Chapter 7: The Fourth Virgin

Scott's father, FBI Agent Rafael McCall, sat in the Stilinski living room with a tape recorder and notepad.

"Your father was abducted for two days and yourself for nearly a month. I'm sorry to hear your family has gone through so much in so short a period of time."

Daria kept her eyes trained on Agent McCall, trying to balance the truth with something that didn't sound utterly ridiculous.

"I don't even understand why I was taken." That much was true. Deucalion said she was potential leverage - but also that he had a feeling about her. But what did that mean?

"Let's go back over what you do know. A man was in the road, and you swerved to miss. Then a man named Deucalion drugged you with chloroform and brought you to his apartment where he and four other adults lived."

"Two of them were children. Or high school aged. Twin boys. He seemed to have leverage over them as well." Maybe she was being ridiculous, but Daria didn't want to ruin Ethan and Aiden's lives by making them complicit.

"Did any of them assault you or touch you inappropriately?"

"No." Daria wrapped her arms around herself, not liking the direction this interview was taking. "None of them were allowed to touch me. But… that's a good thing though, right?"

"Miss Stilinski, how familiar are you with predatory grooming?"

A wave of nausea washed over Daria. "I don't- I don't want to talk about that. I'm an adult. It's different. No."

"Daria." He set the notepad down. "You said yourself that you didn't know what his motives were."

"But I don't think it was like that. He called Jennifer Blake a druid."

"The English teacher at the high school."

She nodded bleakly. "And he referred to himself as a superior being."

This time she went for a blatant lie.

"It seems more likely that I was going to be part of some weird ritual sacrifice too."

Alarm crossed Agent McCall's face. "Ms. Blake went after virgins, soldiers, teachers, parents, and doctors. Do you fall into any one of those categories?"

A deep blush formed on her cheeks, and she averted her eyes to her shoes. "Yes…"

He seemed surprised by the admission, knowing there was only one category she could reasonably have fallen in.

"Miss Stilinski, whether you were being groomed for murder or something more sinister, be glad you never found out what it was."

–

Scott's eyes widened at the kitchen table in Stiles' house as he listened to the ensuing interrogation.

"What. What's that look for? You have a very surprised look on your face."

"Maybe Deucalion was protecting your sister from the darach."

"Why. What. What makes you think that?"

"Your sister disappeared the same night Lydia found a dead body… and the same night another girl was taken."

"Yeah, Scott, but those were virgin sacrifices. My sister's not a… oh, Gah. Nope. Nope. I don't want to think about my sister's sex life. Conversation over. Never. NEVER bring this up again!"

Scott was floored. Daria was beautiful, and funny, and definitely desirable. How was she still a virgin?

He suddenly felt a sharp poke in his ribs.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Stop. Stop now. Quit thinking about my sister's sexual experience, or I swear to God I will impale you with whatever kitchen utensils I can find."

Scott coughed into his fist to obscure the growing smirk on his face, deciding for the sake of his best friend to let it go.

–

Peter spotted Daria the next morning at the local gym, punching a heavy bag with extreme vigor, and he grinned. Sneaking easily past the front desk, he approached her.

"Someone's feeling fierce this morning."

She pulled out her earbuds and rolled her eyes. "Hey, Peter."

Daria wasn't as pleased to see him as he had hoped. Scott and Stiles must have filled her in on the more gray areas of his life. All true, but unfortunate nonetheless.

"Boxing. I'm impressed. Although I would have pegged you as more the yoga type."

She continued to punch the heavy bag. "Deucalion made me train with Ennis. He never told me why. But now that I know what I do, I don't want to be weak."

"Fascinating. You know, Ennis is the reason Derek almost died, don't you?"

She pursed her lips. "He's also the reason Kali didn't kill me in my sleep. And Derek is alive. So maybe don't trample on his grave."

"Fair enough." A calculating smirk spread across his face. "I heard something very interesting last night."

"Oh yeah?" She punched at the heavy bag a few times.

"A little birdie told me that you could have been one of the virgin sacrifices."

Her next punch missed the bag completely.

"You were listening to my conversation with Agent McCall?" she blanched.

"Of course not. I just happened to hear Scott discussing it with Stiles and thought you would appreciate knowing."

Daria paled. "Scott and my brother were talking about it?"

"You can hardly blame them. The allure of the beautiful virgin maiden."

"Shut up," she muttered, throwing a light punch in his direction.

He caught her arm before the punch could land.

"What I don't get–" He pulled the velcro up from her glove and slowly pulled it from her hand. "–is how someone as breathtakingly gorgeous as you–" He grabbed her other arm, beginning to remove the velcro from her other glove. "–hasn't partaken–" He slid off the last glove, letting it fall to the floor. "–in the exquisite pleasure of lovemaking."

He felt her heart rate increase, and he tugged her closer to his body.

"Let me take you to dinner." He whispered into her ear, grinning as her breath hitched.

"You are… very good at seducing women, aren't you?"

"That depends on your answer."

"I would have seriously considered saying yes if I knew you didn't have an ulterior motive."

"Ulterior motive? I'm hurt," he teased.

"We'll always be friends, Peter, but I need unconditional honesty, and you need someone who won't put you in second place."

"Second?" His eyebrows raised. "So I'm still on the podium."

She laughed lightly. "Do you want a medal?"

"I might. Although I'm more fond of trophies."

"I'll work on that."

He stared at her thoughtfully. "If you don't mind me asking, why haven't you…" he trailed off without bothering to finish the sentence.

"I'm not interested."

"Liar. You responded to me just now. And I know you respond to Derek."

"See, I told you there was an ulterior motive! You're trying to make him jealous."

"Nonsense. You're a beautiful woman. Even a blind man could see that. Just one meal. I'll be a perfect gentleman."

"I… I'm sorry, Peter. It wouldn't be fair to you."

He heard a growl from outside and glanced out the window to see his nephew outside the gym, completely livid.

"Forgive me for interrupting your exercise, Daria. I had to try."

She bit down a smile. "I hope someday you find the right woman."

He backed away with a smile, palms raised. "It could be you, Daria. It could be you."

"Goodbye, Peter." She refastened her gloves and began to punch the heavy bag once again.

The moment he stepped outside, he was whooshed into a nearby alley and slammed against a brick wall.

"Oh calm down, Derek. She turned me down."

"Stay away from her." A low growl rumbled in his nephew's throat.

"Relax. I'm not the Hale she holds a torch for."

Derek loosened his hold and avoided meeting Peter's gaze.

"Ohh, I know that look," he said, shaking his head. "Indecision is not a good look for you."

"What if Stiles is right? What if she'll be safer if I leave her alone?"

"It'll certainly leave you out of the picture. Take it from me, Derek. This whole 'I can't be with you, but neither can anyone else' charade is going to get old really fast. If you want her, you need to strike while the iron is hot."

Derek stormed out of the alley, and a slow smile spread across Peter's face. Pushing his nephew's buttons was beginning to turn into a favorite pastime.

–

Daria took a shower as soon as she got home from the gym. Everything Peter had said festered in her mind.

Sex. Virginity. The exquisite pleasure of lovemaking. She shivered at the thought.

The opportunity had presented itself before, but Daria had never been able to take that next step. Something always held her back.

She toweled off and put on a pair of shorts and a bra. Then swinging open the door, she saw Derek standing in her room next to her window, and she shrieked.

"What are you doing in here?!" She dashed back into the bathroom and peeked through the crack.

"I needed to talk to you."

"IT'S CALLED THE FRONT DOOR, GENIUS!" She knew it had come off as rude, but between the interrogation, speaking with Peter, and now this, Daria had reached her limit.

She came out with a fuzzy robe tied around her waist, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Derek?"

At that moment the doorbell rang, and she rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, just a second."

Discarding the robe, she snatched a t-shirt and dressed quickly before rushing down the stairs to the door.

"Yes?" She cracked open the door a few inches and smiled serenely but made no motion to invite him inside.

He exhaled with mock impatience. "May I come in?"

She swung open the door and took his hand, leading him through the threshold. "So, Derek, do you jump through people's windows often?"

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"That doesn't exactly answer my question."

"It's a long story."

Her eyes grew wide. "Wow. That is not the answer I was expecting."

"But it is the truth." Daria appreciated that at least.

She motioned for him to sit beside her on the couch. "Then tell me."

Derek proceeded to tell her about Scott and Stiles framing him for his sister's murder, and then framing him again after they'd thought he had died.

"I was on the run from the police for a while."

"I can't believe they did that to you." She balled up her fist angrily.

"It's okay now." He took her fist, gently opening it by spreading his fingers against the palm of her hand.

Her heart beat wildly, and she turned toward him, tucking her legs beneath her body as they sat. He glanced down at her lips, and her pulse fluttered.

"Stiles could be home soon… maybe we should speak somewhere more private."

He glared playfully. "Like your bedroom?"

"Hey. Common courtesy is still a thing. I'm not backing off on that."

She drew him upward from the couch. Her hand tingled in his as she led him back up to her room.

"Deja vu." She giggled nervously. "So… you said you needed to tell me something."

He squeezed her hand, tugging it toward him gently.

"There's something you need to know." He pulled her into an embrace, and she could feel his heart pounding.

The way he said it filled her with a sense of foreboding. "I know hugs like this… it's something bad or depressing, isn't it?" She reached her arms around his neck, afraid to let go.

"I have to go for a while."

It was like the wind had been let out of her sails. "How long?"

"I don't know. I'm taking my sister Cora to South America, and then there's something Peter and I need to find."

"Okay." She understood, but it didn't make her heart feel any less raw at the thought of him leaving before anything between them had even begun.

"Daria…"

"Don't. It's fine, I'll be fine."

"I know you'll be fine. Scott and the others can protect you."

She offered a small smile and leaned into his shoulder. "What about you? What if another full moon comes along and you get hit by a car?"

His chest rumbled with a soft laugh. "Even if there was another full moon like that, I haven't figured out how to shift into a full wolf since that night."

"Really?" She tried to pull away, but he still held on.

"Something about that night was different. I just haven't figured out what that is yet."

"But even if you only transform part-way, you'll still have red eyes, fangs, and claws, right?"

Derek hesitated. "Only Alphas have red eyes."

She peered upward, puzzled. "But you did have red eyes."

"I gave up the Alpha spark to save Cora."

His eyes shimmered blue, and he felt her pulse rise.

"It's all right. You're still hot either way."

He pulled back, heavily amused. "Is that so?"

A deep blush formed on her cheeks. "I mean, I'm not blind."

She felt the planes of his chest rise and fall beneath her hand, and her heart thrummed.

"That's not the only thing I came to tell you. There's… something else I want you to know."

Daria knew what was coming - she could feel it somehow in the air between them - but she also knew it would be too much to bear if he poured out his heart only to leave. "If you're about to tell me how you feel about me–" She peered up at him, lowering her voice to barely a whisper. "–please wait until you come back."

He paused for several seconds, then leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "Okay."

They held each other for a while longer, and when he left, she fell asleep filled with thoughts of Derek Hale.

–

That night she woke up to the sound of screaming.