Ohhh guys, I've been waiting to write this chapter since the beginning! This is one of the most important chapters in the story so get ready. I hope you all enjoy!

WARNING: Sexual content

A couple days had passed since they caught Boyd and Cora at the school. While those two weren't fully healed, Anabelle surprisingly had. That didn't stop Derek from being even more annoyingly protective, watching her every move throughout the loft. Sometimes Anabelle didn't think she could even shower without wondering if Derek would barge in there to make sure she wouldn't slip and fall in the tub.

Not that she would have necessarily minded, actually. The not so innocent though of her inviting him in with her crossed her mind for a split second. Just the idea of it was making her imagination run wild. If Anabelle closed her eyes, she could almost feel Derek's body behind hers, his hands traveling her breasts all the way to her hips to bring her flesh against him. She wanted to feel his lips ghost over her neck just to make her shiver as he helped wash her body all over. Then he could pin her up against the shower wall before he-

The harsh cold water stung Anabelle's skin, bringing her back to reality. Even though goosebumps were all over her skin due to the shower, her body felt so heated. Before she could let her fantasies drive her even more wild to the point where she couldn't control her urges, Anabelle shut off the water and got out of the shower. She already had her clothes in the bathroom so she just changed in there and spruced herself up with a bit of makeup before going out into the living room, leaving her hair to air dry.

Cora had been staying with them since the full moon. While Anabelle did offer her bed to her, the youngest Hale refused and chose to stay on the couch. Right now she was stretching her limbs out so she could presumably get ready to work out. Which wasn't really the smartest decision since Cora still needed to recover, but she truly was a Hale- stubborn as fuck.

"Morning," Anabelle greeted.

"Hey," Cora responded, sitting on the floor and reaching for her toes.

Looking around the room, Anabelle asked, "Where's your brother?"

"Don't know," Cora shrugged, "He just said that he had to run an errand."

"Really? He never runs errands."

"That's just what he told me."

Weird. But Anabelle didn't have time to question it any further because Isaac had walked into the living room, dressed and ready to go to the school for cross-country practice. He grabbed an apple from the bowl in the kitchen as Anabelle grabbed her keys.

"I'm gonna go drop Isaac off at school," she told Cora, "Don't go overboard with the exercising." She just waved Anabelle off, making the she-wolf roll her eyes lightheartedly before walking out the door.

She and Isaac made casual conversation as normal as she drove him to school. Since they are usually so busy trying to save Beacon Hills from literally everything and anything, Anabelle sometimes forgets that these kids were normal just a few months ago. Isaac says the funniest things, his own sarcastic comments giving the Stilinski kid a good run for his money. Throughout the time Anabelle has known the beta, he's almost become like a younger brother to her. All of these kids were like her siblings.

Anabelle really did end up getting attached to them, just like she told herself she wasn't going to do. But when she and Isaac laughed together about an embarrassing high school memory of hers, she was okay with them getting close to her.

When she pulled up to the front of the school, Delilah was already sitting on the steps, waiting for Isaac. As soon as she saw her boyfriend she immediately brightened up. Isaac smiled like a lovesick puppy as well. It was almost nauseating how cute these two are. Anabelle felt a little bit of sadness when she remembered her relationship with Chase when she was in high school and how much they used to be like these two. At least how she used to be. Chase apparently was never that committed to her like she was with him.

"Alright, be careful during practice today," Anabelle told Isaac, "I don't want any of you hurting yourselves."

"It's just running," Isaac chuckled, "How could you possibly hurt yourself from running?"

"You can trip, pull a muscle, get dehydrated and faint," Anabelle listed off, "Shall I go on? And speaking of getting dehydrated-" she reached behind her seat and handed Isaac a water bottle, "here you go."

"Wow, you really are the pack mom," Isaac joked.

Pretending like that didn't completely melt her heart, Anabelle ruffled the boy's hair. "Alright, get out of here. You don't wanna be late."

Isaac got out of the car after saying goodbye and walked over Delilah. Anabelle watched as they kissed each other sweetly and held hands as they walked inside the school. Just as she put her car back in gear to go to the grocery store, she saw Derek's car in the parking lot.

Huh? What was he doing here?

A part of Anabelle was feeling nosy so she turned off her car and got out. She followed Derek's scent alongside the building. It had led her to the outside of a classroom. Suddenly a woman let out a small scream, making Anabelle hide behind the wall so she wouldn't get caught.

"What do you want?" she heard the woman ask nervously. It sounded like Jennifer. Of course. "You gonna threaten me? Tell me that no one's gonna believe me? Try to scare me? Kill me?"

"I was gonna see if you were okay," Anabelle then heard Derek say.

It was weird to hear him speak so gently to someone else that wasn't her. Anabelle tried not to think about whether there was a meaning behind it and just wrote it off as Derek being friendly. Although Derek and friendly was an odd combination.

The she-wolf peered into the classroom so she could watch this interaction go down. Derek's back was towards her so she couldn't see his face but she could see Jennifer's. And Anabelle smelled the exact same chemo signals she did in the boiler room the other night. That same attraction Jennifer had towards Derek that Anabelle wasn't too fond of.

"Physically or emotionally?" the English teacher asked, making Anabelle scoff to herself, "Although I guess that presupposes I was emotionally okay before any of this. And according to my therapist, I.. it's been debatable for a long time."

Derek lightly chuckled. He took the pointer Jennifer was holding. "I think you're gonna be okay."

She smiled at him and Anabelle could imagine that her best friend was smiling back at her. And it just made her frown.

"Obviously, you've never taught high school," Jennifer told him, "In twenty minutes, I have to start two dozen teenagers on The Crucible, and I honestly have no idea what I'm gonna say."

"Well, why don't you start by telling them that it's an allegory for McCarthyism?" Derek suggested.

Oh, god. If there wasn't the risk of him catching her, Anabelle would have audibly groaned.

"Is that a subtle way of suggesting that I shouldn't say anything?" Jennifer asked, "Because I won't." The alpha didn't say anything else. He just handed the pointer back and started to walk out of the classroom. "Who are you?"

"I'm Derek."

"Jennifer."

That was all Anabelle could bear to hear. So she walked away and went back to her car, trying to shake off the way her heart clenched at the thought of Derek finding interest in another woman. But maybe that was what he needed- a nice human woman that didn't have the emotional damage like Anabelle did. Someone who wasn't so fucked up.

It was a hard truth to admit. But Derek deserves better. Even if it wasn't her.

Derek returned to the loft not long after he paid the English teacher a visit. His aim with her was mostly to see if they hadn't completely traumatized her the other night in the boiler room. Also he just needed her to kept quiet about what she saw. If he had to sweeten her up a bit by using a bit of smooth talk, then so be it. There was no other intention behind it, even though Jennifer might have thought so. No, Derek's heart remained somewhere else. With someone else.

And that someone was not home when he got back. She probably went to go run errands or something, even though Derek wasn't too happy about her moving around a lot after being almost ripped to pieces. Just like he wasn't too thrilled to find Cora doing pull-ups on the bar in the middle of the loft when she was obviously struggling.

"Stop," Derek told her, "You're not done healing."

"Yeah?" Cora said as she dropped down from the bar, "Well, I'm done lying around."

"Then sit."

Cora scoffed as she went into push-up position. "You sound just like Anabelle. No wonder you two were matched up for each other."

"None of that talk when she gets back," Derek warned, "She still doesn't know."

"Whatever," his little sister said, "Now are you gonna help me go after them?" Then she started doing push-ups.

Mid push-up, Derek swiped his foot at Cora's hand, making her fall. Growling in frustration, she stood up and started throwing hits at her brother. But he just kept blocking her fists and made no effort to spar with her.

"Come on, fight back!" Cora gritted out. Derek still wasn't giving in. And it was just making the youngest Hale angrier. "I came back for this?" She scoffed. "I can't believe I got my ass thrown in a vault for three months for you. All those rumors I heard. A powerful new alpha, one of the Hales, and his mate were building a pack. Do you know how long I waited to hear something like that? Do you have any idea how it felt to find out you and Anabelle were alive?"

"Sorry to disappoint you," Derek said softly, trying to not let that sadden him.

Just then, the door slid open. Anabelle walked in carrying two bags of groceries. She didn't greet either of the two, which was strange even for her. The look on her face was actually emotionless, which Derek hadn't seen in a while now. Anabelle set the bags on the kitchen counter and pulled out a granola bar.

"Eat," she told Cora, tossing her the granola bar, "I know you haven't yet today."

"Thanks," the girl said. She hopped on the kitchen table as she tore open her snack.

While Anabelle started putting the groceries away, Derek walked over to her and leaned against the counter. "Cora's mad at me."

"That sucks," his mate said, shutting the fridge.

Her cold response caught Derek off guard. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nope," Anabelle shook her head. Not once had she looked at him.

"I don't think I believe you."

"Well, believe what you wanna believe, Derek. Because I'm telling you that everything's fine."

It was Derek's turn to scoff. "Great. Now I've got every woman I know upset with me."

"Not every woman," Anabelle grumbled under her breath.

But Derek heard it. Whether he was supposed to or not. And he didn't understand what that meant. Right when he was about to ask, the alarm went off, blaring loudly.

"What's that?" Cora asked.

"Trouble," Derek answered. The door slid open, revealing Ennis- the large alpha he and Anabelle fought at the hospital. He flashed his red eyes and growled. Cora charged towards him. "No, wait! Wait!"

Too late. Ennis grabbed her neck and pinned her down to the floor. Anabelle let a roar as she jumped on his back and clubbed at his head. This didn't seem to affect Ennis either and he just as easily wrapped his beefy hand around her throat and threw her down next to Cora. He smiled at Derek.

"Ready for a rematch?"

Derek went for him but stopped when Ennis's own mate Kali stepped into the room. She started kicking at Derek, trying to scratch him with her long and sharp toenails. On her last kick, he grabbed her leg and threw her across the room. Kali landed gracefully. Then she ripped out the metal bar Cora was using earlier. She struck Derek in the face and then his back. He fell to the ground. Finally, she stabbed the bar through his chest. Derek let out a pained roar.

"No!" Anabelle screamed. She scratched at Ennis's hand but he squeezed her throat tighter, making her gasp.

Kali drove the bar even deeper. The sound of Derek groaning made Anabelle's inner wolf itch to run to him. They locked eyes, both of them scared for each other.

"Everybody done?"

Everyone turned their heads at the voice. Deucalion.

"'Cause just listening to that was exhausting." He condensed down his walking stick and bent down in front of Derek. "So… let's chat." He then sat down on the couch. "Sorry about this, Derek. I asked Kali to be gentle but…"

"This is me being gentle," Kali chuckled. She twisted the bar, making the alpha grunt.

"Let them go," Derek panted. Deucalion motioned at Ennis to release Anabelle and Cora. He let go of the youngest Hale, who started to run towards her brother. "No." Cora stopped running.

"See?" Deucalion said, "We're not unreasonable."

From the corner of his eye, Derek could see that Ennis was still holding onto Anabelle, his claws digging into her neck. She was gasping for air. "Let. Her. Go."

"No, I think I wanna watch her squirm a little more," Ennis said, "Besides, she's being a little feisty right now. Wouldn't want her to do something risky to get herself into trouble now, would we?"

"Be nice now, Ennis," Deucalion told him, "Don't worry, Derek. We're not going to hurt your little sweetheart. Not the daughter of Claire Fierro."

"What do you want?" Derek asked, "You want to kill me?"

"You really think I'm that boring?" Deucalion asked, "Don't throw me in with sociopaths like your uncle. I'm a man with far more vision than simple murder. In fact…" he took off his glasses to reveal his pale eyes, "I'm here to show you just how much vision a blind man can have." His eyes turned red.

As Kali kept twisting around the bar in Derek's chest, he started to cough up blood. Over at Ennis and Anabelle, his claws were drawing up her own blood as well and her face was starting to turn blue.

"You're killing them!" Cora shouted.

"Not yet, little sister," Kali smiled, "But we could. Who knows if it's five minutes or five hours before it's too late to take this thing out? But just to be on the safe side, Duke, you might want to get to the point."

"Now you see the one problem with being in an alpha pack," Deucalion said, "Everybody wants to make the decisions. Me? I'm more about discovering new talents... like you and Anabelle since you're tied together."

Said she-wolf coughed. "But I'm… not an alpha."

Deucalion smirked in amusement. "She still doesn't know, does she?"

"Derek, what is he talking about?" Anabelle choked out.

"We're not interested," her best friend said instead so no one would let the secret about the bond slip.

"But you haven't even heard my pitch," Deucalion said.

"You want me… to kill my own pack."

"No. I want you to kill one of them. Do that, and I won't have to ask you to kill the others. You'll do it on your own. I did it. Ennis did. Kali did. Tell him what it's like, Kali, to kill one of your own."

The female alpha hummed. "Mmm… liberating."

"Don't listen to them!" Anabelle managed to yell out.

Ennis's grip tightened even more around her neck and her heart rate was decreasing. Derek panicked. His mate was surely going to die if she kept it up.

"Anabelle, shut up," he told her.

"Listen to me, Derek," Deucalion said, "Do you really want to stay beholden to a couple of maladjusted teenagers bound to become a liability? And believe me, they will become a liability. In fact... I have a feeling one of them is getting himself into trouble right now." He held up a finger. "There is one rule though- the hybrid remains untouched."

"What-" Derek coughed, "What do you want with Delilah?"

"I don't think either of you are fully aware of just how powerful she really is," Deucalion said, "For many years, having a healer in any sort of pack was mandatory. Nowadays it's very rare. So rare that even the greatest of packs don't have one. Delilah Lambert is a gift that you aren't even taking advantage of. Being a caladrius is one thing… but that combined with a werewolf is almost unheard of."

"She's not… an alpha though. She can't be a part of an alpha pack… if she isn't one herself."

"Oh I don't need her to be an alpha to be the cure… my cure. My restored vision."

So that was his plan- Deucalion wanted Delilah to cure his blindness. And most likely to get her to join his pack to be their healer. Neither Derek or Anabelle would ever let that happen. They needed to protect that girl at all cost. Isaac sure as hell would never leave her side as well when he finds out what the alpha pack really wanted with his girlfriend.

"See, the reason I'm always invested in new talent is simple," Deucalion said as he stood up. He started fiddling with his walking stick. "We all know a pack is strongest due to its individual parts. The stronger the individual parts, the greater the whole. When I lost my sight, one of my betas assumed I wasn't fit for my role anymore. He tried to take it from me. Killing him taught me something about alphas I didn't know they could do. His power was added to mine. I became stronger, faster, more powerful than I'd ever been. I tested this new ability to subsume the power of your own by killing another one. In fact, Derek, I killed them all. I took the individual parts and became a greater individual whole."

He snapped his walking stick open. Then he knelt down in front of Derek, who was just losing so much blood. Why couldn't Anabelle just get to him already? Grabbing the back of his hair, Deucalion yanked Derek's head back. He started feeling around his face.

"You're right, Kali," Deucalion chuckled, "He looks like his mother." He walked over to the table. "You and Anabelle will get to know me, Derek. Like she did. Like Claire did too."

"I know you," Derek grunted, "I know what you are. You're a fanatic."

"Know me?" Deucalion scoffed, "You've never seen anything like me. I am the Alpha of alphas." Thunder clapped. "I am the apex of apex predators! I am death, destroyer of worlds! I am the demon-wolf!"

Kali finally pulled the bar out of Derek's chest just as Ennis let go of Anabelle. She coughed uncontrollably, retching almost. Cora cowered in the corner, worried for her brother and the woman she always considered to be like a sister. Deucalion took off his now shattered sunglasses.

"Hate it when that happens," he said to himself.

The alpha pack then started walking out of the loft as Derek fell over. Cora ran over to her brother to check to see if he was okay. When Anabelle was finally able to get in control of her breath, she touched her neck, running her fingers over the puncture wounds Ennis left her. She brought her fingers up to her face and inspected the blood now coating them. Her eyes met Derek's, both not only showing fear for each other, but also for their pack.

Anabelle couldn't stand to be in that loft after that. Despite Derek's protesting, she went to the music store, even though it was normally closed on Mondays. She needed a distraction from everything right now. From the alpha pack, from the murders going on, and especially from Derek. Unfortunately, even being surrounded by music wasn't enough to take her mind off of him. Anabelle was worried for him. She didn't know what the alpha pack would do if Derek didn't do as they said. The unknown scared the living shit out of her.

Deciding to do something other than just think about it, Anabelle sat down at one of the newer pianos that was sent in the other day. Her fingers struck the ebony and ivory keys as she sang.

I sense there's something in the wind

That feels like tragedy's at hand

And though I'd like to stand by him

Can't shake this feeling that I have

The worst is just around the bend

And does he notice, my feelings for him?

And will he see, how much he means to me?

I think it's not to be

What will become of my dear friend?

Where will his actions lead us then?

Although I'd like to join the crowd

In their enthusiastic cloud

Try as I may it doesn't last

And will we ever, end up together?

Oh

And will we ever

End up together?

No, I think not, it's never to become

For I am not the one

While her feelings for Derek wasn't what she intended on singing about, the words just came to her naturally. It seemed to be that what she truly felt for her best friend ran deeper than she thought. That was even more terrifying to feel something so strong and so unexpected for someone you've known literally your whole life.

But Anabelle couldn't do anything about it. Not when there was finally a chance for Derek to actually find happiness with someone better. So she had to be the supportive best friend and let Derek be happy no matter how much it pained her.

Sighing sadly, Anabelle set her arms down on top of the piano and rested her chin on her hands, letting her thoughts consume her.

Rain poured down heavily that night. Thunder boomed loudly and lightening struck so close that it could practically blind someone. Derek watched the unruly weather out the window with an empty glass in his hand. His decision was final. As much as he didn't want to do it, he wasn't about to change his mind. No matter how much Isaac begged.

"I don't get it," the boy said, "Well, did something happen?"

"It's just not gonna work with both of you here," Derek told him, "I've got Cora now. It's too much. I need you out tonight."

That was when Anabelle finally arrived back from the music store. She slid the door shut behind her. The tension in the room was almost suffocating, leaving the she-wolf to be very confused.

Isaac scoffed. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"Somewhere else," Derek said.

Even more confused, Anabelle walked over to Cora, who was leaning against a pillar, looking down at her feet and feeling sort of guilty. "What's going on?" Anabelle asked.

"Derek's kicking Isaac out," Cora told her.

"What?" Anabelle breathed out, turning towards the guys. Neither acknowledged her.

"Did I do something wrong, Derek?" Isaac asked desperately.

"You're doing something wrong right now by not leaving," the alpha told him, pointing towards the door.

"Oh, come on."

Alright, Anabelle needed to step in. She hurried over to Derek and gripped his shoulders. "Derek, let's just talk about this. Don't make any rash decisions."

But he just pushed her hands away. "Just get out, Isaac."

"Derek, please," the poor boy begged.

"Get out."

"Stop," Anabelle panicked.

"Come on."

"Go!"

Unexpectedly, Derek threw the glass at the pillar behind Isaac, just missing his head as it shattered. Anabelle covered her mouth and gasped. Had Derek completely lost his mind? He's done some bad shit since he came back into Anabelle's life, but throwing stuff at a kid who had been abused by his father was the lowest he had gone. When Isaac looked back up at his alpha after shielding himself, the betrayal and hurt was evident in his eyes. He picked up his bag and headed towards the door.

"Isaac, honey, wait," Anabelle pleaded, running after the boy.

He stopped and looked at the woman he considered to be not just like a sister, but a mother figure to him. "Thank you for everything you've done for me. I hope one day I can repay you."

When he walked out the door, Anabelle was absolutely livid. She turned around to face Derek, who was leaning against the table. His head was down, mostly to avoid facing how furious and disappointed his mate looked.

Cora cleared her throat. "Uh, I think I'm gonna go hang out with Boyd," she said awkwardly, already practically running towards the door.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Anabelle said, still not taking her eyes off Derek.

"Don't look at me like that, Anabelle," he told her as soon as his sister left, "This was the right thing to do."

"By throwing him out on the street?" the she-wolf asked, "How do you expect him to survive out there?"

"He could go stay with Delilah," Derek shrugged, moving past her. "Either way, it's not my problem anymore."

"You're his alpha."

"And as his alpha, I know what's best for him."

But Anabelle still wasn't accepting that. "Is this about what Deucalion said earlier? About killing off a pack member?"

"Then you understand why I had to do this," Derek told her.

"If that's your worry, Derek, then kick me out!" Anabelle explained, pointing to herself, "Not a kid who still doesn't know how to fend for himself!"

He scoffed like that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. "I'm not kicking you out, Anabelle. What's done is done. End of discussion."

"God, you're such a pretentious asshole!" Anabelle growled out. She went to stomp away to her room but not before one last dig at him. "Oh, and by the way, throwing shit at a kid that's done nothing but take hits all his life? Real classy move, Derek. And here I thought you getting a girlfriend would soften you up a bit."

Huh? Now it was Derek who was confused.

"Girlfriend? What are you talking about?"

"Look," Anabelle said, raising her hands up, "I'm tired. I've had a long day. I'm done having this conversation."

"Well, I'm not." Derek strode over to his mate and grabbed her hand before she could leave the room. Immediately she ripped her hand away from his grasp, just like she did when they first reunited. Like he repulsed her. "Care to elaborate? Who are you talking about?"

Anabelle let out a sigh. "I saw you talking to Jennifer when I took Isaac to school this morning."

If the she-wolf wasn't totally angry right now, she would have found the way Derek scrunched up his eyebrows so cute. But she was so she didn't.

"Jennifer?" he questioned, "That English teacher from the other night?" Anabelle just nodded. "Wait, is that why you were mad at me earlier? Because I went to check on her?"

"More like I had secondhand embarrassment from watching you try to flirt with her," his mate snorted.

"I wasn't flirting with her," Derek said, almost appalled that she would even think such a thing, "I was just making sure that she wouldn't say anything to anyone."

"Oh, come on, Derek. I've known you for over twenty years. I know how you flirt. You get all cocky and you try to act so smart and sexy that makes you irresistible. I swear as soon as you brought up McCarthyism I thought her panties were gonna drop."

Now Derek knew this was not appropriate, especially right now. But he couldn't help himself after he realized what was really happening. He started laughing. It wasn't just a chuckle, but a full on belly-aching laugh. His hands were even on his knees! Anabelle didn't even think he could laugh like that. But she was not finding this to be amusing at all. In fact it was just pissing her off even more.

"Are you laughing?"

"I just can't believe it," Derek said as his laughter died down, "You're actually jealous."

"Oh, get the fuck over yourself," Anabelle scoffed, "Why would I be jealous? That's just absurd."

"Did you forget that I can read your mind?" Derek asked, "You can't lie to me."

"I'm not lying."

"Anabelle-"

"Fine!" she finally snapped, "You want me to tell you the truth? Yes, maybe I am jealous that some damsel in distress is the one that has your attention. She's this sweet and innocent woman who is totally perfect for you in every way and I know I'm going to have to watch you fall in love with her and it's going to hurt so fucking bad. Is that what you want to hear, Derek?"

To say that Derek was relieved at this confession was a huge understatement. He almost wanted to laugh again but he was not about to ruin this moment. So he just said, "Yes. It is, actually."

"Unbelievable," Anabelle shook her head. She started to walk away again.

"Just so you know," Derek called out, "there's nothing going on between me and Jennifer."

"Hey, you don't have to convince me of anything," Anabelle told him, turning back to him, "You're allowed to be with whoever you want. Don't let me get in the way. It's not like you belong to me."

"You don't get it."

"What is there to get?!"

"That I've always belonged to you!"

Oh…

Needless to say, the outburst shocked both of them. Anabelle's eyes were wide. Derek couldn't believe that he actually said that. But he did. And there was no going back. So he did the first thing that came to his mind.

He walked over to her, grabbed her face, and kissed her.

Almost as fast as it happened, Anabelle pushed him back. Fuck. Derek made the wrong move. She brought her fingers to her lips, like she wasn't sure if he actually kissed her. Of course her face and her mind was blank so he didn't know how the hell she was feeling. Should Derek apologize?

There was no need to. Because Anabelle jumped up, wrapped her legs around his waist, and kissed him back.

Derek gripped onto the back of her thighs as they continued to kiss so hungrily. He roughly pinned her against the wall like he was trying to prove his dominance to her. But that didn't phase Anabelle. In fact, she would gladly submit to this man just as long as he kept kissing her like he was craving her. Which he was. Badly. Derek ripped open her oversized flannel, buttons flying everywhere as he revealed her black lacy bra. Then he pulled off his own shirt and Anabelle just had to rub her hands all over his chest. The way she bit her bottom lip as she touched him had Derek going mad and he didn't want to waste anymore time with her.

Like she could read his mind (oh wait, she can), Anabelle hopped off of him and unhooked her bra, not breaking eye contact with him. Her breasts were on display for Derek and he just had to get his mouth on them. So trailed his lips down her neck, making sure to nip on that pulse point just to make Anabelle gasp, and stopped at her left breast. He kissed and sucked at her and she lightly scratched the back of Derek's head as she tried not to moan. Even during sex she was still stubborn. Well Derek was going to have to change that.

He hooked his fingers on the hem of both her shorts and underwear and slid them down her thick and creamy thighs. As Anabelle kicked her bottoms away along with her boots, Derek used this opportunity to get a real good look at her. Since she would be bare when shifted into and out the white wolf, he had seen her naked plenty already. But knowing that now this was all just for him… wow. It really did feel like it was the first time. And Derek was ready to finally dive into her. Dropping onto his knees, he hitched one of her legs over his shoulder, showing him just how ready she was for him too.

"I've been waiting to do this for so long," Derek exhaled before licking into her entrance.

Anabelle let out a gasp that quickly turned into a low moan when she felt his tongue work its magic on her. He slowly licked up and down her folds which made her just want to grab the back of his head and push it even deeper into her so he would stop fucking teasing her. When Derek started sucking on her clit she was sure that she saw stars. She looked down to see his own green eyes staring back at her like he was making sure that she was enjoying this. Which she definitely was.

"Ugh, fuck, Derek," Anabelle moaned. His tongue dipped inside her. "Oh my god…"

Reading his thoughts, Anabelle almost let out a laugh when she heard that Derek wanted to see how many times he could make her cum tonight. But she wasn't going to give him that satisfaction, no matter how much she needed it. Just when she felt herself creep towards the edge, Anabelle gripped onto his raven black hair and pulled him up. This elicited a growl from Derek, mouth red and slick from her essence.

"Got a little hair-pulling kink there, Derek?" Anabelle asked teasingly.

"Sometimes I like it rough," he told her before kissing her again, making sure she could taste herself on his tongue.

Then Anabelle pushed him onto his bed and she straddled his lap as he sat on the edge. Derek grabbed her butt so she could grind her hips over his jeans. That's when she remembered that he was wearing way too many clothes still. Anabelle pushed him back so he was laying down before undoing his jeans. She pulled them down and threw them somewhere behind her along with his boxers. Derek's dick was out there in the open in front of her and boy, did he not disappoint. It was nice and thick and the perfect length to fit inside her for when that moment came. But first Anabelle needed to prep him just a little more.

Taking his dick in her hand, she slowly stroked it up and down, twisting her hand when it reached the tip. Derek moaned. He wanted to close his eyes and just feel his mate please him but he wanted to watch her more. Especially when she licked underneath his length. Then Anabelle took the whole thing in her mouth, going up and down slowly. Her nails raked down his abs as she continued to suck on him and it made Derek actually shiver. He went to tangle his fingers in her dark brown curls but she grabbed his wrists and pinned them down. He groaned.

"I thought I was the alpha here," he panted.

"Well, you're not the only one that likes to be dominant," Anabelle said, smiling devilishly.

Oh, he would show her.

Derek freed his wrists and pulled her up on the bed. He flipped Anabelle over so she was on her hands and knees. Stroking himself, he stood behind her. One of his hands kneaded her round butt as he used the other to position herself at her entrance. Then he shoved himself inside her. Anabelle moaned loudly at the sudden movement. Because it had been so long since the last time she had sex, the stretch kind of hurt but in the most irresistible way. Derek didn't let her adjust to it before thrusting into her, deep and fast. He watched as his hips smacked against her butt and Anabelle would let out the most beautiful sounds each time their bodies met. Wanting to kiss her some more, Derek pulled on her hair and brought her upper body up so her back was pressed against his front as he continued to pound into her. Their lips met again as he wrapped his arms around her.

Her hand slid up into his hair. But then she threw him off by pulling him back down on the bed. Anabelle climbed on top of him and immediately lowered herself onto him. Her hands roamed around her own body as she rolled her hips around slowly. Seeing her touch herself like this was the most mesmerizing thing Derek had ever seen and he wanted to touch her as well. However, when he tried grabbing her hips, Anabelle held his wrists down again. Derek was not about to let her win this battle.

He used his legs to roll them around so he was now on top of her. This allowed them to look into each other's eyes and suddenly something inside the both of them snapped.

They were no longer fighting for dominance. When they stared at each other, there was a change within Derek. This was more than just sex. He knew it. Looking at her, hopefully Anabelle knew it as well. Everything he felt for her just amplified and he was ready to show her just how much she meant to him.

Caressing her cheek, Derek lowered his head down to kiss her. It was much more soft and sensual this time around, but it was just as incredible if not better. His hands slid up her Anabelle's arms over her head and locked their fingers together. Then Derek slid into her again, rolling his hips into hers as deep as he could while going slow. Anabelle was breathing heavily and she was desperate to hold onto this moment. Her best friend was panting as well. It wasn't going to take them much longer.

"You close?" Derek asked her after separating their kiss.

"Yes, god, yes," Anabelle moaned against the alpha's lips.

"Me too," Derek groaned. His lips brushed hers as he ground against her sweet spot. "Cum with me, Belle."

Eyes shifting from brown to electric blue, Anabelle found her release at one particular thrust at her sweet spot. Her head tilted back as she cried out blissfully. Seeing her fall apart underneath him was more than enough for Derek to cum inside her. He tucked his head between his mate's neck and shoulder, his moans making her body shake. Right then, he thought about biting down on her so he could finally claim her and solidify the bond. But Derek needed to talk to her before he could do anything so he had her consent. Instead, he just placed kisses on the base of her neck as both of their orgasms died down.

Anabelle almost whimpered at the emptiness when Derek pulled out of her. He got off of her but made sure to bring her close to him when he laid on his side. Both of their eyes were starting to feel heavy the longer they stared at each other.

"Anabelle…"

Said woman shook her head. "We'll talk in the morning."

Right now she just wanted to sleep. Not before giving Derek one last kiss, which he happily returned. Then they drifted off into slumber, holding each other as they did so.

Only two hours went by before Anabelle woke up. She was still in Derek's arms, him facing her as he continued to sleep. A finger traced his scruffy face as she took in just how beautiful he really was. How peaceful he finally looked. Anabelle could watch him sleep all day. But unfortunately, she had to get up so she could clean herself up.

Making sure to be as quiet as possible so she wouldn't wake him up, she gently removed herself from his arms and sat on the edge of her bed. Then she started searching through the pile of clothes they had made for at least her bra and underwear. Anabelle found them underneath Derek's jeans so she tossed them aside so she can pull on her undergarments. As she fastened her bra, she noticed a folded piece of paper on the floor. It must have fallen out of Derek's pocket. Anabelle picked it up and stared at it as she debated with herself.

Should she read it? Or respect her best friend's privacy and just leave it where she found it? Finally deciding to just be nosy, Anabelle unfolded the paper. What she read almost made her heart stop.

It was an article printed from the internet. The top of the page read 'Werewolf Mating', whatever the hell that was. But as Anabelle kept reading, her mind started reeling as she tried to make sense of it. There were parts in there that related to her, like feeling a pull and having visions. Even the mind-reading part was in there! And now she assumed that Derek had been experiencing those things too. Judging from how crinkled the paper was from it probably being read a lot, he's known about this for quite some time now. She still didn't know the meaning behind this. But the more Anabelle started to overthink it, she came to the conclusion that she didn't really want to know.

She needed to leave.

Running into her room, Anabelle grabbed a bag and started shoving as many of her clothes and belongings she could get her hands on in it. She didn't even know what she was packing, but she didn't care. All she cared about was getting the hell out of there before Derek woke up. Anabelle then threw on a random sweatshirt, shorts, and shoes and went back into the living room. Bag slung over her shoulder, she grabbed the door so she could slide it open.

"So this is what a one night stand feels like."

Shit.

Cursing to herself, Anabelle turned around. Derek was wide awake and he was not looking very happy. He had pulled his shirt on, his jeans already on, and stood up from the bed.

"It's funny," he continued, "I thought what we did would have actually meant something to you. But I guess I was wrong."

"Don't act like this actually meant something to you, Derek," Anabelle said. She held up the article.

Derek's eyes grew wide when he realized what was in her hand. "Why do you have that?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Anabelle spat, "It fell out of your pocket. What does all of this mean, Derek?"

"You weren't supposed to find out this way," the alpha sighed.

"Find out what?" When he grew silent, the she-wolf snapped. "Tell me!"

There was no use in hiding the truth from her anymore. Derek sighed.

"That spark you've been feeling whenever you and I touch… apparently that's been happening ever since you were born. When we come to a certain age, we start experiencing more symptoms. Visions, dreams, mind-reading, protectiveness… they're all signs of us being mates."

Anabelle furrowed her eyebrows. "Mates. Like soulmates?"

"True mates is actually proper term for it," Derek explained, "It means you and I are destined to be together. I still don't know all of the details, but that's pretty much the gist of it."

"So basically… you and I don't get a say of we want to be with."

Derek was offended by this. "When you say it like that, you make it sound like it's a bad thing."

"But that's the truth, isn't it?" Anabelle asked. Everything was finally making sense. "The piano, offering me to stay with you… those were all just tricks to get me to fall for you."

"They weren't tricks, Anabelle. The male is supposed to provide and protect his mate. And that's what I've been trying to do this entire time."

"Just exactly how long have you known?" The alpha grew silent again. "Derek…"

With a sigh, he finally answered, "Since the night Victoria tried to kill you and Scott… Deaton told me the truth. You and I were the last to know."

Needless to say, Anabelle didn't know what to think about all of this. She felt lied to… cheated. The universe had to be playing some kind of cruel joke on her. For the past six years, Anabelle had sworn that she was destined to be a lone wolf. Not the mate of an alpha. An alpha that had just so happened to be her best friend since literal birth. An alpha that was responsible for fucking up her life.

She handed Derek the article. "What if I don't want it?"

Now it was Derek's turn to be pissed. Upon hearing her thoughts, he couldn't help but chuckle darkly. And it was actually starting to scare Anabelle.

"You know," Derek said, "you always want to give me shit and say that I'm stubborn, but you need to take a real good look in the mirror." He stalked towards her, making her take a step back. "I have been nothing but patient and understanding with you, Anabelle. And here I thought we were actually making a breakthrough. But no. You want to push me away all over again. Why? Because you can't not only forgive me for my mistakes, but you can't forgive yourself for yours?"

Seething, Anabelle dug her claws into the palms of her hands. "Don't you dare go there with me, Derek."

"Well, it's true," Derek pushed, "I don't think you're actually mad at the fact that we're supposed to be together. You're just too scared to think that you're actually worth having this. Because you hate who you were born to be. And now you wanna run away. Just like you always do when things get too hard."

"You're a fucking prick."

"And you need to learn how to let go of the past and stop being so fucking insecure."

He didn't know what stung more- the slap in the face he received, or the way she looked at him when he lifted his head up. Even before she slapped him, he knew he had crossed the line. And the hurt behind the anger in her eyes just killed him even more.

"I am so sorry," he said softly.

"No," Anabelle shook her head and held up a finger, "I think you made yourself very clear on how you feel about me." She grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

"Wait, Anabelle, please don't go," Derek pleaded, going after her.

"I can't do this anymore, Derek. I'm done with you. Done with the alpha pack. Done with this fucking town."

She went to slide the door open but Derek stopped her. "Anabelle, please, do not throw this away." She shook her head and refused to look him in the eye so he grabbed her face and pressed their foreheads together. "Tell me what I can do to fix this."

"There's nothing you can do, Derek," Anabelle told him, "My time here is over. There's no reason for me to stay."

"… but I love you."

When Anabelle looked up at him, Derek's gorgeous eyes looked like they wanted to cry. And it made her get choked up. But she couldn't cry and give into him. No matter how badly she wanted to accept him with open arms, Anabelle had to protect herself like the omega she was. She placed her hands on his wrists and kept her heartbeat steady.

"Well, I don't love you."

Then she removed his hands from her face and walked out.

Derek ran his hands through his hair and walked away from the door, breathing heavily as he tried to process this. His mate rejected him. No. The woman he was in love with rejected him. And she was leaving for good. This time… he couldn't make things right.

With a shout, he pounded his fists down on the table, splitting it in half. He then sat down at the edge of his bed and rested his elbows on his thighs.

"So you're really just gonna let her walk away?" he heard Cora from the doorway.

"If she wants to leave, then I can't stop her," Derek said.

"But she's the one," Cora said, "Even before you guys found out the truth. She's always been the one for you."

Looking up at his little sister sadly, the alpha shook his head. "Apparently that's not enough for her."

The Fierro household was sound asleep, given that it was about three o'clock in the morning. In his room, Caleb had his wife Leanne in his arms. Suddenly there was a knock on the front door, alerting the alpha to wake up. Being the head of the house (and a paranoid person), he gently rolled out of bed so he wouldn't wake his wife. When he stepped into the hallway, his younger brother Parker was stepping out of his own room. He was probably going to check the noise out too.

They shot each other questioning looks, wondering who could possibly be at their door at this time. Whoever it was knocked again, making the brothers flick their claws out, prepared to defend their families and home. Silently, they walked to the front door. When Caleb opened the door, they were both taken aback when they saw their little sister standing on the front porch. She was soaked head to toe from the rain. Her eyes looked tired and stressed.

Anabelle let out a sigh. "I think I know the family secret."

She finally knows the truth! He finally tells her he loves her! And now there's hella drama going on. Make sure you stay tuned because these next few chapters are some of the most important ones in this story.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! PLEASE leave a review and let me know what you think! Also, please read and review the other two stories in the saga, Awake and Alive and Scars! I'll be sure to update soon! Xoxo, Maddie