A Promise To The Dead:
The soft patter of rain outside was the first thing I heard when I woke up and I slowly opened my eyes to be confronted by the dark early morning light cascading into the loft bedroom. A heavy weight was draped across my waist as I intertwined my fingers with the hand that rested on my stomach and I hummed contently as I felt a kiss being pressed to the back of my bare shoulder.
"I didn't wake you, did I?" Derek asked me huskily in a soft voice as he tightened his hold and I made an absent noise of negativity as I shook my head slightly. "Good."
"Why are you awake?" I asked him in concern as I leaned back into his bare chest and he leaned his chin on my shoulder as he pressed a kiss under my ear. "Are you okay?"
"Mm-hmm. Just thinking."
"Yeah? About what?"
"How gorgeous you look when you're sleeping." He murmured in a playful tone as he buried his face in my neck and I chuckled in amusement as he grazed his teeth over my skin. "So damn gorgeous."
A grin spread across my lips as he continued to trail a path of kisses down my neck and I shifted slightly to give him a better vantage point as I held back a moan when he found a particularly pleasurable spot. I arched my back instinctively as his thumb drew circles on my stomach, leaving a path of fire in its wake and my eyes fluttered closed in pleasure before a strike of realisation went through me.
"Oh, no you don't!" I exclaimed in mock anger as I detangled myself from him and I rolled over to face him with a pointed look that was a mixture of exasperation and amusement. He gave me a mock affronted frown as he tilted his head to the side, trying to give off the appearance of innocence. "Don't try and deflect my concern with sex. I invented that."
"I'm not deflecting your concern. I'm saying it's unfounded." Derek clarified in a light tone as he quirked an eyebrow at me and I hummed doubtfully as I hitched my leg over his hip with a dubious expression. "You don't believe me?"
"No, of course I believe you." I mocked playfully with a false serious expression and he nodded along with me in the same joking demeanour. I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped my lips as I intertwined our fingers in the space between us and he grinned slightly in amusement as he brought our joined hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles.
Warmth spread through my chest as I looked into his light green eyes with a soft smile and I knew with an absolute certainty that I loved the man in front of me. Derek was one of the only people I'd ever met who could keep up with me on an intellectual level, we could talk for hours about the works of Ernest Hemingway or the origins of medieval knighthood. I felt safe when he was around me, like there was a protective bubble surrounding me where no one could touch me but even when something did hurt me, he was the one I wanted by my side. There was no denying he was stubborn and brooding and it annoyed me to no end that he could practically read my mind, but it was also one of the things I loved most about him. There were so many things I adored about him, too many things for me to name but it was undeniable.
"Hey. Hey, hey, hey. What's going on? You look like you're about to cry." Derek murmured softly as he cupped my cheeks with a concerned frown playing on his lips and I let out a breathy laugh as I shook my head, wiping my eyes with the back of my fingers.
"I'm fine." I assured him with a shaky smile as I reached up to lay my hands over his and he looked at me in confusion as he rubbed his thumbs over my skin soothingly. "It's just… I lo – "
A loud beeping rung throughout the loft, cutting off my words as the proximity alarm activated and I immediately sat up in bed, the sheet pooling around my waist as Derek copied my movement. We shared a panicked glance as we climbed out of the bed on opposite sides and we both reached for the guns we had placed on both of the bedside tables in case of an emergency. I aimed the gun towards the ground as I carefully scanned the room for an intruder and Derek moved around one side of the room as I took the other so that we covered more space.
A small frown puckered on my lips when I noticed a shadow moving underneath the front door and I turned my head in Derek's direction to notify him but he was already looking towards me. We shared a knowing glance as we quietly headed towards the door and I aimed the barrel of my gun at the closed door as he moved to stand with his hand on the handle. I nodded once to indicate that I was ready and he quickly slid the door open before stepping back with his own gun raised at the ready.
My arm wavered in confusion when I saw Lydia standing on the other side of the door, her strawberry blonde hair plastered to her alabaster skin and her clothes drenched from the rain pouring outside. A frown spread across my lips as she lifted her head and a piercing scream left her lips, causing me to gasp in pain as I stumbled back a step.
Lydia inhaled sharply as the clouded glaze over her eyes cleared and she staggered forward as Derek launched forward to catch her around the waist before she could collapse. He helped her stand on her own as she offered him a small grateful smile and I stood frozen with my lips parted in shock as he helped her walk further into the loft.
My mind was clouded with the realisation that Lydia had screamed, a banshee had screamed in front of us and a banshee's job was to predict someone's death. I cast an anguished glance over my shoulder and watched with a tormented expression as my boyfriend guided my best friend down onto one of the counter stool in the kitchen.
"I'm gonna go get a towel." I murmured quietly as I adverted my gaze from them and hurried towards the bathroom without waiting for them to reply. I closed the door behind me, putting a barrier between me and the reality that waited on the other side. I ran both my hands through my hair as I leaned back against the door with my eyes closed and I took a deep breath as I lowered my hands, taking note that they were trembling. I scoffed to myself in annoyance as I pushed off of the door and I moved over to stand in front of the mirror, leaning my hands on the edge of the sink.
I lifted my head to look at my reflection in the mirror, inspecting my chaotic bed hair and makeup free features but none of that compared to the frenzied gleam in my eyes. I had stood on the brink of death before, had faced my mortality more than once but this was different, this was a banshee guaranteed expectation. But my concern wasn't for myself. I wasn't the only one standing on that doorstep and the thought of Derek dying was harder for me to handle than the thought of myself dying.
"Come on, get yourself together. You're Sophie. You can handle anything." I whispered to my reflection in a forceful voice as I plastered a poised smile on my lips and the phrase 'fake 'til you make it' floated through my mind.
I exhaled slowly as I stood up straight while I cleared my throat and I grabbed a clean towel off of the rack as I headed towards the door. I knew I needed to get back out there before they started to worry and I knew it must have been extremely awkward between them since they weren't all that close, in fact I didn't think they'd ever had a conversation before.
Lydia was nursing a glass of water when I walked back into the kitchen and I noticed that Derek had thrown on a pair of tracksuit pants while I was gone. A small smile spread across my lips as I draped the towel around the strawberry blonde's shoulders and she tilted her head back to give me a grateful smile as I moved to stand in front of her next to Derek.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" I asked her in concern because she was still shaking from the cold and she laughed bitterly as she placed the glass of water down on the counter.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Lydia asked rhetorically without looking at me and I frowned slightly in understanding when I saw the guilt flittering across her face.
"Hey, this isn't your fault, Lydia. You didn't do this."
"I know. I know, but I should have been the one who warned you when I first found out."
"Wait. Don't you normally get these feeling in a fugue state? That isn't what happened?" I asked her in confusion as I tilted my head to the side with a frown and she snapped her head up to look at me with wide eyes, like she said something she wasn't meant to. "You knew this was going to happen? That one of us was going to die? Or is it both of us?"
"Just one of us." Derek said quietly from behind me when Lydia opened her mouth but didn't say anything and I spun around to look at him in incredulity as he turned his head to avoid my gaze.
"Why don't you look surprised? Did you know about this?" I demanded harshly as I took a step away from him with my eyes narrowed and he ducked his head with a sigh but didn't answer the question. The guilt in his expression with evident as he crossed his arms over his chest and I breathed out a scoff as I turned away from him while shaking my head. There was an acceptance in his expression that told me the one thing I wanted to know more than anything: Derek was dying. "Oh, my god."
"Sophie, - "
"No! I don't – I can't even look at you right now." I snapped angrily as I pointed a finger in his direction with an infuriated expression and he didn't look surprised as I strode away from him without a backwards glance.
There was a numb rage inside of me as I threw myself down on the bed, burying my face in the pillow and muffling my scream into the fabric so that they couldn't hear it outside the room. I rolled over onto my back as I covered my face with my hands and fury burned in the pit of my stomach as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed.
"Sophie didn't know?" I heard Lydia hiss angrily from the other room and I could only imagine the fiery indignation on her face as she glared at Derek. "You didn't tell her?"
"Lydia…" Derek sighed out tiredly in response and the sound of his voice sent a shot of pain straight through me as I pressed my lips into a straight line. I took that as my cue as I stood up from the edge of the bed, grabbed an abandoned t-shirt of Derek's and I threw it on over my underwear as I stalked back out into the main room where Derek was leading Lydia towards the front door.
They both turned to look at me when I entered the room but I just pursed my lips angrily and crossed my arms over my chest as I stopped in the middle of the room. Lydia offered me a small smile as she exited the loft and Derek sighed heavily as he closed the door before turning around to face me with a resigned expression, like he knew what was coming.
"Well, you don't have to worry about how you're going to die anymore." I told him in a hard voice as I tried not to let my anger get the best of me even though all I wanted to do was throw things at him. Derek glanced away from me with a pained expression and I closed my eyes for a brief moment before opening them with tears brimming. "I don't even know where to start. Oh, I know. How about, what the hell were you thinking!?"
"Sophie…" Derek started to explain in a calm tone of voice but that just seemed to elevate the fury burning inside of me and I held my hands up to stop him from speaking as I took a few steps towards him.
"I cannot believe you. I don't think I have ever been this pissed at anyone. Ever! You lied to me!"
"I didn't lie to you."
"You didn't tell me."
"That's not the same as lying."
"You want to argue about technicalities!?" I asked him incredulously in a shout as I waved my arm towards him and he shook his head slightly as he stepped forward with a hardened expression. "I want you to explain your reasoning behind this. Why the hell did you think keeping this from me would be a good idea?"
"Do you remember when we first started dating?" he asked me randomly as he stopped a few steps in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest defensively and I quirked an eyebrow at him with a confusion frown as I crossed my arms over my chest.
"I'm not senile."
"Right. But you told me that you were terrified all the time. I thought that by keeping this from you, I was protecting you. I didn't want you to be terrified for me all the time. I didn't want that burden on you."
"That wasn't your decision to make. You don't get to decide what I can and cannot handle! This isn't the 1950's! I am capable of hearing bad news. Let me tell you something, buddy, men may be physically strong but its women that endure. I am stronger than you give me credit for, obviously." I snapped angrily with my hands planted on my hips as I narrowed my eyes at him and he looked at the ground with a contrite expression but I didn't let that curb my fury. There were tears brimming my eyes as I tried to force myself not to cry because I needed to appear strong while showing him proof of the consequences of his actions. It was a very fine line to tightrope. "I don't need you to protect me, Derek. I need you to do what I've been asking me to do since before we even started dating. I need you to let me in. You said you trusted me but I don't think you really grasp what that means!"
"I know what it means." He insisted in a pained voice as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and I narrowed my eyes at him because I didn't think he had any right to be exasperated in this situation.
"I'll tell you what it means. It means telling me when life changing events occur!" I shouted in irritation as I pointed a finger in his direction, barely noticing he was close enough that my fingertip brushed his chest.
"Should I come back?" I heard Scott ask hesitantly from the front door, standing there with a frown on his lips and a black duffel in his hand as Derek and I both snapped our heads around to glare at him.
"Yes!" I snapped in annoyance as I pointed a finger in his direction and at the same time Derek sighed out an almost relieved, "No."
I turned my head back around to glare at my boyfriend as I held up my hands in surrender with a sarcastic smile on my lips and I walked backwards while maintaining eye contact as he offered me an apologetic look. I shook my head in disgust as I turned my back on him and began walking towards the kitchen to take a little breather before dealing with the both of them. "I'm getting coffee."
I could sense Scott's confused gaze burning a hole in the back of my head as I left the room but I was too preoccupied picturing all the creative ways that I could torture Derek without actually killing him.
My muscles were tense with all the anger I was keeping bottled up as I wandered into the kitchen and immediately went towards the coffee maker, begrudgingly thanking Derek internally for making it while I was in the bathroom. I grabbed one of the coffee mugs from the top cabinet as I tried to stop my hands from shaking from rage and I sighed in annoyance as I placed the mug down on the counter. I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I closed my eyes tightly and attempted to fight off the feeling of hopelessness that settled in my stomach.
The thought of Derek dying filled me with dread, it was a possibility I refused to acknowledge and I gripped the edge of the counter so tightly that my knuckles turned white under the pressure. I exhaled slowly as I straightened my shoulders because I couldn't be sad right now and I needed to focus on one problem at a time, on the one issue I could actually do something about.
I cleared my throat as I poured some coffee into my cup and tossed my hair over my shoulder as I strolled back into the living room where Derek was sitting on the couch while Scott stood on the opposite side of the coffee table.
"I thought you were getting coffee?" Scott asked in a confused tone with a frown as he gestured towards my one cup and I stopped in the opposite side of the coffee table with an incredulous expression.
"I didn't say I was getting coffee for you." I pointed out rudely as I wrapped one of arm around my waist and brought my mug up to my lips with the other. He rolled his eyes at me as he pursed his lips and then he cast a disapproving glance at my bare legs as he gestured towards them.
"You don't think you can put some actual clothes on?"
"You break into my boyfriend's loft this early in the morning, and have the nerve to complain about my state of undress?"
"Scott, what are you doing here?" Derek intervened in a slightly raised voice as he rubbed his forehead and I rolled my eyes at them both as I silently sipped my coffee. I watched with interest as my brother placed the duffel bag he was holding on the coffee table and with a sheepish expression he slowly unzipped the bag to reveal bricks of cash.
"What the hell?!" I exclaimed in confusion as I leaned forward to look into the bag with a frown and Derek raised an eyebrow at him in question as he pulled the bag towards him slightly. "Scott, why do you have a bag full of cash?"
"I, uh, I found it in Garrett's locker. A while ago." Scott admitted with a blush staining his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck and I offered him a bewildered look as my whole body seemed to freeze in disbelief.
"'A while ago'?" I repeated after him in a deadly whisper as I narrowed my eyes at him and he turned his head to look at me with his head angled downwards as he nodded sheepishly. "How long is 'a while ago'?"
"The night of the lacrosse scrimmage."
"'The night…'?" I trailed off in a questioning tone as I scoffed in disbelief and I shook my head to myself as I pursed my lips. I set my coffee cup down roughly on the table, causing some of the liquid to slosh over the edge and I crossed my arms over my chest as I levelled them both with a glare but didn't say a word.
"Okay." Derek said easily with a small shrug as he pushed the duffel bag away from him and I relaxed my stance slightly as I bent down to pick up my coffee cup, forcing myself to remain calm.
"Don't you wanna know why it took so long to return it?" Scott asked in a slightly stunned voice as he regarded my boyfriend sceptically and Derek lifted his head to look at him as he tilted his head with a small smile.
"How much do you make at the Animal Clinic?"
"Minimum wage."
"That's why. Everyone can be tempted, Scott. Even a True Alpha."
"You're not angry?" Scott asked nervously as he fidgeted with his fingers and I rolled my eyes at him as I sipped my coffee, watching them with interest.
"It's not even mine. It belongs to Peter. And Sophie." Derek explained to him calmly as he gestured towards where I was standing and Scott turned his attention to me with his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Oh, no. I want nothing to do with it. It's blood money. I mean, there is literally blood on that money." I exclaimed pointedly with a scowl as I waved a hand through the air slightly, the scent of the blood in the air and I shrugged my shoulders as I placed a hand on my hip with a determined expression. "I hereby decline to be his beneficiary. When Peter dies, again, all his money goes to charity."
"Where's your money?" Scott asked Derek in confusion as he crossed his arms over his chest and I looked towards my boyfriend, curious about his answer because he didn't like people knowing he had money.
"You're standing on it." Derek answered simply as he spread his hands out to indicate that he was speaking about the loft and I raised an eyebrow at him in surprise because I didn't think he would give a straight answer.
Scott's forehead furrowed in confusion as he looked down at the ground and he took a moment before he lifted his head with wide eyes as he asked in surprise, "There's another vault?"
"No, you idiot." I stated with a small chuckle as I rolled my eyes at his stupidity and Derek grinned slightly in amusement as he shook his head in answer to the question.
"I own the building. And I have my own bank accounts. All the money from the vault was Peter's. I think we'd actually be better off if the rest never came back." Derek told him honestly with an earnest expression as he clasped his hands in front of him and I studied his face for a moment before he looked in my direction but I quickly turned away from his probing stare.
"Is that all? 'Cause we were kind of in the middle of something." I reminded my brother with a fake smile as I cocked my head to the side and Scott looked between the two of us awkwardly as he shifted on his feet nervously.
"I know Lydia was here earlier." Scott announced in a determined tone as he turned his attention to solely rest on Derek and I gritted my teeth at the reminder as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Deaton's still working on figuring out what Kate did to you."
"If anyone can find an answer, it's him." Derek replied in a sage tone as he looked down at his hands and I noticed the look of pity that spread across Scott's face, causing realisation to snap in my head like a rubber band.
"Hold on a second!" I snapped heatedly as I narrowed my eyes at my brother and Scott looked over at me with wide eyes while Derek sighed tiredly like he knew what was coming. I huffed angrily as I took a threatening step closer to where he was standing and I pointed a finger at him as I hissed questioningly, "You knew about this insanity?"
"I – um, I – Maybe?" Scott stuttered unsurely with a grimace as he looked towards Derek for help and I shook my head to myself with a disbelieving scoff as I turned my back on both of them before spinning around quickly with a scowl.
"Do I have the words 'Lie To Me' tattooed on my forehead!? How long have you both been lying to me?"
"Sophie, stop interrogating him. I asked them to lie for me." Derek interrupted with a roll of his eyes when Scott started to fumble for an answer and I turned my glare onto him as I quirked an eyebrow at him questioningly.
"'Them'? Who exactly is 'them'?" I asked him harshly as I pursed my lips in irritation and Derek stood up from the couch as he turned to face me with his arms crossed over his chest.
"It doesn't matter because it's not them you're angry with. You're pissed at me, Soph."
"I'm pretty sure my friends lying to me is a good reason to be pissed at them too."
"Guys, please, don't fight." Scott pleaded as he held up his hands with a concerned frown on his lips and I pursed my lips angrily as I narrowed my eyes at him in offence. "I really don't want you to break up because of this."
"What are you talking about?" Derek asked him in confusion with his forehead furrowed as he frowned at my brother and I tilted my head to the side as I crossed my arms over my chest.
"Are you crazy? We're not going to break up over this. It's a fight." I told him in a mocking tone of voice as I raised an eyebrow at him and his frown deepened as his gaze shifted in between the two of us. "A big fight. One that you are prolonging by being here. So, leave."
Scott bit down on my lower lip nervously as he looked between us and I gave him a pointed look as he sighed heavily with a defeated expression, his shoulders slumping as he looked at us apologetically, "I actually needed to ask you a favour."
"You're not serious, are you?" I asked him in amusement with a small smile as I held back a chuckle but it soon faded when I saw the sincerely contrite grimace on his face. "You are. Unbelievable. Here's my answer: Run. Run far. Run to Mexico."
"Come on, Soph. it's for my first official date with Kira. You know the romantic in you wants to help."
"There is no romantic in me. Ask Derek. I'm dead inside."
"We'd be happy to help. What do you need?" Derek asked him with an amused smile as he sat back down on the couch and I pouted in annoyance as I looked away from both of them.
"Well, can I use your place for the night?" Scott asked hopefully as he rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile and Derek's eyebrows rose in surprise as he clasped his hands in front of him.
"You have a lacrosse game tonight." I pointed out in a superior voice as I turned my head back to look at him and he shrugged his shoulders with an optimistic grin on his lips.
"We'll be done before then."
"You can have the loft. What are you planning?" Derek asked him curiously with a small upturn of his lips and I hated to admit that my interested was piqued as I waited for his response.
A sheepish smile crossed Scott's lips as he scratched the back of his head and he shifted on his feet as he a blush spread across his cheeks, "I, uh, I don't know yet."
"Idiot." I scoffed under my breath with a roll of my eyes as I walked over to sit on the couch next to Derek and my brother gave me an offended glare as I smirked back at him sarcastically.
An exasperated sighed left him as his shoulders slumped in defeat and he frowned deeply as he dark brown eyes stared at us pleadingly. "Well, do you have any ideas? What do you guys on dates?"
"Our last date was interrupted by a pack of werewolves being murdered and Braeden being shot."
"We have dinner, we watch movies, and Sophie forces me to do whatever she wants to do. Like mini-golfing." Derek informed my brother with a coy smirk as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye and I pursed my lips in annoyance as I lolled my head around to give him a pointed glare.
"Really? Teasing me right now seems like a good idea to you?" I asked him in a vaguely threatening tone as I frowned at him in mock curiosity and he tried to suppress a grin as he ducked his head so that I wouldn't see it.
"Come on, do you have any ideas?" Scott asked imploringly as he tilted his head to the side like a sad puppy dog and I felt my resolve not to help him falter as I looked into his dark brown eyes. I huffed in annoyance at myself for falling for his beseeching expression and I looked away from him as I folded my arms over my chest, crossing one of my legs over the other.
"I may have an idea." I admitted reluctantly with a roll of my eyes and I could feel both of them staring at the side of my head as I clasped my hands over my knee. "We could string up individual light bulbs from the rafters so that they hang down into the room at varying heights. We can connect them together with a wire. And when you get here, you can have Kira touch one and light up the rest. Saves electricity."
I bit my lower lip cautiously as I glanced towards them from the corner of my eye and I instantly glowered at the surprised looks on their faces as I narrowed my eyes at them, "What? It's the stupid romantic comedy movies Lydia makes me watch."
"That's a really good idea." Scott stated in an astounded tone of voice as I offered him a deadpan look and he shrugged his shoulders apologetically with a wince as he shifted nervously. "Sorry."
"Derek and I will set it up. Now go away." I told him pointedly with a quirked eyebrow as I stood up from the couch and crossed my arms over my chest as I nodded towards the front door.
"Yes, yeah, I'm leaving." He mumbled quickly as he held his hands up in surrender and headed towards the front door as fast as he could before calling out over his shoulder, "Good luck, man!"
There was a long moment of heavy silence as I continued to stare blankly at the now closed door, contemplating just leaving the loft after my brother and not facing the reality in front of me. It would be easier to live in denial, to pretend that none of this was happening but life was never easy.
A part of me wanted to yell or scream, curse every profanity I knew at whoever would listen. Another part wanted nothing more than to cry and sob inconsolably until there was nothing left, that wanted to bag of an alternative or plead for a chance to change the outcome. There was also the part of me that wanted to be utterly calm and in control, to be able to comfort Derek at a time when he needed me to be there for him.
"Are we going to talk, or fight?" Derek asked me calmly like either answer was completely acceptable and I closed my eyes for a moment, absolutely awed at his knowledge of my thought process.
"I don't know yet."
"Can I talk? It might help you make up your mind."
I could feel his intense gaze on the side of my face, studying my blank features but I couldn't bring myself to look at him because I knew that one I looked into his eyes I would lost and the argument would be over before it even started. "Sure."
"I love you, and I trust you. It was never about that. When I found out my name was the third cipher key, I knew I didn't have very long left. And when I thought about how I wanted to spend that remaining time, only one answer came to mind: with you. I wanted to go to sleep holding you, and wake up next to you. I wanted to spend my days talking to you and fighting with you. I wanted to do the things that brought me joy. Like hearing you laugh or seeing your smile. I wanted to spend that time being happy with you. I wanted to create so many happy moments and memories that you would always carry them with you. And I knew that if you knew the truth, you would do whatever you could to stop it from happening. You would work yourself to the bone. We wouldn't be able to do all the things I wanted to do. And maybe that was selfish. Maybe I made the wrong call. But I don't regret a single second that we spend together. This time with you has been the best time of my life and I love you for giving me that."
There were tears streaming down my cheeks unapologetically by the end of his speech and I could feel my body trembling as I supressed the urge to break down in inconsolable sobs. I could taste the metallic blood on my tongue where I bit down too hard in an effort to stop crying and I basically collapsed onto the edge of the coffee table when my knees gave out from underneath me.
I gripped the side of the table as I took a deep breath to calm myself down and I lifted my head to take in his own watery eyes as I offered him a weak smile. "You make it really hard to be angry at you, you know that?"
"Sorry." He murmured with a smirk on his lips as he shifted over to sit in front of me on the couch and I ducked my head with a barely there chuckle as I tucked a strand of brunette hair behind my ear.
I sighed deeply as I looked up at him with tears in my eyes and I studied his features, taking in every minuscule detail of his face as I prepared myself for what I was about to say. I didn't want to take away any of his happiness but I needed to be clear about my feelings and I needed him to know what he did wasn't okay with me.
"I thought that we were the kind of couple that told each other things. It's not even the 'girlfriend' part of me that is pissed beyond measure. It's the 'best friend' part. Nope, actually, the 'girlfriend' part of me is pissed, and the 'best friend' part of me is hurt. So freaking hurt." I told him honestly as I wiped away the tears that fell down my cheek with the back of my hand and he opened his mouth to start apologising but I held up a hand to stop him before he could even start. "I understand why you did it. I do. Doesn't mean I agree with your reasoning, but I understand it."
"Come here." he urged softly as he reached out to grab my hands from the edge of the table and I easily allowed him to guide me down so that I was straddling his lap. He grabbed one of my hands gently as he placed it on his sternum and pushed down slightly so that I could feel the tell-tale thump thump thump of his heartbeat inside his chest. "You feel that?"
"Yeah." I whispered in a childlike voice as I focused my attention on where his hand covered mine over his chest and he pressed down harder so that I didn't have a choice but feel his steady heartbeat underneath my hand.
"Still beating. Still alive."
A small sigh of relief left me as I leaned my forehead against his temple and revelled in the feel of his warm breath on the side of my neck, a constant reminder that he was breathing. Maybe Derek was right not to tell me the truth because now I couldn't stop thinking about it. Overthinking had the power to ruin you, to make a situation much worse or twist everything around until you couldn't concentrate on anything except the worry eating away you.
Emotions were supposed to be raw and brutal, you didn't want someone to sort of love you. You wanted that love to be a bursting flame, fierce like a wildfire and not fizzling out like a wick on a candle. That was how I loved Derek, untamed and intense but more than worth it.
"I love you." I admitted softly as I pulled back slightly to look at him in the eye and he looked momentarily surprised but there was an undeniable happiness in his eyes. I rested my hands on either side of his neck as I rubbed my thumb over his jawline and he clasped his hand on the small of my back as I looked into his light green eyes. "I love you. I'm sorry I took so long to say it. Especially when we both knew it was true forever ago. I feel like you're so much more than just my boyfriend. You're the one person I need to talk to when I've had a bad day, one of the only people I can rely on not to judge me. You make me smile when I have no reason to. When everything in my life is going wrong, I call you and I hear your voice, and it doesn't seem so bad. I love you. And I don't want to do this without you, Derek."
"I love you, too." He told me in reply as he reached up to cup my cheeks, using his thumbs to brush away some of the stray tears that had escaped my eyes during my declaration. "Listen, I'm not going anywhere, okay?"
"You can't promise me that."
"No, I can't. But I can promise you that I won't go down without a fight."
"I'm holding you to that." I breathed out quietly as I looked into his eyes, feeling myself melt under his intense gaze and I slowly stood up from his lap without removing looking away from him. I felt my skin blister under his passionate stare as he watched every movement of my body and I leisurely removed the borrowed t-shirt I was wearing before dropping it carelessly onto the floor.
Derek slowly stood up in front of me without disconnecting his gaze from mine and I held my breath as his fingertips grazed the side of my ribs, barely touching my skin but leaving me anxious for more. He gently brushed my hair behind my ear with his touch lingering on my cheek and I could feel the heat coming off of his body, bare skin so close to mine without actually touching.
A moment of tense silence passed before I rose up on the tips of my toes as I wrapped my arms around his neck and our foreheads rested against one another, our noses brushing gently as our breaths mingled together. Our lips melded together with a perfect synchronicity, a dance we had mastered after numerous attempts and I turned to liquid under his touch as he pulled me against him.
One of his hands cupped my jaw while the other arm wound around my waist and I leaned into his muscular chest, desperate to touch as much of him as I could. This was what I wanted for as long as I could remember, unconditional love and I had found it in the most unexpected place. I never would have thought we'd end up here when I met Derek that day in the woods but I wouldn't change being here in his arms.
A breathy sigh escaped my lips as Derek detached our lips and my hands tangled in his hair as he trailed a path of open mouth kisses down my jawline. My skin felt like it was on fire as his hands roamed down to my waist and I lolled my head to the side to give him better access as he sucked roughly on my pulse point before running his tongue over the damaged skin. A startled cry left my lips when I was suddenly lifted up to straddle his waist, Derek's hands holding me up by my thighs and I let out a small laugh as I wrapped my legs around his hips while he grinned at me wickedly.
One of my hands cupped his face as I pressed a series of chaste kisses onto his lips and I mumbled 'I love you' continuously under my breath in between kisses as he carried me across the loft towards the bedroom.
"Where's Scott?" Liam asked me in a slightly panicked tone as he came running up to me in the hallway outside the locker room already dressed in his uniform and I quirked an eyebrow at him in amusement as I fell in step with him.
"Hi, Liam. I'm good, how are you?" I asked him mockingly, ignoring his question with a roll of my eyes and he groaned in annoyance as he threw his head back. "I'm super excited about this game. Lacrosse is one of my favourite sports. I've been following it since before I even started freshman year. My friend, Jackson Whittemore, he was elected captain sophomore year, like Scott, but anyway, he taught me all about lacrosse. Made me watch the same tapes over and over and over and over again. It was endless! Can you imagine that? Something going on and on and on and on and on…"
"Alright!" Liam snapped angrily as he slapped his palm against the metal lockers next to us and I suppressed a smirk as I lolled my head around to look at him with a quirked eyebrow. He closed his eyes as I waited patiently for him to take a deep breath before exhaled threw his nose and he forced a small smile as he placed a hand on my upper arm to stop me from walking. "I'm sorry, Sophie. I should've asked how you were. I'm just stressed out."
"I know, sweetie. Come on." I assured him soothingly as I intertwined my arm threw his and pulled him into my side as we started heading into the locker room.
"So, have you seen Scott?"
"I saw him this morning. I've been busy all day. Such a good day." I murmured to myself wistfully as I remembered spending the day locked away in Derek's loft without even thinking about the outside world.
"I don't want to know what's going through your head, do I?" Liam asked rhetorically with a disgusted grimace on his lips and I sighed blissfully with a smile on my lips as I shook my head in a negatory. "Gross."
"What's gross?" Stiles asked in curiosity as he practically scrambled over to where we were standing in his lacrosse jersey and I scowled at him when his lacrosse stick nearly hit me in the head as he spun around to face us. "What are we talking about?"
"Forget about that. Not important." I answered quickly with a firm shake of my head because I didn't want to talk to him about my sex life and he looked at me suspiciously but let the conversation go.
"Where's Scott?" Liam asked as he set his gym bag down on the bench in front of his locker and I leaned back against the cold metal with my arms crossed as I waited for the answer.
"Everything's fine. I got a text from him this morning and he said he might be a little late." Stiles replied easily in a dismissive tone as he opened his own gym locker and Liam fidgeted nervously as he shifted on his feet, his chemo signals reeking of anxiety.
"Well, how late is late? Is he always late? We're playing Devenford Prep again and this time it's an actual game. He shouldn't be late."
"Who shouldn't be late?" Coach asked loudly as he basically materialised besides me and I bit down on my lower lip to stop myself from yelping in surprise. Liam appeared even more nervous under the scrutiny of his new coach and Stiles jumped in the air with his eyes wide as he gripped his rapidly beating heart.
"Scott and Kira. They might be slightly late."
"Slightly late is still late. What are they doing?"
"They're doing something that's going to make them slightly late."
"What could Scott and Kira be doing right now that's more important than playing in the first game?"
"Oh, Coach. What would I be doing?" I asked with a pout on my lip as I tilted my head to the side sympathetically and he stared at me blankly as I raised my eyebrows suggestively.
A disgusted groan escaped him as he turned his head away from us and he glared at us all sternly as he pointed a finger towards the exit. "Get your asses on the field!"
I nodded my head rapidly as I grabbed Liam's hand before making a dash for the door and Stiles rushed after us as we all hurried out of the locker room with the rest of the lacrosse team. I carefully weaved my way through the crowd of people heading towards the bleachers next to the field and Stiles stumbled to walk besides me as he tried to balance his lacrosse equipment in his arms.
The bench on the sidelines of the lacrosse field was empty as I dragged the boys over to sit down and Liam dumped his bag down on the ground as he threw himself next to me. I took note of the apprehensive look in his eyes as he tapped his foot restlessly and Stiles sunk down on his other side as he glance around wildly for any sign of my brother.
"They're still not here." Liam pointed out absently as he chewed on his thumb nail fretfully and Stiles pursed his lips anxiously as he glanced at the young Beta from the corner of his eye.
"Okay, what's really going on? Are you nervous about the full moon?" I asked him in concern as I hooked my arm through his with a small frown and I rubbed his shoulder with my free hand as he looked over at me. "It's not for another 24 hours. Liam, you're gonna be fine."
"Okay? Just try not to rage out on anyone." Stiles ordered him in a mock authoritative tone as he pointed a finger sternly at the freshman and Liam breathed out a chuckle as he ducked his head to hide his smile.
"You're not worried?" Liam asked in a slightly hopeful tone of voice as he looked between the two of us and I rubbed his arm without saying a word as Stiles discreetly texted someone on his phone with one hand.
"Okay, I'm mildly concerned. Mildly."
"We're gonna lose without him."
"No, we're not. We can be just as good without Scott. Okay? I've been practicing. Let me tell you something. I'm getting good. Really good."
The shrill sound of a whistle alerted them to the fact that the game was about to start and I pressed a kiss to Liam's cheek as I pushed him off of the bench with a grin. He offered me a shaky smile as he ran onto the field and Stiles kissed me cheek before putting on his helmet as he joined his teammates in the starting position. The crowd behind me went wild with applause as I held my clasped hands in front of my mouth anxiously and I watched as Devenford Prep captured the ball.
I had to cringe every time Stiles fumbled the ball, holding back the urge to shot profanities along with Coach and I hissed compassionately as one of the rival players knocked him flat on his back. I saw Liam's maroon jersey with the number 9 jog over to where Stiles was sprawled on the ground and Liam squatted down next to him with his head tilted to the side condescendingly.
"Yeah. I'm gonna call Scott again." I heard Stiles moan as the buzzer sounded to mark the end of the first quarter and I glanced at the scoreboard as I read the 4-0 in favour of Devenford Prep. I turned my head to the side with a grimace as I watched Coach flip out on the sidelines and the players form a loose circle around him as they prepared for their scolding. I pulled my cardigan tighter around my body as I waited until Liam and Stiles jogged over to where I was sitting.
"Coach is apoplectic." I mused out loud as Liam sat down next to me with sweat spattered on his forehead and Stiles rushed over to his gym bag to collect his cell phone as he started dialling a number. I used one of the towels to dab the sweat off of Liam's forehead with a playful scowl and he grinned gratefully as he took the cloth off of me so that he could do it himself.
"All right. Neither of them are answering." Stiles announced in a worried tone as he turned to face us with a frown and I tensed slightly with a frown on my own as I looked over at him in concern. "I gotta go see what's going on."
"You're leaving? What are you going to tell Coach?" Liam asked in a mixture of apprehension and shock as his eyes widened in surprise and I bit down on my lower lip as I tried to ignore the bad feeling I had in my stomach.
"Uh, you don't tell him anything. Okay? Liam, you're gonna be okay. All right?"
"I'm staying. Scott and Kira might show up while Stiles is gone. I'll keep an eye on you." I assured the Beta as I rubbed his shoulder gently with a false smile on my lips and he nodded unconvincingly as he gazed absently out onto the field. I shared a worried look with Stiles over the freshman's head and I nodded once to get him know I was okay keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. "Be careful."
Stiles kissed my forehead briefly as he squeezed Liam's shoulder in reassurance and I watched as he jogged over to where his father was sitting with Malia on the bleachers.
"Liam! Get on the field!" Coach shouted loudly with a scowl as he pointed his clipboard towards the field and the Beta released a shaky breath as he stood up from the bench.
"Go. I'll handle Coach." I told him softly with a small smile as I stood up from the bench and I pressed a kiss to his cheek briefly before rushing over to where Coach was shouting at his players.
The crowd behind me began cheering loudly as the game restarted and Coach sighed in annoyance as he crossed his arms over his chest with a scowl. "Female McCall, I need you to work some of your magic."
"'My magic'? What are you talking about, cupcake?"
"Every time you decide to befriend one of my players, they turn to gold. Whittemore, Mahealani, McCall, Lahey. All of them became star players and we won the championship game. I saw you with Liam just now. You taking him under your wing?"
"Yeah. Yeah, that kid's got the goods."
"Good." He stated shortly as he nodded once with a frustrated frown on his lips and I pressed my lips into a straight line as I hoped that he didn't notice Stiles' lack of presence. "Where's Stilinski?"
"Bathroom?" I questioned more than stated without taking my gaze off of the game being played in front of me and he grunted something unintelligible as he looked at me in his peripheral vision while I smiled innocently.
We fell into a comfortable silence as we watched Devenford Prep get possession of the ball and I bit the inside of my cheek as two of the opposing player ran directly towards where Liam was defending the goal. The overwhelming fragrance associated with fear flooded back to me from the field and I frowned in confusion because it was combined Liam's personalised scent. I focused my attention on the young Beta as he stood frozen in the middle of the field and I tensed in worry as the opposing players easily dodged around to avoid hitting him.
I winced in horror as I watched the same thing happen twice before my concern became too overwhelming and I wandered back over to the bench where no one could overhear anything I said. A frown spread across my lips as I looked around the field, trying to find the Devenford Prep with number 28 on their jersey and I almost sighed in relief when I finally found Brett Talbot. "Hey, Talbot?"
The werewolf's head perked up at the sound of his name as he looked over in my direction and I glanced quickly towards where Liam was standing almost petrified before turning back to Brett. "Something's happening to Liam. Little help?"
I could vaguely see the grin that spread across Brett's lips through the grate of his helmet and I shook my head so that I didn't give him anymore encouragement as I turned my attention back to the game. Liam scooped the ball up in the net on at the end of his stick with a determined expression and he avoided several defenders from the other team as he raced down the centre of the field. I clasped my hands in front of my mouth as I watched Brett violently crash into Liam's side, knocking him onto the ground and I hissed in between my teeth as one of the Devenford Prep's players collected the ball from the ground.
"What the hell did you do that for?" Liam asked incredulously with a groan as from the middle of the field and I focused my hearing on their conversation to make sure they were both okay from the accident.
"Because you're afraid. I can smell it on you from across the field." Brett answered nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders as he smirked slightly and Liam scoffed in annoyance as he propped himself up on his elbows. "Are you hurt?"
"No."
"Are you still alive?"
"Obviously."
"Then get up."
"You good to play?" The referee asked Liam in concern as he jogged over to the where the boys were and Liam nodded shortly in answer before the referee turning his disapproving stare onto Brett. "You planning on pulling something like that again?"
"Only if I have to." Brett stated noncommittedly as he held his arms out to the side and started backing away as Liam climbed to his feet with a determined expression on his face. Brett shot me a wink as he joined his teammates in playing the game and Liam rushed after him as I settled back with a satisfied smile on my lips.
There were another two incidents of Brett colliding into Liam in order to get his attention off of his fear and I sat on the edge of my seat as Devenford Prep shot the game winning goal. The crowd soon dispersed into darkness of the night as the players disappeared into the locker room and I took my time making my way into the school because I knew that Liam would need comforting after the recent loss.
The locker room was essentially empty when I entered but I could hear two heartbeats and footsteps coming from the opposite side of the locker room as I slowed my steps. The familiar scent of werewolf evaded my senses so I focused my ability to smell and realised it was Brett talking with Liam as I came to a stop because I was curiosity what would happen.
"You okay?" Brett asked in a slightly arrogant tone but I could easily hear the concern in voice and I leaned back against the lockers as I had to smile wistfully at how much he reminded me of Jackson before he was turned.
"We lost." Liam responded bleakly in a voice devoid of emotion and I closed my eyes in despair because I hated how hopeless he sounded in that moment.
"But you're okay, right?"
"Why'd you do that? Why'd you help me?"
"Because of Scott and Sophie." He answered casually with a hint of admiration in his voice and I bit my lower lip to stop myself from grinning too widely at the admission. "They saved me. They saved all of us. Do you know how lucky you are?"
"What do you mean?" Liam asked in a confused tone of voice as I tucked a strand behind my ear and waited in intrigued for whatever answer Brett would give because I was interested in how others perceived me in my position.
"Scott's a True Alpha. That means he didn't get his power because he was born with it. He didn't get it by stealing or killing someone. He earned it. Sophie's a True Druid. She's the embodiment of balance of nature. If something were happening, she's the one you'd want in your corner."
I took that as my cue to enter the conversation and I pushed myself off of the lockers before turning around the corner with a smile plastered on my lips. "Hey, boys. Great game. Congrats, Talbot."
"Hey. Thanks." Brett said with a smirk as I reached out to squeeze his arm and he nodded once towards Liam as some sort of goodbye as he turned to walk away.
"Tell Lori I'll see her next week?"
"Got it." He replied easily as he started to leave but he paused for a moment in deliberation and then turned back around to give Liam a slightly sympathetic look as the younger boy looked up at him in question. "You're not strong just because you can lift a lot of weight now. You're strong because you endure. Satomi calls it strength of character. You're lucky to have them."
I watched his retreating back as he exited the locker room and I heard Liam sighed heavily as he stared down at the ground with a frown on his lips. "Then why isn't he here?"
"Let's go find out." I ordered firmly with a determined expression as I walked towards him and he looked up at me with a confused frown as I grabbed his arm, ignoring his protests as I pulled him up from the bench.
I knew that something had to be terribly wrong if Scott didn't attend a lacrosse game and the heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach made the decision to go hunt him down so much easier. I put my life on the line to protect complete strangers, but there wasn't anything I wouldn't do for my twin brother.