AN: Before anyone says anything, yes, I am aware my characters are a bit OOC, but I am not as talented as Jeff Davis. Still, I hope you enjoy!
Derek
Suppressing a sigh and a curse, I watch Hayley climb on her brother's Jeep then drive away taking my heart with her. Despite what just happened between us, nothing has changed and will not. She still cares for Isaac more than I thought because she didn't even acknowledge my presence as soon as he entered the room. Of course I didn't expect her to come out and tell Isaac what just happened between us. Honestly, I don't know what I expected. I can, however, expect to never be with her again. Finally letting out the sigh, I climb down the porch and head to my car.
"Want a ride?" I mutter to Isaac still standing in the same spot Hayley left him in after she snapped. He doesn't move and stares at the distance lost in his own thoughts. I hop into my car and hope he doesn't take my offer. With his newly developed abilities, Isaac can smell the smallest of particles. He might recognize Hayley's scent on me, and while I could take the pup in a fight, it is best to spare her any complications.
As the engine roars to life, Isaac climbs on the car and stares blankly ahead with his hands limply on his lap. I hate having feelings. Now, I'm feeling guilty and sorry for him. He looks like a lost puppy, a broken soul. He reminds me of me… Suppressing another curse and sigh, I shift into reverse then tear out of the driveway and head in the direction of Isaac's house. The car ride is silent, and my guilty, foul mind takes the time to wander back to Hayley. Recalling her moans and biting of her lower lip, make my cock twitch. I shift and shake my head to rid myself of those thoughts. I can't think of her with Isaac around. To help the situation of the lingering smell of sex and arousal, I lower the window letting the fresh air of grass and mold into the confined space of my Camaro.
"What happened with Hayley?" Isaac asks quietly thankfully oblivious to the sudden smell of arousal.
"Nothing." I shrug and look out the window at the blurring line of foliage. Green blending into orange and yellow with a touch of sunlight. "I found her and gave her a ride… I gave her a ride home." I amend realizing of the double meaning in my words, at least to me.
"How did you find her?" He turns his eyes on me as his frown deepens. "When you went out for a car ride, I didn't expect you to go find her."
"I wasn't exactly looking for her," my hand on the steering wheel tightens, but I loosen the grip. I must not lose my temper. This could go terribly wrong for Hayley. "I was looking for the kanima. I figured it might be around the neighborhood seeking your ex out." The words come out harshly which I do not intend, but I do have a reputation of douchebag to uphold.
"Don't make this sound like it's my fault. I'm only following your orders." Isaac growls at my accusatory tone, however, I simply raise my eyebrows at him questioningly. He looks out his window and shakes his head. "Why didn't you take her home?" He asks after taking a deep breath.
"Because she was heavily intoxicated. You do remember who her father is?" I shake my head and make a sharp turn then come to an abrupt halt. "Any more questions?"
"Yes. Did you touch her?" His eyes narrow and I realize he's not completely oblivious or drowning in his self-pity. When I look back at him with faked perplexity, he sighs and elaborates. "I can smell her on you."
I nod sharply. "I carried her out of the car, and I may have hugged her."
Isaac shakes his head and chuckles humorlessly. "She must have been crying pretty hard to break your macho bravado." He pauses staring at his house where his dad's fury awaits. Everyday Isaac is tested on his restraint and not to rip his father apart. The fact he hasn't done it yet could be proof enough that he has managed to control his wolf. But I can't take any chances not when Hayley is involved. He continues in a low voice I wouldn't be able to hear him were it not for my enhanced hearing ability. "I would endure the beatings again if only I could keep her. I take the physical pain over this… heartbreak. It kills me to have her so close yet so far."
Once again that guilt gnaws at me. I am screwing Isaac over like I was. Not in the exact same way Kate did, but I am responsible for his feeling of loss. Hayley may very well be dead to him the same way my family is to me. He can never go back to her. Not when they both know what could happen if he loses control. And after what Hayley and I have done, when and if Isaac finds out, he will never forgive. Everything is destroyed between them. It's my fault.
"Cut the sentimental shit, Isaac." I snap turning to face him while my own self-loathe eats me alive. "You wanted to protect her and yourself. You got it. There's no turning back now. Either you move on or drown."
Isaac glares, his lips forming a hard thin line, his hands fisting, struggling for control; he says nothing though. After a while, he gets out of the car slamming the door angrily. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I take a deep breath then pull out of Isaac's driveway and head to the warehouse. Free to think of Hayley, I spent the rest of the drive reliving every second with her which equals to shooting myself with wolfsbane bullets. It was a mistake to let her seduce me. One, I can't have her again. Two, I shouldn't have done this to Isaac. But who am I kidding? She didn't have to do much seduction. I have wanted her for so long that I crumbled in her hands. Just one look at her, and I am weak and poor excuse for a man. I throw my head back and laugh. Who is full of sentimental shit now?
At a red light, I make an illegal U-turn and step on the gas all the way down. The engine roars as it tears through town with only one destination in mind: Hayley's house. All thoughts of her have suddenly given me the urge to see her and make sure she arrived home safely. I park the car a block away because the Stilinskis recognize my car a mile away. After moving barefoot through backyards and growling occasionally at pets, I hoist myself up on the tree next to Hayley's window. I'm not sure her window is open, but when I peer through the thin curtains, I see it is not bolted. Slowly, I pry the window open and step inside.
I shouldn't be here, but now that I am, I might as well take a look around. Her room is tidy, as I would expect of her, with a small mahogany desk stacked with school books, one wall is a built in bookshelf filled to the brim with books of different sizes and genres, and two doors next to each other on the remaining wall. I assume one of them leads to her bathroom and the other to the closet. Her bed is pushed up against the wall next to the window. And Hayley lies on her belly tangled in deep purple bed sheets. She looks like an angel straight from Heaven or perhaps a demon from Hell as she is wreaking havoc in my life. Everything was much simpler when I didn't love, didn't feel anything. When the anger was my anchor, and I didn't even have to worry whether someone felt the same way I do. I didn't worry if I would get burned again.
Now, it's all gone out the window. I care for this girl deeply, and surprisingly enough, I don't really care if she doesn't love me back. All that matters is that she is happy and safe. My feet move on their own to Hayley's bed. I sink to my knees next to it and gaze at her with wonder. Her face is gentle as she sleeps soundly and untroubled. Involuntarily, I reach out to touch her hair which if my memory serves is like silk to the touch and smells of strawberries and almonds. Before I even come close to her, my phone vibrates loudly in the pocket of my leather jacket. I stay still wondering if Hayley will wake up, but she doesn't; she merely shifts so she lies on her right side hugging the pillow and mumbling incoherently. Slowly pulling out the phone, Erica's name flashes across the screen, and holding back a sigh, I pick up.
"What?" I half whisper and snap through my teeth.
"Aw, are you in a foul mood, again?" She purrs on the other side, and I can practically picture her man eating smile. "Allow me to fix that for you, Alpha."
This time, I truly let out a sigh hoping Erica will catch on to the fact that I am not in the mood, which I never am, for her ridiculous flirtations. Of course she never does. "What is it Erica?"
"You are no fun." She whines pitifully. "Boyd and I are bored. We can't keep reading this shit about the kanima. It's no help! Can we go out?"
"No one is going out tonight. It's a full moon." I throw Hayley's sleeping form a longing glance before telling Erica I am on my way to chain them up. She growls as a response and hangs up on me. I know neither she nor Boyd or even Isaac is fond of being chained for an entire night. But it must be done or else I'll have to clean up their mess if they murder someone.
Before jumping out the window, I bend down to place a kiss on Hayley's head taking in her scent, committing it to memory. When I pull away, she mumbles my name with a small smile on her lips as she hugs the pillow tighter. Happy knowing she is dreaming of me, I jump out the window and return to my car. Several minutes later, Erica is waiting for me outside the warehouse with her arms firmly crossed over her chest, her lips pursed and stiff posture. As always, it's good to be home. Not.
"Where have you been?" She snaps as soon as I climb out of the car. "What kind of Alpha are you leaving us to do all your dirty work while you go and do who knows what?"
"Nice to see you too, Erica," I comment dryly ignoring her questions and stepping around her to go inside. She grabs my left forearm though and digs her claws into my flesh as I pass her. "Remove the hand or lose it." I growl at her my eyes flashing red. Immediately, she backs off and looks away in shame.
"Sorry. The full moon…"
"It's always the full moon with you, Erica." I cut her off and step inside without another glance in her direction. "We both know you are trying hard to make me yours. I don't belong to anyone."
She inhales sharply, and I feel her standing behind me radiating fury. "Hayley Stilinski. You were with her weren't you? Do you belong to her? Oh yes. I can smell her on you. Does Isaac know?"
I turn sharply around and roar loudly causing her to flinch and Boyd to whimper somewhere in the warehouse. Before she knows what hit her, I stand in front of her grabbing her right arm roughly and pulling her up close. "You don't know what you're talking about, so I suggest you keep your mouth shut or I will rip out your tongue and vocal cords for good measure. Have I made myself clear?"
A sly grin slowly makes her way to her red coated lips. "Crystal. No one says a word to Isaac about what a whore his ex is."
Another roar begins to erupt from my chest, but I suppress it. It's the full moon, I convince myself and let go of Erica. There's no point in arguing with her. I'll just be encouraging her to keep pissing me off. It's her favorite past time. I should let them go out more often maybe then they'll back off. Her grin widens when I walk away from her removing my jacket and dirty shirt. Faintly, I hear her make a sound in the back of her throat.
"What did you find about the kanima?" I ask both Erica and Boyd to diffuse the tension in the room.
It turns out they haven't found much. Most of the text is in a language they can't understand. Basically we are where we started without knowledge of how to kill this thing or what its purpose in Beacon Hills could be. Trying my best not to lash out to my betas, for they are doing their best, I send them to prepare to be chained. By the time I am done chaining up Erica, with her special crown, and Boyd, Isaac is nowhere to be seen. Nightfall is fast approaching, so I decide to give Isaac a call. As I pick up the phone, I get an incoming call from someone I never expected.
"What is it? Are you hurt?" I snap into the phone nervously as soon as I pick up. The only response I get is sobbing. "Hayley. Talk to me."
"It's Isaac… He…" She pauses and sniffs loudly. Did he find out? No. He would have come straight to me and attempt to fight me. "He's been arrested." She says softly through the tears. "He didn't do it, Derek. I know he didn't, and you have to believe me. You have to believe him."
"Hayley, I don't understand. What happened?" But she doesn't need to say more. If she says Isaac is innocent I believe her. As she explains how her father arrested Isaac at the diner where she works for supposedly murdering Mr. Lahey, I prepare to leave. "Where are you?"
"I'm home with Stiles and Scott. Can you… We need to help him. Please…" I hear someone say her name softly in the background as she continues to sob.
"I'm coming Hayley." I disconnect and run to explain to Erica and Boyd the situation as they are still in control of themselves, they nod in understanding. Of course that doesn't mean they like the idea of being left alone during the full moon. I promise them I'll try to be quick before locking them up in the train and racing out to my car.
Violating the laws of traffic, I make it to Hayley's house in ten minutes or less. A record. The rain has let up again momentarily perhaps. At the door to the Stilinski residence, I hesitate. How do I proceed? Do I knock or just walk in? Shouting behind the door makes my mind up for me. I grasp the door knob, but the door is pried of open before I turn it.
"Hayley, stop!" Stiles shouts as Hayley stands in the hallway, her cheeks moist, eyes red, hair wild and damp, and staring open mouthed at me.
"Where are you going?" I step closer causing her to move back into the house looking for a way out.
"I'm going to see Isaac. You can't expect me to let them kill him!" Her eyes fill with tears, and it takes all of me not to pull her into my arms and hug her until all the pain goes away.
"Who is going to kill him?" I address Scott and Stiles standing not too far away from Hayley.
"Allison just called," Scott explains, his jaw twitching angrily. "Apparently her grandfather has sent someone to the police station to inject Isaac with wolfsbane."
My own jaw twitches in anger at the mention of the Argent's leader and what he plans to do to one of my pack members. "Gerard Argent is in Beacon Hills?"
"You know him?" Hayley asks momentarily distracted as she wipes her nose with a tissue.
"You could say that," I answer cryptically unwilling to recount how he is also involved in the burning of family and home. "When did he get here?"
"At least two hours ago," Scott answers after sharing a look with Stiles. "He was already coming. All these werewolves running around Beacon Hills drew his attention. This is your fault."
Ah, finally. Scott finally has the balls to confront me. I knew this would happen since I walked in. The way he stood stiffly, hands fisted at his sides, and his eyes darting to Hayley as if to rush to her rescue if necessary, they were all signs he doesn't want me here. He blames me for everything.
"I'm here to help. Isaac is my responsibility not yours. Feel free to leave at any moment. I don't need your help."
"Yes, you do! You're risking Erica, Boyd, Lydia, Isaac and me with your stupidity. If you hadn't bitten any of them, none of this would have happened!" Scott moves closer his eyes glow a bright yellow.
"They willingly took the bite. I didn't force them into anything! They wanted power; we all do, Scott."
"I only want everyone to be safe," he replies through his teeth coming to a stop right behind Hayley trapping her between us.
"Scott back off," I growl deeply knowing that at any moment a fight could break out, and we will harm Hayley in the process.
"Are you afraid? I thought you were an Alpha."
"Scott, back off!"
"Shut up! Shut up!" Hayley snaps shoving both of us away from her. "Isaac is in danger and you two are here playing werewolf dominance games! If you are not going to help him, let me do it."
"She's right," Stiles grabs his sister's hand and pulls her towards him and away from us raging werewolves. "This isn't the time to peg the blame on anyone. We have to work together to clean this mess up. We know it was the kanima and not Isaac who killed Mr. Lahey. We can't prove that to my dad, so we'll have to get creative."
Both Scott and I share one last rage filled look before nodding and turning to Stiles, who always seems to be the one coming up with plans. Tonight, it's not different. He calls Allison and asks her to slow down the hunter sent to murder Isaac. Afterwards, she will meet Scott at the Lahey residence to help Scott rid of any evidence that might inculpate Isaac which will be the entire basement. In the meantime, Stiles and I will head down to the police station to break Isaac out before the hunter takes him out.
"Everyone clear with the plan?" Stiles asks as before we part ways. When we nod, he turns to Hayley who had been silent throughout the planning simply sitting in the kitchen staring at her glass of water. But she's nowhere to be seen. "Hayley?" Stiles calls out panic audible in his voice. When he gets no response, he races up the stairs to her room.
"She's not here, Stiles!" I shout up at him. "She's gone to see Isaac."
"What the hell, Hayley!" Stiles screams at his phone. As soon as we climbed into my car, because Hayley took the jeep; we must have been engrossed in the planning neither of us heard her leave, Stiles has been calling Hayley warning her to stay away from Isaac tonight. Of course she's not answering. "I'm going to kill her. If Isaac doesn't, I will. I will kill this girl no matter how much it hurts."
"You won't." I keep my eyes on the road and my mind on finding Hayley before it's too late. I try not to think about how she has chosen him over me. Granted, I am not in a life or death situation, and Hayley will always rush to help those she cares for. However, I might as well accept the fact that Hayley will be the one that got away.
Hayley
It was clear I wasn't going to be included in the plan to save Isaac. I realized it when Stiles sat me down in the kitchen with a glass of water and more tissues. His eyes were filled with pity and pain for me. He and Scott reassured and promised me this would be over soon, and Isaac will be free. I didn't have to worry. They would take care of everything. But they just sat down in the living and started to yap. Even Derek, whom I thought would come like a knight in shining black armor, breaking doors, snapping necks or something, sat down to calmly discuss the situation. Isaac is in fucking danger; we don't have time to go over every single detail. He needs to get out and now.
I park in front of the police station. In my haste to go inside, I soak my sneakers immediately as I don't avoid the puddles. At the front desk, Jade, a deputy I chat with whenever I visit my dad, handles the front desk. She shuffles through some papers ignoring me while I collect myself and plaster on a smile.
"Hi Jade," I will my voice not to falter. If I look broken and upset, Jade will call my dad, and he is gonna drag me home without seeing Isaac. "Is my Dad here?" I ask casually leaning on the counter.
"Hey, Hayley. No your dad is out in official business. Can I help you?" She finally puts the papers down and looks closely at me. "Is someone bothering you? That kid Matt still stalking you or your friend?"
"Oh goodness no! He's backed off. I just… I was wondering if I could see my… my boyfriend, Isaac Lahey." I keep my smile plastered on my face even as Jade sighs and shakes her head. "Please, Jade. I won't be long. I just need to tell him I've called a lawyer, and he's on his way."
"The Sheriff told me not to let you in, Hayley. I'm sorry. Maybe when that lawyer…"
"No!" I break down and let the tears flow praying that Jade will side with me. I hope she will take pity on a girl heartbroken because her boyfriend is locked up. If she calls my dad, well, he'll have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming. "Please let me see Isaac. Please. My dad won't know… I'll be out really soon."
She stares at me unsure of what to do then sighs in defeat. "I can't leave the desk. Can you find your way? Of course you can. I forgot who I'm talking to. You have five minutes, Hayley. Then I want you out and don't ever speak of this to your father."
"Oh thank you, thank you," I pull her into a short awkward hug. "I won't tell the Sheriff. I promise. Thank you, thank you. I owe you."
She waves her hand in the air dismissing me, so I take advantage and rush inside ignoring the constant vibrating of my phone in my pocket. I know it's Stiles probably leaving message after message cursing me to hell for doing this. Calling me stupid because it's a full moon tonight and Isaac will kill me or whatever. But I have to see him. I have to warn him that the hunter is coming, and he needs to be prepared. When I finally make it to Isaac's holding cell, he's angrily banging on the door. I stop a few feet away feeling my heart hammering a mile away threatening to burst inside my chest.
"Isaac?" I call out tentatively and stepping closer to his door with slow measured steps. "Isaac. It's me, Hayley."
"Hayls?" He stopped banging on the door as soon as I placed my hand on the glass of the door restraining him.
"Yeah," my voice cracks at the sound of his voice calling me by that old nickname I used to hate but now love because it means he doesn't hate me, and he's well. "It's me Hayls. I'm here to get you out, ok? Just hold on. I'll go get the keys…"
"No." He snaps abruptly, his voice changing drastically sounding more like a snarl. "Don't let me out. I'll hurt you. Go, Hayley."
"I'm not leaving without you, Lahey!" I snap slamming my fists on the iron door. "I know you are innocent. I'm sorry if I made you feel like I didn't believe, but I do, Isaac. I know you didn't…"
"It doesn't matter, Hayley! I know I didn't kill him, but if you don't leave, I'll really become a murderer. Go!"
"I'm not leaving! Listen to me Isaac; there are some bad people who want you dead. They have sent some hunter with wolfsbane and for what I hear, that's going to kill you." I speak fast and urgently hearing the sound of footsteps in the hallway, but Isaac seems to be gone as he continues to bang on the door causing it to tremble.
Afraid, I step back. Isaac snarls and growls and pounds at the door mercilessly until it breaks off its hinges falling open. I jump a little at the noise but otherwise don't move as Isaac stands at the doorway breathing heavily. His nails are long and curved, his ears are pointy, hair sprouts from his face, and when he looks at me his blue eyes are replaced by terrifying, golden, bright orbs. I inhale sharply and take a few steps back when he begins to slowly move towards me in a predatory manner baring his strangely elongated canines. When I hit the wall, he continues to move until he's inches away from me growling deep in his chest.
"Isaac…" I whisper closing my eyes and praying that if he does kill me, at least he'll be quick about it. But before anything happens, the fire alarm blares startling both of us that is until a guy dressed in deputy uniform and wounded at his knee enters the room dragging my brother along.
Both Stiles and the hunter, I assume, don't see me or Isaac against the wall as their eyes are glued to the broken iron door. Suddenly, Isaac , who seems to feel the threat, launches himself at the hunter. I stare frozen in shock as they struggle.
"Hayley!" Stiles rushes to my side and drags me away from them towards a corner.
Isaac easily throws the man around the room. The hunter's hand holding the needle is twisted so the needle falls on the floor. Then, Isaac slams the guy hard against the wall where he slumps either dead or knocked out. The sound of the needle crushing draws Isaac's attention and mine too. Derek stands tall, his jaw twitching angrily, and his eyes blazing as he looks at me and Stiles cowering then at Isaac moving towards us baring his teeth. Stiles positions himself over me even though I can feel him shaking and looking at Isaac fearfully. But I know there's no reason for this.
"Isaac…" I call out softly but my voice is overpowered by the loud and ear shattering sound of Derek's roar. Crazily enough, Isaac cowers and sits in a corner shaking and covering his face with his hands. Seeing Isaac like that, cowering in fear and glancing fearfully at Derek, reminds of whenever his father approached us. Isaac would hang his head and speak very softly avoiding making eye contact with Mr. Lahey.
"How did you do that?" Stiles asks nervously.
"I'm the Alpha," Derek replies with a small smirk.
"You're a monster," I reply pushing Stiles away from me and rushing to Isaac's side. Before I get any closer, Derek grabs my arm and pulls me back.
"That's not a good idea," he says softly. His smirk is gone, and he looks a bit like a scolded puppy. "I don't know how long he'll stay in control. I need to chain him up with the others."
"Chain him up?" I jerk my arm away and glare at him. "How do you live with yourself? Restraining teenagers like they're animals!"
"They are animals! Don't you get it, Hayley? Without their control, they are animals, and they will rip you apart if you give them the chance. Stay away from him."
"Fine." I snap letting the tears flow and avoiding looking at Isaac or anyone for that matter. "Then you stay away from me too, Derek Hale. All of you. I want no part in this."
Without waiting for a response and still avoiding looking at anyone, I stalk out of the room, then the police station. Knowing I'm in no condition to drive, I leave the keys to the jeep on the hood of the car for Stiles to drive home. Not really in the mood to go home and be pestered by Stiles or my dad, I walk aimlessly through town replaying the night's events. All of it is so… strange. And that word doesn't even begin to explain everything that's going on. Everything was much simpler, normal when I didn't know about werewolves. I just hate Derek Hale for starting this, for biting Isaac and putting everyone else in harm's way. But I also hate Isaac Lahey for taking the bite. How dare he ruin everything we had for power? And I hate Stiles for keeping everything from me. If he had told me, I could have stopped Isaac. I should have known from the beginning. Now it's too late to help anyone. I might as well step away from it all. I don't want to witness their downfall.
I don't realize where I'm heading until I hear a familiar chiming and looking up, I find myself outside the diner I work at, or worked at since I doubt Mrs. Stevens will allow me to keep my job after the way I walked out. Fate would have it that she is just leaving for the night. After locking up the door, she turns and comes to a stop when she finds me standing there still in my uniform now dry.
"Hi," I wave at her, but she just stands there, cold brown eyes and crossed arms over her chest. Mrs. Stevens is not happy at all. "I just want to say I'm sorry for today. I will return this uniform once I wash it, if that's ok."
"Hayley, you've never missed work. You're always punctual and my best waitress. If you promise to keep those good qualities up, the job is still yours."
"Oh thank you!" I throw my arms around her, and she stumbles a little before patting my back awkwardly. "Thank you, Mrs. Stevens. I won't fail you."
"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Hayley." She gives me a small smile before heading to her car.
Happy that something has remained normal and solid in my life, I decide it's time to head home before dad sends a patrol car to search for me. I don't make it two blocks when a car honks then comes to a stop next to me. The driver gets out, and I suppress an annoyed sigh as Matt approaches me. Seriously, this kid gives me the creeps. He has always given me a strange vibe, something I can't explain, but I don't trust him.
"Are you ok?" He asks truly concerned his eyebrows meeting in the middle.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I can't help it though. My voice cracks at the end, and Matt hears it. His lips curve downwards in sadness and his eyes cloud with pity. To smooth the situation, because the last thing I want is to invite Matt to my pity party, I plaster on a smile. "I'm ok."
"No you're not, Hayley," he tentatively reaches out for me, and when I don't protest, he begins to rub my arms up and down. Again, I get a weird vibe from him, but I want to be normal. I want to go back to the way things were; when werewolves and kanimas didn't exist. The world was only for humans. Matt is human. He is normal. Maybe the thing with Isaac and Derek has helped me realize neither of them was for me. Isaac and Derek are the ones that got away, and that's fine. I will find someone else. Human. "Let me take you home."
With my craving for normalcy, I nod my head and let Matt open the passenger door for me. We ride in silence for a couple of minutes with music playing softly in the background. Every once in a while, Matt glances at me and opens his mouth to say something but changes his mind and covers with a small smile. With the lights of the dashboard and street lamps, I inspect him and realize he's rather handsome. He has filled out a little more since freshman year, his face is clear of acne, and he no longer wears braces. I must admit the only thing wrong with this kid is that he is so persistent. But is that a bad thing? After all the times I've rejected him, Matt just keeps coming back, and he seems to appear when I need him like now.
Normal. I want normal. I will get normal. When we come to a stop in front of my house, I have made up my mind, so I turn in my seat to face Matt.
"Do you still want to go on that date?" I give him my best shy smile as I bat my eyelashes at him.
"Are you… are you serious?" He gulps loudly and when I nod, his lips part into a lopsided grin that would make any girl swoon. "Yes. Yes! Of course. Whenever you're ready."
"I'll get back to you on that. I have to make up for my abrupt leaving at work today." I let out a nervous laughter hoping he doesn't question me about Isaac. He doesn't. "And I'm probably in trouble with my dad… I'll text you. Is that ok?"
"Sounds great!" He nods enthusiastically and turns serious. "I promise, Hayley, you won't regret this."
I can only nod and smile before opening the car door and getting out. Before slamming the door, I give him a brief thanks for the ride and wish him goodnight. When I'm safely inside, I press my forehead to the door and can't help but feel like I already regret it. There's no going back now though. If I plan to stay away from the supernatural and the inevitable downfall of my loved ones, I have to find a reason to be normal. Matt will have to do.
"Hayley," Stiles calls my name, his voice thick with worry. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," I respond working hard to keep all emotions hidden. I don't want to fight with Stiles besides I have no idea why I'm even mad. If he kept everything from me was for my own good. Right? "Goodnight, Stiles."
I walk past him at the stairs without glancing at him. Before I make it to my room, my dad calls me from the kitchen. I didn't even see his car on the driveway. I must have been in a hurry to get away from Matt before he decided to give me a kiss goodnight or something. Suppressing a sigh, I descend the stairs and head to meet him. He is still wearing his uniform which means he just got home or is about to leave again. Sometimes I hate his profession. It takes him away from us too much and puts him in danger. But he does the best he can.
"Yes?"
"Where were you tonight?" He takes a sip from his glass of tequila. Nope, he's not leaving again. He'll stay up all night drinking and trying to figure out what has gone wrong in his life.
I cross my arms over my chest while shaking my head. "Out. Why?" I know why he's asking. He is questioning a suspect, not his daughter.
"Are you aware that Isaac Lahey broke out of prison tonight?" He takes a longer sip of his drink and stares at me in that way he does when he is trying to decipher if the suspect is lying or hiding something.
"I had no idea. I've been with Matt." I reply without blinking and keeping my posture the same. "Is that all, Sheriff?"
"Are you upset with me?" He arches his eyebrows and shakes his head. "I had to arrest him, Hayl. He's a suspect."
"I know. It's your job. I'm glad he got away though because he's innocent, Sheriff. Can I go now? I'm tired." I don't wait to be dismissed and just turn around and walk out of the room. Dad doesn't call me back or anything. Stiles, on the other hand, is waiting for me outside my bedroom. "You need something, Stiles?"
"Are you sure you're ok?" He stands in front of my door his lips parted and his eyebrows threatening to become one as he frowns deeply at me. "You don't like Matt. What were you doing with him?"
"I don't have to tell you everything, Stiles, just like you don't tell me everything. I can keep secrets too. Now, I'm going to bed. Goodnight brother dear." He doesn't protest when I shove him aside and slam the door to my room right in his shock filled face.
As I shower, I let hot tears roll down my cheeks and pretend I'm not crying even though the sobs threaten to rip my chest. I know I'm being a bitch to everyone, but I'm losing it. I'm losing everything and everyone. In two days, my life has changed drastically for the worst. Everything I believed to be solid, to be real, is gone. How does one cope with that? Simple, I don't. For being a person that advocates with facing problems head on and talking issues through, I like to push things so deep into my mind I almost believe the problems are gone. Well, I will do this. Isaac never happened. I still despise Derek Hale. Werewolves don't exist. Kanimas are myths. And Matt is not a creep. I, Hayley Joy Stilinski, am normal. I am human.
When I go to bed, I have myself half convinced everything will be ok. That is until I close my eyes and the nightmares plague me. I dream of a man charred beyond recognition. I stand in the foyer, or what is left of it, of the burned Hale house. I'm wearing my sleep wear, shorts and tank top, with no shoes or slippers on my feet. The man steps out from the shadows and stands a few feet away from me. From the coming moon light through the holed roof, that's when I see his mutilated face. I take several steps back and hit the stairs stumbling backwards and falling on my ass. The man doesn't move though, but I can feel his eyes on me, if he even has eyes.
"Help me," he says in a voice filled with agony. "Please."
The part of me that always wants to help wins over fear, and I stand up my feet moving towards the man to help him. "How can I help you?"