I'm only putting this once...

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Wolf, just my OC and her family.

Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.

- Mark Twain

Chapter One

I See a Dark Stranger

I couldn't believe I was here.

I mean, I really couldn't believe it.

This was not my scene whatsoever, but yet here I was, standing awkwardly near the big surround sound stereo system, watching as everyone started grinding to a popular dance tune. I fiddled with a lock of my hair, trying to look uninterested as everyone had a dancing partner except me. A rambunctious couple made out in a frenzy at my left side and nearly knocked me over into the spiked punch bowl. Oh god, why did I come here? I thought. Oh yes, that's right. I wanted to be with my friends. Who ditched me the moment we walked through the door. I stood on my tippy toes to see over the heads of my dancing peers, hoping to catch a glimpse of Julie or Lauren, but I saw nothing. Not one familiar face.

Sighing, I tore myself away and squirmed past the dance floor to the pool in the back yard. A few party goers lounged on the beach chairs and some were already taking a dip in the pool. The moon reflected clearly off the bluish black water and I looked up at the stars. I closed my eyes as a breeze licked at my cheeks.

A part of me wished that I had stayed home, but nooo. Julie just had to be so persuasive and a night out with my friends just sounded too good. Or at least, I had thought it would be. Served me right I guess for getting my hopes up. I had spent the whole time trying to look cool, as if I had a place here. There's people you see who have natural charm, charisma, and a single smile tells a thousand without them ever having to speak. You don't know what it is about them but they draw you in. Something that's extra special.

Then…well, there's me. I never was the one to try to "fit in" but I didn't want to be the black sheep either.

Statement of my life, now that I think about it.

A drunk, dark haired girl stumbled past me, mumbling something about Corona and Viagra. She bumped against my shoulder, nearly pushing me into the pool. I caught myself in time and mentally put the drunken girl on my list of people to avoid during the school year. I zipped up my jacket, feeling colder, and ambled along the rim of the pool. An empty beer bottle floated in the middle. Real classy.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed a tall, dark figure standing near the gate in the far right side of the yard. A nasty, vicious dog was barred on the other side, snarling and pushing it's nose against the gate to get a bite out of whoever was standing in front of him. A deep shadow clouded over the strange figure so I could barely see anything beside the outline. It looked like a male. A big male. It could've been a girl but I doubted it. I shamefully stared, unsure if the obscure shape was looking back. I took a step forward, curiosity flaring up, then a hand touched my shoulder.

It was Julie. Behind her was a burly looking jock, wearing an orange polo shirt with the collar flipped up.

"Hey, Al. I'm gonna take off with Brian, okay?" She said. I almost cringed when she called me 'Al'. It was short for my name Alessandra, but something about the nickname seemed…weird; boyish somehow.

I paused, glancing at her date before answering. "Where's Lauren?" I asked. I hadn't seen her since we came in.

"I think I saw her go into one of the bedrooms with Kyle," Julie said, giggling as her new arm candy kissed her neck. Kyle was one of Lauren's on and off again boyfriends. She had so many. One for every day of the week.

"You were my ride home," I murmured before she could ignore me again to make out with the jock. Truthfully, her bailing on me wasn't much of a shock.

She had always been somewhat of a flake but I had told my parents that she would be the one driving me home so this was an unpleasant short notice. We had been friends since the beginning of Junior High. I still trusted her and I didn't know why.

"Oh, I'm sure someone here will take you home," she said plainly. That felt like another punch in the gut. "You can always call your parents," she added shortly after.

I guess she was right. I had my cell phone on me anyways. Maybe I was making a big deal out of nothing. I nodded and forced myself to smile. "Yeah, it's fine. Go ahead and have fun," I said.

She giggled and grabbed her new man's hand, tugging him along. "I definitely will," she whispered suggestively, wagging an eyebrow. She waded through the crowd and gave me a small wave. "See you tomorrow!" She called over her shoulder.

I sighed once they were out of sight, feeling my phone tucked in my back pocket. I still had about an hour and a half before my curfew was up so I decided to raid the kitchen until then. I squeezed through the dancing couples and crept into the kitchen, ignoring a pair as they displayed a hefty amount of PDA in front of the chip bowl.

[O]

I spent a longer time in the kitchen that I had planned. I managed to sneak the chips away from the snogging lovers and I found an unopened carton of Ben & Jerry's in the freezer. Jackpot. I indulged myself, failing to check the clock for my approaching curfew. I was content with my own little mini buffet. I wandered out into the living room when I heard people whispering and murmuring to each other. A sickly, sweaty, pained looking boy stumbled through the crowd, pushing past the other teens and down to the front door. His friend called after him. Weird, I thought to myself. Oh well, maybe he just had alcohol poisoning and needed to go home. I shrugged my shoulders and went back into the kitchen.

When I hit the bottom of the ice cream tub, I figured it was time for me to turn in. I threw my scraps in the trash and went back into the living room. It was pretty barren, except for a few couples that stayed behind to cuddle and drink.

Looking at the clock, I saw that it was 11:30 PM. Damn it. Mom is going to be pissed, I thought. I walked outside, hearing other teens laughing and clicking their beer bottles together as they surrounded their cars. I sat down carefully on the curb and pulled out my cell. I prayed that my parents were still awake. They usually were in bed by ten so my expectations weren't exactly positive.

I dialed home and held my breath as the phone rang. After five rings, the answering machine came on. "Hey mom, it's…uh, it's me. My ride kind of left me so can you come-"

Beep. "We're sorry. Your call could not be connected. Please try again," the automated message sang cheerfully. Oh yeah, way to sound happy at a time like this.

I mumbled a curse and redialed, hearing the same message play over and over again. By the third try, I gave up and shoved my phone back into my pocket. I hoped they heard my fragmented message. Or at least some of it so they knew I was stuck here.

So I waited.

And waited, and waited some more.

Until I got tired of it.

Soon, there wasn't anyone in the street but me sitting alone on the curb. It started to get darker and the lame amount of light the street lamps gave off didn't comfort me at all. I knew staying here alone wasn't safe but neither was walking home at this hour. Reluctantly, I stood up and looked both ways down the street, pondering on which way to go. I came in along the eastern bend so I decided to go with that. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest as I made my pilgrimage home. I should have worn a thicker jacket.

I started to feel better once I came within the nearest gas station. The streets light were a little brighter and I sighed with relief. I wouldn't have to feel so paranoid now. I wasn't always like this, until I started watching the Investigation Discovery channel when I was fifteen. Bad, bad decision.

A bar ahead of me was still open, a light shone dimly through the window. Two men, in their early thirties I guessed, were hanging around the alley next to the bar. They were obviously buzzed, as they laughed rather loudly and their eyes were thick with glaze. I tried not to think to much about them as I passed by, hearing them call names at me and laugh crazily. Charming. Why did my folks insist on leaving out of our comfort zone of San Diego? I was a native for five years here and I still felt like a newcomer.

I took out my phone again and looked at the clock. I had only fifteen minutes before my curfew struck and I had at least thirty blocks until I reached neighborhood territory. If I had worn better shoes, I could've put all those years of running track in gym to good use. Supras are not meant to sprint the one hundred.

Damn it, now my feet were starting to get sore.

My walk started to slow into a drag and at that point, I didn't really care if I missed curfew or not. I was ready for whatever my parents threw at me as punishment. Served me right anyways for falling for Julie's silver tongue again. I had been friends with her for so long, I guess I wasn't ready to give up that kinship yet, if you can call it that. Now it just seemed like she called me up whenever my presence was a convenience to her. Lauren was mostly Julie's friend but she always welcomed me, if there wasn't a boy around to distract her that is.

I was starting to get mad again so I forced myself to think of something different. The stars were shining real brightly that night. I had to stop in my tracks to look up them. They were so beautiful and sparkly, even under city lights.

When I was little, I used to lie in my backyard with my dad when it got dark and we'd try to find shapes formed in the black sky. Sometimes we'd see a flower, a puppy or even a Greek god. Well, the last is what my dad always claimed of seeing. I think he'd just pull that so he could go on one of his tell-tales of history. He loved that stuff. Topics about ancient power always interested him. I guess that's why he became a lawyer.

I smiled to myself thinking of those days, and started to walk again, completely oblivious to the sleek, dark car parked right beside me.

"Need a ride?"

I jumped at the deep voice, whirling around to it's source. My heart nearly leaped out my throat at the fright and the beat pounded in my ears. God, get it together.

I let out a nervous laugh and brushed a strand of hair away. "Sorry, didn't see you there," I said. The figure leaned away from the car, standing up straighter with his hands tucked in his jacket pockets. Something about him seemed eerily familiar...

I came closer to him, freezing when I saw his features in perfect clarity. Wow, was all I could think. He was really...attractive. His eyes weren't like anything I ever seen before. They stared straight into mine, like he could see right through me. The shape of face was perfectly sculpted, stubble barely visible on his lower jaw and broad in the chest.

I briefly lost train of thought. He looked at me like he already knew who I was. "I can give you a ride home," he offered again.

I blinked, trying to retain some composure. "I'm sorry," I said guardedly. "But I don't talk to strangers." I turned on my heel and walked away, ignoring the erratic beats of my heart. He gave me quite a scare.

"That's real cute," I heard him mutter behind me. I detected a little sarcasm in his voice which made me laugh. I glanced back at him and he was a couple feet away from me. I didn't even hear him slug away from his car and follow. Who was this guy?

"Thanks," I shot back. I looked at him in eye and the intensity was enough to make the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

His voice was low and deliberate. "Get in the car." I noticed his eyes scan around the street, as though he were expecting someone to show up.

Well, he certainly had a way with words. "No thank you," I said as nicely as I could. "I can walk."

"It wasn't a question," He said, stepping closer to me and I automatically inched back. He stopped right underneath a street lamp. I couldn't help but stare like a moron at his remarkably chiseled face.

"Excuse me?' I said, taken aback by his brashness.

"I'm giving you a ride home," he said slowly. "Do you really want to be here alone at night?" He touched my arm quite gently, coercing me to follow him but I pulled away slowly. I had no idea who this guy was. He could have been an escaped convict, for all I knew.

"You're demanding, aren't you?" I observed. He only shrugged and stuck his hand in his pocket again.

"Suit yourself then. I'll let you walk home in the cold." He turned and walked away, opening the driver's door to his car. The light flicked on inside and everything looked so warm..

I glanced around the desolate street then pulled out my phone. The digital clock read 11:50 PM. Great, I had only ten minutes. I looked back at the mystery man and he was about to close the door, actually leaving me alone, like he meant. It was risky, that was certain. There many horror stories about accepting rides from strangers. But I figured if this guy wasn't going to murder me before I got home, then my parents sure would.

I sighed. "Wait," I called and instantly, the guy leaned out of his car. I walked up to him, noticing for the first time that his ride was a shiny black Camaro. Pretty fancy.

I gave him my best nice girl voice. "Still got room for one more?"

He unlocked the passenger door and gestured inside. "Get in."

I sucked in a heap of air and let it out slowly, walking toward his car to inspect. It was virtually spotless. As black as the night sky. I could see the little ceiling light illuminating from the door and it looked so comfortable and nice smelling. That combination was almost too good to refuse. Still, I felt extremely wary.

"I'm not going to regret this, am I?" I said quietly.

I could have sworn I saw a smile touch his eyes. "If you play by my rules then no, you won't." Rules? So there was a catch. He smirked a little and that sated my worries somehow. He had honest eyes. Sharp and aware. I didn't see anything malevolent in them. It propelled me forward and I slowly sunk into the passenger seat. It was soft and cool, like I had thought.

He swung the door shut and strode over to the driver's seat. "Buckle up," he said when I just looked at him. I guessed what was one of his "rules" so I did as he said. I shifted into the soft leather seat and held my jacket tighter, shivering slightly. He noticed and turned up the dial on the heater. There was simple black blazer draped over the back of my seat and he tossed it in the back seat so it wouldn't brush against my shoulder.

"Thanks," I mumbled. He started the engine, did the usual over-the-shoulder- look then sped off.

"Where do you live?" He asked when we past a 7 Eleven, which was weird to me because he was taking all the right turns to my house, like he already knew the way.

I looked out the window at the deserted streets as I answered him. "645 Abraham Road," I said. Neither of us spoke for a while and I continued to stare at the window. It started to grow awkward so I turned to ask him something.

"Can I play some music?" I asked, reaching for the stereo system. I jumped a little when he lightly swatted my hand away from the dial.

"No touching the radio," he said, keeping one hand tight on the wheel. The other rested over the gear shift. "One of my rules."

"What's your other rule?"

"No feet on the dash."

I raised my eyebrows, a spark of mischief overcoming me and slowly lifted my feet up. He noticed and shot me a glare. "Don't even think about it," he snapped.

I chuckled and lowered my legs. "I was only joking," I said. He smirked but it was brief. I rested my hands on my knees, tapping my fingers lightly against them. I spared myself another glance at him. The light from the car really gave me a good view on him. He had a really appealing profile and was very fair skinned. The tone went well with his jet black hair. He was good looking, there was no denying that.

I guess I was staring a little too long as he turned to me with raised eyebrow. "You're staring," he pointed out. I felt my face go ashen and I looked out the windshield. "Sorry," I mumbled. I felt like kicking myself. I heard him chuckle lowly and I glanced back at him. He was gazing at me knowingly.

"Eyes on the road," I teased. I swore I could see him smirking when he turned away. I still stared at him, wondering exactly who he was.

"So...what are you?" I asked vaguely. His large hand noticeably tightened on the wheel, making the tendons stand out. I glanced at his hand then back up at him, wondering if I unintentionally upset him.

"A gang member?" I suggested, eying his smooth leather jacket. "A street monitor? CIA?"

The last one amused him. "Do I look like a cop?" He grumbled, casting me a quick glare.

"Touchy," I noted. "You could be an undercover one, for all I know," I tried not to smile when he gave me a rather murderous stare, though it was in jest. "I haven't drank all night, just so you know."

"Very funny," he replied, making a left turn.

"I know," I gloated, stifling another remark about his jacket. It looked like he was trying to not laugh himself, which made me want to as well. It got quiet after that and I just looked out the window, counting how many telephone polls we drove by. The trees started to fly by quickly and I realized he was driving at a pretty high mileage. It was a good thing I had my seat belt on.

I leaned my head back against the seat. The window was so shiny and sleek, I could see my reflection like I was standing in front of a bathroom mirror. He broke the silence after a moment, asking me something completely unexpected.

"Do your friends always ditch you at parties?"

My head snapped to him. "What?" How in the world did he know that? Was he there?

"You heard me," he said very lowly.

I blinked slowly and stared out the windshield. "Not all the time," I answered back after a minute or so. "Only when they feel like it." Something rumbled beside me and it made my skin craw. It came from him. Did he just...growl? I thought. I held onto the sides of my seat tightly, the noise putting me off.

"Then why do you keep hanging out with them?" He asked.

"Because they're my friends," I said. "They understand me." At least, I thought they did.

He didn't say anything to that, but his expression looked so...upset. Angry. Why would something like this anger him? Why did he even care? He didn't even know me, nor I him.

He pulled up to my house a few minutes later and cut the engine. My entire house was dark. Not a single light was on and both my parent's cars were in the driveway. Oh no. Dead girl walking.

I opened the passenger door, setting one foot onto the pavement. I looked back at the cryptic guy next to me and he was gazing at me without a word.

"Thanks for the ride," I said and got out, shutting the door swiftly. And for not killing me, I added mentally. I felt a pair of eyes watch me as I walked around the Camaro and to my house. I stopped before I could reach the front door and whirled on my heel. The car was still there, like he was waiting for something.

I came up the driver's side and the tinted window automatically rolled down, revealing his face.

"Were you there tonight at the party?" I asked him seriously.

His green eyes narrowed the slightest bit. "I may have been."

Ah, so he was the aloof type. "I...I feel like I know you," I said, studying his face. Something about the shape of his body seemed oddly familiar. Did I see him before and not remember?

"Are you sure we haven't met before?" I said softly, anticipating his reaction. He took a dreadfully long time in answering and his eyes flickered quickly to my neck back up to my face. A strong chill went down my spine.

"No," was his somber reply. The look in his eyes changed but it was too fleeting for me to catch what it was. The window rolled up and he drove away before I could say anything else.

I watched him go until I couldn't hear the roar of the engine down the street anymore then sauntered up to my front door. Everything was quiet as I turned in the key and stepped in. I shut the door softly behind me and listened for any movement from my folks but all I heard was silence, except the humming from the fridge. They were fast asleep in bed.

I sighed with relief and padded upstairs to my room. I shut and locked my door before slipping off my shoes and hanging up my jacket. I left my computer on when I left for the party, so the screen was still partially lit up. I typed my password in, waiting for the welcome screen to load. There was a little notification in the right hand corner.

Someone messaged me an hour ago.

'At home. Scott ditched me at the party :('

It was my friend Allison. I had just started talking to her yesterday morning before first period started. She seemed pretty cool, albeit I had just met her. She was new to Beacon Hills and the school, so I showed her around a bit and helped with her class schedule. Though every time we were going to make plans to do something together throughout the day, her bestie Lydia Martin always popped up out of absolute nowhere to drag her away. And it wasn't just in the halls. She even purposely forced Allison to run at her own pace during track in gym so we couldn't talk as we jogged. She hated me for some reason, even before Allison came to town. Which was a shame, I guess. No matter what I did to get in her good graces, she was just never on my side.

I quickly typed up a response.

'I got stranded too. Thankfully, someone gave me a ride home'

I wondered how Allison got home. She had told me prior to the party that Scott was her ride there and back. She arrived after I did, but we never got the chance to meet up. I lost myself in figuring out where my friends had gone.

With that, I shut off the monitor and dressed briskly for bed. I turned off the lamp then snuggled under the covers, gazing up at my ceiling. The fan turned round and round very slowly, which somehow always helped me fall asleep.

Despite a relatively bad start, the day didn't go too bad. At least, I saw a new face. A strange, elusive face but a new one nonetheless. I didn't even realize I was smiling, let alone the reason why. I could only think of one thing...

Who the hell did I just meet?

A/N: Hey, guys! :D I can't tell you how long this chapter sat in my computer. I think ever since the pilot episode came out. That was 2-3 years ago I think? Anyways, I thought Derek was such a dreamboat so I couldn't help but pen a story. I rewrote it so many times since the original document was a disaster, haha.

This chapter takes place during the first episode, after Derek drove Allison home. So the next chapter will probably be centered around the second episode, and so on and so on.

So what do you think? Should I continue? Let me know! :)

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!

*Summary is a quote from Ernest Hemingway.*