Arden's POV:

"You're hurting him!" Meg exclaimed, not even seeming to notice the fur or fangs hell, even the freaky golden eyes as Scott howled again in pain from Derek torching his arm off.

After rolling his eyes, Derek lowered the torch and backed away from a now unconscious Scott as he guided Stiles, Meg, Me and himself out of the room and into the burnt remains of the kitchen, where somehow he managed to make us all hot chocolate.

How Derek made us all hot chocolate in a burned down kitchen with no electricity to even warm milk was seriously beyond me, but after just seeing Scott turn into the same monster I saw earlier, only with golden eyes, I really wasn't questioning anything as I accepted my cup with thanks.

Then, he explained everything.

He explained to us our family history, the house fire, how he and Laura came back after a few years and discovered people getting killed, Laura then dying, Derek finding out Scott got bite and a whole boat-load of information that blew my mind.

But, the one thing that kept chanting through my mind was "How can this be real? Werewolves aren't real!"

Stiles added bits and details throughout Derek's lecture of the mythical world that apparently exists very much here in Beacon Hills and about what happened to me today, but other than Stiles, Meg and I were speechless.

What's the expression I'm looking for? Oh right, its holy shit!

"So let me get this straight," Meg said to Derek, "You, Scott, Isaac and a few other people are…. werewolves?" She scrunched her face, as if saying the word made her mouth taste funny or something.

"Who's Isaac again?" I asked, Derek closed his eyes and shook his head.

"The unconscious blond lying in the other room," Stiles said his focus on the drawing he was making out of dust.

I nodded "Gotcha,"

I gave Derek a look and he answered Meg's question "Yeah, I have two others in my pack: Boyd and Erica, but they've been missing for the past three months."

"Missing?" Meg echoed, looking concerned.

Suddenly, my mind connected something.

"They aren't missing," I said, getting Derek's attention "They were kidnapped weren't they? By the same people I saw today huh?"

Derek looked a bit surprised as he answered "Yeah….."

I smirked a little.

Never underestimate my brilliance Derek: I'm more than just a pretty face.

"We think they were kidnapped," Derek continued as I sipped my hot chocolate "By an alpha pack,"

I almost spit out my drink.

"A pack of alphas? But I thought alpha weren't apart of packs, they made their own." Meg said, remembering something from the five million things Derek dropped on us. He really should've told us earlier.

"That's what we thought too," Derek agreed, getting up "but from what Arden described and what Scott and I saw at the hospital, it seems like nothing's impossible,"

"….For a possible right?" Stiles joked, but while I snickered Derek and Meg gave him a look.

Stiles pouted "You two are no fun,"

"Any ways," Derek said turning back to face us "this is why I've been out: I've been looking for them with Isaac and then for Isaac because he got taken hostage,"

Meg looked shocked, and I could tell that everything that happened was starting to get to her.

Meg might not realize this, but she's a pretty strong girl. She probably was more unprepared for all of this than I was, and she's handling it like a champ.

I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle rub as suddenly a groan came from the other room.

Meg quickly sat up, making my hand drop. Derek studied her tense expression with an odd look.

"He's probably woken up," he explained as Meg gazed over to the open doorway.

"Can we go check on him?" Meg asked, looking worried as Scott groaned again.

Derek nodded, getting up and walked towards Meg. Putting, an arm around her shoulders they walked away.

Derek may act tough, but I know he's secretly a softy: especially to Meg.

I realized then that Stiles and I were left in the kitchen. Stiles sat on the kitchen counter, looking at one specific spot on the floor, with a puzzled look on his face like he was in deep thought.

I suddenly felt a feeling of guilt run through my stomach, thinking about what I said and acted like to him earlier today, it was the same attitude I used when fighting with my father.

And I didn't want to fight with anyone.

I made my way towards the counter, and Stiles shifted to make room for me to sit.

I thought about what to say as I hoped on, I wasn't very good at apologizing if you couldn't already tell.

But I was willing to give it a try.

"Hey," I said, awkwardly "I'm sorry about… Earlier today, getting all grouchy and sarcastic, snapping at you just because my biggest fear was literally coming right towards my face-"

Stiles snorted, making me smile a little.

"-but that was no excuse for me to act like that to you because you were only just trying to help,"

I noticed our legs were touching, and giving his knee a playful shove with mine I finished "Point is, is that I'm sorry,"

Stiles chuckled and turned towards me, letting me look at his honey brown eyes.

"Hey, it's okay, you get used to looking at your biggest fear in the eye around here."

I laughed, but then my laugh faded as I watched Derek walked back into the room, looking at me intently.

I hopped off the counter and turned towards Stiles again "So are we good?" I asked him.

He smiled at me "Yeah, we're good Aardvark,"

I stuck my tongue out at him and then faced Derek.

"Can we talk?"

I nodded, and then followed Derek out the back door in the kitchen to see that the porch out front also wrapped around to the back, where we took a set on its steps.

We were both quiet for a moment so I decided to take the initiative "I would have never guessed you to be a werewolf," I said, getting Derek to look at me as I studied his face "Vampire- maybe because your always so broody, but not a werewolf…"

Derek gave me a weird look, but a little chuckle escaped from his lips as he shook his head.

"Have we always been werewolves?" I asked him

He nodded.

"How come Meg and I aren't?"

Derek shrugged "It skips every other generation, but you wouldn't want this life anyways,"

I raised a brow "I may have not asked for it, but it's now a part of mine anyways,"

Derek sighed "I'm sorry about all of this: this is what I feared if you guys came here was that you'd find out about my-"

"-Dirty little secret?" I suggested, and he nodded.

"-that, and I probably should've told you guys about all of this earlier, but I didn't know how you'd take it."

"Well, I freaked and Meg might or might not have a nervous breakdown tonight, but I think we're taking it pretty good," I grinned, making Derek chuckle.

"Yeah, you guys are," he smiled a little, putting his arm around me "I already told Meg this, but it's unfortunately not going to get any easier now that you know; honestly, you guys might be in danger now because you know."

I nodded thinking about all that I've seen today as we sat in silence; listening to the woods around us. I rested my head on Derek's shoulder, looking at the trees and thinking about how we used to climb on them when we were little.

Ignorance was bliss, absolute bliss.

But I never liked being ignorant.

"Well," I said, breaking the silence "If I'm going to get sucked into this, I at least want to help you guys in any way that I can,"

Derek looked at me, and I thought he was going to say no, but then he suddenly nodded.

"Okay,"

"Really?!" I asked, shocked.

For the first time all trip, Derek let out a real laugh.

"Why are you so surprised? You're an incredible smart-ass Arden; Stiles could use a side-kick for researching."

I laughed because Derek had got me there.

Derek got up, helping me to my feet as he said "Come on, let's get back to the apartment and I'll explain more," he smirked as my mouth dropped "Hey, I said I'd explain 'soon' didn't I? Besides, you only know half the story,"

I snorted in disbelief "What more could you say? There really can't be that much to this story?"

"Yeah, there is."