Author's Note: Hey everyone :) I'm so sorry its been like 6 months, but here is the next chapter. i'm so sorry it took so long, during the spring semester I was working a lot and had the biggest workload from school I've had so far, so I was having a bit of trouble. Then my dog got sick and his vet bills are definitely not cheap so I had to up my work hours to pay for them. But finally, here is the next chapter.

I'm sorry if it's no that good, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. As for the call of betas I put it, is has been answered. I have a few betas that volunteered and am very excited about getting ideas and help from them, though this chapter I am putting out on my own.

I'd like to thank those who volunteered, it meant a lot to hear from you and I can't wait to work with you!

Now for the story, enjoy!

Avery

I throw the lacrosse ball at the bricks of my house. It hits with a thud and heads straight back at me, allowing me to catch it, switch hands, and repeat the action in a fluid motion. I've been at this for hours, just throwing and catching, throwing and catching.

Right now, I'm just going through the motions, my mind is definitely not here.

It's stuck in last night. It just keeps replaying everything from the incident at the club to later at Derek's house.

I cringe at the thought, forcing me to close my eyes for just a brief enough second to have the ball come hit me in the face and go rolling down the hill that is my driveway. I sigh before turning around and sprinting down the hill, scooping it up and cradling it a few times before coming back to my spot at the wall.

My lower abs begin to cramp, and I breathe a sigh of relief. After catching the ball one final time, I walk over to my front porch steps and sit down, holding my stick out in front of me and playing with the ball in the net.

After the club last night, we drove to Erika's house, where both Boyd and Erika got out, anything they said or grumbled about us leaving the club so soon I've forgotten. Then we dropped Isaac off at his house, too. When I saw him head into the darkened, empty house I briefly thought about how he didn't have anyone to come home to either, just like I don't.

After all that, I told Derek to go to the local CVS, he didn't ask why and I didn't offer an explanation. I don't think either one knew how to address the other after what had just happened not an hour earlier. It wasn't the sex that had freaked us out- it was the shit that had come out of our mouths before that.

"You're mine."

"Only if you're mine too."

I shake my head, trying to somehow erase that from my thoughts. I mean, what the fuck is that supposed to mean? I don't think either one of us knew how to begin to talk about that, so we were quiet the entire way.

Once we got there, I went inside and quickly found my way to the feminine care aisle. Looking through the little square boxes, I found one that read 'Plan B.' I grabbed it and turned it over to look at the information.

It said that taking it within 72 hours after unprotected sex was the most effective time frame, so I figured that within 2 hours should be pretty damn fantastic. It was only when I was turning to walk to the cash register when I noticed Derek standing next to me.

Even with heightened senses it's damn near impossible to pick him up, it's probably an alpha thing. He gave me his eyebrow-up 'what are you doing?' kind of look. I held up the box to him.

"What?" I asked, pushing by him, "I don't want to end up on 'Teen Mom'."

After I had paid and we'd gotten back in the car, Derek started driving again, to what I assumed would be my house to drop me off and pick up his car and go home. I opened the water I'd bought and took the medication, hoping it'd work and save me from the stupidity that had apparently become my life.

When Derek missed the turn off for my road, I looked over to him, "You missed the turn."

"We need to talk."

I bit my lip, "I have school tomorrow."

"I don't care."

My temper flared up, "Is there anything you do care about?" He looked over to me then, with a seriousness in his eyes.

"Yes."

I slouched back in my seat and within a few minutes we were at his house. He got out of the car and walked casually inside. I hesitated to even unbuckle my seat belt. I eventually did so, and stepped out of the car.

I followed slowly, taking my time with each step. The woods were dark all around me as I followed, I could hear the crickets chirping from all around, I could hear a stream in the background, the faint breeze rustling the trees and causing leaves to fall; I could hear everything.

The darkness was shattered when Derek flipped on the porch light and then the living room light from within. I stopped following and just looked in for a moment.

Inside, Derek took off his jacket and threw it onto the couch as he headed for the kitchen. I could hear him open a fridge door and grab a bottle out of the fridge. I could hear him open it and take a large drink, I could hear him swallow and then I heard him speak, "You know we have to talk."

He walked into the doorway of the kitchen where I could see him through the thin fabric of the old white lace curtains. I take a deep breath and continue walking to the porch. "Who was that woman?" I ask as I reach the bottom of the porch.

"A witch I do business with when necessary." He answers clearly.

"What kind of business?" I climb the first step.

"If I need information or ingredients for wards or formulas I go to her."

"Formulas?" I reach for the door knob. Before I can turn it, the door is opened for me.

Derek stands there looking down at me with his green eyes. "I prefer saying formulas to potions. It sounds less like fantasy."

Derek backs away from the door and I enter slowly. I want him to think that I'll leave any minute. Maybe if he thinks that then he'll be honest and clear. "What were you doing in that back room with her?"

His jaw sets and he looks away. I shake my head briefly and take a step towards the still open door.

In a flash, Derek shuts it and steps in front of it. I bring my claws out and lace my right hand around the front of his neck, my claws pricking him in warning. "Witches control the monopoly on the magical ingredients and information trade; they can ask whatever price they want. Zira and I have had an agreement for a few years now."

"You're having sex with her as a form of payment?" Derek nodded his head to the side, ceding to the question as a true statement.

"I never cared before-"

"You didn't care tonight." I growled, my grip tightening, causing little blood drops to pool at my claw tips. "You still went in that room with her, you still didn't care. Don't give me that bullshit."

He looked me in the eyes, as calm as ever. "Before, it was just paying a debt, I never minded the lay I got out of it either, I'm a man, Avery. I never cared. Tonight, I went in there planning on doing the same thing. But I couldn't. I started gagging, I felt like I'd been poisoned just touching her." He reached up and gently pulled my hand away from his throat.

"I didn't know what was happening at first, it's been so long since I'd heard about it, not since…a long time ago." He sighed in frustration and I could tell his words weren't coming out how he wanted. "I didn't leave that room for the right reason, I know that, but…" he sighs again, getting more and more frustrated.

He gently wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer. His other hand still held my claws hand midair, and I made sure it stayed there. I wasn't willing to put the claws away yet. He looked me dead in the eye. "You're my mate." He said bluntly.

"Your mate?" I echo in angry disbelief. I almost pull away from him completely and walk out the door.

His face softened as his eyes roamed over my face. "It's not that hard to believe is it?" His grip grew a little firmer. "You felt it too, I know you did." He says in a husky whisper. He moves in to whisper in my ear, "You can't tell me you didn't feel the pull. You let me fuck you in the middle of the place, where everyone could see." His teeth brushed against my ear, making me close my eyes and shiver the slightest bit. "This attraction between us is primal," his mouth hovered over my neck, his breath poured over me and filling me with warmth and a willingness to accept him for a second time that night.

I pushed him off me hard enough for him to hit the wall behind him. I brought my claws back up to his neck. "No." He looked at me with surprise in his eyes at the rejection. "We're not doing that again tonight. I came here to talk. You said we'd talk."

He hesitated a moment before giving me a small nod. "You're right." He sighed and reached his hand out towards my cheek, brushing it lightly.

I lay back against the concrete of my porch, rubbing my face with my hands. After a few minutes I stand up, grab my stick and head inside. I go up to my room and toss my stick on my bed before heading into my bathroom and checking my tampon and pad.

Still bleeding.

I grab a new tampon from the box and quickly pull the other out.

I withdrew from him to go sit on the couch in the living room. "So we're mates?" I ask bluntly.

He nodded once, still in his spot in the foyer. "I sealed it once I bit you earlier."

I shook my head at him, "You couldn't have asked first?"

"I…didn't consider it."

"You didn't consider maybe asking first?" He looked at me for a long moment.

Derek looked around his house as if he were seeing it for the first time, "You ever wonder why I live in a half burned down house in the middle of the woods?"

I looked around the place and thought for a moment, "I just thought you liked to be alone."

"My family lived here years ago. I made a dumb mistake and they died because of it."

"They died?" I echoed.

Derek gives me a look that held guilt and shame. His eyes had darkened and his brow wrinkled as he finally moved from his space in the foyer. He came to stand before me and I looked up at him from the couch. "Avery," he said, lowering himself so that he was looking me in the eye. His hands came to rest on each of my shins, and his fingers gently brushed my muscles, "I promise I'll tell you the full story," his eyes were sad and pleading, "but not tonight."

"Derek, if this is going to work, I need to know things. You know almost everything about me. You know my parents are divorced, my mom is psycho and kicked me out and my dad is both the figurative and literal definition of distant-"

Derek put his hand on my cheek, "Not tonight." He said again, not so much as a declaration as it was a request. I looked in his eyes as they roamed over my face, taking in each of my features.

"What are you thinking?" I asked him, suddenly feeling mesmerized by the stroke of his thumb on my cheekbone and the feel of his eyes on me.

He leaned in painfully slowly, both of our lips were parted in anticipation and when they finally met, the slowest, softest, and briefest kiss was the result. In that moment, my heart melted and I realized I'd fallen for Derek Hale. However mysterious he might be, however recluse and withdrawn or stubborn and hot headed, he was right. This was primal. There was a connection that was deep and embedded, and no matter how frustrating it might be, I knew I wanted it. He pulled away just a bit, just enough to look in my eyes.

His gaze was dark, his pupils consuming nearly all of the green that normally surrounded them. I wondered if he'd felt it, too. He leaned back in and once again our lips brushed over each other and locked together. It was slow and deep, just as before. I felt tears well up in my closed eyes.

This was something new, something powerful.

He drew away from the kiss and I didn't try to keep him there. His forehead was pressed against mine, and his hands once again came to my legs and they roamed up and down my thighs, which sent shivers all over my body.

It was all too much; there were too many sensations, too many emotions, and god damn it he was too fucking magnetic. I wanted to cling onto him and stay there forever.

Which is why I had to go. "Derek, I need some time to think." I said quietly.

He cleared his throat before he spoke, "Me too." He slowly peeled himself away from me, as if we were two pieces of Velcro being separated. He stood before me and offered me his hand to help me off the couch.

The cramps in my stomach are piercing; I guess this is what I get for having sex in the middle of a nightclub. A monster period brought on by an atom bomb of hormones known as the plan B pill.

I take a deep breath and crawl into my bed. I have an anatomy quiz tomorrow on the different types of skin tissue. But I can't bring myself to study, every time I try I just end up thinking of Derek…and that kiss.

And then there's the aching fear that I'm pregnant with his werewolf baby.

But I'm bleeding…so I can't be pregnant, right? I shove my head under a pillow, knowing full well from all the sex ed classes that just because you're bleeding doesn't mean you're free and clear.

My doorbell rings at that moment and my heart jumps with excitement. Derek told me before I left his house last night he'd be coming by to talk more, and to pick up his Camaro which was still parked in my driveway.

In a flash I was downstairs at the door, and just as I was pulling it open, dread filled my stomach.

Derek never rings the doorbell.

Jake stares back at me from his place on my front porch. I can hear his pulse clear as day and I focus in on his vulnerable neck. My vision goes blood red.

Author's Note: Yep, all Avery this time! But don't worry, we'll get some of Derek's thoughts in next chapter, but first I think we need to deal with the Jake situation once and for all, don't you all think so? ;)

Thank you all for your patience, I truly miss writing, but my time is so limited now with the hours of work. I will try my hardest to keep going at a steady pace, this story WILL be finished so don't give up on me :)

I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought!