PREDATOR

Allison was building up like a bomb about to explode, getting more and more overwhelmed with every revelation she had. And keeping it inside was only making her more stressed, not even telling Belle what was going on with her. Telling herself that she couldn’t involve more people, not right now. Not when there was so much uncertainty and confusion about how it had happened. She didn’t want people trying to investigate, this wasn’t a mystery for the pack to solve - it was her life.

“That suggests that I wanted to be left alone. And I texted you last night, I wasn’t completely ignoring people.” She argued, turning back towards the box, grabbing at one of her mum’s cookery books that came from the box, flicking through the pages, distracted. This wasn’t how she’d planned for her next conversation with Derek to go, but life had to go and throw her another curveball. Just like it had when they’d had their almost kiss.

Finding nothing in the book, she shoved it back in the box, with the random things that had fallen out of it.

“Now you know where I am, you can go.” She muttered, pulling another box down from the shelf, tears in her eyes. There had to be some papers, some letters, some something to explain things.

-

"Or that you were in trouble," Derek argued. "Hard to tell the difference when you don't communicate." He stepped closer to Allison, inspecting the book and documents she was looking through. His brow furrowed. "A lot can change in one night." A lesson everyone in the Pack had learned from a young age; and had it reinforced recently during Valentine's Day. He didn't mean to nag her, and he was well aware she wouldn't appreciate it. But it seemed the brunette needed a reminder of how important it was to keep in touch with her pack.

Of course, there was also the possibility he was the only one the huntress wasn't updating.

They had barely seen one another since the carnival, even less talked to each other without anyone else around. There were other matters that needed their attention, more crucial and immediate matters. Discussing what almost happened, what didn't happen...

Neither of them would be that selfish, not after the attack, not when their Pack needed them. But since their biggest worry had finally lessened, giving everyone time to think and process everything that happened; maybe whatever resurfaced had led Allison to actively avoid him. Things had been improving between them, they were finally getting along and actually seeing each other as pack. And now, because of one stupid thing, she was pulling away again. Or maybe he was the only one still thinking about it and reading far too much into things.

Derek sighed. He should have never agreed to take the dance class.

"Allison." He stood at her side, trying to get her attention. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it, I'm not here to force you. But we can't--" The scent of tears stopped him from continuing, making the wolf forget his train of thought. "Hey, stop." He urged her, pulling the box away from her hands and tossing it on top of the table near the wall. He almost reached out to take her hand, but quickly decided against it, his arm lowering back to his side. Derek swallowed hard. "--Allison, what's wrong?"

Alicia was surprised to hear Derek’s voice. Turning her attention to him she took the card. “They sent you here? Oh, tell everyone thanks.” She placed the card on the table before picking up the bag of food. “Please say this is for me. I’m so tired of hospital food.”

-

Derek nodded, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. "I figured you'd be." It wasn't much, but the wolf at least managed to grab her favorites. As unappetizing as hospital food was, possibly interrupting her recuperation with an imbalanced diet didn't sound very helpful. Plus, the second bag he brought was left at the front desk with Nurse McCall. It was their agreement; any time he visited the hospital, he had to bring her a large order of onion rings. 

The deputy furrowed her eyebrows, she really thought she would see Allison there, but instead she just saw a male standing there. “Hmmm… I could ask you the same thing, this is Allison’s place” she said shrugging. The woman took a quick look at the male standing there, just too notice something familiar in him. “I’m Belle Emera…Argent” she said softly “I’m Allison’s cousin” she explained “I was supposed to find her here but… well you’re definitely not her” she repeated once more. The bucket of flowers in her hands somehow was making her feel awkward, not to mention someone was at her cousin’s apartment. “It’s Allison in there? Oh wait, did I interrupt something?” she panicked. She hadn’t had time to talk to Allison much those days, but if she was dating someone she would have told her, right?. “Je suis vraiment désolé If I nocked in a bad moment” said the French woman feeling her cheeks burning.

-

When the woman introduced herself, Derek's brow furrowed. He noted the way she seemed almost reluctant to share her whole name, the fact making him wonder if she was hiding something. Her heartbeat gave no signs of dishonesty however, so even if Belle didn't seem too proud to share the Argent name, she at least wasn't lying about being one. But in that case, why hadn't Allison mentioned a new family member being in town? "We established that," he said. He was about to answer her question when the woman made the assumption she might have interrupted something. The wolf shifted in place, crossing his arms along his chest. "She isn't here," he retorted, stepping out of the apartment and closing it behind him.  "Derek.” Until he spoke to Allison about this cousin, he preferred not to share his last name. “I'm the owner of the building." The wolf moved, intending to walk past Belle and return to his loft. "You should call her. Make sure she's home before stopping by."

Closed starter for @ofevolution​

Allison’s mind was a whirlwind, panicked and stressed thoughts filling her head. She hadn’t even been home that night, crashing at someone’s place because she couldn’t see the pack - they knew her, and as soon as they saw her, they’d know something was up. The only thing she’d done was shoot a text to Derek, asking him to feed the rats that night, knowing that if she asked Scott to do it, he’d ask too many questions. As soon as she got to her dad’s storage she tore her jacket off, tossing it to one side, trying to ignore the black marks that now adorned each arm. She needed to find answers. Or rather, not find answers. Because there was no way her family knew about this and didn’t tell her. She couldn’t believe that.

But regardless, she had to make sure. 

Hearing the door open made her jump, and she stood up from the box she was rummaging through, letting out a heavy sigh when she saw it was Derek. With everything that had gone on since the carnival, she couldn’t be sure they’d even been in a room alone.

“If Scott sent you because you told him I didn’t come home last night, then I’m fine. I don’t need babysitting.” She huffed, turning his back on him, finally giving up on neatly looking through the boxes, and just tipped one upside down to search the contents.

-

Considering all the different directions the McCall pack was being pulled towards, it was understandable that not all of them could be around each other at every moment of the day. Between the organizations trying to get their attention, the bodies of the town locals, the traps in the preserve, the attack during the carnival, and the newly turned vampire they had in their care; saying the pack had their hands full was an understatement. Keeping in contact with one another however was important, especially after everything that had happened with Stiles.

Allison didn't seem to get that.

To avoid adding to Scott's worries, Derek decided to look for the huntress himself, visiting her usual spots. Unable to find her, the wolf was about to call her father when he received a notification from the security system in the Argent storage unit. Whenever Chris was out of town, he'd ask the werewolf to keep an eye on it, setting up an alert on Derek's phone in case the alarm was ever triggered.

Derek entered the storage and shut off the alarm, brow furrowing as he looked over the mess Allison was making. A sigh left his nostrils. "He didn't send me," the wolf said. "You weren't answering your phone." She didn't seem to have gotten much sleep, and the scent of anxiety was thick around her. "What are you doing?"

Tu n'es pas ma cousine [Belle & Derek]

When Belle was told she had two free days a week she chose Friday and Sunday right away, just the perfect days, at least that was what the French woman thought. She remembered having all Sunday’s free just to have her petit-déjeuner with her best friends back at Nantes, she somehow wanted to keep those perfect moment with her, even if she had to adapt it to Beacon Hills and the food was not as good as the one as she used to eat when she was out back in France.

That Saturday the French woman just decided to get up early, and just to surprise her cousin. Belle was just excited to spend time with Allison after finding out her cousin, who she really thought was dead many years ago. Someone who she had cried over millions of times before that night back at the carnival. Belle was dressed and just with a wide smile on her lips and a bucket of flowers she knocked on what she thought it was Allison’s loft door. “Allez, allez Allison” said the brunette a soft chuckle, that was just erased when she saw the man opening the door. “Oh wow” the brunette chuckled nervously “I really think you’re not Allison” @ofevolution​​

-

Sleeping was something Derek struggled with for most of his life, going to sleep just as difficult as staying asleep. He'd always been a light sleeper, any minuscule sound or movement capable of waking him up instantly and keeping him awake for hours. If he had too much on his mind, attempting to rest was just impossible, the wolf usually resorting to functioning on small naps rather than on full nights of sleep. So whenever he was capable of laying down and closing his eyes, Derek tried to take full advantage of it.

That particular morning though, it seemed everything was determined to keep the Beta awake. He stood from the bed as he heard his phone vibrating on the kitchen counter, a sigh leaving his nostrils when he read the text. For the third morning in a row, Allison asked him to check on her rats. Where the hell was she going every night?

Derek didn't bother changing out of his pajamas, planning to make sure the animals were okay and then going right back to bed. Descending the building's stairs, he used the master key to open the brunette's apartment. He was refilling the rats' water bottle when he sensed someone approaching the front door, the fact they seemed to know Allison making the wolf's brow furrow. He placed Artemis and Orion back in their cage and opened the door.

“Yeah.” Derek inspected the stranger for a moment. "And you are?"

@theunveilingreblog

Her gaze shifted towards the tv as she found herself annoyed. She was restless and been ready to go home. But he doctor was being stubborn and it frustrated her to no end. So now Alicia was stuck in a hospital room with nothing to do but watch stories on the tv. Laying her head back on the pillow she closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. When she heard someone come in she assumed it was the doctor. “You’re here to tell me that your releasing me today right.” 

-

@ofevolution  on this, we agree​

Outside the Pack house, Lydia stood in her heels and dress looking sorely unsuitable for her surroundings. 

Scott had on several occasions told her there was a place for her there when she came back, either on her breaks away from studies or for when she returned permanently, but as much as she loved her Pack dearly the thought of living with them all under one sticky roof made her shudder.

The banshee knocked. Then knocked again.

She tapped her heel.

And knocked again.

“Someone’s in there! Come on, open up Scott. It’s me, Lydia. We need to talk,” She paused, for emphasis. “Now!”

Before she could try opening it herself, or check her bag for the key to the place she’d been given during her last visit, the door opened. Her face pulled up into a smile, one pleasant enough, but not quite the sunny one she usually graced her friends with.

“Derek. Good to see you again. Move.” Lydia snipped, marching past the man without waiting for an invitation. “Our fearless leader here?”

-

The past twenty four hours had been a whirlwind of emotions, the suffocating pain the pack had felt slowly fading as they received news of Stiles' condition. It wasn't ideal and it wouldn't be easy, especially for the former human. But he was alive, and he wasn't alone. Whatever came next, it would just take training, and some time to get used to it.

Derek was picking up some things to take to Scott when he sensed someone approaching the Alpha's apartment, easily recognizing the banshee's scent. He finished the bag he'd been making and walked to the front door, unfazed by Lydia's impatience and stepping aside to let her in. By now, the wolf was used to it.

"Likewise," he replied, closing the door behind her. "He's at White Fang." Derek noted Lydia seemed more tense than usual, more than he would have expected her to be with the recent news. His brow furrowed. "Did you talk to Scott?"

The pain of losing a packmate was something every Alpha, every werewolf, was warned about early on. It wasn't like losing friends or family, as devastating as that was; the best way wolves could describe it to each other being that it felt like losing a limb. In some ways, the warning was enough to make the severity of it clear. But there was no way to prepare someone for when it actually happened, for what it genuinely felt like.

And having felt it before, did nothing to alleviate the pain if it happened again.

After checking on his sisters and the rest of the pack, Derek descended the stairs and entered the True Alpha's apartment. He waited for Scott to arrive from the sheriff's station, like he was asked, pacing from side to side until he heard the engine of the Camaro approaching the loft building. He met Scott at the door, not bothering to ask how the talk with the Sheriff had gone, instead leading the Alpha to his room in hopes of getting him to rest. But as they passed the room Stiles was meant to move into, Derek didn't have the heart to pull Scott away.

His hand rested on the True Alpha's shoulder, unable to find the words to offer the comfort Scott so desperately needed. Derek instead squeezed the other's shoulder, walking back to the living room after a moment. He sat on the couch, meeting Allison's gaze when she entered the apartment. The Beta listened to their exchange for a while, but the hurt in Scott's voice wasn't something he could withstand. 

Derek wasn't the comforting type, he wasn't the talking type either. He needed to do something, he needed to find something.

The born wolf grabbed the keys of his car and exited the apartment, driving back to what was left of the Valentine's Day Carnival. He didn't bother talking to the police looking over the area, finding a blind spot in their patrol and entering the gated grounds. The wolf searched the surroundings, attempting to find any trace of the human's familiar scent. As he walked near the ferris wheel, Derek sensed footsteps behind him, brow furrowing as he recognized who the scent belonged to.

The nephilim who had helped at the front gates during the attack. "By your lack of uniform,” he said. “I’m guessing you aren’t part of the surveillance team.”

Ever the studious one, Allison didn’t notice Derek’s inexperience and displeasure, focusing on the steps, and what she was supposed to be doing, nodding each time the instructor came over to them to move an arm or foot, or give them some advice on what to do. When she finally saw his discomfort, her awkwardness lifted a little, mock pouting at him, before she broke out into a little smile instead. They’d learnt about half of the routine so far, and were now given the music to run through the dance by themselves. As Beauty and the Beast began to play, she gave another little pout at Derek, with pleading eyes, not wanting him to back out now.

As they started to move though, Allison felt her mind and body relax in a way that it only did when she used to do archery - each movement a fluid one, as though her body knew when and where it had to move to. Every twirl made her feel like a princess dancing at a ball, and she giggled as she turned, moving her hands back into position on Derek’s arm and hand, smiling up at him. The fact that she was dancing with someone she was constantly so awkward with didn’t even phase her - it just made the whole thing feel even more like a fairytale. 

As the music began to fade out, she looked up as Derek pulled her close, her arms wrapping around his waist securely. Comfortably. Her cheeks reddened a little as he stroked some hair away from her face, but she didn’t pull away, it only made her smile that softer, pressing her cheek against his hand so that he held it. She wanted him to make her feel safe. Wanted to wake up every morning with him. Wanted to be able to just hold him in the night and talk in quiet voices, pretending that everything that came before didn’t matter. She wanted him.

She tilted her head towards his lips, but blinked a few times as he suddenly looked away, and her face grew hot, slightly panicked that she’d read the signs wrong. That even if she hadn’t, he was regretting getting that close. But then she saw the look in his eyes, not one of regret, but one of concern and alarm.

“What is it? What’s happened?” She asked, untangling herself from his arms. 

-

In an instant, a lot began to make sense. Why she was so anxious around him. Why he didn't mind her company. Why they couldn't seem to keep their eyes off each other. Why talking to one another had become so much easier. Why being near each other created so much tension but at the same time felt comfortable. It wasn't just the bond being part of the same pack created, that was simply an opening that allowed them to get to know each other better. At some point since her resurrection, things changed between them, and the realization didn't dawn on him until that moment.

Derek's gaze wandered over Allison's face, for the first time allowing himself to recognize how beautiful she was. Her dimpled smile, her gentle brown eyes, the faint freckles the afternoon sun left on the bridge of her nose. His smile grew as she leaned her head against his touch, his thumb caressing her cheek. She seemed so happy, so carefree, so comfortable. His gaze lowered to her lips for a moment, the smile that adorned them a sight he never wanted to look away from. He wanted to see it often, to be the cause of it, to be the reason it remained and grew.

As foolish at it probably sounded, as ridiculous as it might have seemed...he wanted her.

Derek leaned in, his eyes closing, his nose gently brushing against Allison's--

The wolf's eyes opened and he pulled away from the brunette, allowing his senses to search the crowd. The familiar metallic scent quickly invaded his nostrils, the source difficult to pinpoint with the amount of people that surrounded them. Derek didn't look at Allison when she spoke, his jaw clenching for a moment. "I smell blood."

Green eyes stayed glued to the male, her ears picking up the pounding of his heart against his chest as their eyes met. She could feel his hesitation and she understood. She herself had been hesitant, slowly working up the nerve to face him and even now her own heart was beating rapidly in her chest as he stood in front of her, feet away as she pushed herself off the squad car. The fear was overwhelming inside her but it wasn’t enough to get her to move and leave. 

The sound of her name rolling off her brother’s tongue was like music to her ears, tears springing instantly to her eyes as she nodded softly at him, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth nervously as he moved closer. Her eyes moved to his hand as he reached out to her, the hesitation evident as her entire body tensed slightly. She wasn’t sure she was ready to prove if this was all real or not. The idea that this was just some weird after life dream or whatever scared her but as he spoke again, the proof that she was where he was and not where she had been was enough to convince. Her eyes found her brother’s again, another moment of hesitation before she practically jumped into the male, her arms wrapping around his neck tightly. “Derek,” she muttered. “I’m here, I’m really here.” 

-

The instant Laura moved forward, so did Derek, wrapping his arms tightly around her as she did to him. He basked in her warmth and scent, proving further what he’d been desperate to confirm–this was her, it was truly her. His sister was back, his sister was with him again. His vision blurred, a mixture of emotions building up within him, the feelings far too overwhelming to suppress them. He was happy, in a way that he hadn’t been in years, in a way that he thought he’d never experience again.

He should have been worried, of what her return meant and whether their reunion was temporary, on how selfish it was to be so relieved when Beacon Hills was full of so much danger and risks. But losing Laura, finding her in the state he did...

For so long, she'd been more than his older sister, more than his Alpha. Laura had been his guiding light, his anchor in a sea of tragedy and loss, the only thing that motivated him to push forward. After the fire, after what he had allowed to happen...He wouldn't have made it without her, he wouldn't have wanted to.

It wasn’t fair on Laura, he knew that, because her pain was just as real and as shattering as his. He shouldn’t have relied on her so much, he shouldn’t have expected so much, he shouldn’t have demanded so much. She needed him, as much as he needed her, and he should have done more for her. Maybe then she wouldn’t have felt the need to do things on her own, maybe then she wouldn’t have followed that stupid lead and returned to Beacon Hills alone. If Derek had just been honest, if he had just told her the truth…

Derek held onto Laura tighter. "--I've missed you."

Erica had made it back out of the mirror maze where she had left Kitty only to be overwhelmed by another wave of white eyes and thousands of fangs. The wendigo on her was ripped from her skin – another near miss. She was running out of luck. Her heart lurched at the familiar sight of Derek roaring above her. 

Erica flinched at the command, a war breaking out in her chest. She knew what happened when you didn’t run: when you didn’t listen to the one yelling at you. Erica had seen first hand what happened to Boyd when he had returned for her despite her command. 

But it was Derek that only made it worse. She had made a vow to follow him, his orders, his leadership, and she had broken it. Erica had told herself this time she wouldn’t make the same mistake. That she’d listen, she’d trust Derek. But… she had left him because she was scared last time. She had run from a fight she was terrified they would lose, and all she had done was ensure their villain’s triumph. 

She tackled the wendigo leaping at Derek’s side instead, punching the snarling drooling mess in the nose with a sickening crunch. “Not without you!” she snarled, breaking almost all of her old promises to herself. The front wall of the Hall of Mirrors rattled again. The wendigos inside fixed on following her now that she had blocked them from Kitty. The one beneath her went limp, and Erica was on her feet again.

What she was doing was stupid; it could get her killed. She should find the rest of the McCall Pack and get Derek help. She was not the best person to back Derek. She should go. She knew that. But she couldn’t run away from him again. 

She couldn’t do it.

Frustrated tears filled her eyes. 

-

As a child, Derek heard stories of the cannibalistic shape-shifters, learning from a very young age the species could not be underestimated. They rarely attacked other supernaturals, their diminishing numbers leaving them desperate for alliances. But, just like any other, they had no problem engaging in a fight if they felt threatened. Wendigos were strong, especially if well trained and well fed, having enough speed and power to challenge even the True Alpha. Facing one wendigo was already difficult, two surely a situation Derek wouldn't be able to handle completely on his own.

However, the idea of Erica fighting alongside him, of her putting her safety on the line to help him...

He couldn't ask that of her, not again. He didn't want to. She was back, the why and how irrelevant; it was a miracle they couldn't take for granted. So much had been robbed from her in the past, so much had been ripped and lost already. Derek couldn't risk Erica again. Whatever happened to him didn't matter; all that mattered was that she made it out of there.

Derek wanted Erica to run, to leave the Hall of Mirrors and get to safety. She needed to find the Pack; Scott and the others would keep her safe and get her out of the fairgrounds. He would hold back the attackers, distract them away from the blonde and keep them busy until she left. He could manage, he had to. Erica, however, didn't follow his command, and instead charged forward at the second wendigo, her proclamation echoing loudly through the room.

Derek growled. Why couldn't she just listen?

As much as he wanted to insist though, there was no time for that. He fought off the wendigo he'd been holding back, able to subdue them by twisting their arm until the elbow dislocated. He slammed the other's head against the floor, keeping them down for a few seconds longer until he was sure they were unconscious. Derek moved to Erica, standing in front of her as his senses detected the other supernaturals lurking closer.

They were inside. Four more. The wolf didn’t like those odds. "We need to lock them in here," he instructed, quickly examining the room for options.

At seeing the displeasure on Derek’s face, Allison raised her eyebrows, tilting her head in challenge. “Oh, I see what it is. You’re too chicken because you don’t know what you’re doing, and you don’t wanna look dumb. I get it.” She shrugged, not letting go of his hand as they stood to the side of the dancefloor. Hearing it was a waltz, Allison smiled to herself, her face quickly falling neutral.

She hadn’t danced since the winter formal when she came to town, and that felt like a lifetime ago. She was a different person then, completely. Someone full of optimism, of hope, of want to believe in happy endings. She’d never even made it to her own prom.

“It’ll be fun, cmon. Don’t make me go find Scott, I don’t want Malia scratching my eyes out.” She pouted, looking up at him, her voice a little softer. “If you really hate it, we can leave.”

-

Derek huffed, rolling his eyes. "It's a beginners class. No one knows what they are doing." He didn't have anything necessarily against dancing, but he wasn't properly trained either. He had never been interested in any kind of dancing, and had always preferred team sports. The most dancing Derek had ever done was in his youth during school events, and even then he was the type to sit around with his friends or sneak out to roam the halls instead of spending time on the dance floor.

The wolf was well aware he'll look awkward and uncomfortable, he felt awkward and uncomfortable just standing there. But when the brunette offered him the option to leave, with their eyes settled on each other and their hands still linked together...

Derek sighed, eyebrows rising and lowering again as his gaze shifted to the instructor. "--We are already here." They would attract more attention if they left in the middle of the speech. And Scott was busy patrolling with Stiles. "Plus, now you owe me one." He glanced at the brunette, the corner of his lips lifting up slightly.

As the dancing lesson began, Derek's inexperience was evident, and the wolf made no effort to hide his displeasure every time the instructor passed by them to let him know he wasn't doing something right. He thought about quitting halfway through, almost walking away when they announced the music was about to start and they would be completely on their own from then forward. But, again, when he met Allison's gaze, Derek couldn't push himself to leave.

No matter how bad they were actually doing, him especially; the brunette seemed to be enjoying herself. For the first time, in a very long while. There was no shame, no anxiety, no guilt. She was carefree, she was smiling, she was laughing. And it was mesmerizing. He couldn't explain why, because it was definitely not the first time he'd seen those emotions from her, it wasn't the first time he'd seen her...happy? But at that moment, for some unknown reason, he just couldn't look away.

It was new, it was different. And yet not strange or alarming.

Derek brought Allison closer to him, stopping just as the song entered it's last few chords. Green eyes locked with her brown ones, for a moment simply looking at her. As if they hadn't been arguing an hour or so before, as if they hadn't annoyed each other earlier that same day, as if they hadn't hated each other for years. As if the past didn't exist, and none of their mistakes and flaws had any hold on them.

Derek's hand rose to brush strands of hair out of Allison's face, his fingers lingering on her cheek. A soft smile found itself into his lips, the wolf unbothered by the little distance that was now between them.

The mob of crazed supernaturals was overwhelming, and there didn't seem to be an end to it. No matter how many ran away, no matter how many fell unconscious, another vampire or wendigo appeared almost instantly in their place; the more resistance they encountered, the more desperate and violent they seemed to become. Though portals were a safer option for Beacon Hills as a whole, to avoid letting the vampires and wendigos loose in town, they still presented a risk to those who were injured or unable to visualize the specific destination. They couldn't wait around, they needed to get the main gates open, and protect the exit for as long as was necessary.

Howling to let the Pack know where he was headed, Derek hurried towards the main entrance of the carnival, meeting up with Kira. As the kitsune and others kept the attackers at bay, the wolf reached the gates and attempted to break the lock. No matter how much or how hard he tried though, the lock wouldn't budge. Had someone reinforced it with magic? Before the wolf could process the thought, a wendigo tackled him to the ground, Derek growling at the creature as he attempted to kick them off. Spotting someone with a bow and arrow approaching, the wolf took a hold of the wendigo's arms, trying to keep them from following the other.

He just needed to hold the creature long enough to let others out. "Open the gate!"