Time for a chapter that is long past over due, and I have a great reason for it being so late. I went on a cross country road-trip and almost never had any internet access and whenever I did I wouldn't be in reach of a laptop. But I'm here now, so let's make the best of it. I know you must think that I totally suck for leaving you with a cliffy like that and then totally disappearing, and for that I apologize. I'm here with the chapter that you've all been patiently (or the opposite of) for this so I won't talk anymore. On with the chapter!

Disclaimer; I do not own Darkest Powers (no matter how much it pains me to say it!)

Derek's Point of View

I paced around the large oak tree for what seemed like the millionth time. Tonight was Simons' second date with Chloe. Second; as in previous to the first. Of course we know what that means. It means that they had such a great time that she wanted to do it again; wanted to see him again. Not me. It had been a little over a week since the first date and I had hoped that meant it went awfully and Chloe wouldn't want to continue seeing him. I'd been wrong, and deep down in think I knew that that wouldn't be the case. Simon had been especially cheerful since that horrid night and today I found out why. He was taking her to see some movie she'd been dying to see (Chloe loves movies, that much I knew) and then having some sort of romantic stroll through the woods.

My blood boiled.

How dare he take my mate out on a date while I sit here racking my brain to figure out why she'd prefer my brother over me, I mentally seethed.

It's your fault stupid! If you had just swallowed your pride and told him to stay away because she's yours you could be the one in his place!

I mentally growled. I hated how right the wolf was. It made my stomach sick to think that my mate was dating my brother and that I was just letting it happen. Not that there was much I could do about it, if they wanted to date they could and I had no right to stop them. Plus, whether I liked it or not, she made Simon happy. No matter how horridly it made me feel he was happy and his happiness was far more important than mine. Not to mention that Simon made Chloe happy and that was more important than anything. Chloe came before anything so no matter how much I wished that I was the one taking her to the movies, no matter how much I wished that I was the one she wanted, it wasn't the case and I'd just have to learn how to deal with it.

…

"So, Simon, how did your date with Chloe go?" Tori asked, much louder than necessary. I tensed. I knew exactly what she was doing; trying to get me jealous enough in front of Simon so he might finally notice that I liked Chloe. She'd been using this method since day one and it had yet to work seeing how I refused to participate. Dad didn't know that she knew about Chloe so he always thought she was asking out of genuine curiosity which scored her nice sibling points in his mental book. Her tactic was a win-win if it ever worked.

Simon beamed at her. Normally he'd notice that if Tori was acting nice something had to be up, but he was blinded by… well love, as cheesy as it sounds. Maybe it was just the wolf egging me on, but I had the overwhelming urge to punch that smile right of his face.

"It went amazingly," he boasted. "She sat next to me, we shared a pop corn, and she even let me hold her hand on the walk we took after."

My hands tightened around my silver wear. This was the part of Tori's plan that almost worked. Hearing the play-by-play of all the things Chloe did with Simon struck a sensitive nerve. I stuffed fork full of pasta into my mouth to smother the growl that threatened to escape my lips. Just ignore it.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you mean to tell me that all you did was holding her hand?" Tori asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

His face flushed and he looked sheepishly down at his plate. "Well I um… I… uh… haven't exactly…"

A predatory smile spread across Tori's face, amusement filling her eyes. "Shut up! Are you trying to tell me that you haven't kissed her yet? You, Simon, the doof who somehow manages to get waaayyy past kissing on the first date, has gone on two dates with this girl and hasn't kissed her yet?"

His eyes narrowed. "So," he snapped.

"So, what's up with that? If you haven't kissed her yet then maybe she just isn't that into you."

…

I shifted my position for the fifth time in the last twenty seconds.

"…maybe she just isn't that into you."

Tori's words echoed in my mind. What she said was true, Simon would be at least at second base right now with any other girl by now, but he hasn't even gotten to first with her.

Maybe Tori's right, maybe she doesn't like him.

I gave my head a sharp shake and pulled my blanket up over my head. I needed to stop thinking like that. Chloe wasn't like that, if she didn't like Simon then she wouldn't be with him. Yet no matter how many times I repeated that logical statement, I couldn't squelch the hope that clung to the idea that my mate needed me as much as I needed her.

There you go! Sorry it took so long and that it really isn't that long but again, I haven't really had much time to write fanfiction. Oh, and would you guys believe me if I told you that all the things I post are only spell checked and never properly edited? That everything I post is a rough draft? Review please!