The Sicilian Defence [Derek Hale]

Chapter Forty-Six

Everything was warm.

Bringing the duvet closer to my face, an intoxicatingly beautiful smell hit my nose. Nothing had ever been so cozy before. Like the sun was holding me close in the bed. Hold on a second...I didn't fall asleep in a bed last night. Bolting up, I ignored the groggy blur that came from having just woken up looking around to work out what had happened. I was in the loft and in Derek's bed. I should have known that fromt he smell, yet I didn't.

"I thought you were never going to wake up," a voice called out, and I forced my head to look to the other side to see Derek sat at the table a book in hand. He looked both irritated and amused. It was hard to guess which one he was directing at me. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept at all.

"What happened?"

"There's a collection of supernatural ninja's which have gone around testing werewolves," he explained snapping his book shut and tossing it onto the table. Memories from the last ten seconds of me being conscious whirled through my head and I brought my hand up to my ear, my fingertip grazing over a number of sorts. Was it a 3? "You're lucky we have the bond or we probably wouldn't be able to find you," he admitted.

Nodding slightly, I tried to ignore the awkwardness as I climbed out of the bed looking around the floor for my shoes, "right, well thank you for that," I urged before finding the boots.

"Is that it?" He asked, "you come back after two months and you can't even say anything?" He asked, was that why he was irritated.

"What do you want me to say?!" I snapped, whirling around to face him as I grabbed onto my shoe. "There is nothing for me to say," I added on in a quieter tone.

"Grace, you've been gone for over two months," he reminded standing to his feet. I was well aware of that fact. "You- have you even seen yourself lately," oh no. He sounded just like Dan. "Leather jackets, tattoo's, you sound dead, I haven't heard you mention chess once. That used to be your life...I don't know what happened when you were in Scotland, but it's changed you. You're not you."

"I'm not the only one who's changed here, Derek!" That might not have been the truth. Everyone else seemed completely fine. Like they hadn't risked their lives a thousand times over. Like it didn't impact them in the slightest, how did they do it? "Maybe, it's the after affects of almost dying twice." Each second passing seemed to be that needle of anger that I hadn't really felt since our first encounter with the supernatural.

"Then why are you back here?!" He snapped, "if you hate it so much then why are you back?!"

"Because of you!"

Everything fell silent, and the tears jumped into my eyes ready to make an appearance. "Maybe, because everyone I know and love is here, and the only person I had in Scotland didn't seem to want to see much of me! So maybe, I came back here because I was worried and I wanted to be around those who I love!" I pointed out. He wasn't able to say anything. If he was he didn't.

Turning away, I was about to head towards the elevator when he called out again, "wait," he ordered, and I rolled my eyes turning back to look at him.

"Why?"

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Well what did you mean? Because quite frankly I am sick to death of everyone saying the same thing over and over. Look at you, you're a mess. You've changed. Whatever you need to decide do it because it's fuckin' you up. You're not you. Well, will somebody tell me who the bloody hell I am because apparantly I don't know," I snapped. I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to say any of that, but it was too late now. No, I did mean to say it. I'd been acting like I didn't want to say everything but I did. Everything I said I wanted to and needed to say. "What is so wrong with who I am now?"