scarlet said frantically. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "Please, just tell me what that meant."

"It means that we are bonded for life, that even if I wanted to leave you, I couldn't, being away from you would be physically painful for me."

"Will it be the same for me?"

"No, it will make missing me worse, that's why four days felt like such a long time to you. I was trying to give you your space so you could deal with this."

"I need you to explain this to me, I need you to help me understand, I'm scared Derek, this bond... if that's what this is, its scary to me, I'm only 16 and suddenly I've found the man I'm supposed to be with for the rest of my life. I have to catch up to this, but you not being around isn't going to help me figure this out. I need you, we need to get to know one another. There is a connection here, but how much of that is just physical? I'm not saying I don't want this, I just... I need you to help me."

Derek took her hand and pulled her over to the tattered sofa. He sat down and then pulled her down next to him. Scarlet settled against him, her heading resting against his shoulder. Derek wrapped an arm around her shoulers as she curled into his body.

"Can you just be here like this," Scarlet whispered.

"Yeah, whatever you want," Derek replied. His fingers brushed through her hair as she closed her eyes.

She sat up suddenly and stared at him. "Explain why we can't do anything."

Derek stared at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean," Scarlet said in exasperation. "You said we have to take things slow. Why?"

"This is new for you, we should take our time."

"What if I don't want to?"

"That's the bond talking, it makes you more aware of... desires."

"For you too," Scarlet asked as she shifted on the sofa. Derek didn't stop her as she straddled him. She rested her hands on his shoulders and smirked slightly.

"Yeah," Derek said lowly.

"So if I do this," Scarlet said before brushing her lips against his neck. She let her hands slide down his chest to the hem of his shirt before slipping her fingers beneath it to skim over his abs.

"Scarlet," Derek warned. She sighed against his neck, but removed her hands from his skin Before Derek could stop her, she tugged her shirt off and dropped it on the floor.

"And now," she asked as Derek's eyes ran over her torso. His hands landed on her sides and he pulled her against him. His lips found hers and he kissed her hard. Scarlet rolled her hips in a small circle earning a groan from Derek. Scarlet parted her lips and let him deepen the kiss as he cupped one of her breasts. Scarlet moaned softly and rolled her hips again.

"No," Derek said as he pulled away from her. He pushed her off his lap onto the sofa and moved away from her. Scarlet stared at him in confusion. She quickly stood up and grabbed her shirt off the floor before striding toward the door.

"Scarlet wait," Derek called out.

"No, you made your point," Scarlet cried as she threw the door open. She slammed the door behind her and stumbled into the woods. Derek watched from the window as she paused to put her shirt back on, she wasn't watching where she was going and stumbled over a branch and hit the ground. Derek was beside her in an instant.

"Leave me alone," Scarlet mumbled as she jerked away from him and scrambled to her feet. "You made your point, I'm going home."

"Scarlet, stop acting like a child," Derek snapped.

"I'm 16 in case you forgot, I guess that makes me a child, a child who has been having sex for over six months, who knows what she wants."

"And what is that," Derek asked.

"You, you idiot! I want you, but you obviously don't feel the same way, so like I said I'll go home."

Derek grabbed Scarlet and pulled her back around pinning her against a tree. He pulled one of her legs around his waist and pushed his hips against her. His lips attacked her neck and Scarlet moaned loudly. "Do you feel that? Don't ever doubt that I don't want you, feel what you do to me?"

Scarlet breathlessly nodded her head. Derek kissed her hard and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her hands fisted in his hair. "I don't want you to think your only importance to me is sex, that's why I said no," Derek explained between kisses. "You're stubborn."

"I'm not the one saying no to sex," Scarlet pointed out before crashing her lips against his. It hadn't been like this with Jackson, it had been good, but this was electric. It felt like everything was amplified. Derek moved away from the tree and carried her inside, settling back on the sofa.

Scarlet grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and tried to pull it up but Derek wasn't cooperating with her. She grabbed her shirt instead, but Derek grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Jesus woman, stop trying to take your clothes off," he exclaimed.

"I thought we were going to," Scarlet started to say.

"And we will, but we aren't doing it today," Derek explained. He ran a hand down his face and sighed. "I meant what I said, I don't want this to be about sex, I've been in relationships like that before and it never works. Besides I have more experience than you, don't tell me I'm wrong, you've only been with one guy. I don't want you to feel like you have to have sex with me because you are afraid that I'll leave or you think you have to. When we are ready, really ready, we will talk about it."

"Fine," Scarlet replied with a sigh. Derek gave her a look and she nodded her head. "Fine you're right, I have only been with one guy and you do have more experience than me. I was a little afraid that maybe you didn't want me the way I want you, but I know now that's not true. So we can wait."

"Good," Derek said before kissing her. "I'll make it worth the wait, I promise."