Muted:
I could hear the music pounding from inside the loft as I strolled towards the large sliding door and I rolled my eyes as I balanced the paper bag in my hand under my arm so that I could hold the carrying tray of coffee while opening the door with the other. I closed the door behind me before I grabbed the bag with my free hand as I walked into the loft and my gaze immediately landed on a shirtless Derek as he did push-ups further in the room.
"Sophie, I just got rid of you. Go home. Go to school. Go away." He scolded me in a strained voice without looking up and I rolled my eyes at him as I wandered further into the loft without saying a word. I heard him grunt as he climbed to his feet behind me but I just walked into the small kitchenette area hidden around the cut out wall. "Sophie, what are you doing here?"
"I brought you coffee and muffins." I told him simply as I set the bag and tray both down on the counter without looking at him. I could feel his presence next to me as he leaned his side against the counter and I swallowed roughly as I distracted myself by taking my own coffee out of the tray. I could smell the sweat dripping down his muscular torso as I bit down on my lower lip and I cleared my throat gently as I brushed my hair off of my neck.
"Thank you." Derek said gratefully as he reached over me to grab his own coffee cup and I immediately leaned back so that his skin didn't touch me as I nodded absently.
"Sure."
"Are you okay?" he asked me in concern as his eyebrows pulled down slightly and I made a vaguely affirmative noise in the back of my throat as I took a sip of my coffee. I closed my eyes for a moment as the scolding liquid slid down my throat and I could sense his gaze still on me as he drank his own coffee silently. An annoyed groan escaped my lips as I threw my head back and I slammed my cup down on the counter as I turned to face Derek with a distressed expression.
"No! No, I'm not okay. I have all this pent up tension and you're standing there, all sweaty and hot as hell, and it's screwing with my hormones. I haven't had sex since Aiden died. That's the longest I've gone without sex since I lost my virginity. I'm going crazy here, Derek." I snapped at him in frustration as I ran both my hands through my hair with a scowl and an amused smile spread across his lips but he tried to hide it behind his coffee cup as I narrowed my eyes at him. "It's not funny."
"Why didn't you just go home with some guy?"
"You don't think I tried? I went clubbing all the time, I meet guys all the time. But whenever I tried to do anything more than make out, I'd get stupid Aiden's stupid voice in my stupid head."
"Maybe that's a sign you're not ready to move on." He suggested sympathetically as he placed his cup down and turned around to lean both his hands on the counter as he looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
"I. Don't. Care. I'm. Going. Insane." I enunciated clearly with annoyance in my voice as I glared at him for finding the situation amusing and he chuckled lowly as he looked away from my aggravated expression. I reached out to punch him in the shoulder with a pout on my lips and he quickly grabbed my wrist before it could touch him as he raised both his eyebrows, silently daring me to make a move. A slow smile spread across my lips as I used my other hand to aim a punch to his stomach but he spun me around and pulled me back against his well-defined chest as I let out a startled gasp. One of his arms wrapped around my lower stomach as the other rested on one of my arms and I breathed out a chuckle as I tried not to react in any other way to the warmth his body was emitting.
"Your move." He whispered in my ear teasingly as his breath on my skin made me shiver and I tilted my head to the side with my closed fluttering closed as his lips ghosted over the side of my neck.
"This isn't why I came over." I whispered breathlessly because I needed him to know that didn't come to the loft this purpose, I didn't seek him out in order to use him as a stress ball.
"I know."
"Good."
"Good." He repeated after me as his hand that was on my arm trailed down to my fingers and he intertwined them as I arched my back into him with a suppressed groan in the back of my throat. A gasp escaped my lips as he abruptly spun me around to face and before I could even think, he was lifting me up so that my legs were wrapped around his waist. His large hands rested on my ass as my arms instinctively draped over his shoulder and my chest was pressed up against his as our lips collided passionately.
It was like a choreographed dance that they had perfected after many attempts. Derek knew I loved it when he bit my lower lip and I was aware that whenever I dug my nails into the back of his neck he growled lowly in arousal. That was one of the benefits of being with someone who knew you so well, someone who could read your mind and sense your mood without you having to tell them. Our movements were rushed and fervent, but there was an undercurrent of tenderness and a rawness that touched the centre of my heart.
I tilted my head back with my eyes closed in desire as Derek kissed down the column of my throat, periodically nipping gently on my skin and I tangled my fingers in his dark hair as I lifted my head back up to meet his eyes. Both of us were panting breathlessly as I stared into his lust filled light green eyes and I grinned slightly because for the first time since Aiden died, there wasn't a voice in the back of my head scolding me for doing this.
"We're good at this." I praised quietly with a small laugh as I leaned my forehead against his and he chuckled as he nodded in agreement before pressing a small line of kisses down my jawline. "We should win a prize."
"Or we could just keep doing it?"
"That's a good idea too." I agreed enthusiastically with a grin as he sat me down on top of the counter and I leaned forward to kiss down his muscular chest as he tangled his fingers in my brunette hair. He moaned slightly as I ran my tongue over his nipple and he tugged on my hair to pull me back up to meet his lips in a hungry kiss.
"Oh, god. Why? Why must you do this?" I heard Peter groan in disgust from behind us and I immediately pulled back from the kiss as I hid my blushing face in Derek's bare chest.
"If don't want see it, don't look." Derek stated simply as he ran a hand through my hair soothingly before stepping back to stand next to me and I cleared my throat gently as I looked up at the older Hale werewolf who stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Good morning, Peter. How can we help you this morning?" I asked him with a hint of annoyance in my voice as I swung my legs over the edge of the counter and I picked up my abandoned coffee cup as I took a sip of the now lukewarm liquid.
"I just wanted an update on our search for Kate. I need those bearer bonds." Peter insisted pointedly as he switched his gaze between the two of us and I raised my eyebrows at him in amusement as I pointed at him with one finger.
"That sounds like a 'you' problem. Those bearer bonds are yours, Peter."
"I don't know why you're so nonchalant about this."
"Because it has nothing to do with me?" I suggested in a questioning tone of voice as I raised my coffee cup back to my lips and Derek smiled slightly in amusement as he leaned back against the counter with his arms over his chest.
"Who do you think is going to inherit those millions? I'll give you a hint: it isn't going to be the nephew that slashed my throat open." Peter told us casually with a roll of his teal coloured eyes and I froze with the coffee cup halfway to my mouth as my eyes went wide in shock.
"Excuse me?" I whispered in disbelief as the coffee cup slipped from my frozen fingers and Derek caught it reflexively before it could hit floor. I blinked in surprise as I turned my attention to the floor and Derek placed his hand on my back as Peter looked at me with a smug smirk on his lips.
The reality crashed down around me as I realised that any money that I would have gotten had been stolen and the only way to retrieve any of it was to locate Kate. My expression turned hard as I lifted my head from the ground and I jumped down from the counter as I placed my hands on my hips in determination. "I was robbed!"
"'We'. We were robbed." Peter corrected me instantly as he pointed a finger at me and I waved a hand at him dismissively as I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever. The point is, we need to find Kate now more than ever. And because I'm all-knowing and completely awesome, I found us a lead."
"Derek and I have been searching for a week and found nothing, but you're here twenty minutes and you already have a lead?"
"Yeah." I stated as though it was completely obvious, the implied 'duh' ringing in my tone and Derek suppressed an amused grin as I sauntered out of the kitchen pass them both. "You remember Braeden? She's the mercenary that saved both your asses from the Calaveras?"
"Vividly." Peter replied drily with a roll of his eyes as they followed me into the main room of the loft and I sent him a sickly sweet smile as I sat down on the couch with my legs crossed.
"What about her?" Derek asked with a small frown as he ignored his uncle's comment and I tilted my head to the side as I clasped my hands over my knee.
"She's on her way over here." I told them casually as I watched Derek walk over to sit down on my left and Peter stared at me in confusion as he crossed his arms over his chest in defiance. "We ran into each other somewhere south of the equator and became friends. I even went on a couple of non-lethal jobs with her as backup. I saved her ass, and that's what got you the meeting to discuss a finder's fee."
"'A finder's – '"Peter was interrupted by a knock on the metal loft door and I quirked an eyebrow at him as I pointed towards the door in silent demand that he answer it. The ex-Alpha glowered at me but went to answer the door as I smirked smugly and Derek chuckled lowly as I leaned back against the couch with my arm brushing his.
"Oh, you." Braeden greeted Peter unenthusiastically with a blank expression when he slid open the door and he opened his mouth to quip something back but she strolled passed him without a word.
"Brae! Thanks for coming. You are now officially out of my debt." I said with a smirk on my lips as she sat down in the armchair on the other side of the coffee table and Peter glared at the back of her head as he walked over to sit down on the empty seat next to me. "I believe you know Peter and Derek Hale."
"Mm-hm. Soph explained to me what's going on."
"Can you help?" Derek asked her as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and Braeden didn't reply as she placed her booted feet up on the antique coffee table between us in silent show that she wasn't leaving.
"That table's Italian." Peter complained in annoyance with a grimace on his lips as he narrowed his eyes at her feet and I rolled my eyes at him as I mouthed the words 'oh, my god' with my head turned away from him.
"So are these boots." The dark-skinned human quipped almost instantly as she folded her hands on her lap and I smiled in amusement before I noticed that Derek was staring at his own reflection in the lens of his sunglasses. "Are we going to talk interior design and fashion or are we going to talk numbers?"
I placed a comforting hand in the centre of Derek's back as I watched Peter write a number on a slip of paper before sliding it towards Braeden and she uncrossed her legs as she leaned forward to read the number with a blank expression. A small frown crossed her lips as she picked up the pen on the table and scribbled a new number on the same piece of paper before sliding it back towards the ex-Alpha.
Peter took one glance down at the estimate that had been written down and then lifted his head to level the mercenary with a deadpan expression. "We're hiring you to find Kate, not assassinate the President."
"I was hired by the Calaveras to find Kate. You're hiring me to find her first. Going against the Calaveras is what's going to cost you."
"This meeting was a favour, Peter. It's dangerous for her to even be meeting with us. If the Calaveras caught wind that she was colluding with werewolves, they wouldn't be happy." I reminded him pointedly as I turned my head around to look at him with a stern expression and he huffed in irritation as he clenched his jaw angrily but leaned forward to grab the pen. I shared an exasperated glance with Braeden as he wrote down another offer before sliding it across the table and she didn't even look at it as she pushed it right back at him. Peter exclaimed in disgust as he stood up from the couch with a scowl and I shook my head at him as Derek reached over to pick up the slip of paper.
"We'll pay. Just find Kate, that's all we want." The beta told her sincerely as he tore the paper in two with an earnest expression and I turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised curiously. Braeden glanced over at me for confirmation as she stood up from the armchair and I licked my upper lip unsurely but nodded slightly all the same because ultimately it was his decision.
"Fine. I'll let you know what I come up with." Braeden told us as I stood up from the couch with a small smile and I intertwined our fingers absently as I walked with her to the front door of the loft.
"Thanks for accepting the meeting. I know that going against the Calaveras isn't at the top of your to-do list." I said to her in a low voice even though I knew both of the Hale's could hear us and she spun around to face me with a smirk on her lips as she squeezed my fingers when we reached the door.
"It's fine. The money I'm milking out of these idiots is worth it."
"Seeing me is a bonus?" I asked jokingly with a coy smile on my lips as I dramatically fluttered my eye lashes and she chuckled in amusement as she leant forward to press a light kiss to my lips. I barely kissed her back because that's how she always greeted me or said goodbye to me when we were living together. "I'll see you later. Be careful. And call me if you need backup. I have an arsenal in the basement if you run out of ammo or something."
"That's sexy. I'll call you." She told me with a wink as she smirked at me and I smiled back at her as she exited the loft without another word.
"Are you insane?!" Peter snapped angrily as I turned around to face the main room of the loft and I saw him standing in the middle of the room with his arms raised out to the side.
"We don't have a choice. We spent a week looking for her and came up with nothing." Derek defended himself without turning around as he leaned his hands on the table in front of the massive wall of windows.
"If we don't find out, who told Kate about the vault, we don't get those bonds back! What do you think I'm gonna do then, huh? Get a job? My resume is slightly out of date. We got robbed, Derek. Robbed!" the older man argued heatedly in a raised voice as he reached out to grab his nephews shoulder but Derek spun around as he grabbed Peter's wrist and roared loudly in warning with his teeth elongated into fangs as his eyes glowed bright amber. "Oh, that's a new look for you. What happened to your eyes?"
"I don't know. But I'm willing to pay to find out."
"Peter, why don't you take a walk? Calm down a little so that we don't have another killing spree on our hands?" I intervened as I strolled through the loft with a sarcastic smirk on my lips and Derek roughly tossed his uncles arm away from him as he turned back around to face the windows.
"Fine. Talk some sense into him, would you?" Peter asked me pointedly with a scowl as he sauntered pass me towards the door and I just waved my fingers at him mockingly as he disappeared into the hallway. I turned my attention to Derek's back as I sighed heavily, unsure of what to say to him and I slowly walked closer until I was able to place a hand on his back soothingly.
"You think I'm making a mistake?" he asked me calmly as he glanced at me with an eyebrow raised in question and I turned around to face him as I leaned back against the edge of the table with my hands flat on the surface.
"I think…that Kate did something to you. And you deserve to know what."
"Should I be trusting Braeden?"
"I don't honestly don't know. She kind of lives by her own moral compass. She's predictable in her unpredictability." I told him sincerely as I shrugged my shoulders with a small frown and he nodded in understanding as he looked back out the window. "Hey…"
"Hmm?"
"You know I'm here for you, right?" I asked him softly as I placed my hand over his on the table, bowing my head to catch his gaze and he turned his head slightly to look at me with an unreadable expression. "You're one of the most important people in my life."
I was caught off guard when he abruptly launched forward to press his lips against mine, my back knocking into the edge of the table painfully but I immediately kissed him back as one of my hands caressed the side of his neck. His hands rested almost respectfully on my hips as our lips moved in perfect harmony and it only lasted a minute before he pulled back with his forehead resting on mine as we both panted breathlessly.
There was something different about this kiss. It wasn't demanding, it wasn't leading anywhere. Its sole purpose was to express how we were feeling without using our words. Butterflies erupted in my stomach, their wings warm as they fluttered in a synchronised beat and my heart sunk in my chest as I realised that kissing Derek felt right, it felt so easy compared to anyone else I'd been with. Even Aiden. My lips tingled slightly in an echo of the kiss as my skin was searing where our skin touched and I frowned slightly with my eyebrows drawn together.
"Why'd you do that?" I asked him softly in confusion as I trailed my hand down to rest on his bicep and he cupped my cheeks in his hands as his nose rubbed against mine lightly.
"You're important to me."
"I-I- um…" I stuttered unsurely under the intensity of his gaze as I dropped my hands from his arms like he had burned me and I took a shaky breath as I turned to organise the thoughts in my chaotic mind. His light green eyes were burning with an emotion that I had only seen directed at me by one other person and it terrified me to the depths of my heart because they ended up dying in my arms. I couldn't handle the overwhelming feeling of loss that swept over me and I couldn't even think about what I would do if the same thing happened to Derek. I needed to leave, I needed to put some distance between the two of us. "I-I have to go."
My mind was scattered as I carefully maneuvered away from the table, avoiding any contact with Derek and I evaded his knowing gaze as I quickly walked out of the loft without glance.
"Sophie! Hey, Sophie!" Kira called out to me from down the hallway as I exited my last class of the day and I looked over my shoulder with a small smile as she rushed to catch up to me. I stifled a laugh as I watched her dodge around some of the students milling around after class and she was panting slightly like she had run from the other side of the school.
"Hey, Kira. What's up?" I asked her cheerfully with a smile as she fell into step with me and I hugged my textbook to my chest as we headed towards my locker to put them away.
"Can I – Is it okay if I ask you something?" she asked nervously as she nibbled on her lower lip unsurely and I raised an eyebrow in intrigue as she kept glancing at me from the corner of her eye. "It's – it's okay if I don't want to. I mean, it's about Scott. Your brother. You know he's your brother, obviously. But it might be uncomfortable for you. And I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable. And I would ask Lydia but she's already left for the day. And I could ask Malia, but, well, she's Malia."
"Kira!" I exclaimed in amusement as we stopped next to my locker and I opened the metal door as I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "It's cool, Kira. What happened with Scott?"
"He kissed me." She blurted out with wide panicked eyes as both of my eyebrows shot up in surprise and she sighed heavily as she leaned back against the locker next to mine with a defeat expression. "Well, kind of. It was a kiss, but it wasn't."
"I'm confused."
"Me too."
"Walk me through what happened exactly." I told her patiently as I placed my textbook inside my locker and closed the door before turning to face the kitsune with a consoling smile. I intertwined our arms together as we started strolling down the empty corridor and she glanced down at our joined arms in surprise as a small smile spread across her lips.
"We were making plans to talk after tryouts and before he left, he just kissed me. It was the first kiss since our actual first kiss." Kira admitted sheepishly as she rolled her head from side to side with a frown and I offered her an encouraging smile as we headed towards the exit.
"I don't see the problem. He kissed you. You wanted him to kiss you. Yay!"
"It was like how you kiss your grandmother when you're five."
"Oh. Chaste. That's not what you want."
"Yeah, and now it's – It's all weird. It's all completely weird and I- I don't know what to do. Maybe I should text him?" she asked hesitantly as she looked at me in complete bewilderment and I immediately shook my head at her suggestion.
"No, sweetie. You need to talk to him in person. In fact, don't talk. Just act." I advised her with a shrug of my shoulders as I offered her a coy smirk and she frowned at me in confusion so I rolled my eyes before giving her a pointed look. "Kiss him. Properly. None that chaste crap."
"I don't know. Maybe he's not ready for a relationship." She murmured sadly as she looked down at the ground while tucking a stand of hair behind her ear and I frowned in confusion as we walked out the double doors that lead to the lacrosse field.
"Why wouldn't he be? Because of Allison?" I asked her in bewilderment as I looked at her with a quirked eyebrow and she glanced away from me with a sad expression which was answer enough for me to know I was right on the money. I abruptly came to a stop in between the field and the school as I turned around to face Kira with a stern expression. "Kira, listen to me. I loved Allison and I miss her, but she and Scott were doomed from the start. He's a werewolf and she was werewolf hunter. Talk about a disaster movie."
"I kind of feel guilty. I mean, she was so nice to me. And here I am, talking about making a move on her boyfriend not two months after –"
"Hey." I interrupted her sharply as I placed my hands on her shoulders and she looked at me with wide startled eyes as I plastered a small smile on my lips. "You're not doing anything wrong. Scott and Allison had been broken up for months before we even met you. Hell, Ally was with Isaac. You have nothing to feel guilty about."
"Really?" she asked in a small voice as she looked at me pleadingly with a glint of hope in her eyes and I grinned at her in assurance as I ran my hands down her arm to her hands.
"Really. Trust me. Other people's relationships, I'm an expert in. Apparently, it's just my own that I suck at." I admitted bitterly with a roll of my eyes as I re-linked my arm through hers and she opened her mouth to say something but just as quickly snapped it shut as we continued towards the lacrosse field.
"Did something happen with Derek?" she asked me hesitantly, like she wasn't sure how I would react to her asking a personal question and I made a disgusted face as I threw my head back to glare at the sky before tipping my head forward to look at her with a pout.
"I'm not liking that everybody knows about that."
"It's obvious that you like him. You get this little smile whenever you say his name. It's really cute actually."
"Shut up! I do not!" I protested instantly with a scowl on my lips as I bumped her shoulder and she laughed lightly at me as we detangled our arms when we approached the metal bleachers next to the lacrosse field. Kira's words echoed around in my mind as we climbed the bleachers to the second highest bench where Malia was sitting with her pre-calculus textbook on her lap.
"Hi." Malia greeted us briefly as she glanced up from her book momentarily and I offered her a small smile as Kira sat down next to her while I sat down on the other side of the kitsune.
"Anything interesting happen yet?" I asked the werecoyote curiously as I placed my bag down at my feet and looked out at the field where the players were running laps around the oval.
"They ran. It seems to be a lot of effort for some of them."
"Humans." I muttered sarcastically with a scoff as I shook my head slightly and Kira chuckled in amusement but Malia just nodded seriously in agreement with my comment. I noticed a lacrosse stick lying on the bench below us and I hummed in interest as I leaned forward to pick it up so that I had something to play with. Coach Finstock blew his whistle loud down on the sidelines of the field as the team finished their run and I cringed slightly at the sharp sound as I crossed my ankles.
"Terrible. Horrifying. Pathetic. Unbelievably pathetic. Is that everyone?" Coach asked loudly as one by one the boys crossed the finish line and I raised an eyebrow as Stiles stumbled forward, barely able to breathe as he fell to the ground. "Yep, that's everyone."
"I got you." Scott muttered with an amused smile as he grabbed his best friend underneath the arms and lifted him up off of the ground as I snorted in amusement from the bleachers.
"Who came in first? He isn't human. What is he? Like a Were-Cheetah? Does it even exist? Is that a thing?" Stiles asked breathlessly as he looked across the field at a cute freshmen with light brown hair that was doing push-ups and I raised an eyebrow at the boy with an impressed hum escaping me.
"I think he's just good."
"I'm gonna puke, take me somewhere."
"Okay. Okay." Scott mumbled as he helped Stiles stumble off to the side of the lacrosse field and I tuned out with a disgusted expression as I looked away from the field.
Malia sniffed the air delicately as she looked up from her textbook with a frown and I stifled a grin as she slowly followed the scent to the kitsune sitting in between us. "What's wrong with you?"
"Me? Nothing." Kira claimed in a high-pitched voice as she looked at the werecoyote with wide eyes and I smirked at the obvious lie as I rested my elbow on top of my knee before balancing my chin in my hand.
"You reek of anxiety." I told her plainly as she spun her head around to look at me and I raised an eyebrow at her knowingly with a smirk plastered on my lips.
"And it's distracting. What's going on?" Malia asked bluntly as she twisted her body to give the raven haired girl her full attention and Kira looked between the two of us wildly, her head turning so fast I was afraid she might suffer from whiplash.
"Scott and I sort of had this thing happen. But it wasn't much of a thing. And I'm starting to think it never was anything at all." The kitsune admitted in a sad tone of voice as she took the lacrosse stick out of my hand and Malia frowned at her for a moment as she tried to formula a response.
"What do you want it to be?"
"More."
"Well, then do something about it." I told her pointedly with a small smile as I quirked an eyebrow at her and she sighed heavily as she leaned her chin on the netted end of the lacrosse stick in her hand.
I turned my attention back to the lacrosse field as I saw the players lining up in front of the goals and I leaned forward eagerly as Stiles moved to the front of the line with his lacrosse stick in hand. I cringed in sympathy as he had difficulty put the lacrosse ball into the net and he finally gave up his attempt as he bent down to physically place the ball into the net. He arched his arm back as he threw the ball towards the goal and the ball flew straight into the goalie's net as I covered my mouth with my hands while the team laughed.
"That was not good." I muttered under my breath with a distressed frown on my lips as I shook my head and I saw Stiles walked over to my brother as they spoke but I didn't both tuning in to their conversation. The freshman that they had been complaining about took a shot at the goal and the ball sailed swiftly into the goals as I clapped enthusiastically because he was the first real talent we'd seen all day. I watched eagerly as Scott stepped up to the front of the line and he arched his arm back before launching the ball towards the goal but it hit the metal post instead.
"Nice, McCall." A blonde freshman commented in a laughing tone from somewhere in the middle of the group and I scowled at the back of his head as the other players laughed along with him.
"Hey, Garrett... Shut up!" Stiles snapped in a mocking voice as he glared at the blonde and I smiled slightly in agreement as the blonde held up his hands in surrender with a grin.
"Isn't the captain supposed to be one of the best players on the team? Or good?" Kira asked uncertainly with a confused frown as she fiddled with the lacrosse stick net in her hand and I hummed in acknowledgment as I stood up from the bench with a determined expression. I made my way down to the sidelines of the lacrosse field next to coach and I snatched the whistle out of his hand without removing the rope from around his neck.
"Female McCall! What do you think – "Coach Finstock started to ask me loudly but I interrupted him by blowing the whistle sharply and all the players turned to look at me in astonishment as I let go of the whistle.
"What is wrong with you? I'm in physical pain just watching you! That was pathetic! Are you trying to play lacrosse? Or are you trying to win the gold medal in sucking?!" I asked them loudly as I placed my hands on my hips with a scowl and they stared at me in a mixture of awe and confusion with the exception of Stiles and Scott, who looked slightly annoyed at my outburst.
"Like you could do any better?" the obnoxious blonde freshman, Garrett asked sarcastically from his spot at the front of the group and I raised both of my eyebrows at the obvious challenge as Scott and Stiles both groaned simultaneously.
"Give me that stick." I demanded harshly as I stalked forward to snatch the lacrosse stick out of his hand with a glare and he laughed slightly as I moved to stand at the front of the group. A smirk crossed my lips as I lined up the shot perfectly like Jackson taught me, arched my arm back and threw the ball directly into the goal. A round of cheers went up behind me as I smirked victoriously and I flipped my hair over my shoulder as I turned around to face the group. "And that's in a dress and high heels."
"Female McCall! Get over here!" Coach shouted with manic grin stretched across his face and I strolled over to where he was standing, but not before shoving Garrett's lacrosse stick into his chest with a smirk. I sauntered over to Coach with an eyebrow raised in question as I stopped in front of him and he placed his hands on my shoulders as he shook me roughly with a grin. "You! You are on the team!"
"Yeah, no thanks, cupcake. I'll pass."
"Come on!"
"Nope. I'm good." I told him nonchalantly as I maneuvered myself out of his grip and made my way back up to bleachers were Kira was grinning at me while Malia offered me a small smile.
"McCall and Stilinski, grab the long sticks. You're covering goal for two-on-ones. Let's see if your sister got all the athletic genes. Let's go! Line it up!" Coach ordered in a frustrated tone as he blew his whistle sharply and my brothers hurried to position themselves in front of the goal as all the other players formed a single line. I watched as the first player in line ran forward, only for him to be blocked by Stiles and I cheered loudly as I clapped my hands enthusiastically with a grin. Another player made a run for it but was knocked to the ground by Scott and I 'whooped' loudly with a laugh as I realised that maybe Jackson's obsession with the game might have rubbed off on me.
My cell phone beeped three times in a row to indicate that Lydia had sent me a text message and I reached into my bag to grab the phone as Kira cheered for the boys while Malia smiled unsurely because she had no idea what was happening. I opened the message with a curious frown on my lips because she knew that I was watching the lacrosse tryouts and she wouldn't have messaged if it wasn't important.
Meet me at 4335 Circle St.
My frowned deepened in confusion as I stood up from my seat on the bench and turned to look at the girls next to me as I threw my phone back into my bag. "Can you tell the guys I went to meet Lydia?"
"Yeah, sure." Kira answered instantly with a small smile as she nodded rapidly and I offered them both a smile as I slung the strap of my bag over my shoulder.
"Thank you. I'll see you later." I said to them brightly with a slight wave of my hand as I started making my way down the bleachers and I hurried to the nearly empty student car park. I climbed into my car as I wondered why Lydia would want to meet me at some random house and I started driving down the house as the address Lydia was sending me to sounded vaguely familiar to me.
The suburban street was a perfect symbol of the American Dream, right down to the white picket fence and I realised that this was the house where the Walcott family had been massacred the night before. It made perfect sense that Lydia had been drawn here and I parked down the street from the house because it was technically still a crime scene.
I quickly walked down the street, discreetly looking around to make sure that no one was noticing me as I made my way to the Walcott's house. I wandered around to the backyard as I took the lock picking kit I always carried with me and crouched down at the backdoor as I skilfully applied the right amounts of pressure and torsion. The door swung open as I let a victorious smile spread across my lips and I stood up from my crouch as I pushed the door open the rest of the way.
"Lyds?" I called out unsurely as I walked into the house through the kitchen and I heard footsteps approaching as I shut the door behind me. A familiar strawberry blonde appeared in the doorway with a small smile on her lips and I raised an eyebrow at her in question as I walked over to meet her in the middle of the kitchen. "What are we doing here?"
"I don't know. I was driving home, but I ended up here." Lydia explained in bewilderment as she gestured around the house with her arms and I hummed in acknowledgement but didn't question her about it anymore because I knew that she had no idea.
"Let's take a look around then. Maybe we'll find something."
"I was hoping your werewolf senses might pick something up." She admitted with smirk as she shrugged her shoulders casually and I matched her smirk as I started walking towards the living room. I gently sniffed the air as I tried to get a scent of the chemo signals and I was overwhelmed by the mixture of emotions left in the atmosphere.
"There's fear, grief. Blood. That's to be expected at the site of a massacre." I murmured softly as I tilted my head to the side with a frown and Lydia trailed after me as I walked into the living room, following the scent of blood. "But there's something different. Like more than one person's blood."
"Well, three people died here."
"Maybe." I relented uncertainly as I shrugged my shoulders with a puzzled frown and she patted my arm sympathetically as I turned around in a circle, trying to identify the direction the blood was coming from.
"Beacon County Sheriff's Department! This is a crime scene. Show yourself." A familiar voice called out in a firm tone as I shared a wide eyed glance with Lydia and I internally scolded myself for being distracted enough not to notice the front door opening. I grabbed hold of Lydia's hand as we made our way to the parlour and I saw Jordan standing there in his uniform with his gun drawn in our direction.
"Hey, Jordan." I greeted him sheepishly with a small smile as Lydia waved her free hand slightly and he sighed heavily while giving us a look as he placed his gun back in its holster at his hip.
"What are you two doing here?" he asked in an exasperated tone as he closed the front door and I made an uncomfortable face at my best friend behind his back as she shrugged helplessly.
"I would try to explain it, but... I've never gotten a satisfactory explanation myself." Lydia told him plainly as she turned on her heel with an uncomfortable look on her face and I cast a quick glance at Jordan's confused expression before I followed after her so that he would ask me what she meant.
"Just an unusual habit of showing up at places where people have been brutally murdered?"
"Are you saying she has a reputation?" I asked him teasingly as we entered the living room and Lydia came to a stop next to me as she turned around to face him with an eyebrow raised questioningly.
"An unusual one." He explained bluntly without a hint of remorse in his voice and I couldn't help smiling slightly as I turned my head away. Jordan turned his attention to the strawberry blonde with a small smile on his lips and he shrugged his shoulder noncommittedly. "Maybe you're psychic."
"Don't tell me you believe all that?"
"I'd like to say I don't believe in anything. But I keep an open mind." He told me as he took a few steps closer to where I was standing and I breathed out a laugh as I nodded in understanding. "But if you're looking for dead bodies, I think you're a little late."
"Lydia?" I asked hesitantly when I noticed the banshee gazing vacantly at a nearby wall with glazed over eyes and I stepped closer to her protectively as she pressed her palm against the solid surface of the wood panelling. A slight gasp left my lips when the panel opened as cold condensation drifted out from behind the wall and Jordan stepped protectively in front of us as he reached for the gun on his hip.
"Stay back." Jordan murmured quietly as he drew his gun while Lydia opened the panel further revealing a thick metal door attached to the wood and we followed behind him as he entered the cold room in front of him. I tugged my cardigan tighter around my body as I shivered uncontrollably and I looked around at the in a narrow corridor. At the end of the passage there was an opening curtained by plastic and I reached behind me for Lydia's hand as we passed into a cavernous room. Parrish flipped on the light that was situated to the side of the entrance and my lips parted in surprise when I realised we were in a large freezer with dozens of plastic covered objects hanging from the ceiling. "I think it's a game locker. Like venison. Hunting's legal in some parts of the state, but..."
"What is it?" Lydia asked in a small voice as he trailed off when he unzipped one of the overhead bags and I squeezed her hand reassuringly as I took a step closer to where Jordan was standing.
"It's not venison." I answered her softly as I stared with wide eyes at the contents of the plastic and the milky eyes of the corpse stared back at me as I stepped away with a horrified expression. "Oh, my god."
"Did anyone survive the massacre? Anyone who can explain this?" Lydia asked the deputy as he moved around the room carefully, checking the other overhanging bags and he turned around to face us with a sage expression.
"One. Their son, Sean. He's currently a patient at Beacon Hills Memorial." Jordan informed us in a troubled voice as he continued to make his way around the room and I narrowed my eyes thoughtfully as I took a step closer to the body bag in front of us. My mind filtered through all of the useless facts about the supernatural that I had accumulated over the years and I had to look away from the open eyes of the corpse as I swallowed the bile that rose in the back of my throat when I realised why the body were being stored.
"We need to call Scott. The may not be your run-of-the-mill cannibal. The Walcott family might have been wendigoes. Cannibalistic shapeshifters. They feed on human flesh and blood in order to survive." I whispered to the girl next to me as I wrapped an arm around my stomach protectively and her light green eyes widened in horror as she nodded jerkily. "The worse place for Sean to be right now is in a hospital."
"You distract Deputy Parrish, and I'll call Scott." Lydia whispered to me discreetly as she gestured with her head towards Jordan and I nodded in agreement as I plastered a disgusted expression on my face while gripping my stomach. "Sophie!? Are you okay?"
"Sophie?" Jordan called out in concern when he heard Lydia's screech and his footsteps hurried towards us as I slouched against the closest wall. He appeared in front of us with a worried expression etched on his face and he placed a soothing hand on my arm as I leaned into him slightly.
"I'm fine. I'm fine. It's just – A room full dead bodies kinda takes it out of you." I told them in a false strained voice as I offered them a tight smile and Jordan wrapped an arm around waist as he slung one of my arms over his shoulders before lifting off of my feet so that he was holding me bridal-style. "Whoa!"
"Let's get you of here." He murmured gently as he started heading towards the exit and I shot my best friend a scowl over his shoulder as she shrugged innocently. I tried not to notice the feeling of his muscles moving underneath his police uniform as he walked back into the living room. I could feel the skin of his forearm on the back of my thigh where my dress had ridden up and a blush made its way to my cheeks in embarrassment because I wasn't the kind of girl to get all red in the cheeks over a guy.
"You didn't need to carry me, you know?"
"Well, I didn't want you to faint or anything." He replied jokingly as he carefully set me down on the couch in the living room and I laughed breathily as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. I was just a little overwhelmed."
"That's understandable. It's not every day you uncover something like that." Jordan relented softly in a compassionate tone as he sat down next to me and I turned my body slightly to face him with a small smile. I could help but notice how attractive he was when he was sitting so close to me, it was an instinct I had to immediately check out any man within my sight.
"Um, guys?" Lydia asked unsurely from the entrance to the storage locker as I blinked in surprise at the disruption and Jordan instantly shot up from the couch so fast that I actually had to stifle my chuckle. It was only then that I realised he had been checking me out at the same time and filed that information away in my mind for use at another time.
"Right. I should – I should call that in." he stammered in embarrassment as he rubbed the make of his neck and Lydia nodded sarcastically with an amused expression as I stood up from the couch.
"And we should be leaving. Don't want another unexplainable appearance at a crime scene on our record. Come on, Lyds." I insisted quickly as I walked over to where my friend was standing and I grabbed her arm to lead her out of the house while avoiding looking at Jordan. Lydia stumbled slightly as I practically dragged her out the backdoor but she maintained balance quickly and I mumbled an apology when we were safely out on the sidewalk.
"What was that!?" Lydia exclaimed in amusement as she laughed in delight at my discomfort and I playfully pushed her shoulder as I pouted at her. "There was some definite sexual tension right there."
"There was nothing. You saw nothing. I have enough romantic problems already, thank you very much."
"Well, that was a cry for help." She remarked drily as she linked our arms together with a roll of her eyes and I groaned slightly as I leaned into her side with a frown on my lips.
"I think Derek's in love with me." I admitted softly in an almost sad tone of voice as I stared forward and made my feet move towards where my car with parked down the street.
Lydia bit her lower lip as though she was contemplating what to say next and I raised an eyebrow at her expectantly as she tilted her head to look at me. "Are you in love with him?"