Chapter 6: Heart Monitor

Lydia POV

I pulled my black pea coat closer to my body as I walked out of the staircase onto the level 4 landing and I walked towards my Bug. I paused when I got to my car; there were several bags of groceries laying there. I picked up the punctured bottle of milk that was rolled underneath the car after I set my bags in the trunk. "What the hell?" I asked as I picked up the groceries. I looked around for a minute when Scott came running towards me.

"Hey Lydia." He said awkwardly

"Hi Scott." I said, "These yours?" I asked

"Yeah, sorry about that." He said before he grabbed the groceries and pretty much ran away.

"Weirdo." I said as I rolled my eyes and walked around my car to get in when I paused to fix the lace on my shoe when I felt someone sweep me off my feet at the same time I heard a car horn go off. I looked to see a car speed right over where I was three seconds ago.

I felt arms wrapped tightly around my waist and I looked up into the stormy eyes of none other than Derek Hale. "Are you ok?" he asked huskily and I felt my breath catch.

"You, you saved me I would have been, I would have gotten, thank you." I said as my brain tried to catch up with whatever just happened.

"Yeah I, you're welcome." He settled on accepting the gratitude.

"I didn't even see them coming." I said breathlessly.

"They were speeding, you wouldn't have had time." He said and he seemed angry, "But you shouldn't have been in the road way." He said.

"Sorry, it's normally deserted." I said apologetically.

"It's not your fault." He said when he seemed to realize that he was still holding me tightly, "You should get home, it can be dangerous at night." He said

"It's Beacon Hills." I argued.

"And yet people have been attacked." He said and I fought the urge to say 'like Laura'.

"By a mountain lion, that Mr. Argent killed." I said bluntly

"Is that what you saw at the video store, a mountain lion?" he asked

"How did you know I was there?" I asked him

"I was there once the police arrived." He said

"Oh where were you at?" I asked him once I remembered thinking that I saw him on the roof.

"With the others." He said and I knew that an answer that vague was going to be fake.

"Oh, ok." I said

"You didn't answer my question." He said

"What question?" I asked him

"Was the thing at the video store, was it a mountain lion?" he asked and I stopped and thought about it. Was it really a mountain lion? It didn't look like one. At least, I don't think it looked like one.

"Yeah I guess so." I said

"What do you mean you guess so?" he asked and it started to seem like he was desperate for an answer.

"I mean I think it was a mountain lion that's what everyone else said, but it was so big, and black, and it was just so fast. I don't think mountain lions move that fast." I said and I looked up and saw his face concentrated on something.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" he asked

"Because the cops just said it was a mountain lion and I was scared out of my mind so I just went with it and why am I still here talking to you? I need to go home. You said so yourself." I said suddenly

"That I did." He said

"Oh and by the way if we're going to keep meeting sporadically and randomly, I might as well introduce myself. I'm Lydia Martin." I said as I held my hand out.

"Derek Hale." He said then shook my hand. I felt this strange shock run up my arm so I all but jerked my arm away and walked off.

"Bye!" I called over my shoulder and by the time I had gotten in my car and pulled out, he was gone. I rolled my eyes at the mysteriousness but drove off anyways. Although I did a double take as I was driving out of the car port when I saw a pair of electric blue eyes in my rearview mirror. I slammed on the brakes and looked out the back windshield but I didn't see anything. Not even Derek.

I sighed and drove to the radio which was playing 'Keeps Getting Better' by Christina Aguilera and I tapped along to the beat and when I got home all the lights were off which meant one of two possibilities. 1) Mom wasn't here or 2) mom had a 'gentleman friend' over. Please let her not be home. I sighed as I grabbed most of the groceries and walked inside once I got the door unlocked and when I put the groceries on the counter in the kitchen I paused to listen and see if she was home. There was no sounds expect Prada yapping away.

I got the rest of the groceries and sat them on my counter when Allison texted.

Hey, what are you doing? –A

Just got home from getting groceries, what about you? –L

Just saw Scott :) –A

Funny, me too –L

Where did you see him? –A

Car port at the store, he had left his groceries at my car, came and got them –L

He was in my room –A

Did you?... –L

We got closer than ever before, I took his shirt off, he took off my bra –A

Did he see your? –L

No, my tank was still on –A

Why no further? ;) –L

Kate knocked on my door –A

Did you get caught? –L

No I shoved him in the closet –A

Lucky! What did she want? –L

Nothing really although she helped with my history project –A

How so? –L

She had me look up some French story –A

Why? -L

Said that my family was a part of it, I think they were the ones to kill a beast I don't really know –A

Makes sense with your family's crazy gun supply –L

I told you my dad sells fire arms to the police –A

I know but it just makes sense –L

Yeah I guess well I have to go, dad is saying that if I don't get off I'm grounded another week. –A

Bye! –L

Bye. –A


I sat at the practically empty lunch table and looked at Allison, I put a bite of food in my mouth, "The what of who?" I asked her curiously as I listened.

"The beast of Gevaudan." She said "Listen, 'A quadruped wolf like monster, prowling the Auvergne and south Dordogne areas of France during the year 1964 to 1967. La Bête killed over a hundred people, becoming so infamous that the King Louie the 15th sent one of his best hunters to try and kill it.'"

"Boring." I said as I pointed my fork at the book even though it was slightly interesting.

"'Even the church eventually declared the monster a messenger of Satan.'" She read

I huffed "Still boring." I said

"'Crypto-zoologists believe it may have been a subspecies of a hoofed predator, possibly a…" I didn't catch the last word but I really didn't care

"'Slipping into a coma' bored." I declared

"'While others believe it was a powerful sorcerer who could shape shift into a man eating monster.'" She read.

"Any of this have anything to do with you your family?" I asked her finally.

"This, 'It is believed that la Bête was finally trapped and killed by a renown hunter who claimed his wife and four children were the first to fall prey to the creature.' His name was Argent." She said

"Your ancestors killed a big wolf. So what?" I asked

"Not just a big wolf. Take a look at this picture. What does that look like to you?" she turned the book around where she had dog tagged a page and there was a picture of a beast with glowing red eyes. I couldn't stop the images in my head.

Glass shattering, lights flickering, my screams, big black beast, glowing red eyes that stared at me before disappearing into the night, glass flying towards me.

"Lydia? Lydia." She said as she gathered my attention again.

"It looks like a. Big. Wolf. See you in history." I said as I got up and grabbed my tray before walking away. After I got out of the lunch room I ran into the nearest bathroom and banged on all the stalls and only one was occupied.

"Hey get out!" I yelled and I heard the toilet flush and a ninth grader appeared. "Are you a freshman?" I asked softly as if I were talking to a child and she nodded, "Then get out!" I shouted and she ran from the restroom. Once I checked the stalls once more I locked the door and stared at my reflection in the mirror. "Breathe Lydia, just breathe. Conceal it, don't feel it." I said it to myself like a mantra, which for me it pretty much was. After I got myself together I unlocked the door and swung it open and strutted out in the hallway and headed for my next class.

I walked into French and sat at my new seat in front of Isaac. My mind was still reeling from that stupid picture from Allison's book. "Bonjour Lydia, comment vous sentez-vous?" Mrs. Morrell asked me (Hello Lydia, how have you been feeling?)

"Bien, merci pour demander." I replied (Fine, thank you for asking.)

"Et Jackson, est-il bien?" she asked (And Jackson, is he fine?)

I looked down at the desk and replied, "Comme autant qu'il le devrait depuis cette nuit." (As much as he should since that night.)

Even though I was completely uncomfortable talking about it she smiled at me, "Excellente Lydia vous avez fait bien ce semestre, mieux que la plupart, sinon tous." (Excellent Lydia, you've done very well this semester, better than most, if not all.) She praised

"Non pas que surprenant pour moi." (Not that surprising to me.) I said and for some reason she smiled at me

"Pourquoi donc?" (Why is that?)She asked me

"Parce que je me suis entretenu latine depuis que je suis 10." I deadpanned (Because I've been speaking Latin since I was 10.)

"Wow comment puis-he entendre impressionnant?" she asked (Wow how impressive may I hear?)

I spoke quicker and more fluently now, "Cur ego non sum qui mentiar tibi ostendere volo, et non est tibi et loqui Latine?" (I don't see why I have to show you it's not like I would lie about that and do you even speak Latin?)

She smirked, "Atque ita tu volubilis Lorem videre quomodo sum Latine loqui." She replied (I just wanted to see how fluent you were and yes, I speak Latin.) she turned and walked back up to the front of the classroom and I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping when she turned by, "Gravitas viam Latine." She said (Impressive by the way, your Latin.) I wanted to throw something.

Latin is MY thing. I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Caring is sharing so care to share what the hell that was?" Isaac asked me as he made a notion in between me and Mrs. Morrell.

"She was speaking to me in French asking about me and Jackson, seeing if we were ok." I said simply

"At the end, that sounded different, that, that wasn't French was it because it was I'm gonna fail French and then I'll literally be digging my own grave." He said fearfully

I laughed, "No that wasn't French, it was Latin." I said

"Why did you two start talking in Latin?" he asked

"Because, she said that I was good at French more than most and I said it was because I've spoken Latin since I was 10 so she pretty much had me prove it." I said

"Why would she have you prove it?" he asked

"I don't know, now pay attention." I smirked before turning back around in my seat as Mrs. Morrell began class.


I walked into my history class and smiled at Mrs. Adams before taking my seat next to Danny. "Hey Danny man." I smiled.

"Danny man?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah, Danny man, what I can't call you that, well fine then." I huffed and turned away and fought the smile that was so desperately trying to break free.

"I'm sorry Lydia I didn't mean to upset you." He said honestly and I couldn't help but scoff.

"And I'm sorry that you're so gullible." I said

"Lydia!" he whined

"Love you." I smiled.

"No you don't if you did you wouldn't do that." He fake pouted

"Danny if I didn't love you I wouldn't mess with you, it's how I show my love." I smiled at him teasingly.

"Well find a better way to show me love, because that way kinda sucks." He said as he rolled his eyes.

"Well too bad, so sad." I said "You can't change me so you'll just have to love me."

He laughed, "Well dang it." He said teasingly.

"Alright class, get started with your projects now." Mrs. Adams said as Allison appeared on the other side of me as I got out my project stuff.

"Hey Lydia." She said and I noticed that she still had that book in her hand.

"See," I said with a smile. "Told you I'd see you in history."

"Yeah I know but I found something else." She said suddenly and it threw me off guard slightly.

"What?" I asked

"Well my Aunt Kate had given me the book because she said it was all about 'La Bête de Gevaudan' and while I was looking through it this fell out." She said as she held up an old piece of paper.

"It's paper, oh my god someone call the news, it's historical." I mocked.

"No Lydia, look read it." She said as she shoved the paper in my hands.

I sighed but unfolded the page. "'L'histoire de la famille Argent.'" I read. "'Francois Argent was born in 1739 in rural France, in the region of Gevaudan. His father Luc was a successful gunsmith who groomed his sons to continue the family business. For sport, Luc taught his sons to hunt wild boar. They grew up taking camping trips into the forest where the boys would hunt the boar while their sisters would dig for truffles and gather fresh herbs. As they grew more successful, these trips became fewer and further between. All the children had families of their own, moved to major cities and traveled abroad to sell their elegant weapons.'" I smirked "And they all lived happily ever after."

"Lydia, keep reading." She said impatiently.

"Pushy, pushy." I said but continued. "'On Luc's death bed, he insisted that there would be no funeral. Instead, he requested that his sons take their families into the forest for a wild boar hunt at the next full moon. (Wild boar are nocturnal creatures who are most active surrounding the full moon.) Francois' wife Marie didn't want to go. She feared the forest and she feared the night. At his insistence, she agreed to pack up their four children for the three day event.'" I looked at her, "Well isn't Francois soo considerate of his wife's feelings?" I said sarcastically.

"Lydia!" she said and I sighed

"'The year was 1764. Francois and his brothers, Michel and Guillaume, packed up their families and journeyed to the forest they used to frequent as children. When they stopped in a small village for milk and other perishables, they were warned not continue into the forest. For the past several months on the full moon, odd howling had been heard rolling out from among the trees. They ignored the warnings. After all, they had their hunting dogs with them and they knew the countryside well.'" I paused "Is this about to take a horror movie turn. Damn it would make a great horror movie."

"Lydia, keep reading." She said

"'The forest itself was quite different than it had been when they were children. No one seemed to live nearby, and even the animals seemed to have scattered. Determined to honor their father's dying wish, the Argents set up camp. On the first night, the night before the full moon, the forest was eerily still. The men stayed in the camp, helping their families adjust to their surroundings. They were all seated around the campfire when they heard it. The odd howl rang through the trees and over the mountains. It came from everywhere and nowhere. The men attributed the howl to an injured animal and the rest of the night passed without incident.'" I read "Yep this is going to get ugly."

"Do you have to have a commentary?" she asked

"Yes." I said simply, "'On the second night, when the full moon was high, the men went out to hunt for boar. Huddled around the campfire, the women and children nervously told one another stories. Then the howl rang out again. But this time, it came from nearby. Very nearby. Marie Argent made it her duty to corral everyone into their tents. She was the last one standing outside, and she was the first to see it.'"

"Dun, dun, dun!" Danny said dramatically from behind me.

"That's why I love you." I said to him before turning back and continuing to read, "'The Beast walked on two legs like a man, but it's mouth was filled with huge fangs. It's face was surround with coarse reddish fur and it's eyes glowed blood red. Frozen with fear, Marie stood in place as the beast slowly approached her. It stepped up closer and closer until it was so near her that the steam of it's breath surrounded her face.'" I smirked, "I bet she thought it needed a breath mint."

"Lydia!" Allison groaned

"Sorry," I smiled cheekily. "'A sudden single gunshot rang out from among the trees, whizzing just past the Beast's head. The shock of the sound brought Marie back into action. She flung herself in the tent, covering her children with her body. The Beast followed her. With another hideous howl, it pounced into the tent and slaughtered everyone inside. Francois fired shot after shot at the Beast, but to no avail. As he tore into the tent, the beast stood there on all fours among the mangled remains of his family, covered in their blood. The horrible sight dropped Francois to his knees as his brothers appeared in the tent door behind him. Tearing through the fabric of the tent, the beast turned off and ran into the night.'"

Before I could open my mouth she said, "No commentary."

I sighed and finished the remaining paragraph, "'The rest of the Argent brothers pulled Francois away from the tent and tended to the duty of burying his family. Their wives and children explained how Marie had bravely kept them together and saved their lives. All of the brothers vowed from that day that they would hunt this strange Beast and avenge their brother's legacy.'"

She stared at me, "So what do you think that means, what do you think it was?" she asked me

"Either Bigfoot or it could be the Wolf man." I said sarcastically

"Lydia, well what do you think happened after that?" she asked

"Two options 1) your family still hunts down this 'Beast' and that's why your dad's really an arms dealer or 2) this is a load of bull shit and whoever came up with 'La Bête de Gevaudan' and this 'L'histoire de la famille Argent' worked together to come up with the biggest lie ever since they thought the world was flat." I deadpanned

"Lydia!" she cried as I handed the old page back to her.

"Allison you know I am too smart to actually believe all that Hocus Pocus. Because you want to know what that sounded like in all honesty?" I asked her

"Yes, yes I want to know what you really thought." She said desperately and I rolled my eyes.

"It sounded. Like. The Beast. Was. A. Werewolf." I said to her slowly and once again the glowing red eyes from the video store shined in my mind like headlights coming at me straight on. I'm so gonna have nightmares for a month; no scratch that until I'm either 80 or dead.