Darkest Powers fanfiction
LOVE'S DARKEST POWER
One-Shot
Derek Souza/Mary Ralluber

Author's Note: Sorry for the long length! I didn't want to turn this into a short story, so I kept it as a one-shot. Enjoy! :D

The presence of Chloe Saunders could not, unfortunately, get rid of the shocking appearance of his long-lost former lover from yesterday morning. Derek Souza sat in the living room of the house they'd built on the border of Canada and Montana after a few years on the run from the notorious supernatural hunters, the Edison Group. Derek, during their time playing fugitive, had fallen in love with the dainty, little, blonde necromancer, Chloe, whose powers were anything but dainty and little. This was because Chloe had been genetically modified by the Edison Group, and she wasn't the only one. Derek's werewolf powers were also genetically altered, and it was their common difficulties that brought them together.

He was genuinely in love with Chloe—there was no denying it—but seeing her again brought back memories that had been long forgotten. When she'd appeared in the clearing yards before him, his life with her flashed before his eyes. Those bright green eyes, those perfect full lips, that beautiful toothy smile—he remembered being in love with everything about her. Her name was Mary Ralluber, and she was a werewolf, one of the rare females of the werewolf race. Her short, curvaceous form burned in his head, a form much opposite from Chloe's. Chloe resembled that of a twelve-year-old girl, though she was already eighteen. Mary, just a year older at nineteen, looked that of a twenty-five-year-old woman, but both were beautiful in their own way through Derek's eyes.

The image of her standing in the clearing, staring at him with a knowing gaze, burned like a fiery image in his mind. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that the affectionate touch of Chloe closing the distance between them as they sat together on the love seat never registered in his mind. Chloe wasn't there with him; Mary was. Mary's saddened face was haunting him. He replayed her grasping the little hands of the two small boys and eventually carrying them out of the forest.

His saliva stuck in his throat as he tried to swallow, his heart rate speeding faster than usual. Mary had been pregnant. Those little boys could have belonged to anybody if they hadn't looked like both her and himself. The scary thought of Derek actually being a father tantalized his mind. He couldn't be a father. That night happened once, and only once. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that the boys looked like Derek.

He mentally shook his head. No, the boys resembled Derek too greatly. They were practically is spitting image. The only thing that differed from Derek was their eyes. Both sported Mary's brilliant green eyes, but even hers were similar to Derek's color.

After Mary had left, Chloe raised questions about the girl. Who was she? Did he know her? How did he know her? Where had he met her? What was she doing here? Who were the little boys with her? The questions made Derek's stomach twist. He didn't want to talk about his former lover with his new girlfriend, especially that the two little boys were actually his. It would break her heart and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Derek, you're really quiet. What's up?" Chloe chimed, looking up at him with a concerned expression. He'd been quiet ever since yesterday morning, but it was hard to talk when he felt like bursting into tears at any second. The sighting of Mary was had created too much impact for him to handle. It took him his all just to contain himself, which wasn't like him at all. Derek never acted like this. He was never emotional about anything. He couldn't blame Chloe for being curious, especially because she was still in the dark about Mary in the first place.

"Nothing," Derek replied, a little too quickly and defensively. She looked at him strangely, her eyebrows knitting together.

"You do realize that I'm not stupid and that I've noticed you acting weird all day yesterday and today. Derek, what's going on?" Chloe urged. She gently shook him, trying to get the answer out. Derek squeezed his eyes shut and looked away. She heard him whisper his name again, sorrow compressed in her tone.

Suddenly, Simon appeared at the doorway. Derek immediately turned his way, watching him leaning against the frame, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his cargo shorts. His slanted eyes were narrowed and his lips pressed tightly together.

"Derek," he piped. "Can I talk to you?"

Derek narrowed his eyes as well. "About what?"

"Just meet me in my room, please," he said. Derek eyed him suspiciously but stood from the couch, and, just like a shadow, Chloe stood up with him.

"What's going on, Simon?" she asked innocently. Simon's narrowed eyes glanced her way and he shook his head, shutting his eyes briefly. When they opened again, they were filled with sorrow.

"Sorry Chloe. I need to talk to Derek alone," he said. Chloe was suddenly taken aback and Derek could see the crushed expression filtering her face from being excluded.

"Whatever you can say to him you can say to me," Chloe persisted. "We tell each other everything, right Derek?" She looked up at him desperately, like a child, but Derek couldn't look at her. He sighed heavily and bowed his head.

"Stay here, Chloe. I'll be right back," he mumbled. He left Chloe, who surprised by his answer. She appeared to have been slapped in the face with his words. It hurt Derek to even keep the dark secret from her, but he couldn't tell her, at least not yet. Simon didn't even know about Mary being pregnant. All Simon knew was that the two had sex, and that was it.

Simon led Derek across the cabin to his bedroom, closing the door after he'd entered. He guarded it, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're thinking about her again, aren't you?" Simon said softly, his eyebrows narrowing. Derek widened his eyes before turning away shamefully. "I thought you forgot her long ago, bro … I mean, since Chloe came along and … well, you never mentioned her again."

"I did forget about her," Derek mumbled. "But … I saw her yesterday and …"

"Wait …" Simon interrupted. "You saw her? Where? When?"

"Chloe and I were near the clearing yesterday morning. She came out of the trees and … everything just came back …" Derek said.

"Well, did you guys talk or anything?"

Derek shook his head and gulped. If somebody had to know about the twin boys, it was Simon. Simon was his brother—he had to know.

"But … there were two little boys with her," he started hesitantly. Simon's eyebrows knitted together.

"What do you mean? Like, babysitting or something?"

"Not … exactly."

"I don't understand," Simon said, shaking his head.

"Simon …" Derek gulped again, his breathing heavy. He mentally told himself to relax. He was always comfortable telling Simon stuff because he always understood, but now Derek was having a hard time telling him that he was probably an uncle of two werewolf boys. "I … think … those boys were … hers."

Simon stiffened and his eyes bore into Derek's shameful ones. Slowly, he began to shake his head in bewilderment.

"I … I still don't understand … What do you mean they're hers?"

"Exactly that," Derek muttered. "They're her children."

Simon had stopped breathing briefly and Derek widened his eyes, concerned for his health because of his diabetes. Simon would die from shock, would he?

"Simon," Derek said quickly, trying to catch his attention. It worked and he shook his head, cupping his forehead.

"Wow. Who knew Mary could be … so … well … slutty. I mean, sleeping around with other guys, getting herself knocked up … That's gotta suck for a kid like her," Simon sighed.

Derek's gut wringed in agony and he felt like throwing up. He hated that Simon had called her slutty, but he hated even more how Simon just assumed that the sex Mary and Derek hadn't led to her pregnancy, when, in actuality, it wasn't that she was sleeping around—it was because of that one night they'd made love.

"She's not a slut," Derek murmured, narrowing his eyebrows. Simon was taken aback and nodded hesitantly.

"Well, okay, sorry."

"No it's … it's because …" He took a deep breath. "The boys who were with her were about two or three years old, so she was pregnant about three years ago," he explained. Simon thought for a moment.

"Gosh, so … right when she left the home, she must have been sleeping with other guys. Honestly, how could you not call her a slut? Doesn't that break your heart, Derek?"

"Simon!" Derek blurted, his tone irritated. "Did you forget what happened three years ago?" His voice dropped down to a whisper. Derek wouldn't put it past Chloe to eavesdrop. He felt presence around their door. "I had sex with Mary. Those boys … they looked exactly like me. Those twin toddlers are mine, Simon. I got Mary pregnant."

Simon backed away, almost collapsing to the ground against his bed. Instead, he fell on top of it, immediately throwing his arms back to catch himself. He stared at Derek as if he was from another planet, and the twisting feeling in his stomach continued at an even greater rate. Simon wasn't going to understand. He wasn't going to help him out, not like old times. However, these weren't like old times. Derek had messed up—big. He'd given himself such great responsibility that he should have never gotten at such a young age.

And then, the burden Mary was stuck with all by herself … Derek couldn't even bear to think about it. He felt awful—so awful he could feel the bile scratching at the back of his throat, begging to be released. Derek was scared. He was scared for Mary, for the twin boys, for his future … He was scared.

"So … you're a … dad …" Simon said slowly, finally getting a hole of his voice. Derek gulped and nodded. "Well, it's no wonder you've been acting weird. If I found out I was a dad three years after my kids were born, I'd be a bit out of character as well."

The twisting suddenly seized as Derek felt a huge relief wash over him. He'd been wrong—Simon did understand.

"I … I can't believe that …"

"It's not your fault," Simon interrupted. "Well, I mean, it kind of is your fault, but, I meant that you didn't plan this. Neither of you did. It was an accident … a really, really big accident." Derek couldn't help but smile a small relieved smile. Simon reached in his pocket and pulled out a golden shine, its sheen long gone. Hanging from the chain was a long dulled golden heart, a cursive F carved into it. Derek stared at the necklace in Simon's hand, his mind racing. He'd put that necklace away a long time ago, back when he was still at Lyle House. He'd forgotten about it to forget about her.

"I found this in our room. Why didn't you have it with you? You weren't wearing it … Was it to forget about Mary?" Derek nodded. Simon handed him the necklace and Derek tangled it with his fingers.

"Fiona's necklace," he muttered. Fiona had been Mary's mother who'd been murdered by Mary's werewolf father, Dennis Jay. She never really talked about Fiona, only because D. Jay's murdering her created such a deep scar in her heart.

"I didn't want to leave it behind," Simon continued. "Just in case you'd want it back some day, like today."

"Thanks," Derek muttered, his eyes still glued to the heart. The faded projection of Mary's smile reflected back at him, just as it had three years ago at Lyle House, before he'd met Chloe. It was a knowing smirk, one that she usually expressed when something played in her favor. A knowing, playful smirk that Derek couldn't help but smile at whenever he saw her make it, but right now it hadn't brought a smile. Right now it made his gut turn in agony once again.

"You should see her," Simon suggested, cutting him from his thoughts. "You need to see her. Track her down with her scent. I can tell you can't stop thinking about her."

Derek stared at his brother with a worried gaze. His heart raced at the thought of seeing Mary again, to actually talk with her and catch up with everything that had happened between the time she'd left and now. He gulped.

"But what about Chloe?" he asked. She'd raise question about him going to see this girl he'd never mentioned, and he didn't want to have to explain that the girl was actually his former girlfriend, his former lover. It would shatter her. The two were supposed to be each other's firsts—first significant other, first kiss, and maybe even first lovers. But they weren't, at least not from Derek's side.

"You're going to have to tell her some time," Simon said. "I mean, you can't keep lying to her about Mary."

"But I can't tell her about everything I've done with her," Derek argued. "If she found out I was actually a father—"

"Okay, so don't tell her that part, but let her know about Mary. Besides, you're not in love with Mary anymore, right? You're in love with Chloe. She's the one that matters now, right? That's got to earn some points."

Simon was right, at least Derek hoped he was. He was in love with Chloe, and she was the one that mattered, but seeing Mary and remembering everything they shared—well, did he really not love Mary anymore?

Derek shook his head. Of course he didn't love her anymore, at least not in the intimate way like he loved Chloe. Mary was in the past. He was over it. But it was time to face the things he'd left with her, the unknowing problems he'd unintentionally left her with.

He sighed and nodded. "You're right. I'm not going to keep holding stuff from her. Chloe needs to know about Mary. She's not going to be happy though," Derek said.

"Of course she's not," Simon said. "She's realizing that she isn't the first lover of yours. That you've seen someone else in the past. But she's going to have to get over it, just like you're going to have to get over Mary as well. You can't do this to Chloe." Derek nodded in agreement again and sighed heavily. He shoved the necklace into the pocket of his jeans and pushed through the door of Simon's bedroom.

Chloe was sitting at the dining table with Tori, looking solemn. When the two boys entered the room, Tori looked up and glared at Derek for making Chloe feel so miserable.

"You can leave us alone, okay? Unless you're going to keep anything else from your girlfriend," Tori snapped. Derek growled at her, a pure wolf growl, complete with bared teeth and a curled upper lip. Simon placed a hand on Derek's shoulder and glared at Tori.

"Hey, can you quit it? Now is really not the time for your remarks," Simon retorted. Tori was taken aback, but she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, recovering from her brief surprise.

"He's her boyfriend. Boyfriends aren't supposed to keep stuff from their girlfriends, unless they're cheating on them." She leered at Derek, and Chloe's body trembled.

"I'm not cheating on her!" Derek bellowed, making even Tori jump. "This has nothing to do with you. You can leave," he spat. Tori glared.

"Then what about that girl you saw yesterday? What's her deal, and why won't you tell Chloe how you know her?"

Derek's blood began to curdle. He'd never gotten along with Victoria Enright, for she was an annoying, overdramatic brat, but she had a not-so-friendly past, so he sometimes felt the slightest ounce of pity for her, however now was not one of those times.

Chloe lifted her head and gazed those beautiful eyes into his. They were soaked with tears and pink from crying. He hated himself for making her cry.

"Let me explain to you, Chloe," he pleaded softly. "I was afraid to tell you because I knew it would hurt you to know who she really was." She sucked in her breath and shut her eyes tightly, bowing her head again.

"Maybe I don't want to know now," she whispered, but with Derek's acute hearing, he was able to hear her perfectly. "I was afraid you were going to say something like that about her."

"You don't understand, Chloe. This was before I met you," Derek explained, taking a seat next to her.

"Come on, Tori," Simon suddenly beckoned, a bit more edge in his tone than Tori probably would have liked. "The least we could do is give them privacy." Tori looked at Chloe longingly, almost as if she was begging her to let her stay, which highly irritated Derek, but reluctantly stood and left the dining room. Derek was relieved to see her gone. His gaze refocused on Chloe, who was shifting in her seat, combing her fingers through her hair, unintentionally shielding her face from him. He could hear her sniffles and crumbled inside. If she was crying now, he couldn't imagine what she would do after she found out that Mary was actually his former lover. And, God forbid, if she were to ever find out that he'd actually gotten Mary pregnant … He couldn't bear to imagine what she'd do.

Derek reached for her hands, grasping them delicately in his large ones. "What you need to know, Chloe," he started and she slowly lifted her head, her blonde hair falling from her face, "is that this happened in the past. It's forgotten. That girl we saw yesterday—Mary?—she was a resident of Lyle House when it was first opened. Simon, Brady, and I were the only residents, and then Dr. Davidoff brought her to the home.

"Mary's a werewolf," he continued, and he could hear Chloe's breath catch in her throat. "She came from a terrible family. Her human mother was murdered by her werewolf father. She'd also experienced the Change, and, at the time, I hadn't, so she would give me 'Changing lessons,' we liked to call them.

"Did you like her?" Chloe asked in a barely audible voice. Derek didn't answer right away, but he took a deep breath before he did. He remembered how much he did like her—how much he loved her. He remembered embracing her in his arms, her lips against his throat, his hands roaming her body. He mentally shook the thoughts away.

"Yes," he confessed. "I did like her. Very much."

"Did you … become her boyfriend?" She said the word as if she didn't want to say it at all.

"Yes," Derek replied. "I … I was in love with her. And she was in love with me. We had a lot in common; we were there for each other. And, quite frankly, when your options are that limited, it's kind of hard not to fall for a girl like her, not that she was a bad choice or anything. She was spunky and witty and beau—" He cut himself off before he could really say the wrong thing. Chloe's face became torn, her entire expression dropping with misery. She'd seen Mary. She didn't need reminding at how beautiful she was. Voluptuous figure, sexy features, beautiful face … he wondered how much it hurt Chloe to think about her. The two were completely different in appearance, mind their height. Around girls like Mary, Chloe was definitely self-conscience about her looks.

"Hey," he murmured. "You're all that matters to me now. You're smart, talented, and beautiful. I couldn't ask for anything more from a little necromancer. I care so deeply for you, and I know you're there for me, just like I will always be there for you.

Chloe stared into his eyes, and he felt the understanding of her look through his body. Relief washed over him. It was all over. He'd confessed Mary's significance, at least most of it, and Chloe had understood that it was all in the past. They were going to start living in the present.

Well, they would in a bit. Derek still had some things he needed to take care of.

"So, are we okay? I'm sorry I kept that from you," he said. Chloe tightened the grip on his hands and nodded, sniffling while a small smile appeared on her lips. Derek smiled back.

"Yes, we're okay. You won't keep stuff like that from me anymore, right?" she said. Derek's throat tightened, but he forced his smile to remain on his face and nodded.

"Right."

They stood and Chloe hugged his middle, reaching up to plant a kiss on his lips. The kiss felt distant, as the guilt of still keeping the biggest part about Derek's past with Mary from her, but he couldn't tell her. He himself wanted to forget about it, but he knew he'd be a low person if he didn't check on Mary and get a full understanding about what happened to her.

"I'm going out for a run, okay? I really need to stretch out," he said to her when he pulled apart from her lips. Chloe smiled gently and nodded her head.

"Let's watch a movie when you get back," she suggested when he started for the back door. He nodded, feeling guiltier by the second.

"Sure. You pick," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. Chloe nodded and left the room. Once she was gone, Derek bolted out the door.

He ran towards a blockade of wild hedges to undress so he could Change into his wolf form without tearing his clothes. After he Changed, in his place was the figure of a large, black wolf. He shoveled his clothes into his mouth and searched for the faint scent on Mary's necklace. It had grabbed many other scents over the years and he was lucky that some of Mary still clung to the dulling chain.

He ran for the clearing in which Mary emerged in yesterday morning. Her scent wafted around him, hugging him like she was actually there. He imagined her nuzzling her muzzle into the side of his head. The memories were returning again.

He shook his head. Sticking his nose in the air, he sniffed out Mary's scent and followed it into a barricade of forest trees where the sunshine faded. He ran about ten miles before Mary's scent was hitting him stronger. He stopped behind a couple of trees to Change back into the form of a young man. He dressed again and sniffed for her scent again, her necklace nestled safely in his pocket. Part of the best part of being a werewolf was that Derek didn't fatigue easily. He went on his way, exiting the trees and entering another clearing.

Derek had walked another mile before noticing the multiple new and unfamiliar werewolf scents. Was Mary associated with other werewolves? Had she joined a pack? He hoped she hadn't, for he knew from past experiences that pack life was not a life to live, especially for a girl like Mary.

He pushed away memories of Liam and Ramon and how he was beckoned by their pack to come with them, and how he almost did in order to let Chloe escape from the werewolves.

Suddenly, a small blue farmhouse appeared in the distance of the clearing, just behind some trees, almost as if it was hiding from him. Derek approached the house. This was where Mary's scent was coming from so strong, it almost burned through his nostrils. Tall grass and flowers surrounded the quaint home. It was spotted with white side-shutter windows and an old wraparound porch led to the front door. There was no mailbox, so Derek figured the house wasn't a part of the state's property.

One fact of the house that really disturbed Derek was the multiple scents emitting from the house. Mary's mingled with them, but the others were unfamiliar and Derek didn't like to think about Mary associating with other werewolves.

He approached the door, the wood underneath his feet creaking with every step. He knocked on the tattered white door and, almost immediately, the door opened.

A man standing at Derek's massive height with tanned skin and bright blue eyes stood before him. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was dressed in a dirtied white shirt that was half tucked in, the first few buttons of it undone, exposing the upper half of his chiseled chest; oil-stained jeans with large holes in the knees and a dark red color faded in the material; and a pair of black boots. He leered curiously at Derek, loose black curls framing his face.

"Can I help you?" he asked, a slight accent in his voice. Derek recognized it as Canadian.

"I was wondering if a Mary Ralluber lived here," Derek said. The man's eyes widened before narrowing with suspicion.

"How do you know that name?" he asked. Memories of Mary flashed before his eyes and his breath caught in his throat. His thoughts flashed to the first day he'd met her, meeting eyes with her and knowing right then and there she was just like him.

Suddenly, a little boy appeared behind the man's legs, poking his cherub angelic face out shyly. His precious green eyes peered up at Derek, and he almost choked on a sob just from watching him. He was the same little boy he'd seen with Mary yesterday morning. He was Derek's son—at least one of them. He was too much in shock seeing the little boy up close to wonder where his twin was. The man briefly glanced at the boy before quickly returning his gaze to Derek and dropping a hand on the boy's head, gently ruffling his thick black hair.

"Come on in," the man said. He opened the door further and invited Derek in. He nodded when he passed the man and entered the house. It was everything he expected a farmhouse would be. The interior was decent, if not a little less. The walls were painted a lighter blue than the outside walls, and the floors were made of dark shag carpet.

The man led the Derek into the dining room, the little boy grasping the man's hand while looking over his shoulder, staring at Derek. Derek tried not to look at the boy, for he was afraid of bursting into tears, but he couldn't help but glance at him every now and then.

When they approached the dining room, the little boy ran off, leaving Derek with the man alone.

"You can wait here," he said, motioning inside the dining room. Derek nodded his thanks and walked inside, taking a seat at the dark rectangular table. Just as the man was about to leave, he said, "You're lucky you ran into me." Derek narrowed his eyebrows, puzzled. "The other werewolves would have torn you apart, pup. You've entered our territory. We'll be getting loads of crap for allowing you to step on our turf." He chuckled humorlessly before leaving and Derek glared at him. He rolled his eyes and shook it off. Pack wolves were worthless. It was one of the reasons Derek wished Mary wasn't associated with them. They were no good.

A couple minutes after the man had left, a new figure had appeared at the doorway. Mary's voluptuous form was leaning against the doorpost, arms crossed over her large chest. Derek's heart was beating erratically in his chest. Her long black hair had been cut to a chin-length fashion, razor-straight as the ends tickled the skin around her neck, while bangs swept diagonally across her forehead. Her green eyes were narrowed, one eyebrow arching, and her perfect plump lips were pulled into a wide smirk.

"How's it going, Souza?" she asked casually before breaking out in an excited smile. Derek smiled widely and tore from his chair, enwrapping Mary in a bear hug. She snaked her arms around his neck and squeezed him back. They were embraced in each other's arms for a while, and Derek had never felt more at peace. He momentarily forgot about why he was really here and just thought about how right the moment felt. Eventually he tore apart from her, as his questions began to invade his mind, overpowering him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked suddenly. Mary arched an eyebrow.

"Don't you know where you are? This is Montana," she replied with a chuckle. "You're in my neck of the woods."

Derek stared at her, shocked. The entire three years he'd been living on the border of Canada and the United States, just ten miles south from him was Mary. He wondered, then, why yesterday morning was the first time he'd seen her in such a long time.

"So, I guess the real question would be what are you doing here?" said Mary. Derek sighed and stared longingly at her. Now was it. Now was the time for answers.

"What happened—after they took you, I mean," Derek started. Mary looked up at him, pressing her lips into a straight line.

"We'll need to sit down for that story," she said. The two grabbed chairs adjacent to each other. Mary sat at the head of the table while Derek sat in the chair next to the corner of it.

"I woke up in a lab," Mary started, looking at her hands, which were folded together. "I didn't know what they were doing. Probably some experimenting, or whatever they do. They realized that I'd woken up from my sedation and so they tried to put me to rest again. And, just before I was knocked out, a nurse asked a female doctor, Dr. Fellows"—Derek froze when he heard her name, but Mary didn't notice—"about some babies. Of course, I didn't know what the heck she was talking about, but I wondered why she'd mention them in front of me.

"The next time I woke up, I was in my old room at the Edison Group labs—the one I stayed in before I came to Lyle House. Anyway, Dr. Davidoff and Dr. Fellows came into my room and told me that the reason I was there was because I was with you." Mary's eyes shut tightly before she opened them again. "And when I tried to deny it, they told me there was no use in lying, because they had proof that I had been with you … because I was … pregnant." Her eyes darted to his, sad and shining. Derek gulped and brought his shaking hands from the table to his lap. "I didn't believe them at first, but it soon kicked in.

"I stayed at the lab for a while, depressed and unwilling to live. I didn't want kids, let alone twins. I was sixteen, had no family, had no stable place to live … let alone I was being held like a lab rat. I wanted an abortion, but Davidoff and Fellows urged me not to think that way. It was then that I knew why they didn't want me to do anything bad to myself or the babies. They wanted them. A couple of purebred werewolves would definitely be on their list of supernaturals to experiment on."

Derek's face twisted with fury. "They wanted to experiment on them?" he snarled. His fist clenched tightly in his lap as Mary nodded.

"'Course I wasn't about to let that, so I planned my escape. I'll tell you one thing, Derek; I'd never killed so many people in my life escaping the Edison Group. This was all during my decision to either get an abortion or keep the kids. I would have given them up for adoption, but that obviously wasn't going to be an option.

"I was a fugitive for about four months. I was five months pregnant when I left the labs"—Derek's eyes widened as he thought about Mary being on the run five months pregnant with twins—"and I ran all the way back here, to Montana. I came across my hometown, lifted some supplies and got some clothes, since I'd been running in the Change, and then I ran into D. Jay."

Derek's heart pounded as he watched Mary sigh heavily. She combed her short hair behind her ear and wet her lips.

"Your father?" Derek whispered. Mary nodded.

"Yep. He brought me to my old house, two of his lackeys following us, and … well, I left him for dead."

Derek's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "You killed him?" he exclaimed.

"Not necessarily killed, but I severely injured him. The Edison Group was still tailing me, so I left D. Jay barely gasping for breath so they could take him. I killed his lackeys though. They were douches. They tried to rape me."

Hearing this, Derek immediately snarled. "They what?"

"It didn't happen, but they tried to. They thought it was a good punishment for running away."

"Bastards," Derek hissed. "I wish I could have wringed their necks."

"Trust me," Mary said. "I would have given anything just to be with you again." She looked at him affectionately before continuing with her story.

"Well, I left my house before the scientists could catch me and ran into my father's pack."

"You joined?" Derek asked, trying to hide his disdain.

"Not just joined—I became their Alpha." She smirked as Derek widened his eyes in disbelief.

"What?"

"D. Jay was the former leader of the pack. By blood I am the next Alpha, whether I'm a part of the pack or not. Eddie says the pack would have gone out to search for me if I hadn't gone to them. It's as if I were destined to be leader, whether I wanted to or not."

"Eddie? Is he the man who greeted me?" asked Derek.

"Oh, no. That was Izaack. Eddie is—or was—my father's right-hand-man. Izaack invited me to live with him so I could raise the twins, because, by that time, I had already decided that I was going to keep them."

Derek thought it strange that Mary was living in a much older man's home. Well, now that he thought about it, he was that old. Izaack had to be in his early thirties, but even back then, if Izaack had been in his late twenties, he was definitely too old to be letting a sixteen-year-old girl live with him. He supposed it was for a good cause, hoping the sole reason was to provide a stable area for Mary to raise the twins.

"Is this Izaack's house?" asked Derek. Mary nodded.

"He's been really good to me. Treated me right and respectfully, like a true Alpha should be treated. I couldn't have asked for a better right-hand-man." Mary laid her hands on the table in front of her, staring particularly at her left hand. "That girl who was with you yesterday … Is she your girlfriend?" Derek gulped.

"Yeah, she is," he murmured. Mary looked up at him, a smile appearing on her face.

"Why are you so shy about it? You act as if you've never had a girlfriend before," she chuckled. "Don't worry. It's not awkward. I'm really happy for you. I wanted to go search for you so desperately when I was on the run, but I knew going back to Lyle House would be the stupidest idea in the world. I hoped that you would find me, but I knew that was still a long-shot." Derek's heart dropped and he felt guilty for not searching for her after he'd found his father, like he initially wanted to. "So I tried to get over it. Get over you, really. I think you'd be foolish to say that you didn't do the same. It only made sense, right? I mean, when would we see each other again? We were purposefully being kept away from each other. So, I'm genuinely so happy for you and her. What's her name?"

"Chloe," Derek said, feeling more comfortable talking about her. He couldn't believe how well Mary was taking this. Was she in a relationship with Izaack, despite his age? "She's a supernatural as well. She's a necromancer." Mary's eyebrows shot up.

"Really? Well, I'd do well not to upset her," Mary joked. Her tone became more serious as her face slowly dropped. "She doesn't know about us or what we did, does she?"

"She knows about you, but not about you or the twins, no," Derek replied. Mary nodded.

"That's good. I'm sure that would really break her heart," said Mary.

"The exact reason why I don't want her to know."

"Speaking of the twins," Mary said, more lightly. "Do you want to formally meet them?" Derek widened his eyes and tensed.

"A-are you sure? I mean, I don't think it would be a good idea. How will I stay in their lives? My family could be moving any moment should the Edison Group catch up to us and—"

Mary interrupted him with her laughter. She shook her head. "They already know you're their father," she said.

"You told them?" he exasperated. She shook her head again, chuckling.

"They're quite gifted," she said. "Not only are they werewolves, but they're telepathic. They can read minds. Guess it's a good thing the Edison Group didn't get their hands on them."

Derek stared at her, baffled. His twin boys were mind readers?

"But … how do they know? How do you know they can … can …?"

"Read minds?" Mary finished for him. "Well, I first figured out they were telepathic when they were acting really suspicious by doing things relating to my thoughts. If I were hungry for an orange, they'd search the house for an orange. If I wanted to read a book, they'd look around for a book. It's also how they're learning to talk. It's amazing, really. But anyway, they found out about you being their father when they read your mind. You knew they were yours, didn't you?"

Derek nodded. "They had my face," he murmured. Mary mused and nodded.

"Yes, they do. After we had left, Ethan had pointed back at your direction and had said 'Daddy,' like he knew you were. Mattie began saying the same. So, you've got some really intelligent boys." Mary chuckled. Derek smiled, but it was still solemn. The words should have been delightful, but the fact that Derek had any children at all was so wrong.

But he wanted to take that back when he saw the two identical twin boys trod into the room, stopping at the doorway, shoulder to shoulder. They stared at Derek with wide innocent green eyes, the eyes they'd inherited from their mother. They were dressed in similar clothing, just different colors. One donned a loose red shirt, the other wore purple. Both were in overalls, but the boy wearing purple had his overalls worn down, the straps hanging at his hips. The boy in purple, Derek realized, had been the boy who'd hid behind Izaack when Derek had first arrived.

They were so angelic, so innocent … Derek pitied them. They didn't deserve teenage parents. He was relieved that Mary had accepted them, that there was nothing she could do to get rid of them. Derek knew he had to do the same, but he wished that he could erase them from his memory. If he were to keep a big secret like this, he'd never be sane again.

"Hi babies," Mary chimed. The boys walked inside, their eyes still glued to Derek, but made their way towards Mary. The boy in red pointed up at Derek, much to his surprise.

"Daddy," he piped without question. Derek widened his eyes, but Mary smiled and ruffled the boy's head.

"Yes Mattie, that's Daddy," Mary said. "Derek, I'd like you to meet Ethan Izaack and Matthew Derek Ralluber." She'd motioned to the purple boy when she'd announced Ethan, and the red when she announced Matthew. Ethan and Matthew continued to gaze up at Derek, but this time, they both smiled.

Derek almost cried. He could feel the tears emerging in his eyes, but he refused to cry in front of his sons. He couldn't believe it. He was a father, a father of twin telepathic werewolf boys. He was both joyous and crushed at the same time.

"They've just turned two a month ago," Mary mentioned, stroking Ethan's hair. "Izaack and I threw a party and the pack didn't know how to react. It was actually really funny, but a lot of fun. The boys had a blast."

"They hang around the other werewolves?" Derek asked a little too quickly, slightly disapproving.

"The men know how to act around the boys. If one were to ever harm them—I like to think that they cower in fear of just thought of what I'd do to them. They already know I can take on three fully grown werewolf men pregnant with twins. I can do a lot more in a much more flexible condition." She winked at him with a grin. "I never thought I could take care of a baby, let alone two, but I've managed to do it. I can't believe I've managed to do it ..." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at the boys, smiling at them.

Derek stayed a while longer and he discussed his story at Lyle House. They reminisced on their past together, but only as long-time friends. After noon, Derek decided that he'd better get back home, so Chloe wouldn't raise suspicion.

Mary walked him to the door, the boys following them.

"So, Izaack is treating you right?" Derek said one last time. Mary chuckled.

"Yes, he is," she said, and stared at her hand briefly yet again. "In fact, he asked me to marry him." Derek's eyes widened. "He hasn't gotten me a ring yet, and we haven't set a date, but, when we do, I'd really like you to come. You could bring your family. I'll tell the wolves to cool down."

"But, they don't know about the twins," he said, gazing briefly at them, clinging to their mother's finely shaped legs. Her clothing style hadn't really changed from the short cutoff shorts and solid-colored v-necks.

"They don't have to. I know how you feel about them, and how your family will react. We can always say they're Izaack's, but, Derek—" Her expression grew serious. "—Ethan and Matthew will always know that you are their real father, whether you're in their lives or not." She rested a hand his shoulder. "But they will love you no matter what."

"Maybe that night shouldn't have happened," Derek reminisced, and Mary chuckled.

"This is just one of love's darkest powers. In a way, I'm glad it happened, because these boys are everything to me, but on the other hand, it was way too soon. It shouldn't have happened that way," Mary said softly. Derek nodded. He stuck his hand in his pocket, remembering Mary's necklace. He handed her the chain.

"You left this at Lyle House," he said. Mary was in awe at the sight of the necklace, lifting it from his hand and entangling it around her fingers.

"My mother's necklace," she whispered, running the bud of her thumb over the carved F in the heart. She looked up at Derek and smiled widely, then dropped the necklace back into his hand. "Thank you, but I want you to keep it. I don't want you to forget about me, just as I don't want to forget about you. You were one of the highlights of my life." And then, for the last time, she leaned up and pressed her lips against his and they moved together in synchronization, like a dance. Derek wrapped his arms around her petite waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face into his. He felt her body like he had before, and she did the same. It felt so natural, so right.

When they finished, they parted and Derek walked out of the house, sticking the necklace back in his pocket. He hid behind the house to undress and Change into his wolf form, and then walked back out in front of the house. Mary was still there, watching him with a smile on her face. The boys were there too, smiling widely and laughing, clapping at their father's transformation. Derek had never seen a more precious moment than Ethan and Matthew praising him. He hoped Mary was right, because whether Derek stayed in their lives or not, he would always love his little boys.