Chapter 3

Working when she was mad wasn't anything Ev liked to do. Working when she was mad at Derek was an all out hassle.

She was sitting at the reception desk, going over some financials. Her Dad was in the back, feeding the animals while she stewed in anger and business expenses.

She thought back to the reason she was so annoyed with everything and herself today.

"You can't just go around turning teenagers into werewolves," Ev yelled, pacing after Derek as he walked away from her in the abandoned train station in the early morning. Isaac was off doing God knows what and she was pissed at him for letting him go alone which brought up this topic.

"If they're willing I can," he said over his shoulder.

"Damn it, Derek," she said in frustration. She was dressed for work in heels and a dress, not the attire to run after him.

"You said you want this town protected," he said, finally stopping and turning to her," Well that's what I'm doing."

"Do you not remember being a teenagers?" she asked with a loud groan," The hormones and the mood swings and the impulsive shit. You want to add onto that by making all those emotions even more intense. Hell, girls already flip their shit once a month why make it happen twice?"

"Teenagers are the ones that have the best shot at surviving the bite," he explained.

"I don't care," she said, exasperated," Peter had the same damn idea you do."

"He turned Scott without his permission," he pointed out," They know the risk and they know what they want."

"No they don't know what they want, Derek," she said angrily," They're young and hearing how bad something can be is a hell of a lot different than actually experiencing it."

He had no answer to that.

"Well," she said, crossing her arms.

"Alright I'll think about it," he said, crossing his arms.

"That's not good enough," she said, mimicking his stance.

He looked her up and down and she knew exactly what he was thinking in that moment.

"Oh no," she said, backing away from his as he got closer," That's not gonna work this time wolf man."

"What's not gonna work?" he asked innocently, grabbing her hand and pulling her flush against him, his hands on her hips.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," she said, narrowing her eyes as he stared down at her with a slightly amused expression," You think you can just pull me into your muscley arms and look at me like that and I'll forget about what we were arguing about. Well no. Not this time."

"Ev," he said with a smirk," I'm not doing anything."

"Like hell you aren't," she said with a scoff, her voice trailing off as one of his hands traveled down her side and to her ass where he gave it a light squeeze," See that's what I'm talking about."

"What?" he asked, still keeping the charade and pulled her groin against his, letting her feel how hard he was.

"You know exactly…" she trailed off when he rolled his hips into hers," You can't just expect me to stand down whenever you touch me because it doesn't work like that. I have self control."

"Is that so?" he asked, his hand going underneath her dress and traveling up her bare thigh. With a dangerous smirk, he tilted her head back and attached his lips to her arched neck.

"Yeah," she replied breathily, tangling her hands in his hair," Yeah so if you think this is gonna make me forget about…"

Somehow his hands had made their way to her panties and he slowly pulled them down.

"If it's not working than why are you so wet," he whispered in her ear and her underwear dropped to the floor," I can smell how much you want it."

He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he kissed her furiously. Her back hit the cold metal side of the train cab.

"I'm still mad at you," she said against his lips.

"Angry sex than," he said with a smirk.

"Don't patronize me," she said and reached between them to undo his pants. She unzipped him and pushed them down along with his boxers. His member sprung free and he growled in the back of his throat.

He shoved up the bottom of her dress and with no warning he thrust into her. She cried out in relief as he growled, pulled out and thrust back. She trembled in his arms and buried her face in his neck.

"You like that?" he asked, nipping at her ear as he gave short, powerful thrust.

She nodded feverishly as he pulled her back and stared into her eyes. His piercing green gaze making sure she kept her eyes on him. He loved watching her come undone for him. There was nothing better.

A whimper escaped her lips," Derek."

He pressed his lips to hers in a frenzy as he held her tight and…

"Ev is everything alright?"

She turned to see her father staring at her from the threshold of the examination room," Yeah, why?"

"I was calling you," he said with a chuckle," You didn't answer."

"Sorry just a lot on my mind," she said with a small smile," I'm okay. Really."

He gave her a satisfied nod and went back to what he was doing.

When he was out of sight she softly rubbed her thighs together to relive the tension from the memory of the morning.

Camden was her first and after he died there were one or two casual encounters but Derek…he was something else. It both annoyed and made her heart race in the way he could have her ready for him with just one look. She briefly wondered if it was a werewolf thing.

Usually, he was gentle with her as if she might break at his touch, but every once in awhile he'd let loose. And when Derek Hale let loose, he really let loose. The wolf came out of its cage and devoured her with great pleasure. He'd dominate her with expertise and explore her body better than she did until she begged for him to take her.

He did things to her that sent her reeling over the edge, calling his name and digging her nails into his back while he whispered a mix between sweet nothings and the dirtiest words she'd ever heard. She never knew with him. Sometimes it was slow and sweet in her bed where they curled up in each other after and fell asleep or up against a train in a half dressed and crazed mess. Either way he'd never disappointed her. When it came to her, he was a firm believer in lady's first and she always came first.

"Definitely a werewolf thing," she mumbled out loud because there was no way his sexual perfection was anything natural.

There was one downside to it though. He abused his power. Whenever he didn't want her to worry or avoid a topic, he took her to bed. And every damn time she fell for it. It was only after she came down from her high and could move her legs again that she realized he'd done it again.

The door chimed and in walked Ev and Stiles. She gave them both a smile, truly happy to see them. When they didn't return her happy expression, that's when she knew something was wrong.

"What happened?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Derek turned someone else," Scott said slowly and then added with even more hesitation," A girl."

She clutched the pen in her hand so tight that she felt the plastic might break.

When she stared at them instead of answering, Stiles said," Ev…are you…okay?"

"Yes," she said, taking a thick gulp.

"You don't look okay," Stiles said and she shot him a look," I mean yeah you look fine. Perfect in fact. Just beautiful."

"Stiles stop," Scott said, elbowing him.

"How do you know he turned her?" she asked with no emotion.

"Well yesterday she had an epileptic seizure. Today she looks like a supermodel and drove off in Derek's Camaro after school," Stiles said matter of factly.

Scott elbowed him again and turned back to Ev," I thought you were talking to him."

She took a deep, angry breath, "The problem with him is I can talk all I want, but it never necessarily means it'll get though his thick skull although he keeps this up a bullet just might."

They stared at her.

"I'm not the one who's going to shoot him," she said and then added under her breath," At least not yet."

"So who will?" Scott asked.

"Hunters," she said gravely, "He's getting out of control. If he keeps on than…they could have a reason to go after him."

"What are they going to do to him?" Stiles asked after a moment of silence.

"Nothing," she said with a determined look, "I'm not letting them touch him or any of you."

TEEN WOLF

After a long day at work and a neutered Rottweiler later, Ev collapsed on her bed with a groan. Normally it would have been a groan of appreciation at the relief of finally being able to lie down, but today it was a groan of frustration, anger, and under the surface worry.

She knew what happened to alphas who couldn't control their pack. Hell, Chris and Victoria had told her in vivid detail and as angry as she was at him right now, she couldn't let that happen to him even though he was being careless and she knew why. He felt the need to protect her and a pack made him stronger, what he didn't realize was she didn't need protecting.

There was also the matter of who he was choosing for his pack. He'd already taken Isaac and she hadn't heard from him in days and according to the boys he'd changed that girl. Just thinking about Stiles' description of her made her angry. That was two down and she knew that three was usually what packs started with.

And to top it off there was a new monster in town. One that had probably killed Isaac's father. And if Allison and Scott's panicked description of it was even a bit accurate, she should be very afraid. She was still working out how to inform Chris about this new threat without divulging how she knew. If he found out it had been Allison who saw it and Scott who saved her from it…she wasn't sure what he'd to the love struck teenager.

With a sigh, she sat back up and kicked off her heels. She unzipped the back of her dress and stood up, letting it drop to the floor. She pulled a robe around her and stopped. She looked over to her window to see the curtains were open. As an act of anger, she closed them shut. She didn't want to see Derek tonight.

She sat on the window seat and realized she didn't want to see anyone.

Her phone began to ring and she pulled it out of her robe pocket.

Smiling, she answered," How do you always know when I need you?"

"It's a superpower," Mary Ann said on the other line," What's wrong?"

She let out a dark chuckle," I don't' even know where to begin."

"Does it have anything to do with this boyfriend of yours?"

"Some of it," she said, not entirely lying.

"You know what I always say. Hump 'em and dump 'em," she said and then added," but then again you don't exactly have that many notches on your bed post."

"He's not like that," she said with a sigh, rubbing her forehead," I love him and I feel like I can help him."

"You mean fix him," she said as if correcting her.

"He doesn't need to be fixed," she said with a sigh," He just…he needs me."

"But do you need him?" she asked.

A knock sounded at her window and through the thin curtains she could see Derek. In that one moment, she knew she couldn't keep him out even if she truly wanted to.

"I'll have to call you back."

"A little abrupt but okay," she said, confused," Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, pulling back the curtains and opening the window. She ended the call as he climbed in.

He took one look at her expression," You know about my new beta."

"No shit," she said, crossing her arms over her slightly exposed chest," I asked you not to, Derek."

"And I never said I wouldn't," he argued.

She scoffed," Should I just stop asking you to stop doing things that'll put you in danger because obviously you missed that period of brain development that listens when someone talks to you."

"I listened to you, Ev," he said with a sigh," And I think you're wrong. I need a pack. An alpha is nothing but a stronger omega without a pack."

"I don't care," she said angrily," You're being reckless and stupid and that's what gets your kind killed by my…"

She trialed off, realizing what she was about to say.

"No say it," Derek challenged," That's what get my kind killed by your kind."

"Don't try and make this about me," she warned.

"Why not?" he asked," I'm trying to protect you, but at night you go around looking for things that could kill you."

"I do that so they don't kill someone else," she defended," Omegas come into this town looking for the new alpha and…"

"Like that one from the other night," he said and she couldn't believe he'd thrown that back in her face," That omega didn't kill anyone, but Gerard sure as hell has. He doesn't follow the code."

"There is no code anymore, Derek," she screamed at him," It's gone. There are no rules. There are no limits. This isn't a game anymore. This is war."

"And you're nothing but a soldier," he yelled, matching her tone," If you think you have any step ahead of Argent you're wrong."

"No you're wrong," she said, stepping up to him," I'm not a soldier. I'm a leader, Derek. I have a hand in deciding what happens. I control the people that could put an arrow in your heart. I'm responsible for the protection of the people of this town. I made that oath and I intend to follow it."

"No matter the cost?"

She didn't hesitate to answer," I love you, but I'm going to do everything in my power to protect the people I care about and if you threaten or hurt one of them in this crazy quest for power or strength or whatever the hell you're doing…I'll…I don't know what I'll do, but I'll make sure you don't hurt anyone."

He stared her down," You are the only person I care about and I'll do everything in my power to protect you and I'll keep doing what I have to do even if you don't like it."

"So that's it," she whispered," You're gonna keep turning teenagers even though I don't like it."

"Yes."

She scoffed," Good luck with that. And by the way a teenage girl is not your best recruit."

He quirked a brow, "You're not jealous, are you?"

She snorted a laugh," Not even a little."

"Than why did your heartbeat just falter," he said with a smirk.

"It didn't," she said, matching his expression. She knew how to keep her heartbeat steady even when she was lying. She'd been trained to and it was one of the many skills she picked up faster than most.

His smirk faded," I know you're lying, Ev. I just can't pick it up. Did Argent teach you that trick?"

"I told you," she said with a stone expression," I can take care of myself."

"Against an alpha," he said, his eyes glowing red," What happens if you don't have a gun or arrows or a knife? What then?"

She pulled a knife from a carefully concealed holster on her thigh," I always have something."

His eyes faded back to green as he stared at the deadly weapon in her hand," You never would have done this if it weren't for me. You'd be safe. You wouldn't be caught up in this."

"My mother was murdered by a werewolf, Derek," she said sadly," I've been caught up in this for longer than you think."

"Ev, we're on opposite sides of a battle," he said, his eyes intense," I can't lose you to this fight."

"I'm sorry, Derek," she whispered," but I can't back down. Not now."

"We're not quitting on each other," he said as if he were ordering her," We promised each other we wouldn't."

"Maybe that wasn't right to promise."

He stared at her and she looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

"Don't do this," he pleaded.

"I think you should go, Derek," she said and he reached out to touch her but she stepped away and turned her back to him so he wouldn't see her tears.

"You're not getting rid of me that easy," he said and when she turned back around only seconds later he was gone.

TEEN WOLF

The next morning was painful. She had her day off for the week and when she opened her eyes that moment before everything hits you faded quicker than usual. Slowly, she sat up without a warm body holding her close. Normally, Derek would groan and tell her to go back to sleep, but not today. Today she felt cold and alone, but she quickly pushed all those thoughts from her mind.

She was sitting in the reception section of the local auto shop getting her car routinely checked. With a sigh, she raked her hands through her hair and checked her phone to see no new messages or phone calls. She scrolled through and found herself hovering over Derek's number. The door leading into the garage opened.

"Your car's all good," a mechanic said and she didn't look up as she rifled through her purse to get her bank card.

"That's great," she said, frantically looking through her belongings and her bag dropped as she stood up, many things tumbling out. She dropped down to her knees with a sigh and began shoving things back in.

"Let me help you," the mechanic said and she still didn't look to see his face. He began helping her put things back in.

"Thank you so much," she said," I promise this isn't a usual thing I'm just a little out of it today."

"Condom," he said and she looked up with wide eyes to see he was holding one in his hand awkwardly," It fell out of your purse."

She blushed furiously and took it from him, shoving it inside her bag as the last item. He stood up and held out his hand. With a grateful smile, she took it and he pulled her to her feet.

"Ev," he said, studying her face as he dropped her hand.

"Yes," she said, confused.

"It's Tucker," he said with a lopsided grin," We went to high school together. Biology. Junior year. You were top of the class while I barely made it."

It took her a few seconds to register who he was," Oh yeah Tucker."

As was her friendly nature she pulled him for a hug," It's been so long. How are you?"

"Good," he said as she pulled away," Just been in Beacon Hills working. I heard you went to New York for college though. What brings you back?"

"I work with my Dad at his vet office," she explained and an awkward silence fell over them.

"I was sorry hear to about Cam," he said and she gave him a grateful smile.

"I didn't even know you two knew each other," she said.

"We weren't all that close," he replied.

"Oh," she said, tilting her head.

Another awkward silence.

"Oh yeah let me pay the bill," she said, going for her wallet.

"It's on the house," he said.

"Oh no I couldn't-"

"It was nothing major," he said with a sheepish shrug," Your car's in good shape."

"There has to be some way I could pay you," she said, not accepting no for an answer.

"Shouldn't have to charge a pretty face," he said and the blush that was leaving came straight back," Although maybe you'd let me take you out sometime so we could catch up."

Immediately, her mind flashed to Derek. Tucker was handsome and nice, but he wasn't him.

"I'm still kind of settling in," she said which wasn't a complete lie," Maybe I could give you a call when I'm settled and we can catch up."

He gave her a small smile, "I'd like that."

She gave him a curt nod, "See you around."

"Looking forward to it," he said and she walked off, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

The truth was she was never going to call him and in fact, she'd have to find a new mechanic. Derek owned her heart and no matter what happened between them that would probably always be true. She didn't know where they stood, but she knew she had to find a way to compromise with him…after she stopped being pissed at him.

It was night by the time she made her way outside to her car. Her phone pinged in a text message and she pulled it out of her purse and saw Stiles number.

"Scott needs help. Found another potential beta. Ice Rink."

"Damn it, Derek," she said under her breath and ran to her car.

TEEN WOLF

Ev barely had her keys out of the engine before she jumped out of her car and ran into the building. She noted the doors said the place was long past closing time. The door handle was askew as if it had been pulled open.

She crept inside and cursed herself for wearing her heeled boots as they clicked on the concrete floor. When she heard growling she started running, stealth be gone, and stopped at the edge of the ice rink to see Derek throwing Scott to the ground.

"Stop," she called out and ran to them. She shoved past Isaac and a blonde girl who were picking themselves off the ground. She skid on the ice and into Derek as he pressed his foot into Scott's throat.

"Let him go," she said, shoving at him and he growled and shoved her away. She fell to the ground with a yelp and immediately he stopped. He turned to her with regret in his eyes as his eyes faded from red to green.

"Ev," he said as she stood back up and she ran past him, dropping to her knees beside Scott. He was badly beat with slash marks on his side.

He was coughing, clutching his throat where Derek had stepped on it.

She helped him sit up and she finally noticed the kid on the Zamboni as Scott looked up at him.

"Don't. You don't wanna be like them," Scott pleaded.

He lifted his shirt to reveal a bite mark on his side," You're right. I wanna be like you."

Ev didn't dare look at Derek as the new beta hopped down from the machine and went towards the rest of his pack.

"Ev-" Derek started to say.

"Don't," she said, looking up at him with fiery eyes," Go with your pack, Derek. They're obviously more important."

"I'm doing this for you."

"You did this for me," she said, gesturing to Scott's bloodied side, "You went after one of the very people I'm trying to protect for me! Don't lie to yourself, Derek. You're doing this for you and if you ever hurt Scott again I'll treat you like a hunter should treat a werewolf."

Hurt flashed in his eyes before it quickly faded and with only a moment's more hesitation he left.

"I'm not healing," Scott said, reverting back to his human form.

"That's because it's from an alpha," she said, pulling him up as he gripped his side," It takes longer to heal. We have to take you to my Dad."

She threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled him along.

"Ev, I'm sorry about Derek," he grunted.

"Don't be," she said, nothing but determination in her eyes as she supported most of his weight with ease.