Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart

drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart

Howl – Florence + The Machine


As far as car rides went, it was definitely one of the more awkward ones I'd had in my time.

Stiles' heart had yet to slow, continuing to beat in his chest like it was trying to escape. The cab of his Jeep reeked with the scent of his fear, but neither I nor Peter mentioned it.

The alpha said nothing but to direct Stiles to some kind of parking garage, still and empty of human life. He slid out first, while Stiles and I hesitated. Eventually the kid climbed out too and I was quick to follow. Before I could intercept Peter grabbed him roughly, dragging him across a few spaces to where another car sat. I didn't try and rip him back, he could just end up getting hurt.

"Whose car is this?" he asked curiously as Peter let him go with a shove, pulling a set of keys from his pocket.

"It belonged to my nurse."

"What happened to your nurse-oh my God," Stiles exclaimed, gagging at the corpse that lay curled in the trunk which Peter had thoughtlessly exposed. I literally couldn't have cared less, but it definitely affected Stiles. The kid looked like he was going to hurl, and I immediately stepped closer, pressing a cold hand to his shoulder. He didn't acknowledge it, and his heart if anything sped up, but I didn't move it, even as the alpha shoved a laptop case into his limp hands.

"I got better."

It was quiet for a moment as Peter shut the trunk, snatching the case from Stiles' hands and ripping it open. "Good luck getting a signal down here," he said as I slid my hand from his shoulder. My skin felt cool after getting used to his warmth. Peter slipped a small black device from his pocket and handed it to the boy. "Oh, Wifi," he muttered before glancing up at the computer. "And you're a Mac guy. Does that go for all werewolves or just a personal preference?"

"Turn it on. Get connected," Peter ordered.

"You're really killing the whole werewolf-mystique thing," he replied under his breath, leaning forward to do as he was told. "Look, you still need Scott's username and password and I'm sorry, but I don't know them."

I winced at the stutter his heart gave. If I hadn't missed it there was no way Peter had.

"You know both of them."

"No, I don't."

"Even if I couldn't hear your heartbeat, I would still be able to tell that you're lying."

"Dude, I swear to God-"

Peter's ugly fingers curled around his neck and slammed Stiles' face into the metal trunk of the car. I reacted instantly, a snarl ripping from my chest as I leapt forwards, pulling Stiles behind me where he was safe.

"I can be very persuasive Stiles," he said with a wicked gleam in his eye, making both of us unsteady. "Don't make me persuade you."

"Like you'd get to him," I growled, shifting my weight to the balls of my feet, readying myself to attack if needed. He smiled like I'd made a joke. "Laugh all you want, you know how evenly matched we are."

"And you know that the second you come at me I'm going to go at him with everything I have, and I won't stop until he's dead."

It was quiet, no sounds in the garage but Stiles' frantic heart and heavy breathing. Finally, I felt a soft touch to the small of my back, and I relaxed under the touch, standing flat on my feet again. "It's okay, Jules," Stiles said calmly, thumb brushing along the fabric of my shirt almost tenderly. I nodded, just barely, but he caught it and moved away from me, stepping up to the laptop and beginning to hit the keys. "What happens after you find Derek?" he asked the alpha, glancing over at him with resentment.

"Don't think, Stiles. Type."

"You're going to kill people, aren't you?"

"Only the responsible ones." Peter paused, beady eyes sliding across to me. I'd yet to move from my position in front of Stiles, not wanting to give the wolf even a moment of opportunity to do the kid any damage. An ugly smirk twisted across his lips before he spoke, "I wouldn't think you'd have a problem with that, Stiles. Your little girlfriend here has spilt enough blood to fill a swimming pool three times over in her time."

He blinked and I had him by the lapels of his jacket. He didn't react bar shooting me a wider smirk.

"Look, if I do this," Stiles began shakily, not for a second rising to the alpha's bait. "You have to promise to leave Scott out of it."

He pushed me off of him, and I let it happen, trying to put off the fight for as long as possible. "Do you know why wolves hunt in packs? It's because their favourite prey are too large to be brought down by one wolf alone. I need Derek and Scott. I need both of them."

"He's not going to help you."

"Oh, he will, because it'll save Allison. And you will, because it'll save Scott." Peter's eyes lit up with repulsive mischief, a wolfish grin appearing on his lips. "Or better yet, it'll save your precious Juliet." It was silent for a long moment, before Peter peaked over my shoulder to view the screen, then his expression flattened. "His username is Allison?...His password is also Allison?"

If I hadn't been so focused on the wolf's every move, I would have face-palmed.

"Still want him in your pack?" Stiles asked sardonically, glaring at him with hatred. "Wait, what? That's where they're keeping him?" I didn't want to risk taking my eyes from Peter, so I didn't so much as blink, even with his full attention on the screen. "His own house?"

It made sense, a pack as big as the Hales would have a pretty decent cellar under their home, fully equipped to hold werwolves. "Not at it. Under it," Peter confirmed my thoughts. "I know exactly where that is."

It was quiet for a beat, before a powerful howl ripped through the town. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and my gums tingled, every instinct in me telling me to run, there was danger nearby.

"And I'm not the only one." He pushed forwards, moving to pack up the laptop. I stepped back, taking Stiles with me. Peter rolled his eyes dramatically. "You can blink, you know," he sneered. "I'm not going to snap." I didn't reply as he threw the computer bag in the backseat of the car. There was another howl, this one a higher pitch, clearly from a different wolf. "Give me your keys," he ordered Stiles sharply.

The kid looked like he was going to protest, but changed his mind at the last second. "Careful, she grinds in second," he warned him with a scowl. He needn't have worried, Peter merely crushed the keys in his hand, giving back the bent bits of metal with a smirk. "So you're not going to kill me?" Stiles asked confusedly, and I crossed my arms tiredly. "Oh God," he muttered regretfully as Peter turned back around, taking a threatening step forwards.

"Don't you understand yet?" he asked, looking over my shoulder at Stiles, ignoring me altogether. "I'm not the bad guy here."

"You turn into a giant monster with red eyes and fangs and you're not the bad guy here?"

It was like a stake to the stomach. I noticeably flinched at his words, finally looking away from Peter, not able to handle his smug smirk. "You've clearly never gotten a good look at the real Juliet," he said as I glared at a squished piece of gum on the asphalt. "I like you, Stiles," he continued. "Since you've helped me, I'm going to give you something in return."

"Do you want the bite?"

My head snapped up, but not fast enough, Peter had already anticipated my move. His hand caught me around the throat for the second time that night and he shoved me against the side of the car, staring at Stiles calmly, awaiting the boy's reply.

The kid was smart enough not to get too worked up, and I didn't fight the hold, letting him keep me there. He was stronger than me. I had to bide my time, wait until he wasn't expecting me to attack, because that was the exact right moment to. "What?" he asked, glancing at me nervously. I tried to shake my head, but when that didn't work I merely screamed through my eyes, trying to get a clear message across.

"Do you want the bite?" Peter repeated like the kid was slow. "If it doesn't kill you, and it could, you'll become like us."

"Like you?"

"Yes. A werewolf. Would you like me to draw you a picture?" he snapped impatiently. Stiles' gaze slipped between he and I, unable to focus, a million thoughts clearly flooding his mind. "That first night in the woods I bit Scott because I needed a new pack. It could have easily been you. You'd be every bit as powerful as him. No more standing by his side while watching him become stronger and quicker, more popular. Watching him get the girl. You'd be equals. Maybe more."

"Stiles," I choked, and Peter tightened his grip on my windpipe.

"And Juliet," he said, like he was sweetening the deal, a sickening smirk on his face. "I can't imagine how hard it must be for a human like you to keep up with a vampire like her. How hard it must be to be her friend. It's funny, they move so fast without really moving at all. Don't you, Juliet?" he asked, glancing at me, a predatory gleam in his eye. He turned to look back at Stiles, whose heart was by now slamming against his ribcage. "Imagine being able to keep up with her. Imagine being able to spend time with her without her wanting to rip into your neck and feast on your blood. She'll never really care about you as a human, all you'll ever be is weak; a burden. I can give you a chance to be more." He leaned closer, fingers still digging into my throat, free hand taking Stiles' arm and holding it to his mouth. "Yes or no?" he asked the kid finally, flashing his canines.

Before the fangs could touch his skin he ripped it away violently.

"I don't wanna be like you," Stiles spat disgustedly, but both Peter and I could see right through him.

"You know what I heard just then? Your heart beating slightly faster over the words 'I don't want'. You may believe that you're telling me the truth but you are lying to yourself." He finally let go of my throat, and though I didn't really need to breathe to survive I sucked in a deep lungful of air. "Goodbye Stiles," he said courteously, before nodding in my direction. "Juliet."

I growled under my breath in response, but he didn't seem bothered. He slid into the car, peeling out of the garage with a screech. Stiles visibly sagged once he'd disappeared, and I stepped closer in case I needed to catch him if he passed out. He reached out and grasped my shoulder, using me, quite literally, as support. I didn't deny him that, letting him lean on me, acting as an anchor.

"Oh God," he muttered, hand clenching and relaxing over and over where it rested on my shoulder. "Oh God. I think I'm gonna be sick." He began to hyperventilate, heart speeding up in his chest. "And–crap...Lydia," he said, letting go of my shoulder to place both palms flat against his temples, like he was trying to restrain his own thoughts.

I stood there awkwardly. What was I meant to do in this sort of situation? Bar compulsion, there wasn't much I thought I could do, and I sure as hell wasn't stooping to that, not now, not with Stiles.

I stepped forwards, cringing for a split second before placing my hands over his own, pulling them away from his head, curling my fingers through his. "Stiles," I said quietly. "It's going to be okay."

"But-but," he stammered, panicked.

"How far away is the hospital?" I asked over the top of him.

He frowned in confusion, barely keeping up. "A few blocks."

"Come on," I said, letting go of one hand, using the ones still connected to tug him along after me.

"No, you have to follow Peter to the Hale house," he said as I pulled him across to the exit. "You need to be there, to protect Scott-"

"There's no way I'm leaving you alone like this," I replied simply. His hand was sweating in mine, and his heart continued to race. "Come on," I repeated, letting his hand go and turning around, keeping my eyes on him as I walked backwards. "I'll race you."

"W-what?"

"You need to get rid of that adrenaline," I told him, forcing my lips into a small smile that I hoped was in some way comforting. "Besides, we'll get there faster."

"But there's no way I could possibly beat you."

"Not with that attitude."

"You're a vampire."

"Way to state the obvious."

I started jogging, and not wanting to be left behind, Stiles rushed to keep up, beginning to pant harder with exertion. I kept my pace painfully slow so I was running by his side. "Why-why didn't you want to...to leave me alone?" he struggled to ask, a light sheen of sweat appearing on his brow. I looked over at him in question. "Well," he continued. "I-I thought you didn't really care."

"That might be true, but it doesn't mean I want you to die," I answered with a shrug, keeping my eyes on the road in front of us.

He was quiet for the remainder of the run, only having to pause twice for a rest before starting up again without prompting. Before long we were in the parking lot of the hospital, slowing down once we saw other people so we didn't draw attention to ourselves. He stopped dead outside the front doors, his flushed face lit up with the glow from the florescent lights inside.

"Stiles?" I asked, shoving my hands in my pockets and watching him wearily.

"What if she's dead?"

I was silent.

What could I say? I didn't care whether the girl lived or died, and to be honest, I'd rather she didn't survive the whole ordeal; one less werewolf to worry about. I couldn't tell him that though, it wouldn't help the situation and I knew I wouldn't like the expression that came with it.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes roughly for a moment before turning around, taking a step towards the hospital.

In a movement I didn't even register he swung back around, all but slamming into me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me into a warm embrace. My head tucked into his collarbone, I raised my eyebrows, my arms limp as I stood perfectly still.

I might have gotten better at resisting his scent, but having my lips pressed so close to his jugular wasn't helping things at all. So after a long moment of consideration I lifted my own arms, winding my own arms around his neck, pushing myself up onto my toes to take a deep lungful of clean air over his shoulder.

He seemed to take that as some sort of encouragement and clutched me tighter, forehead pressing to my shoulder. I stayed frozen. We were friends, right? And friends hugged friends, or so I'd heard.

Eventually he pulled back, shooting me a watery smile before rubbing at his eyes once more. "Promise me you'll be careful?" I crossed my arms over my chest, forcing myself to ignore the heat I could still feel along the front of my body, and tilted my head at him curiously. "You're going to the Hale house now, right?" I nodded in confirmation. "Well, I have a feeling some serious shit is about to go down. Just, be careful."

I wasn't sure how to respond. I wasn't a very careful sort of person, and I didn't want to make a promise I knew I probably wouldn't keep. So, in the spirit of honesty, I decided it best to just not answer. "Go check on Lydia," I told him, nodding my head towards the automatic doors.

He appraised me for a long moment before sighing, turning around and making a beeline for the entrance. With a deep, steadying breath, I made sure nobody was looking my way before disappearing from under the lights, darting into the trees before anyone had seen me move.


It took only minutes to get to the Hale house, but once I did, I definitely wasn't met by what I'd been expecting. Derek was on the ground, bleeding from several places on his body, and Scott was writhing in the dirt, hands pressed to his eyes. Two women stood over them, one painfully familiar.

Allison.

And the other must have been the aunt I'd heart so much about.

I mentally rolled up my sleeves as I darted out in front of the boys. Blondie held a gun to Scott's head, and that just wouldn't do. My cover of being a wolf was going to be blown eventually, so I didn't bother hiding my true face as I appeared in front of them, black veins winding across my cheeks, eyes blood red and a set of pearly white fangs slipping into view as I slipped passed them too quick to see, ripping the gun from her manicured hand and throwing it through the trees.

"Well I'll be damned," the blonde one murmured under her breath with almost a giddy smirk as Allison gasped in horror. I merely snarled at the pair, the sound dangerous and feral, from where I was crouched in front of Scott. "Good thing I have a spare," she chirped, pulling another gun out from her waist. "Wanna guess what kind of bullets I have in this one?"

She could be bluffing, that I knew. But was that a risk I really wanted to take?

"Kate!" an approaching voice yelled before either of us could make a move, and the woman and her niece both turned to look at the newcomer. "I know what you did. Put down the gun."

The brother and sister talked between themselves, Kate's gun still aimed at my chest.

"Put the gun down," he warned her again, firing off a bullet into the bark of a tree. "Before I put you down." After a long, tense minute, Kate lowered her gun, glaring venomously at her brother. Before anyone could so much as utter another word, the door to the Hale house behind us creaked open ominously. "Allison, get back," the girl's father snapped in a panic.

"What is it?" the terrified girl asked, scrambling to her feet and backing away from the house.

"It's the alpha," Scott replied, and from the corner of my eye I saw his eyes begin to glow that familiar amber. My hands curled into fists and I shifted my stance into a fighting one, ready to attack at any second as we all stared into the darkness beyond the door.

It burst from the house, circling around us like we were prey. Which, in a way, we were. One by one it picked us off, and I was already drained from the bastard's earlier attacks on me, not to mention I hadn't eaten in far too long. Before I knew it, I was on the ground, a gash stretching from one hip to the other. I grunted in pain as the wound began to burn, but put my pain aside to move closer to Scott, who had collapsed only feet behind me.

"Come on!" Kate shouted into the darkness, but I ignored her, tilting my head as I listened to Scott's heart beat weakly in his chest.

I couldn't take him on alone, so I stayed low, tapping Scott's cheeks as hard as I dared, silently urging him to get up. A shadow flew over my head as Peter threw Kate onto the porch of his burned down house, but I paid no attention, even as Allison yelled out desperately behind us, following her aunt and the alpha into the house.

"Scott," I hissed once, but he barely twitched in response. I huffed angrily, appearing by Derek's side. I didn't need to use such a gentle approach with him, so I slapped him across the face. He sat up, panting and holding his bleeding abdomen in pain. "Can you fight?" I asked him, tuning out the sobbing and muttering going on in the depths of the house behind me. His eyes couldn't seem to focus on me, and I slapped him again. "I said can you fight?" I repeated tightly as he finally seemed to refocus. He nodded once, and I moved back over to Scott, who was now just coming to.

The boy stood shakily to his feet, and I glanced down at my slowly-healing wound. It would take longer than regular wounds to heal, seeing as it was from a shifted alpha. I looked back up at the betas. We didn't communicate verbally, instead exchanging nods and hand-signals as we made our way inside. Scott and Derek approached the alpha from either side, while I came up in front of him.

"Run," Scott muttered to his love, who took a step back, jumping violently when she bumped into me, but not hesitating to spin around and run the other way. I took a breath in, hunger flaring in my gut as I smelt the blood of the very recently deceased Kate Argent, barely sparing her corpse a glance as I focused all of my attention on the alpha.

Scott made the first move, taking a swing at Peter. He deflected it with almost amusing ease, landing a hit to the beta's stomach that send him sprawling to the floor. Derek sprang forwards next, and I copied the action. I landed a kick to his side and he threw me away with a lazy flick of his hand. I landed on my feet, sliding across the dusty wood, the floor slick with Kate's blood.

I threw myself forwards with every bit of speed I had, slipping around him and landing three consecutive hits to his back and chest. He sucked in a breath before shoving Derek away carelessly and swiping down to grab me. It was easy enough to stay out of his grip, and we danced like that in between each of the boy's attempts to subdue him. I stayed just out of reach, landing hits when he was distracted then twirling out of his reach when he was focused on me.

I could have kept it up for hours, but it wasn't getting us anywhere. Finally I'd had enough and I came to a stop, thrusting my elbow into his nose as hard as I could. I listened with satisfaction as it cracked, but soon that was overtaken with horror as he turned back to me, face halfway changed. I darted away from him again, flying to Scott's side and helping the kid to his feet as we watched the man fully shift into his werewolf form.

"Scott-" I hissed as the boy leapt forwards, only to be caught around the neck and thrown carelessly through the window. I growled as I watched the alpha smash his way through the glass after him. I rubbed my forehead, pulling my hand away slick with blood. I took a deep breath, rolling my neck and barely sparing Derek a glance before leaping through the gaping hole in the front of the house.

Scott had managed to land a blow to the alpha's chest, sending him flying back into the porch. I took the opportunity, jumping onto to his slimy, hairy, disgusting back and locking my arms around his head. Before I could make the snapping motion that would end his life he thrust me back against the porch steps with enough force that I heard my collarbone crack.

He slid to his feet, satisfied that I was out of the fight for now as he approached a panting Scott. Before he could touch him, two bright headlights shined on the scene. All of our heads snapped to look at the newcomer, and I frowned at the sight of the expensive Porsche and the two boys within it.

Of course, the absolute last person I wanted to be here, was actually here. Stiles climbed from the driver's side, feet barely on the ground before he was tossing what I could identify as a molotov cocktail at the beast. I waited with bated breath to see it explode in flames, but was disappointed to see the alpha catch it like it was a baseball, preventing it from igniting.

"Oh damn..." Stiles breathed from the tree line.

"Allison!" Scott suddenly exclaimed, scrambling forwards and tossing her discarded bow to her. The girl caught it with deft hands, sliding an arrow into place and lining up at shot, not hesitating before taking it. It ruptured the cocktail, and I watched with a satisfied smirk as it exploded in his massive, clawed hand.

Peter burst into flames, roaring loudly as he tried to shake them off. Another cocktail flew from Jackson's hand, this one hitting the other half of his body. I instinctively edged away from the flames, one of the only three things on this earth that could actually kill me.

He howled in agony, teetering a little too close to Argent for Scott's liking, as he dove for the burning beast, only to be kicked away like a can on the sidewalk. He roared again, dropping to his knees as the fire slowly began to die down. His form faded with it, eventually revealing the man under the fur, his skin covered in angry red burns. He collapsed to the ground, heart only just continuing to pump, struggling to hold on.

Everything was silent, the only sound the dying crackling of the fire. I slid to my feet, wincing as my stomach flared with pain. Allison moved over to Scott, and trying not to think of the obvious parallel, I made my way over to Stiles, unable to help myself.

"I thought I told you to be careful," Stiles said quietly, so only the two of us could hear as he eyed the gash and the slit in my dress, the blood making the already red dress even red-er.

"This was me being careful," I replied, placing a hand over the wound.

"I'd hate to see what you look like after a fight where you weren't careful, then," he said, trying to force a smile on his lips. It didn't work, he ended up giving more of a grimace. His expressive brown eyes were shining with worry. "Are you okay?"

I waved his concern off. "Nothing a little O-negative won't fix," I told him, throwing a devious smirk at Jackson as the kid choked on his own spit at my words.

Before anyone could say anything else, footsteps sounded, somebody behind me crunching their way through the dried leaves. I turned around, eyeing Derek, who now stood over his Uncle. I couldn't see the look on his face, but it can't have been pleasant.

"Wait!" Scott yelled as the other beta knelt down, preparing to finish what we'd started. "You said the cure comes from the one who bit you. Derek, if you do this, I'm dead. Her father, her family, what am I supposed to do?!"

I rolled my eyes. The kid really did only have a one track mind.

"You've...already...decided..." Peter choked. "I can...smell it on you."

Derek held his hand up, preparing to strike even as Scott protested desperately from behind him.

Then it was done.

Peter's heart was beating no more.

"I'm the alpha now."

Derek's eyes slowly faded from their glowing red and he turned around to pick up his uncle's body, disappearing into the house with it. I moved over to Stiles, ready to tell him he should really head home, only to be cut off by a war cry. We all turned around to look at the source of the sound, and a moment later I was shoved against the thick trunk of a tree, a sharp stick imbedded in my gut.

"Juliet!" Stiles yelled, leaping forwards only to be shoved away by papa Argent.

I kept my mask in place, forcing my face into an expression of confusion. "What-"

"Don't you dare play dumb," he growled, grasping the stick and twisting it, making me grunt in pain. "I saw your face, I know what you are, leech."

I dropped the act, fangs sliding free as I hissed warningly at him. He didn't so much as flinch.

"Scott? Him, I can leave be," he said, gesturing to Scott. "I can believe he hasn't taken human life. But don't for a second pretend like you haven't!"

"Jules!" Stiles yelled again, and I heard a small tussle as Scott had to hold his best friend back. I would have found it sweet had I not been worried about myself right then.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't shove this stake through your heart."

I didn't have a good answer, and he knew it.

"Dad, no!" Allison screamed from where she stood by Scott, too afraid to come any closer. "Don't hurt her!"

"You don't understand, Allison!" he shouted back, shoving me back harder against the bark when I tried to inch forwards. "You don't know what she is."

"I know she's my friend!"

"She doesn't kill people!"

Argent froze, glancing at Stiles over his shoulder for a brief second.

The kid seemed to sense the opportunity and jumped at it. "You must be monitoring the blood stock at the hospital right? Even if you're not, look into it, you'll see a lot of it having mysteriously disappeared. She doesn't kill to feed."

Argent was silent for a long time. "Is that true?" he asked me seriously, twisting the stick again like it would make sure I was telling the truth. I nodded, even though it hurt to do so. "Do you really expect me to believe you've never killed?"

"No," I spat. "Especially not since it's a lie." He pulled the stick from my stomach and for a brief second I felt relief, then it was shoved back in, a few inches to the right, directly through my kidney if I wasn't mistaken. That was always a bitch to heal. "Stop doing that," I snarled with fury, eyes flooding, making them shine a bloody red. "Yes, I've killed before. But I don't anymore. Nobody in this town is in danger from me. So take that stake out before I do something we'll both regret."

"So you're going to threaten me while you beg for your life?" he asked with an unamused smirk.

"I'm not begging," I spat, having had enough with the charade I reached down and yanked the makeshift stake from my abdomen, throwing the bloodied wood off into the trees and pressing my hands to Argent's chest, sending him stumbling back several feet. He pulled out a gun and shot me twice in the chest, but luckily for me it was just regular bullets. I flinched but otherwise didn't react, merely scowling at the furious hunter. "Put down the weapons and maybe we could have a civil conversation."

He shot me again, three times. Twice in the chest and once in the kneecap.

I grunted, falling to my knees and immediately fishing the bullet from my flesh. "That one stung," I told him with a glare, throwing the bloodstained bullet at him, watching as it hit him in the forehead. In the blink of an eye I had his gun in my hands, the barrel aimed between his eyes. "How'd you like it if I shot you, huh?" I asked with a masochistic smile. "Something tells me you won't heal like I will."

"I can't let you live," he said calmly, meeting my eyes bravely. I had to admire him in a way. The man had serious balls. "And if you kill me, it'll just be someone else exactly like me to do the job."

"Juliet," Allison said tearfully from her place beside Scott, who was still holding a struggling Stiles. "Please don't hurt him. Please."

I considered it for a while, weighing up the pro's and con's.

When it came down to it, killing this hunter would be taking innocent human life, which was something I just couldn't do.

"Tell you what," I spoke up, slackening my hold on the gun, letting it drop to the ground then kicking it away into the trees. "You stay out of my way, I'll stay out of yours."

"And why would I do that?" he asked with a grim look of hatred on his features.

"Because I'm old," I said honestly. "And therefore very difficult for you to kill." I leaned forwards, and he noticeably recoiled, clearly disgusted by me. "And if it somehow does come out that my fangs have gone anywhere near a living, breathing human, then I'll put myself in chains and stay still while you stake me yourself. You have my word."

"That doesn't mean anything coming from you."

"Dad," Allison said again. "Dad, I will never forgive you if you hurt her. She's a good person."

Everything was quiet as he stared at me, I could see the clogs in his mind clicking over as he considered me. "I'll spare you...for now," he finally decided, never taking is eyes from me as he moved backwards towards his daughter. "If you give a human so much as a scratch..." he warned.

"Aye aye, captain," I replied, forcing a lazy smirk onto my lips. He grimaced in disgust, hooking an arm around his daughter's neck and none-too-gently tugged her away from the Hale house, ignoring the way she muttered under her breath, pleading to let her stay with us.

Finally Scott let go of Stiles, and the kid scrambled to my side, waving his hands uselessly in front of me, not sure what to do with them. Now that the hunter was out of sight I knew I could once again show weakness, and I sagged, grabbing Stiles' shoulder for support as pain flared across my middle from both the stake and the alpha scratch.

"Whoa," Stiles huffed, tentatively wrapping an arm around my middle, careful not to brush the wounds. "She needs to get home," he said louder to the remaining members of team anti-alpha, Jackson and Scott. "Jackson, can we get a ride home?"

The petty boy looked like he wanted to refuse, but he wasn't that terrible of a person. He nodded and Stiles led me to the car. I pushed him away halfway there, insisting on walking myself. I felt him roll his eyes but didn't feel like commenting, sliding with Stiles into the backseat of his fancy Porsche. I rested my forehead against the cool window as he pulled away from the Hale house, watching the dark forest fly by, not really seeing it.

Finally the alpha was gone, but I felt like with his passing came a whole host of new problems.

Derek was the alpha now, and who knew what his agenda was. Jackson knew what we were, and wanted the same for himself. The hunters now knew I was a vampire, so I'd have to keep my wits about me if I wanted to continue living in the town.

I wondered if it was worth it. Why didn't I just take everyone's advice and move somewhere more vampire-friendly, such as Mystic Falls.

I glanced to my right, catching sight of an exhausted but satisfied looking Stiles, and I knew I had my answer.

A/N: Last chapter of season one done, now onto season two! Thank you all for your reviews, and for those who wanted to know, I'll be covering all seasons of Teen Wolf, including a fairly long interlude set during the summer at the end of the next season, which will have some major Vampire Diaries crossover elements that I think you'll love.

Send me a review and tell me what you think of this one! :)