"Wake up guys, get your lazy butts out of bed." Octavia's voice came booming into the quite room waking me from my slumber. I groaned burying my face into the pillow. Not once did I have a bad dream since going back to bed and wasn't really keen on getting up yet. "Come on guys get up, mom made breakfast."
"Shut up Octavia and leave us alone." Derek took his pillow and chucked it at her head. He flopped back down hiding his face in my pillow. He had his arm lazily draped across my back. Octavia ran at the bed and jumped on it like a five year old. She didn't aim at all and came down hard on my leg. I yelped at the quick pain that shot up my leg. Octavia jumped off the bed as Derek swiped his arm at her. "Are you okay Lauren?"
"I'm fine it wasn't really anything." Derek threw off the sheets and examined my leg. The spot where Octavia's knee connected was already starting to bruise. Derek shot daggers at Octavia. "Really Derek it's nothing." I stroked his arm to calm him.
"She bruised you. If it wasn't for..."
"Derek hush, I said I was fine now let it go." I pushed him back down on the bed and jumped out before he could stop me. I wrapped my arm around Octavia's and we walked out of the room.
"Oh my god, I thought Derek was going to kill me. Are you sure you're okay it looked like it was already bruising." Octavia said as she led me to the kitchen down stairs.
"I'm fine, I've had worse things happen to me and this was nothing compared to that." We turned the corner entering the kitchen. Ashling was standing by the stove and smiled at us when we walked in.
"I see you've calmed down and are making friends." She said referring to Octavia as my friend and she kind of was.
"Friends don't hurt friends." Derek's deep voice came from behind us. He moved himself in between me and Octavia and she moved away to stand next to her mother. I glared at Derek as he wrapped his arms around me.
"Derek don't be over dramatic, if Lauren was really hurt she wouldn't have come down with Octavia." Just then someone's phone started ringing. I jumped at the sound and then realized it was my phone, but where was it. Derek pulled it out of his pocket and looked at who was calling. He growled and I could only guess it was Miles. I snatched the phone away from him before he could hang up. Once in my hands I slid my finger across the screen to answer the call.
"Hey Lauren, I heard your truck broke down. Did you get it fixed?" Derek hovered around me like a guard dog and I stepped into the hall so I could talk to Miles without him near me.
"Yeah, Katy took me to her mechanic and insisted I stay over. I'm sorry that I wasn't home, but you know crap happens."
"Yeah, my car has broken down a couple times making me change my whole day. So are you coming back now?"
"In a little bit I just got up and De... Katy's mom made breakfast so I'm going to eat before I leave. I'll see you in a little bit, bye." I hung up the phone before Miles could say anything else and went back into the kitchen.
"You almost slipped up and you would have had to tell your little boyfriend you spent the night with a real man." Derek was sitting at the kitchen island and his voice was deep trying to hold back his growls. Everyone else froze at the mention of a boyfriend.
"What the heck Derek, you were listening!"
"Werewolf remember, I would have been able to hear you and that... your friend in any room in the house. Besides does it even matter?"
"Yes it does and I wouldn't have almost slipped up about where I was if you hadn't kidnapped me!" Ugh why did he always have to make everything so difficult, talk about overprotective. I sat down at the island and didn't look at Derek the whole time. Ashling served us and I thanked her. Octavia sat on my right and Ashling sat in between me and Derek. I heard him grumbling under his breath and Ashling smacked him in the back of the head. I held in a laugh and quickly put a hand over my mouth just in case it came rising to the surface. Derek quite grumbling and we ate our food in silence. When we had all finished I thanked Ashling and said goodbye. I went back to Derek's room to change back into my clothes. Octavia followed me and Derek out of the house.
"Will you come back soon? I don't get to talk to many people outside of the family and I would love it if we could hang out sometime." I shook my head and Octavia ran over and hugged me. I smiled and hugged her back. I turned to Derek and looked at his hands. He had the keys to my truck in them and I went to take them from him, but he moved them behind his back.
"I'm driving you home."
"What are you crazy, I can drive myself home. If my Uncle saw you he would arrest you again or kill you."
"How is he going to kill me when I have this?" Derek pulled out the gun I had taken from my Uncle and then put it back where he had gotten it from.
"Derek, give me back my stuff this is ridicules. I'm not ten I can get myself home and I don't need you. Besides what if Nick is still at my house?" Derek looked down trying to figure out something to say to that. Before he could come up with anything I grabbed the keys from his hands and then spun around grabbing the gun sticking it back under my shirt. "Bye Derek!" I said as I jumped into my truck and locked the doors. I pulled out down the drive way and right before I got to the gate I had to slam on the breaks because a girl jumped out in front of me.
Once I stopped she continued to just stand there. I opened the door and got out to walk up to her. She stared at me the whole time and my skin began to crawl. "Who are you and what are you doing? I could have hit you."
"I'm Lana and I wanted to tell you to leave Derek alone. You think you're special because the alpha likes you well you aren't the first and he always comes back to me. No one knows Derek like I do and only I can make him happy. He keeps looking for comfort with some of the lonely females but they're just one night stands and that's all you will ever be to him." She smirked at the last part and I was pissed. I balled my hands into fist and hit her square in the nose. She stumbled backwards and I grabbed her hair pulling her out of the way of my truck. I jumped in and rammed the gate not caring what damages would be left behind. My knuckles were white around the steering wheel and my heart was racing. I pulled into my drive way and slammed my truck door.
"Whoa Lauren what's wrong with you?" Desiret had been sitting on the front porch. "You flew in here, how fast were you even going?" I ignored her and went to put the gun back in its place. On my way both Uncle and Miles greeted me which I ignored as well. I put the gun back in Uncle's drawer making me relax. Now that I didn't have to stress about that I could go and talk to Desiret. She was always my go to when I needed to talk about something. I ran down stairs, found her, and pulled her up to my room.
"So let's say you meet this guy and you're like sole mates but for real and it's not a choice. Then when you finally decide to give him a chance this chick comes out of no wear saying all this crap about him." I spoke fast, but Desiret was my best friend and sometime I didn't even need to talk for her to get it and she had also learned to keep up with me in a frantic state.
"Well what kinds of things did she talk about?"
"She said that he didn't really care about me and that he slept around. Then she told me to leave him alone and that he always went back to her."
"Lauren you never refer to yourself when you talk about problems like these," She shook away the thought "anyways, are you worried he doesn't really love you?"
"No, I just don't know if I can love someone who in other words is a man whore. I wanted to give him a chance, but I don't know anymore. I need someone else's opinion to help me think or at least talk it through." Desiret took a deep sigh.
"Well you know you never officially broke up with Miles. I know we don't live in the same town anymore but the drives not that far and he is willing to do it for you." I looked down at my hands ashamed I had forgotten all about my relationship with Miles and told my best friend about some new guy when Miles was her best friend too. "We were talking about it on the way up. He won't blame you if you move on; he knows you didn't really think about breaking up with him after your parents, but if this new guy is too much then why not just stay with the one you know? I don't want you to feel obligated to stay with Mile, but to me it seems that this new guy doesn't deserve you."
"What's been up with Miles since I left?"
"He really misses you; he is always talking about you and what you would do if you were there."
"Ugh, I am such an idiot for going out with one of my best friends. I ruined everything and if I break up with him I may lose him forever." I held my face in my hands and tried to think of something.
"Lauren, you won't lose him, granted he will be devastated, but not having you in his life is worse than you breaking up with him. He will always be your friend he just might need some time. Also don't beat yourself up over your relationship, he asked you out and if you told him no I'm sure the same thing would have happened. You were happy when you were together, but if you don't think you can handle the distance tell him."
"Thanks Desiret you always make it seem like I'm the good guy even when I'm the bad one." I was grateful but also sad. Any way I choose someone gets hurt.
"You're not the bad guy you're just human and a growing teenage girl at that. You're allowed to change your mind." She hugged me trying to comfort me.
"Why are you even thinking about it? I'll deal with whoever is telling you lies about me and it won't happen again." Both Desiret and I jumped, turning around to see Derek sitting on the window ceil. He looked irritated and not in the least bit concerned with what Desiret thought.
"Is that the guy?" Desiret whispered to me with a concerned look. I shook my head and she looked back and forth between me and Derek. "Has he done this before?" I shook my head again and she followed with the same reaction. "Doesn't this concern you?"
"Alright enough with the stupid questions, I don't care about you. I'm here to talk to Lauren about what the heck she heard and who said it."
"Don't talk to my friend like that and now I get why you didn't want to talk about Lana." I seethed and gritted my teeth together. Derek wasn't just going to be rude to my friend and not expect me to be mad. Derek tensed and looked me dead in the eyes. "Yeah and don't even give me that bull crap about it all being lies. I may not know you that well but I know guys enough to know if they don't want to talk about a girl it's because they don't want the new one to find out he's lying."
"Do you want me to get your uncle?" I went to tell her 'no' but Derek pushed me up against the door blocking any chance of getting out. His eyes were bright blue, his wolf eyes, and they were filled with concern.
"Did she hurt you; I swear if she laid a hand on you I will rip her to pieces." I looked at him confused for a minute. I wasn't expecting him to be concerned, but rather mad and pushy like he always was.
"No it was more of the opposite." One of his hands was behind me holding the door firmly shut and the other stroked my cheek with his thumb.
"What do you mean it's more like the opposite?"
"I punched her in the face, dragged her out of my way by the hair, and then ran over your gate. I thought that's why you were here because you saw her." Derek drew his head back and gave me a strange look.
"You punched her in the face?"
"Yes"
"Lana?"
"Yes"
"In the face?"
"Yes Derek what the heck, I punched Lana in the face and dragged her out of my way by the hair."
"Lana?"
"Dude what the heck is wrong with you? Lauren is he on something because right now I'm pro Miles, he is insane." Derek turned around and glared at Desiret. His eyes had changed back to his normal silver hazel eyes. I slipped out from between him and the door and stood next to Desiret. There was a knock on the door and everyone froze.
"Hey Lauren it's Nick, Charlie wanted to have me come talk to you about something." I looked at Derek and then led him back to the window. I slightly pushed him out it and when he was completely outside he turned back grabbing my wrist.
"This isn't over and if you need me I'll be on the roof." He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek before jumping up onto the roof. I went to my bedroom door and opened it up. Nick walked in and looked at Desiret standing next to my bed.
"Can I talk to you alone please?" He said turning his attention back to me. I shook my head at Desiret and she left, but not before she eyed Nick with a judging stare. I could tell she didn't like him and she wouldn't be far from my door. "Well Charlie is concerned with the amount of time you spend by yourself. He thinks he leaves you alone too much and with the wolf sightings getting closer to town he is concerned for your safety."
"So what does it matter unless wolves can open doors." I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him.
"You know very well that animals can get inside homes Lauren." My parents' death was deemed an animal attack and Uncle had told a lot of people that. I looked down at the ground avoiding eye contact. "I'm sorry, but the point is it is quite possible for an animal to get in here and wolves can be very bold. Charlie wants me to teach you how to use a gun and some basic defense moves in case you can't get to a gun."
"I already know how to use a gun."
"Do you now, well you can show me tomorrow when you come over to my house."
"Wait what, why would I go to your house?"
"Well I run a gun range and I live in the apartment above it. Oh and by the way even if you know how to use a gun Charlie expects you there every day after school unless you have plans with someone else. He doesn't want you to be alone so unless you call and I can actually here another person you're stuck with me."
"And what if I'm not there every day after school and I don't tell you?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Well then I'll just have to tell Charlie. Then I'll come find you and if I have to, I'll drag you to my house. I know it sounds like I'm the bad guy, but really we are just trying to make sure you and everyone else in this town is safe."
"But I am hardly ever alone; I'm always with someone so really this isn't necessary."
"Really you hang out with your friends all the time. Now I was a teenager once and hung out with my friends a lot but there are always times they are too busy. No one is always free and you can't find someone to be with every day and on those days you're going to be with me."
"Isn't it strange for a teenage girl to be hanging out with an adult all the time? How old are you anyways?"
"I'm twenty-two and who cares about what other people think?" Ugh he sounded like Derek right now. I opened the door and pointed into the hall way.
"I do, now get out before I take your gun and show you that I can use it." Nick looked down at his gun and smiled. He exited and I ran down stairs to find Uncle.
*****
"What the heck, you get all freaked out about some animals so you send for a baby-sitter?"
"Nick's overdramatic of course you don't have to go to his house every day, but I would like you to at least let him know if you aren't coming." I had told him what Nick told me after he had left. I looked at Uncle like he was an alien. Why did everyone think that I needed to be protected? I was sixteen not a little girl that couldn't take care of herself, granted I still need help sometimes, but I could do a lot on my own too. "All right, just try it out and if you don't like it at the end of the week I won't make you go, deal?"
"Fine, but only one week and I'm still going to hang out with my friends."
"That's fine by me but you have to go at least three times." I nodded angrily and headed back to my room with Desiret right behind me. We both flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling. We were too lost in our own thoughts to notice that Derek had come back in. He flopped down on top of me causing my face to turn bright red.
"Well excuse you mystery man, but get the hell off my friend." Desiret said punching him in the side. Derek glared at her as he grinded his teeth together. I could feel his nails sharpening and growing next to me. I started to squirm out from under him, but my bed was shorter than I thought it was and fell off head first. My head hit hard on the floor and the rest of my body flipped over like I was doing a summersault. Derek jumped down off the bed and knelt down next to me as I clutched my head.
"Are you okay, let me see it?" Derek pulled my hands down and inspected my head, touching it gently to see if there was a bump.
"I'm fine, don't worry about it. I have fallen off a bed before it's not like it's the first time I got a bump on the head." I said pushing his hands away from my head. Desiret was sitting on the edge of the bed concerned for me. After they both watched me for a little bit they both decided I was fine. Derek placed his face in the crook of my neck and hugged me to him. Desiret gave me a sideways look as I looked up at her embarrassed.
"Is he always like this?" I took in a deep breath before I said anything else.
"Yeah, he doesn't care about what other people think so he does whatever he wants. This is actually pretty tame for how he normally acts when there is someone else here."
"You like him right; this isn't forced because if it is I will be screaming before he can even lift his head."
"No it's not forced and I would appreciate it if you didn't tell Uncle about him. Uncle doesn't really get along with him." Derek started kissing my neck and started pulling me even closer. I leaned back and pushed up on his head so he would stop. "Alright Derek, that's enough now stop." Derek growled against my skin, but pulled his head away from me. Derek looked at Desiret and then back at me.
"I'll see you tomorrow, so you can talk to your friend," he leaned in close so that Desiret couldn't hear him "Don't touch your little boyfriend and I'll be back tonight." He kissed me before jumping up and disappearing out the window.