Another day of school came and went. I only broke down once, so I was taking that as a positive, and Erica had seemed in a good enough mood. I'd found out why on the way over to school that morning. She'd had a dream about Stiles, her high school crush. It was sweet but at the same time sad, because in the entire time she'd known him he'd never once given her a second glance. His eyes were always on that Lydia Martin, not that she seemed to care, she was always pinning after Jackson, who seemed to be going after Allison Argent. See, being invisible has its benefits. I knew everything that was going on, I just had no one to share it with. That's how I got the gossip, over hearing bits and bobs here and there. It was the closest thing I had to a social life in this place.
After the last class I got a text from Erica, saying she was going to walk home. I offered to wait but she said it was fine. I knew where she was, at lacrosse practice watching Stiles from a far. Maybe today would be the day. The day she finally got over her confidence issues and went up to him and confessed her feelings. I knew better but I liked to hope. There was about as much chance of that happening as there was of me sprouting wings and flying away from this life and to a better one. I'd settle just for getting over the same confidence issues as my sister.
With little else to do I started up the car and went for a drive around Beacon Hills. My only other option was to go home and listen to Mom lecture me about how I should be out like Erica. She probably wouldn't say that if she knew where Erica was, but I wasn't about to rat her out. So, I drove around, did so for about an hour before I got hungry. I rested one had on my stomach, rubbing it until the grumbling stopped. I went on for another few minutes before spotting a fast food joint with a drive through. Normally I wouldn't, I tended to only go to these kinds of places as a treat, once a month with Erica, usually when we'd had a really bad day. But I was in the mood and hungry, so I drove up, ordered a strawberry milkshake to go, a cheese burger, small fries, and then stopped by the take-out window. I paid with a shy smile to the cute boy at the window and then drove on into the parking lot. I didn't like eating alone in public, it made me feel more alone than usual so I remained in the car and unwrapped my burger.
I took a few bites, mixing it with an occasional sip of my milkshake. Once my stomach was tamed, I leaned back and relaxed, burger in one hand and milkshake in the other. I turned on the radio, flicking through the stations until some country song I liked came on. I smiled to myself, letting the song take me away as I finished off the burger. It was a love song, and I always pretended these songs were about me. Imagining some handsome, young, fit man with a cowboy hat, strumming a guitar and singing to me. I sighed in satisfaction, dipping a fry in what was left of my milkshake before eating it, humming in delight.
Letting my fantasies take hold, I drifted off to a farmyard house, sat on a porch in an old fashion rocking chair. Opposite me, leaning against the porch banister, was the handsome guitarist. Strumming away peacefully with a charming country smile. I smiled back, letting my heart warm up as I rocked back and forth to the smooth relaxing beat of his guitar. He sang, and I hummed along as best as I could. In the distance, the sun was starting to set, casting an orange glare across the sky. It was beautiful.
Then the song drew to a close and I was pulled from my fantasy and back into my car. I was alone and in darkness, with nothing but a drained milkshake and half a box of fries. I felt it was a good enough metaphor for my life. With a depressed sigh I finished of my fries, throwing the wrapper for my burger into the box before placing it on the dashboard. I went to grab my milkshake and was about to sip when I paused. Across the parking lot from me, leaning against the hood of a sleek black Camaro, was a handsome man. His cheeks were rough with stubble that covered not only his cheeks, but his chin and neck too. He had short black hair that was lifted straight up in a stylish bad boy look. And friendly meadow green eyes that were staring right at me.
Instinctively I smiled. Knowing I had a cringey smile I expected him to turn away just at the sight of it. But he didn't. He continued to smile back softly. For a minute at least, we just stared at each other. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my mind ignoring everything logical about the situation. He had to have a girlfriend, had too. No guy like him would be friendly to me and not have a girlfriend already.
He tilted his head back, indicating for me to come over to him. Maybe he was going to kidnap me. Oddly enough that didn't sound like such a bad idea. I wasn't thinking straight, I knew it, I was letting my fantasies over take my common sense. Yet I still unlocked the car door and stepped out. Taking my milkshake with me, I walked across the dimly lit parking lot towards the stranger. The look on his face never faded even when I stepped into the light hanging over his car, giving him a good look at my grease layered skin. Still he smiled with nothing but a friendly greeting in his eyes.
"H-H-H-H-Hi," I said nervously.
"Hi," the man said confidently back, not even swayed by my stutter. A first. If someone didn't know about stutter and I started speaking, then they normally gave me strange looks. It was one of the worst feelings, knowing that the second I opened my mouth I was going to be losing their respect in some way, always looking like an idiot. But this man didn't make me feel that way.
Even so, I stumbled – my words caught in my mouth. I couldn't understand why he was still even talking to me. Why hadn't I scared him off the way I normally did with my unsocial looks and awkward stutter. "Wh-Wh-Wh-Why are y-y-you st-star-staring at m-me?" I finally got out as I wrapped my arms around my chest for self-comfort. I'd gotten used to my own hugs, I rarely got them from anyone else.
"I've met people like you before. I've been friends with people like you," the stranger began, a knowing smirk on his lips as his green eyes remained on my blue. "You have nothing to live for, no reason to go on. You don't care about anything." Not completely true, I cared about my sister. "Except your sister." I jumped slightly, scared by how he knew exactly what I was thinking. And yet, I couldn't leave, his voice had me entranced and I wanted to know what he was after. I needed to know.
"I want to make you an offer. I want to help."
"H-H-Ho-How?" I asked, voice trembling more than usual, anticipation building inside me as I felt a giddy smile form on my lips. Somehow, I just knew he meant it; he really could help. He could make things better for me, make life feel worth living again.
Suddenly those meadow green eyes of his began to glow an almost scarlet red. Then they darkened into a colder red, a powerful red. I could see the power, feel it radiating from his very being. I wanted power like that, wanted to feel strong and know that no matter what I could never be hurt again.
"Power. I can give it to you," he said as the red glow faded from his eye. "I can make you feel like you've never felt before. I can make sure people respect you. I can bring out the real you, the you you've always wanted to be." It was too tempting to pass up. After everything I'd been feeling the past few days there was no way I was missing out on this.
"Wh-Wha-What do I-I-I h-h-ha-have to-to-to do?" I asked.
"Just one thing. You have to let me bite you." Despite how crazy it sounded I still leapt at the opportunity, ready to shout 'yes' before he could take this away from me. But he held up a hand, sensing my eagerness and motioned me to wait. "There are a few things I should tell you about first though." He gestured to the spot on the hood of his car next to him. "Sit. It could take a while." I quickly moved next to him, leaning back against the car hood as we talked.
He told me everything. That his name was Derek. That he was in fact a Werewolf, an Alpha. That meant he had the power to turn anyone into a Werewolf with just a single bite. There was a risk though, I could die from the process. He did however point out that there was a higher rate of survival among teenagers, so at least I had that going for me. About time some form of luck came my way. That wasn't all though.
Even if I did survive the process things would still be challenging. I'd be a slave to the full moon, forced to lose control until Derek could teach me how to control myself while under its effects. And when the moon wasn't out to get me, Hunters would be. The Argents to be precise. I knew Allison seemed way to nice for someone that hanged around the popular crowd. Now I knew her deep dark secret. He also told me about the lacrosse star, Scott, and how he credited all his success to the bite that the previous Alpha had given him.
"It's a gift," Derek explained with his arms crossed as he eyed me carefully. "But it won't fix everything. Just give you what you need to make those changes for yourself. It's up to you to take what you want once you have it."
"Does…Does th-tha-that me-me-mean y-y-you're going-going to give-giv-give it to-to-to-to me?" I asked hopefully, my voice quiet.
He smiled. "If you still want it."
I looked away from him, across and over to my car. I thought back to all the nights I fantasised about something like this. An offer I swore I'd never turn down. And here it was, finally, at my fingertips. All I had to do was say, 'yes,' and I'd get the power I'd always wanted. I'd be free from my past and able to take whatever future I wanted. There was just one thing holding me back. It wasn't the possibility of death. Death never happened to the person who died anyway, it happened to those they left behind. In my case, that would be…Erica.
Could I risk it? I could gain everything I ever wanted, but I'd be risking leaving her alone, forever. She was my sister.
I turned back to Derek. "I want it," I said firmly and for once my stutter didn't hold me back. He smiled fondly. "B-B-Bu-But I ne-need you to pro-prom-promise me some-something." His smile shrunk a little, but he listened all the same, making no sign of agreement until he heard what I wanted. "If…If the b-bi-bite does-does-doesn't t-t-take. I-I-I ne-need you t-t-to make the s-same off-offer to my-my sis-sister. I-I-I-I can't leav-leave her with noth-nothing."
"What if she doesn't want it?" he asked curiously. I knew she would take it. She'd want it just as badly as I did. I was planning on asking him to bite her too, but I wouldn't chance my arm until I had the bite myself. I couldn't risk him running off and leaving us both with nothing.
"The-Then wat-watch her…pl-pl-plea-please," I begged, holding my gaze with him, showing him that I needed him to agree to this if I was going to take him up on his offer. I don't know why I thought it was going to work, I just had a feeling. That he wanted me to take the bite, that he needed others like him and Scott.
He then nodded his head and my heart lit up along with my face for the first time in years. "All right," he agreed. "I promise that if the bite doesn't work then I'll look out for Erica."
"Th-Thank you," I said quietly as to keep my stutter to a minimum.
"Are you ready?" Derek asked, moving onto the point as he pushed off the car, dropping his arms to his side as he fixed me with a serious look. I nodded a little frantically and stood up straight, shorter than him by quite a bit. "Where do you want it?" he asked casually. An awkward question and yet it had no awkwardness to it, but it didn't sound quite natural either. I also, wasn't entirely sure about the question. It wasn't exactly something I normally thought about. Where would I like to be bitten?
I quickly decided though, not wanting him to get inpatient. I rolled up the left sleeve of my jacket. I was right handed so I figured if I was going to get bit, I'd rather it be on my non-dominate arm. Then I held out my arm, bare pale skin ready for the bite, hand tightly clenched as to fight the pain that was to come.
Derek lightly took my fist with his own, holding my arm still as his eyes turned to red orbs once more. Only this time, there were canines in his mouth as well. He gave me one last look, waiting to see if I wanted to back out. I didn't budge. His mouth then descended onto my arm, his teeth sinking into my weak skin. I cringed in pain and my face contorted and just like that, it was over. I had the bite.
The smile on my lips was uncontainable as I looked at the bite mark on my arm. It tingled a little but otherwise there was hardly any after pain. I ran my hand gently along the wound, blood still seeping out. A few pinches of pain but otherwise I couldn't stop smiling. I looked up at the Alpha, still smiling and he grinned back.
"Sweet dreams, Dylan," Derek said as he turned, walking around his car and entering the driver's side. I moved back over to my own car, watching as he drove off. Once he was gone, I looked back down at my arm, looking at the glorious bite once more, before rolling my sleeve down. I headed for home and found Erica had beat me there. I rambled off some excuse about engine problems that I eventually fixed on my own. Dad was proud about that and mom was just happy I spent some time outside of the house. Erica gave me a suspicious look sensing something was wrong. I didn't give her the chance to ask me and quickly claimed I was tired and headed up to my room, closing the door behind me.
Erica didn't bother me the rest of the night. I heard her go to her room and go to sleep, briefly wondering if it was my new supernatural hearing kicking in. I was getting ahead of myself and I knew it. Derek had told me that it wouldn't be until the bite healed that I started to experience my new Werewolf powers. But I was just too excited.
I got changed into my pjs and then ran my hand over my bite once more. The blood had stopped, and it was already healing over. It had to be a good sign. It had worked, I knew it had. And tomorrow I would wake up a new person. A stronger, more powerful person that would grab the world by the balls and make it knee before her. Things were going to be different from now on.