Chapter 3: When A Lock Is Cracked

Darren watches her walk into the motel room, a longing to follow her, to tell her everything. What would she think about him when he had to tell her, that he was the one that... No. Darren steeled himself, he cannot let his emotions get in the way right now, that's not what he need's. That's not what she need's, she need's time to adjust to her new setting. Darren takes a deep breath and walks into the motel, seeing his sister Lillianna and their pack member Hallie both sitting on the farthest bed, Josh and Kyle on the bed closest to the door watching television, Sephrina is leaning against the wall in front of the farthest bed listening and talking to the other women.

Darren can't help but to let his eyes travel to Sephrina and the small smile on her face warmed him. His wolf urged him to go and stand next to her, to hold her in his arms, breath in her intoxicating sent and be next to her, but he ignored it sat on the closest bed pretending to get lost in the tv like the other two men but he instead listens to the girls as they talk. "Your hair is just so pretty, such a vibrant red, there has to be some sort of hair dye that you use?" He heard Hallie ask.

"No, it's been like this since the day I was born." Sephrina responded sending a surge of emotion through him.

"Okay what about your skin, there is no way you are able to keep it so clean and smooth without something, right?" Lillianna questions.

Darren is about to stop listening when a stomach growls. "Sorry." Sephrina apologizes quietly. "Normally I can go a few days without eating but after all that has happened..."

"Now that I think about it it has been a couple days since we picked you up. Hey flea bag." Lillianna throws at Darren.

Darren turns a little, only allowing a little of his face to show, not letting himself see Sephrina. "What do you want runt?" He questions Lillianna.

"After everything that has happened you had better lay off the name calling mister. I was going to say that we should all go out and get some food or something. Sephrina over here is starving and with our apatite she is going to need to eat."

He couldn't help but to turn his head more to look at Sephrina who seems to have a look of knowing mixed with annoyance. Is there something she isn't telling them? What is he thinking of course she isn't telling them everything, they practically kidnapped her. "Where do you want to go?"

"I heard that there is a good burger joint down the road, not too far." Hallie perks up. "I saw it when we were leaving the store."

Darren continued to gaze at Sephrina, only turning his eye's to Hallie and Lillianna when her eye's met his. They were so different, not a single color but one of blue and the other of green. "Sounds good. Everybody ready for lunch?" He turned to the guys.

"Hell yeah about time." Josh said springing to his feet and digging for something from his duffle bag.

"I don't see why we had to wait on her to eat but yeah. Sure." Kyle remarks with annoyance.

"You okay Sephrina?" One of the girls asked and Darren didn't care who it was, he turned to her to see if something had happened.

"I am just a little uncomfortable is all." She says pulling at the tank top that hangs lose on her.

"Should we stop at the store afterwards to get you some new clothes?" Lillianna asks.

"No it's okay I can deal with it, I just prefer open backed tops."

Darren almost couldn't stop an image from making it's way to his head but he turns with the keys in hand. "I'll be in the car." Darren says before leaving the motel room, the boy's following him.

They don't wait long for the women, Sephrina is now dressed in sweatpants and a baggy hoodie with flip flops on her feet. When everyone piles into the car and somehow manage to make their way to the restaurant with Hallie's horrible and vague directions. When they get in there it is a little packed but not overly crowded. Kyle, Josh and Hallie take a seat on one side of an empty booth, Kyle being on the inside and Hallie on the outside while Lillianna and Sephrina sit on the other side, Lillianna on the inside. Darren turns to a couple sitting at a round table with three chair. "Can I borrow this chair from your table?" They smile and nod. "Thanks."

Grabbing the empty chair from the table who's couple doesn't need it he sits it at the end of the booth. A waitress walks up to the booth and hands them all a menu. "What can I start you six off to drink?" She holds a notebook up ready to write down the drink orders.

Everyone wait's for Darren but Darren looks to Sephrina making the waitress look to her as well. "Water." Is all she says.

Everyone orders their drinks after Darren and they all look to the menu to decide what they want. Darren notices something about Sephrina, she seems on edge or extremely uncomfortable. When the Waitress comes back only a few minutes later she dishes out the drinks and holds her notepad out. "Now what can I get you folks to eat or are you still deciding?"

The same exact thing plays out where they all wait for Sephrina to order first. "I'll have the steak burger well done with a side of fries please."

Darren couldn't help but look at her as if she had grown two heads but quickly orders his food. "Ill just have the steak, rare, with mashed potatoes please."

As everyone orders Darren collects the menu's and they all glance at Sephrina after the waitress walks away. "What?" She blurts out.

"Nothing it's just..." Darren starts.

"Normally wolves like to have their meet rare." Hallie finishes.

"You know, bloody." Josh says in a little too happy of a tone.

"Listen as nice as it would be for that to be the case..." her eye's flit back and forth between faces trying to find an answer suitable.

"What?" Darren asks.

It look's like her nerves have reached a higher level and Darren's eyes follow her nervous hand rubbing the outer part of her left arm, almost in a scratching way. "I just..."

Darren suddenly feel's the hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he turn's. More werewolves walk into the building and take their seat's. He tries to calm himself down and convince him that its a frequently travel restaurant when he notices that they are pointing to their group and a low growl starts at the base of his throat but keeps it in check, too many civilian's. One of them get up and walk over to the group, Darren; not able to keep himself in check any longer, stands and guards Sephrina, the whole group getting tense. "Calm down their pup. I just wanted to come over and say hello." Darren realizes something is off about his sent and his growl gets a little louder, the quieting of the civilians alerting him to his surroundings but only just. "It's not everyday you run into old friend's now is it."

"We aren't your friends." Darren barks with obvious hostilities.

The urge to keep him from getting close to Sephrina outweighs the concern for the civilian's in the restaurant when it's combined with the need to protect his pack. Everyone else in the group start's to emit low growls of their own except for Sephrina. "What's this? You have one that is new."

Recognition suddenly flood's Darren and he bares his teeth. "Leave us alone you murderous bastard." Darren responds not caring how many eyes he draws.

A rouge, they don't typically care to talk to those belonging to a pack unless they think that they can get something out of it. "Relax puppy, I'm just trying to have a nice conversation, particularly with the one that doesn't have that specific sent, though her sent is intoxicating none the less." Darren widened his shoulder as the rouge tried looking behind him at the red haired female. "oh I see what's going on here." A knowing look crosses his face. "I think she should have a say in what she want's to do. Don't you lover pup?"

Not even half a heart beat's time passes when Sephrina speaks. "I don't have an interest in talking to a lousy mutt like you. Now please leave us alone to eat, the waitress is bringing over our food and I don't want your bad smell ruining our apatite."

Annoyance flashed in the rouges eye but when the waitress came over with the food she turned to him. "Sir is there a problem?" She asked.

"No miss." He doesn't take his eyes off where Sephrina sit's guarded by Darren. "I was just leaving."

As he goes back to his friends Darren sits back at the table still uncomfortable. She passes out the food and everyone eats. Looking to Sephrina Darren still feels the prickle of being watched and Sephrina doesn't look like she has calmed down any. Exchanging looks between everyone in the group it was rather obvious that everyone was now on edge. They ate in silence, paid for their meal, and piled into the car except when Darren went to drive Lillianna blocked his way to the driver seat. "I want to take Sephrina shopping, just the girls, get her some clothes she is comfortable in and anything else she may need like deodorant, a brush, and some other products. I'll drive us there, you can take the car back to the motel, just pick us up by..." thinking for a moment on how long it may take she pauses. "Let's say five, that gives us about two hours, We should get everything we need within that time."

Darren let's out a sigh. "Sure."

Lillianna suddenly pulls him to the side. "Listen, I know your not psyched about how you found her or what happened when you found her, but we can't change that. She is one of us now and it's going to take some time for her to adjust, her life was upheaved."

"I know and your right. I just don't want her to hate me." A wave of guilt, depression, and sadness covers his features for a brief moment before he steels himself again. "Come on let's go." He turns and goes back to the car.

When he gets in the only open seat is in the back next to Sephrina. He sit's next to her and gives her as much space as he could but when he glanced at her to make sure it was acceptable she looked sad. He just wanted to turn her head towards his and ask her what was wrong, he didn't notice that he just about did so, his hand making its way to her. He searched for any reason to touch her, to comfort her when an eyelash falls on her cheek. As his hand get's closer causing her to turn to him but doesn't flinch away, not yet. Hope sprouts in his chest as if it were a seedling. "What?" She asks.

"You have an eyelash near your eye." He pauses his hand to wait for her to object.

She stay's quiet and he pull's the eyelash from her cheek that is starting to turn just the lightest shade of pink, sparks flying through him at the smallest touch. He holds the eyelash on one finger and looks into her eyes. "Make a wish."

Sephrina's eye's searched his, maybe looking for some hidden meaning behind his actions. She blew the eyelash away from her, her cheeks blushing more and she turns her head away from him and he drops his arm. Not too long after they arrive at the store, Lillianna, Hallie, and Sephrina get out of the car first, then Darren. "Remember, two hours. See you then." Lillianna grabs Sephrina's arm and starts talking excitedly, asking about what she likes to wear.

Darren climbs into the car trying not to watch her walk away and drives back to the motel. "Hey Darren." Kyle starts from the back seat. "You know it'll turn out right."

"I also know you don't like her being here."

Kyle sigh's. "Listen man I am trying to comfort you. It's obvious to all of us that your trying to hold back. Maybe that's not the best way to go about it."

"What do you mean?" Josh inquires raising an eyebrow.

"Well, try talking to her, having a heart to heart with her. I think girls are into that kind of sappy shit right? It might make her feel more... I don't know, more comfortable around you?"

"Wow." Josh's jaw dropped.

"Look's like the cold blooded fighter does have a heart." Darren interjects.

Josh and Darren laughed as Kyle broke out in a fit of disagreement, but despite his protests they continued to joke and tease him. When they get back to the motel Kyle boxes the two of them in the side of the head and flies out of the car. The other two leap from the car, Darren finally starting to feel a little more like himself. They chase Kyle around the parking lot and a makeshift sparring match between the three of them break out in a flurry of half strength punching, weaving and dodging they all smile as they crack jokes about each other and their defense or attack forms when they slip up.

An hour and a half had passed and Darren had barely noticed that it was fifteen minutes until five. "I'll be back and if your still up to it we can continue this when I get back." Darren hops in his car and drives off to the store stopping to get gas. When he get's there the girls are outside the store with several bags in Lillianna's and Hallie's arms with an upset Sephrina in the middle of them, both the other two laughing. When he put's the car in park they all climb in and Sephrina is still in the sweat's. "I can carry my own thing's, you guys don't have to-"

"Too bad. This is a nice trip out for you. It's the least we can do." Lillianna insists

Darren smiles at her obviously exaggerated annoyance. "How was the trip?" Darren asks to all of them.

"It was good." Lillianna and Hallie agreed.

"It would have been better if you two would have just let me carry the bags." Sephrina sticks her tongue out at the girls.

Though he wasn't sure what had transpired between them he couldn't help the laugh from escaping his lips at the site. Seeing Sephrina warm up to anyone in the group had made him feel better. "You smell like a wet dog. What have you been doing?" Lillianna asks covering her nose.

Darren started to feel self conscious, that maybe the smell bothered Sephrina but she didn't make a face or anything. "The guys and I were sparing." He confesses as they make their way home.

"Sparing with what? Your wolves in a stream?" Hallie interjects.

"No just in the parking lot."

When they get back to the motel Sephrina goes inside with the girls and Darren continues to spar with Josh and Kyle who didn't seem to have stopped. The girls don't come back out until it starts getting dark. . Lillianna and Hallie still in what they were wearing before, Sephrina now in a light green top and black leggings, with sneakers on her feet. Kyle about land's a hit on Darren but he manages to dodge just in time. "Eye's in the game." He sent another punch his way.

This time it hit his side, and he returns it by stomping on Kyles foot. His eye's drifted to Sephrina whenever they could but most of the time it would cost him. Her top was mostly backless, half her hair pulled up, her eye's twinkling in the swiftly dimming light. A punch connected with his stomach and it wasn't a very light one. When the fist left him He put his hand up and held the sore spot. "I'm done. I need to shower."

Walking inside his eye's flit to Sephrina who seemed to have a genuine smile on her face, and when her eye's met his he could feel his heart suddenly grow wings and flit about in his chest. After showering he dressed himself in short's and a tank top, when he walked to the main room inside the motel Kyle and Josh were watching tv, no doubt waiting to shower themselves, Hallie was crocheting something, but Lillianna and Sephrina weren't here. Stepping outside he see's them still sitting on the bench. "Hey." He announced himself.

Lillianna stood. "Hey I was just going in, Sephrina wanted to sit out here for a bit longer. You should stay." She patted his shoulder and sat down where she previously was.

At first nothing is said. They both sit in an awkward silence. "I'm sorry." The words left Darren's mouth with a breath of air he didn't know he was holding in.

"Whatever for?" Sephrina asked almost mockingly, a tinge of anger obvious in her voice made Darren flinch a little.

"For what happened on the night of the full moon."

Sephrina stared at him but he couldn't meet her gaze. "Look at me." It was a demand and he followed it as if he was a pup in trouble.

After what felt like an eternity but was, in reality only a few seconds, recognition filled her eyes, and an emotion or look he was not expecting. Forgiveness. "You bit me." Silence fell and he couldn't look at her.

All he could do was close his eyes and hang his head. "Tell me why." She said in a soft but gentle voice.

"I don't think you'll understand." Darren admits

"I've hunted vampires and skin walkers what won't I understand?" Her voice clear as day. Darren's eyes met hers, her eyes are wide with disbelief. "Tell me I said that in my head." Her voice a whisper.

"You... What?" Darren asks confusion being drawn in every syllable of his words

"Tell me I said that in my head." she repeated a little louder.

"No you didn't. You hunt Vampires and skin walkers?" Darren inquires.

Her eyes widened more if that was even possible, but this time they looked horrified, as if she had just admitted something that she had never spoken about out loud. Without thinking Darren turned to her more and brought his hand to her cheek, a concerned look on his face, it doesn't make her relax like he was hoping but it does send sparks through his body. "Tell me about it. I want to know." He insists.

She hesitated before she spilled her long kept secret. "When I was smaller, my father was killed by what I thought was a vampire but turned out to be a skin walker. I made it my duty to learn everything about both parties and learned how to kill them for good. After I learned about them I started learning more about other supernatural creatures. Werewolves, wendigo, shifters. Over time it got easier to tell what was myth and what was real." She pulled her head from his hand looking at the ground. "After a few... Unfortunate encounters that is."

Darren couldn't help himself but to give a sadden expression, then the sadness turned to rage. Now knowing she had to go through all of that, at so young too, it enraged him to the point that he wanted to tear those vampires apart again- the ones that had attacked her. "Now answer my question." She switched the topic.

Her voice cut through his thoughts and emotions like a hot knife through cold butter. "What?" He asked not remembering what she had asked.

"What won't I understand?" Her voice determined but gentle.

Darren took a deep breath in and out and dropped his eyes back to the asphalt before he answered. "That night. Back when I saw you, my pack and I were searching for some rouges that attacked another pack. We were asked to help and we were glad to, but when I saw you, my wolf took over completely, and I can't blame him, your beauty is unmatched, even by the moon goddess herself..." He felt heat raise to his cheeks and was thankful it was dark out. "Anyway, he... Technically we went to try to keep you to ourselves, to keep you with us and he- we bit you."

"And he lost control because?"

"I.. it's.. it's hard to-"

"Just spit it out."

Darren takes another deep breath. "Your-"

"What's up guys?" Josh steps out the door and the conversation is dropped as they both jump in surprise.

He looks at the pair who are quiet. "What are you still doing out here?" It's getting late and we need to rest for the trip tomorrow." He continued.

Sephrina is the first to get up and walk inside. "Thank you Josh."

Josh looks to Darren who is still sitting. "Yeah thank you." Darren's voice is half genuine and half sarcastic, torn between wanting to have finished what he was saying and glad that he didn't have to.

"Did I miss something?" Josh asks as Darren goes inside. "What'd I miss?" He asked following him inside.

"Sleeping arrangements, Girls on one bed, boys on another unless you want to sleep on the floor." Darren announces.

The other two men groan as they consider their options while the girls get comfy on the bed. Darren walked to the closet and grabbed an extra blanket from inside and laid on the floor. Wrapping himself in the blanket he closes his eye's and listens. Kyle and Josh continue to argue but the girls discuss who would be laying where. The way those women get along so well, although nice, is very concerning in a way. Once everything has been decided and both men saying that if the other even touched their arm with a finger they would rip each others appendages off, everyone went to sleep, heart rates and breaths evened out until it was just him. He allows himself to slowly fall asleep, the lull of darkness pulling him in.