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Chapter Four: Stalked
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When the hunters' voices and footfalls had faded into the distance, the girl started talking. She introduced herself as Allison.
"What's yours?"
"Megan."
Allison nodded thoughtfully. "You're not from around here."
Megan shook her head, her thoughts on a recent and very similar line of questioning. "No."
Allison seemed to take her reticence as something other than distraction. She found herself on the receiving end of a worried look. "Did they hurt you?"
"I'll be fine," answered Megan with deliberate vagueness, shrugging off Allison's concern. "So… have you been here long?"
"Two weeks." The girl cocked her head, dark eyes on the middle distance. "We were here before, a few years back. I was just a kid then, but God, I loved these woods. Still do." She smiled and Megan couldn't help but mirror it. "How about you? We only caught your scent three days ago. Before…" She cast an anxious glance over her shoulder. Megan got her meaning and wondered how much to tell her.
"That's about when I got here." She shrugged. "I've been wandering. I was heading north, actually."
"Running or searching?"
Megan was surprised by the question, suddenly seeing Allison in a new light. The girl was wise beyond her years. "A mixture of both, I guess." Now that she really thought about it she realised it was true. Running from her past, searching for her future.
"Well, it might be a good idea to lie low for a while. Derek Hale's pretty relentless, or so dad says. Really hates our kind."
Megan tried to sound casual as she asked, "Any particular reason why?" Beyond her dislike of him, she was curious about what made Derek tick.
Allison pursed her lips. "Most of his family was killed by an omega, but he blamed my dad and his pack." She snorted. "Like dad and the others would break the pact."
Noticing Megan's confused look, Allison offered up a brief explanation. "They came to an agreement, the hunters and our kind. They'd live together peacefully as long as there was no killing. The omega ruined things."
Megan bit her lip and took a moment to digest the information.
"I hope you don't mind my asking," she said at length. "But why have you come back?"
Allison smiled reassuringly, letting her know she hadn't overstepped the mark. "Can I ask you a question first?" At Megan's nod she continued. "Have you ever felt a connection to a place? Like you just…" She heaved a wistful sigh. "Belong?"
Megan's answer was instant. "No. At least, not in a long time." She felt a pang deep in her chest. Nostalgia.
"I'm sorry." The girl was contrite. "But that's how we feel about Beacon Hills. Nowhere else really felt like home. Dad's going to try and reason with Hale."
"And if that doesn't work?"
Allison's jaw tensed and eyes flashed. "Then we fight."
Megan wondered how Derek would take the ultimatum, but let the thought drop as she followed Allison out of the trees. They were on the end of a moonlit street. The expensive-looking houses on either side stood dark and still.
"Allison…"
"It's okay." She walked back to where Megan had come to a stop, levelling the older girl with an encouraging look. "We live in a fancy house. It's good for staying under the radar. C'mon."
Gently, she took Megan's arm, leading her to the fourth house on the left. The front door was already open as they traversed the yard, and standing on the threshold was a woman with cropped red hair Megan instantly guessed was Allison's mother. They had the same fair complexion and small mouths, but there was something about the mother Megan didn't like. Perhaps the way her welcoming smile fell short of her eyes.
Entering the warm, fashionably-furnished home on Allison's heels, Megan registered the worrying realisation that she might have jumped from the frying pan and into the fire.
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Derek raised his hand, gesturing for Scott and Stiles to stop. He heard their footfalls die behind him and turned his head, listening out for the same noise he thought he'd heard earlier. A growl.
The forest, however, was completely silent. Not a good sign.
"Derek, what-?"
He spun towards Scott with a finger pressed to his lips. After a moment he spoke.
"You hear that?"
Stiles looked around anxiously while Scott shook his head 'no'. "I don't hear anything."
"Exactly," said Derek. He tightened his grip on his gun. "We're being stalked."
"Please tell me you mean by some adorable woodland animal," said Stiles tremulously. "Like, say, a rabbit."
Derek opened his mouth in preparation for a sharp comeback, but was interrupted by a snarl.
Without so much as a second's hesitation he let his training take over, swinging towards the noise with his gun raised. He pulled the trigger, only barely missing a pair of glowing blue eyes as they darted out of sight. The bullet bit into the trunk of a nearby tree.
"Stay together and hold your ground," said Derek, backing up towards where the boys stood frozen in place. "Whatever you do, don't run. Its instinct is to follow and take you down." He didn't stop moving till his shoulders bumped with Scott on the one side, Stiles on the other. They formed a small circle.
It was only then that Derek noticed Scott's ragged breaths.
"Scott," he said, attempting a soothing tone but failing miserably. "Don't let it sense your fear. Breathe."
"He has asthma, you jerk," snapped Stiles.
Derek spared Scott a surprised glance and cast his mind back to the day before last. The day he'd saved the boy. He could remember the shallow breaths but had put it down to terror, and been far too absorbed in shooting at the alpha's fast-retreating back to notice if Scott had used an inhaler.
Inwardly, Derek cursed. If he'd known…
There was a flash of movement between two trees to Derek's right. He fired, but missed.
"Give me the gun, Scott," said Stiles with unexpected authority.
Derek watched through the corner of his eye as Scott, gasping, handed the gun over before digging in his jeans' pocket. He produced a worn-looking inhaler and brought it to his mouth, taking a desperate drag.
The were moved again, dashing from the cover of one tree for another. It was getting steadily closer.
"Why won't it just attack?" asked Stiles.
Derek compressed his lips as he thought about it. They outnumbered the were, sure, but considering Scott's weakness and Stiles' inexperience, they were hardly a match for it.
"It's toying with us," said Derek finally.
"Why?" asked Scott. His breathing had evened out some.
"Why does a cat play with its food?"
"Wow," said Stiles sarcastically. "You know, you're great with words. I feel completely reassured."
Derek shushed him. Above Scott's still-raspy breathing came the crack of a twig snapping. Derek pivoted towards the sound just as another howl drifted through the reserve. He saw the blue-eyed were pause in its advance, cocking its head as though in consideration. A moment later it grunted and backed off before finally running for the cover of denser woods.
Derek swallowed thickly as he lowered his gun.
"Why didn't you shoot it?" said Scott.
The hunter briefly shut his eyes. Ingrained on the backs of his eyelids was the were's face, features sharp and canine, but vaguely resembling his own...
"Derek?"
"Don't question me," said Derek harshly. "And don't ever follow me again, you hear?" He stormed off without waiting for a response.
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TBC
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A/N: Thanks again for your reviews, follows, and faves, you lovely, lovely readers! xx
