Isaac

"How's it feeling?" Derek asks, I look up from examining the bandages wrapped around my stomach to see Derek as he reaches the last step of the staircase leading down into the station. His heavy boot hits the cracked tile floor and sends an echo through the endless tunnels.

Besides his question, Derek hardly acknowledges me; he takes a few steps in and shrugs off his jacket, throwing it on an old waiting bench about ten feet across from me before slumping down into it and rubbing his eyes with his hand. "Could be worse," I mutter as I pull my shirt back down over the bandages.

He inhales sharply and leans back against the bench with his hands folded behind his head, and his arms angled upwards. His black t-shirt makes his skin look much paler than usual. His eyes look dark and tired, "Erica saved your ass. If she hadn't-"

"I know." I say quietly. Derek just stares at me through half open eyes. I lean forward with my hands resting on my knees as I fidget with my hands, a habit I picked up when my father was around. I guess I haven't quite broken it yet.

"So, of course now you won't talk to her." Derek says with a slight tone of sarcasm. Silence fills the room, as he waits for an explanation.

"I just froze. I saw him and I just froze." I say after a couple minutes. "I caught a glimpse of him right before he lunged, but I just froze. Next thing I know he's on top of me, tearing at my stomach before Erica pulled him off me. But…I just froze." I look up and see Derek just staring at me.

"This has nothing to do with Erica then?"

"No, no, it's not her, it's just-" I look back down at my palms and pretend to rub something off them, "I'm tired of being the weak one." I say honestly. "I thought I was past it but then this happened and I'm back where I started."

"Just because he got the jump on you doesn't make you weak."

"But Erica-"

"Erica wasn't the one being ripped open, was she?" I clamp my teeth together as I remember my father throwing dishes across the kitchen, screaming about something meaningless as I huddled close in the corner of the room.

"She didn't freeze when she saw him. She reacted, she did something!" My voice echoes harshly through the cold, dark tunnels. Derek stays in his relaxed position, as if we are talking about the weather.

"You're father's gone, Isaac. He doesn't control you anymore." I nod and look down as my father's screaming is drowned out by Derek's voice. "You need to get past it."

"I don't really know how."

"You'll learn. Give it time." His voice is sure and certain, and I relax back against the bench and look up at the sunlight coming down from the entrance to the station.

"Have you talked to her yet?" I ask as I stare at the small patch of sun on the dirty tile floor.

"Not since yesterday, I think she's somewhere with Boyd today." For the first time I notice the tile's worn and grit covered small checkered design.

"No, not Erica." I say, turning back to him, "I meant Avery." Derek stiffens, but he tries to cover it up by pretending to shift in his seat. I must've caught him off guard with that question.

We stare at each other in a comfortable silence as he thinks. "I guess I should do that today."

"I don't think it'd be a good idea to put it off any longer; she's gonna need some time to adjust to the whole thing. Took me a while, but I guess for Boyd and Erica it was easier." Derek just nods slightly. "I didn't really know her that well; I'm not sure how she'll take something like this. It's kinda freaky."

Derek's eyebrows crunch together, "'Freaky'?" I shrug and he looks at the ceiling.

"And what about Jackson? Has anything happened yet?" Derek shakes his head at my question. "What the hell is wrong with him?"

"No fucking idea. He should either be dead or one of us now, but as far as I can tell, he's still human."

I let out a dry laugh, "As 'human' as he can be." I say in a bitter mumble. "You need to be human in the first place to change, right? Maybe that's the problem…"

Avery

"Why aren't you smiling right now? You aren't happy?" Stiles asks in disbelief as I stare open mouthed at the huge yellow Hummer parked in the garage with a black bow on the hood.

"What the hell do I do with it?" I ask, more to myself than to him. Stiles walks ahead of me to the driver's door.

"What do you mean?" He asks with outstretched arms, "You drive it!" He grabs the handle and pulls the door open, "You just get in and- oh,"

"What?" I ask in a half whine.

Stiles pops his head out of the car, "You know how to drive stick right?" He asks with a hopeful smile.

"Drive a what!?" Stiles's smile fades as he reaches up and scratches his head.

"Okay not so much…"He murmurs. I rush forward and look inside the monstrosity.

Sure enough, a stick shift sits in the center of the front seats. I take a deep breath and walk back out of the garage, "I can't even drive it! It's huge! Even if I could drive it, how the hell would I park it!?" I say as I turn back to look at it. "Why…?"

"This would definitely not be my reaction if my dad put this in our garage…" Stiles mumbles to himself.

"Stiles, I had a tiny little sedan, and now I have a tank that I can't even drive." I walk up, rip the bow off the hood and toss it aside. "I just, I can't drive it."

"You're overreacting, here; I'll help you get it home." My eyes go wide.

"You drive stick shift?" I ask quickly.

"Yeah, you didn't notice me switching gears on the way here?" I shake my head, and I try to relax. Stiles reaches in the car and turns the key which hangs from the ignition. The engine roars to life before lowering into a low rumble. "How about we do a couple laps around the driveway for practice first?"

With a nervous smile, I nod slightly. "Yeah, okay." I move past him and climb up into the car. He shuts the door behind me and makes his way to the passenger side. I realize then that I can't even reach the wheel with how far back the seat is. I sigh as I struggle to find the lever to move it forward.

Meanwhile Stiles jumps in, buckles his seatbelt and watches as I grab under my seat for what feels like a few minutes. He reaches over and pushes a button on the side of my seat, moving me forward to the wheel. I smile, half embarrassed, half frustrated already. "Thanks."

He just nods, then looks ahead, "Alright, let's start, first you have to put it in drive; push down on the clutch, which is the pedal all the way on the left, and shift into first gear."

A Few Hours Later…

We'd barely gone around the driveway five times and I'd already managed to stall out, and almost hit Stiles's Jeep. Stiles hadn't gotten mad once, and it seemed like his patience had no end.

But the storm was rolling in for the afternoon, and we both decided that since I can barely drive the giant thing, I'd better just get it home before the bad weather came. So, Stiles followed me home to make sure I actually made it there.

Along the way I almost stalled out twice, and almost had a meltdown from the stress of having to remember when and how to shift. But we'd made it back, by some miracle.

I put the monster in park behind my mom's sedan in the driveway and turned it off. Lewis's SUV is still gone, so they must still be out. The sky is covered in dark, threatening clouds, and the storm is just about to start. I step out of the car and turn back to the road to see Stiles leaning out the window of his jeep. I wave to him, "Thanks!" I call and he gives a wave before pulling away.

The sky suddenly lights up and a loud rumble sounds. For a moment, I hear it as the growl from the forest, but then it changes to thunder. Rain begins pouring down on me as the last bit of light in the sky fades. "Oh shit," I say as I run towards the house.

My knee stings a bit each step, but I make it to the porch and quickly unlock the door with my keys. I step inside and slip my tennis shoes off before making my way up to my room.

My knee feels mostly okay, which means now would be a good time to stretch it out. I walk in my room, toss my phone on my bed and quickly toss off my socks, shorts, and shirt. I gently unlatch the brace and toss it on my bed. I snag a pair of white tights and slip them on before pulling on a white leotard and pulling my hair up into a top bun. I slip a thin pink practice skirt over my hips and then grab my ballet slippers and tie the ribbons up around my calves to secure my slippers.

I grab my phone off my bed, refit my brace over my knee and head down to the basement. I walk down the stairs leading into the basement, finding the air colder than usual. Turning the corner, a flash of lightning envelopes the studio in harsh white light. The rain pelts against the French doors across the room, and more quick flashes light up the backyard.

I flip on the bright studio lights, creating a whole new atmosphere in the room. The lights are warm toned, which is a stark contrast to the chill in the air. The cracked screen of my phone lights up with the time as 6:45pm, and I wonder if Stiles made it home before the rain hit.

I open up my usual music app and Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood comes on.

Thunder shakes the smooth wooden floor and I walk over to the balance bar. I grip it tightly where the duct tape has been taped firmly around the spot where I'd splintered the wood, and lay my leg over the bar as I stand on my toes. I stretch towards my leg and repeat with the other leg as the music plays and the rain pours.

"All I am is a man

I want the world in my hands

I hate the beach

But I stand in California

With my toes in the sand

Use the sleeves of my sweater

Let's have an adventure

Head in the clouds but my gravity's centered

Touch my neck and I'll touch yours

You in those little high waisted shorts, oh"

I hold the bar as I slowly edge up on my toes, and test to see if there's any pain. I look down and smile at my brace when nothing happens. I let go of the bar and stand on my own. I let out a small laugh as I put all my weight on my right leg and raise my left leg up behind my back and reach back with my left hand and hold it there.

It's a basic position, but I can do it on my right leg with no pain. I smile and release my foot and try to do a small spin but find that the brace's stiff structure keeps me from being able to bend it correctly.

I lean down and pull the brace off, tossing it aside.

I begin doing an old, fast paced routine with a couple very un-ballerina-like moves thrown in. Ballet is definitely much more fun without my mother's disciplinarian gaze or my brace's rigidness.

"She knows what I think about

And what I think about

One love, two mouths

One love, one house

No shirt, no blouse

Just us, you find out

Nothing I really wanna tell you about, no

Cause it's too cold

For you here

And now

So let me hold

Both your hands in the holes of my sweater

And if I may just take your breath away

I don't mind if there's not much to say

Sometimes the silence guides your mind

So move to a place so far away

The goosebumps start to race

The minute that my left hand meets your waist

And then I watched your face

Put my finger on your tongue

Cause you love the taste yeah

These hearts adore

Everyone the other beats hardest for

Inside this place is warm

Outside it starts to pour"

The room now seems hot and humid, and my skin is sticky with sweat. I take a deep breath and smile to myself as I walk back up the stairs to get a bottle of water.

I open the fridge, grab water, and take a big drink as I head back down into the basement. The small smile on my face fades away. The air is cold and damp; there's a heavy breeze running through the room.

The music has stopped. The sound of rain is loud and clear, and a clap of thunder echoes into the room. I slowly turn the corner and see one of the French doors is wide open.

I run over as fast as I can manage in ballet slippers and close it. I reach up to the latch above the door and pull it into the lock. I step back and look at the huge puddle on the floor. "Shit," I say under my breath. Water and waxed floors don't mix well. I look at the puddle, trying to judge how many paper towels I'll need when a separate puddle catches my eye.

I look and see another puddle, and another, and another, leading back towards the stairs. I drop my water bottle and try to hold my breath to keep from hyperventilating as I hear light footsteps upstairs. The footsteps wander around, almost lazily.

I almost turn and open the door to run out into the rain when I hear the front door open. My mother's voice echoes through the room and two sets of footsteps gradually grow louder as they walk closer towards the intruder.

I listen for the first pair of footsteps, whether they'd run towards my mom and Lewis, or run away or… something.

But, as my mom and Lewis continue talking and walk deeper into the house, they don't yell or scream, they just carry on with their conversation.

"Avery?" My mom calls out. I let out a shaky breath as I look back down at the large wet footprints leading upstairs. I shake my head and open my eyes, but they're still there.

"Down here!" I call in as even a voice as I can manage. I take a few deep breaths and look in the mirror. My eyes are wide, and my hair is beginning to fall out of the bun. I quickly tuck what hairs I can back into the bun and do my best to smooth out the fear in my face.

My mom's footsteps slowly make their way down the stairs; I walk back to the bar and pretend to be stretching. The first thing I notice as my mom walks into the room is her auburn hair that is in curls around her shoulders.

Next I see her eyes, which look at me with a casual coldness. "What is that parked in the driveway?" She asks in an almost accusing voice.

Something in me stirs, and the thought that she knew about the car but kept it from me only makes it worse. "You mean dad's present you never told me about?" I ask in a matching accusatory tone.

She folds her arms and looks down for a brief second, contemplating how she can turn the conversation back on me. "I didn't think it was a good idea to get you a car so soon after you-"

I let out a dry huff of laughter as I straighten myself up from stretching and stare at her reflection in the mirror, "After I what? Got drunk and crashed my first one?"

"That wasn't what I was going to say." She snaps back.

"But it is what you were thinking." She unfolds her arms and steps forward.

"What are you doing down here anyway?" she asks as she looks me up and down.

"Trying to get the strength back in my knee, Luke said this was the best way to slowly ease back into it." My mother's icy blue eyes roll.

"Ease back into lacrosse?" She asks with acid in her voice.

"Yes, back into lacrosse." I say with an eye roll of my own. I grip the bar and lift my right leg over the bar and stretch it back out, hoping that once she sees I'm busy she'll leave. I lean towards my leg and look down at the floor.

"When will you understand? Avery, Lacrosse is over." I slowly raise my head to look at her. "Even if you weren't driving, you were drinking underage. You know they won't give you that scholarship after that. You might as well close the book on lacrosse, and focus on what you can do." She looks me up and down again.

"I'd start with losing a couple pounds; your thighs are getting a bit big to be a ballerina." With that, she turns and walks towards the stairs.

"I want that car out of my driveway." And then she walks back up the stairs, leaving me glaring at the spot where she stood. My fingers hold the bar tightly, the wood bending under my grip once again.

Everything feels distant and blurry all of a sudden. I watch as I step back from the bar, my jaw clenched tight, my hands in fists. I walk over to my discarded brace and snatch it up from the floor. Next I walk to the speakers and grab my phone.

I walk up the stairs and then to my room. I tear the slippers off, followed by my skirt, leotard, and tights. I put my white tank top back on, then pull my red Beacon Hills lacrosse shorts back up my legs before tugging my white mid calves back on and ripping my hairband out of my hair, ruffling my hair messily and looking in the mirror.

My eyes look cold, almost as cold as my mother's. My head feels fuzzy but I look down at the top of my dresser and spot the folded up paper that lies by my fingers. I pick the page up and unfold it roughly.

A list of visitors, followed by the dates they visited as well as the times. My eyes drag over each name, and with every line my vision grows more and more faded. My mother's laughter rings through the house and heat begins rising in my cheeks.

I feel disconnected, like something in me is severed. My vision is tinted red again as I slowly descend the stairs with the list clutched in my left hand, my wallet and phone clutched in my left.

I walk to the door, and slip my running shoes on absentmindedly before my mother breaks out of her laughter, "Avery?" She asks suspiciously, "Where are you going?"

"What do you care?" I ask bitterly as I reach over for the Hummer's keys where I had placed them in the keys tray.

My mother comes and stops right in front of me, "What's that supposed to mean?" She says as she glares at me.

"I don't know," I say darkly, "what does it mean when a kid I barely know from school comes to visit me in the hospital more times than you did?" My voice holds an edge I don't remember having before.

"What are you talking about?" her voice is cold and serious. I lift the page up to her face abruptly. After a moment she pushes my hand down, the simple gesture makes me shudder with disgust. I crinkle the paper and tuck it into the hem of my shorts.

She gives me the sad puppy eyed look she does when she tries to make me feel guilty. "Do you know how hard it was for me to be there? To see you like that?" she reaches toward my cheek, as if to caress it.

I grab it before she makes contact. "Don't you dare." I practically growl. "Dad came from Japan to see me. And you couldn't even miss a ballet class." A glint on her finger catches my attention. I twist her hand over and she lets out a hiss of pain. Lewis suddenly appears behind her, a worried look on his middle-aged face. I stare at the diamond ring for a minute before I reach up and turn it over.

A well-worn groove on her finger shows that the ring has been there for quite some time. She must have just been taking it off when she thought I would be around. She must've forgotten this time."When were you going to tell me?" I say as I throw her hand back at her with enough force to throw her back into Lewis, who helps her balance before stepping in front of her.

"Now that's enough!" He attempts to say in a domineering voice. I let out a small, dark laugh that I don't recognize. My laugh makes him mad, and he lashes a hand out towards me, trying to grab my arm. I hit his hand aside, my vision going darker red.

"Right." I say in a low voice before I throw my hand forward into his chest, sending him flying back into my mother.

I turn back to the key table and snatch the Hummer's keys up. I look up into the mirror above the table and find two cold eyes. The red slowly fades out, leaving me staring back at the harsh gold color that has overtaken my normal dark blue.

I turn and throw the door open quickly, only to take a step outside and turn back. "All you ever wanted was something to control, mom." I say, looking at the two pathetic idiots as they stare at me.

My mother's eyes grow cold and sharp, a vein of anger popping out on her neck. "GET OUT, AVERY!"

I slam the door closed behind me and run out toward the big yellow Hummer, rain pouring down on me, soaking me clear through. I can hear her voice ring out again behind me, "GET OUT!"

I jump in, my heart beating fast, my breathing harsh, and the heat still covering my face. I shove the key into the ignition and throw my brace and phone into the backseat.

I can't drive this damn thing. I'll be lucky if I get a mile away without stalling. I wish Stiles was here.

I look back into the foyer through the small front window, but see nothing. Heat rushes back to my ears. I check the rearview mirror as I turn the car on, and see the gold eyes staring back, causing my heart to stir up again in rapid beats. I squeeze my eyes shut and grip my steering wheel. As soon as the headlights come on, they reflect off the garage, sending light behind my car.

I open my eyes and almost jump as I see Derek just standing there, looking back at me through the rearview mirror. Rain pours all around him, but he doesn't seem to mind at all. "Well?" I ask, the adrenaline wearing off and realization of what I just did setting in, "Are you coming?" I ask, as if he can hear me. My eyes glow back at him, and as he steps around the car, a red streak of light follows his own eyes.

To my surprise, he slowly walks toward the passenger side. I breathe in deep; what the hell am I doing? Where am I going? I don't even know him, what is he doing here? How does he know where I live? Where can I go with him?

I take deep breaths, the rain soaked my hair, making the smell of my shampoo fresh again, I try to find some comfort in the peach scent as he opens the door and slides in. I look over at him, not knowing exactly what to say. He just stares at me, looking in my glowing eyes as if judging something. I feel my heart jump again, sending my vision back into the red tint.

"Right," I say as I reach down and shift into first gear while pushing the clutch. I back out smoothly, and make it to the main road without a problem. My mother's cold look stares at me in my mind, Lewis's face as he tried to grab me burns my eyes, and I only see red.

I shake my head as we come to a red light, but then, everything looks red. I shift terribly back to first gear, the car makes a groan of displeasure and I set my jaw, trying to keep it together. I look down as we sit in silence and realize that a white tank top was a terrible idea. The fabric is thin and transparent when it's wet, and it clings to my skin, revealing my white sports bra like looking through a window.

My heartbeat fills my ears, I can't breathe, my head is spinning, and everything is blurry.

The other lanes all make their way across the intersection. "What were you doing at my house?" I ask, my voice shaking.

My right hand grips the wheel harshly, my fingers turning white with pressure. Rain pounds against the windshield, claps of thunder practically shake the car. I look over to him, just to make absolutely sure he's real, and that I'm not just talking to myself.

He sits with one arm resting on the armrest, the other on his leg. Rain drops run down from his spiky black hair, and his green eyes just make me more nervous, "Please," I say, turning back to the road, trying desperately to catch my breath, "Just say something." The light turns green and I shift sloppily into gear, making the car groan again. "Fuck." I say loudly as the car jumps forward before it switches completely.

"Avery, you need to calm down." He says with a direct, forceful tone.

"What does it mean when a kid I barely know from school comes to visit me in the hospital more times than you did?"

I try to take a deep breath, my face is hot, and I can't breathe. I flip on the AC, and try to drown out the words in my head, "What were you doing there?" I ask again in another shaky tone.

"I needed to talk to you." He says simply, his voice calm and serious.

"Oh, right," I chuckle bitterly, "Boyd said you'd stop by." I look over and see him through blurry eyes and give him a wide smile, "I'm so glad you chose today!" I say with sarcasm dripping from my mouth. I switch into third gear with another groan and speed past a stop sign.

In my head I can see my mother and Lewis standing there staring at me, their mouths wide open with shock. Their faces piss me off, I clench my jaw so tightly that my teeth hurt.

Heat just courses faster and faster until my vision begins to pulse. "So what is it? What do we need to talk about?" I ask as the light ahead of us turns yellow, I shift horribly to fourth and the car shakes before jumping forward and running the red light.

"This is your car, isn't it?" He asks, now with what seems to be a nervous edge to his voice. I nod my head and get a quick glance at him, but instead of the wide eyed 'you're a crazy bitch' look, he actually looks worried, or something… maybe it's just my vision blurring his expression. I change lanes harshly and cut off a minivan, sending it screeching behind us.

"Yeah." I say.

"But you can't drive a stick shift?" the sarcastic smile I've been keeping on my face to try to tape myself together fades, and I just stare at the road ahead as it all speeds by. The rain pelts against the windshield, and everything around me just becomes noise as I stare at the yellow line. My left hand loosely holds the wheel, and my right hand grips the shift harshly.

I'm pulled out of my daze by his warm palm firmly wrapping around my hand on the shift. His eyes speak for him, and I push down on the clutch and his hand directs mine into shifting to the third, then second, then first gear as I pull off to the side of the road and finally put the car in park.

I look in the rearview mirror as the gold drips away from my eyes, leaving the pool of dark blue behind. My heart hurts, and my breaths feel shallow, but the red fades away, and I lean back against the leather seat.

Derek

I take my hand off hers, and look at her as she tries to calm herself. I'd been watching her dance through the basement door for maybe ten minutes. She moved well, and it was hard not to watch her there. The storm outside was raging on, yet she smiled and hummed along to the music, as if oblivious to the storm on the other side of the door.

I caught myself almost smiling a few times when she would misstep and laugh at herself. I almost left, almost walked away and told myself tomorrow would be better.

But I'd told Isaac today was the day, and there was no reason not to follow through.

So when she walked up stairs, I used my claw to reach through the seam of the door and unlatch the sliding lock. I left the door open, letting the storm penetrate the warm room, letting her know I was there.

Although they may not even realize it, new werewolves are stimulated by the scent of their alpha, and whether they catch the scent or not, the change is accelerated by it, and usually they'll seek out the alpha.

I waited until she came back downstairs and looped in behind her and climbed the stairs. Giving her time to catch my scent, accelerate the change maybe. Or just to not startle her as abruptly.

From upstairs I could hear her heart beating faster, even if it was in fear at first, she would have followed me eventually. But then those two came home.

And the argument started.

I stayed hidden in the dining room during the argument, waiting to step in if she went too far. I could hear her heart, and sense she was close to changing, but she held it off. She never fully changed; her fangs and claws stayed tucked away somehow.

She kept the adrenaline carefully in check, but you can only hold back the wolf so long, and it was trying to claw its way out.

Another perk to being an alpha is being able to control - to an extent- a beta's emotions. I helped her out of the change. Now she stares blankly at the road, tears slowly streaming down her face. "She never cared." Avery says in a cold voice. "Do you know how many times she visited me in the hospital?" she looks over at me, "Four." She leans back and lets her head be propped up by the headrest.

"There's this kid I hardly know, and he visited me triple that!" She shakes her head, "I can't remember how any of this happened, my scholarship is probably going to be taken away, I can't go back home, I can't drive this damn car," She slams her wrist into the steering wheel, "I'm sitting in a car with a stranger, and to top it all off, I'm losing track of time."

She wipes away the tears on her cheeks.

Suddenly the minivan she cut off comes driving by, the driver honking the horn as an old woman in the passenger seat flips us off.

Avery lets out a half laugh, half sob and covers her face with her hands. "Do you want me to drive?" I ask. She drops her hands into her lap and opens her teary eyes; she looks at me with an uncertain, lost stare.

"You know how to drive this thing?" she asks in a desolate voice, "I don't even know where I'm going," she whispers, "and I hardly know you." She stares into my eyes, and I struggle to keep my head clear looking at the deep blue color, seemingly even more blue through her tears.

I give her a crooked smile, "You will," I say as I open the car door and step out into the rain. In an instant I'm opening the driver's side door, and Avery looks up at me in confusion.

"How-"

"Slide over," I say. Avery unbuckles her seatbelt and crawls over the center divider, her ass up in the air. Raising my eyebrows, as I watch her settle into the seat and then look back at me.

I clear my head and slide into the driver seat, not bothering with the seatbelt. "Alright," I say, glancing over at her through red eyes as I turn the keys, "where to?" I can't help but smirk as she stares at me in surprise before being jolted back when I hit the clutch, shift into gear, and tear off onto the road.

She hits back against the seat, but keeps her eyes on me. Her damp hair sends sweet smelling waves through the car, filling my senses as I try to focus on the road instead of her wide eyes looking at me from the corner of my eye. "First tell me what you came to tell me. What were those sounds in the woods the other night?"

"I need to know where we're going, unless you just want to drive in circles all night. And you know who I am." She takes a deep breath and sits back.

"Right, Derek Hale." She says disbelievingly. "Do you know where Evern road is?" I give a quick nod, trying to think of how to get there from the main road. The fastest way would be through the back roads.

I open my window a bit, trying to get some fresh air and get her scent out of my nose. From the corner of my eye, I can see her leaning against the window, just watching me. "Just tell me already." She says finally. "What were you doing?" When I don't say anything, she sits up and puts her hand on the emergency brake.

"Tell me or I'm stopping the car." she says evenly.

"Pull it and you'll ruin the car. And I doubt you want another accident on your record." I say as a warning. Her fingers loosen around the brake and she turns back to the window with an expression of misery. A stab of guilt runs through me as she leans her forehead against the window and brings her legs up to her chest, wrapping them in one arm and using the other to wipe her cheeks.

"I knew this was a mistake." she sighs. "This was all just a mistake."

"Not all of it." I say. She looks over at me with a doubtful stare. I turn on the radio for background noise, "Just relax," I say as I roll through the stations before settling on one. "We'll be there soon."

I turn off onto one of the many back roads, sending a puddle of mud flying off the side of the road and into the tree line. After another few minutes, Avery leans forward and points toward a long, paved driveway off to the right. "This is it."

I pull up to a large house, with no lights on inside. Avery unbuckles herself and reaches into the backseat, flashing me a view down her shirt. I can't help but look, but I snap myself back to staring at the house before us, trying to keep myself in check. She sits back in her seat with a phone and her knee brace. She hits numbers on her phone and brings it up to her ear.

"Dad?" she asks, rolling her lips over each other as she tries to keep herself composed, "I know it's a bad time," she says, looking down at her lap as a tear falls, "I know," she clamps her eyes shut, "well, we had a fight, and…." She wipes her cheeks and inhales sharply, "I can't go back." Her dad's voice sounds soft, as he speaks. "No," she says back to him, "I don't really want to talk about it tonight, I'm parked outside the house but I forgot the code."

After another few murmurs from her dad Avery says, "Alright, thanks dad. I'll talk to you tomorrow." I turn the car off and hand her the keys. She doesn't look up at me as she takes them, tucks them in her hand and takes a deep breath before opening the door and running to the garage through the rain.

I follow her lead and stand by her as she types in the combination and the doors slowly lift open. She walks inside and closes the door behind us. Her eyes search the room and she finds the door leading inside.

Avery

I open the door leading into what I think should be the laundry room, if I remember right. Sure enough, we step inside to see a big white washing machine alongside a dryer on the right wall. It's barely light enough for me to see the door to the hallway.

I open the hallway door and step through, Derek follows close behind me; the heat coming off him is the only thing that lets me know he's there. For a guy his size, he moves so quietly.

I look around, trying to remember which way leads to the living room. The air is cold, sending a shudder up my legs and through my body. A flash of lightning lets me see a light switch on the wall across from us. I reach forward and flip all the switches on.

The hall suddenly bursts with light, and the rooms to our left and right do the same. I walk through the archway out into the foyer. Above me hangs a large, dusty chandelier. The glass pieces bend and wave in the shape of flames all around the bulbs at the center, making it look like a brilliant star. The dark hardwood floor is dull under a heavy coat of dust, same with the stairs that lead up to the second floor.

I remember sliding down the banister when I was a kid, but I don't remember anything about a chandelier being here. I look back to the hallway to see Derek just staring at me. "Something wrong?" he asks in his low voice.

I look back up to the chandelier and shake my head, "No," I turn back to him and walk past him and under the next arch leading into the living room. "I just don't remember a lot of this." I say as I stare at the huge charcoal grey 'U' shaped couch facing a ridiculously big, but old flat screen hanging on the plain white wall. Underneath the TV, a long empty glass case sits in the wall with a silver outline.

The couch is littered with grey and red pillows, and at the center of the room is a large white fuzzy rug sitting on the dark wood floor. On the side wall hangs pictures of my dad and me, either together or separate, but none with my mom.

Derek walks in closely behind me, his chest radiates heat. I step forward, feeling my stomach turn at him being so close. Instead I step further into the room and he doesn't follow. I take the chance to turn slowly, trying to recall any memories of my time here.

I look back to him to see him just watching me; his black shirt clinging to his body. I wish he'd take off the jacket so I could just get a chance to see what's underneath.

Another shiver runs up my legs and I realize the heating must be off. "Alright," I say, just hoping I can find the thermostat in this stupid place, "I'm just gonna go see what I can do about the heat, maybe find some towels, too." I say, pulling at the clingy wet fabric of my tank top.

I walk past him and then turn back, "Please don't run off this time, okay?" He doesn't turn to me; instead he walks toward the wall of pictures.

"No promises." He says in a lighter tone. I walk into the hall and open a random door which turns out to be a small half bathroom.

"Nope," I sigh and turn away. I open another one to find an empty closet. My clothes are cold and itchy, and I don't even want to think about what a mess my hair must look like right now.

"Maybe the kitchen..?" I ask myself.

I walk back into the living room to see Derek still looking at the pictures on the wall. I look to the left and notice I'd completely ignored the other half of the darkened space. I walk into the room and flip on a lightswitch. Stainless steel appliances scatter the kitchen, along with white cabinets and a breakfast bar with a couple stools. I look along the walls and finally find the thermostat.

After a couple minutes of messing with it, I manage to get the heating going. I turn the light off and step back into the living room. I steal a quick glance at Derek, who is more or less where I left him, before I walk quickly back down the hall and make my way up the stairs.

It takes me four tries to find a linen closet and I grab a couple towels. I find my dad's room and search through his drawers. I'm freezing and these wet clothes have to go. Luckily my dad seems to have left all his sweats behind, and I take a couple pairs of sweatpants, a sweatshirt and a shirt in case Derek wants to change too.

I gather my pile of clothes and towels and head back downstairs.

"Here," I say, dumping the pile onto the couch unceremoniously, "If you want to change out of your clothes I brought some," Derek turns around with a small, old blue lacrosse stick in his hands. I stare at it for a second, "Where did you find that?" I ask.

Derek walks over and hands it to me. "It was sitting against the wall." He says. I run my fingers over the dented metal shaft, before thumbing the torn stringing of the head.

I smile, "My first lacrosse stick," I say as I lower myself next to the pile of clothes on the couch.

"If you want to change, you can," I say, grabbing the black pair of sweatpants up and holding them up about where I think his hips are as I check between the pants and his frame for reference. Before I realize he's even taken a step, he's right in front of me, my knuckles against his hips and his eyes looking down at me. I can feel a blush rising into my cheeks immediately.

I let go of the pants and they fall between us as he takes another step closer and brushes my cheek with his palm. I close my eyes almost instinctively and let his warmth and scent surround me.

Derek

Her eyes close and she presses her cheek further into my hand. Her heart hammers away, the tips of her fangs lightly pressing into her bottom lip. "Avery," I say as my eyes turn red. She opens her eyes slowly, and two gold orbs stare back at me in a daze.

My own heart speeds up as I remember a flash of my dream; the same daze in her eyes as she stared at me.

Heat courses through me and I let go of her cheek, if only to stop myself from my sudden and harsh urge to kiss her. I can't tell if it's just the more primal alpha instincts telling me to just take her… but I cut them off.

Still, their persistence is difficult to hold back.

Her head drops and she snaps back, her blue eyes wide and shocked.

"Good," I say, somehow managing not to just bite at her neck like I want to. "Now let's talk." She looks up at me in fear.

"What the hell did you just do to me?" Avery asks.

I step away from her and take a seat on the couch, making sure to cover my crotch with the end of my jacket.

God, what is it about this girl that leaves me feeling like a teenager again?

"You were in the hospital dying," I say evenly as she lowers herself onto the opposite side of the couch, her head in between her hands, "I saved you." She looks up at me in pain.

"What?"

"You were in a coma, dying. I made sure you survived." Her eyes stare back blankly. "You must have noticed something has been off with you by now." I say as I let the red of my eyes show. She edges back an inch. "Things that aren't just side effects of a car crash."

"What are you?" she asks.

"Shapeshifter, lycanthrope, were-"

"Werewolf?" she finishes.

I nod, "There's lots of different names for us."

"When you say 'us'…?" she holds her bottom lip in her mouth, biting on it nervously.

"I bit you. It was the only way to save you." Her hands shake in her lap.

"Why? Why save me? What do you want?" I look at her thin, white lace bra that shows through her shirt and several of the dreams cross my mind.

"A number of things."