The Demon and His Plaything

17| Nancy Drewing

Samantha's stomach was in a knot. She had been thinking of how she would do this all morning.

The plan was to tell Derek about Godrick and then try to talk him into helping her work out who Godrick had seen. She could do it the other way but she didn't want to keep this from Derek anymore. She felt a need to protect him, her feelings growing exponentially in only the brief time since their marking.

On a practical level, she had no one to lie for her and cover with her parents so she could leave the pack and investigate, and she doubted he would do it without knowing the details. Also, Derek would know the amount of guards and any changes to the rotation.

If he didn't take it well... Well, she'd have to do it all on her own.

She hoped the guards had been ordered to be paired at all times. If they split up, trying to find the point where they'd be far enough away for her to slip through would be hard to time.

Derek was due to meet her away from the packhouse–near a small lake to the north, within the grounds enough that it wasn't in the pathway of the pack security, but not far from where she had told Godrick to pick her up from.

She had everything she thought they'd need, including a change of clothing for both of her and Derek. She figured he might shift abruptly and ruin whatever he was wearing. And well, she was likely to have to defend herself. She also included some bandages, her phone and a lot of masking scents.

She'd told her parents she was staying with Derek overnight, noting they seemed relieved to have her distracted.

He was bang on time and it made her smile. They hadn't seen each other since the morning, him leaving before she had to get up. He had kissed her softly, his voice just as soft as he said goodbye.

His face was blank but in a way like he was forcing it. He stopped a few meters from her. She was confused by his stance. He hadn't moved to touch her even. Her chest tightened.

"Hey," she greeted him, taking a step and reaching a hand out.

"Just–" a breath out, "just say what you need to say." She saw his chest hitch as he tried to take a breath in.

He couldn't know already... Did he just sense bad news was coming? "Derek, I need you to understand that I care about you a lot and–"

"Don't Samantha–" tears came to his eyes. "I understand. You don't feel safe with me. I'll find a way to–remove–" His voice was breaking, the jarring sound shattering her heart.

She rushed and encircled her arms around his waist. "Derek, just let me speak. I can never apologise to you enough. I want to be with you but you won't want to be with me, but I also need your help and it's a lot to ask after what I'm about to tell you."

Derek stilled in her arms, listening to her rushed words. She led him to take a seat on a tree stump, pacing in front of him a few times before speaking.

"I'm not going to tell you everything–it doesn't cast me in a good light. Or him." She glanced at Derek at that. The young man cocked his head, a strange look came across his face.

She chewed her lip. "I was already seeing someone when we marked and mated."

His mouth opened in disbelief before closing with a snap. He swallowed thickly. "Who?"

"He's not from the pack."

His forehead creased at that. "Which pack then?"

"He's not part of any pack."

Derek looked down as he absorbed her words. "So–"

"So," she cut him off. "I haven't stopped seeing him."