Slightly Tempted (Slightly Series, Book Four, Teen Wolf)

chapter eleven---A PROMISE TO THE DEAD

It was raining outside, pouring, dark outside.

I was in the loft, laying next to Derek, rolling over to look at him.

"What are you staring at?" Derek asked, his eyes still closed.

"Damn, even if you're losing power, you still know everything around you," I said, making him smile, opening his eyes. "I'm just thinking."

"Thinking about how no one knows you're here?" Derek asked.

"Dad's at the station, Stiles' with Malia," I replied. "They don't ask, I don't tell."

"Because you know they don't like this?" Derek asked, taking my hand, kissing it. "All they've done is disagree with it."

"They might not like it, but they know it's the only reason I'm still alive," I said. "They're not entirely okay with it, but they're resigned. And don't take it personal. They do this to every boyfriend I've ever gotten." Derek raised his eyebrows. "What? You didn't think you were my first, did you?" He smiled. "First, yeah, it's good. Then they meet my sheriff-with-a-station-full-of-rifles father and my protective, annoying fraternal twin brother. They're ghost the next day." He smiled. "Which is why I'm glad you knew them before this." I sighed. "But enough about them."

"Then what?" Derek asked. "Sleep?"

"Ha," I said. "I'm not tired."

"Me, neither," Derek said.

I looked at him for a long second before kissing him. He kissed back, slowly. He leaned over me, deepening it. I pulled back with a smile, my hands on his chest and rolling over him, kneeling over him on the bed, my hair falling over my head as I kissed him.

The alarm ruined it, blaring, the lights flashing.

I pulled back, looking at the alarm. "You gotta be kidding me. Derek."

I got up, grabbing my silver gun from the beside table. Derek stood, grabbing his black gun.

Derek stood in the middle of the loft, looking around.

I walked toward the wall of windows, looking outside to the pouring rain.

Derek raised his gun toward the stairs.

I looked toward the sliding door, seeing feet passing underneath. I looked at Derek, nodding to the door. Both of us raised our guns, walking toward it. I stood to the side. Derek looked at me, holding the handle. I nodded for him to open it.

Derek opened it, both of us standing in front of it and raising our guns. We lowered them when we saw Lydia, soaked from the rain.

Lydia looked up and screamed.

°

Running, and running, and running, and running, and running, and running!

That's right!

After school, I was running in the woods along the trail. I didn't know for how long. I didn't keep track. All I knew was that I had been running for a while.

The music in my ear buds stopped when I got a call.

I sighed, slowing to a stop, hitting a button to answer. "Hey, it's Stacie, she's out for a run that you're interrupting, call back later. Bye!"

"Stace," Stiles said in a no-joke tone.

I exhaled. "What?"

"Practice, lacrosse, did you forget? It starts in ten minutes. Coach's flipping out about the first game tomorrow. Get your ass here now."