by Ava Walsh
Around noon, Derek had showered and put lunch on the table for himself when his phone rang. Not expecting any calls, he reached for it and answered.
“Derek Harting.”
“Hi, Derek”. Derek almost choked on his sandwich. It’s her. “We need to talk; can you come by this afternoon?” She asked.
A bit taken aback he replied, "I will see you in half an hour.”
Click.
The entire walk to her house had Derek’s mind filled with worry over Quinn’s reaction. How much had she figured out? Did she want him to leave her alone forever? And was she afraid of him?
He knocked on the door when he reached the top of the stairs and he heard her stir inside. She hesitated at the door, wondering if this was the smartest decision, took a deep breath and eased the door open. Derek stayed a few feet from the door not wanting to frighten her any more than he already had.
"Please come in," she said softly, stepping away from the door. “I’ve got a pot of coffee on if you’d like a cup,” she continued, drifting further into her apartment.
“Feel free to sit, I um... have some questions," she said. He sat down at the table and looked at her beautiful face, as she avoided looking at him. She knew he must have been in much finer apartments what with his status and money.
“I am sure you do,” he motioned for her to sit across from him. She sat and they looked into each other’s eyes for the first time since they parted. Damn! Quinn thought to herself. If he wasn’t so damn attractive she probably never would have let him come near her again. But here he was with his gorgeous grey eyes staring at her from across her own kitchen table.
“I don’t know where to start,” she stammered.
“I can do that,” he said, taking a breath. “To start with, don’t think you’re going crazy. You’re not”. If anyone is going crazy it’s me, look at her! He looked her up and down to gauge her feelings, and his eyes lingered a little bit to admire her in her dark denim and button down top. "I need to apologize very deeply to you,” he continued as her pulse finally slowed a cinch.
“I know you can’t...”
“Can’t what, control it?” He cut her off. “But I can! And I should have done so much better last night; I put you in serious danger.” He looked away, trying to avoid her look.
“But I’m okay,” she assured him, touching his hand which made him jump up from the table. He strode around the table and stood on the opposite side of the room. “I’m sorry,” she squeaked.
“You’re sorry? You’re sorry...” he blurted in astonishment. “You saw what I did and you’re sorry?” He couldn’t help but chuckle at her innocent expression. Quinn continued to stare, unsure of what to say next. As Derek paced back and forth in her living room, she asked him to tell her everything. She wanted to know, no, had to know everything there was to know. If he could control it, why couldn’t he last night? Would she be safe if he was able to control himself? And would it be bad if she still found him to be the most attractive man she had ever met?
Quinn walked over to him. She grasped his hand tightly so as not to lose it this time and prodded him to divulge everything he knew about his condition. And so he did. He told her about his parents, about his attempt to keep himself away from people on full moons, the pain it caused and even about Isabel.
For a moment or so after he finished talking, Derek just watched for Quinn’s reaction but all she could do was hold his hand as she processed it.
“If you want me to leave, I understand,” Derek offered when he realized the silence was not going to end on her side.
“No, please stay,” she interjected as she held his hand tighter to keep him from rising. She turned to face him and put her arms around his neck in a warm embrace. “I’m so sorry,” she said once again, this time in his ear. The words melted into him this time and he understood that she genuinely felt for him, something he never imagined a person could if they knew his secret. He pulled her close and whispered "thank you" into the flowing curls that fell just in front of her earlobe when he got the sudden desire to nibble on it. He pulled away a little too quickly but Quinn held her position and gazed into the thunderstorm of his eyes. Was she really into him, still? he thought shocked, raising a gentle hand to her pink cheek and leaning forward.
The moment his lips touched hers he lost feeling in his fingers again like he was floating above himself and only grounded in the connection between her mouth and his.
Quinn felt her heart pound lively as Derek's lips moved with her own and his hand twisted itself into her long hair. When the two broke apart. Quinn searched his eyes for any sign of danger, finding none.
“Do you trust me?” he asked, eyes focused on hers.
“I do,” she replied and he kissed her again, more passionately and aggressive than before. Quinn felt his hand slide down the slope of her waist and she reciprocated by pulling his shirt over his head.
A fire burned in his chest as he landed a hand on one full, soft breast. Quinn responded to this exactly as he had hoped, by slipping her tongue between his lips. His excitement got the better of him. Sliding her shirt over her head, he felt his groin grow in anticipation. He inhaled sharply and Quinn once again took advantage of his open mouth by nipping his lower lip and reaching for his belt buckle.
Reclaiming the advantage, Derek moved back and laid her on her back, stationing himself between her warm, quivering thighs. He kissed her neck as he unclasped her bra and tossed it aside. He took one hard, pink nipple into his mouth and heard her moan with pleasure. He swirled it around with his tongue and flicked the other with his left hand. It instantly stiffened to match the other.
Quinn was arching her back. She wanted him. Removing the busy hand from her breast, he kissed her deeply, biting her lips as he did so. She reciprocated and it drove him wild. Reaching lower than before, Derek slid his hand into her red lace panties to discover she was ultimately wet and ready for him. Continuing to kiss her, he felt a curious hand once again reach for his belt. This time, he didn't stop her. He was rock hard as she wrapped her warm hands around his cock. He groaned into her hair. Stroking her between the legs, he felt her sweet moisture pool around his fingers and he couldn’t prevent himself from tasting it.
He rested his chin on the couch in front of her wanting womanhood. The tang of her on his taste buds only egged him on further, until he thought he would burst of the need for her. Reaching his face to hers, he kissed her and looked deep into her crystal eyes before burying himself deep inside of her. She gasped as he reached further than expected. Much further. His thrusts were even and strong until Quinn began to tip over the edge, arching her body into him more. He quickened the pace and pinched a nipple between his thumb and forefinger. In a few hurried thrusts, she exploded in satisfaction around him, crying out his name as she did. Then he burst, his warmth spreading through her as they each succumbed to their animal instincts, claiming each other as their own new territory.
Chapter 9
Several hours later and with clothes strewn about the living room, Derek reached for his cell phone. Stiffening at the message left on the screen he became aware that Quinn had roused and sat up next to him. “Everything okay”? She asked sheepishly.
“Yeah,” he replied. “Just business stuff,” he kissed her head. “Want to go get some sushi?”
“Yes!” She replied perkily. “Just let me fix my hair, I doubt it looks very flattering.” She popped her shirt on and did up only the first few buttons. Her self-confidence was enough to make him hunger for her again and her hair was definitely flattering. The curvaceous women he had known in the past always tried to hide in their clothes but he could tell Quinn was comfortable with herself and with him.
She reappeared in black pants instead of jeans with her hair tied in a loose ponytail at the back of her neck where he could still see small bite marks from earlier. The thought made him smile and he slipped into his pants, checking himself in her sun shaped mirror before heading out the door.
They drove with the sunroof open. It was a gorgeous afternoon. Food ordered and a couple of drinks had left Quinn feeling more alive than she had in a very long time. It didn’t even bother her that she was seeing and sleeping with a freaking Werewolf! He was hot as hell, genuine, kind and devilishly romantic. She was comfortable, which was a novelty for her in the dating world for once. He made her laugh as they indulged in some of the wackiest dishes and time yet again had slipped away from them.
By the time they were finished eating and sipping their last drink, Derek's phone began to ring and he politely ignored it. But seconds later it was going again and Quinn said, "Just answer it, I won't take offense." He didn't. It rang a third time and Quinn could see Derek growing frustrated and tense.
"We have to get out of here," he said urgently, tossing a one hundred dollar bill on the table and grabbing her hand.
“Where are we going”? Quinn asked, catching her breath as they reached the car. Derek opened the door ushering her in.
“Back to your place, I need you to get your things for a few nights. Quinn, we need to leave the city,” he said hastily driving away. His eyes were so glazed and focused he didn’t even blink. When they reached the apartment, Quinn asked what was going on and why she had to get her things.
“Listen, this whole Werewolf thing has its perks, but it also has its risks Quinn,” he explained as he helped her grab the essentials from around the room. “I’ve known about others who have been in these situations but so few people know about me I never thought it was possible” he rambled.
“What was possible”? Quinn finally shouted at him.
"I'm being hunted," he said flatly. A look of terror came across her face and she stilled.
“Why have I got to leave?” She exploded. “Am I not safe in my own home?”
Derek gripped her by the arm. “As a matter of fact, no, I don't think you are safe here. In a place where it'll be easy enough for him to figure out that I’ve been to, with my own smell all over your house? No, I’m not letting you out of my sight until I’m done with the fucker,” he pressed.
“I’m not going anywhere!” Quinn exclaimed. “If I’m going to be safe anywhere it is in my own home.”
Growing frustrated, Derek reminded her about Mike and how a simple, stupid man could be so dangerous.
Quinn was beginning to see the sense in what he was saying, but she was afraid. What would happen if something went wrong? She couldn’t shake the feeling that this might not end well.
"If it comes down to it, Quinn", he said, "I'll put you up in the best-protected hotel as far away from him as I can. It's not like I can't afford to keep you safe. But I would rather do it myself," he admitted.
“Then where are we going?” She implored, grabbing her suitcase and heading for the door ahead of him.
“I have a family cottage up in Bearskin Lake. We’ll go there, but we have to go now,” he hurried, grabbing her bag as he opened the car door for her. They got in, speeding down the road heading north.
Chapter 10
Although brought upon by danger and fear, the drive through Ontario's back roads and countryside were quite pleasant. Quinn had so many questions that she couldn't hold back and Derek answered them one by one as they drove to safety. Quinn learned that the hunter who had been trailing Derek for a matter of weeks now was Isabel’s fiancée. Apparently, the psycho had it in mind that Derek still loved his ex and that Isabel wasn’t safe with an ex-boyfriend being a Werewolf so he decided to take matters into his own hands and chase after Derek.
“How long will we stay in Bearskin?” Quinn asked as the car rolled to a stop next to a gas station.
“Only a few days, just long enough for me to come up with a plan,” Derek explained, checking over his shoulder for the hundredth time that afternoon as he got out of the car.
Quinn waited for Derek to fill up the gas. “I guess it could be nice to get away from the city for a few days,” she said, her voice trembling slightly as she made her way over to the little shop.
Derek came to her side, grabbed a handful of chocolate bars and kissed her head. “I’ll make sure it is,” he whispered in her ear and winked as he turned around to pay. Butterflies rose in her stomach and the memories of the previous afternoon came floating through her mind. They had been on the road nearly fifteen hours now and Quinn, who had fallen in and out of sleep the entire ride, felt exhausted and wanted nothing more than to be at his cabin already, beside a nice fire with Derek’s added warmth.
Munching on chocolate and pretzels, the pair strolled out of the store. Suddenly, Quinn felt Derek wince beside her and she whirled around to see what frightened him. A large black motorcycle had pulled over to the side of the road a few hundred yards before the gas station and was looking in their direction.
Sure enough, the motorcycle wasn't long in revving its engine and heading in their direction.
“Come on!” Derek shouted, pulling Quinn into the car. Panic seized Quinn by the heartstrings and all thought of a quiet, safe and romantic evening with Derek was forgotten. Thankfully, the Porsche could reach a staggering 200 miles an hour if it had to.
A few miles down the road, when the Harley was trailing far enough, Derek slowed and steered the car off the road and into the brush. “What the hell are you doing?” Shouted Quinn, whose heart had been pounding the entire time and now seemed to stop altogether. Derek pulled as far into the brush as he could without hitting anything and quickly shut off the engine. He grasped her hands tightly.
“Do you trust me?” He asked, burying those deep grey eyes of his into the fresh green emeralds that were hers. It didn’t make sense, she had only known the man a couple of days, understood that he was a Werewolf and now was in danger herself because he was being hunted by a maniac. She nodded and took a breath. “Good,” he said, “get in the backseat and stay down.” She hesitated. “Now!” He urged and stepped out of the car.
Safely in position, Quinn yelled “Derek! What the hell are you doing?” He threw her the car keys and locked the door behind him with a reassuring glance behind the front seat. Too afraid to raise her head to see out the window, Quinn reached under the seat in front of her, pulled her compact mirror from her bag and angled it towards the rear of the car. There was Derek. She heard the throttle of the Harley before she saw it and then the stranger came into view. He was red-headed and big-- muscular, tall, long legged, and at least forty or fifty pounds heavier than Derek. Her stomach lurched and for a moment she had to look away.
Chapter 11
Derek’s heart hammered in his chest as he approached the man who leapt off the Harley. The man who had been stalking him for days was huge. He was much bigger than Derek. The man called out.
“Derek Harting!” It bellowed amid the trees and reverberated through the car.
Focusing, Derek took another step forward. He couldn’t let him know that Quinn was in the car. He had to keep her safe. “Hello,” he offered his hand foolishly in peace. The stranger stared at it and laughed. He strode right on past Derek and past the Porsche further into the wood. Clearly he had no intention of being seen by drivers passing through. Twisting around and aiming her mirror the other way, Quinn followed them until they were out of sight.
Reaching a small clearing a few hundred feet away from the road, the man stopped and Derek stopped in sequence. “I assure you, I have no intention of hurting Isabel,” Derek began but was cut off.
“How do you expect me to believe you can control yourself?” Boomed the big man. “She left you because you are a Werewolf, a monster!” He rambled in anger.
Derek tried to center his thoughts. He did have a plan after all. His plan was risky and he had never tried it before. But if he was going to win this fight, he would have to try.
Derek felt his heart race and his skin heat up like burning coals on a fire. He threw himself at the stranger and knocked him backwards. Stumbling off of him and stepping back as far as he could, Derek closed his e
yes just for a moment, just long enough to picture Quinn’s beautiful green eyes in the back of his mind.
He burst out of his clothing as he embraced his Wolf and jumped in the air to meet his aggressor. The transformation happened faster than he had ever experienced it before. It was instantaneous. In the second it took his feet to leave the ground they had become paws and his nails had become claws. The clothing on his back replaced by russet fur, the scream in his throat now a threatening growl. Quinn heard it from the car and jerked herself up from the floor to look out the front window. Derek raised a giant paw and swatted the man back. But the man did not give up as he reached for a dagger hidden in his boot. It caught Derek in the shoulder and he howled in agony.
Shaking to clear his head, Derek lost balance and the stranger ran past him towards the car, towards Quinn. Derek’s protective instincts kicked in once more. Throwing himself headfirst at the attacker, he caught his teeth on flesh and pulled, jerking the man to the ground. With a gash the size of a ruler down the man’s ribcage, he crumbled in pain. He staggered to his feet and hurried back to his motorcycle, got on it and drove off as quickly as he could. When the man was no longer in sight, Derek inhaled deeply, morphed back into his human form and picked up the knife the hunter had used against him.
Hearing the car door open Derek spun around to see Quinn standing in front of the vehicle. She looked terrified as he stood there naked before her, dagger in hand. He tossed the weapon into the back of the car and slipped on a pair of track pants from the back seat. He took Quinn’s trembling hands and kissed them before helping her back into the car.
Chapter 12
“I promised you I’d keep you safe, and I intend to keep that promise Quinn Astley,” he announced. The claim made her tears subside and her breathing ease. Watching him transform like that and being so afraid of the hunter, had left her quite shaken. But she believed it, more than anything she had ever believed in her entire life. “Come one, I’ll bring you to the cabin,” he said. Quinn nodded, tears still clinging to her cheeks, but a small smile playing at her lips. They were off again, this time with no one to follow them as they continued north.
