Chapter 24

Trees passed in a green blur as Kara tried to focus her bleary eyes. She barely remembered falling asleep. One moment she was resting her head against the window, and the next the motion of the car had lulled her to sleep. She stifled a yawn, and Derek glanced over at her.

"How long was I out?" Kara asked, face heating.

"About an hour or so," he said. "Couldn't sleep last night?"

"Not really. The last time I did something like this it didn't go so well."

Kara had thought of nothing else but visiting the Druid since Deaton called. Not wanting to waste any time, she and Derek had swung by his clinic yesterday afternoon. Deaton told them everything he knew about this Druid—which, to Kara's disappointment, wasn't much—and he handed her a letter he'd written. To explain your situation, he'd said. Kara had a feeling they would need it.

They left Beacon Hills the next morning. It was the only time in the near future that she had two consecutive days off work—three, including the shift she had asked Dani to cover. Kara had a sinking feeling that there was something brewing in Beacon Hills. She needed to be ready for when it came.

"Last time, you didn't have me." Derek grinned, and Kara rolled her eyes.
His expression sobered slightly. "I am glad that you called," he said without taking his eyes off the road.

"Me too." And Kara was. She only realised that she'd unconsciously expected to regret her decision when she felt nothing but relief.

They drove in silence for most of the way, feeble conversation drifting in and out of existence. Kara resorted to turning the radio up to fill the silence. She wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but the air between them felt strained. There was a certain tightness to Derek's smiles that reminded her of how he had acted the other night. She couldn't help but wonder if he had changed his mind and regretted coming with her. The only solid conversation they had was about where they were going, and how they would approach the Druid. Showing up on her doorstep late at night didn't seem like the best option, so they would stay overnight at a motel and visit her in the morning.

Night fell a little earlier where they were headed. It wasn't long before Kara found herself driving in the dark. She had insisted on taking over for a few hours to give Derek a break, feeling a little guilty that he was doing most of the driving even though the road trip was her idea.

"The turn-off for the motel isn't far from here," Kara informed Derek. The motel's grimy, flaking sign soon loomed up ahead of them. A pang of familiarity struck Kara as she pulled into the parking lot. From the outside, it hadn't changed one bit. She couldn't peel her eyes away from the motel. Somehow, it felt like both yesterday and years ago since she had been there last.

The sound of the passenger door closing snapped her out of her daze. Kara inhaled deeply before joining Derek outside, pushing away the old grief tightening her chest. She wrapped her arms around herself as a cold breeze swept past her. Her breath hung in the air. Kara stared at the building. She could have chosen a different motel, she knew. But not every memory here was bad.

Kara craned her neck as she walked with Derek to the entrance, straining to see inside. And sure enough, she spotted a figure sitting at the reception desk. The woman looked up as Kara pushed open the door, and a gasp of disbelief escaped her mouth. She hastily got up from her chair and rounded the desk. Kara's face split into a grin as the woman held her arms out with a look of glee.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it's you!" Lorraine exclaimed. Kara laughed as the older woman pulled her in for a tight hug.

"I feel like it's been years," Kara admitted. She caught Derek's eye over Lorraine's shoulder, and he sent her a look of utter confusion. "Later," Kara mouthed.

Lorraine pulled away, her hands clasping Kara's arms. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting someone near here," Kara said. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see you."

"You look well," Lorraine beamed. Anyone who hadn't seen Kara since she came to the motel would have said the same. Kara barely recognised the person she was months ago.

Lorraine's eyes found Derek as he left to retrieve their bags. "Boyfriend?" she asked, arching a brow.

"No," Kara scowled, well aware that Derek could probably hear them.

"Huh."

"Is Ava working tonight?" Kara asked in an attempt to change the subject. Ava was one of the maids Kara had worked with during her stay at the motel.

Lorraine's smile faltered. "I had to let her go. Harold is unwell, so money's a little tight at the moment."

Kara's heart gave a painful squeeze. Lorraine's husband had always been kind to her. "I'm sorry. I wish I could do something to help."

Lorraine gave her a tender smile. "You already have. How is Beacon Hills?"

Kara leant against the countertop as Lorraine walked around to the other side of the desk. "It certainly keeps me busy."

"Are you staying for long?"

"Just two nights."

"One room?"

"Yeah. Two singles," Kara added hastily. She paid for the room and Lorraine handed her the key.

"Room twenty-three. Remember where it is?" Lorraine asked. Kara nodded as Derek appeared with their bags. "Thanks," she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She said goodbye to Lorraine and led Derek towards the elevator.

"How much do I owe you?" he asked.

"Nothing," she told him, earning a frown.

"Kara—"

"It's fine, really."

"Are you sure?" Derek's voice was sceptical, and rightly so. As far as he knew, she was practically broke. Her face heated at the thought. He probably wondered how she could afford to rent an apartment, let alone pay for the room.

"You've done this for me a million times, okay," Kara said quietly. "Besides, there's something I need to tell you later."

She said goodbye to Lorraine and led Derek towards the elevator. Kara wanted to explain how she could afford everything now, but didn't want to admit where the money came from. Every time she thought of it her gut twisted with shame. How would Derek see her, knowing that she had accepted money from their enemy? The air between them already felt different, almost strained. Kara didn't want to make it worse.

"This is where you stayed before you came to Beacon Hills, isn't it," Derek said, startling Kara out of her thoughts.

Kara nodded, staring at the floor buttons. She pressed the 4th floor almost automatically, surprising herself. Muscle memory, she supposed. It was the same floor she had lived on for two weeks.

"After my mum died and…the fire, I came here. I worked for Lorraine as a housekeeper in exchange for food and accommodation," Kara said. She was surprised Derek had figured it out. She'd only vaguely mentioned the motel once—when Derek was still reeling from Boyd's death and Kara told him she had spent two grief-stricken weeks at a motel before coming to Beacon Hills. Perhaps it had made more of an impact on him than she realised.

"Lorraine pretty much kept me alive. She made sure that I ate, sent other housekeepers to check up on me, gave me short shifts." Her heart swelled with gratitude at the thought of the older woman. Kara owed her a lot.

Derek looked at her with contemplative eyes. "Is it hard being back?"

"It feels…surreal. Like I was here yesterday and a year ago at the same time."

Derek nodded like he understood. Kara supposed she wasn't the only one who knew that grief warped your sense of time. Weeks could stretch into years, and something that happened months ago could feel like it only happened yesterday.

They stepped out of the elevator and Kara led them to room twenty-three.

"That's not what I wanted to tell you though," Kara said as she unlocked the door. "There's something else. After you left town—"

She paused as she took in the room. It was a perfectly ordinary motel room—a little small, with a shabby armchair in the corner and a tiny bathroom to one side. The only problem was the bed. Specifically, the fact that there was only one.

Kara's face heated as Derek stepped into the room. "I swear I asked for two beds." Had Lorraine done it deliberately? Kara hadn't missed the mischievous glint in her eye when she had asked if Derek was her boyfriend.

"I can ask Lorraine for another room," Kara offered. She glanced at Derek, who looked like he was trying not to laugh.

He cleared his throat. "It's alright. I can sleep in the chair."

Kara frowned at the sad lump of an armchair resting in the corner. It didn't look like it could support her weight for more than two minutes, let alone Derek's.

"I have a feeling we'll need a decent night's sleep before tomorrow. The bed's big enough for both of us," Kara said, avoiding Derek's eyes.

"You sure?"

"Of course."

Kara set her bag down in a corner of the room and searched through it for her phone charger. She needed something to do with her hands, to forget about the fact that she would be sleeping next to Derek that night. She caught herself looking at him out of the corner of her eye, admiring the broad slope of his shoulders as he turned away from her. You're both adults, Kara reminded herself. Act like it.

"What did you want to tell me about?" Derek asked. Kara sat down on the bed since the armchair was out of the question. She inhaled deeply as Derek sat next to her, steeling herself for what she was about to say.

"I know you've been wondering how I could afford to move out of your place. Not long after you left town, I found a bag of money outside the loft. It was sent by Deucalion."

Derek's eyes widened. Kara continued on, trying to ignore the tight feeling in her chest. "I didn't touch it for a while. I couldn't bring myself to use it. I thought that…that it would be like letting him win. But eventually, I realised that I wasn't making enough at the café and that I needed the money. I hated that it came from him, but I was sick of not being independent."

"You don't have to justify it," Derek said, eyes softening. "Especially not to me."

"I just wanted to tell you so that you'd stop offering to pay for everything."

Derek grinned. "What makes you think I'll stop?"

Kara rolled her eyes. She rose from the bed, marvelling at how relieved she felt. Both that she had finally told him about the money, and that he hadn't judged her for it.

"Wait."

Kara turned around at the sound of Derek's voice.

He looked at her, hesitancy in his eyes. "There's something I want to tell you too."

"Before I came back to Beacon Hills," he said as Kara sat down next to him, "I went looking for something of my mother's."

Kara listened with wide eyes as he told her about breaking into a hunter's home—a werewolf hunter. He and Peter were captured and tortured by the hunters, before being rescued by Braeden.

"She was the one who rescued Isaac, right? Why would Deucalion hire her to rescue you?"

"We let him live. Maybe he thought he owed us."

Kara pushed away the image of her hands at Deucalion's throat. She almost hadn't let him live. "What were you looking for?"

"My mother's claws. A werewolf's claws can be used to access memories, or…communicate with someone. I managed to talk to my mother, and she reminded me that the Hales don't just live in Beacon Hills—we protect it. So, I came back."

Kara was silent for a moment, processing everything Derek had told her. "How long did the hunters hold you hostage?"

"A few days."

"You were tortured for a few days?"

Derek grimaced slightly. "The Calaveras are quite fond of electricity."

Kara's stomach dropped. While Kara had been going about her life in Beacon Hills, working and setting up her apartment, Derek had been through hell. "Are you okay?"

"It's not the first time I've been tortured by hunters," he said a little roughly. Seeing the question in her eyes, he added, "It's a long story."

"Well, it's a long drive back to Beacon Hills. I've got plenty of time."

Derek's mouth stretched into a lopsided smile. Kara felt her stomach flip involuntarily. It was going to be a very long few days if he kept smiling at her like that.

Kara glanced at her phone. There was still one other thing that had been weighing on her mind. One other thing she needed to confess.

"I'll be back in a minute," she told Derek, before stepping out of the room. She searched through her contacts as she walked to the other end of the hallway. This wasn't a conversation she wanted Derek to overhear.

Nick had texted her that morning, asking her if she wanted to meet up for coffee. She had ignored it all day, but she knew she couldn't keep it up for much longer. It wasn't fair on him. She took a deep breath before pressing his number.

"Hey, Kara," he answered, voice almost unbearably chipper. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard to turn him down if he didn't sound so cheerful.

"Hey, sorry I haven't texted you back."

"All good! We don't have to go out for coffee, we could do something else—"

"Actually, um, that's what I'm calling about. You're a really great guy, Nick, but I…I thought I was over someone else and I'm not." Kara pressed her forehead into the wall, cringing at her own words. She hated that she hadn't done this sooner, that she had even agreed to go to Dani's party with him.

"Oh."

Kara squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm sorry I'm doing this over the phone. I'm out of town right now and I won't be back for a few days."

"I-that's okay," Nick said, clearing his voice. He didn't sound so cheerful now. "Really, it's fine. I get it."

"Thanks. I'll see you at work?" Kara said lamely. What else was there to say?

"Yeah, uh, see you then."

And with that, Kara ended what was quite possibly the most awkward phone conversation of her life. She sighed heavily and sagged against the wall. Despite the guilt and embarrassment roiling in her stomach, she couldn't deny that it was a relief to have finally told Nick the truth. To have finally admitted the truth to herself. I thought I was over someone else and I'm not. It scared her to know that no matter how hard she tried to bury her feelings, they would always be there. Kara had no idea how she would get through the next couple of days without giving herself away. But she would have to find a way to do it, because she had much bigger priorities.

Kara tried not to think about how awkward it would be to see Nick at work, to have to explain to Dani why she wasn't going out with him. Instead, Kara pushed the thought from her mind and headed back to the room. She fought a grin as she laid eyes on Derek, who had changed into a different shirt. She wasn't sure why the sight of Derek wearing a shirt with thumb holes amused her so much. He raised his brows at her.

Kara fought to keep her face neutral as she motioned to his hands. "I like your shirt. It's like a two-in-one; gloves and a shirt. Very practical."

He rolled his eyes. "It's cold, okay?"

Kara turned away so he wouldn't see her grinning like an idiot. Maybe she had finally cracked; she was losing it over a shirt.

"I was going to grab some food from across the road. Do you want to come? I know you like Thai," Derek said, smiling. Kara nodded, a little taken aback by his good mood. They grabbed their jackets and headed out of the motel.

Whatever tension had existed between them seemed to have dissipated, and she was glad. His silence throughout much of the drive to the motel had unnerved her a little. She had worried that she had done something to upset him, but she wondered now if the situation with the hunters had been eating at him.

It was pitch black outside when Kara awoke, shivering. The temperature had dropped considerably during the night. She curled in on herself in an effort to lessen the chill and tucked her shaking arms into her chest. She gave up when her teeth started chattering. With a quick glance at Derek's sleeping form, she gingerly slid out of bed and padded over to her bag. Kara pulled on an extra sweatshirt and wrapped her arms around her middle. It barely made a difference. Anxiety curled unpleasantly in her stomach as she stood there, limbs trembling. She couldn't afford to lose sleep. Who knew what they would face in the morning—a helpful Druid, or yet another person out to get Kara?

She pulled on a pair of socks and went in search of a spare blanket. Why tonight? she thought. Of all nights, why did tonight have to be so damn cold? The blanket search yielded no results, and Kara considered stealing one of Derek's jumpers. She didn't care if he got annoyed with her if it meant she could get to sleep.

Of course, in the back of her mind, she knew the cold wasn't entirely to blame for her sudden chill. The murky fragments of a nightmare, which had seemed so sharp minutes ago, floated across her mind. A hand gripped her ankle, dragging her down into the depths of dark water. The light above was fading fast. She tried to fight, to twist out of her attacker's hold, but it was as though she was swimming in honey. Her limbs moved in slow motion, completely useless. She could only watch the light disappear above her as she was tugged away, helpless against—

"Kara?"

She started at the sound of Derek's voice. "Hm?"

"You ok?" His voice was thick with sleep, and she felt a stab of guilt for waking him.

"Yeah, I just…can't sleep. It's freezing."

It was silent for a moment, and then Derek said, "Come here."

Kara hesitated a little before making her way over to the bed. She sat down and stared at his form in the dark, barely able to see the outline of his face. His eyes were much better suited to the dark. She wondered how much of her he could see.

"Do you trust me?" he asked, voice scarcely louder than a whisper. He shifted, and a shard of moonlight fell across his face, illuminating his eyes. They were wide and unblinking. In that moment, she knew she trusted him more than she had ever trusted anyone. Kara nodded, and climbed into bed with her back to him. She pulled the covers over her body and Derek slid an arm around her waist. Kara could hardly breathe as he pulled her closer to him, his warmth seeping into her back. Her heart thumped erratically against her ribcage. She knew he could hear it. She shivered, but this time it had little to do with the cold.

"Relax," Derek chuckled, his breath fanning her neck. She was suddenly incredibly grateful he couldn't see her face.

"I am."

"Then why is your heart beating so fast?"

Bastard. "Because I'm cold."

"Mm-hm."

Feeling more alert than ever, Kara couldn't see how she would manage to fall asleep. By some miracle, her heart eventually slowed, and her eyelids drooped. She was half-asleep when Derek said, "Whatever happens tomorrow, I'm with you."

Kara found Derek's hand in the dark and held onto it until morning.