A/N: I am pleased! I thank everyone who has reviewed, your comments made me smile, I can't stop grinning! Haha, anyways in this chapter there is much more adorable Chlerek, but don't be fooled! There is some grouchy wolf-y-ness too!

I do NOT in any way, shape, or form own the Darkest Powers!

Chapter 3

Whoever said, "Ignorance is bliss," obviously had never met the one and only Derek Souza. This kid was like an encyclopedia as far as the world worked and he was a walking pocket book guide to "How to be on the Lamb and Not Get Caught." He was also probably annoyingly good at mathematics too. He was bossy though and the more I got to know him the more I felt the need to prove myself to him. Now I know what you're thinking! Gee, Chloe, you already killed a guy with a crossbow in front of him, what else could impress a werewolf? Well, that's just it. What does impress a werewolf, because for the life of me I couldn't figure it out? Despite of the fact he had just saw me single handedly, all 5'4" of me, wipe-out an SUV he wouldn't allow me to have a hotel room to myself.

"Really? I'm seventeen years old, I can definitely take care of myself and you're going to stop me from sleeping in a separate room then you? Why?" I wasn't exactly mad that he refused to let us get side by side rooms, as confused and annoyed, and maybe just slightly hurt that he didn't trust my abilities. He seemed to read my mind and glowered at me.

"Look I know that you can take care of yourself, Chloe. It's not a matter of that, its that I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone by yourself. It's because I want to make sure you're safe, not because I don't trust you." He said irritated, "Now, come on lets go to bed, please? I'm beat."

He opened the door to the hotel room and I sighed in relief when I saw the two beds, at least I knew he wasn't like Liam. He was a gentleman, just a really big furry one. I plopped my bag down on the bed near the window and pulled out a couple things, first a huge old white t-shirt that I could probably wear as a dress. This was courtesy of Andrew, he must have known I'd find Derek on the run because I also had some mens boxers and a pair of jeans, that I had never seen before. I looked at Derek and was pleased to see his surprised and thankful face. I threw him the clothes and nodded at the bathroom.

"Go ahead, take a shower first. You need it more then I do, no offense." I smiled shyly. He smirked.

"No that's all right, I'm sure its true. You get abducted and held in a basement for three days and you see how well your off." He nodded to the bathroom and promised he'd be out soon.

xxx

Sure enough, he was out of the bathroom in eight minutes. Wearing only his boxers and towel drying his hair, I could tell this was going to be a long night.

"Hey, you're okay with this right?" He gestured to his apparel, "I normally sleep with even less on, but…" He trailed off and shrugged. I met his eyes and realized he was enjoying this far too much. I smiled sweetly, and moved to enter the bathroom.

"Oh, of course." I turned into the bathroom and as soon as I shut the door I began formulating ideas of how to make him uncomfortable. If I had to stare at his sexy chest all night than I wanted him to feel my pain too. So what other option did I have then to wear a camisole and short-shorts? It's not like I had much to play with, lingerie wasn't a luxury when you were on the run from people who wanted to kill you, which reminded me.

"Hey," I started as I came out of the bathroom, my scent from the shower whooshing out into the hotel room with me, "You never did tell me who was after us." I reminded him as I walked by his lounging form. I was wearing only my camisole and short-shorts, the bare minimum. I dropped my bag at the foot of my bed knowing it wouldn't take up enough room to bother my sleep, seeing as I was so short. When he didn't answer I looked over at him questioningly, and saw that maybe I'd gone too far. He was staring intently at me. Everywhere I went his eyes followed like a predator watching his prey. Maybe I was wrong, maybe he was exactly like Liam. I swallowed noisily in anxiety, noisily enough so that it caught his attention and he met my eyes. Instantly the look left him and a new kindness replaced it along with maybe a little guilt.

"Sorry," He paused, "Sometimes the instinctual part of my brain, the 'wolf' as I like to call it. Tries to take over and I…" He trailed off a moment, "Well, sometimes it takes a second to remember who I really am." He smiled shyly. I couldn't help it, his smiles were like heroin, I couldn't get enough of them. I laughed lightly and smiled back.

"That's okay," I turned pink, "Its partly my fault, I tried to make you uncomfortable because I wanted you to be just as tortured as I was- am," I bit my lip and avoided his gaze, "At least I know it worked." I laughed nervously and turned away to pull back the comforter on my bed. I didn't even hear him get up, or walk over to me. Just before I dropped the blanket all the way he stopped my hand and gently pulled me around to face him. So lightly he traced my cheek with his fingers, that I thought maybe I'd imagined it. I opened my mouth to ask him what he was doing and his fingers made their way up to also touch my lips, following their smooth lines tenderly.

"To answer your question as to who is following us, it'd be the Edison Group, or more accurately the Cabal they hired to kill us." He frowned and stared at me a moment with an intense feeling in the air, "I owe you my life, and I promise you I'll keep you safe through all of this. I know I don't need to, and I know," He backed away from me and sat on the bed In front of me now holding my hand, "That you don't need me to, you're not like other Necro's who are seriously helpless." I mock glared at him and wrinkled my nose disapprovingly, which made him rumble with laughter. "However, I feel obligated to protect you now. I tried not to form a bond with you, but I have." He squeezed my hand and waited for my reply.

"This is all too much mushiness for me to handle on about four hours of sleep," I shook my head and grinned, "I accept your wish to be my body guard and all, but you're going to have to realize something." I grabbed his chin with my free hand that he wasn't holding and lifted his gaze to meet my own. "I have this annoying habit of not doing what I'm told and you need to understand that that's just who I am." I smirked and tapped him on the tip of his nose, earning a predatory grin. Before I could react he jumped up on me and began tickling my sides making me double over in giggles.

"We'll see if I can't persuade you to do what I tell you," He murmured in my ear holding me close to his chest still tickling me ruthlessly. "I'm," He moved me around full circle, "Very good," He fell back onto my bed bringing me with him, "At the art of persuasion," He rolled over on top of me barring my arms above my head effortlessly, "When I want to be." He grimaced adorably and kissed my forehead softly, before suddenly hefting off my bed entirely and throwing my covers over me. "Now go to bed." He ordered and flipped the light switch off, leaving me all alone in my bed in the dark. How rude.

xxx

Sooner then I would have liked, I woke and looked over to the alarm clock to read 8:00. I groaned, what happened to the good old days when I was little and I'd happily wake early in the morning to watch my cartoons and eat my special cereal to get the prize at the bottom of the box? Or more so what happened to the days when I'd actually get a full nights sleep and then some? The answer to both questions whispered in my mind as it always did when I thought these things; mom died, that's what happened to them. I shook my head and blinked hard, trying to think of something else when I heard another bed rustling next to me. I whipped my head around in a panic then relaxed as I remembered again, for the second morning now, it was only Derek. Except this time, Derek was asleep.

I cocked my head to the side in curiosity, lifting my head up onto my raised hand and leant on my elbow looking over at his peaceful face. A peaceful Werewolf who would have thought? I thought back on the council, of the Alpha and the coven leader of the Vampires. I had thought they were both pretty terrible, the Alpha was perfectly polite and friendly even, but because of Liam… well I just didn't trust him. The coven leader was an entirely different story. Vampires were just tricky by nature, like Demons I suppose, they could tamper with peoples memories and play with their emotions. A vamp could drain you dry and the whole time you'd be thinking it was pure ecstasy. I knew vamps were dangerous, everyone knew, but maybe what we always thought about the wolves wasn't as cut and dry? If I admitted it to myself, I could even use Liam as an example of how the wolves seemed to posses an entirely different nature then vamps. Liam wasn't always a creep. In fact I had seen him quite palpable on a number of occasions, like a puppy even, and playful.

I returned my attention to Derek again as he grumbled slightly in his sleep and nuzzled into his pillow. Perhaps, it depended more on the human half of the wolf and whether or not they wanted to be decent at all. Maybe I had just been prejudice from the beginning, and yet even greater a chance was this simple answer: maybe it was just Derek. Maybe just the werewolf Derek Souza was different. I smiled and nodded to myself at this thought, yes I was quite sure that the latter was the true answer.

xxx

"I have a dumb question," I began and was amused to see a weary, sleepy eyed Derek give me a calculating look from the passenger seat. "I am wondering when you are going to change." I stated matter of factually more demanding then questioningly. He looked taken back, then glowered at the road like it had stolen his breakfast.

"I think that's a pretty personal question to ask someone you've only known a day, Chloe." He growled. This surprised me, and I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"Well, since we're traveling together I'd rather have you stay on schedule, happy and healthy then twitchy and grumble-y," I laughed at his aghast expression at my jibe.

"What are you yapping about? You don't even know what your talking about-"

"I know plenty about Werewolves and their need for a weekly change and the consequences if they don't. I also know about the Packs guidelines involving the treatment of prisoners," I glared pointedly at him, "So, I know you haven't changed at least the three days you were held and the day and half now that you've spent with me." He seemed almost embarrassed by my blunt knowledge.

"Okay, so I haven't changed in the last 4 days and a half. I'm okay," He gestured to his body, which might I add, looked wonderful in the tight white shirt I'd given him earlier. "No, twitching, no fever, not even a sweat! I'm fine." He mumbled.

"Yes, well you wont be though, you're going to get moody and even more hot-tempered and I want you to-"

"You want me to what, Chloe?" He asked loudly. "You want me to have you stop the damn car right here, right now, and let me loose so I can become a stupid animal and run around sniffing stuff? I don't have the time for that right now, I need to find my family."

"No, you need to take care of yourself so that you can then take care of your family with a clear head!" I yelled back, not taking my eyes off the highway as I sped past an 18-wheeler. I looked over at him a moment, "Look, I get it. You're worried, you're in the 'protect the pack' mode or whatever, but you need to take care of yourself too. Maybe that's why Andrew wanted me around you guys, so I could tell you when to stuff it and wake up to smell the roses! You need to change!" I slammed my hand into the drivers wheel to accentuate what I was saying. He frowned, his mouth a tight line. Finally after a moment of me worrying whether I'd pushed too far, he nodded.

"You're right," He let out a huge breath and seemed to deflate in his seat. "I don't like it, but you're right. Stop at the next truck stop we come to or what not. I'll find a clearing in the woods or something and do it then." He grumbled.

"Thank you." I smiled happily.

"For what?" He looked bewildered at me.

"For admitting that I'm right and taking care of yourself, I get the feeling that you don't do that nearly enough."

"Which one? The admitting I'm wrong part or the taking care of myself?" He asked curiously, watching my expression. I pursed my lips and looked over at him devilishly.

"Both."

xxx

A/N: Okay my dearest, darling-est readers! Pretty please with a cherry on top, review? I would be ever so much thankful, and happy, and pleased… XD