Chapitre Deux

To distract our hearts from ever missing them.

The buzz of small talk surrounded the table. Our two packs were combined. My father sat at the head of the table with Michael, the other pack's alpha, on his left. On my fathers right was Melanie, and beside her was the boy with the breathtaking smile, James; her future mate.

Normally there would only be the alpha male and alpha female. In the wild, more than one alpha was unheard of. Due to the dwindling nature of our species combining packs for safety was more common over the years. It was more diplomatic and strategic compared to the typical animalistic behavior of wolves. After all, we weren't all wolf, just partially.

Not wanting to stir up trouble with an obscene comments, I sat as far away from the alphas as possible. And I forced one person to sit beside me: Cora. Stefan ended up sitting rather close to the alphas, his penetrating eyes lingering on me from afar. The separation anxiety was getting to him, clearly.

I hardly touched the medium rare deer meat before me. My eyes were their usual mixed hues, a stormy color overpowering at the moment, as they were staring at the chestnut haired female alongside me. Her dark brows were raised an amusement at my gawking as she took a mouthful of the tender meet. I honestly surprised myself by recognizing her, it was definitely her earthy scent that stirred up the memories. Otherwise, the last time I had seen her she had just entered the double digits hardly hitting puberty; with her flat chest and tomb boyish attitude. It was nice to see the spunkiness she picked up from her elder brother hadn't dissipated.

As she finished chewing she asked, "What?"

"You're alive."

Sarcastically, she gaped at me in mock shock, "No, am I?"

Glowering, I snipped, "I thought you were dead."

"I thought you were dead, too," she admitted. Although, she seemed a lot less enthused by my liveliness. Maybe it was because of how much Cassandra and I picked on her growing up.

"Apparently people are suddenly coming back from the dead."

At her words I frowned confusedly. "What are you talking about?"
Cora set down her fork eyes meeting mine. Hers were dull, tired. All of us had been through a lot. Others took it harder, Cora was one of these. While Melanie wasn't exactly the most bubbly of the pack, her eyes weren't clouded over with constant pain of our pack's loss. Sure, I got sad sometimes, but I could still find happiness. Then there were eyes like Cora's and my fathers that told there would be no happiness for a long time, if ever again.

"Derek and Peter are alive."

My hand went to my lips. An emotion swarmed through me that I hadn't felt in years. I couldn't even place a name for it, but I'd say it felt similar to hope.

Stefan's intense stare burned holes into my head, but I paid him no heed. I knew what my heart was doing, and it was ready to pound it's way out of my chest.

"Derek's alive?" I repeated, I needed to make sure I heard her right.

"Yes."

I glanced around the table in a sudden panic. Not really focusing on any of the worried glances that passed my way. I was blindly looking for Derek, even if I knew he wasn't here. I couldn't comprehend how he could be alive, but Cora was here without him.

"Then why are you here? Where is he?"

"It's a long story." Cora scowled, clearly not appreciating my accusing tone of her position. "We keep in touch, but he's in an… odd pack. I didn't feel safe. Especially since the last time I saw him his alpha was a teenager that had been bitten."

There were stigmas with born werewolves against "bitten" alphas. Werewolves that were born tended to have overall better control and be stronger. This was due to training young and surrounding yourself with those that already maintained control. While in many situations, bitten werewolves would go rouge and lose themselves. Either not having someone there to teach them the ropes, or simply being overpowered by the brilliant rays of the moon. I couldn't say I was one of those people, but I could say I understood why that didn't seem like the safest pack to be in.

My foot thumped anxiously under the table. Derek Hale was alive. Derek freaking Hale…. Derek… my heart beat erratically. This changed everything, absolutely everything.

And my sister knew it too.

She had stopped eating. Our eyes met across the table, and she knew. I didn't have to say a thing.

I finally met Stefan's intense stare, and he raised his brows perplexed. He wasn't well versed in our immediate families history that didn't involve our current pack. It wasn't something my father, Melanie, or I discussed lightly. It hurt horrendously. Like a sword being pushed through our hearts, with some sick twisted soul turning it and turning it and ripping apart our insides for fun. All our pack had heard was that our last one was hunted down. They knew nothing of the fire that had shattered our perfect home.

It ate us alive for years. Destroyed the joy my father used to possess. He never wanted to be an alpha. After the fire we had run from Beacon Hills, our home. We traveled alone. Then, we stumbled across an aggressive pack on our ventures. The alpha lured us in, told us all these great lies of how we would be safe and protected. Then he wanted to make my father an omega, stating that his beta's were stronger. That because he had brought pups and their pack didn't have the means, that we would suffer due to it.

My father was anything but an omega. He proved it to save us. Unfortunately, the remaining members of the pack didn't want anything to do with our new formed alpha father; even if he had taken the alpha powers. Only one came along to start our new pack with daddy alpha: Stefan.

He was my best friend. I loved him, but he'd never known the beginning. Just the middle of the unfinished tragic story, and I wondered if he would ever see the end. Because knowing Derek was alive changed literally everything in my life. All because of a single promise to a lost friend.

"Your heartbeat," Cora mumbled, eyes darting around at the curious gazes we were receiving.

"I know."

"May Leora and I be excused, Father?" Melanie asked politely. "Michael?"

His eyes met mine. There was a quizzical underlying to his hues, not understanding why my heart was beating a thousand times per second. I kept his stare, which was hardly appropriate, but when was I ever? Scoffing at the absurdity that I was disrupting dinner, he stated, "Yes, of course."

We exited the room and headed down the hall to the familiar break room. My mind whirled as I plopped onto the couch, tugging at the hair atop my head trying to calm my beating heart.

"He's alive."

Melanie sat beside me her hand resting on my knee. "I heard." She pursed her lips, looking at me longingly. "What do you intend to do?"

"You know my promise to Cassandra," I muttered, closing my eyes tightly. I remembered it as if it were moments ago. The fresh smell of daises, sun shinning down on my damp soiled skin. Dirt caked under my nails as we made "mud houses." To say Derek was pissed that day would've been an understatement.

"That was a childhood promise," Melanie clarified. Her eyes were hurt. "I think she would understood if you broke it. You have a pack here, we are safe here. You heard Cora, she said she didn't feel safe with his alpha. He's bitten, he won't be like our father."

"Yeah?" I licked my lips. "Would that be such a bad thing?"

She retracted her hand like I'd burned her. "You can't be serious, Leora? Our father has sacrificed so much for us. To keep us safe, form a new pack."

"Maybe I don't…" I shook my head. My stare hardening, changing my unsure tone to one of fact. I needed her to understand that I believed in the words I was saying. "I don't fit in here."

"Yes," Melanie objected, tone that of one speaking to a small child. "You do."

"No, Mel. Our father thinks I'm a goddamn mistake, I'm a hinderance to this pack. I bet he wishes I died in that fire instead of Mom."

A slap vibrated across my cheek, stinging hotly. I kept my eyes open, burning gaze slowly returning to stare into Melanie's enraged orbs.

"Don't you dare say anything like that again," she fumed. "He loves us, he would never wish that upon you."

"He loves you. He hasn't told me he loved me in nine years."

She bit her lip, her heart giving way for the first time since she saw Stefan and I, that she felt anything.

"I love you, Melanie. And a part of me loves him too, but I will never…" Running a hand through my hair, allowing the typical mess to return. "I will never be home here."

"What about Stefan?"

I frowned. "I'll always care for him. Maybe one day we can all form a large pack. A little community or something, safe from hunters…"

She stiffened knowing the idea was ridiculous.

"I will regret every moment of my life if I don't do this."

"All of this for a childhood crush?"

Rage built within my core. "You think I'd do this for a childhood crush?"

Melanie seethed, our hearts in sync as our argument escalated.

"It wouldn't be the first time you did something completely moronic."

A bitter laugh escaped me. I stood from the couch, needing to put distance between us before I strangled my sister.

"I promised Cassandra…" Tears sprung as I thought of my deceased best friend. Even as the years passed no one could replace her; not even Stefan. There would always be a spot for the girl who knew my childhood secrets, who appreciated my deliriously terrible ideas, and would tag along as we irritated her irate teenaged brother.

~o~

The eleven-year-old with frizzy raven hair smiled over at me with dimpled cheeks. Her overalls caked in mud, fingernails as dirty as my own. She smirked at me nodding her head at the teenage boy who was responsible for "watching" us. Because apparently two girls at the age of eleven still needed "babysitters." Whatever Mom.

I shoved a handful of daises under her nose. She rubbed at the skin irritably as it itched, causing mud to coat her olive skin.

"They stink," had been her observation.

"Like your face," had been my retort because I thought they smelled pretty. "I'm going to have daises when I walk down the aisle one day."

"Who are you gonna marry?" She had asked, a teasing smile on her lips as she glanced at her older brother. Cassandra knew about my huge secret crush on the older boy. So what if I hadn't hit puberty yet? He was only five years older and that was hardly anything in human years.

Derek was knocked out a little ways from us sleeping soundly in the clearing. Far away from the mud we were playing with. He had a geometry text book lying flat on his lightly muscled chest, breathing in short shallow breaths through his nose erupting occasional snores. His messy identical raven hair was disheveled from the strong summer wind, and his long lashes were fluttering in his dreaming state.

Holding a hand to her ear I whispered, "Your brother."

She giggled, "Gross."

"Not as gross as your face," I stated, running my dirty hand down her cheek, causing my hand print to smear over her pudgy cheeks.

Both of us started a mud war. I chucked a huge ball at her and she grabbed a handful of the goopy slop and rubbed it into the salmon colored tank I wore. When she got some in her mouth she called forfeit and continued to make our mud castle in the middle of the field. An innocent smile on her pink lips as she made a moat.

"One day Derek will be our alpha, you will be his alpha female and I can be his lead beta," Cassandra informed me with all the confidence in the world. Like it was fact and not just wishful thinking. "You guys can have, like, ten pups."

"I don't want any pups," I stated firmly.

"How are we going to expand our pack?"

I growled, exposing my teeth, "I'll just bite them! Duh."

"Where's the fun in that?" Cassandra snickered. "When you can have…" she glanced at her brother to make sure he was still sleeping, then spelled out in a hushed voice, "S. E. X."

Holding a hand to my lips, I giggled at the idea. "I don't think I'll ever do that. It sounds like it hurts."

"Mommy said it hurts the first time, but since we heal fast it's not that bad. She said it's natural."

"I don't think there's anything natural about it. Sounds creepy to stick your body parts in each other."

Cassandra's innocent face morphed into disgust. "Do you think Derek's done it with his girlfriend?"

Scowling, I muttered, "I don't know."

"I think he has… Mom got mad at him the other day because she said he smelt weird. And he did, he smelt like… sweaty and stuff."

"That' disgusting, Cass."

"I know, right?"

"What the hell?" Derek's screech cause us both to jump on our feet. He was still in the process of waking up, his eyes flashing an electric blue as he took in our appearances.

It had been weird to see the golden color change to blue. Talia had to sit all the younger pups down to explain that Derek's eyes changed color, but not to judge him on it. She explained that Derek had to do something extremely difficult a year ago. We all knew what blue eyes meant. He had been really different for a long time; he didn't want to play with Cassandra and I as much anymore. Instead, he would lock himself up in his bedroom. All I really knew was that it had something to do with his ex-girlfriend Paige. We weren't supposed to talk about it.

"Why are you guys covered in mud?" he pressed as he stomped over to us. He towered over us peering down with narrowed pale green eyes. We had our stomaches pressed in an inch of the thick mud. His enraged sixteen-year-old glare was enough to put the fear in us. Maybe, if we hadn't been the cause of most of these glares, we might have been afraid. He mastered the pissed off babysitter look. However, we were so used to it we both just snickered.

"Ugh…" I said dumbly, looking down at the puddle Cassandra and I had used for the castle.

"They are going to kill me," he groaned, running a hand down his face exasperated. Eyes flashing from an artichoke color to the electric blue, unstable from his pure fury at us messy pre-teens. "Let's go home! We might be able to get you guys clean without them finding out! Ugh."

I remembered watching his back, Cassandra and I shooting each other nervous, yet, amused glances at the hormonal teenager.

~o~

"I know you have loyalties to this pack," I said lowly, hoping no one was listening in our conversation. "But my loyalties to Cassandra… they are far greater than life and death. They still stand. If Derek is alive, I at least… I need to see."

"Dad won't let you come back."

"I know."

"You'll be an omega if they don't allow you in the pack."

"I'm aware."

"They could also just make you an omega…"

"They can try."

"You could be hunted and killed before you get there."

"Yeah."

She brushed away angry tears. "Do you care so little of us? That you'd abandon us for someone you don't even know anymore?"

"I care about you guys, I do. I don't expect you to understand."

"Oh I understand, you're abandoning us."

"You understanding nothing," I screamed, voice coming out more of a roar. I knew my eyes flashed their golden hue causing Melanie to jump at the sudden aggression. Her own eyes flashed their bloody color, daring me to continue. "I'm sick of being your damn shadow. You're my sister, I will never be you. And I can't be anything else without being a fucking disappointment to everyone."

"I want… I want to be me and be accepted and loved and… I want to live my own life. I can't do that here."

A knock came from the door. Stefan opened it, shooting Melanie a look. My sister stood, rounding on me with another flash of red.

"If you leave, don't you dare come back."

I laughed, but only because it hurt too much to do anything else. Even if I stayed, you couldn't go back from saying something so cruel. She'd always look at me like I would betray her. Because in her world, even doubt was betraying her. And you don't betray your pack.

Stefan's hands were in his pockets. His eyes were hard, but emotions swarmed through them. Like always. Such an open book, and so helplessly in love with a woman who would never love him the way he deserved.

"You're leaving?" he questioned, but his eyes said he knew.

"Yes."

Moving closer to me he didn't stop until his chest was pressed to mine. His hand reaching down to tilt up my chin, our eyes locking. He smiled at me, bright and warm, pained. "I will always love you, Leora."

My hot hand moved over his squeezing gently. "I love you, too, Stefan."

He averted his eyes. "It will never be the same for you, but you are my best friend."

Biting my lip, I nodded. I was all too familiar with the idea of loving someone and never being able to have them. Maybe that's why I wasn't able to love anyone else the same. A part of me died in that fire at the Hale house. Along with my mother and best friend.

"Maybe one day I will come looking for you."

"Good thing these days we have these things called cell phones…" I smiled, eyes brimming with tears. "You can just… call."

"I'll never give you up," he mumbled.

"I wouldn't want you to."

"She's angry now, but she will understand someday. I understand, even if it kills me. I've… I've always known you wouldn't stay." His voice grew so low, I almost couldn't hear him. He brought his lips to my ear and whispered, "You are right, you don't belong here. You deserve to be with a pack who doesn't look at you like you're a child, an inconvenience, when you are the strongest woman I know."

"Stronger than them…" Stefan's forehead pressed into mine. "They think that by becoming cold, hiding their emotions makes them strong. It makes them weak. The fact that you can feel and still live, that's strength. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

"Okay."

He kissed my forehead.

With one last lingering stare, he muttered a heart wrenching "goodbye," and that was it. I ran a nervous hand through my hair. I had to go before my father tried to stop me.

I kicked off the pumps and slipped on my boots, not bothering to change back into my old clothes. Exiting the break room I headed even farther down the hallway. There was an emergency exit at the back. My shoulders tightened as I pressed my fingers to the handle. With one last shaky breath I pushed the door open.

The rain had dried, but the fresh scent was still heavy. I crossed quickly to my car. My hands were shaking on the steering wheel. Some might say I was running away, but I'd say I was escaping. Or more importantly… I was returning. Returning to the place where my father and sister ran from.

My cell phone vibrated angrily. I picked it up to show my father calling. I had hardly any time to leave. Going into my closet, I took out a duffle bag and began to stuff it with all my clothes; undergarments, socks, shorts, pants, dresses, shirts, anything and everything. Then I took down the large luggage bag and filled it with random belongs from around the house. Pictures, books, whatever. Finally, I found my old high school backpack and stuffed it with my bathroom toiletries.

Sprinting down to the car, I shoved everything in the backseat. I gave myself one last moment. Breathing in, remembering the place I had called… I didn't even call it home.

I started the car and drove off.

If you had a broken bone and didn't mend it correctly, it wouldn't heal right. There would always be a sharp pain. Some sort of discomfort alarming you that something hadn't healed right.

It was time for me to mend my broken bones.

But I'm forever missing him.

Twenty-seven hours was the estimated arrival time to California. Add an additional eight hours of driving just to reach Beacon Hills. Only four hours had passed. My phone had stopped vibrating an hour ago. I didn't bother to glance at the names, instead flipping the device over in the cupholder so I couldn't see the screen lighting up, begging to be answered.

My father and sister would never forgive me.

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. I wondered what would happen when I arrived. Maybe I should have pressed Cora more. Figured out where exactly Derek was staying. Even if years passed, I don't think I could ever forget Derek's scent. It was embedded in my brain like a curse. The woodsy smell, his musky scent, and that smell that was just so him words couldn't describe it.

Thinking he was dead this entire time… I would't say I knew what love was, but I would call myself a hopeless romantic. I'd been devoted to Derek as soon as I came out of the womb. That's what my mom used to say. They used to tell me I would wail pathetically for hours, then Derek would come into the room. He'd hold me for two-seconds and I'd stop crying and stare up at him with my innocent eyes, amazed by those pale green stare that was so deep and powerful.

I don't know what love is. But if I had any indication, I'd say Derek was my first love. Even if I never kissed him, or held him. Well, we hugged and kissed at pack greets, but that's not the same. Not necessarily as intimate as his childhood sweetheart, Paige, who I was undeniably jealous of… up until the day she died. I'd never seen someone's heartbreak before that, and seeing Derek's was enough to break my own.

Trying to down out my own thoughts, I turned up the radio. Whatever song playing blared loudly through the speakers, my sensitive hearing picking up everything.

And maybe something's wrong with me.

But, whoa, at least, I am free, I am free.

Just tryna find my home sweet home, sweet home, sweet home, sweet home…

I drink a little more than recommended.

'Cause this ain't exactly what my heart expected…

If only I can drink away my problems. I always wondered how that went. To let yourself loose, becoming something else entirely. Sounded oddly poetic and terrifying. There are rumors of lower doses of wolfsbane that don't cause immediate death that some werewolves used for intoxication. Nothing I would recommend, or tried. Although, some assumed I had. Like, where the hell was I supposed to get it anyway?

The music did little to help distract me. If anything the lyrics were drawing memories of before, painful ones from the times I was filled with sweet happiness. So genuine, so much love, so at home.

~o~

My mother's amber hair pulled up in a sloppy bun atop her head. Those gorgeous eyes sparkling like the vast ocean seas, her pouted lips pulled in a smirk as she watched Cassandra and I shuffle around the kitchen. We were around five, if I recalled correctly.

"If we are quiet we can probably sneak them," I explained to Cassandra very seriously. "All you have to do is pick me up, then we can reach it. Got it?"

She frowned, button nose scrunching up in thought. "Doesn't sound like a good idea."

"You're right…" I let my eyes widen, expanding my hands dramatically. "It's an awesome idea!"

We both peeked around the kitchen doorway to see my mom washing some of the dishes. I held a finger to my lips and motioned for Cassandra to follow my lead. She trailed behind me hesitantly, both of us tiptoeing on our bare feet.

Finally we reached the counter directly under where the sweet smell of sugar cookies invaded our melting brains. All I wanted was those cookies, so bad.

Cassandra's hands went to my waist and she wrapped her arms around my torso. With a grunt, she struggled to lift me high above her head, but being so small and weak at the time, she hardly got me off the floor.

"What do you two think you're doing?" My mother's musical voice hummed questionably.

We both stilled, eyes wide in fear at being caught. Cassandra had been right, she was always the smart one, this had been a stupid idea. Trying to steal cookies while your werewolf mother was still in the kitchen was a very idiotic decision.

Needless to say, she dropped me. Then we both scrambled out of the kitchen and into our playroom. Cora was sitting on the floor playing with giant toy blocks, not even sparing us a glance at our panicked expressions, being so young and carefree at the time. Honestly, she had just been throwing the blocks at one another anyway. Mindless, that one at that age.

Both of us collapsed onto a play matt. I grabbed the nearest toy and pretended to be completely occupied by it, while Cassandra just closed her eyes and acted as if she was napping.

"What did you two do now?" A nine-year-old Derek quipped, his eyes narrowed at me; always at me, because he knew I was the 'brain' behind the senseless activities. His hair was messy atop his head, grown out a little past his ears. Talia threatened to cut it off the week before, but Derek whined that this was what 'all the kids in his class were doing.' I thought he looked stupid, but whatever. My opinion only made him not want to play with me, so I stopped letting him know.

I shrugged indifferently. "Nothing."

"Doesn't seem like nothing!" He stood up from where he was sitting in the corner playing with a superhero toy, some stupid looking thing in a red suit. He dropped the toy to the floor and yanked the one I was mindlessly playing with from my grasp.

Glowering, I yelped, "Hey! Give that back!"

"Not until you tell me what you did," he retorted.

"Give me-"I grabbed the other half and tugged roughly. "-IT BACK RIGHT NOW!"

He snickered, amused by my anger. Instead of releasing the toy he jerked it so that I feel forward. I kicked him in the shin.

"LEORA STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" Derek barked, hopping on one foot. His thick eyebrows were scrunched together in discontent. "LET GO!"

"If you guys don't stop yelling you're going to get in trouble…" Cassandra muttered, scooting farther away from us as she saw the quickly approaching fight.

I kicked him again.

"OUCH!" He whined, then he pushed me. I fell to the floor, but jumped right back up and punched his arm, then grabbed the doll.

With one hard tug in both of our directions the doll ripped in half, stuffing flying through the air like snowflakes. I gaped at the damaged goods staring down at the dolls lifeless eyes.

"You killed her," I informed him blankly.

"No, you did it."

"YOU KILLED MY DOLL!" Cassandra wailed. Her body rushed forward as she scooped up the remains of the deceased toy. "Molly… I'm so sorry…" She cradled it against her chest, crying loudly.

I scowled at Derek. "Look what you did, you killed her doll, you jerk!"

"Well… you're a brat."

"I'm no a brat!"

"What is going on in here?"

We all stilled, slowly turning towards the door. Talia and my mother stood in the doorway watching us children with perplexed expressions. It must have been a sight to see, not that it was anything other than ordinary. Derek leaning over me shouting in my face while Cassandra held the broken toy letting out choked sobs of sadness.

Derek and I both pointed at each other mutely.

Our parents shared knowing looks.

Derek and I were grounded.

Only Laura, Cassandra, and Cora had cookies that night.

~o~

I smiled fondly at the memory. Gosh, we were so evil to one another. And yet, I would have walked into gunfire for him.

Those cookies though… I could go for some of those. Homemade, gooey insides, and the sugary sprinkles. My mom was an excellent baker, something I prided myself in picking up after her death. Suck on that Dad, your desert girl just quit.

There were so many memories of the Hale house. We hadn't lived with them, my immediate family, but we had a house nearby. When the house went up in flames… my mother had been able to reach my dad via phone (one of those giant cell phones from back in the day), but she was still trapped inside. She told him to take us and run, that they might be coming for us next.

They didn't. But, our father packed our bags and we left. I didn't even get to go to her funeral. He said it was too risky.

My knuckles clenched on the steering wheel.

Everything was too risky for him. Even living. How did he live the way he did? Afraid of everything? He was a smart alpha, but not a strong one. Pathetically believing that running away was the solution to every problem. If it had been my choice, there would have been a fight. I wouldn't have let my families murder slide. Unfortunately, an eleven-year-old didn't have a say.

I pulled over for gas. Thankfully, I had been smart enough to setup my own bank account when I was eighteen years ago. My father insisted it wasn't necessary, since we were all family and we shared everything. But, I always had that thought of what if?

God, he probably would have suspended the account.

Slipping out the visa card, I swiped it tiredly. My body was cramping from the seat. I'd need to stop at a hotel soon for a nap. Probably call Stefan let him know I was okay. Listen to all the voicemails and read all the text messages. Probably wallow in self loathing at all the rude things my pack might snip at me for "abandoning" them, like my sister so eloquently put it.

The night approached, swarming me in darkness. Stars sparkled in the sky, bright and blinding. As I continued on my drive I allowed my eyes to transform into the golden hue. Even if I had my lights on it was still easier to see in the dark with my wolf vision. Everything was red, but so very clear.

I remembered when I first started to transform. It was a lot earlier than a lot of the male's, but female werewolves tended to reach their peek faster. Probably because of puberty, it came along with that wonderful time of the month. It was like the world wanted us to snap. Here, you get to bleed for a week as well as try and rip out someones throat on the full moon! Freaking world, always trying to spite us females with inconvenient things like pups, bleeding, and cramps.

Derek and I hadn't always been evil to one another. Especially when I was struggling with control during my transformation. He had helped, he'd been my anchor. He still was my anchor. It was one of the few times I lost control without an adult.

~o~

We were outside in the field we usually played in about a ten minute run from the Hale home. Derek, Cassandra, Cora and I liked to race. Cora, at this point, always lost. When it came down to it Derek and I were always in the lead, but the stupid older werewolf had longer legs so he usually beat me.

Except this one time. I was beating him, running so fast, my mind was focused. I heard my breathing sharply, and I could hear Derek's pants. Smell the musk evaporating from his sweaty skin.

Then he tripped me.

I fell flat on my face. He laughed, passing my tumbled form gleefully like the sore loser he was. An uncontrollable urge to rip him to pieces overwhelmed me. Growling deeply, I jumped to my feet and took after him even faster than before.

Derek sensed something was wrong, turning his head to stare back at me. His eyes widened, skidding to a stop. I latched onto him, tackling him to the grassy ground in pure rage.

"Leora!" His voice called, his larger hands wrapped around my wrist. Twisting me around, he straddled my waist as I snapped at him with my newly formed teeth.

"L-Leora?" Cassandra tried, as she stopped a few feet behind Derek.

He tilted his head at his younger sister in a panic. The one time Laura was not with them this would happen. "Cass! Go get Uncle Peter, take Cora with you! RUN. NOW."

Her little feet padded in the dirt. I heard Cora complain, but it wasn't any concern as I tried to tear out Derek's throat.

His eyes were large, gaping down at me unsure of what to do. "Remember, Leora, the sun, the moon, the truth. SAY it."

I roared, "I'm going to kill you!"
"Come on, Leora, come back to me," he begged. "The sun, the moon, the truth… FIND your anchor! Remember what they told us about anchors? What's your anchor?"

You…

My head collapsed back into the dirt, my breathing heavy. I felt myself calming down as I muttered, "The sun, the moon, the truth…"

"That's it, come back to me."

When I felt my teeth retreat and my claws retracting into the normal dull human shape, Derek slid off of me. His arm slid behind my back and he helped me into a sitting position. His smile grew as he stared at me, like he was proud of me.

A shy blush filled my cheeks. Derek wrapped me in a hug, allowing his forming muscles to press against my somewhat flat chest, and I inhaled his inciting scent. Then his lips brushed my cheek. The skin burned where his soft pink lips imprinted swiftly. The usual sign of pack, whether it was in greeting or to show another member how you cared for them. My heart thundered in my chest. It always did whenever Derek held me close.

"Thanks…" I whispered, my hazel eyes blinking up at him gratefully.

"Um, I'm sorry for tripping you." He rubbed the back of his messy black hair. Much shorter now than the past, and he grew more handsome every day. How was it possible that he could get even more attractive?

"If you do it again I might try and eat you."

"Again?"

I nodded firmly. "Yeah, but next time it'll be a conscious thing."

He snorted.

The sound of heavy footsteps pounded on the ground. A young man with wide electric blue eyes appeared running towards us worriedly. He held out the triskelion.

Shouting, "Got it! I'm coming!"

"You're a little late," Derek said smugly as his uncle approached.

Peter raised a brow, eyeing me on the ground. He took in my perspiring forehead, my entire body drenched in sweat and dirt from rolling around in the grass with Derek. "Well, you're not dead," he observed, saying this to Derek. "So that means you did something right."

"Yeah… I told her to find her anchor," Derek proudly informed. "And she did!"

"Is that so?" Peter hummed, eyes gleaming mischievously.

I blushed. Because it appeared everyone but Derek knew about how much I liked him.

"Try not to piss her off while she's transitioning," Peter scolded, arms crossing as he scowled at Derek. "I thought we discussed how females get a lot more intense than males."

Derek scratched the back of his head, sheepishly smirking at me. I rolled my eyes. It's like he wanted to get himself killed.

Standing, Derek held out a hand for me. I grasped his palm and he helped me onto my feet. His hand squeezed mine gently, reassuringly, because even if we bickered we were still pack.

"Come on," Peter grunted. "Let's get back. Your sisters are freaking out."

Derek shoved his shoulder gently into mine. A silent way of saying, 'hey, I care about you, but don't let it get to your head.' Such a Derek gesture and I so very much grinned bashfully at him.

~o~

The effects of the night were pressing on me as my thoughts grew weary. Thinking of Derek brought me such happiness, but so much sadness at the same time. It was physically exhausting.

Checking into a cheap motel, I wormed my way under the covers of the stale quilt. I grimaced at the scent, but it was better than sleeping in the cramped car. I didn't even bother to change out of the dress. I just slid under the covers and fell into a restless sleep, thoughts crowded of Derek Hale and what I might encounter when I arrived.

xXbriannaXx and MonkeyGoneToHeaven (periods between every world for her UN) THANK you seriously so much; they helped me a lot while brainstorming for this story and encouraged me to write it :D ALSO, just xXbriannaXx and I were going over some things and I totally give her credit for a BUNCH of the stuff in this story. She pretty much came up with the conflict this story is going to have!

xXbriannaXx Stefan is a babe! RIGHT?! Ugh. I'd be so tempted to have him be with Leora if it weren't for Derek! She definitely is the black sheep of her family, which is something I personally take into writing for her. I tend to be the black sheep of my own so I like the idea of writing a character that I can strongly relate to in that aspect. If only I could have werewolf powers too!

MonkeyGoneToHeaven I'm so happy you like that SONG! I feel like it relates to this character's situation so much. Also, the song 'Strangers' by Tove Lo inspired me for the title of this story.

winchesterxgirl THANKS SO MUCH. You've been such a great supporter to every story I've written thus far for TW and I'm so glad you're following my Derek/OC because some people strictly only ready the Stiles x OC.

I hope this chapter answers some, if not most, of your questions regarding Cora! Basically, how I planned it out in my head, which hopefully I'll be able to explain in more detail IN the story, but it wouldn't be till much later… is that, Cora had to be staying somewhere before she went to Derek in season 3, right? So, I figured she was staying with this alpha pack that is super nice. Then she went to find Derek, decided NAH to Scott, and then came back to that pack. That was at least my thought process behind that.

In this story, I'm having it that the Hale fire was 9 years ago and basing that in season 4 it had been 6 years since the fire. Timeline might not be completely accurate, but whatever! Therefore, it's 3 years past season 4. Not entirely far in the future, but far enough where a lot has probably gone down because it's Beacon Hills.

To answer your question: Has Derek been in Scott's pack? Will they show up? YES & YES. Derek is a beta in Scott's pack and the entire pack will show up. Although, I won't lie. The rest of the pack isn't going to be the main focus on this story. It's going to be mostly Derek centered. So the others will be there, but it won't be as intimate with the other characters as some might like. However, Leora is definitely going to help the pack out A TON so they will be there. Just not the main focus.

MissTigerLilly1013 thank you so much for your review :) I'm so happy you liked it!

Not sure when the next update shall be! Looking forward to your responses :) they help shape the story, I swear! Your opinions are viewed highly by me!