"Ok everyone. Asses on the bus!" Finstock yelled stepping onto the bus. He stood in front of the driver's seat as the players passed him to grab a place. A group of schools was hosting the annual preseason scrimmage tournament. It was the first time Beacon Hills had ever been invited. The schools had constantly been afraid to show off their moves and plays to the standing champion. But now they had a bigger fear. Finstock had gone to the meeting and made a fuss about how they were being pushed out because their female player. Though everyone knew that wasn't the case, no one was willing to risk the media howling for their head. The coach couldn't help but smile as said player walked by. He grabbed her shoulder. "I never knew how much I needed you. Sorry, that came out way to creepy. Greenberg what the hell are you looking at!" Mel took the chance to scoot away. She scanned the rows, cursing her brother for having to stay and take that makeup exam. The idiot had actually fallen asleep in his free period and missed the damn thing! The teacher needed the grade, but had a family emergency and was going to be gone a month. This Saturday was the only chance he would have. It was a major exam and he would be failing the class without it. She cursed under her breath as she scanned her choices. The curse stopped and she smiled. Racing over to the very last seat, she practically flung herself down.
"Hey Stiles. I feel like I haven't talked to you in days." Then she noticed the music blasting out of his ear buds. She tapped his shoulder. He turned around. Instead of the happy smile she expected, he practically slammed back into the window. He yanked the ear buds out.
"Here? Your sitting here?" Panic filled his voice. She looked at him confused.
"Well yeah. Why not?"
"Oh nothing, nothing." He turned away and muttered under his breath. "Except my overwhelming desire not to have my throat ripped out by teeth."
"Excuse me?" He turned back to her and smiled.
"Look, it's nothing against you. You're actually really awesome. Really really awesome in fact." She smiled at the compliment. He smiled back, before panic once again filled his mind. "Like I said, it's not you. It's Derek."
"Derek?"
"Yeah. You know. He just seems like the really jealous type. You know the one that's like Stay away from my girl." He did his best attempt at a macho sounding voice.
"Stiles, what the hell are you talking about?" She asked, eyes and tone filled with confusion. He sighed.
"Let me try to make this simple. Derek like Mel. Derek no like Stiles. Derek see Mel with Stiles. Derek kill Stiles."
"Yeah, you just said Derek way too many times for one sentence."
"So, not the point I was making here. Look, it's nothing to do with you. I just don't want to get involved here." A hurt look crossed her face and it was her turn to sigh.
"Sorry to inconvenience you, but I don't have anywhere else to go." The tone was almost heartbreaking and it took every bit of willpower to concentrate on Derek's teeth. And not her sad eyes.
"Of course you do." He said softly, then laughed. "I'm a nerd. I literally can only occupy the nerd zone. But you. You can go anywhere. Everyone would love to sit by you."
"And that's the problem." Mel sighed. She looked into his eyes. Motioned to the seat a few rows up. "Danny is already sitting with someone. Scott is still on probation. My dumbass brother got himself stuck and Isaac is already passed out with another guy up there. That leaves you being the only person I can sit next to that's not going to try to cop a feel or grab my ass every five minutes."
"Oh. Your right." He acknowledged, seeing her reason. At practice, the guys really did their best to sneak a touch. Grabbing her chest when they helped her up. Tackling her in such a way they fell on top. She was too fast for them to catch normally, so they did this when she didn't have the ball. When she was more focused on trying to keep track of it. Finstock called them on it. But how do you prove they didn't just make a mistake about who had the ball? At first she just laid the guys out, but they never seemed to stop. Saint was acting as an almost full time body guard at this point.
"Great. What are you listening to?" She asked, smiling. The smile got bigger as he offered her one of his ear buds. He smiled back. I am so going to die. He pushed the thought down.
"Come on; pass the ball you lug nuts!" Finstock yelled as the team crowded around. They had made it to the final match, and were down by four points. Mel stared at the ground. She hated to lose. One of the only real competitors they had was playing with several oversized mutants. It had incapacitated several of the team. The coach dismissed and walked over to the benches muttering. The rest of the players moved. Mel tugged lightly on one of the guy's jerseys, pulling him back. He was the one that always did the face off. He turned to find the obstruction. She gave a large smile. The type that wasn't friendly.
"Tell you what. I want you to get the damn ball, and give it to me or Lahey. Then I won't have to hurt you at practice. Deal?" He nodded frantically. She gave another smile before running off. She took her position. Phase 1 was complete. On to the next part.
"Isaac." She whispered, knowing he could hear.
"I know, I know. Don't use any wolf powers. You tell me every game." He muttered.
"Actually, I was just going to ask a question. When they have giant freaks like that on their side, does it really look weird if we have some super speed?" Both smiled, and waited eagerly for the whistle.
Mel couldn't contain her smile. They had won easily. It didn't matter how much girth they had if the behemoths couldn't catch them. She still chuckled at the look on the guy's faces as they tried to catch them. Another laugh and she took a sip from her cup. She grimaced at the bitter taste. Was this some new flavor of Gatorade or something? She waved Stiles over. "Did the Gatorade taste weird to you?"
"Weird how?"
"I don't know. Bitter I guess."
"It tasted fine to me. Maybe a little too sweet even." He answered. She called the Isaac over and repeated the question.
"I wouldn't know. I only drank the water." He answered a look of worry on his face. "You ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She laughed, waving it off. She looked around and noticed that everyone else was fine. Was probably just too hyped up from the game. Isaac took the cup from her hand.
"Ew. It smells like garlic." He complained, tossing the cup to the ground. Mel looked at him a moment. Something rattled around in her brain but she just couldn't place it. Shaking her head, she walked to the changing room for a shower. Exhaustion crept up on her. Expecting the cold water to help, she was disappointed when she emerged from the locker room every bit as tired as when she went in. Maybe more so. She sluggishly climbed the steps, and plopped down on the seat next to Stiles. She yawned, and leaned against his shoulder.
"Um, what are you doing?" He asked nervously.
"Sorry. Just really tired." She yawned again and crashed out. Her unconscious mind placed her in a desert. Sun bearing down as she walked through miles and miles of sand. Sweat pouring down her face and back.
"Mel wake up." The voice broke through, and she felt her body being shaken. Using what little strength she had, she forced her eyes open. Stiles and Isaac looked down at her. "You ok? You were shivering."
"Yeah, you were sweating really bad and we couldn't wake you up." Isaac added. Mel tried to focus.
"Where are we?" The words tumbled slowly out of her mouth.
"Home." Stiles answered. She tried to push herself up, only to slump back down.
"I may need…a little help." Her breathing was a bit erratic. Isaac pulled her arm over his shoulder, and helped lift her up. She stumbled down the aisle on clumsy legs, clutching Isaac's jersey. They stepped out of the bus. Stiles took the other arm, and draped it over his shoulders. That way they could drag her, instead of forcing her to walk. She was faintly aware of the breeze surrounding them, but couldn't feel it. Her skin felt like it was on fire, but her stomach felt like it was made of ice. Finstock noticed the two players dragging the third between them. He walked up.
"Everything ok Rajjin?" He asked, concerned.
"She's fine coach." Isaac answered.
"Yeah, just caught one of those 24 hour bugs." Stiles laughed. At that moment, Mel emptied the contents of her stomach. Validating the excuse. The coach looked at the chunks now on his shoes.
"Ok. Just go home. Get plenty of rest and fluids. I'm just gonna go and wash my shoes." He muttered walking away. They carried her quickly to Stiles car, and loaded her up in the front seat. Isaac hoped in back as Stiles took the wheel. There was something oddly familiar about this all. Isaac leaned forward worriedly. He touched his hand to the girl's forehead.
"Oh shit." He said.
"What?" Stiles asked, trying to keep his eyes on the road. He risked a glance over. "What's oh shit? You don't say oh shit unless it's something bad. Damn it Isaac, what is oh shit!" The werewolf looked at him and the worry in his eyes was frightening.
"She's burning up." Stiles reached over, and shook the sleeping girl. She muttered something incoherent.
"Mel. Mel. Wake up. What the hell is going on?" His tone was filled with panic.
"I…I…" Her breathing was ragged as she tried to answer.
"What? You what!" Stiles shouted. The loud sound seemed to wake her.
"Poisoned." The word slipped out and she went under again.
"Poisoned." Stiles muttered. "Fuck did she just say poisoned?"
"Yup." Isaac's answer was hollow.
"By what?"
"How the fuck am I supposed to know?"
"Ask her."
"She's knocked out. How the hell am I supposed to wake her?" Stiles sighed as he glanced over. Looks like he was alone in the brainstorming process.
"Isaac."
"Yeah?"
"You are not to breathe a word of this." He looked over and found the werewolf looking at him. "I'm serious. Not a word." With that, his eyes shifted back to the girl in his front seat. He slugged her across the cheek.
"What the fuck are you doing!" Isaac shrieked.
"Huh.. what?" Mel mumbled drowsily, surprising the other wolf.
"How did you-"
"Long story. Just ask." Stiles interrupted Isaac's question. Isaac nodded, and turned back to Mel.
"Mel. What poisoned you?"
"Huh?"
"You said you were poisoned. What was it?"
"Gold…goldenseal." She forced the word out. Her breathing became more erratic. "Call…my grandfather." With that, she slipped back into unconsciousness. One that might not be broken. They sat in shock for a few moments.
"Well grab her damn cellphone!" Stiles shouted. Isaac complied. Rooting through her bag, he grabbed the phone. Flicked through her phonebook until he found the one. He pressed call, and waited, stomach tightening with every ring. After the tenth one, a voice was heard on the other line.
"I'm sorry honey. I went shopping out of town and I can't give you a ride. Can you ask one of your friends?"
"This isn't Mel." Isaac said.
"Who the hell is this, and what the hell did you do with my granddaughter?" The voice was hard and lethal. Isaac felt a tingle down his spine.
"No. This is Isaac. One of Derek's pack." He rushed. The tone at the other end changed to a lighter one.
"Oh yes, the one with the curly hair. Did Mel forget her phone her or something?"
"No she's right here." Kaz picked up the worry across the line.
"What happened?"
"She said poison. She says she thinks it's goldenseal."
"Is she sure? Let me talk to her."
"I can't." He looked over the seat at the girl, slumped against the window. "She looks like she's in coma."
"I need to know for sure. What exactly are symptoms, and what happened?"
"Um…high fever, shivers. Deep sleep." Isaac looked at Stiles, and shrugged his shoulders, not sure what else to say.
"The Gatorade!" Stiles shouted. Isaac looked at him confused. Stiles grabbed the phone. "This is Stiles now. She said something about the Gatorade at the game being bitter. But it tasted really sweet to me. And Isaac said it smelled like garlic."
"Are you sure?" The voice on the other line was completely serious.
"Positive."
"Ok. Go to my house. My phone is about to die. Use the map on her phone and call me back when you get there. There is a key under one of the rocks out front. You'll need it because no one is home right now. I'll be there as soon as I can." The phone disconnected. Stiles handed the phone back and Isaac found the directions. They sped to the residence. Once there, Isaac scooped her up. He smelled the metal of the key, and told Stiles which rock to look under. They stumbled into the house and Stiles called back.
"Go to the kitchen." The voice on the other end ordered, not wasting a moment. The boys went in, carrying the limp body with them. He waited for them to give confirmation. "Ok, now listen carefully. Take her clothes off."
"What!" Both shouted at the order.
"Damn it kid we don't have time. Her body is overheating. Leave her underwear on if it makes you feel comfortable. But if it gets too hot, take them off."
"Just as long as this isn't some perverted joke."
"YOU THINK I LIKE THE IDEA OF SOME TEENAGE PUNK WITH HIS HANDS ALL OVER HER!" Kax exploded into the phone. He forced himself to calm down. "OK. Strip her down. Then go to the pantry. In the corner is a wooden box. It has the words spice rack carved in it. Take out the white yellow powder labeled Coptis. It's the antidote." Stiles ran to the pantry, found the item with ease and raced back.
"Why the hell is she still dressed?" Stiles yelled.
"I'm not stripping my alpha's mate!" Isaac yelled back.
"Fine. Together." Stiles offered. The other took the compromise. Together, they removed her shirt and jeans shorts. To be safe, they took her shoes and socks off as well. Stiles turned back to the phone. "Now what?"
"Take a small handful and mix it in a glass of water. She doesn't need all of it, but it needs to be in her body fast to neutralize the-" The phone went dead. Stiles stared at the phone, its dead tone more foreboding than anything he had ever heard. Miles away, Kaz screamed at his own phone. Cursing it and himself for forgetting his car charger as he raced home.
"Dude, what do we do?" Isaac looked up, terror in his eyes. He was horrified of the possibility of losing someone else. He had gotten close to her in the past week. She reminded him a lot of his mother, even though he was older than her. Stiles tapped his foot, thinking. He set the container on the counter and grabbed a random glass from an open cupboard. He filled it up, and grabbed a spoon from the drying rack. Mixing the concoction, he tried to think. She needed it fast. A thought came to him and he rushed back to the pantry. Opening the box again, he smiled. A handful of syringes and needles were there. Why else if not for the powders? Grabbing one, he ran back. He filled the syringe up. Walking over to the girl. As gentle as possible, he stuck the needle in and pulled the plunger. They waited for a moment. "Stiles. Stiles, her body heat just skyrocketed." Isaac squeaked in panic.
"Get the rest of her clothes off." Stiles tried to keep his voice calm. This time, Isaac made no protests. They stripped the small pieces of fabric off. Isaac yipped as the body in his arms started spasming. Like Erica during one of her seizures. Stiles tried to call Kaz back, getting a busy signal every time. He scrolled down her list, attempting to call all her siblings. He got no answer. "FUCKING ANSWER YOU COCKSUCKERS!" He yelled into the phone. Complete panic set in as he watched the girl twitch. "Oh god she's gonna die."
"Call someone." Isaac said, trying to hold the girl still.
"What the fuck do you think I'm doing, playing scrabble? Her grandpa's phone is dead and none of her pack is answering!" Stiles yelled.
"Then call mine." Isaac offered.
"Who the fuck in your pack would know about this shit?" He snapped.
"Derek. He's a fucking born wolf." Isaac retorted. Stiles looked in shock, completely forgetting about the scary male alpha. He scrolled through the address book to the one he wanted.
"Hello?" Derek asked into the phone. He was a little confused because Mel had called. Though they were mates, he hadn't really seen from her since the afternoon with Scott. Hell, aside from the text he hadn't even heard from her. All his information came second hand from his betas. Apparently she was spending an awful lot of time with a certain wayward wolf and his human best friend. He kind of hated the fact his heart jumped a little when he saw her name on the screen.
"Derek it's me!" The familiar voice said into the phone, but not the one he wanted to hear.
"Stiles, how the fuck did-"
"Save the damn rant for another time. Mel's been pinioned. And unless you like your mates all coprsified you'll get your ass out here now." The phone disconnected, but Derek was already long gone. He bolted the moment the word poison escaped the boy's lips. A minute later, they heard the front door burst open. Derek rushed into the kitchen, following the group's smell. Stiles looked at him. "Dude where's your car?"
"Too slow. Ran." Derek panted a bit, and looked down at the floor. He looked back up at Stiles. "Why the fuck is my mate convulsing, and why the fuck is she naked?" Stiles gulped at the glare he received.
"Goldenseal poisoning. Her grandfather said her body was overheating and we needed to take her clothes off." He rushed. Derek glared for a moment. Stiles relaxed as the gaze softened a bit.
"Ok. But what the fuck is the convulsing." He looked down at the girl.
"He said the antidote was Coptis mixed with water. So I gave her an injection." Derek's head shot back up.
"What? Did he tell you to inject it?" The alpha all but roared.
"Well, no. But he said she needed it fast and-"
"Guys." Isaac interrupted the feud. The two looked at him. "I think she just stopped breathing."
Derek growled loudly and pushed past Stiles. Grabbing the mostly full glass off the counter, he raced over to her side. Kneeling down, he pushed Isaac aside. He put the glass to his lips, and took a big gulp. Then set the glass down. Tilting her chin up, he forced her mouth open. Crushing her lips with his own, he felt the liquid drain down her throat. "Grab me a glass of water." When the two just stood there, he growled the order again. Not being anywhere near as polite. Stiles filled another glass. Turning back, he saw Derek crushing Mel's arm. Just like he did with Erica.
"What the fuck are you doing?" He yelled, panicking at all the blood. Derek glared, and motioned for him to bring the water. He snatched the glass away. He gargled some of the water, and spit it into the glass with the powder. Taking another gulp, he forced it down his mate's throat. He did this several times until the glass was drained. Derek took his jacket off and draped it around the girl's naked form. Stiles sat down. He relaxed as he saw the rise and fall of her chest. Her breathing was shallow. But at least she was breathing. "So you gonna answer my question?" Derek glared harshly.
"Fixing your dumbass mistake." He growled. Stiles looked at him confused.
"I kind of want to know what happened." Isaac chipped in. The alpha sighed, looking down at his mate. Stiles could have sworn he had a soft look on his face. Almost…tender. The look vanished the moment his gaze shifted to the other two males in the room.
"Goldenseal is a deadly plant. Worse than wolfs bane. It's not in favor with hunters because it's rare, and there's an antidote that anyone can keep on their shelf."
"Coptis." Stiles interrupted. He cringed when the alpha glared.
"Yes dumbass, Coptis." Derek answered. "It's a cure. But it's also a poison. That shaking you saw was because of it. Our body needs to limit the absorption, so it needs to go through the stomach. Because your stupid injection, there was too much of the stuff in her system at once. I had to drain it."
"Well you didn't have to be so pissy about it." Stiles said.
"Yes I did, you almost cost me my mate."
"We were saving her ass!" Stiles argued.
"Yeah good job you did. Poisoned her worse than the first person."
"Well at least we were here. We carried her off the bus. We drove her here. We…Well Isaac carried her in. All of the shit work, we did. Where the fuck was her mate when someone tried to kill her?"
"I was dealing with shit. Not all of us get even a façade of a normal life you know!"
"Can you guys please shut up?" The soft voice broke up the yelling and all three looked at the girl rubbing her eyes. "You guys talk way to loud. What the hell were you even arguing about?"
"They stripped you naked." Derek answered.
"Well he's been threatening me not to come near you." Stiles accused.
"Have not." The alpha retorted. Mel shook her head, trying to get rid of the dizziness. She had the distinct impression of witnessing a kindergarten argument.
"Ok, repeat. What the fuck is going on?"
"Derek is jealous because I remind you of Denver." Stiles blurted out, cutting off whatever the alpha attempted to say. Mel forced herself to sit up.
"This true?"
"Well… not exactly…." His normal eloquence gone. "Yeah."
"Dude, you're a freaking idiot." She said grouchily, rubbing her face. Stiles bit back his laugh. Derek looked at her. She sighed. "We're mates. I'm bound to you. End of story."
"But I wasn't supposed to be." He argued. Mel looked at him "Denver was your mate." Mel slapped her forehead.
"That was another of my fuckups." She noticed the looks the three gave her. Another sigh passed her lips. "We had two or three opportunities to mate before the attack. But I stupidly delayed it."
"Why?" Stiles found himself the only one with the courage to ask.
"Because he was Saint's boyfriend." She admitted. A tiny smile twisted her lips. "Louis and Denver. Our two cities. Neither of us wanted to mate, but it looked like the only choice. I knew him and Saints relationship was doomed because of it. So I put it off so they could have more time together."
"Then why were you so affectionate to Stiles?" Derek questioned. She looked at him, every line in her face asking Are you serious?
"He was my little brother. Adopted of course. But we grew up together. I watched out for him. Guided him through the process. I saw Stiles, and he was so much like him. Same personality, same physique. Hell they even had the same eyes."
"So you were around me because I reminded you of your gay little brother?" Mel nodded. It was Derek's turn to snicker. Mel realized what the laugh was for. She had been so nostalginc over the boy's replica, she partly forgot it wasn't actually him. All that affection and attention could be perceived another why by a straight male. She turned about to apologize, but her words were cut off. "It's cool. You're not my type anyway. Too nice." Stiles laughed. She smiled at him. The smile dropped and her body went limp.
"What was that?" Stiles panicked.
"Relax. Just the last traces of the poison working its way through her system." Derek answered, lifting the girl up. He carried her upstairs, to the room he knew as hers. Barging in, he registered the changes. The mattress was new. As was the dark green comforter. A small smile touched his lips as he noticed the small scratches in the headboard. Proof of their joining. He laid her gently on the bed, then crawled in beside her. He nuzzled her neck, enjoying her scent.
"Ok, can this scene get any more sweet or rapey?" Stiles joked. He and Isaac had followed the alpha up the stairs. Derek growled.
"She's my mate. I'm going to stay and watch over her." He said.
"Whatever you say Mr. Rapist." Stiles laughed, walking away. He and Isaac went downstairs to watch TV, leaving the two alone. Derek nuzzled, soothed by the interaction. The bed was so warm and soft; he felt his eyelids grow heavy. He tried to fight it, but eventually sleep overtook his defenses. He woke, feeling the body next to him stirring.
"Saint, you know you're not supposed to be in my bed without permission." She muttered rolling over. "I don't care what nightmare you had." Her eyes opened. Vision blurry, all she could see was a figure. One that definitely wasn't Saint. She screamed, and shoved the intruder off the bed.
"What the fuck?" Derek hissed, picking himself off the floor.
"Derek?"
"Last time I checked." He rubbed the back of his head, glad the bump would heal before it even started.
"What are you doing here?" She sat up, the jacket sliding down her body. She blushed as his eyes wandered. He had seen it before, but she couldn't resist wrapping the comforter over her. "And why am I naked?" Derek sat down on the bed. He scooted closer, stopping when she moved back. So they were back to that again. He sighed.
"You got poisoned at the game. Isaac and Stiles brought you home. They administered the Coptis wrong and I had to correct the mistake." He summed up.
"Did you go to the game or something?" She asked hesitantly. A confused look passed on Derek's face as he shook his head.
"I was at home. Stiles called. Said you had been poisoned so I ran over."
"You ran?"
"Car was too slow." He shrugged. She smiled at him. "What?"
"Nothing." She muttered shyly. "I just lucked out and found a good one." A bit of heat rushed to his cheeks at the compliment. The two looked at each other. The moment was interrupted when the door flew open.
"Oh my god Mel. I'm so sorry." Sapphire said, rushing over. She wrapped her arms around the girl.
"We came as soon as we got the news." Zen said, jumping on the bed.
"So glad you're ok, sis." Saint smiled. The pack crowded into the room, all talking over each other. Mel caught Ruby's eyes look from her obviously naked form to the male alpha next to her. She must really have been concerned, because she kept the joke to herself. Derek felt a bit awkward by the outward displays of affection. It was too reminiscent of a past he no longer had. He moved to get off the bed.
"Wait." Mel said, speaking over the din. The rest of the wolves stopped as Derek looked back. She glanced down at the sheets. "You wanna maybe stay and watch a movie with us. It's not a school night and I think I've slept enough for a month." She laughed softly.
"Sure." Derek answered. He was ushered out of the room by the others, to give their leader privacy to dress. He ventured downstairs, and found Isaac and Stiles on the pair of recliners. The recliners faced the TV directly. The two large sofas ran parallel to the device. One on each side.
"Dude, they have like a million channels." Isaac laughed when he caught sight of his leader.
"Let's watch something scary!" Zen shouted, snatching the remote.
"You guys are werewolves. What's scary to you?" Stiles asked. Zen and her brother looked at each other.
"The home and garden network." They said in unison, laughing at their joke. Derek sat at the edge of one couch, and turned to face the TV. The channel was changed to what had to be a zombie film. From the first minute, he guessed it to be a somewhat comedy. He glanced around the room. The recliners were still occupied by Stiles and Isaac. Ruby sat at the other end from him. The other four wolves occupied the other couch. Saint had his back to the armrest, and feet on the couch. Zen was between her brother's legs, her back against his chest. Hana and Sapphire, obviously a couple, cuddled. Footsteps echoed down the stairs and the room erupted in applause. Derek turned.
"Our leader finally makes an appearance." Saint laughed, still clapping. After a moment it died down, and Mel took the only unoccupied seat. She watched the movie, facing away from her mate. Derek felt a bit of longing. He pushed the feeling down, remembering what happened last time he let those feelings in. But then he thought of her smile. Telling him he was good. A bit of warmth filled his heart. He felt something on his hand. Eyes trailing down to the sensation, he saw Mel entwine her fingers with his. He looked back up. She smiled briefly at him, before turning back to the movie. He looked back at their interlocked hands. It wasn't a passionate night ravishing each other under the stars. But it was something. His eyes went back to the flickering screen and he focused on what was going on. Still feeling the warmth of her hand. A smile tugged at his lips. For now, it was enough.
Hopefully I haven't spoiled you guys with such quick updates. I had some free time and wanted to get the story out. My life's going to be a bit more hectic. I'll try to update as fast as I can. Hopefully you guys enjoy the story. Until next time. :)