Sometimes anger is not a strong enough anchor. Derek knows that. He just doesn't want to admit that to his Betas. Isaac has already found an anchor. It's only a matter of time before Erica and Boyd discover theirs. Besides, it's not like Derek lied. On the contrary, anger usually is his anchor. It has been for years now. But, sometimes, you need a little something more. And if the werewolf pups ever encountered that problem, he'd tell them the whole story one day.
At least, that was the initial plan. Derek was going to go for a walk and had requested Erica grab his jacket. And she did so without some witty or snarky remark. Derek was rather impressed. Then again, Erica always aimed to please him. She liked being part of the pack and Derek was the leader. She had no plans to become an Omega, voluntarily or involuntarily.
"Here ya go, boss man," Erica said, handing him the leather jacket. Derek took it, muttering a short thanks before pulling the jacket on. Pulling at the front of his jacket, he flipped the collar back up properly. The white tank top beneath it was covered in dirt, but it didn't matter much to him.
"I'm going out for some air. You three behave yourselves," Derek called out, turning to leave.
"Who's this?" Erica asked before he could reach the stairs. Derek sighed.
"Who's who?" he replied, turning his head. Erica was standing in the same place, head tilted down. She was staring at a wallet sized photo. Derek's head cocked to the side as he reached for the inside pocket of his jacket. Empty.
He paced quickly toward her, not noticing his other two young wards coming toward them. Derek quickly snatched the picture from the teenage girl's hand. Erica looked up at him, her eyes just barely catching the name on the back of the photo. She squinted to be sure she saw correctly before Derek hid the picture away in his jacket.
"It's no one," Derek answered, fixing his jacket again.
"Doesn't look like no one," Boyd said. He passed by Derek, taking a seat on the steps like he often did. Isaac stopped next to Erica.
"Yeah, you hid it pretty quickly," Isaac pointed out. Derek shook his head, giving a nonchalant expression. There were things that Derek just didn't talk about with the pack. They knew his parents had died in their burning home. That was about it. That was really all they needed to know for now. Scott didn't know much more than that. Why did they need to?
"Behave yourselves," Derek said. In other words, this conversation is over, don't bring it up again. He turned again, passing by Boyd as he went up the stairs.
"She's beautiful," Erica announced, stopping Derek in his tracks. He gripped the hand rail tightly, almost bending the metal beneath his fingers. He looked at the stairs beneath his feet. Erica, Isaac, and Boyd watched him, waiting for him to do something. To ignore Erica's comment and just keep walking up the stairs.
But he didn't.
"Isaac, do you remember what I told you about anchors?"
Erica and Boyd looked at Isaac expectantly. Isaac looked at the both of them almost nervously. He didn't like this sudden pressure, but he quickly put on that calm and cool attitude everyone was so used to seeing now.
"You said that it has to be meaningful and it can keep your human side in control," Isaac answered. "You said yours is anger."
"Not always," Derek said, coming back down the stairs. "Sometimes, the anger isn't enough and I need an extra push." The Alpha paused, stopping in between the separated Betas. Each one watched with intrigued and attentive eyes. Was Derek going to let them in? Tell them something personal? It would be unlike him, but maybe it would bind them even more as a pack. All three Betas liked that idea.
"Her name is Amber," Derek said after a few minutes of silence.
Isaac and Erica slowly went to sit near Boyd, staring up at their Alpha when they sat. Derek turned completely toward them.
"Where is she now?" Erica asked.
"Don't know. She disappeared." He paused again. "I met her in high school."
High school… Yeah, Derek couldn't say he was excited about that. Laura had made it a mission to tell him high school horror stories the night before. His mother had told her to stop, but that hadn't stopped Laura. Derek was pretty sure that she was just playing with his mind, but he could never be too certain. Maybe high school was Hell and he had no choice but to live through it day by day.
At the same time, Derek was a lot bigger than a lot of the other freshman boys. It wasn't his fault. It was a biological thing. Came with being a werewolf. He'd always been rather tall for his age and, now that he'd gone through puberty, he was more muscular without really trying. Still, he was rather thin; his face still rather babyish.
Stepping into his first period class, he looked around the room. He was the tallest in his class, it seemed. He couldn't tell just yet. Everyone was seated behind large lab tables. Derek leaned back, checking the room number and then his schedule. Yup, this was the right room. Biology in the morning. This was not going to be a fun year. He could tell already.
Derek took a seat at a table by himself and sat his backpack on it. The bag was filled with notebooks and pens and pencils. No books, yet. He pulled out a yellow notebook and labeled it for the class in his chicken scratch handwriting. He hunched over the desk, covering the notebook from view. He began doodling all over the notebook, his mind in a totally different world.
"Can I sit here?" a light voice asked. Derek looked over, his voice catching when his eyes rested on the girl in front of him. She was beautiful, her bright blue eyes standing out against caramel skin. Her messenger bag hung off of her left shoulder, crossing over chest. Her dark hair was pressed straight like a waterfall, falling over her shoulders. She pushed a strand back behind her ear with a manicured nail, staring at Derek. She lifted a perfect eyebrow. "Hello? Is anyone sitting here?"
Derek closed his mouth, realizing he was staring. He must have looked like a complete idiot.
"Sure. Go right ahead," he said quickly. He looked back at his notebook, daring a glance at her through the corner of his eye. The girl lifted her bag over her head and placed it on her side of the table. She straightened up her button-up, white shirt before taking a seat next to him. She tapped the desk with her nails for a moment before turning to Derek. She held out her hand.
"I'm Amber Farrell," she greeted. Derek looked up from his notebook and at her. He looked like a deer caught in headlights which caused her to smile. He grabbed her hand with a firm grip.
"I'm Derek Hale," he replied. They shook hands. Amber gave a short nod.
"Nice to meet you, Derek," she said, releasing his hand and turning back towards the board.
"You, too," Derek said softly, watching her. After a moment, he turned back to his notebook and smiled. Amber glanced over at him. She leaned forward a bit to see what he was drawing on his notebook. Her eyebrows furrowed.
"What's that?" she asked. Derek's head shot up.
"What's what?" he responded. Amber nodded toward his notebook. He looked down at it. "Oh. It's a triskelion."
"Hmm. Interesting. Simple, but beautiful," she said with a brilliant smile. She looked back towards the board as the teacher entered. Maybe biology wouldn't be so bad.
And it hadn't been. Amber had been much better at Biology than him and that definitely helped his grade. They didn't just have Biology together either. They also had English together and Geometry. She had helped him in Geometry, too. Through these three classes, they became friends. Best of, in fact. And then there was that full moon during the summer. The full moon that changed their lives.
Derek had spent the last few years in control of his werewolf self. His parents had taught him to anchor himself. His anchor was his family. Sure, they weren't normal like other families, but they were great. He loved his family. His sister. His mom. His dad. His uncle. Being a werewolf wasn't so bad, especially with your family by your side, your pack. Derek had people to teach him and that loved him.
This full moon, Derek and Laura were out running in the woods. Despite being desperate to keep their secret, Mr. and Mrs. Hale understood that they needed to release energy. Until they learned to anchor themselves, Derek and Laura were chained inside, but now they were free to roam as long as they stayed in the forest outside of their home.
Derek was running through the forest when he heard a scream. He stopped dead, listening. It wasn't Laura. Laura didn't sound like that. Not to mention, she was pretty close by. This scream was rather faint, but it was still rather loud to him. He looked to his left, deeper into the forest. With his enhanced eyesight, he could see Laura. She hadn't heard it, though.
Someone screamed again. This time, Derek recognized it. Amber.
He took off into the night, trees flashing past him. His teeth clenched, the cool air slapping against his cheeks. He heard his sister call his name, but it went ignored beneath his subconscious repeating the screams in his head. He ran out onto the road, dodging a car that came straight towards him. The car horn blared, but he didn't let it faze him. Amber was in trouble. His best friend was in trouble.
He reached her neighborhood, running down the sidewalk as fast as his legs would take him. The house was one story, made of red brick with a dark bluish gray roof. The house was silent. No screams. Just the sound of a slowing heartbeat.
Derek went to Amber's window, crouched down. He looked through it, finding her normally neat room completely trashed. Amber was lying on her bed, legs hanging over the edge. Her hair was a curly mess, covering her face.
Her father stopped at the doorway glancing back into the room. His skin was pale in the moonlight that entered her bedroom and spread across the room. A shadow fell across part of his face, making him look almost sinister. There was sweat beading on his face. His jaw was clenched and his blue eyes – Amber's eyes – were bright with rage.
With his werewolf hearing, Derek heard the man say, "little bitch," before he closed the door behind him.
Derek's jaw clenched tighter. Anger. That's all he felt. Anger. He could feel his humanity slipping from him as he stared at Amber's bedroom door. He felt himself slipping away, the caged animal within him needing more freedom. His eyes moved to Amber, though, and he took a deep breath.
The young man looked at the borders of the windows. There had to be a way to open it without breaking anything. His fingers pressed against the bottom of the window and he pushed up, hoping this would work. He got it up an inch or so and dug his fingers under it.
"Come on," he whispered before pushing up. The window struggled for a moment before it finally gave in to what Derek wanted. Once opened, Derek climbed into the window, landing gracefully on his friend's carpeted floor. He was still for a moment, listening for Mr. Farrell. He heard a TV on in another room, but no footsteps.
Derek crept toward the bed and stopped in front of Amber. He moved her naturally curly hair from her face, revealing the bruises and swelling that was developing on her eye and cheek. His glowing Beta blue eyes widened. A snarl escaped his lips, but he quickly shut up to avoid detection.
The teenage boy lifted her easily and laid her properly on the bed. She shifted in his arms, wincing. His face fell. Her face was obviously not the only thing in pain. Had she passed out from the beating? Or had her father knocked her out cold?
Derek lifted her blanket and placed it over her. He heard her give a whimper and her sheets rustled as she turned onto her side. Derek sat next to her on the bed, gently caressing the side facing him. Amber whimpered in pain, moving away from his hand. Derek withdrew his hand, not wanting to hurt her anymore. He knew he needed to go, but he wanted to be sure she was okay. But she wouldn't be okay. Not living here.
When she opened her eyes a half an hour later, her sight was blurred. But she did know that glowing blue eyes were staring down at her. Literally glowing. She blinked a few times, gasping the first time from the pain in her right eye. Her father had given her a rather hard back hand. But she'd deserved it, right? Talking back was worthy of punishment. She groaned. Who was she kidding? She couldn't excuse her father any longer.
Her sight cleared a bit more. What was hovering above her looked like a mix of a beast and a boy. She let out a scared breath, but then it caught in her throat.
"Derek?" she whispered. Derek quickly stood and went towards the window. He'd stayed too long, forgotten what he was. Amber sat up, giving another moan and whimper of pain. Derek stopped, hearing her in pain, and turned to her again. Amber gripped her right side, looking at Derek. Her right eye had blackened and her cheek was swollen. She could only guess what her body looked like beneath her clothes.
Amber looked Derek up and down. His body seemed the same, but he was certainly hairier. He'd grown out wild sideburns and his face seemed deformed. He looked more like an animal.
"What are you?"
"You're dreaming, Amber," Derek said.
"I don't think I'd be in this much pain in a dream. What are you, Derek?"
The teen wolf was silent for a long period. What could he possibly say? He couldn't just come out and say he was a werewolf. What would she do then? Would she stop being his friend? Would she tell people? Maybe she wouldn't believe him at all.
"How long has he been hurting you, Amber?" Derek asked. Now they both had questions they didn't want to answer. He knew it.
Amber swallowed hard.
"Since my mom died. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Has since he left the service and my mom dying didn't help," Amber said quickly.
"It doesn't mean he can hit you, Amber."
"It's fine," she interrupted. "Now, what are you? A werewolf? Because I hear these howls every full moon and you look… not completely human."
"Yeah. I'm a werewolf," he admitted. Amber couldn't help the smile on her face as he slowly approached her again. He sat next to her at her request and she gently felt over his face. It was strange and he was oddly bumpy around the brow line and nose. Derek let her ask questions for an hour before he made her swear to secrecy and disappeared out of her window.
So, Amber held his deepest darkest secret. His family's deepest darkest secret. But Amber hadn't said anything to anyone. She was extremely curious about his kind, constantly asking questions. Soon, Derek had to tell his parents that Amber knew their secret, because she started coming around more often. But it wasn't only that secret he told them.
He may have sworn not to report her father to the police, but he did tell his mom who was starting to notice small, fading bruises along the girl's skin. Mrs. Hale made it a mission to keep Amber around for as long as possible, which became increasingly easy as the two teenagers gave into their hormones and more than platonic feelings for one another. Laura had said it was bound to happen for Derek. He was a werewolf after all.
Amber spent the afternoon of her fifteenth birthday at the Hale household. She knew she'd have to get home before the sun went down, though. Her birthday was typically the only day her father wasn't prepared to hit her. He usually stayed sober, but she didn't want to push her luck.
His lips pressed against hers gently, but she could still sense the starving desire. Derek was always like this. He was always gentle with her to counteract the behavior of her father, especially on days when she was recovering. But there was always that primal animal just beneath the surface, waiting to be satisfied. Just because he kissed her tenderly didn't mean that the beast within wasn't sending messages in other ways. Usually, Derek just wouldn't pull away unless he was desperate for breath and those breaks never lasted long.
Amber's hand reached into dark hair, feeling it slide between her fingers as she occasionally tugged or pressed it down to pull him closer. Her other hand rested on his back, just beneath his shirt. For someone just as inexperienced as she was, Derek was a good kisser. Then again, she'd never kissed anyone else, so she could have been wrong. He satisfied her, though, and that's what mattered.
She pulled away from his lips, feeling her heart rate speed up faster than she wanted. He leaned in to kiss her again despite this. A giggle escaped her as his lips pressed to hers again. Amber pushed against his chest, pulling back as well as she could, her head just touching the headboard of his bed.
"Alright, calm down. I realize werewolves are like hyper-sexual or whatever, but give me a moment," she teased in that airy voice he loved so much. He laughed.
"Sorry. It's hard to anchor while kissing, especially when you're the anchor." He placed a quick peck to her lips.
"Well, find another anchor. Like – I dunno – your mother walking in on us. This is a very compromising position."
Derek released a bar of the headboard behind her. He lay next to her, using the hand beneath her to press her against his side. Amber readjusted, placing her head on his shoulder and a hand on his chest. In the matter of a year, he'd grown exponentially… well, muscle-wise anyway. He was nearing six feet now, though, too, rivaling Amber's five-four stature.
"I wanted to discuss my birthday present with you anyway," she said softly.
"Amber, you know I don't have money," he replied.
"I know," she said quickly. "Luckily, it doesn't cost money."
Derek looked down at her curiously. Any gift that didn't cost him money was a good thing to him. He was fifteen. He didn't have a job. He did wonder what she could possibly want that was free, though. He couldn't think of anything.
"I want you to actually give this idea a chance, okay?" she said, sitting up and looking down at him. Derek's brows furrowed even more, but he nodded. Amber took a deep breath before speaking. "I want you to turn me."
Derek quickly sat up, his arm moving from her waist so he no longer had physical contact with her.
"You want me to what?" he asked incredulously.
"To turn me. I've been thinking and it might be good for us. You wouldn't have to worry about hurting me. We'd be in the same pack, right? We'd be connected," she explained.
"I'm not sure about this, Amb-"
"He's getting worse," she interrupted. Derek was silent. He stared at her for a long moment. Amber broke eye contact, looking down at her lap. She fiddled with her fingers. She didn't like discussing her home life with Derek. It was a taboo subject, but it was a major part of her decision. "He's getting worse, Derek. He's hitting me more often. He's losing his grip, his sanity. He snaps faster. He's more likely to hit me for small things." She looked back into his eyes. "Why do you think I'm afraid to get home after sunset?
"I can't be this helpless, little girl anymore, Derek. I need something to fight back with, to compensate for me being so much smaller than him. I need power, Derek. I can't keep this going; I can't keep taking hits."
"Then let me call the cops," Derek demanded. It's what he said whenever her father was brought up.
"I don't want him to go to jail. I just want him to realize he can't hurt me anymore. That we're equal. If he goes to jail, then what Derek? Where will I go? He's all I've got and vice versa," Amber said. Derek sighed. If Mr. Farrell went to jail, Amber would most likely end up in foster care and that could take her away from him for good.
"I need to talk to my parents."
"Fine, let's talk to them now," Amber said, hopping off Derek's bed. Fixing her shirt, she headed out of his room and downstairs.
"Amber!" Derek called, getting up quickly and chasing her out.
His parents had given them a confused look when they asked. Mr. and Mrs. Hale didn't know what the right answer was. They weren't big on changing people, but Amber was volunteering; she was willing. But they'd have to teach her control as soon as possible, which left people in danger if none of the Hales were around her. But she was in danger every time she walked through her own front door. They wanted her to protect herself. The Bite might help her, save her.
They went through everything that she would gain as a werewolf, the pros and the cons. It was the only way they'd feel good about turning her. If she was aware of the decision she was making. It was a rule that Derek would carry with him for the rest of his life.
When they finished their talk with Amber, her decision was made. Derek bit her.
Three weeks later, the police were at their door, Amber behind them. Her father had been taken to the asylum. The police couldn't believe his wild accusations of his daughter turning into some wild creature that scratched him with the claws of a wolf or mountain lion. It was just unbelievable. So, Mr. Farrell was committed. Once the cops were gone, Amber told the Hales the whole story.
Her father had snapped on her again, throwing her onto their coffee table. She lost control. She couldn't anchor herself. She changed and attacked him. She was just glad she hadn't killed him. For now, the police were granting the Hales custody, because they were the only family Amber trusted. Amber had begged Sheriff Stilinski for this.
What started out as temporary began looking more like permanent. Amber didn't mind staying with the Hales. Being a part of the pack, she felt like she was family. The Hales loved her and were teaching her control when it came to being a werewolf. Although, being chained up for the full moon wasn't the best feeling in the world. But it felt a hell of a lot better than when she and Derek broke up the week before junior year began and had to see one another every day. The reasoning for the break-up was so stupid and insignificant that as he told the story to his Betas, he couldn't even remember what it was.
Junior year went by differently than freshman and sophomore year. Derek and Amber found themselves hanging out with different people. They didn't even bother sitting together in class. It was only at the end of the school day that they saw one another… and that Amber got her first glance at Kate Argent.
"Who's that?" she asked, staring at the car that was honking. Derek picked up his bag, a smirk on his face. He looked back towards the car and then at Amber.
"That? That's Kate," he answered. Amber still had her eyes on Kate. She was pretty, that was for certain. Her golden blonde hair was in loose curls and, with her wolf vision, Amber could see that she had grayish blue eyes. She was also definitely not a high school student. She looked like she could be in college.
"Okay, another question. What's she doing with you? She looks like she's in college," Amber pointed out.
"She's twenty-two and she's my girlfriend." Derek moved to leave, but Amber grabbed his arm. Her hand was nowhere near wrapping completely around it anymore. Derek looked back at her with questioning blue eyes, but his smirk gave a different message. He was enjoying this. Amber could tell. He liked that she was pulling him back.
"I'm getting bad vibes off of her, Derek. I don't think you should hang out with her," Amber said softly. Derek's smirk grew, his eyes no longer curious. Yeah, he was enjoying this.
"Or maybe you're just jealous," Derek said. Amber scoffed. She looked back at Kate and then at Derek. She shook her head.
"The only thing she might have on me is her age and experience. And even that may be a con," Amber said. "No offense to her, but I'm definitely prettier." Derek couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him. "Derek, don't go with her."
"Yeah, you're definitely jealous." He turned to leave again, but Amber pulled at his bicep again.
"Or maybe this is just your lame attempt to make me jealous. Well, I'm not, Derek. I'm worried. Something about her strikes me as wrong. Don't let your hubris get in the way. It's always been your weakness."
"My lame attempt to make you jealous? Amber, she's a woman."
"Yeah, so, what's she doing with a little boy?" Amber shot back. Derek's jaw clenched and she could tell by the twitch of his cheekbones. "Think about it, Derek."
"Tell mom and dad I'm out with friends and I'll be home for dinner," he said. He pulled his arm from his grip and turned to leave. Amber sighed, rolling her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched Derek get into the car with Kate, who was staring at her. Amber stared at Kate, making eye contact. She didn't know what it was, but something about Kate made her want to run the other way. Her skin crawled and her heart rate increased. And she felt… angry. Her teeth clenched, trying to anchor herself, feeling the beast dying to be released. She needed to anchor.
Derek. Derek. Derek.
And then Kate smiled.
Amber felt a snarl coming, her lip curling up. And then Derek kissed her. Amber scoffed, immediately turning to go inside. Anchoring wasn't going to work this time. Something was wrong with Kate. Amber could feel it.
But like Derek asked, she lied for him. Why? She may not have been jealous of Kate, but she did love Derek still. She wanted him to be happy and maybe – just maybe – she was paranoid. Maybe Derek was right and she was just extremely jealous, though she highly doubted that.
Then there was the fire and that changed everything. Laura, Derek, and Amber returned home to fire trucks surrounding the house. Derek tried to run into the house, but was held back by firemen and then Laura and Amber. They watched as the last of the flames were extinguished. The house was blackened and the three teenagers could see inside. Everything they had was gone. Mr. and Mrs. Hale. Dead. Uncle Peter. Comatose. Their belongings, everything was gone. It was just them.
"We have to leave," Laura said quietly. Amber and Derek both looked at her, confused.
"And go where?" Derek asked. Laura shrugged. She looked back at her younger brother and Amber. They were her responsibility now. They had no other family. She and Derek had just lost their whole family. Amber's father was in an asylum and her mother was dead. The three of them had to stick together. They were what were left of the pack.
"I dunno," Laura answered. "But do you honestly think that this was an electrical fire? You think it was an accident? Even some of the cops think that this was arson. Someone was out to kill our family. I dunno who. I dunno why, but something tells me it has to do with what we are. And when they realize that the three of us survived, they'll come for us next. I'm eighteen now. I can watch after you."
Amber felt herself reach for Derek's hand. He glanced back her. She wasn't afraid. He knew that. She just needed comfort right now. A sense of normality. And he did, too. So, his fingers clasped around hers.
"Wait, since mom and dad are gone, does that make you the Alpha?" Derek asked. Laura was silent for a long moment.
"I guess we'll find out. We're leaving. As soon as the cops stop dealing with us, we're leaving," Laura said.
And that's what they did. The next month, the Hale pack had left Beacon Hills, leaving behind the fire, if only physically. But all three continued to wonder why the fire had happened. Were they even safe?
With Kate behind them, the two teenagers got over their petty break-up and tried things again. But in the back of his mind, Derek wondered if maybe Amber had been right. If maybe Kate had used him. And those thoughts always led back to the fire. Was she responsible for that? If so, why?
But Amber usually managed to take his mind off of things, unknowingly to her. She would kiss him and his mind would be taken off of the arson. Or she would just speak or touch him and his troubles would be lifted off of his shoulders. But the end of high school meant thinking of the future. Going through school was already a plan from childhood. But now that that plan was over, they needed a new plan.
Laura had said she was sticking around until the two graduated high school and Derek got the feeling her plan was to go back to Beacon Hills and investigate the fire. She didn't say it, though. Amber had plans of going to college like a normal person. Becoming a werewolf hadn't changed her plans. She wanted to study fashion and business like her mother had. Derek didn't have a plan, though.
Amber curled up to Derek, pulling his arm further around her shoulder. Her head rested against his chest, her fingers fiddling with his. Derek smiled, looking down at her. Laura was at work and wouldn't be home for another hour or two. That left dinner to be made by Amber. Derek had to take out the trash and clean the dishes. The rest of the chores were divided up.
"So, I've been thinking," Amber said.
"Uh-oh," Derek teased. She nudged his side, a small smile on her face.
"Shut up. I've been thinking that maybe you could come to New York with me. I mean, you said you weren't planning on going to college. Laura is going God knows where. I'll be in New York for school. And I want us to stay together. We could rent an apartment near NYU. You could find a job while I go to school. I'll get a part time job."
"I dunno," Derek replied. Amber looked up at him, curious. "I mean, yeah, it sounds great, but…" He trailed off, trying to find the words. How could he explain this to her? How he felt? Why he didn't want to go?
"But what?" Amber asked when he'd be silent for a while.
"But… I don't feel like there'd be anything in New York for me. I mean, you would be. But I just don't think I'd like being there, going to some dead end job every day while I wait for you to finish school," Derek said, pretty sure that explained it clearly enough.
"Oh," Amber said simply. "I understand. Just think about it, okay? I'd really love to have you there with me."
"I thought about it. She left for New York. I stayed in LA. We tried to have a long distance relationship. We'd call and write. She was studying. I began travelling, trying to figure out what had happened to my home. Maybe it had been an electrical fire. But I couldn't accept that. I couldn't accept that my parents had been killed in a simple accident.
"Before I came back to Beacon Hills, I tried to find her in New York, but there was no sign of her. By then we'd just lost touch with each other. I guess she moved on, so I returned home. I tried howling for her every full moon, but she never answered. She's never returned the call," Derek said finishing his story. The Alpha and his Betas were quiet. Erica glanced at Isaac and Boyd, who didn't know what to say. Derek's high school sweetheart, the girl he'd never actually ended things with.
"We could probably use her help now," Boyd said.
"Want my help, you got it. Still wearing those leather jackets, I see." Derek's eyebrows furrowed as he looked up at the stairs. His Betas looked behind them. "Couldn't bother putting on a normal shirt, Derek? Stubble looks good on you. And my, my, you've gotten bigger. Didn't know that was possible."
Her bright smile was the same as it had always been. Sweet and, at this moment, teasing. Her bright blue eyes stood out against her caramel skin. Her hair had been dyed, naturally dark at the roots and slowly transitioning into a golden color at the middle. Her leather motorcycle jacket, unzipped and strap not clasped around her waist, covered a plain, fitted white shirt. Her jeans were also fitted, tucked into ankle boots. She made it a mission to show off the amazing body God had given her.
The tattoo on her wrist was visible. A triskelion that matched Derek's.
"Amber?" Derek said simply.
The young woman looked down at the young Betas as she passed them on the stairs. She approached Derek, stopping directly in front of him, thumbs in the pockets of her jeans. She stared up at him with those bright blue eyes.
"Miss me? So, you're the Alpha dog now. And I see you've got us some little werewolf pups," she teased. Derek stared down at her still in disbelief. What were the odds that she'd appear after he'd shared her with his pack? After he'd spilled his deepest secret. His love for her.
"What are you doing here?" Derek asked. Amber's smile faded. The room was silent, tension felt among the wolf pack. Amber looked up at Derek with a serious expression. He swore he saw tears in her eyes. But Amber wouldn't cry. He knew that. She had cried enough in this lifetime.
"I'm answering your call."