Chapter 7

Truth

Riley hasn't seen or spoken to Derek in a few days. She's not entirely sure how she feels about that but he said that they shouldn't see each other anymore. His lose, right? But it still kept her up at night, crying herself to sleep. She felt like her life was changing for the better because of him and not it's just at a stand still.

Two-o-clock in the morning one day, Riley found herself in her kitchen drinking a glass of milk when she heard the strangest sound. She looked out her window trying to see if she could figure out the source of the sound, but it was too far away to tell. It sounded like a howl.

A bad feeling started to sink in.

XXX

Riley was at her locker the next day exchanging her English book for her Government book and notebook. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Derek. She turned to look but no one was there down the hall. She knew she must have been seeing things or someone who looked like Derek. It wasn't him, she kept telling herself. He has no business at the school. Riley was beginning to miss him.

"Riley," Allison called, getting her attention, "I haven't talked to you much in the last couple of days."

"I didn't feel like talking to anyone," Riley told her.

"Is everything okay?" Allison asked.

She sighed, "Everything is fine," she said, closing her locker.

"I needed to ask you something," Allison said, "Do you have condoms?" she whispered.

"Do I personally?" Riley laughed, "No."

"Oh, I thought that you would because of Derek," Allison said.

"Why do you need them?" Riley asked, "Numb question. According to my trashy romance novels, he should supply them."

"Oh, okay. It's something Lydia told me earlier. I just thought I should get some, just in case," Allison said.

"One, you shouldn't take advice from the whore of Satan and two, maybe you should wait if you're that nervous about it," Riley told her.

"I'm not nervous," Allison said, "Okay, I'm just worried."

"I'm sure Scott will understand," Riley said, "And if he doesn't, I'll kick his ass."

"Thanks Riley," Allison said as the bell rang for the next class.

Riley headed to her Government class when she was stopped in the hall, "You shouldn't say that about my girlfriend," Jackson said.

"Well, it's kind of true," Riley said, turning around, "She is dating you."

"Would that make me Satan?" he asked.

"That would be you, yes," she said.

"You should watch what you say or that mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble one day," he threatened.

"What are you going to do?" she asked before turning around to walk away.

Jackson grabbed her arm and pushed her up against some lockers, "I just might have to teach you a lesson," he said.

"Are you going to hit me?" she asked.

"No," he said before slamming his fist into the locker beside her head. The slam caused her to drop her books, "You should also tell your boyfriend to stay off of school property or I'm going to tell the cops that he's selling drugs to students," he said before walking off.

She bent down to pick up her things. She learned one thing from Jackson, beside him being a complete asshole. She did see Derek earlier.

Riley ran into Scott toward the end of the day, "Have you seen Derek today?" Riley asked him.

"No, why would I?" Scott asked.

"I don't know you two seem to have something going on. I figured if he's at the school that he came to see you because he didn't to see me," she said.

"Did something happen between you two?" Scott asked, "Did he do something?"

"Like what?" she asked.

"Did he…did he bite you?" he asked.

"No, he didn't touch me," she answered slowly.

"Good…I mean, I don't know what I mean," he said.

Riley changed the subject, "What ever you have planned with Allison tonight, I hope you use protection. Being pregnant at sixteen sucks, believe me, I saw the TV show," she said.

"What are you talking about?" Scott asked.

"You and Allison tonight, please bring condoms. It's your job," she said, checking the time, "I'm going to be late for work."

"Did Allison say something to you?" he asked.

"No, it's just that you should always be prepared…like a boy scout," she said, heading outside.

"Glad you got your car back," Scott called behind her.

"Me too," she replied.

XXX

"Riley, I'm going to call it a night," Dr. Deaton said, "I already filled out Max's paperwork for tomorrow. Can you finishing giving Tucker a bath and close up for the night?"

"I sure can," Riley replied.

"Thank you," Deaton said, grabbing his stuff and leaving the office.

"Tucker, I know, you hate baths," she said to the little rat terrier, "I'm almost done, sweetie."

Riley finished up with her work and began to close the office for the night. She grabbed her things, set the alarm system and left for the night. She was half way home, when she realized that she forgot her cell phone in her work locker. She turned her car around to go back to the office to get it.

When she pulled up in the parking lot, she saw some lights on in the back, "I thought I turned everything off," she said to herself. She unlocked the door and turned to shut off the alarm system but found it was already turned off. Against her best judgment, she walked slowly to the back, hearing voices the whole time.

"You faint at the sight of blood?" a male voice asked.

"No, but I might at the sight of a chopped off arm," another voice said.

"Alright, what about this, either you cut off my arm or I'll cut off your head," the first voice said.

Riley reached into her pocket about to call the police, when she remembered she didn't have it.

"What the hell is that?" she heard someone ask.

Riley thought she recognized that voice.

"My body trying to heal itself," the first guy said.

"It's not doing a very good job with it," she heard. After that she knew the squeaky voice belonged to Stiles. She heard a chain-saw noise and knew she had to do something before something bad happened. She rushed into the room to see Stiles with a mini-bone saw, preparing to cut off Derek's arm, "What the hell are you doing?!" she yelled, getting there attention.

Stiles dropped the bone-saw, "How come you didn't sense her coming?" he asked Derek.

"I've been a bit busy, trying not to die," Derek wheezed out.

"What are you doing? How did you get in here?" she asked again. She stepped forward and saw Derek's arm and the shape he was in, "What happened to you?" she asked reaching out to touch him.

"Don't," he choked out, turning away from her, "Get her out of here!" he shouted at Stiles.

"I'm not leaving until someone tells me what's going on," she said, "Have you been shot?" Stiles stepped toward her, "One more step and I'll hurt you," she said to Stiles.

Stiles backed off, "Your girlfriend is almost as scary as you," Stiles said to Derek.

At the same time, Derek shouted, "She's not my girlfriend," and Riley shouted, "I'm not his girlfriend."

"Could have fooled me," Stiles said.

"Derek, I can help you," Riley pleaded.

"No," he said.

"At least sit down before you fall over," she said, "Why did I walk in on Stiles preparing to cut your arm off?"

No one answered her.

"Stiles," Scott called from another room.

"Scott?" Stiles asked.

Scott walked into the back room, "What is she doing here?" he asked about Riley.

Riley looked at him, "That's the first thing you ask?" she asked.

Scott saw the bone saw on the floor, "Why do you have that?" he asked.

"Stiles was about to cut off Derek's arm," Riley told him.

"And I hope that you will prevent a life time of nightmares," Stiles said to Scott.

"Did you bring it?" Derek asked, barely standing.

Scott pulled out a bullet from his pocket and handed it to Derek.

"Haven't you seen enough of those for one day?" Riley asked stepping toward him again, but this time Stiles stopped her.

"What are you going to do with it?" Scott asked Derek.

"I'm going to…I'm going to…" Derek got out before passing out on the floor. He dropped the bullet.

Riley pushed passed Stiles to get to Derek. She bent down next to him, "Derek! Derek!" she shouted, shaking him a little, "Wake up!"

Stiles was beside her on the other side of Derek, "Scott, what are we going to do?" he asked.

"I don't know," Scott said, trying to get the bullet that rolled under the cabinet and into the drain.

"Derek!" Riley shouted again, "Call 9-1-1!" no one moved, "I don't have my phone," she said, "Stop worrying about the bullet and call 9-1-1."

"You don't understand," Stiles told her.

"What don't I understand!? Derek is hurt. He needs help," she said, shaking him again.

"I can't reach it," Scott said.

"He's not waking up," Stiles called.

Riley moved to support Derek's head in her lap, "Come on guys," she started to tear up, "I don't know what to do."

"I think he's drying," Stiles said, panicking, "I think he's dead."

"Don't say that," Riley said, putting his head down and moving again to check to see if Derek was breathing, "He's breathing but barely. Call 9-1-1! Please!" tears were now running down her face.

"Hold on, I almost have it," Scott said. After a few seconds, "I got it! I got it!"

"Please don't kill me for this," Stiles said.

"What?" Riley asked. She watched Stiles punch Derek in the face, "What is wrong with you?"

The punch caused Derek to wake up, "Give me…" Derek whispered. Scott handed him the bullet.

Derek tried to get up, "No, I think you should stay down," she said, getting a better look at his arm, "That looks bad."

Stiles and Scott helped Derek stand up and helped him to one of the lab tables, "Derek," she whispered. He was a little wobble and she helped to steady him. She watched as Derek put the bullet to his mouth and bit off one end. Derek emptied out the gun powder. Riley watched as he lit the powder on fire, "I don't understand," she whispered.

As if remembering that Riley was there, "Hold her back," Derek told Scott as he put the burnt powder into the palm of his hand.

Scott moved behind Riley and grabbed her arms, "Ow!" she complained.

"Careful," Derek warned.

"What are you doing?" Riley asked.

"Trust me," Derek said as he put the burnt powder to his bullet wound and pushed one finger into the wound.

The pain was so bad for him that it caused Derek to fall to the floor again. Riley tried to go to him again but Scott had a good hold on her. Riley was helpless as she watched Derek struggle to the floor.

Derek let out a loud growl. Riley watched as his bullet wound healed itself. There wasn't even a mark left.

Scott was practically holding her up; she couldn't believe what she just saw. She didn't say anything.

"That was awesome!" Stiles said.

Everyone looked at him.

Riley broke free from Scott and pushed herself against the countertop. Trying to prevent herself from falling.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked Derek.

"Except for the pain," Derek said sarcastically.

"I guess the ability to use sarcasm still work," Stiles said.

Derek looked past Scott and Stiles, "Riley?" Derek asked.

She looked up at Derek, "Did that just happen?" she whispered. Derek took a step toward her. She put one hand up, "Right there is fine."

"We saved your life," Scott said, getting Derek's attention again. Riley took the moment to sit down on the floor with her back to the cabinet, "That means you are going to leave us alone, you got that? Or I'm going to go back to Allison's dad and I'm going to tell him everything," Scott threatened.

"Are you going to trust them?" Derek asked him, "You think that they can help you?"

"Why not?" Scott asked, "They are a lot freaking nicer than you are."

Riley began to laugh. She covered her mouth, "Sorry," she said.

"I can show you exactly how nice they are," Derek said.

"What do you mean?" Scott asked.

"But first, I need to take Riley home," Derek said.

"I have my car," Riley said, "I can take myself."

Derek sighed, "Make sure she gets home safe," Derek told Stiles.

"Again with the orders," Stiles said. Derek gave him a look, "Alright, but this is the last time."

Riley stood up slowly, "I forgot my phone," she said, "That's why I came back."

"I'll get it," Scott said, leaving the room.

"Are you alright to drive?" Derek asked.

"I'm fine," she lied.

"Here," Scott said, handing her phone to her.

"Thanks," she said, walking past Derek without looking back toward the door.

"Watch her until I show up," Derek told Stiles, "Please."

"I will," Stiles said, following Riley out.

Riley didn't remember the drive home. She walked numbly toward her house and unlocked the door.

Stiles stayed in his jeep watching the house.

Riley took a quick shower and put her sleepwear on. She shut the lights off in her room and sat down on her bed with her back against the wall. She stared at nothing, in the dark, for awhile.

XXX

Derek left the animal hospital with Scott. They drove to the local hospital and walked into a patient's room.

"Who is he?" Scott asked.

"My uncle, Peter Hale," Derek said.

"Is he? Like you, a werewolf?" Scott asked.

"He was…now he's barely even human," Derek said, "Six years ago, our house was on fire. My sister and I weren't at home. Twelve people were trapped inside…including Riley. She and my uncle were the only survivors…"

"They must have had a reason," Scott said.

"Why would they do something like this?" Derek asked while moving his uncle to face then. Scott saw the burn scars, "There were ordinary people in that house…Riley was in that house. Not just werewolves. She didn't deserve this," he said.

"How did you get in here?" a nurse asked them.

XXX

It was almost an hour since Riley has been home, "I knew you would come," she said.

Her bedroom light flicked on and revealed Derek standing in her doorway, "Can I come in?" he asked.

"You let yourself in up to this point, why not go a little bit more?" she said.

Derek walked in and sat down at the end of her bed, "You parents gone again?" he asked.

"Nope," she said, "I've been lying to everyone about parents for a while now," Derek looked at her, "They don't go away every weekend and leave me here alone. My parents are divorced. My dad doesn't live here anymore and neither does my mom half the time. She's too busy getting drunk at the bar to come home. She can't be here without being sad, so she drinks."

"I didn't know," he whispered.

"Why would you? I wasn't the only one keeping a secret," Riley said.

They were silent for a while, "About what you saw…" Derek started.

"So that did happen back there?" Riley asked, interrupting him.

"Yes," he said.

"What exactly did happen?" she asked.

"I'm a werewolf," he said.

"A werewolf?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Like with the full moon and everything?" she asked.

"Something like that," he said.

Derek spent some time telling Riley everything, beginning with the werewolf legend and his family's history. He even told her about the fire and why that happened. The end of it, Riley was sitting cross-legged, facing Derek who was in the same position on her bed.

"Is that everything?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

"You're a werewolf…well, that's not the worst thing in the world," she said.

"What could be worse?" he asked.

She laughed, "I have no idea," she said, "You tell me."

He laughed too.

She leaned forward to touch his face. He leaned in the rest of the way to kiss her on the lips. She smiled at him once they kiss was broke off. She slide her hand down his arm and stopped at the place his wound once was, "Does it still hurt?" she asked.

"A little, but nothing some rest couldn't fix," he said.

She looked at him, "You can stay here," she said, "To rest."

He nodded his head and got up from the bed. He walked over to the door to shut it and then took off his shirt. Riley watched him the whole time. Before Derek shot off the lights, she crawled under the sheets and laid down on her side face the door. She listened to Derek take off his shoes and walk around to the other side of the bed. She felt him get in behind her.

After failing to go to sleep she turned around to face him. She found Derek on his back looking up at the ceiling. When she turned to look at him, he looked at her. Riley moved so that she was curled up beside him with her head on his bare chest. She was contempt with herself and was able to go to sleep. Derek followed her shortly afterward.

XXX

Some time in the middle of the time, Riley woke up with Derek hovering over her. She looked up at him and saw a look in his eyes. She touched the side of his face and lowered him to her to give him a passionate kiss.

Derek tugged on her shirt and broke off the kiss to ask her the silent question. She nodded her head and that was all he needed to take off her shirt. He kissed her again. After awhile, Riley began to remove his pants. He stopped her and sat up on his knees between her legs. He removed his pants and her short until the only piece of clothing between them were her underwear. He was still on his knees when he looked down at her again. She looked back up at him, "Derek," she whispered. That was her giving him permission.

Derek removed her underwear.

He was gently and sweet. He wanted only the best for her first time.

Afterward, Derek covered themselves up as Riley took her original position from early, curled up in his arms.