I felt a pressure on me, holding me down. I fought and struggled against the invisible force but I could not get out of the chair. I heard a laugh echo around me, thinking my inability to escape was amusing. Then suddenly my eyes flung open. I realize I had been asleep on the living room couch. I lifted my head slightly to find all four of us fast asleep throughout the living room and all I heard was the television static. I sat up slowly rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes.

Now that I was up I wanted to head up to my bedroom to go to sleep. But I knew that if the others woke without me there then there would be a moment of panic. They needed tabs on me to feel safe. Which as annoying as it was, it was understandable with my flighty history. I went to the bathroom that was just off the hallway slightly, leaving the door cracked so a person could see the light was on from the living room. Turning the faucet on cold and splashing water on my face I wondered what my dream had been about. Was I dreaming about what it felt like to be one of the souls that I shove back into their corpses, unable to move unless commanded? Or was dreaming about my fear of the control of the Alpha? Fearing that I was helpless against him with no one by my side. I took a deep breath and dried the water off my face. Remembering how the Alpha said he would be back tonight. But he hadn't come back yet. I wondered why but didn't dwell on it long.

Looking at myself in the mirror I said, "You need to stop overthinking things and talk to someone about all this."

"Yes you do," I heard from behind me and I look past myself in the mirror to see Kyle. My face immediately brightened, "Kyle!"

"It took me awhile but I'm back," he smiled.

"I thought you'd moved on to the other side or whatever," I question.

"I did for a while but I wanted to see what happened to you because I couldn't find you over there. So I knew you're Pack plan hadn't panned out."

I leave the bathroom and step out onto the back porch, as to not wake the others with my talking. I leave the sliding door cracked an inch though to tell where I am. Even though you could see me two feet away from the door if you walked up to it.

"You're right. My friends caught up to me at the very last second. I was about gone and then they showed up and healed me." I paused realizing how that sounded, "I-I don't m-mean to sound ungrateful or anything. I'm not in that same mindset anymore."

Kyle nodded, sitting down on the porch next to me. "So where is your mindset now then?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. I feel like things have gotten so complex. Everyone keeps an eye on me to make sure I don't take off when no one's looking. I don't feel like Simon trusts me like he used to. My aunt is out of the picture. Alpha is in the picture. I just don't know how to make sense of it all."

Kyle nodded, "Well why don't we take some time to dissect it piece by piece and make some sense of it. Have you done anything since you came here to make them think that you will run off again?"

I shook my head, "No I don't think so. I've stayed confined to my room and I've been compliant."

"Then that's not complex, that's them working on their nerves. Keep staying compliant and they will calm down. Now Simon, why wouldn't he trust you like before?"

"Because Simon was lied to about the baby and he didn't need to be lied to about it. And then I run off and try to get killed and he was the one who saw me go. I've betrayed him."

"Then work on spending time with him and gain his trust back. Go to him and be honest, tell him why he had been lied to and explain your side of the story. Don't justify your actions, just explain the reasoning for them happening. If you come clean about the past and stay honest in the future he will come around."

I go to argue about being able to spend time with Simon without Derek when I hear a shoe scuff behind me. Interrupting my conversation with Kyle.

"What did the ghost say about me?" It was Simon standing in the doorway. I really had not been paying attention to my surroundings since I didn't hear the door open more.

"S-S-Simon-n," I stutter, scared about what he had heard.

"That's my name," he nodded with a small smile that said he was trying to reduce my tension.

I took several deep breaths and spoke slowly, "I was talking to Kyle, he's a ghost I met at the motel."

Simon looked in the general area of the porch that I had been looking when Kyle had talked, "Hello ghost Kyle."

Kyle laughed, "I like this guy, he's got a sense of humor. You don't come across that much on the other side."

"Kyle says hello," I tell Simon.

Simon sat down on the porch, leaving about two or so feet of space in between us.

Kyle spoke up, "I'll leave you be to talk to him, this isn't really my business. I'm going to go explore the house." Then he got up and went inside.

"Kyle left to give us privacy," I tell Simon, cheeks burning.

Simon laughed, "I hope he doesn't have me, and Derek mixed up. I heard my name as I came looking for you, what were you talking about? My awesome drawing skills?"

I crack a smile for a moment then looking at my socks I say, "Kyle was actually telling me to come clean to you about the lies so that we could work on rebuilding trust."

I take a deep breath then look over at him. Simon was nodding and thinking. "Your ghost might be onto something there. Why was there the baby lie?"

I shrugged, "It was never something I planned on telling you. It was only supposed to be for Aunt Lauren. I needed her off my back to hide the werewolf stuff. Your guys' door just happened to be ajar at the wrong time. I swear to god it was not something I planned on lying to you about."

"Ok," he nodded, "Wrong place wrong time kind of thing. But then why didn't you just come clean to me later on?"

I shrugged, "I guess that was because I knew I didn't plan on sticking around long enough for it to matter before."

Simon nodded slowly, "I still can't believe you went and did that Chloe. Just…wow."

"I'm sorry," was all I managed to say

"I hope you know I've got your back through thick and thin. I don't want you ever doing something like that again. Come to me and we will work out a safer solution next time."

I nodded, "Thanks. I don't plan on making that mistake again."

"Good," He smiled and then moved closer to me. Pulling me in for a hug, "I'm glad you're back and you're safe."

I hugged him back. Simon went to scoot back over to where he had been sitting. I put my hand on his arm, signaling it was okay for him to stay next to me. Simon stayed where he was.

"You know how badly Derek would murder us if he found us outside when there's that guy on the loose."

I acted like I didn't know why this hadn't occurred to me before even though I knew the Alpha wasn't far, "You're right. We should head inside before he wakes up and notices."

Simon agreed, and we stepped back inside. Derek and Tori were still asleep in the living room, so Simon and I went upstairs to the bedrooms. We went into the boy's room and worked on the comic until we fell asleep again.

Simon and I wake up the next day by Derek bursting into the bedroom. He had a moment of fear in his eyes until he saw us.

"Where the hell have you two been?" He growls angrily.

"Right here bro," Simon replies confused.

"No last night. Where in the hell did you two go last night?!" He nearly shouting, "Your scents are out the sliding door!"

"Calm down Derek," Simon presses, "We stepped outside to have a talk and not wake anyone. We never left the porch and we weren't out there for more than a few minutes." Then he added, "Nothing happened."

I wondered what he meant by nothing happened. Was it a nothing happened between me and Chloe or a no one tried to hurt us?

Derek stormed closer to us, "Something could have happened!"

I was so distracted by what was going on that I didn't feel my new werewolf anger rising.

"Nothing did happen though!" I snap back, "So back off and get over it!"

Both Simon and Derek were shocked, looking at me. Neither one said anything for a minute. We heard footsteps coming towards the room and my dissipated immediately. I blinked as I regained control. Derek saw the look and realized what had happened. The bedroom door opened as Tori and Kit came in.

"What in god's name is going on in here?" Kit asked.

"Nothing," Simon was the first to speak up, "We just had a little argument because Chloe and I fell asleep in here and Derek didn't know where we were when he got up."

Damn, I thought to myself, Simon's on the ball today with the cover up stories.

"Derek," Kit turned towards him, "I know there is a lot going on right now but you need to calm down. The last thing we need is to be turning on each other."

Derek nodded with no discernible expression, "Okay Dad."

"Everyone downstairs for breakfast in ten minutes please, we have a busy day today," Kit said sternly and left the bedroom.

Derek grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the bedroom and into a spare bedroom before anyone else could say anything.

"Chloe what the hell was that?" A concerned Derek got down on his knees and in front of my face.

"I don't know how to control it yet," I said. "I'm sorry."

"I don't know how to teach you that," Derek sighed. "I'm not good at controlling the anger myself."

"So I'm always going to have this problem?"

Derek shrugged, "I honestly don't know yet. But we will figure something out. I promise." He paused then said, "I'm so sorry that I did this to you."

"You can't change the past Derek," I say and then I move closer to him, closed my eyes, and kiss him.

He seems to hesitate at first, upset with himself for this whole fiasco. But then kisses me back. His hand lets go of my chin and placed on my back.

"I love you Derek. Nothing will ever change that. So let's work this out together."

Derek's arms tighten around me as I spoke. "I love you too Chloe." He took a deep breath and I knew this was a big moment for him. I was validating him in my life and declaring I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

A few hours later Kit declared that he and Simon would be going into town together to get supplies. We were to be leaving this safe house in the next twenty-four hours. It was no longer safe with the Alpha still out there.