Chapter 7.
Kali didn't waste any time introducing me to the rest of her pack, which is a lot smaller than I expected, and they all welcomed me with open arms.
Apparently the whole pack are Alphas, which I have never even thought was possible, and though not bonded like other packs they are all loyal to each other and treat each other with the respect I had wished for in Derek's pack. From the new days with them I can tell each and every one of them is tougher and more brutal then any wolf I have ever seen. I am never told how they became so independently strong but I don't ask, they will tell me when they want to.
There's Ennis; the pack's muscle. He is usually quiet and held back, but I once saw him shift and rip a stone pillar from the floor of the hideout and throw it across the room because Kali spent the entire day teasing him. Mental side note; Do not mess with Ennis.
Then there are the twins, Ethan and Aiden. They're identical and are both the silent, broody type. Like Derek. No, not like Derek, not at all. These guys don't wear leather and aren't as badass, and they don't have facial hair. Can't be like Derek without facial hair. Anyway, the strange thing about these two is that when they are transforming into the wolf they kind of mend together. You heard me, they mold into one big wolf. It's insane. I don't like being around them all the much since they have enrolled in Beacon High, and Aiden is seeing Lydia. They are my one connection to the people I am trying to get away from. The upside is that at least I have others my age in the group.
Kali is the only women in the pack, I pointed this out to her one day and she made it perfectly clear she is not to be looked upon as weak when she ripped apart a large window drape with her feet. Her feet. I kid you not; she has some crazy martial arts going on with her toe nails. She never wears shoes or socks either, and sports a lot of leather pants, not that I'm complaining. Recently she decided to take a job as the school counsellor but won't tell me why. She does not look like the counselling type at all.
Lastly, there is Deucalion. He claims he is the Alpha of all Alphas, a Demon-Wolf. He is the leader of the pack and can strike fear in anyone's eyes. If he could see them. That's right, the man is blind. He has to wear dark sunglasses indoors and carries around a cane, one of those one that look like they're from a magic shop. Don't test him though, because that man can destroy you with little to no effort. Seeing him fight is one of the scariest things I have ever witnessed, and I ran with wolves for three-freaking years.
I swear to god every girl that hears his voice has to get a little wet. It's this British, rustic deep voice that I have never, ever heard of before. It's unique to the point where you can sit there for hours listening to him talk and never pinpoint all the accents in it. It's daunting but soothing at the same time, a voice that hasn't affected me since Derek's.
Going to school now is like a new experience. I walk the halls in confidence, my head held high and a skip in my walk. I feel safe and like I belong somewhere now. I know it was only a few days I spent in a torturous black hole but it had felt like years.
Days seemed to go by faster and things started to become a pleasant routine. I finally felt good, but I would be lying if I said that every time I seen my old friends, every time I heard their voices my heart would ache and I would catch myself wishing to be a part of their talks again. I would always stop myself from thinking such things.
Kali joined the school staff two weeks after I joined the pack. Since school policy states that she must wear shoes on the school premises she opted to wearing easy slip-on flats, which she wasn't so happy about but complied anyway.
She told me not to visit her in her office unless it is an emergency to do with the other pack, though I do see Ethan and Aiden go in there sometimes but I know better than to question it.
Three weeks after joining the pack I arrive home from a day at school and, as usual, head up to my room. When I step into the threshold of the room and I see the dark figurine by the window, the outline of the figure is big and muscular. I drop my kitbag down on the floor beside the door and reach over to flick the light switch on. "What'd ya need Ennis?" I ask, kicking off my shoes side my kitbag. When I glance up to Ennis through the corner of my eye I'm taken back.
Standing there, in all his glory, is a bloody and battered Derek. He is panting heavily, his entire body shuddering with every breath and is holding the window still to balance himself upright.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I snap, turning my body to stare at him straight on and fold my arms on my chest impatiently. He doesn't say anything in the way he sometimes does to be more dramatic and nerve-jangling. Right now it only irritates me. "Well?"
"Your new friends," He gestures down to his beaten body then stumbles forward a bit but catches himself by grabbing the wall for support. He hisses in pain and then looks up to me a second later when he realizes I haven't answered. "Well?" He snaps, mimicking my earlier tone.
"You must have attacked them, first."
"Why would I attack them?" Is he serious? He can't possibly think I would believe him against my pack. One that actually wants me.
"Well maybe it's because you're a wolf? Or maybe because you're a fucking Hale, the notorious family that wants nothing more than power. Did you send your little pups into a den of powerful wolves just for the off chance that you might kill one of them?" I bark at him, suddenly thankful that dad is working the late shift so he wouldn't hear my raised voice. Derek looks stunned.
He collects his face up into the cold, stone face he mastered again. "They came to us. They knew where to strike. Something only people on the inside would know." He glares directly into my eyes.
"I'm not on the inside anymore, if that's what your suggesting. I had nothing to do with this." I take a long stride towards him.
"What would a Alpha pack like them want with a human like you?" He growls out and you can see the anger developing inside him just by the pitch of his voice, "They want you for information about my pack and nothing more." I take another big step towards him, defiantly in his personal bubble now. He looks down at me with rage evident in his eyes. I'm not thinking right now, my body is doing everything without any direct command from my brain. We stay like that for a while just glaring daggers at each other. The tension in the room is so thick if I wasn't taking short, heated breaths I would choke on it. Derek is the first to break the silence.
"When they're done with you they'll kill you, you know." He half whispers.
Without thinking, without even having time to process fully what he had said I snap back, "At least I'll die finally happy."
Everything seems to freeze. Derek is looking at me with such a twisted and mixed face that I can't make out one expression from another. I hold my breath for the eternity it takes for Derek to move and when he does he simply jerks around and jumps out my window. I hear a curse from the ground below and a moan of pain but of course pain can't stop Derek because soon I see him sprinting across my lawn and withdraw into the woods.
When I'm sure he's gone for good I shrink down onto the floor of my room, being my knees to my chest and just stare at the window. I go over what had just happened with closed eyes because every time I think of his voice it sends another wave of regret and shame over my body. Is it wrong for me to miss him? To miss all of them? I know I shouldn't but these people meant more to me then I ever thought, and it took me leaving to realize this. Though it changes nothing on their end, if so maybe they hate me more. They think I caused my pack to go after them, to kill them. Which, of course, I didn't at all.
I wonder how hurt they are, how they're holding up. If Derek was able to take time out to come confront me they must be okay and safe.
Please let them be alive. Don't let them die on me, okay?
I must have falling asleep on the floor while silently pleading because when I look up its morning and I'm laying on my bed with no memory of putting myself there. I jump onto my feet and speedily get ready for school that day.
I have new questions in mind and intend on getting them answered, so at lunch time that day, without any hesitation, I strut into the counsellor's office and drop in the seat in front of Kali's desk. Her eyes widen when she looks up from a paper to see me so casually sitting in the seat when she told me to never visit.
I take the shock a step further when I place my folded hands on her desk and flash her a friendly smile.
"I told you never to come into my office," She explains again slowly, a hit of a growl in her voice.
"This is an emergency." I reply far too happily.
"What is it, then?" She is unconvinced.
"How did you know where they were?" I asked first, wiggling my body to get more comfortable in my chair. She raises an eyebrow.
"You told us."
"Is that what you told them? You know that's not true and it's not playing fair," I lean back in my chair but never break eye contact with her.
"But it is true, don't you remember? The little stories you told us? It wasn't hard to track down all the places in Beacon Hills that have all the features you so willingly described in detail," She explains with an evil little smirk.
Fuck.
I knew they were listening too closely to my stories, I mean, I ramble so much that people tune it out most of the time so I should have knew something was up when they would sit and keep full attention and even asked a few questions every time I told them a story. I'm so fucking stupid! I lead a pack of overpowered wolves' right in Derek's direction, of course I didn't mean to but the guilt is enormous and overwhelming. I don't even know how much they are hurt or if any of them were killed during the attack.
"And you told them I led you guys to them, right?" I shake my head in disbelief, "This is crazy, you had no right to attack!"
She slams her hands down on her desk and snarls with her upper lip pulled up in a growl, showing her white teeth. "We had all the right to attack! This is our land and we want them off."
"What is so fucking special about this town? Do you realize how crappy it really is? There is only one Wal-mart and the 7/11 is run by a convicted pedophile! There are so many other pretty little towns that you took claim as your own," I try not to let my voice shake in fear as she extends her nails and dig them into the table while I was speaking. "Let them be, please. Don't make me beg."
We hold eye contact for a few long moments before her nails suddenly turn back human and she leans back in her chair, a new, composed posture. Her arms relax on the arms of her chair.
"Why do you care so much? They hate you. I'll talk to Deucalion later; he decides what we'll do." She doesn't let me talk before she stands up and starts walking out of the cramped office. Though, when she walks past me, she runs her fingers seductively along me arm. It does nothing but send chills down my spine. The door slams shut from behind me.
I look through the window beside the door that looks out into the sitting room of the counsellor's office and through another window into a school hallway and watch her leave the sitting room and turn down the hallway. When I'm sure she's out of hearing range I pull out my cell phone and dial Scott's number. When the phone rings I pray that he isn't out somewhere with Allison in full intent to skip the rest of the school day with her.
He picks up on the third ring. "Stiles?" his voice is full of incredulity.
"Yeah, Scott, it's me. Meet me at my place tonight." There is a long pause on the other end.
"How can I be sure that I won't be killed by your new friends?" He asks.
"Just trust me, okay? Meet me."
"I'll think about it," he says far too quickly. I hear a girl in the background who sounds as if she's asking him something too, but I can't hear them. I assume its Allison. Scott covers the speaker with his hand and says something to her before uncovering it again, "Be alone." The ring tone then echoes out into my ear. I hang up too and put my phone back in my pocket.
I stand up, brush off my pants and walk out of the office.
I know it is a bad idea to be face to face with my ex best friend, the one that so easily let me go, but I need him to know, I need all of them to know, that I didn't betray them. That I didn't join my pack just to hurt them physically; I never considered they would even get harmed at all due to my actions.
The new betrayal doesn't feel like I thought it would. It's not a raw or devastating; I don't even feel numb like the pain from the first one made me feel. As I walk down the hallway my eyes stare down at my feet and my hands find their place in my sweater pocket. My heart doesn't ache like it did before. It didn't speed up, I didn't get nervous when I saw Kali after knowing betrayed me like I did when Derek visited me in my room, or when I saw Scott or Lydia in the halls. Maybe it's because I barely know my new pack, or because I only have spent less than a month with them. Or because I know they couldn't replace Derek or Scott, they could never take Lydia's, Allison's or the new pups place. They have a special place in my heart I just haven't realized till now how big it was.
The rest of the day goes by in a blur. I never see Scott in any of my classes so he must have skipped like I thought. When I get home I cook dinner for my father, we eat while small talking then I retreat back up to my room to wait for Scott.
It's around nine when I hear Scott scale the side of my house and then leaps into my room. He uncurls his body slowly from his pouncing position while staring me down. I can't help but beam as he tries, unsuccessfully, to look looming.
"Oh my, you have grown!" I snigger.
It is like the weight I've relentlessly carried around for the past month is suddenly lifted. It's like old times.
AN: Thank you everyone for your support! c: I never thought this story would do as well as its doing. Sorry for the late update, I watched both Human Centipedes for the first time last night and... You would understand if you watched them on why I didn't feel up to writing all that much today. I got the chapter up, though! So... Thank you guys again for your support, it really means a lot. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. c: ~~ Shy.