Chloe's POV

When we got back to the house, Derek guided me into the living room where Aunt Lauren and Amy were sitting down looking worried. They looked up at me and I kept my head down. I couldn't look at Aunt Lauren right now. She gave me a good enough reason to keep my mouth shut because if I don't, let's just say that corpses won't be the only thing I raise. Derek sits me down on the love seat and sits beside me, keeping our hands entwined together.

"Where were you?" Amy asks me. "I overheard something about you running into the woods and a wolf chased you?"

Aunt Lauren's eyes immediately pierced Derek and I felt him tense beside me. Of course, I thought. There are two wolves in this house and Derek's the first one she turns to. I tighten my hand in his and he gently squeezes back in reassurance. I look over and he smiles down at me. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer and I feel safe again.

When I start talking, I don't look at Aunt Lauren. I focus on Amy. "I had a fight with my aunt and I ran into the woods, yes." I take a deep breath. I'm about to go on when everyone walks in and crowds into the living room. When I catch a glimpse of Cole, he looks upset but I dismiss it.

"So," Kit says, "mind telling me what's going on?"

I start over. I tell them about my argument with Aunt Lauren and how I ran into the woods. I told them about Cole. As I explained the situation with the other wolf, I feel Derek's arm tighten around me. I pat his knee, reminding him that I'm okay.

"Why were you following Chloe?" Tori asks Cole.

"I couldn't help hearing the two women fighting," he says looking from Tori to me. "Then I heard her run outside. I watched her run into the forest and I ran after her to make sure she was okay."

"Was being a wolf necessary?" Simon jumped in. "You could have given her a heart attack from fear," he adds.

"I turn into a wolf based on instinct, dude," Cole says.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

Our eyes meet again and he answers with, "I change into a wolf as a protective measure. I know that we're not safe, so to see you run off on your own like that..." He trails off, shrugging his shoulders.

"And where were you?" Aunt Lauren snaps venomously. I turn my eyes to look at her and she's looking at Derek.

"I was here," Derek answered calmly. I know how much my aunt drives him crazy, but he keeps his cool for me. And I know Aunt Lauren means well, but she's coming on way too strong. Even for a protective guardian.

"You have super enhanced hearing, Derek," she says. "You couldn't hear Chloe coming and going?"

Derek doesn't answer.

"Lauren -" Kit says but she cuts him off.

"No." She gets to her feet. "He talks about wanting nothing but to keep my niece safe and he can't even hear her when she's upset."

"Enough!" I yell. Her gaze turns to me and I'm shooting daggers at her. I pull away from Derek, much to his protest. I get to my feet and I step on the other side of the coffee table, eyes not leaving my aunt.

"This is not Derek's fault. I wouldn't have gone out there if you didn't spend so much time thinking about how bad Derek is for me." I take a deep breath. "All he's done is protect me, even when I ask him not to."

"It's true," Simon says but no one acknowledges him.

"You spend so much time worrying about what Derek will do to me that you don't even take a minute to realize what he's already done for me. For all of us." I look at Derek and he gives me a half smile that makes my heart pick up pace.

"Chloe," Aunt Lauren whispers. I look back at her. "I know you really like him and he's done good by you. But you can't -"

"Can't what?" I ask loudly, cutting her off. "Just because someone expresses feelings for me I can't be with them because we're nothing alike, right?"

She says nothing. I feel the vibe in the room change. I can sense the tension but I don't lose focus.

"In case you haven't noticed, but you spent years working for the people who genetically modified our powers; not to mention who tried to kill us. And Derek is the dangerous one?"

Her eyes widen and I can see that she's realizing what I just said. I have never once been so furious with my aunt; she's been the mother figure I so desperately longed for since my actual mother died when I was so young. But what kind of mother denies her teenage daughter the right to make her own choices? She's done nothing but judge Derek and try to pin my difference in behavior on him. It's wrong.

I take a moment to look around at everyone. Their expressions all seem different.

Derek looks impressed.

Tori looks shocked.

Simon is wide-eyed.

Kit is expressionless, but I think there's a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Everyone else is just speechless. I look down at the floor, not wishing to look at Aunt Lauren anymore. Before anyone can say or do anything further, I turn on my heel and bolt for the stairs, not stopping until I get to my room, slamming the door behind me and crashing down on my bed. I let the tears flow freely now, unable to hold them back any longer. We just barely escaped the Edison Group, developed a whole new set of problems and I'm stuck in this safe house somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Philadelphia, worrying about my aunt's clouded judgement about my boyfriend.

When I was in Lyle House, I understood how she felt about Derek before, but now...now it's different. Derek isn't as anti-social and he's proven to be the opposite of what Aunt Lauren made him out to be that day at the diner when she tricked into telling her that it was Derek who hurt me. No matter how hard tried tell her that it was an accident; she wanted to fix the problem by keeping us apart. But thankfully, we managed to see eye to eye and figured out what was happening.

I don't want to fight with Aunt Lauren about my relationship with Derek. Sure, he's a werewolf and I'm a helpless Necromancer, but so what? Derek hasn't done anything to hurt me. He has saved my butt countless times and there's -

"Chloe?"

I don't need to turn around to know that the voice belongs to Kit. I don't answer him, too upset to talk. I feel the bed sink under me from his weight coming to sit down behind me.

"Chloe, I know what you said to your aunt must have stung, but -"

"Stung?" I let out a sarcastic giggle. I sit up and turn to face him, but not smiling. I wipe at my damp face and lean back against the headboard, pulling my knees up. "No, what stings is her lack of trust in me."

Kit takes a deep breath. "Chloe..." He pauses. "I'm not surprised that she's acting like this. What you and Derek have is special and unorthodox and I guess your aunt Lauren hasn't come to accept that yet."

"She's told me that it's Derek she doesn't trust," I snap, not meaning to. "At all," I add.

Kit shakes his head and reaches out, placing a friendly hand on my knee. I don't move because I'm sick of flinching every time someone touches or something makes a sound. I'm sick of being the defenseless little Necromancer everyone thinks I am.

"You're angry and you have every right to be." He says nothing further. He stands and with one more smile at me, he leaves.