Everyone wants power

Derek kept tracking a wolf scent through the carnival. It was confusing. He could smell and feel there was one around. He even believed there were several. Which was hard to wrap his head around. His animal instinct told him multiple werewolves were roaming around but his logical human brain refused to process that information. There could not be others around. To his knowledge there had been no other werewolves in Mystic Falls apart from the Hales and he was the last one standing. Except for his uncle Peter but the man was catatonic at the hospital.

During the six years Derek had been away, there could have been an omega taken residency or passing by the city. It was the assumption Laura had when she had left New York to investigate the animal attacks in their hometown. The same omega must have been the one who had killed his sister and stolen her alpha status. Derek needed to avenge her and reclaim her power. Vengeance aside, he also needed to stop whoever was being sloppy leaving bodies and shining a light which could expose them all.

He was close. He could feel it. He was about to enter the forest when Scott came out looking crazed and holding his side. Derek smelled the blood on the younger man. No more than a boy really. His heart clenched. The rogue alpha might have claimed another victim.

"Are you talking to me ?" Derek thought he had perfected his unapproachable look. Apparently not enough.

Derek pondered her words. He had not meant to be specifically misogynistic. It was a shame she took it that way. He had a great respect for strong women, having been raised by two. He only aimed to be callous. " I will remember your preferred choice of insults if there is a next time."

"It's none of your concern." He was not there to make small talk. " Do you have it or not ?" His first instinct was to come back later and break in. However if they had mountain ash and knew what it really was or how to use it, he might not be able to do so.

it probably wasn't the best idea to antagonize a complete stranger with all the recent happenings, but she was in a mood. "okay, then. now that that's settled, we can stand here and be creepy together."

He looked at her as she offered to stand together. Derek was a lone wolf. Now more than ever. And a busy one. He did not have time for that. Whatever scent had led him to the Ferris wheel could still be active somewhere else. It was frustrating to have lost it in the first place and he could not get distracted. " Tempting offer but I have things to do." As a rare act of kindness he did not add more interesting to his answer.

"We have some speciality items in the back." Things that required a more complicated preservation method than jars on shelves, or things that only a specific subset of people would ever need to use. A kernel of suspicion rolled in her mind. "If you give me a hint I can see if we have whatever you're looking for."

However he decided to play nice. "Mountain ash."

so here she was with arms folded across her chest, staring up at the ferris wheel as if it were about to bestow a momentous sign upon her. she turns at the voice, brows raising.

"why would i have to be waiting for someone? but no, i'm not." grace looks up at him, almost amused. "are you waiting for someone?"

He was not waiting for someone. He was chasing them. There was a big difference. Predator. Prey. Derek was determined to be the apex one. "No."

He bit his inner cheek until blood flooded his mouth and pushed his emotions deep down. He had a job to do. He tracked the scent to the Ferris wheel but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Children begging their parents for a ride. Lovers whispering in each others ears inside baskets. Friends making jokes while they queued.

He also noticed the beautiful woman standing alone. Looking almost as moody as him. "Waiting for someone ?"

She'd taken the late shift for that brief respite from her family, and the time had slipped by without her even really noticing. The bell above the door rang and she looked up in surprise, eyes hitting the clock before the customer. "Oh— we close soon." Five minutes ago, really. "Can I help you find what you're looking for?"

He did not bother to reply to the girl. He did not plan on being long anyway. He was only surveying the place. Looking for the kind of herbs the shop sold and whether it could be a danger to him. Frauds could still have real wolfbane. So his eyes scanned the shelves, making a note of everything that was available for future use. One could never be too prepared. " Is that all you got ? " He eventually asked.

Derek would have never been caught dead attending a stupid carnival but busy events were a prime hunting ground. Whoever was responsible for the chaos in Mystic Falls could lurk around, selecting its new victim. So there he was in the middle of the crowd. As he was making his round, an annoying brunette interrupted him, making him lose his focus.