I trailed behind Allison, the seven of us all filing into the library in complete silence. Harris was standing just a few paces away, looking just as unenthused. The sense of impending doom was impossible to shake considering we were now trapped in a room with the kanima for an hour. It also didn't help that freaky photographer Matt was roped into all of this with us, following closely behind me. His general presence was unsettling and I tried not to make eye contact with him. Just behind Matt was Erica which was yet another thing to make matters entirely worse.
Scott and Stiles took a seat at one of the tables, Allison picking one just beside them. I sat down on the other side of my friend while Erica sat across from the boys. Matt and Jackson then placed themselves at our table.
"We can't be in detention together." Jackson informed Mr. Harris, glancing at Scott and Stiles. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the smug tone of his voice. However, I wasn't surprised by it. "I have a restraining order against these tools."
"All of these tools?" Mr. Harris asked in clarification, cocking up an eyebrow and sounding entirely bored.
"No, just us tools." Stiles answered begrudgingly, raising up a weak hand.
"Fine." Mr. Harris relented. Then, he gestured to a table somewhat further away from Jackson. "You two over there."
Scott and Stiles followed instructions, moving over to the empty table. Erica now sat alone and there was a somewhat vicious smile painted on her lips, her eyes drifting over to me. She raised a hand, twiddling her fingers and looking as though she were laughing. I jerked my attention away from her, not wanting to feed into her ego,
"Ms. Bradley, have a seat with Erica. Four of you at a table is too much." Mr. Harris then instructed, holding out a hand towards the blonde on the other side of the room.
"What?" I choked out and I felt Allison stiffen beside me, her hands gripping the edge of the table. My mouth went dry and my hands began to clam up, the terror washing over me like a tidal wave. Jackson's lips curled up into somewhat of an amused smile, eyes swirling with venom unironically.
Mr. Harris' jaw clenched tightly and his eyes narrowed. "I wasn't aware that I stuttered. Sit with Erica or you will spend every day of the rest of the year in this exact spot." He grunted, now pointing his finger sternly towards the table.
Realizing that I truly had no choice but to abide by his instructions, I gathered up my things frantically. Giving Allison one last fleeting glance, I rose from my seat to take my new one across from Erica. I carefully lowered myself down across from her, her eyes never leaving my form as I did so. Her smirk was impenetrable and the look in her eyes was enough to make me squirm. She was enjoying this just as much as I was hating it.
"Looks like we're detention partners." Erica hummed, rapping her fingertips gently on the table top momentarily. "How lucky."
"I'm not speaking to you." I told her in a quiet whisper, swallowing hard. I pulled out a book from my bag and began to thumb through it absentmindedly.
Erica's lips curved in an ingenuine pout, a soft huff emitting from her. "Why not? I'll get so bored." She whined. "Or can you just not stand to look at me now that you know you're the bad guy, Tessa?"
"It's not my fault." I defended, keeping my eyes focused on my book as I attempted to keep my emotions in check. "How was I supposed to know you liked him? I was only ever nice to you."
"Right, because you felt like you had to be." Erica scoffed, rolling her eyes and flipping some hair over her shoulder. "You stopped paying attention to me just like everyone else does. You only were nice to me because you sat next to me."
"You think I was nice to you because I felt bad for you?" I asked her, finally lifting my head and raising my eyebrows at the girl. "Erica, I was nice to you because I actually wanted to be. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a terrible person."
Erica narrowed her eyes slightly. "What about Isaac?" She inquired, giving me an expectant look. "You asked him to the dance just because Stiles was going with Lydia and then you abandoned him, making him sit there for hours before his Dad came and picked him up."
I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek. "I didn't mean it."
"You know, I'll give you a tip." Erica told me and leaned forward in her chair. "Stop pretending to be perfect. It will make the crappy things you do a bit easier to swallow."
"I didn't take Stiles from you." I hissed, gritting my teeth together. "I would never do that to someone. I would never do that to you, Erica. I'm sorry that it didn't work out the way you wanted it to, but you can't throw that in my face when I had no control over it."
"In case you've forgotten, I'm on Derek's side. You aren't. We're enemies regardless of if you're sorry." Erica muttered lowly, an unamused look overtaking her features. "I despise you, Tessa."
I shook my head. "You don't have to." I assured her, almost pleading. "I don't want to be your enemy. I want to be your ally."
Erica laughed quietly, sitting back in her chair and shaking her head. "I don't."
A few moments of silence passed where Erica and I simply stared at each other, my chest tightening slightly with emotion. I was frustrated and her interpretation of me bugged the hell outta of me. For a moment, I considered that she was right-that I was a terrible person. What I had done to Isaac was awful and maybe I had overlooked her. Regardless, there was nothing I could do to fix those things and she was unwilling to forgive me. Now that she was a close partner with Isaac, she had more hatred towards me than just Stiles.
"Look, even if you don't care, I don't want to see anyone get hurt." I admitted, crossing my arms over my chest and shaking my head. "That includes you."
"What are you talking about?" Erica asked, propping her head up on her fist and looking thoroughly uninterested in the conversation.
"I mean," I began exasperatedly, rolling my eyes. "We are locked in a room with the kanima right now. If he decides to freak out, then you have to run. Don't try to fight him."
Erica snorted bitterly. "Thanks, but the last person I'm going to take advice from is a human." She responded snidely. "Only reason you're alive is because of werewolves-not by your own accord. I can handle myself just fine."
"Like you handled it at the swimming pool and at Scott's?" I reminded her. "Swallowing your pride for just a moment wouldn't kill you."
"But, Jackson would if I let my guard down." Erica argued. "Would you tell Scott the same thing?"
"Of course I would. I know he wouldn't listen to me, but he'd at least appreciate the thought behind it." I grunted, finally looking away from her to return back to my reading. "If you want to hate me, fine. Just know that I care about your safety."
Erica didn't respond and I ignored any other gestures she might've given me in the meantime. It was only a few minutes later that I heard movement from behind me.
"You okay?" Matt was asking and I turned around in my chair to see that Jackson had risen to a seat, clutching at the front of his face.
"I need to go to the bathroom." He choked out and began to make his way towards the doors of the library.
"Are you all right?" Mr. Harris demanded from Jackson, sounding the slightest bit concerned. "Hey, you don't look so good."
"I just need to get some water." Jackson assured the teacher, holding up a hand to stop the man from getting up from his seat. The boy continued on his way out of the library, hand still pressed to his temple.
Although Jackson had tried to convey that he was fine, Mr. Harris still chose to get up. He walked to the front of the room and looked at all of us. "No one leaves their seats." He ordered and then turned to follow Jackson.
Almost immediately after the door had shut, I watched as two figures came barreling over in our direction. Stiles sat on my side while Scott took the seat just beside Erica, who had gone to write some notes in a small booklet.
"Stiles says you know how Jackson's parents died." Scott began, looking over at the blonde with a small glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"Maybe." Erica responded to the beta coyly, just as she had been the entire day.
Scott stared at her wide eyed and then shook his head slightly. "Talk."
Erica then shut the notebook, placing it down on top of her pink laptop. "It was a car accident. My Dad was the insurance investigator, and every time he sees Jackson drive by in his Porsche, he makes some comment about the huge settlement he'll be getting when he's eighteen."
"So, not only is Jackson rich now, but he's getting even richer at eighteen?" Stiles clarified, his expression hiding nothing as he sat up in his seat.
"Yep." Erica answered, bobbing her eyebrows and nodding her head.
"There's something so deeply wrong with that." Stiles muttered unhappily to which Scott bobbed his head in agreement.
"You know what?" Erica then sat, adjusting in her own seat as she began to open her laptop. I could try to look up the insurance report in my Dad's inbox. He keeps everything."
"Scott McCall, please report to the principal's office." A voice ordered over the PA, sounding oddly familiar to that of Mrs. Argent. A shocked look came across the boy's features, also catching the rest of us off guard.
"What-what-why is that happening?" I demanded worriedly, pointing a finger up towards the ceiling and leaning across the table to give Scott a wild look. "Why would he want to see you?"
"You think I have any idea?" Scott choked out, raising his eyebrows and giving me a weak glance. Then, he rose up from his seat, waving sadly at Stiles before exiting from the library.
Stiles' hand reached under the table to grab my knee, giving it a soft squeeze. I turned my head to look at him and he offered me a comforting smile. I mustered one back and then he got up from his seat to sit on the other side of Erica, looking over her shoulder as she began to do her research. I tried to remain calm, glancing over my shoulder at Allison who looked paler than usual. Her eyes were glued to the table top, her hands twittering nervously.
The doors of the library opened and Jackson returned, not looking any better than when he had left. His skin was painted with a thin coat of sweat, his breathing slightly unstable. He took his seat back at his table across from Matt, refusing to make eye contact with anyone else in the room. Mr. Harris returned to his spot behind the library desk, giving us all a weary look. I was worried he might say something about Stiles having changed seats.
"I found something." Erica then told us aloud, her fingers clicking rapidly as she dug through electronically.
"Don't forget the dates." Stiles reminded her as he leaned his head further forward to get a better look at the screen.
"Hospital DOA. 'Passengers arrived at the hospital DOA. The estimated time of death-9:26 PM June 14th, 1995." Erica read aloud.
"Jackson's birthday is June 15th." Stiles stated and I felt a wave of nausea hit me, placing a gentle hand over my mouth.
"Oh my God." I breathed out in mild horror, sinking down into my seat.
The sound of a zipper caught my attention and I looked up to see that Mr. Harris had packed up his things. I let out a small exhale, relieved that detention was over and all of us began to stand up. Then, unsurprisingly, Mr. Harris let out a devious chuckle at our group.
"Oh, no, I'm sorry." Mr. Harris said and held up a hand, a grin spread on his face. "Uh, yes, I'm leaving. But, none of you are. You may go when you're done with the re-shelving. Enjoy the rest of your evening."
My eyes slid over to the two library carts plum full with books that needed to be returned to their designated spots in the room. I clenched my teeth together and shut my eyes, huffing a deep breath out of my nose. Rubbing my hand on my forehead, I dropped my backpack back down onto the floor.
"Come on," Stiles urged and he was suddenly by my side, clutching onto my hand. He pulled me towards the direction of shelves and grabbed a cart for us to start unloading. Scott had returned and Stiles frantically waved him over, Allison following her boyfriend.
"What did you find out?" Scott questioned diligently.
"Jackson's parents died the day before he was born. Which means he was born after his mom died-by C-section. They had to pull him out of her dead body." Stiles explained, releasing my hand to put a few books away.
"Way to put it lightly." I hummed with false enthusiasm, giving him a pointed look.
"So, was it an accident or not?" Allison inquired, sounding slightly suspicious by the newfound information.
"The word all over the report is 'inconclusive'." Stiles responded, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head.
"Then, his parents could've been murdered?" Scott questioned, his voice borderline terrified. It mimicked almost exactly how I felt.
Stiles sighed heavily and then nodded. "If they were, then it falls in line with the kanima myth, ya know? Seeks out and kills murderers." He pointed out gently.
"But, is it for Jackson or for the person controlling him?" Allison asked with further curiosity.
I frowned. "If Jackson has no control over himself when he is the kanima, then he wouldn't be making the choice to go after people." I stated, crossing my arms over my chest. "The master would be the one who would make that decision."
"We have to talk to him." Scott said and made a move to exit our row.
I reached out a quick hand to plant on his shoulder. "Are you crazy? He'll never tell us anything and you're not even supposed to be near him!" I hissed with wide eyes. "Plus, he is looking extra freaky right now and we need you not paralyzed."
"He went after Allison in the locker room. I can't take that risk with any of you guys." Scott argued, shaking his head. "I have to be the one who does it. We have to tell him."
"He's not gonna listen-" Allison was cut off by Scott shrugging my hand away, scooting out of the aisle to head in Jackson's direction.
"Sometimes I forget that he's still just a teenage boy." I mumbled, pushing hair out of my face with frustration. "A stupid boy."
"Hey!" Stiles whined, looking somewhat offended. "Not cool."
"I'm right." I chirped back, giving him a fake smile.
Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass met my ears and I clapped my hands over them instinctually. Metal creaking and books clapping together flailed around us. My knees buckled beneath me, my eyes screwing themselves shut. Images of the night from the video store and the school came to life, the sight of the dead video store clerk and janitor rushing back to me. Unable to stop it, anxiety and terror covered me like a thick blanket, my breathing ragged. I could hear someone calling out, but wasn't able to decipher who it was or what they were saying. It was like my head had been ducked under water and all of the sounds were muffled. Small bits of the roof fell onto my back as whatever was raging through the library ran over the top of us. I was frozen on my knees, covering myself with my arms as I shook violently.
I was paralyzed not by the kanima, but by pure fear.
I felt an arm snake around my waist, pulling me closer towards their body. The smell of cologne met my nostrils and I immediately recognized it as Stiles. I didn't hesitate on shifting my head so that it was pressed against his chest, his hand coming up to clutch me to him tightly.
"Tess," His voice emerged through the chaos, electricity buzzing and loud thuds almost muting his sound. "Tess, it's okay. I'm here."
I turned my gaze up to the boy holding onto me, his brown eyes looking down into my green ones. I could see that he was trying to mask his own fear to comfort me, but I was unable to assure him of anything as a blur of motion came past us. Scott had been launched into a cart of books, Jackson looming over him. I hadn't seen him like this before-his eyes and part of his face the kanima but the rest of him was entirely normal.
Scott collected himself and then hurried across towards us, placing his form directly in between us and Jackson. We watched as Jackson robotically walked over to a chalkboard, picking up a small piece of white chalk. His mouth hung open almost zombie-like and his head tipped to the side. Then, his arm reached up and began to write something onto the board.
"Stay out of my way, or I will kill all of you." I whispered, my eyes scanning across the words Jackson had written. Bile rose up in my throat and I swallowed hard, Stiles' hand clutching me even tighter.
Jackson's form then shot up onto a table and then onto a bookshelf, leaping out of one of the windows closest to the ceiling. Scott rose to stand and the rest of us followed in suit, my legs still shaking somewhat. We took a few steps forward and that's when I heard sounds of panicked struggle.
Whipping around, I found Erica on the floor shaking violently and weak gasps of pain coming from her lips. "Hey," I whispered as I hurried towards her, getting down onto my knees. Quickly, I scooped the girl up into my arms, making sure to keep her on her side. "She-She's having a-I think she's having a seizure!"
Erica continued to twitch uncontrollably in my clutch, my arms struggling to hold her up as she did so. I gritted my teeth with the effort as the two boys moved in my direction. Allison went over to the next aisle over where I assumed Matt still resided.
"I don't understand how this can happen." I told them, my thoughts wild as I tried to focus on the werewolf. "I thought she wouldn't have to deal with epilepsy after she turned."
"We need to get her to a hospital." Stiles suggested.
Erica's hand suddenly shot up and clutched my arm, holding on as tightly as possible. "Derek!" She choked out desperately. "Only to Derek!"
"Go." Allison urged where she knelt beside Matt. "He's alive. Just go."
Scott was immobile for a few seconds before rushing over towards Allison. "Scott!" Stiles called after him.
I could feel my own panic beginning to settle in as I looked down into Erica's face. "I-I don't know what to do." I admitted, my voice unable to become above a whisper.
"Only-to-Derek." Erica squeezed out again, her eyes darting frantically around my face. "Derek."
I swallowed hard and bit down on my bottom lip, shaking my head. "We-We can't take her alone." I gasped. "I can't-I can't carry her."
"Hey, hey," Stiles interjected softly, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Calm down. She's going to be okay."
"None of this is okay." I whimpered, my eyes squeezing shut momentarily. "What the hell just happened?"
I felt Erica moving out of my arms and opened back up my eyes to see that Scott had returned, scooping the shaking blonde into his arms. Stiles wrapped an arm around my shoulders and helped me stand, allowing me to lean onto him for support. I glanced over my shoulder at Allison who was using her cellphone to call an ambulance for Matt who was lying face first on the floor of the library.
The four of us raced out of the school, Erica shuddering and whimpered as we went. Finally making it back to the Jeep, Scott climbed into the backseat with Erica and Stiles helped me into the passenger seat. I texted Andre for the address of Derek's hideout and we made our way there, lapsing into silence. What was there to say? Jackson had just gone after us in a public setting, injuring an innocent bystander and issuing us a warning.
It wasn't long before we pulled up to what looked like a desolate, industrial boneyard. There was a small building where I assumed the entrance was to the old factory Derek had been living in ever since he had been driven out by the Argent's. I had to admit, this was a decently remote hideout and I hoped that our arrival wouldn't captivate anyone's attention. Andre was doing other things back in town which eliminated another set of eyes outside the compound.
I helped Scott carry Erica out of the car, supporting some of her weight as he awkwardly climbed out of the backseat. She hadn't relaxed a bit, but we tried to offer words of comfort and encouragement on the way inside. Derek had been at the door and ushered us inside quickly.
Derek requested that Scott give him Erica and the young werewolf obliged. I followed the boys deeper into the area and glanced around, noting the way the room didn't feel welcoming at all. I could see that each werewolf had their respective areas, mattresses strewn on the floor beside clothing and other personal items. A large train cart sat in the center of the room and it appeared as though Derek had engineered some lights inside of it. There was also a section of the large room that looked as though it were training grounds. What exactly Derek had been doing down here was a mystery to all of us.
We entered the train cart and Derek got to his knees. "Pull her up!" He ordered which resulted in Stiles scrambling over to do as he asked. He cradled the top half Erica's body, who had now gone slightly unconscious, and then looked at the alpha.
"Is she dying?" He asked, his tone laced with worry.
Derek looked stunned for a moment and then shook his head. "She might. I don't-" The man trailed off as he tried to decide what his next move would be. He then reached for the girls' wrist, clutching it tightly. "Which is why this is going to hurt."
Before I could even think to look away, Derek jerked his hands downwards and a sickening crack rippled through the air as he broke Erica's arm. Almost immediately, Erica's mouth opened up into a pained scream and she began to jerk frantically in Stiles' grip.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I demanded from Derek, my eyes widened in horror as I looked at him. "You just broke her arm!"
"It'll trigger the healing process." Derek defended loudly over the sound of Erica's screams which were now like nails on a chalkboard. Scott appeared just as shocked, a hand covering his mouth as he stared down at the scene. "I'll still gotta get the venom out. This is where it's really going to hurt."
A terrified gasp left my lips as he began to squeeze Erica's arm, her blood dripping onto the floor beneath her. She continued to cry out, sounding more weak the longer she did so. Then, as Derek really began to put pressure on her fracture, Erica screeched out another show of agony. I placed my hand to my forehead, my fingers feeling cold against the heated skin. Tears collected in the corners of my eyes and my stomach felt like it was entirely liquified. All of the contents of everything I had eaten that day threatened to make an appearance and my vision blurred every so often.
After what seemed like forever, Erica's screams began to quiet down. She panted heavily, her body sagging when it seemed as though the venom had left her body. Stiles kept a tight hold on her, pushing some hair out of her face
"Stiles," Erica finally choked out, her voice shaking heavily. "You make a good Batman."
My heart sank and the guilty settled into my bones again as it had when she had revealed her feelings for Stiles earlier today. I turned my head away from the two of them, a single tear rolling down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away and then felt eyes on me, seeing that Scott was now looking in my direction. Without speaking, he reached out his hand and took my own, giving it a comforting squeeze. He had taken a seat on one of the benches in the train cart and I leaned against one of the poles.
Once Derek felt like he had finished the job, he carefully removed his hands off of Erica. He grabbed a towel off of the floor and wiped off his hands, proceeding to clean Erica's wound. Sending a curt nod of assurance in Stiles' direction, the alpha werewolf turned and exited the train car. Scott glanced at me and then released my hand, following. Stiles murmured words of comfort to the girl in his arms and I allowed him the space, moving in the same way of the werewolves.
"You know who it is." Scott reminded Derek after we had put some distance between us and the train cart. My brow furrowed in confusion and I chose to hold my tongue, unsure of what exactly Scott meant. As far as I had been concerned, Derek had been in the dark about the true identity of the kanima.
Derek let out a deep sigh and then took a seat on a barrel, placing his hands in his lap. "Jackson." He stated.
"You just wanted Erica to confirm it, didn't you?" Scott then asked, slightly accusatory. In response, Derek nodded and then looked away from us, obviously not proud of his choice.
"Was it worth it?" I inquired cynically, raising my eyebrows and giving him a sharp look. "Erica could've died, Derek. All because you keep sending out your inexperienced, teenage science projects to do your dirty work."
"And what am I supposed to do?" Derek demanded angrily. "Go out to the school and find out for myself? Then, what? Gerard and Victoria will kill me the moment they set their sights on me. I had no choice, Tessa."
"I'm going to help you stop him." Scott interjected, his tone serious as he stared down Derek. "As part of your pack."
"What?" I exclaimed, taking a step towards my friend with a bewildered expression.
"If you want me in, fine." Scott continued, choosing to ignore my protest. "But, we'll do it on one condition: we're going to catch him, not kill him."
"And?" Derek then asked expectantly.
"And we do it my way." Scott finished, making direct eye contact with Derek in front of him. "No more reckless endangerment, no more arrogant attitudes."
"You're seriously considering siding with him? After everything he's done?" I demanded from Scott, placing a hand on his shoulder and finally making him turn to face me. "He tried to kill Lydia!"
"It's us against the kanima, Tessa. We're stronger in numbers." Scott defended, his expression softer when he was facing me. "I don't really want it to be like this either, but things are just going to get worse. Jackson attacked us all in public today-attacked Matt and Erica."
I pressed my lips tightly together and slowly shook my head. "There has to be another way-a way that doesn't involve working with people we can't trust."
Scott was quiet for a few moments and then let out a sigh before he took a step closer to me. "You can trust me." He murmured, a comforting gleam in his eyes. "You know that. I'd never willingly put you in any danger, Tessa. I am on your side. Always."
I nodded a few times. "I know." I whispered back to him. "I just don't want to see you get hurt again."
"That won't happen." Scott assured me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "This is what we have to do. A-And if you can't do this, then you can walk away. You don't have to stand with me. I wouldn't blame you-especially if it meant that you were safe."
I let out a soft snort and gave Scott a slightly playful look. "Yeah, as if I'd ever walk away from you." I told him, a lopsided smile falling on my lips. "I'd never turn my back on you, Scott. Not even now. You're my friend, that's what friends do."
Scott returned my smile and then gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Thank you." He told me and then released it. With a sigh he turned back around to face Derek. "It's not just me you have to work with, it's all of us-Stiles, Tessa, and Andre. Even Allison."
"Whatever." Derek grunted and then stood up, crossing his arms over his broad chest. His eyes drifted back towards me. "I'll do what I have to do."
"Oh, we really commend you for your sacrifice in actually having to care about me." I hummed bitterly, narrowing my eyes and giving him a sharp smile. "Really stand up guy."
"God, you never get less annoying." Derek growled, rolling his eyes and proceeding to shoot me an annoyed glare. "And, in case you have dementia, you know how I feel."
"Mhm, yeah, and in case you have dementia, you tried to kill my best friend." I reminded him, pursing my lips and pointing a finger at him. "Maybe you also forgot the part where I told you that if you followed through with your plan, you had no hope for redemption."
"Guys, come on." Scott whined, looking between us pleadingly. "I know that you two don't exactly get along but we have to work together if we're going to get through this."
"I am doing this for our pack, Scott." I told my friend, turning my finger onto my chest. "Not for the sake of his. Just remember that. His blonde bombshell in there? She told me I was the enemy."
"That was before she almost died and we helped save her life." Scott reminded me, trying to appear as though he were hopeful. "What if she decides she doesn't hate you as much anymore?"
"Yeah, that will happen after she claws my face to shreds." I hissed, pretending as though I were scratching my own face. "Now, she gets to rub it in my face that she's cuddled up to Stiles right now."
Scott let out a deep sigh and then rolled his eyes. "We just have to try and get along until Jackson is taken care of." He assured me. "Please, promise me that you'll at least attempt to play nice?"
I was quiet for a few moments before I smacked my lips and then clapped my hands down to my sides. "Fine, I will promise. Only because I just so recently had an emotional win in my book and I'm feeling generous."
"What exactly is an emotional win?" Derek inquired, cocking up a dark eyebrow and giving the two of us a confused look. "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing."
"Stiles and Tessa are together."
My hand swung out on my own accord to smack Scott on the back of his head, the werewolf let out a small yelp and then clutching onto the spot. "What the hell?"
"I am going to cut your vocal cords out-you and Allison!" I growled, clenching my fists and giving him a deadly glare. "What is the matter with you?"
"He asked." Scott squeaked, looking entirely offended by the smack and rubbing the spot where I had hit him. "What did you want me to do?"
"Not tell him the real answer." I squealed and then looked at Derek who had gone red in the face. I was worried he might combust. "Look at him. Now, he's a tomato."
Derek's jaw was clenched tightly together as he stared me down viciously. "You and Stiles are...dating?" He bit out and I squirmed slightly beneath his gaze.
Rubbing a hand on the back of my neck, I cleared my throat. "Uh, well, not officially no."
"So, you aren't together?" Derek clarified.
"I wouldn't say we are together but we are together." I stated, pretending as though I were weighing the words with my hands. I tried to avoid making eye contact with Derek. "We, like, kissed in the forest and then we hold hands and-"
"I-I don't want any more details." Derek interrupted, holding up a hand as if to physically stop me and looking somewhat ill. "Just, please, stop."
"Scott started it." I accused and pointed a finger at the boy who immediately lit up.
"What? I did not! You said that you had an 'emotional win'!" He argued, shaking his head and spinning to face me. "All I did was answer Derek's question."
"Yeah, a question he asked only because you made a deal for us to work with his pack." I reminded him, planting my hands on my hips and giving him a stern look. "This all boils down to you, McCall."
"Not fair." Scott whined and seemed to pout for a moment. "This is totally unfair."
"Life is unfair, Scotty." I hummed and then patted him gently on the shoulder. "Get used to it."
Scott rolled his eyes and then smacked his lips, pushing my hand off his shoulder. He then brushed past me to re-enter the train car. This now left me alone with Derek who had recovered somewhat from our conversation from just a few minutes ago.
"As much as it physically pains me that you chose someone like Stiles, I'll...admit that I did see it coming." Derek then said, resting himself against the barrel behind him with his arms crossed back over his chest. "And, I just hope that you're...happy."
His words stunned me for a few long seconds, my eyes widened with shock. My mouth hung agape and I blinked a few times, the air sucked out of my lungs. I felt a bit weak, as though my energy had been stolen from me. Then, my thoughts came rushing back and my lips twitched upwards, but I fought back the smile.
"Thank you." I replied honestly, a bit breathless. "I-I am."
Then, to surprise me even more, the corner of Derek's mouth lifted ever so lightly. "Good." He grunted. "I can't deal with your emotions any more elevated than they already are naturally."
"Ha. Ha." I said back to him snidely, narrowing my eyes. "You're hilarious, honestly. Will you be here all night?"
Derek snorted and shook his head before getting up, wandering away from me. I watched as he too disappeared into the train car and the soft voices of the boys filled the desolate space. Letting out a deep sigh through my nose, I ran my hand through my hair and dropped my gaze to the ground. Once again, the events of the day raged through my mind and I felt like I was in the same position constantly. Now, we were going to be working hand in hand with the people we had been pushing against since we had killed Peter. I had hoped that we had other options but Scott was right. There weren't any more and the Argent's were closing in on us the longer that the kanima roamed free.
This truly was a whole family affair.
A/N: Sorry for such a late posting. I had such a busy day! But, here it is and I hope you all enjoyed! I also decided that it was time for Derek and Tessa to share a moment together, with the help of Scott, considering that their relationship is one of the focal points of the entire story. However, I will allude to the fact that there will be another major bombshell pertaining the two of them that might shock some of you. Or some of you might absolutely hate it. Who knows? We will have to see.
As always, please leave reviews. I have truly enjoyed reading them as of recently and am overwhelmed by the fact that I had inspired some of you. The fact that I have been able to reach out and touch other people in the world is truly a wonderful feeling. I love each and every one of you that have supported me throughout the journey. I continue to do this because of you.
- Laura