Hey, guys! I'm sorry it took so long to update. But I'm hoping to get better at it. So here's chapter 4 of No One Else!
Sweat dripped down Anabelle's back as she pulled herself up on the bar between one of the subway doors. Dubstep blasted through the speakers of her phone, which allowed her to workout in time with the beat. Every time she did a pull-up, her biceps would flex, displaying muscles that weren't over the top. Her arms burned after doing these for so long, but you know how the saying goes. No pain, no gain. Anabelle didn't necessarily need to work out since being a werewolf blessed her with a toned body and strength that she didn't have to work for. But she loved it. It made her feel normal. Well, as normal as she could be.
After reaching her hundredth pull-up, she dropped down to the floor and started doing push-ups. She then decided to show off a little and put one arm behind her back. When she felt like she had enough, she got back up to shake her arms and legs out. Anabelle then stretched to cool down after her workout. It was when she was in the downward dog position (go figure) she rolled her eyes and straightened her spine.
"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, turning around to see Derek leaning against a pillar.
"Long enough to know that you have the absolute worst taste in music," he said. He picked up her phone that was resting on a crate and scrolled through the music library. "You actually like this crap?"
"Not particularly." Anabelle snatched her phone back. "But it keeps me energized. And it's pretty hard to work out to Broadway songs. Believe me, I've tried."
Derek scoffed. "Of course you did."
Crossing his arms in front of his chest, his eyes wandered around the subway station. Since he was annoyed with Anabelle the first time he came here, Derek never got a good look at the place. It wasn't the most stable or cleanest area, but it was very spatial, which was the most important quality. And all of the empty boxes and crates would come in handy if Derek decided to use an obstacle course for his future betas. Overall, it wasn't that bad.
"I never did thank you for finding this place, did I?" Derek asked.
Anabelle looked up from her purse with a raised eyebrow. "I wasn't even sure that those words were still in your vocabulary anymore."
"I mean it," Derek said, "You've been helpful these past few days. And I have to admit that this place isn't half bad. So… thank you…" He grimaced at how awkward he sounded.
"Wow, Derek," Anabelle snorted, "I have never heard anyone say 'thank you' like they were just forced to eat live spiders. Did it hurt?"
The alpha rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You know what? If you're gonna be a smartass about it, then you can just forget about it."
"It was a joke. Remember those? We made them all the time when we were kids." Anabelle scoffed. "Dude, you really need to get that stick out of your ass."
Just when Derek was about to glare at the she-wolf and warn her to not call him 'dude', she continued to stretch. She grabbed onto her ankles and bent forward. It was a position guys usually go crazy over, especially when they wore tight capri leggings like Anabelle was. And speaking of asses…
Nope! That was not something he needed to think about. Averting his eyes from that part of the woman's body, Derek looked at her back, which was facing him. She was wearing a purple sports bra and it gave the alpha the opportunity to study the tattoo between her shoulder blades. It was her family's triskele, which was very similar to his with only a few differences in detail. Derek actually found it pretty funny that her tattoo was placed on the same part of her body as his.
"So I've noticed you've got some ink on you," he said, "What ever happened to not damaging your body with as I recall 'trashy and cheesy pictures'?"
"I went through a rebellious phase during sophomore year," Anabelle answered, shrugging her shoulders, "Caleb pissed me off so I went behind his back and asked Parker to give me a tattoo. He's the one who did the triskele on my back."
"Caleb must've been thrilled when he saw that," Derek said sarcastically.
"Oh, definitely. He was more pissed at Parker than me since he was the one who actually gave it to me. Parker, however, thought it was hilarious. You know that he gets a kick out of making Caleb mad. But at least there are meanings behind my tattoos unlike those people usually get when they're drunk."
"So what do they mean?"
Slightly turning her head, Anabelle showed Derek two black paw prints behind her ear. "This one is for my mom and dad." She pointed her foot out so Derek could get a better look at the stars and music notes tattoos. "I got these after I got my very first leading role in the school musical during senior year." She walked over to one of the crates to grab her jacket.
"What about the roses on your shoulder?" Derek asked, pointing to said tattoo, "What are those supposed to represent?"
The look on Anabelle's face fell when she looked down at her shoulder. "That's a story for another time," she said quietly. She pulled on her jacket and zipped it up.
Derek became curious when the she-wolf's demeanor became solemn. Clearly it was a touchy subject for her. He just had to know what happened. But before he could ask any other questions, the sound of quick footsteps and heavy breathing made both werewolves' heads snap towards the stairs.
"Derek?" they heard a boy's voice call out. Isaac Lahey ran down the stairs and looked at his alpha with wide eyes. "Derek!"
"What's wrong?" Derek asked.
"My dad," Isaac panted, "I think he's dead."
"What did you do?" the alpha growled out. He started to make his way towards the beta but Anabelle held him back by placing her hand on his chest.
"That's the thing," Isaac said, "It wasn't me."
Before Derek could yell at him, Anabelle lightly pushed him away. "Derek, just calm down," she told him gently, "Isaac, can you tell us what happened?"
Isaac's eyebrows furrowed when he finally noticed Anabelle. "Wait, aren't you the girl from the flower shop?"
"Isaac, this is Anabelle," Derek introduced, placing a hand on her shoulder, "She's an old friend of mine."
"I'd like to consider us more of business partners more than anything," Anabelle said, prying the alpha's hand off.
"Whatever," Derek said, rolling his eyes, "That's not important right now." He looked at Isaac. "What happened with your dad?"
The boy sat on the nearest chair and took a deep breath. "We were at home eating dinner. Everything seemed to be going fine so far. But then my dad asked about my grades. I told him that I was getting a D in chemistry and he threw a glass at me, which cut my cheek. He saw the cut heal so I panicked and ran off. He followed me to the alley and…" Isaac exhaled shakily. "The next thing I heard was my dad screaming in pain. He had been torn to pieces. I didn't have anywhere else to go so I came here."
"Did you see who it was that did it?" Anabelle asked.
"I didn't get a good look at them," Isaac said, "Maybe it was another werewolf or something else."
He buried his face in his hands as he tried to process everything that had just happened. Anabelle bent down next to him and rubbed his back to comfort him. When she looked back up at Derek, he knew they were both thinking the exact same thing- holy shit. As if things weren't bad enough with more hunters running around town just waiting to take out any werewolf that comes into sight. Now they have to figure out whom or what it was that killed Isaac's dad? This is not what neither Derek nor Anabelle needed right now.
"Well, it's best if you don't go back to your house tonight," Derek told Isaac.
"Then where am I supposed to go?" Isaac asked, "I don't have any other living relatives in Beacon Hills."
"You can stay with me," Anabelle suggested, "We'll drive back to your house to get you some things and we'll go to my apartment."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Derek asked.
"I'm not letting him sleep out on the streets," Anabelle said, "Especially when there's something out there that could get to him, too. He's coming with me. It'll be fine." She patted Isaac's knee. "Come on. Let's get out of her so you can get some sleep. You still have to go to school tomorrow."
She slipped on her sandals before grabbing her phone and purse. Just as she was about to walk up the stairs, Derek grabbed her wrist. "If anything else happens tonight, call me."
"You really do worry too much," Anabelle commented, "You know that, right?"
"I'm serious, Anabelle. If something goes wrong-"
"Everything will be fine," Anabelle reassured him, "I can take care of myself and I'll be sure that Isaac doesn't leave my sight. And if something does happen, you'll be the first person I call."
Hesitantly, Derek let go of her wrist and watched as she and Isaac walked towards the stairs. Anabelle looked back at him, noticing that he was still distraught over the whole situation. But she just gave him a nod to assure him that everything was going to be okay before following Isaac out of the subway station.
The next morning, Anabelle was up at the crack of dawn. She had given up her bed to Isaac so he could get a good night's sleep after yesterday's events and she resigned to the couch. It wasn't the most comfortable furniture, but Anabelle still managed to get a full eight hours of sleep. Isaac had to be up for school in a couple of hours so the she-wolf had time to shower and get ready. She quietly snuck in her room where Isaac was snoring lightly in her bed and retrieved her clothes for the day, which were a black crop top, skinny jeans, a blood red leather jacket, and boots.
By the time she was done with getting ready for the day, Isaac was still sleeping. Anabelle had time to kill so she decided to make breakfast for the teenage boy. Just as she finished whipping up a batch a pancakes, Isaac walked into the living room, rubbing his tired eyes. He still wore his t-shirt and sweatpants from when he was asleep.
"Morning," he mumbled, smiling softly at Anabelle. He sat at the bar.
"Good morning, Isaac," Anabelle smiled back, "How'd you sleep last night?"
"Honestly, not that great," Isaac admitted, "I kept thinking about what happened with my dad. I feel like I should be thrilled that he won't be around anymore because of the way he treated me, but it's hard to not feel sad about it, you know?"
Anabelle frowned at how upset the young werewolf looked. "I totally understand. After all, he was your family. And I know it's not much, but I really am sorry about your father. No child deserves the shit you've been put through. I'm just glad you don't have to worry about him hurting you ever again." She set a plate of pancakes in front of Isaac.
"Is this for me?" he asked.
"Yep," Anabelle said, "I figured you'd be hungry when you woke up. And who doesn't love a good batch of pancakes in the morning?"
"Thank you," Isaac said, taken aback by the fact that a stranger was willing to do something so nice for him. He cut into the pancakes and took a bite. His eyes widened slightly at the taste. "Wow."
"You like 'em? I added in some vanilla, cinnamon, and cocoa powder in the batter. It gives it more flavor. Pretty good, huh?"
With an enthusiastic nod, the teen wolf said, "They're amazing!"
He scarfed down the rest of the pancakes in less than two minutes. When they were gone, he sheepishly asked Anabelle if he could have more. She laughed as she poured more batter on the griddle. Werewolves always had huge appetites, which she learned from growing up in a house containing mostly males. It was a good thing it was easy for them to burn off the weight otherwise they wouldn't be able to move. Anabelle finished making the pancakes and gave them to Isaac, who ate them more slowly this time.
"So," he said after a few minutes of silence, "I'm guessing you're a werewolf, too?"
"Born and raised," Anabelle answered, "But I'm what's known as a pure wolf, meaning that I can shift into an actual wolf."
"Really?" Isaac looked astounded. "That's really cool. Is Derek able to do that?"
"No. Being a pure wolf is a genetic that everyone in my family has. Whereas in Derek's family, only a few of them carried the gene. But despite the way we shift, we still share the same abilities so we're not really that different from each other. Like, for example, we have the same speed, strength, and senses. Also, the full moon still affects us the same way-"
Suddenly, Anabelle remembered something that caused her facial expression to drop. She buried her face in her hands and groaned.
"Shit," she said, "I can't believe I forgot that tonight's a full moon."
"Wait, what's going on?" Isaac asked, growing concerned, "Is the full moon not a good thing or…"
"Did Derek tell you anything about the full moon?" Anabelle asked. Isaac shook his head and the she-wolf rolled her eyes. Way to stay on top of things, Hale. "On full moons, werewolves have a harder time controlling themselves when it comes to shifting and fighting off certain urges, like wanting to kill. It's very dangerous, especially for those who weren't born as werewolves and don't know how to control their shifts yet."
"Okay, yeah, that sounds pretty bad," Isaac said shakily, "So what do I do? is it even safe for me to be out in public? Because I have lacrosse practice in about an hour."
"I think you'll be fine as long as you remind yourself to keep calm. It's not as bad during the day as it is at night. When you get out of school, I'll come pick you up and take you to the subway station. Derek and I will figure out what to do from there."
After finishing his breakfast, Isaac went to go change as Anabelle cleaned up the kitchen. Then they left to go to the school. It was obvious that Isaac was already feeling on the edge. Anabelle was feeling the same as him, but for a different reason. Part of her wanted to take him straight to the station to chain him so he wouldn't be able to harm himself and others. But he had to go to school to act like nothing is wrong. She just hoped that Isaac could control himself for that long.
They pulled up in front of Beacon Hills High but Isaac didn't get out of the car right away. He was taking deep breaths. Anabelle could feel the nerves radiating off of him just by sitting next to him.
"I already put my number in your phone for emergencies," she told him, "If you feel like you're having a hard time controlling your shift, call me." She squeezed his hand and smiled. "But you'll be okay. Don't worry too much."
Giving her hand a hesitant squeeze, Isaac said, "Thank you." Then he got out of the car and walked to the building.
Anabelle drove to a more hidden area close to the school so no one would see her when she went towards the lacrosse field. She hid behind a tree and waited for the practice to start. There were some students already sitting on the bleachers, including Isaac's girlfriend Delilah and Natalie Henderson, who hung out with Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinski. Soon the lacrosse players and coach made their way on the field.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh my-" Anabelle spun around and saw Derek standing a few feet away from her. Her shocked expression quickly turned into a glare. "I could ask you the same thing."
"I'm here to make sure Isaac doesn't do anything stupid during practice," Derek said, "And I'm pretty sure that's why you're here, too."
"Yeah, because at least I informed him what happens on the full moon," Anabelle snapped, "I can't believe you never told him about that."
"I never had the chance to tell him," Derek argued, "Excuse me for having other important issues to deal with like making sure none of us get killed by hunters or whatever it was that got Isaac's dad."
"Well lucky for you, I went ahead and told him what he needed to know. I just hope he doesn't end up hurting anyone out there. Lacrosse is so brutal. Pretty much every sport is, which is why I was in drama, thank god."
"That, and you also had terrible hand-eye coordination," the alpha nodded.
Glaring at him, Anabelle said, "Shut up and watch the practice."
Derek smirked and turned to the field. Most of the players were in a line with Scott as goalie. One by one, they hurled the ball at the goal but for some reason, Scott ran out and knocked them down. The coach would yell at him every time he did it, but he would just repeat it again and again.
"What the fuck is he doing?" Anabelle asked.
"Being the biggest idiot in the entire planet," Derek seethed, pinching the bridge of his nose in shame.
Before they knew it, it was Isaac's turn to go up against Scott. Anabelle grew nervous when she noticed the newly-turned beta breathing heavily and gripping onto his lacrosse stick so tightly that it could break in half. Oh, shit- did his eyes just change color? That was not good at all. Biting her nails, Anabelle watched along with Derek as Scott and Isaac ran towards each other. They collided harshly, causing them to land on the field facing each other.
Just when either Derek or Anabelle thought it couldn't get any worse, a group of police officers stepped onto the field, gaining everyone's attention. They went to talk to the coach and as they did that, they kept looking over at Isaac. He suddenly looked extremely nervous and he knew exactly what they were there for. One of the officers went to Isaac to come with them. After the deputy ordered to stay back when she tried to go after her boyfriend, the older werewolves listened as the police told Isaac that they had found his dad's body and asked if he knew anything about what happened. Based on the questions they were asking, things were not looking so good for Isaac. Anabelle couldn't hold back the growl that rumbled in her throat. She was about to march over to the scene but Derek grabbed her hand and stopped her from doing so.
"Let go of me, Derek," Anabelle sneered, "I can't just stand back and not do anything to help him."
"Oh, and what are you gonna do?" Derek asked, "Tell them the truth? That it was some supernatural being that murdered his father?"
"Are you not listening to what they're saying about him? They think that he's the one who did it! We have to do something to prove that he's innocent."
"All we can do right now is wait and see what the police will do with him," Derek said calmly, "We'll figure it out… I promise."
"I know," Anabelle sighed. She raked her curls back so they were out of her face. "God, I hope the kid's okay."
Placing his hand on her shoulder, Derek assured her, "He will be. But we better get out of here before anyone sees us."
And Derek had spoken too soon.
Right now, both adults were sitting in the Camaro in front of the school but where no one else would notice them. They watched as the police put Isaac in handcuffs and placed him in the back of their car. The poor boy looked scared out of his mind when he gazed out the window as the car drove away.
"I can't believe that fuckin' Jackson kid threw him under the bus like that," Anabelle growled, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her head turned to Derek and she raised an eyebrow. "So much for things getting better, huh, asshole?"
"Getting snappy with me isn't going to fix things," Derek said, "Stop freaking out. We'll find a way to get Isaac out of this mess."
"Well you better find it fast," the she-wolf said, "or else he's gonna go on a killing spree in the police station." She narrowed her eyes when she looked out the window. "Isn't that Scott right there?"
"Yes it is." After putting on a pair of aviator sunglasses (which Anabelle snorted at), Derek drove over to where Scott was standing. He rolled down the passenger side window. "Get in," he ordered the teenager.
"Are you serious?" he asked incredulously, "You did that. That's your fault."
"I know that," Derek said, "Now get in the car and help us."
"No, I've got a better idea," Scott snapped, "I'm gonna call a lawyer. Because a lawyer might actually have a chance of getting him out before the moon goes up."
"Not when they do a real search of the house."
Scott furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"Whatever Jackson told the police," Anabelle started, "is nothing compared to what they're going to find in Isaac's house. It's a lot worse." She let out a sigh when the beta remained silent. "I know you don't trust us, but we want nothing more than to keep Isaac safe and out of danger. You're just gonna have to believe me."
After glancing back and forth at the two older werewolves, Scott nodded his head. He pointed his finger at Derek. "Only because I trust Anabelle. Not you."
"Fair enough," Derek said. Anabelle let Scott in the backseat of the car and rolled her eyes when she looked at Derek. "What?"
"Take off the damn sunglasses," she told him, "You're not the Fonz. All those do is just make you look like a douche."
Derek growled at Anabelle but it didn't faze her. All it did was make her stare him down until he caved. He eventually tore the glasses off and dropped them in the center console. Then he drove off to Isaac's house. The whole place was pitch black when the werewolves walked in. Scott was using his flashlight while the other two used their keen eyesight to see in the dark.
"If Isaac didn't kill his father," Scott started, "who did?"
"We're still not too sure about that yet," Anabelle answered.
"Then how do you know he's telling the truth?" Scott asked.
"Because I trust my senses," Derek said, "And it's a combination of them. Not just your sense of smell."
Instantly, Scott knew exactly what the alpha was talking about. His cheeks heated up in embarrassment. "You saw the lacrosse thing today."
"Yeah," the older werewolves said in unison.
"Did it look that bad?"
Placing his hand on Scott's shoulder, Derek said, "Yeah." Then he walked away.
"Don't beat yourself up about it, kid," Anabelle said, "When I was younger, I used to stick my head in my classmates' lunch boxes and sniffed them to see if they were poisoned or rotten." That made Scott chuckle, which Anabelle was glad for. She bumped their shoulders. "It takes time to develop your skills, but you'll get it eventually."
After giving Scott a smile (which he sheepishly returned), she led him down to where Derek was, which was on top of a staircase that led to a room downstairs. Most likely the basement. Just looking down there gave Anabelle the creeps. It was so eerie. She was waiting for the Grudge to start crawling up to them at any second.
"You wanna learn?" Derek said to Scott, "Let's start now."
"What's down there?" the teen wolf asked.
"Motive."
"And what am I looking for?"
"Just follow your senses," Anabelle said, "Then you'll find your answer."
With Scott leading the way, they went downstairs to the basement. Anabelle had accidentally missed a step and almost fell. But Derek was quick enough to catch her by the waist before she could hurt herself. She looked up at him, confusion written all over her face. The look on Derek's remained emotionless. However his inner wolf was practically barking happily at the contact his hand made with Anabelle's warm smooth skin. He quickly shook off the feeling and let her go as soon as he helped her straighten up.
"What happened down here?" Scott asked, thankfully breaking Derek out of his thoughts.
"The kind of things that leave an impression." Lying flat on the wooden floor was a freezer. Scott looked up at the alpha, silently asking what the hell was so important about this. "Open it."
So hesitantly, he did. And what was in the freezer made Anabelle feel sick. There were dozens of scratch marks that etched the inside of the door. Red splotches joined those marks, and from the dull metallic scent, they could tell that it was blood. Isaac's blood, to be exact. It didn't take a genius to figure out why all of this was here.
Then all of a sudden, the she-wolf was hit with a flashback. But the weird thing about it was that it wasn't hers. It was Isaac's.
She could see his father yelling at him for something incredibly stupid, like missing a spot on the kitchen counter from when he was cleaning. The bastard back-handed him so forcefully that Isaac fell to the floor. He went to strike him again but Isaac shielded his face. This pissed his father off even more. Grabbing his arm, he dragged his son out of the kitchen and down the stairs to the basement. Isaac begged his father to stop when he laid eyes on the freezer. No matter how hard he sobbed and how many times he said he was sorry, he was shown no mercy. He was shoved into the freezer and his father slammed shut.
Click. He was now locked in. footsteps made their way back up the stairs until Isaac could no longer hear anything. The sound of his heartbeat pounded in his ears and his breathing pattern grew rapidly. Oh, fuck, he couldn't breathe. The freezer felt like it was shrinking and the space was getting tighter. Isaac had to get out of here. So he started scratching at the door to the point where the tips of his fingers started to bleed. But he didn't care. He just had to get the hell out.
"Help!" he screamed, "Somebody help! Help!"
And for some reason, Anabelle was just standing there, listening as the poor boy cried out for someone to come rescue him. She wanted to help his so badly. But it was like her feet were cemented to the floor. There was no other choice but to hear the screams get louder and louder to where Anabelle wanted to rip her ears off.
"HELP!"
Without thinking twice, Anabelle pushed Scott out of the way and shut the door. The screams had vanished and she was able to release the breath that she hadn't even known she was holding. She could feel Derek and Scott's eyes burning holes in the back of her head. They were probably confused to why the hell she reacted the way she did.
"This is why he said yes to you," Scott realized.
"Everyone wants power," Derek said.
"Because who would want to feel so helpless…" Anabelle said softly.
Scott turned to Derek. "If we help you, then you have to stop. You can't just go around turning people into werewolves."
"I can if they're willing," Derek said.
"Did you tell Isaac about the Argents?" Scott asked, "About being hunted?"
"Yes, and he still asked."
"Then he's an idiot."
"And you're the idiot dating Argent's daughter," Derek countered. Scott's eyes averted from the alpha. "Yeah. We know your little secret. And if Anabelle and I know, how long do you think it's gonna take for them to find out?" He walked over to Scott. "You saw what happens to an omega. With me, you learn how to use all of your senses. With me, you learn control." He grabbed Scott's wrist and held it up, displaying his elongated claws. "Even on a full moon."
"If I'm with you, I lose her," Scott said.
"You're gonna lose her anyway," Derek told him, "You know that." He went to go back upstairs. "Anabelle, you coming?" But the she-wolf was still frozen in place, staring down at the freezer. "Anabelle."
Said woman's head snapped up. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry." She stood up and followed Derek towards the stairs.
"Wait." Derek and Anabelle turned back to Scott. "I'm not part of your pack. But I want him out. He's my responsibility, too."
"Why?" Derek asked, "Because he's one of us?"
"Because he's innocent."
After leaving Isaac's house, Derek and Anabelle went to the police station to meet up with Stiles and Natalie. They waited in the Camaro for the younger couple to arrive. None of them said anything and it made the alpha feel anxious. She hadn't said a word since they left the house. And the whole incident with the freezer was still on Derek's mind. He wanted to know if Anabelle was okay because she looked truly freaked out earlier.
"Back in the basement…" he finally said, "When you looked inside that freezer, you looked like you saw a ghost. What was that all about because I thought you were about to go into cardiac arrest."
For a solid minute, Anabelle didn't say anything. She just kept staring down at her hands that were folded on her lap. Then she shook her head.
"I… I don't know," she sighed, "I'm still not sure what happened either. When Scott opened the door, it was like all of a sudden, I was there with Isaac. He was being screamed at and beat up and then locked in the freezer. During the whole thing, he was crying for help and… I couldn't help him. He needed someone to save him and I just fuckin' stood there. Those screams were so loud; I just had to shut them up. I couldn't stand to hear him suffer any longer."
"So, what, does that mean you had a vision or something?" Derek asked.
"Kinda," Anabelle said, "It was more like a flashback though. But I could feel every ounce of pain that was going through Isaac, more emotional than physical."
"You've always been extremely sympathetic towards those who've had it rough. Maybe being in that house and seeing what Isaac went through triggered those feelings even more." Derek drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Um, are you okay though?"
Anabelle nodded her head slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine now. It's just a good thing that motherfucker's dead or else I would've killed him myself if I had the chance."
"Don't be so dramatic."
"I'm serious, Derek. That boy has done nothing to deserve being beat down and tortured like some helpless animal. I don't care if it would have put me in jail. I'd rather be locked up than go on letting his father get away with what he had done." She crossed her arms and leaned back. "Besides, it's not like it could change my eye color now."
She had added that last part quietly but it hadn't fallen under deaf ears. That was another thing Derek was dying to learn more about. Ever since he found Anabelle that day in the woods, he hadn't been able to get those tragically beautiful blue eyes out of his head. He wanted to know everything that had happened in the past six years leading up to when she had received those eyes. Just as Derek was about to bring the subject up, a familiar blue jeep pulled up in front of the police station.
"They're here," he said, "Come on." They got out of the car and walked over to the jeep. Derek pulled the passenger door open and glared at the redhead sitting there. "You. Move. Now."
"Well, hello to you, too, sunshine," Natalie said sarcastically, "I'm doing superb, thanks for asking. Tell me, do I look older to you?"
"Shut up and get in the backseat," Derek demanded.
"You know, saying please goes a long way instead of barking orders-" Natalie was cut off when Derek looked like he was going to lunge at her. "Okay, okay! God damn, why are you always this moody?"
As she climbed to the backseat, Derek let Anabelle in to sit next to Natalie before he got in. "You should've seen him when he first hit puberty," the she-wolf said, "That was a fun time for all of us."
"Hey, I know you!" Natalie exclaimed, "You're that woman who came to talk to me in the locker room the other day."
"Oh, I've never even properly introduced myself, haven't I?" Anabelle shook hands with the teenagers. "I'm Anabelle, the white wolf. Nice to meet you."
Both teenagers' eyes widened. "Wait, as in Anabelle Fierro?" Stiles asked, "Like from the Hale and Fierro fire?"
Anabelle flinched slightly from the memory, but she kept a straight face. "In the flesh."
"What are the odds?" Natalie laughed, "Who would've ever thought that she was right there with us the whole time? This is awesome!" She playfully smacked Derek's arm. "Now I don't have to hear you bitch and moan about how you miss her and wonder where she could've been."
"You've been missing me?" Anabelle asked Derek, eyebrow rising in amusement.
The alpha could feel his neck starting to heat up with embarrassment but he tried to cover it with anger by growling at Natalie. "I will kill you in your sleep," Derek threatened the redhead.
"What else is new?" she snapped back.
"Now is not the time to argue," Anabelle interrupted, pushing Derek back in his seat, "Can we just figure out how exactly we're supposed to get Isaac out of here?"
"Okay, now the keys to every cell are in a password protected lockbox in my father's office," Stiles said, "The problem is getting past the front desk."
"I'll distract her," Derek said. He went to open the door put Stiles placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa… You?" Stiles said, "You're not going in there."
Derek looked down at his shoulder back up to the teen, giving him a look that said to not ever touch him again. Stiles gulped and pulled his hand away.
"I'm taking my hand off."
"I was exonerated," Derek reminded him.
"You're still a person of interest," Stiles said.
"An innocent person."
This made Anabelle cackle. "You? Innocent? Ha! That's funny!" But Derek wasn't laughing. Natalie stopped and cleared her throat. "Okay, then… So what's your plan here?"
"To distract her," Derek repeated.
"Uh… huh," Stiles trailed off, not sounding too satisfied with the answer, "How? By punching her in the face?"
"By talking to her."
"Okay, alright," Stiles nodded, "Give me a sample. What are you gonna open with?" Derek just continued to glare at him. "Dead silence. That should work beautifully. Any other ideas?"
"I'm thinking about punching both you and Natalie in the face."
"Violence won't be needed," Anabelle spoke up, fluffing up her curly hair, "I'll do it."
Everyone else turned to look at her. "You?" Natalie asked in disbelief, "How?"
"The deputy sitting at the desk is a lesbian," Anabelle said, "And before you ask how I know, I have a pretty good gaydar. I was in theater, after all."
"Are you into girls?" Stiles asked hopefully. Natalie smacked his arm. "Ow!"
"No. But when I was a junior, my high school did RENT and I played Maureen Johnson, who was a lesbian. So I know how to flirt with both sexes pretty well."
"You think that'll work?"
With a shrug, Anabelle said, "It's worth a shot. Derek may be good looking, but I don't think facial hair and bulging muscles will turn her on." She adjusted her shirt so her breasts were pushed up more. "I'm going in. Wait for my signal."
She then got out of the car and walked to the building. The way her hips swayed resembled a model strutting down the walkway- powerful and confident. Involuntarily, Derek's eyes feel down to the she-wolf's rear and he admired the way those tight jeans hugged her curves. He could imagine what it would feel like to have his hands all over her as he-
What the fuck, Derek? No! Stop that thought before it gets too far! This was not the time to think about doing some very inappropriate things to your childhood best friend. Focus on the task on hand, which is to break Isaac out of his cell and get the hell outta here! God, what the hell was wrong with him?
Meanwhile, Anabelle entered the police station with that same gusto. The sound of her heels clacking against the tile floor caught the deputy's attention.
"Good evening," the deputy said, "how can I help…" When she finally looked up, her jaw went slack as she took in Anabelle's appearance. "You?"
"Hi," Anabelle said, giving her best charming smile.
"Hi," the deputy greeted back.
"Um, I had a question…" Anabelle then started to giggle. "Um, sorry. I'm a little… a little thrown. I wasn't really expecting someone…"
"Like me?"
"Oh, I was gonna say 'so incredibly beautiful'. But, yeah, I guess that'd be the same thing." Now the deputy was blushing. Yep. Anabelle's still got it. "Anyway, I'm new to this town and I have no idea what's around here." She leaned on her elbows against the desk, giving the other woman a good view of her cleavage. "Think you could help me out?"
The deputy's eyes widened as they subconsciously traveled down to Anabelle's chest. She nodded her head and began typing something on her computer. As she was doing that, Anabelle put her hand behind her back and made a come hither motion, signaling for the three outside that they could come in. Even as she heard Stiles and Natalie enter the building, she kept her focus on keeping the deputy distracted.
"Here you go," the deputy said, handing Anabelle a couple of pamphlets, "There's a map that locates different stores and restaurants in Beacon Hills. I hope you enjoy your stay."
"Thanks," the she-wolf grinned. She started playing with a strand of the other woman's hair. "I heard that this town can get pretty lonely sometimes. Maybe when you're not on duty, you can show me a good time here. If you know what I mean."
God damn, Anabelle deserved a fucking Oscar for this performance. She was way too good at it. Derek could hear and see everything she was doing and he'd be lying if he said it didn't have some effect on him. It was a good thing the two dweebs had already gone inside or else they would have given him so much shit with how red his face was. The air around him was getting hotter and if he hadn't heard the fire alarm go off, he would've probably suffocated.
He got out of the jeep and ran inside the police station. While the deputy was trying to figure out what was going on, Derek grabbed Anabelle by the arm and they ran down the hallways. They soon found Stiles and Natalie on the floor, arms wrapped around each other in fear. Two police officers (who judging by the syringes filled with wolfsbane weren't really police officers) were lying unconscious by a desk. Glass broke underneath Derek and Anabelle's boots as they walked in the room. A wolfed-out Isaac was stalking towards the other two teenagers, ready to attack.
Springing into action, Derek shifted and roared loudly. Isaac whined and curled up into the fetal position against the wall. He was submitting to his alpha. Anabelle had a feeling that this was probably going to be a perk Derek would never get tired of. Just the thought made her roll her eyes. With his face fully human again, Isaac looked up at Derek.
"How did you do that?" Stiles asked.
Derek turned to him and Natalie and smirked. "I'm the alpha."
"Wow," Natalie said sarcastically, "That's gonna be your excuse for everything, isn't it?"
"Don't start," Anabelle said as soon as Derek started growling, raising her hand up. She grabbed Natalie's hand and pulled her off the floor. Then she helped Stiles.
Someone in the room had whimpered, making Derek, Anabelle, Stiles, and Natalie turn around. With sad eyes, Isaac was staring at Delilah, who one of them had even noticed was in the room. She was pressed against the wall opposite of Isaac, hugging her knees to her chest. Clearly he hadn't told her about him being a werewolf yet because she looked absolutely freaked out and was shaking like crazy. After a while, Isaac crawled over to his girlfriend and tried to reach out to her.
"Delilah-"
But said girl slapped his hand away from her. She quickly stood up and Isaac did the same. When he continued to try to touch her, Delilah pushing on his chest and then ran out of the room.
"Delilah, wait!" Isaac called out. He went to go after her but Derek held him back.
"It's best if you just stay away from her for now on," he said, "Hopefully, she'll forget about it in the morning or write it off as a bad dream."
"But Derek, did you not see how terrified she looked?" Isaac exclaimed, "I have to go comfort her and explain what she just saw."
"I could've just hit her on the head to make her forget what happened, but I decided to be nice and let her go home. She knows too much already. Let her go before she gets into more trouble."
With that, Derek walked out of the room, broken glass crunching beneath his shoes. Anabelle shook her head at her former best friend's attitude. He could be such an inconsiderate jerk sometimes. Taking in Isaac's sorrowful expression, Anabelle rubbed his back comfortingly.
"Come on, sweetie," she said, "Let's get you out of here before anyone sees you."
She led Isaac past the front desk easily since the deputy had left the room. They then got into Derek's car and he drove away. All three of them were silent during the ride. Anabelle kept glancing back at Isaac, who looked absolutely heartbroken as he stared out the window. Poor kid. First he's abused, his dad died, he got arrested, and now he might have lost his girlfriend after shifting into a werewolf right in front of her. Talk about having a bad day.
And being the courteous person Anabelle was, she had to do something about it.
"Turn into Isaac's neighborhood," she told Derek.
"Why?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just do it," Anabelle said, "Please." Derek sighed but made his way into Isaac's track. He parked in front of his house. The she-wolf looked back at the beta. "Make sure no one sees or hears you when you go see Delilah. Call me as soon as the sun rises so I can come pick you up."
Isaac's eyes widened. "Really?"
Looking over at Anabelle, Derek shook his head. "Anabelle-"
"Derek, be quiet," she said sternly, "Go ahead, Isaac. Just be careful, okay?"
"Thank you," Isaac said, nodding, "Thank you so much." He quickly got out the car and ran towards Delilah's house.
"What the hell, Anabelle?" Derek snapped, "Have you lost your god damn mind? The last thing he needs right now is to be reported and arrested again."
"Nothing like that is going to happen," Anabelle assured him.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I just am! I trust both Isaac and Delilah. She's not going to send him back to jail or tell anyone what she saw. She's just scared and confused, which is why she needs Isaac. I know that she still loves him and will understand what's going on… eventually."
"I still don't think it's a smart idea for him to do this," Derek said.
"Maybe it's not, but I know it's what you would do if someone you loved saw you as a werewolf. You would want to do anything to make sure they still loved you."
"Good thing I'll never have that problem then," Derek mumbled.
Anabelle shrugged her shoulders. "You never know…"
They continued to drive in silence until they reached the high school. But Anabelle didn't get out right away when they got to her car. She just sat there for a few minutes, staring at her twiddling thumbs.
"Um…" she finally said, "Did you… did you wanna sleep over at my house again? You know, since it's getting kinda late and you shouldn't still be staying at that house?"
Derek was so tempted to say yes and spend even more time with her. But after contemplating it for a bit, he shook his head. "No, it's fine. I shouldn't overstay my welcome. Plus, I should be fixing up that station a bit more."
"Oh, okay," Anabelle said, her face falling a bit, "I should get going then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, sure thing." The alpha watched as Anabelle got out of the Camaro and dug her keys out of her purse. "Hey, Anabelle?" She turned back around and waited for Derek to say something for a long minute. "Uh… goodnight."
She gave him a small smile that barely showcased her dimples, which made Derek's heart pound slightly faster for some strange reason.
"Goodnight, Derek." She then got in her car and drove away.
As soon as the white Cadillac was out of sight, Derek opened his glove compartment and searched through it. His fingers touched something furry and he pulled it out. The plush wolf doll was still surprisingly soft after sitting in an ashy and dusty house for many years. Derek had gotten most of the soot off of it and it practically looked good as new. If he tried hard enough, he could detect that faint vanilla scent that still lingered on the doll.
He knew that he should return this to Anabelle, especially since she had seemed sad about not being able to find it. But when he found it in the house the day after she said something about it, Derek couldn't find in him to give it back just yet. This had been the only thing of hers he's had since that bitch Kate tore his picture of the brunette to pieces. It might've been a little weird to keep your former best friend's favorite childhood toy, but it was the only way Derek felt like he could really be close to her.
This might not have been as good as the real thing, but it was just going to have to do for now since he couldn't actually hold Anabelle in his arm. Maybe one day he'll get to experience that feeling again.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! PLEASE review and let me know what you think! Reviews are my motivation to update faster so please leave some feedback! Also be sure to check out Awake and Alive, Scars, You Raise Me Up, and my new StilesxOC story Dream A Little Dream Of Me! I'm working on the next chapter of Awake and Alive and will hopefully be posting it this week since I haven't updated that one in like two months :P
I hope to update soon! xoxo, Maddie :)