"Isn't it late for someone like you to be downtown?" A rough male voice called out to the young girl who was silently walking down the street; head own, hood up. She snorted, rolling her forest green eyes and continued walking, her thick soled boots rhythmically hitting the cracked concrete.

"Didn't you hear me little lady? It's not safe for you to be out here all alone." Arden sighed, and stopped walking, rolling her tense shoulders as she heard the guy advance closer to her. Please give me the patience not to strangle him! She thought, looking up slightly at the dark sky. All she wanted was to go for a nice walk. But nice things didn't come to Arden easily; she should have known that by now.

Turning around to face the middle-aged man she sent him a sweet smile, flashing her white teeth. "Thank you, but I know how to handle myself." Arden said as she took in his appearance. He looked to be no older than 30, with dirty blond hair, and mirky blue eyes, and was dressed in dark jeans and a deep blue plaid shirt. The most noticeable thing about him was the overwhelming smell of alcohol, that Arden assumed was the cause of his limping walk. Perfect.

Sending another smile his way, Arden quickly turned on her and kept moving down the street, trying to distance herself from the drunk. She made it a few steps before something grabbed her hand, roughly turning her around, causing her to stumble, surprised.

"I don't think you heard me darling. I said that you shouldn't be alone. Now let me be a gentleman and walk you home." Arden sighed and tried to pull her hand away, but his grip wouldn't budge. What happened next was a blur. Arden's knee swiftly connected with the man's groin, and he gasped in pain his hold on her slipping. She then grabbed the hand the had been grabbing her and bent it backwards, snapping the bone in his arm loudly.

The man's scream echoed in the night as he crumpled to the ground cradling his now broken arm. Arden tilted her head to the side, her mouth forming a sad half smile.

"I'm sorry," she said in a mocking tone, "But I don't think you heard me. I said that I can handle myself." Shaking the brown curls that had fallen into her eyes out of her face, Arden send the man a withering look before walking away; heading towards the nicer part of the city.

Maybe next time she'd try for a nice night at home instead.


Arden's phone started to ring loudly, the obnoxious ringtone blaring at her, as she tried to unlocked the locks on the door to her small apartment. Huffing, she ignored it stepping inside and shutting the door, making sure to re-lock all of the locks. The small device continue to produce the annoying noise as Arden peeled off the thick leather jacket and hoodie that she had worn for her walk.

Figuring that she had made the person wait long enough she fished her phone out of her pocket and looked at the caller ID before snapping it open.

"Hello Chris," Arden greeted her voice monotone as she balanced the phone between her shoulder and ear, while she dropped her keys on the counter, making her way to the fridge. As fond as she was of the blue-eyed man, Arden was in no mood to talk to any one.

"Hello Arden, how have you been lately?" The mans voice was warm, caring. Christopher Argent had to be one of the few men that Arden trusted with her life. Not once had he been quick to judge her on her size, her age, or the fact that she was female. He saw her for what she was; a strong and incredibly independent person.

"Good." She murmured grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge before plopping down on her cushiony couch. "How about you? I haven't heard from you in a while. You still in Beacon Hills?" She heard Chris sigh before he answered her.

"Yeah, and a lot has happened. Have you heard about anything?" He asked her, his voice cracking slightly. Arden suddenly felt uncomfortable. This was the first time she had ever heard Chris not sound strong, like a rock.

"Some things here and there." She nervously wrung her hands together, not wanting to let on just how much she knew. "I heard you killed the alpha."

"That's the thing, we didn't kill him. Derek Hale did. He's the alpha now." Arden found her breath caught in her throat as the blue eyed werewolf was mentioned, and she swallowed harshly as Chris continued to talk. "Kate's dead Arden. She tried to take on the alpha and he killed her. She's dead." Chris spoke the last few words so softly, his voice cracking, that Arden struggled to hear him. But of course she didn't need to to know what he was talking about. Arden had heard of the young huntress's death and mourned for Chris and his loss but found it hard to feel any sort of sorrow for Kate. While her brother could be caring and courageous, his sister was a cold hearted snake.

Arden shuddered as she remembered the copper-haired women telling her how she had tricked the young, innocent Hale boy into loving her before she went and burnt everything he loved to the ground. She was sick just thinking about the vile person Kate Argent was.

"I heard," Arden replied softly pulling her legs up underneath her, "I'm so sorry Chris. I didn't know if I should have called or come to the funeral..." She trailed off not knowing what else to say.

"It's okay. Things have been hard, but it's all going to be okay." Chris sighed again and Arden could practically feel how tired and emotionally drained he was. "We knew something like this would happened eventually. Kate was irrational and unstable. All she wanted was to maim and kill. But that's why I called you. I wanted to make sure that you were doing okay being by yourself in New York."

"I'm doing good. Lonely, but you know I like being that way. You should go to sleep Chris, you sound like your dead on your feet."

"I will, but before that I wanted to speak to you about Derek." Arden cringed, the name bringing up some memories.

"If you wanted to know if I've heard from him, I haven't. Not since before you left for Beacon Hills." Arden wanted to get off the phone. She wanted to crawl under her covers and forget for a few hours the twisted world she lived in.

"It's not that. Arden, Gerard is coming." Arden's stomach twisted and she wanted to be sick again. "We both know that he doesn't stick to the Code. Derek hasn't technically done anything wrong but that won't stop Gerard from trying to kill him. I'll try my hardest to stop him if it gets to that point but I don't control him. I just wanted to prepare you if anything were to happen..." Chris trailed off hoping he hadn't upset the girl too terribly.

"I understand Chris. Thank you for calling me," she replied softly. "I'm going to head to bed. I'll talk to you soon okay?" Chris breathed out slowly.

"Okay sweetheart. Goodnight." Arden said goodnight before closing the phone.

Running a hand tiredly through her thick hair, Arden studied the wall across from her. Newspaper clippings, internet articles, and pictures all littered her wall. One article talked about a grave being desecrated, a liver being stolen from the body. Another was about a man that was attacked in the back of an ambulance. A red ribbon connected several photos together. One particle picture stood out to her. Derek's head shot from Beacon Hill prison. Bright blue eyes seeming to stare back at her.

Arden sighed again, biting her full bottom lip.

"What are you getting yourself into this time Derek?"