Angeline POV

I sat down the coffee mug on the table and poured the dark roast black coffee. I dropped the pot down on against the table before collapsing into the opposite side of the booth, resting my temple tiredly in my hand. A piece of straw hair lay in the middle of my face and despite my blowing on it to move, it stubbornly remained in its place.

Derek looked at me with an amused gaze, pushing his mug in my direction. "Need some coffee?" He raised an eyebrow when I glared at him. I sipped out of the white ceramic, screwing up my face and wrinkling my nose at the bitter taste and gaseous scent. "If I'm going to drink your coffee, I'm going to need a crap-load of creamer and at least 6 packets of Splenda."

"You seem drained", He took his coffee back and added a sugar packet to it, taking a long draw afterwards.

I smiled tightly, "You mean I smell drained." He shrugged, he was doing more to his coffee, but I didn't take notice. "Well, lying to a pair of smart, inquisitive teenage girls, bickering with my co-worker, texting you, and trying to get Karynna to put on some pants is emotionally exhausting."

He looked at me, passively stoic again, "What were you bickering about?"

I looked at him, exasperated, "That's what you pull from my comment?"

He shrugged again, "I don't need to guess why Karynna would need to put on some pants. If she's wearing anything like she did last week no one would need an explanation." "Hey! That dress looked adorable on me." She paused in front of the table, hands on hips.

"Yeah, we know, that teenage boy that keeps his hand down his pants told me all about it when you walked away. Underwear peeking, by the way." I looked at her, her pursed lips parted and her face lit up.

"Who? Was it Johnny or Dom? Did he have red hair or brown?" I gave Derek an incredulous look, he looked away and resisted a smile. "Not the point, Rynna. I personally am not interested in seeing you're religion." I turned back to Derek after she'd huffed and walked away, "I had to give her my kick pants from under my dress. Not too happy about it, but at least she's not flashing anybody."

He nodded and pushed the mug back in front of me, it was lighted now, a frothy cocoa color. I tried to push away the tiny smile that threatened to creep onto the lower half of my face. It was sweeter when I took a sip, thicker and smooth. I didn't say anything, even though I wanted to.

"What did they ask about? How much did they discover?" the Hale boy stared at me, less than a foot away. His voice was hard and sharp, but a foot lightly kicked mine beneath the table.

"Well, they definitely knew I worked here, figured it was me because, and I quote, "It can't be the queen, if she were his type, he would've hit on you by now", meaning Lydia. They complimented my eyes, a few other specific details they probably got from you." He nodded and bit his cheek in anger, likely realizing that he gave them everything they would need to make a positive ID.

"So", I looked at him over the rounded edge of the mug, "What did you say about my eyes?"

His eyes zipped to mine, and I saw a spite of embarrassment in his ears when they turned red, but his werewolf abilities took care of that rather quickly, his heart sped up as well. "Nothing much, just that they were rare, Auburn eyes." His heart beat even faster on the words nothing and much. I squinted at him, "liar."

I drank from the hot coffee some more, leaning back on the chair. "What did you say about me in general?"

"I just answered their questions. Vaguely, of course", He was still staring into my eyes, stoic face and all.

"Of course", I squinted again, this time less playful, more dejected. Like 'go figure' in a negatively sarcastic way. He tilted his head at me, "What?"

"Nothing, nothing to worry about." Derek looked like he wanted to say something, but brushed it off. I couldn't decide whether to be happy or regretful. "Do you want anything else? Cause it's almost time for me to get off and I kind of just want to go crash in bed." Derek nodded curtly, clutching his keys in a fist.

I stood up and brushed off my jeans, carrying the mug and pot with me. I dropped them in the sink and stripped my hips of the black apron. I folded it, shoving it into my bag and breathed out, stretching a fake smile onto my face.

Clicking my time card in the slot, I walked with bag on shoulder to Derek, whom stood against the wall by his booth. I slid an arm around his torso, leaning into his side while he repeated my motion, hand resting on the dip of my waist. My head rested on his shoulder and we began to walk out, Karynna gave us a brief weary glance and mouthed 'ok?' to me when Derek was busy paying.

I nodded once, looking away. Derek rubbed my side and held the door open, we stepped apart. Even if there was no one around here that cares if we were in a 'relationship' , there could still be eyes on us, malice eyes.

We got into our perspective vehicles, a simple confirmation that we would be meeting at my apartment. I was tired, it was only maybe six o'clock, but I was beat. I was pleased to have met Lydia and Allison, sad that that Derek didn't want me to meet the rest of his pack. It made me wonder about the thoughts that had been plaguing me all day.

What was I to him? A starter relationship, a hook up? He doesn't think enough of me to meet the pack, maybe I wasn't good enough. I'd been thinking that Derek wouldn't call me his girlfriend because he was reluctant to trust. But after what I'd learned about him and Scott and the rest of his pack, it could very well be possibly that he just doesn't consider me a girlfriend material. A sad air set in the car as I looked at the facts. I blank mindedly sped up, arriving at the apartment building 5 minutes early. I moved quickly, waving almost invisibly fast at Jerome and practically running down the hallway and into my apartment. I pulled out my emergency scotch stash from behind the hamper. Taking a swig from it and pouring myself a double shot.

The door caught my attention, and I sipped from my glass as I looked over my shoulder. Derek was surprised and almost concerned, "Where'd you go? One minute you're in front of me, the next you're 3 blocks ahead and turning onto the address street."

I sighed at myself, "Sorry, I kinda got lost in my own head. Put some lead on the gas, you want one?" I gestured to my glass and Derek shook his head no. So I turned and capped the scotch, pushing it back farther the counter. When I turned back, Derek was in front of me, pushing me against the counter, arms around my torso, face buried in the crook of my neck.

"What's wrong?" he muffled into my skin.

"I don't know what you're talking about", I rested my head on his shoulder, sniffing ever so slightly.

"That's crap and you know it, what are you upset about?"

I shut my eyes tight, placing my cheek on the leather of his jacket so that I could get more comfortable. "Just over thinking things."

"Like?"

"Well aren't you just Sir Curiosity today?"

"Don't hide behind that defensive sarcasm crap. Tell me what's going on." Derek said directly, pulling me closer and nuzzling behind my ear. "Nothing, I overthink everything, I mean, I even over think my overthinking. If that's even possible I mean, if it's not then that would kind of make sense from a hypothetical stand point I think, don't you?"

"You are rambling. You are overthinking you verbal response to me. Angeline, you need to calm the heck down." The moment he said my name, the painfully speedy beating of my heart halted, and my knees went weak. I calmed down alright, enough to pull back and look him in the eyes. But the pale green only reminded me of all my almost self destructive thoughts about our now seemingly rocky relationship.

I looked away, pulling my arms in front of me, and resting all of my weight against his solid build. I felt so tired, like sleep was almost lulling me away. Derek's voice pulled me past it though, "Will you please tell me what is happening inside that beautiful head of yours?" His voice held no emotion, which was chilling for a sentence so sweet.

"What do you think of me?" My voice was muffled like his had been minutes ago, but intelligible. "What?" Derek was puzzled.

"Okay, prepare yourself for a rant and a long few minutes of rambling." I pulled back, hopping up and sitting on the counter. "I really hate that we can smell every emotion that a person feels. We get nearly no privacy, and it makes have conversations that could and will probably lead to something bad." Derek emotionlessly looked at me, hands still glued to my mid-back.

"I know that you don't want me to meet your pack, that's your decision. I respect that, you're their alpha, and you call the shots. I guess I feel hurt, and I don't really have grounds to feel hurt, believe me, I realize that, I'm just wondering why you don't want me to meet them. I understand that timing is everything, but the way that you talk about them meeting me it's like it's the end of the world. Emotions are overriding logic right now. And the only thought I have on this are bad ones. You don't think enough of me or you don't plan on this going that far, or you don't think that I'm worth it or something." I looked away because it suddenly felt hard to look at him.

Derek was sputtering above me, at a sudden loss for words. "That's - that's none of it. At all." Derek gripped the side of my face and forced me to look at him. I hate that I was acting emotional and vulnerable about this. I have no idea where my guard is, it just decided to up and walk away. Probably watching this whole scene play out.

"I don't think that at all. Angeline, my pack is obnoxious, and rowdy and I am not the person I am when you are around. I don't want to combine you and them and have things not work out. It has nothing to do with you not being good enough, because you are worth every second. And I don't think this is going that far? I don't see an end anytime soon, I do want them to meet you. Cliché as it is, you have done nothing but good in my life, and I don't want to lose that." I looked at Derek, his eyes were almost pleading, as if asking that I believed what he believed too. "If you want me to introduce you I will, just." Derek seemed at a loss for words again. "Don't ever think that again. Ever."

Derek's voice was firm and accusatory, "Tomorrow. I will pick you up here at 10, you don't have work. They don't have school, its Saturday." I almost laughed, I hadn't expected sure a quick turnaround.

I gripped his neck and pulled him in for a long kiss, "I love you."

He grumbled and kissed me one more time, "I love you too. Now as much as I don't want to, I have to go bowling." I laughed, "That's the point of doing this. Pack bonding. Have fun babe."

With an annoyed expression on his face, he pressed a quick peck to my lips and walked out the door.

…

Angeline POV

Derek was waiting at the door front of my apartment building at 10 o'clock on the dot. I shouldered my bag and adjusted my grip on the cans in my hand. Opening the door, I put the cans in the back seat along with a bag of Jack in the Box. Derek raised an eyebrow from his side of the car, he had sunglasses on that made me have to resist to shove my lips on him.

It's was an amazing car, grey Camaro, high end. Derek turned to me, obviously questioning my greasy food in the back seat of his very expensive car. "Do I even need to ask, or are you just going to tell me?"

I laughed, "I figured if they didn't like me, I could at least bring them something to help them make a final decision. Curly fries, right?"

"You won't need curly fries or red bull to make them like you. You bicker back and forth with me and I don't yell you about it, they'll be envious."

"You mean…Stiles, was it? The one who's always picking a fight at everything?" The sunglasses blocked my view but I felt his glance shift my way. "Dang, why do you look like that?"

Derek's composure startled, "What?" I laughed, "Why do you get to look like that when I'm over here in a pair of shorts and a tank top and the same pony tail I put my hair in last night."

"You put that in last night? It looks good."

"Yeah I did, thank you." He wasn't going to mention what happened last night, and I was eternally grateful.

"You have no reason to change any of that." He nodded to my whole silhouette. I scoffed, "Yeah right, this is total crap."

After a few moments I remembered the emergency makeup Karynna had made me keep. I internally thanked her a thousand times for being such a stubborn teenager. "Pull over", Derek gave me an incredulous look that wasn't at all hard to decipher through his mirrored glasses.

"Seriously pull over", He did as told, complaining and asking what it could possibly be for. I pulled out the small plastic holder, "Oh, no. you do not need to put that on right now. You'll be fine. You always look fine - " Derek was making wild hand gestures as I applied blush. "Well, Derek, I have learned that you decide to look like a freaking god as a full time job. So if I'm at least going to look like I could be in your league, I need to make some last minute adjustments."

The Sun block mirror was small, but just big enough to get the job done. Some foundation, blush, thin eyeliner, violet shaded eyeshadow, and a whole lot of mascara and I was almost done. Pulling out the soft lip color, I applied it and then proceeded with the Lip liner. I glanced at Derek, who'd removed his sunglasses to look at me fully. "That was the most complicated, tedious, painstaking process I have ever seen."

"So I don't look good and that extra five minute detour was not worth it?" He hurriedly tried to cover his comment, "No, that was a complete 180 turn around." I raised my eyebrow to retort. "That's not what I meant and you know it. You just look better now, with makeup on." I scoffed at him.

"No, Angeline, that is not – you are so frustrating sometimes."

I smiled brightly, face feeling like it lit up significantly, "I know, It's fun to see you get flustered. It's freaking adorable, you know that?"

"I do have to give you girls more credit, in five minutes you can turn your face porcelain." Derek's voice was borderline upset. I snapped my head at him, worry likely etched in my features. "You look stunning without all that crap. You don't need it." A warm feeling blossomed in my core, "You don't realize what you look like, do you Derek?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"Derek, people don't see it as any normal couple. They see a painfully attractive person and another person. What they look like compared to this gorgeous mass of bone and arteries and muscle and blood. –" Derek stopped at a red light and looked at me.

"I don't care what people think, it doesn't matter to me whether you 'a face' on or not." Derek was practically steaming, and that warm blossom spread to my face, pink warming my face. Silence clouded the interior of the car.

"What", Derek growled just before we pulled up to another stoplight. I was still staring at him in the passenger seat with a dopey smile on. He looked over at me and I snatched the back of his head, kissing him softly but firmly. I let him go to look back at the road, and turned forward myself. "What was that for?" Derek's voice was light and floaty, like he was in a daze. I shook my head, "I just love you."

…

My nerves were teasing every anxious bone in my body. The big burnt house before me seemed to be clawing a ticklish place in my core because I kept jumping, almost shaking.

"You okay? You seem a little jumpy?" There was a loud humor in his voice, and I glared him down.

"I'm nervous. Out of all of this, we go to finally meet your pack, and my nerves are shot", I smiled at the hilarity of the situation.

"Things will be fine. Trust me." Derek pulled his keys from the ignition, giving me an honest look. I nodded and grabbed all of the bags from my feet and back seat.

Derek pulled open the door, and held it for me. I walked in timidly, hugging the wall with my back. There were teenagers everywhere. A few in front of a TV, some in the kitchen, others making out. That was something else I noticed, most were in pairs. I recognized Lydia with presumably Jackson, Allison in the corner on the floor with what seemed to be Scott. A 3rd girl, who could only be Erica, with who would have to be Boyd. The boy with a jittery manner is Stiles, the boy with a head of blond curls is Isaac. 8 kids, all doing their own thing. Until they took notice of me, that is.

"Pack meeting", Derek bellowed when he entered in behind me, cynical scowl dried like a plaster shield on his face. Each teenager almost fell over themselves to present front and center before their alpha.

Derek sighed, "This is Angeline. She works at the café."

Lydia maintained a snarky smirk and Allison full on beamed at me. The rest of the pack were unsurprised, except for Stiles who acted puzzled.

"Why would you bring someone here who just works at a café? Isn't that against the rules or something? Unless it's that café and this is the girls you've been seeing for like 2 months – ", Scott slapped his shoulder and Stile's face lit up in realization. "Ohhhhhhh, okay, I got it, totally got this, it makes sense now. I – ", I cut him off before he could finish his sentence. "Makes total sense?" Stiles turned beat red, and the group snickered around us.

They all seemed like this wasn't a big deal, and I wondered if Lydia and Allison were the only two excited to scope me out for their alpha. "If it's any consolation, I brought red bull and fast food", I held up the bags and cans.

"We love her already", Stiles mumbles as he took the paper bag from my left hand, Jackson took the Red Bull from the other. "Did you get Curly fries? Dudes, she did!" I smiled and slapped Derek's chest lightly with the back of my hand, "See? I told you." Derek gave such an exaggerated eye-roll that I thought his retinas were going detach. "Come on." He placed a hand on the small of my back, leading into the kitchen.

"You stay here, talk with them, I have to go, but I'll be right back." Derek nodded his head at the mass if teens snacking on food. "Your leaving?" I wasn't worried, but I raised my eyebrows in suspicion and looked at him, leaning back on his counter top.

"Welcome to our world", Scott spat out with a mouth of fries. I laughed out loud, "Sorry about that, it would be my fault. We've been a bit busy." I turned away from the sudden rose on my cheeks.

"For 3 months though?" Lydia placed a suggestive and strong gaze upon me. I returned her suggestive face with one of my own, specific smiles.

"Derek and I can act a bit, time consuming, sometimes." 3 of the boys, erupted with contorted faces, "Ewwwwwwww. That is disgusting", Stiles was almost dry heaving. "Just nasty, man." Scott was shaking his head, faking gagging. Isaac wouldn't say anything, but his whole head had turned a funny shade of pink, and he looked like he couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. Jackson wasn't surprised, and acted as if he didn't even care, typical angsty teenage boy action. Boyd was blushing red, deep red, red enough that it would be visible even without evolved vision.

The girls were a whole other story. Lydia was impressed, smiling at me like I confirmed her theories. Allison wouldn't look at Derek, and was a shade of pink but was gawking at me like 'Dang, you really got him bagged, huh?' But it was Erica's face that killed me, she was proud. Like a father whose son just hit the homerun. "Atta girl!"

I laughed, sneaking a glance at their Alpha, he had a smirk on his face. Surely the one that had the whole pack of males feeling the embarrassment. I adore that smirk.

"I'll be back", Derek placed a soft kiss on my lips, before turning a tough stare on his betas. "Do not interrogate or annoy my girlfriend. Or I will have you training for seven hours straight tomorrow."

I completely failed at not blushing like a rose, but my heart did keep on track, thankfully. That's a godsend when you're standing in a room full of nosey teens with super-hearing. He just called me his girlfriend, in front of his pack, his family. That is kind of a big deal. Derek squeezed my side and stepped away, "Behave, or else." His voice was rigidly authoritative on that last word, he was using the voice of an alpha.

A soon as his car pulled away, Lydia squealed, "He called you his girlfriend in front of us. If what you said it true yesterday, then you should be swooning." I smiled, "Trust me I'm swooning, just on the inside."

I turned to the rest of them, "So, when do you want to start 20 questions?"

"Now is good." Stiles stared at me with the creepiest smile one could imagine. I sighed and stood up, patting the table, and snatching up a red bull, setting down in a very comfortable arm chair. It smelled like Derek, it calmed the rest of the nerves that had plagued me when he left. The bunch of youths ran in, collapsing into couches and chairs and love seats. Stiles sat on the floor, hands fidgeting. Isaac leaned against the wall, grim but optimistic expression, it almost seemed painful. Each couple sat together, girls sitting in their boyfriend's laps. Each of the girls had a hopeful expression, the boy's however, not so much.

"No questions about sex. Who's first?" I pulled my feet up into the chair, getting comfortable. Then, like a checkered flag waving, they shot off questions like a cannon.

"Full Name?" – "Angeline Verina Martello"

"Where are you from?" – "Boston"

"Why'd you move here?" – "Fresh start"

"Wait, where's the accent?" – "I slip into it when I get drunk"

The entire room went dead silent. They looked back and forth to each other, confusion on every one of their faces. "You are a wolf, right?" Erica asked me. "Indeed", oh, I know what slipped.

"Then how do you get drunk?" They all shone at me with curiosity. "It has to do with your metabolism right? How fast you burn it off?" Stiles was nearly up and out of his seat for an answer.

"Right, I've got a room full of teenagers who physically have to stay sober when they party and make somewhat thought through decisions, and you want me to tell you how you can get drunk?" They nodded, "Except for Lydia, Stiles, and I. We can get drunk all on our own." Allison said boldly from Scott's lap. I squinted my eyes, "You 3 are human then?" Lydia tried to specify by raising her hand, "Banshee."

I nodded, "Of course, headstrong and outspoken." She blinked, turning to Jackson, "I can't tell if that was an insult or not." Stiles scoffed, "Welcome to everyday of my elementary school life." Lydia glared.

Chuckling, I spoke, "Okay, next question."

"How did you and Derek first meet?" – "He came into the café where I worked, smelling completely peeved. Presumably from you guys, unfortunately. I sat him down at a table, got him some coffee and a bagel, made a couple of jokes. I figured he was a good listener, so I kept talking."

Boyd laughed, "What was that like?" His voice was unusually calming for a teenager, but then again his whole composure was at ease.

"Talking to a wall", I grinned. "But eventually he came around, I flirted with him a bit here and there, then I flirted with him a lot when he started flirting back – ", Jackson snorted with a face of disbelief.

"Derek Hale, no emotion, no heart, rude, jerk, Derek Hale started flirting with you? I don't believe it." My grin all but dropped from my face. Half of my mind brushed it off as believing Derek was just emotionless, the other half screamed that he was saying I wasn't good enough.

"You mean the same Derek Hale that brought me in here, hand on back, named me his girlfriend, and kissed me before leaving me here to get acquainted with you?" I glowered at him with the slightest hint of a smile.

Jackson looked startled for a moment before glaring back. He didn't say anything though, receding back to comfortability with Lydia.

"Okay, my turn. I want to make sure I have everyone's names right. So we have Isaac, leaning against the wall, then Jackson who I was just arguing with, Lydia in his lap sitting perfectly on the loveseat. Boyd is the one with, Erica, I think? Yeah, Boyd is on the floor, Erica with her tongue in his throat." The both of them stopped and looked towards me with wide eyes. "Right. On the Left side of the couch is Allison and beneath her sits Scott. Opposite them is Stiles, who moved from his spot in front of the loveseat a few moments ago. That all sound about right?"

"Okay, yes, you got us all right. What did Derek show you a picture?" Jackson's attitude was back.

"Yes actually, on our 3rd date, 2 months ago. I asked him about his pack, and he tossed me a picture with no other words than, specifically. 'They are aggravating and annoying and they tick me off most the time but they're good pack. Every one of them.'" Scott looked surprised, "That's the nicest thing he's ever said. And it wasn't even to us." The pack laughed. I turned back to Jackson directly across the room. "So are you going to keep acting like someone left a dead squirrel in your locker or is this a spur of the moment thing?" He glowered imaginary daggers into my brain and heart.

"Okay, I don't know what you guys wanna do, but I have to make a phone call. Make sure that there's nothing my boss needs me to do before I go home tonight." I got up and walked into the kitchen, dialing Judy's number. And leaving an ear open for anything that the others said.

Judy picked up on the 5th ring, "Hey doll", she hacked through the speaker. "Aren't you supposed to be meeting his family or something?"

I scoffed, "And how did you find that out?"

"How do you think?", it irked me about that girl, "And how did Karynna find out?"

"Like I would know. I've got no clue how she gets half the facts she does. She could make good money like that, in the blackmail business –" Judy continued to ramble about Karynna's potential in the business of Secrets. I honed my hearing on the living room.

"So what do you guys really think of her?" Allison's shy pitch spoke quietly.

"I think she rocks." Lydia was easy to isolate, Erica as well, "Yeah, we need another girl here. She can stand up to Derek, and she seems to really get the way we act."

"I don't like her", Jackson's voice was annoying and pitchy, and Erica sneered a response, "Oh you're just mad cause she put you in your place."

"Yes, but she is just a little too much. Almost trying too hard." Scott said hesitantly. "I feel bad about it but I kind of agree. She was really nice and helpful, but the personality doesn't really fit." Isaac said, the guilt was easily detectable in his voice. I hadn't tried to hard had I? I didn't even think I was trying.

"I thought she was cool, she brought us food and energy drinks. Boyd, you're the only one who hasn't put his two cents in." At least Stiles was on my side. "I don't have any problem with her. But I guess I can kind of see what you mean." Boyd's voice was earthy and low, almost shameful. Could they honestly not realize that I could hear them? I felt hurt but put a stop to that immediately, they were werewolves, they would smell it.

I turned back to the phone, "Okay, okay Judy. Do is there any more work to do at the DeVille?"

"Well there's tonight's shift, but I'm not paying you overtime." I sighed, almost in relief. "Okay, um, I'll be in by 7. See you then, bye." Judy was still talking when I pulled the device from my ear, clicking the red button. I rushed to pull out a pack of Post It's, writing a simple message on the dark purple paper, sticking it to the counter.

Hey, talked to Judy, had to go in work. Talk to you later – Angeline

I walked back to the living room, bag in hand. "Hey guys, I have to go into work. It was nice meeting you all, seriously. I left a note for Derek in the kitchen, if you guys don't tell him first." Allison peaked over the side of the couch when I moved for the door. "Do you need a ride? I know that Derek drove here."

"Oh, no that's fine, the café isn't far from here. I can run." Allison's face fell, disappointed that I was denying her help. I smiled sadly at her, "Bye guys."

"Bye", Jackson said in a mocking tone, very mocking. I just caught sight of Lydia painfully slapping his chest before I took off. Running at an even pace through the forest.