Lily's POV:

Your promise means nothing to me... these words kept ringing in my mind for a while. I couldn't believe I had just said that to Derek, he did nothing wrong, he wasn't the one who killed my father. I was looking out of the window to avoid his gaze or the awkward silence that took over because I knew that deep down, I didn't mean the words I just said to him and I couldn't face him just yet. Being the gentleman he is, Derek didn't pressure me into a conversation and certainly didn't try to bring the subject again.

"Lily, stop scratching your arm like that you'll leave marks". I finally looked at him as he pulled me from the fog of thoughts claiming my mind. At first, I didn't know what he was talking about but when I looked at my arms with a frown I realized I was scratching them hard, and I might have been for a while now with all the blood streaks I had. I reluctantly stopped for a minute or two but then I started again. I looked at him desperately.

"Derek" I whispered with pleading eyes "I can't stop! It hurts" I was starting to panic and fidgeting in my seat. I looked at him in panic when he said nothing but saw him reaching for his phone. He looked preoccupied and concerned.

"Kellen, she's hurting herself" he listened to Kellen and stopped the car "I have ropes but it won't do any good she can't control her strength right now she can tear the ropes easily" he sighed and nodded "fine" he hung up and looked at me calmly.

"No way you're tying me up, Derek!"

"I won't, you already hate me enough I won't add another reason to your basket of hatred for me" he got out of the car and searched in his trunk. I tried to see what he was looking for but since I was upfront, I couldn't.

Derek came back a minute later with bottled water and some small toiletry bag that looked very stuffed. He gave me the water and opened the bag from which he retrieved a cream and a tablet. I looked at him suspiciously as he cleaned my arms from the blood being so careful as if I was a baby. As gently as I never thought possible before his fingers rubbed the cream on my arms while I was fighting the urge to just pull him more to me and kiss him. His touch did things to me I couldn't understand or explain since I never felt that way before. I had to keep reminding myself that I couldn't kiss him, I was mad at him after all and if I kissed him it meant I forgave him.

"Lily? Lily..."

"Hm? Sorry I...um, you were saying?"

He chuckled giving me the tablets "Did you just eye rape me?" I shook my head with a horrified look making getting out a melodic laugh from him "You spaced out and you were looking at my lips so I'll let my imagination wander" When I glared at him he just smiled before he spoke again, "Just take two of these, it will help with the pain" he started the car and didn't look at me again.

I hated being told what to do, especially taking meds I had never heard of before, but right now I had no choice, it was that or scratching my skin until I reached my bones. Sighing, I took the pills and had some water before lying back in my seat trying to relax.

"What did you give me?" I had to ask because I suddenly felt better and didn't feel the need to scratch myself, I then realized I didn't feel like moving at all, it was like I didn't have the strength to do anything. I looked at Derek frowning waiting for his explanation, but when he did, I couldn't make out the words he said and his voice sounded far away. Everything became blurry; I grabbed the seat from both sides feeling like I was falling...and falling...everything went blank and all I could see was blackness, all I could feel was emptiness.

I woke up to voices that seemed close to me but were actually coming from another room. I looked around panicked, as I didn't recognize the room I was in; the blue curtains, white walls, high ceiling, and very ancient furniture were all new to me. I bolted up on my feet and went to pull the curtains open only to find a locked window. I looked around feeling dizzy and out of place, I couldn't remember anything and I didn't recognize the place I was in. It was dark but I surprisingly could make out the shape of tall thin trees everywhere and a single house; calling it a house is an understatement. There was a single mansion peeking from the trees, it seemed very far away and I was surprised at all the details I could make out.

I walked to the door and opened it, relief shot through me when I found it unlocked, maybe I wasn't kidnapped after all.

Derek's POV:

"Kellen, you have to tell her...I don't care if she'll hate you for the rest of her life, she has the right to know who you really are and I don't want to be the one telling her," I said pacing the room. I was getting annoyed with Kellen he was so stubborn sometimes.

"I know" he sighed and frowned "stop pacing," he ordered in his bossy way and I did. "She's awake", Kellen said getting up from his chair and walking out toward her room.

I followed him but didn't make it to her room as I was grabbed from behind and thrown from the baluster. Pain shot through me as I smashed on the floor and my head hit the wooden floor so hard the panels under me broke. I got up wincing and holding my side as I managed to get to a wall and rest on it while I scanned the floor above me.

I couldn't believe the hunters found us here, no one ever came to this part of the forest, and it was named the dark forest for a reason. I heard footsteps on the stairs and readied myself to attack even if I hadn't recovered yet, I wasn't going to let some hunter beat me up. I knew that my eyes had turned the color violet because I could feel the heat radiating from them, my claws extracted just as I saw a slim figure coming my way.

Purple eyes, red blood lips, white face, and flowing brown hair; I realized it was Lily. But this wasn't the Lily I knew, she was coming my way seeming tough and in control, but the look in her eyes gave it all up. She wasn't as confident as she tried to show, or as strong, she was scared and lost, troubled maybe.

"Lily, you're awake..." My eyes went back to normal and my posture wasn't threatening anymore, but I hadn't relaxed, I knew she wasn't herself right now. Her hand caught my attention and I saw blood dripping from her blood-covered fingers. I frowned straightening up and taking a step forward as slowly as I could "What have you done Lily? Where is Kellen?" I asked gently taking another step forward.

She froze and took a step back when she followed my gaze and saw her hand "no...no" she whispered shaking her head sobbing. I run upstairs leaving her there alone; I had to see with my own eyes to believe that Kellen was gone. When I got to her bedroom, I saw a puddle of blood on the floor under a lifeless Kellen.

"Kellen! No!" I reached him in a blink of an eye and started shaking him "Kellen please don't...don't leave me alone Kellen" I could feel tears in my eyes as I turned him around feeling his neck with two fingers searching for his pulse.

"Is that the man I trained and raised? A whiny boy?"

I chuckled hitting his shoulder as I heard his voice. It was weak but I knew he would be okay.

"Get Lily, Make sure she made sense of everything before she hurts herself, I'll be fine I'm already healing"

I hesitated at first but from the look in his eyes, I knew I'd better do what he asked me to or I'll regret it later. I went back downstairs taking the steps two at a time but I stopped when I saw Lily on the floor curled up in a ball and sobbing uncontrollably. I hated seeing her like that; it was like I could feel her pain and despair.

I approached her slowly and sat down next to her, I didn't make any physical contact at first not knowing if she was back to normal or not. Slowly, I tentatively touched her arm to see how she'd react and I was prepared to defend myself in case she attacks. Instead of attacking, she looked up at me her eyes back to normal; Lily's form relaxed and she crawled to me sitting on my lap, hiding her face in my chest and holding me tightly with both arms.

I naturally wrapped my arms around her trying to soothe her by whispering things in her ear and stroking her hair gently. It seemed to work because I could feel her starting to relax against me and we stayed like that until she had calmed down completely.

Lily looked up at me with her innocent green eyes as her hand reached for my face and she started touching it as if she was discovering it for the first time. I gave her the time to adjust, she was seeing me from a new angle, her sight was sharper now and she could see details a human eye couldn't. I felt her fingers on my lips and saw her closing her eyes as a low moan escaped her lips. Knowing what was going on, the corners of my mouth twitched in a smile as I fixated her eyes waiting for her next move and as I thought, it happened soon enough.

Lily adjusted her body so she was now straddling me; she was looking at me with lust and hunger, a look I had never seen on her before. She grabbed the collar of my shirt and abruptly pulled me to her capturing my lips in hers, her tongue kept probing at my lips until I granted it  access and it found my own. The feeling was unearthly as our tongues danced together and the kiss kept growing deeper and urgent.

I pulled away for a second to take a breath but Lily was kissing me again, this time more forcefully and she was tugging at my shirt lifting it up to my chest she pulled away and took it off completely. Her fingers traced my toned chest waking up a sensation of desire in me, they kept trailing down making a path to my navel than going down farther reaching the waistband of my pants.

I knew I had to stop her, I knew that if I didn't stop her she'll regret it later and would probably hate me for ravaging the most precious part of her body, but I couldn't bring myself to stop her. Her touch sent me to the edge and I kept wanting more, it was addicting to the point my mind stopped working and my body was acting on its own as I flipped us so she was on the floor and I was on top of her with her legs wrapped around my waist. I looked at her beautiful face contemplating her tender features and lustful eyes, watching the fall and rise of her chest due to her labored breathing until I couldn't stand it anymore. I leaned down closing the distance between our faces and kissed her warm lips again letting out a low groan.

My hands were under her shirt traveling north and had just reached their destination when I was shoved back with so much force I landed on the other side of the room hitting a wall and cracking it a bit. It took me a few minutes to be able to get back on my feet. I looked up and saw Kellen hovering over me giving me a death glare.