Aria sat outside of Beacon Hills High, watching Scott and Allison kiss. She had vented her heartache to Derek but had not seen him since the news of Laura Hale. Her mind was twisting and turning. Playing mistress to the darkest caverns of her mind. "Come on." Scott's voice caused her to look up as she saw Scott running from Allison into the woods.
Curiosity peaked her, getting up she followed Allison into the woods. "Where are you taking me?" Allison's voice giggled, leaving an echo of innocence that stained the forest an odd, deep shade of red.
The pit caved in Aria's stomach at the sinister impression of her brother's voice. "Somewhere we can be alone."
"But we are alone." Allison teased. Aria stopped in the middle of an empty field. Scott stood before Allison. Something wicked hid in his grin. This wasn't her brother.
"Allison," Aria's voice heeded a warning, causing Allison to turn to her friend.
"What's wrong?" she whispered. While Scott shifted. Aria bolted and pulled Allison to the ground.
"Get away from him!" she yelled. Allison scrambled on the forest floor to stand. Scott's hand curved into the paw of a wolf with long, sharp claws. He reached back, to swipe at his sister's face.
Scott's arm arched down but never impacted as Aria pulled a silver blade from her waist and drove it up into her brother's heart.
A distant howl caused Aria to shoot her head off her pillow. Her face drenched in sweat. Shaking her head, she forced herself to accept that it was just a dream. No, not a dream. A nightmare.
Running a hand over her face, she heard the howl again. It was louder this time. Almost as if prompted by the tension, her phone lit up. Squinting, she looked at the luminescent screen. It was Derek.
Derek: I love you.
Aria: :-*
Smiling, briefly, Aria shook the nightmare from her mind. She was in love with Derek but had not told him yet. She was afraid to. Her life wasn't exactly normal right now. This wasn't a normal seventeen year old's life. It would be easier if Derek was just a crush, like Jackson was. But Derek was a werewolf. A real werewolf. Her own brother was now a werewolf.
Walking over to her closet, she pulled out the wooden box Jackson had gotten her shortly before he met Lydia. The inside of the blue velvet box was lined with dried stinging nettle bane. Carefully unfolding the velvet folds, Aria pulled silver blade with a wolf carved into the handle. The same blade used in her nightmare.
"So you killed him?" Stiles pressed, while Aria leaned her head up against the cool brick wall of the school. Stiles munched on his cheese fries in the courtyard like a starving child. She couldn't help but smile.
"I'm assuming so, yes. I drove the gift Jackson had given me into my brother's heart." She let out a huff.
Pausing from his fattening feast, "Wait, you actually have a silver blade?" a silence fell between them before Stiles broke it. "Jackson really cared for you at one time."
Shaking her head, Aria continued and ignored his comment. "I don't know, I just woke up. And I was sweating like crazy. I don't know where Scott was last night, cause he came home all sweaty."
"Maybe a midnight run." Stiles suggested as he studied Aria's face.
"Maybe," sighing, Aria stared off into the woods. She would rather talk to Derek about this than Stiles. At least Derek would understand. "I felt like I couldn't breathe. I've never had a dream where I've woken up like that before."
Raising his eyebrows, Stiles stood and leaned up against the wall beside her, "Really? I have. Usually ends up a little differently though."
Aria grimaced at the sheer thought of Stiles having wet dreams. "Okay, one; Never give me that much detail about you in bed again. And, two; what I meant is I've never had a dream that felt that real."
"Noted," Stiles smirked, letting his fingers graze over hers as he stepped away. "Let me take a guess here; It may have something to do with Scott going out with Allison tomorrow."
"Like he might rip her throat out or something?"
"No, of course not!" He tried to assure her as Scott and Allison giggled while they made out in the courtyard. He watched as Scott pushed her hard against the back door, although Allison's giggle gave no alarm. "Yeah, that's totally it."
Aria turned head away from her brother and his new girlfriend. Retching herself from the sloppy sounds of their kissing, Stiles chuckled at the gagging noises she made.
Scoffing, he smiled at Aria. Watching her eyes illuminate with comfort. "Hey, come on! It's gonna be fine, alright? Personally, I think you're handling this pretty freakin' amazingly." Glancing down at the book in her hands, Blood and Chocolate, another fiction story about werewolves. He could only chuckle, "You know, it's not like Scott can take a Lycanthropy Beginners class."
"There may not be a class but there may be a teacher." She genuinely thought as she instinctively ran her fingers over the book cover. Perhaps it was an attempt at dreaming of a fantasy world. A fantasy world that was now a reality.
Scott let out a nervous sigh as Stiles filled him in on Aria's dream. In conjunction, Scott also filled Stiles in on his nightmare. Frantically, Scott was texting Allison. Hoping their make out session didn't get too handsy. Scott was also staring at Aria who was leaning up against her locker, reading a book. Blood and Chocolate. How fitting.
Stiles glanced over at the text, "Relax, man, she's probably fine." Trying his best to reassure Scott. Following his direction, he watched Aria tuck a strand of her wavy black hair behind her ear. Her ivory and navy sweater really brought out the essence of her emerald green eyes. Catching her attention, she looks up at smiles at him. Be still his heart. That perfect smile. Aria Elizabeth McCall's smile could stop time.
"She's not answering my texts, Stiles."
"Well, nothing says red flag more than her not answering your texts on time." Stiles joked only to receive a dirty look from his best friend. "It could be just a coincidence, alright. A seriously amazing coincidence."
Fears getting the better of him, Scott's eyes scan the crowded hallway. "Just help me find her, okay?" His frantic behavior, catching his sister's attention. "Do you see her?"
Standing, Aria walked up behind her brother with Allison not far behind. She could see Allison sneak up and tickle Scott. Causing him to jump. Aria laughed beside Stiles at the sight of his head almost hitting the ceiling. Scott's scream causing students to stop and stare.
"Jesus, you scared the hell out of me!" Allison exclaimed, her hand clutching her chest. But Scott wrapped his arms around her in a soul crushing hug.
"You're okay!" Allison smiled and giggled as he hugged her. Slowly she returned the gesture.
"Once my heart starts beating again." Allison chuckled and gave Scott a quick kiss. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just so happy to see you."
Stiles watched Aria look over at Jackson. He had his arms draped around Lydia. Stiles could remember when Jackson was a nerdy kid who pined over Aria. He watched Aria close her eyes with regret, whether that was regret was for her even caring for Jackson or regret for being blind to the monster he was, made Stiles wondered. The Principal's announcement caught everyone's attention while Aria and Stiles stared at Scott.
"Attention students, this your Principal. I know you're all wondering about this incident that occurred last night on one of our buses. While the Police work to determine what happened, classes are to proceed as normal."
Allison kissed Scott's cheek before she walked away, "Save me a seat tomorrow at lunch?" Scott stared at her sashaying hips as she and Lydia walked away. Scott's response leaving his lips in only a whisper.
Stiles emitted a low whistle as Lydia walked away. Causing Jackson to walk over to him. His snide grin reminded Aria of a snakes toothless grin. "What are you looking at, asswipe?"
Before Stiles could respond, Aria stepped in front of him, "Oh, go fuck yourself, Jackson."
A huff of rage left his nostrils while Jackson stepped forward. "Watch who you're talking to, McCall."
Stiles put a hand out on Aria's chest as Scott left for class. "You don't scare me, Jackson." Her lips curling into a snarl before Aria abruptly stalked off to her final class.
After class, Aria stared at her painting of the palm tree and the sunset. Mr. Williams was finally proud of her branch out. But deep down, the urge to paint her wolves ate away at her. How else was she to express her fears and wants? Janessa Addams walked beside her and went on and on about the new Twilight book. Her neon pigtails bounced with her excitement. But Aria gave the girl a small grin, for she wondered how the infamous author would react if she knew werewolves were real. And they were so much more than her depiction.
Aria knew their secret had to be kept safe. Her mind drifted to Derek. She couldn't believe that Scott and Stiles had him arrested. Derek was more than mentally strong enough to handle it, but she worried about how he felt with all this madness going about. Her brother's madness.
"I think they found something!"
The shout created mass chaos as students gathered around the windows, staring at the line of police cruisers outside. Aria made her way through the throngs of students until she grasped Stiles smooth hand. The palms were smooth, showing the kid had never worked hard in his life. Yet his fingertips were surprisingly calloused. She figured from long nights of typing poetry, or so Scott had confided in her one night.
"Maybe that's my blood on the door.." Scott whispered away from listening ears.
"Could have been animal blood." Stiles shrugged, still holding onto Aria's hand. "You know, maybe you caught something like a rabbit?"
"And did what with it?" Scott nervously asked.
"Ate it." Aria hinted, causing Stiles to chuckle lightly.
"Raw?" her brother continued, fear hitching in his voice that he may be a monster or worse; barely human.
Sarcasm crept in from the corners of Stiles wicked smile, "No," he teased, "You stopped to bake it in a little werewolf oven! I don't know, Scott. You're the one who can't remember anything."
Students pressed their bodies hard against the glass. A older man, stricken with blood stepped off the bus, barely able to walk. Scott watched in horror, color draining from his face. "That's not a rabbit.." his voice echoing in fear of reality.
"Okay, this is good!" Stiles let's go of Aria's hand and puts an arm around Scott's shoulder, "He got up, he's not dead. Dead guys can't do that."
Scott's face was draining of it's color. "Stiles, I did that."
"But dreams aren't memories," Aria whispered to her brother as Scott looked at her.
"Then it wasn't a dream... Something happened last night and I can't remember what."
As the crowd of students began to disperse, Aria pulled her brother aside. "You need to talk to Derek. I know you're skeptic, but he's your best bet."
"And what makes you think Derek has all the answers?" Scott responded to his sister, his back leaning up against the window. Stiles picked through his locker, grabbing the leather bound book Aria let him borrow.
"Oh, I don't know, Scott," Aria asked as she folded the arms of her long black sweater. Her voice oozing sarcasm, "Maybe because during a full moon, he wasn't changed. He was in total control while you were running around in the middle of the night. Apparently attacking some innocent guy."
Scott shook his head and walked out to his bike. He didn't want to face this. Not here, not now. Aria sat down at the picnic table outside of Beacon Hills near the parking lot.
Stiles sat down beside her and slid over the book, "You don't know that." he sighed, his fingertips lingering on her knuckles.
"I don't not know it. He can't go out with Allison tonight. He has to cancel." speaking in a lower tone , Aria moved her hand away from Stiles. She could see the hurt her slight rejection caused as Stiles curled his lip slightly. Almost like a mad dog.
"No, he's not canceling, okay? He can't just cancel his entire life! We'll figure it out." With a huff Stiles looked to see Michael Twixer sit down across from him. Twixer had a major crush on Aria. Or more so any female with two sets of lips.
"Figure out what?" Speak of the devil. Lydia Martin sat down across from Aria with Allison. Jackson leaned up against the school wall with Danny close behind. Scott smiled across the parking lot at Allison and began to trudge over.
"Just homework." Aria spoke up. silencing Lydia's curiosity. Stiles nodded in agreement as Twixer stared wide eyed at Lydia and Aria.
"Why is she sitting with us?" Stiles whispered causing Aria to elbow him under the table.
Twixer smiled once more at Aria. She grimaced and made eye contact with Jackson. His blue eyes narrowed at the boy and his voice spoke stern, "Get up."
Michael looked at Jackson, grabbing his things. "How come you never ask Stiles to get up?"
"Because Stiles doesn't drool over his ex girlfriend." Danny, although gay, was still a sizeable fellow and just as muscular as Jackson, spoke up. Intimidating Twixer who quickly shuffled away.
Aria gave Jackson a quick smile who returned it with a unreadable look. Only when she caught Lydia smirking out of the corner of her eye, did she recognize the act. Pity. By then, Scott had reached the table, and sat down beside his sister.
"So," Danny chimed up, "I hear they are saying it's some type of animal attack."
"Probably a cougar." Aria added in. In hopes of diverging everyone's thoughts from wolf. Especially she sat beside one.
"I heard mountain lion." Jackson said. His voice was cold, and hardened. Aria couldn't tell if it was the fall breeze or perhaps the warmth of his actions as pitiful as they were.
"A cougar is a mountain lion." Lydia said matter of factly. Then paused, questioning herself, "Isn't it?"
"Who cares," pulling his backpack over one shoulder, Jackson pulled away from the wall. "The guy's probably some homeless tweeker who's gonna die anyway."
Lydia rolled her eyes at Jackson, "How very observant." she mumbled under her breathe. Though Scott and Aria heard her.
"Actually, I just found out who it is. Check it out." Stiles turned his phone so everyone could see it. Although, Aria's mind was elsewhere. Like how to tell Derek she was falling in love with him.
Reporter: The Sheriff's Department won't speculate on details of the incident but confirmed that the victim is Garrison Myers. Myers did survive the attack. He was taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition.
"Aria, we know that guy." Scott pointed to the video and looked at his sister.
"We do?" The man's face struck Aria with a slight sense of familiarity but none that brought clarity.
"Remember when we used to live with Dad, before we moved to Arizona? He used to be our bus driver. " Scott spoke as the pang of clarity hit Aria like a wall. Her initial reaction caused her to reach out. Her fingertips grazing the outside of Stiles' forearm. Without missing a beat, he held her hand. His eyes glaring at Jackson who was looking at the bruises of Aria's other hand.
"Can we talk about something slightly more fun, please?" Lydia sighed with a hint of boredom to her already tired voice. "Didn't you say you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow?" The gaze of her green eyes landed on Allison who was nervously fiddling with the hem of her leather jacket.
"Um, we are still trying to figure out what we were going to do..." Allison locked eyes with Scott while her foot ran up his leg under the table. Scott gave her a flirtatious smile.
"Well," Lydia pressed her hands against the table and pushed herself up. This caused the lace hem of her cream top to get snagged on the wood. "I am not sitting home again, watch lacrosse videos." Removing her cloth gently, she glared at Jackson. Her face faultered slightly to see him staring at Aria's hand. A glimpse of concern swept across his face. "So, if the four of us are hanging out, we are doing something fun." She could see the top of Aria's hand was bruised. Her ring finger seemed it was crushed at some point. Stiles was gently running his thumb over them and whispering something that Lydia couldn't quite hear.
"Hanging out?" Scott looked at Jackson then back at Allison, stunned. "The four of us?" Reaching across the table, he held Allison's hand, "Is that what you want? To hang out, us and them?"
" Yeah," Allison spoke warily, " I guess. Sounds fun." Shrugging her shoulders.
Stiles stood up with Aria, and helped her grab her books. He looked at Jackson who stepped forward to the table, "You know what else sounds fun? Stabbing myself in the face with a fork."
The rain began to creep in and slowly fall as Stiles and Aria walked back to his Jeep. "How's the art show coming along?"
"Okay, considering everything else." Aria's instinct to paint wolves was growing stronger. It had been almost a month now since her brother was bitten. Something's seemed to be falling in line while others were falling apart. "Is it me or did Jackson act like he actually cared for me back there?"
Stiles smiled and opened the door for her, " Well, m'lady, he did happen to eat not one but two servings of jalapeno poppers today at lunch. My guess is that it was indigestion. " He gave Aria a quirky smile before turning his gaze to Scott. "So, what's the plan?"
"We are going bowling." Scott said as he put his helmet on.
Aria and Stiles both looked at each other with wide eyes. "You're not serious?" Aria asked, her hopes to not be true.
"You're a terrible bowler!" Stiles chuckled.
" I know, " Scott groaned, " I'm such an idiot. " Shaking his head, Scott got on his motorcycle and headed to work.
Stiles hopped up into the Jeep with Aria. Starting the engine, he couldn't help but look over at her. "God, that was like watching a car wreck. I mean, first, it turned into a whole group-date thing. And then out of nowhere comes that phrase-"
Aria lifted her fingers up, making air quotes, "Hang out."
"You don't hang out with hot girls, okay? That's like death. Once it's hanging out, you might as well be her gay best friend. He might as hang out with Danny." Stiles chuckled while staring out his windshield.
Aria smirked, "I don't know. We hang out, and I'd say I'm pretty smashing. Maybe you should hang out with Danny."
She could see the gears in Stiles' head began to turn and she knew that she struck a nerve. He glanced over at her, "I don't think Danny likes me too much."
" Maybe he just hasn't noticed you yet."
" Am I not attractive to gay guys?"
"You aren't really attractive to anyone." Aria giggled in her seat, pulling out a pen and note pad. She began to sketch Derek's werewolf form.
"Not the point! Am I attractive to gay guys?"
Aria smirked, " You'd have to ask a gay guy."
" You didn't answer my question!" Stiles looked over at her as he parked outside the McCall house. Aria looked up at him with playful green eyes and smiled.
Aria watched the clock strike eight thirty as she snuck out of the house. Shimmying out Scott's window, Aria knew her brother was working late as was her mother. Quickly, Aria made her way down the street. The roar of a mustang engine caught her attention as she stepped over to the curb.
The black sleek car rolled up, the engine purred as the driver rolled the window down. Derek Hale smiled at her, "There's a curfew, ya know?"
Aria smiled and opened the passenger side door. " I have something to show you." She pulled the sketch that she made earlier out. Handing it over to him, her fingers grazed his own. Electricity creeped up her spine like an old friend. Derek's hazel eyes smiled as he looked down at the reflection of himself the night he exposed himself to her. "I can't get you out of my head." She leaned in, her long black shirt touched his arm. He was in a black t shirt and dark blue jeans. The muscles of his arm flexed under her touch. "Your image echos in my memory. Your voice sings in my veins." Leaning closer, Aria's lips were mere inches from his. She could smell teakwood, leather and tobacco.
"My heart beats to your name." Derek whispered.
Aria reached up. Her long elegant fingers entwined in his dark wavy hair. With a gentle pull, he growled for a second before it was silenced by her lips on his own. This time she didn't pull away. Derek reached up and gently touched her face. Breaking the kiss for a moment so he could catch his breath, did not last long. "Aria." was all he could muster in an exhale as Aria kissed him harder. Her tongue playfully running along the edges of his mouth. His perfect mouth.
Derek's skin flushed and his heart hammered. Her kiss beckoned his touch. His hands found her waist, and it wasn't long before he put the car in park and hoisted her into his lap. His tongue danced with her own as his hands settled on her hips. Fingertips grazing the bare flesh that was exposed. "Aria," he growled again. This time as he pulled away, he felt her breath leave his lips.
"Derek?" her gentle voice called his name. Green eyes full of fear and love.
"What is it?" He asked, as she looked at him. Nervously playing with her black hair.
"I'm, well, I'm." she struggled with the words but Derek was patient. "Fuck it," she kissed him again but briefly. Pulling away, she whispered, "I'm falling in love with you."
Aria fell asleep in Derek's car but it wasn't hard for him to carry her back into the house. They drove around for hours, he even helped her with her homework. For the first time in his life, maybe Derek could have a somewhat normal relationship.
He laid Aria down in her bed, kissed her forehead before leaving. As he locked the front door and slid the hidden key back under the mat, he turned to Scott. He only nodded and continued to walk back to his car.
"I know you can hear me." Scott whispered, causing Derek to stop in his tracks. " I need your help." Taking a deep breath before continuing, " Okay, I know I was part of you getting arrested...and we basically announced you being here to the Hunters. But I know you care for my sister. And I don't know what happened with your sister...but I think I did something last night. I had a dream about someone...but someone else got hurt. And it turns out that part of the dream might have actually happened..."
After a long pause, Derek sighed, "You think you attacked the driver?"
"Did you see what I did last night?"
"No."
"Can you at least tell the truth? Am I going to hurt someone?"
" Yes."
" Am I gonna kill someone?" Scott turned, looking at Derek.
" Probably," Derek responded, shrugging his shoulders. "Look, I can show you how to remember. I can show you how to control the shift, even on a full moon. But, it's not gonna come for free."
"What do you want?"
"You'll find out." Derek glanced up towards Scott's window. His thoughts flashed back to Aria. But Scott's image in the corner of his peripheral, drew his attention back. " But for now, I'm gonna give you what you want. Go back to the bus. Go inside. See it, feel it. Allow your senses - your sight, smell, touch - let them remember for you."
"That's it?" Scott shrugged in disbelief, "Just go back?"
"Do you want to know what happened?"
"I want to know if I hurt him."
Derek chuckled for a moment, crossing his arms as he stared at Scott, "No, you don't. You want to know if you'll hurt Allison."
Aria awoke to the sound of thudding. Snapping her eyes open, she could see Derek sitting in her desk chair across from her. "What a surprise." she smiled and stood to stretch.
"I figured with Scott gone for the night and your mom working late again, we could go out."
"Out?" Aria questioned as she pulled a pair of black leggings from her dresser, "Are we talking out to dinner or just out?"
"How about out to teach you some driving lessons?" Derek sat with a smirk. His hands reaching up and settling on Aria's waist as once she approached him.
"Driving lessons from a werewolf? How extraordinary!" she kissed the top of his head and nearly bounced down the stairs in her black sneakers, black leggings and sage green tank top.
Aria smiled as she stared up at the crescent moon, her black hair chasing whispers of the wind as she leaned her head out the window of Derek's mustang. She could feel his gaze upon her as she smiled. "I never knew driving could be so much fun."
"Or breath taking." He smiled, reaching over and resting his hand on her thigh. Aria sat up straight as they pulled into a gas station.
"Want anything?" She asked as she walked into the convince store. Aria's eye browsed the array of bright colored candy wrappers before her eyes settled on a malted bar. Plucking it with her long fingers she could see a dark SUV park near Derek's car. Aria finished paying and walked back out. She snuck along side the trash cans to listen to the conversation. Her heart wedged in her throat when she realized who it was. Allison's father.
Mr. Argent walked up the Derek's car as he continued to pump gas. Derek avoided eye contact until another hunter came to his left side. "Nice ride," Mr. Argent spoke as if he was telling a riddle. Calloused fingers grazed across the paint of Derek's car. Derek stared at the concrete of the gas station driveway, his peripherals set on Aria, hidden behind the dumpster. "Black cars though, very hard to keep clean."
Looking up at the other hunter, Mr. Argent rounded to Derek's side. "I would definitely suggest a little more maintenance, if you have something this nice. You want to take care of it, right?" The glimmer of something shiny caught Aria's eye as she held her breath. Mr. Argent pulled out a sharp blade and handed it the other hunter, who slide the blade along the side of Derek's mustang. Derek didn't flinch as Mr. Argent was practically breathing on his face, "Personally...I'm very protective of the things I love. But that's something I learned from my family. And you don't have much of that these days, do you?" For a moment, Mr. Argent stepped away, grabbing the squeegee and began cleaning Derek's windshield. "Unless you count that little girlfriend of yours." That caught Derek's attention, his hazel eyes now matching the glare and warning of Allison's father.
"She's none of your concern." Derek remarked with no emotion. Aria assumed it was an attempt to protect her from the hunters. She recalled Derek's warning about how he'd expose himself to the world to save her life.
"Isn't she?" Allison's father finished cleaning Derek's windshield and leveled his gaze with the wolf's. "See how that makes everything so much clearer?"
Derek smirked and shook his head as the other hunter handed Argent the blade, "You forgot to check the oil." Covering her mouth, Aria could only smile at the sarcasm that oozed from Derek's perfect lips even in the face of danger.
Argent nodded, "Check the man's oil." The other hunter popped the hood as Derek glared at Argent.
"Whatever quarrel you have with me, I'll take, but you leave her out of it." Wearing his heart on his sleeve was sometimes his greatest strength and sometimes his greatest weakness.
"Looks good to me." the hunter remarks, before closing the hood. "Drive safely."