Chapter Twenty-One:
Derek's POV
"Derek."
I can hear my name being called. But I look around and see only white.
"Derek," the voice drags out my name and I hold my breath.
Where was it coming from?
Then an eardrum-shattering noise fills my head and cover my ears with my hands, feeling like I had gone deaf.
I open my eyes, seeing my house. What used to be the living room and a veterinarian leaning over me.
"What?" I stumble over my own words. "What was that sound?"
Deaton smiles and holds up a dog whistle. I roll my eyes at him, annoyed.
I stand up too fast and almost fall over again, but the vet catches me and holds my arms so I don't trip over myself.
"You're going to be weak for several hours," he explains.
I look down at my arm. The small stains of blood on my forearm are still there. Then I turn my eyes to the hole in the floor.
Peter.
My heart stops in dread and anger.
"It actually happened?" I ask, more to myself than him. But he answers anyways.
Deaton looks at me and says, "Don't worry, you're still an alpha. But not a particularly confident one."
"Where is he?" I demand. I could slit that man's throat one more time before I let him leave.
"I wish I could tell you that," Deaton mutters.
"Then why don't you tell me what you're doing here?" I ask him, getting pissed with his stupid riddles. "Why you're helping me?"
"Helping your family used to be an important part of my life," Deaton tells me.
My guts twists at the thought of them.
"Helping you," he goes on, "was a promise I made to your mother."
It finally hits me and I feel stupid at how long it took me.
"You're the one my sister talked about," I say. "You're a kind of advisor?"
"Your sister was right," Deaton says. "And I have some advice you should listen to right now."
I stand rigid as he brings up Peter.
"What Peter managed to do. It doesn't come without a price."
I stare down at the broken floorboards, dreading what he's going to say next.
"He'll be physically weak, he'll rely on his wits. He'll come after you, Derek," He tells me.
I look up at him, hopefully he'll have some good news.
"He'll try to twist his way into your head, prey on your insecurities."
Come to think of it, nothing had ever been good in my life.
"Do not trust him," he warns.
"I don't trust anyone," I tell him with a smirk. What good did trust do?
"I know," Deaton shoots back at me. "If you did, maybe you'd be the alpha you'd like to think you are."
Goddamned advisor has a way of putting me down.
"And unfortunately, the one you should be trusting, doesn't trust you at all."
"Scott," I mutter in realization.
"You have to find him as fast as you can," Deaton tells me. "I've known Gerard for a very long time. He always has a plan. And something tells me that it's going exactly the way he wants it."
I nod and start to head for the door, my heart pounding.
What was he planning this time?
"Oh, and Derek," Deaton calls for me. I stop and face him as he says, "You don't find a girl like that every day."
I sigh and walk out the door.
How the hell do all these people know?
.
.
I pull up to the sheriff's station, seeing Diana's motorcycle parked there.
Diana's walking up the steps to the doors. She turns and eyes me walking out of my car.
"Derek? What are you doing here?" She asks, seeming worried about something.
But I don't think about anything inside of the station or the worry in her voice.
I hold her face in my hands and kiss her.
She kisses back for a moment and puts her hands on my chest and my heart pounds with victory for once in my life.
Until she pushes me back and spins around, her back facing me.
"Derek," she starts, brushing some hair behind her ear. "I don't…"
And all I can do is try to reel my mouth back in and stand there like a friend-zoned idiot.
She turns back around with a pitying expression and I look away.
If she doesn't want me, fine. There are plenty other girls in the world that I could get.
But my wolf whispers that she's the only one I want.
.
.
Diana's POV
Derek looks away from me, pissed. I sigh and look back to the door, wondering why he kissed me.
Why did I pull away?
"We should go inside. Scott knows who's controlling Jackson."
He looks at me then, but I can see bitter disappointment in his eyes and expression. He nods and opens the door, letting me in first.
"Jackson?" I whisper hoarsely as he stares at us expressionlessly.
Derek shoves me behind him, crouching down in his werewolf position.
Jackson leaps up on the ceiling and I try not to squeal like a little girl.
Good God, he was terrifying in his half-and-half phase.
Derek growls at him and his eyes blaze a ruby red. Jackson falls behind us and his tail extends, which makes him all the more frightening. He wraps the tail around my neck and I can feel my throat closing off any airways.
It pulls tighter and tighter and I can literally feel my lungs starting to explode until he cuts Derek across the back of the neck, making him slump over as he digs his claws into his back. He holds him up like a puppet and drags him along in front of him and pulls my along, his slithery tail still wrapped around my neck.
"Derek?" I ask. He doesn't answer me but hisses in pain as Jackson claws deeper into his spine.
"Matt, please don't do this," I can hear Scott plead from behind the door. My heart contracts as I realize Scott was entirely correct about him.
"Open the door," Matt says slowly.
The door opens in front of Derek and I can hear Scott sigh in relief.
"Oh, thank God."
Jackson drops Derek onto the floor and lands directly underneath Matt. His tail unhitches from around my neck and I gasp, almost falling over towards Scott and Stiles. Scott holds me up by the arm asking, "You okay?"
I nod and Matt smirks down at Derek, who glares up at him, asking, "This is the one controlling him? This kid?"
"Well, not everyone can be a big bad werewolf like you," Matt mocks him.
My eyes widen.
How does he know?
"That's right," Matt says, "I've learned a few things lately. Werewolves, hunters, Kanimas. It's like a freaking Halloween party every full moon."
He turns and smirks at me, but I can only stare at him, utterly betrayed.
"And Diana, the poor cursed soul. Not really that bad since you have your hairy bodyguards."
All eyes turn on me, confused. But, I have no idea what he's talking about.
"Except you, Stiles." Matt turns to him, fidgeting with the gun in his hand. "What do you turn into?"
"Abominable Snowman," Stiles says, "But it's kind of winter thing. You know, seasonal."
Matt glares at him and cocks his head, causing Jackson to slice across his neck.
"Uh, bitch," Stiles stutters, falling down on top of Derek.
"Get him off of me," Derek says, threateningly.
"Oh, I don't know Derek," Matt says, amused, "You, two make a pretty good pair."
Derek glares at him and Stiles makes a disgusted face.
"Must kinda suck, though," he goes on. "To have all that power taken away from you with a little cut on the back of the neck."
"Still got some teeth," Derek presses on, "Why don't you come down a little closer? See how helpless I really am?"
"Yeah, bitch," Stiles mutters, weakly.
Headlights shine through the window and a car pulls up.
Scott stiffens beside me.
"Is that her?" Matt asks.
"Matt please, don't do this." Scott pleads.
"Do what I say and I won't hurt her. I won't even let Jackson near her." Matt tells him.
Scott stays still as Stiles yells, "Scott! Don't trust him!" Matt kicks his side and makes him fall beside Derek.
Matt grits his teeth as Scott stays still.
He raises the gun and a bullet follows.
White hot pain hits my side and I stumble back, my mouth hanging open in pain.
I can't even scream as I fall back and lean against the desk.
"Does that work better for you?" Matt asks. "Or should I put the next bullet in her head?"
My eyes fill up with water and I pull my hand back from the wound on my side, seeing the maroon shirt stain with blood.
Never had anything hurt so much in my life.
Scott stares at me, wide-eyed and his expression making me fear for my life. I know nothing about gunshots and which ones could kill you.
Matt raises the gun again and holds it against my forehead. I close my eyes and try not to scream in fear as the cold metal, the last thing I could ever feel in my life, presses against my skin.
"Don't!" Scott yells as he cocks the gun.
I flinch as he pulls it away and I sink down to the floor after Matt holds the gun facing Scott, making him walk out into the lobby.
The blood doesn't seem to stop leaking from my fingers as Stiles asks, "Diana?"
"I'm okay," I tell him. I grit my teeth and groan afterwards. I try to lift the shirt from my wound and then groan as I press down further on it.
"Calm down," Derek tells me. His voice sounds a bit shaky.
"Calm down?" I ask him. How the hell could I calm down? My side hurts and Matt's taking another hostage and I could DIE!
"If you don't you'll pass out from shock." Derek says. "Calm down."
I look over to them and Stiles' eyes are the size of soccer balls and Derek's staring at me, worried.
Matt pushes Scott back into the room.
"Matt," I ask.
"Shut up!" He yells, pointing the gun back in my direction.
Beads of sweat trail down the sides of his face and he twists his head nervously. His sanity slowly unraveling.
'What do you want?" Scott asks him.
"The book," Matt answers, looking over to me. I glare at him and press down on my side.
"What book?" Scott repeats.
"The bestiary!" Matt yells, shaking the gun in his hand.
"Why do you want the bestiary?" Scott asks him.
"For this," Matt says, lifting his shirt to reveal scales running along his side.
My eyes widen and he throws his shirt back down.
Seriously? Could this night get any worse?
.
.
"You know, I feel sorry for you, Diana." Matt says to me. Scott stands on the other side of him, watching me slowly bleed out.
And it hurts like a bitch.
"You're brother's dead, what are you doing now? Dying," Matt says. "All you have to do is flip that pretty blonde hair of yours and the wolves come running."
"What?" I ask him. Scott looks just as confused as I am.
"You don't know?" Matt laughs. He actually laughs. Like it's amusing.
"Know what?" Scott asks. Matt smirks at him.
"You haven't the urge to protect? The mate to your wolf?" Matt ridicules.
I look over to Scott, confused. He ignores my gaze and glares at Matt.
"Haven't you done enough to her?" Scott says, scornfully. "Weren't you her friend?"
"Shut up!" Matt yells at him. "Shut up, shut up!"
He points the gun at Scott's head. Scott shuts his mouth and I pull my hand away from the wound. The bleeding seems to have slowed, but my hand is covered in blood. And my shirt is completely covered in it, it sticks to my skin.
It's absolutely disgusting.
"Why are you doing this?" I ask him. "Why did you kill him?"
"It's the swim team," Scott says. "Isn't it?"
I stare at Matt in relevance, "That's what this is about?"
"You drowned, didn't you?" Scott turns t face me. "How do you know?"
"Because she was there, you idiot." Matt says, "He shouldn't have let them drink."
I look down, remembering the night at Isaac's.
"Who?" Scott asks.
"Lahey! The swim team." Matt yells at him. "He shouldn't have let them drink. I mean, who cares that they're seventeen, right?"
"Matt," I plead. He glares at me, making me stiffen.
"I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know they'd just won state," Matt tells him what he told me. But he changes it, "Lahey let some of his favorites come over to celebrate. Let them drink." Matt says, dryly.
"Were you at Isaac's?" Scott asks. He looks over to me. I turn away from him and look back to Matt, who's going on about his horrible nightmare-ish memory.
"He had this first edition Spiderman. Or was it Batman?" Matt questions himself. He turns to me, "You should remember! You had an antique Joker!"
"Batman," I murmur.
He scoffs at me and goes on, "We were going to make a trade. And I'm over there, and I hear music. They're laughing and I see Sean throw Jessica in the pool. And then Bennett and Leo jump in. And then Camden…Isaac's jarhead brother. He grabs me, he thinks it's funny."
"They threw you in?" Scott asks.
"I'm screaming that I can't swim and Diana's off trying to get her Joker doll from Leo. And they start laughing."
I remember how ignorant I had been about my Joker doll that night. That toy was bitchin' but I still feel guilty about not noticing Matt scream for help.
"I swallow water and no one cares. I see these hands underwater. Jessica's got her hands down Sean's board shorts. Tucker grabbing Kara. And I'm drowning. I'm dying and they're laughing!" Matt yells, spinning around and staring at me. "The only reason you're not dead yet is because you're the one who saved me. A nine-year-old! The only one sober enough to reach in and pull me out!"
I stare at him, terrified of how unstable he's becoming.
"Matt, please," I beg him.
He ignores me and goes on, "And all of a sudden I'm laying by the pool. Diana's there beside me and Lahey's yelling at us. He says, 'You tell no one! This, this is your fault'!"
He waves his gun at Scott and mimic's Lahey exact words. I still remember it.
"He says, 'What little bastard doesn't know how to swim'?" He says, tears flooding his eyes. None fall over, though. "We didn't tell anyone. I went to school and they wouldn't even look at me."
He glares over at me, "Diana had no problem looking forward! No problem with them almost murdering me!"
"Matt, it wasn't like that!" I try to tell him. He stomps towards me and glares straight into my eyes.
I can almost feel the hurt radiating from his body.
"It wasn't like that," I whisper. "We were friends."
Matt laughs at me again, "Friends? Friends? I almost died because of them, and you just pretended like they didn't do anything wrong!"
"You killed my brother," I tell him.
Scott stands over to the side, watching us intently, making sure he wouldn't shoot me again.
"Wish it could've gone another way, Diana," He tells me, shaking his head and spinning back around, glaring at Scott. "And you know what I don't get? Why you're not yelling threats at me right now! You should be…you should…"
I stare at his back, feeling awful for him. My side stings from his dumb-ass gunshot, but I can't help but think how much this messed him up. How much he's been tortured by this.
It wasn't exactly his fault. He was just traumatized.
"Matt," I mutter. Scott shoots his head towards me, shaking his head at me not to say anything stupid. When I mutter my next words, his eyes grow into golf balls.
"I forgive you," I tell him.
"No!" He yells, "You shouldn't. Because after I take some photos at Argent's funeral, Lahey gets into one of my shots. And I just want to see him dead. And the next day," he turns to us dramatically, "he was. So I take more shots."
I look away, feeling like someone stabs a fork into my heart.
My life really sucked right now.
"So I take more pictures, and all I have to do is take their picture," Matt goes on with his story. "And Jackson comes along and it's like the furies coming down to punish Orestes."
He turns to us and snickers to himself psychotically, "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"
"Was he the guy that stabbed out his eyes?" Scott asks, nervously.
"That's Oedipus, you dumb-ass!" Matt yells at him, waving his gun again. "the furies had snakes for hair and their tears ran of blood. If there was a crime that went unpunished, they would do the punishing for them."
Matt runs to Jackson, who's standing in the doorway, half-covered in scales.
"Jackson is my fury." Matt says, sounding almost proud of him. "When I saw him the next night, it was like this bond had been cemented between the two of us. I knew he had killed Lahey for me and I knew he would do it again. So I went to Tucker's garage. I even paid for an oil change and guess what?" He looks between as if expecting us to answer, then hollers, "He didn't even recognize me! But all I had to do was take their picture and Jackson would kill them for me."
Suddenly, the lights go off and a siren starts blaring. I cover one ear, not daring to take my hand off of my gunshots wound.
"What is this?" Matt asks, "What is this? What's happening!"
"I don't know," Scott says.
As if on cue, gunshots fire through the windows and Scott pulls me down underneath a desk.
"Ah!" I cry out in pain at the sudden movement. Fresh blood leaks out of my again and stains my hand.
"I'm sorry!" Scott calls out, covering me.
The bullets stop flying, suddenly. And a small grenade-like device flies through the broken window and lands in the room, making everything fill with gas.
I gag and my eyes fill with water, overflowing and making my cheeks wet.
Tear gas.
"Come on!" Scott picks me up and runs through the doorway and set me down by where Stiles and Derek are.
Derek's fumbling over and trying to stand.
"Take him!" He yells to Scott, "Take him! Go!"
"Derek," I murmur, pulling his arm and helping him stand. He stumbles and I hold him upright with both hands, wincing at the pain in my side.
Derek regains his balance and stares at me and then darts his eyes down to my side.
Jackson's' inhuman scream echoes through the air and Derek picks me up and carries me away and into a hall. He sets me upright and I lean against it heavily, the adrenaline wearing off and the pain becoming even stronger.
"Diana, let me see it." Derek says. I shake my head and hold onto my side tighter, trying to make the bleeding stop. Why is it bleeding so much, you ask? Well, people had a problem of jabbing my side with their elbows when they picked me up.
"Let me see it," he asks, gently. He gingerly moves my hand away from it and lifts up my shirt. It peels off painfully and is soaked in blood.
It's one of my favorite shirts.
Derek sighs in relief, "It just grazed you, you'll be okay."
I nod and stare at him, wondering about the kiss earlier. He stares at me and I can't keep my gaze from going to his mouth.
Despite the situation, it seems like the man has candy-coated lips.
So I pull him towards me with my blood-free hand and kiss him like there's no tomorrow.
Maybe there won't be with all the crazy-ness.
He kisses me back and tangles his hand in my hair. He pulls back and stares at me, surprised.
"You said-"
"I lied," I tell him. He kisses me one more time before looking down at the wound on my side.
"You can run?" He asks.
"Painfully, yes," I tell him.
"Go hide," Derek tells me. "I'll come back, I'll find you."
"Okay," I agree.
"Go!" He yells for me. I stumble away and past a holding cell room. I see two people inside.
Mr. Stilinski and Scott's mom.
"Diana," Melissa says. She sees my side and mutters, "Oh my God, are you alright?"
I nod, "It's just a graze. I'll be alright." I turn around and face Mr. Stilinski.
"Where's Stiles? Are you all alright? Besides the wound?" He questions.
"Stiles is fine, right now." I tell him. "Where's the keys?"
"They might be in the desk, hurry up!" He tells me, pulling the handcuffs from the wall after I trip over to the desk. Mr. Stilinski holds it up and actually laughs that one thing has gone good tonight.
Until Matt hits him over the head with a gun.
The ex-sheriff falls to the floor limply.
Melissa McCall lets out a scream and covers her mouth. I duck behind the desk.
"Matt, Matt, please. Diana's been shot and I heard all the gunfire and I just want to get her to a hospital and see my son," She pleads.
"How clueless are you people?" He yells.
I bite my lip, hopeful he won't let the secret out.
A low growling brings my attention to the doorway, where Derek is wolfed out and snarling at Matt. Matt's eyes go wide and he brings in Jackson, who's in full kanima uniform.
Melissa gasp and falls back towards the wall, staying as far away from them as possible.
Derek throws Jackson into the wall, pinning him for a split-second until he pushes Derek onto the floor. I duck behind the desk and hide under it like a pansy.
But I'm shot, so I don't hate myself for it too much.
Derek jumps up and grabs a chair, pushing Jackson away with it. Jackson throws Derek into a wall, knocking him out.
I grit my teeth and suck it up, kneeling over beside him.
"Derek? Derek, get the hell up!" I say, tugging on his ear. His eyes flicker and he sits up further.
Jackson crawls along with bars of the jail cell, where Mrs. McCall is staring at him, horrified.
Scott plunges his claws deep into Jackson's back, making him squeal and jump off.
Derek sits up further and then his eyes widen as Jackson scurries away.
"Stay here," He tells me, patting my shoulder and racing off.
"Scott!" Melissa says, "Oh my God, Scott."
Scott turns, all wolfed up, and faces his mother.
She stands up and falls back, muttering, "No, no, Scott, no."
Scott looks down, ashamed and turns to me, mouthing, "Go."
I do as I say and stumble off again. I screech as I run into someone.
"It's just me!" Derek says, back to his normal, human features. I nod and then he puts his arm around me, helping me run faster towards an exit. He stops suddenly.
"Wait," He says, holding up his hand. He lets go and listens to something around the corner.
I struggle to listen with him.
"What are you doing here?" Scott asks. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this!"
"Trust me, I know that." Says another voice. It sends shivers down my spine.
Gerard.
"I've done everything that you asked of me. I've become part of Derek's pack, I told you that Jackson was the kanima, I told you Matt was controlling Jackson-"
"Leave him to us, help your friends," Gerard tells him, "Leave Matt and Jackson to me. Deal with your mother, go."
"You dropped this."
"Go!"
Scott runs past us and I look to Derek, who's staring after him with an unfathomable expression.
I look after Scott.
Three people gone, just a few more to go.
This is by far my longest chapter. :D Woo! And Diana got a kiss, ;D Haha, I'm in a good mood, I guess. :)
Thanks to you guys! Who's awesome, you guys are! :D :D Smiles and long-distance hugs for all of you!
Review!
P.S. Happy late Birthday to lemonpie951! :D Hope your birthday was awesome!