#tbwtbe

Chapter 3

Derek laid in bed staring at the ceiling, lost in his own thoughts. His mind flashed back to riding on the back of Kate’s motorcycle, him clinging to her waist. Her scent still lingered in his nostrils and he saddened as it’s strength faded. He couldn’t believe how much fun they had together, just riding around and then stopping at a diner. He didn’t think anyone had as big an appetite as him until her. They both ordered burgers with all the toppings, fries, and milkshakes. For the first time since Paige, he felt like he could be himself again.

Derek sighed and rolled out of bed as he decided it was time to be productive. He went to the desk in his room to start his homework when his little Motorola flip phone started buzzing in his pocket. He was surprised since he had alienated himself from all his friends. When he pulled out the phone, the ID read a number unknown to him.

“Hello?”

“Hey handsome. Miss me?”

Derek immediately recognized the raspy yet elegant voice on the other end of the line. His heart fluttered and his cheeks flushed. “Oh, hey.” Derek had completely forgotten he gave her his number hoping they could hang out again.

“What are you doing right now?”

“I was just about to start my hom...HOME CLEANING.” Derek palmed his forehead as he realized how stupid he sounded. He didn’t want Kate to know he was still in high school, but his attempt to cover his mistake failed miserably. He heard her chuckle devilishly through the phone.

“Sounds boring. You should do something more...fun.” Kate stretched out the word seductively. Whether she knew it or not, she did things to Derek that even Paige couldn’t do. She was a woman after all, not a teenager like all the other girls he knew. 

“Yeah. That sounds like fun.” Derek threw his head back at the terrible response, mouthing the word ‘fun’, judging his choice of the word. She chuckled the same as before making his throat close up in embarrassment.

“Meet me in an hour.” Derek hummed back in agreement and Kate immediately hung up. Derek slumped in his chair and groaned out loud at his lack of maturity in the conversation. 

Realizing he was actually going to see the woman again in an hour, he jumped up and started getting ready. He took an extra long shower, washing off as much of his teenager scent as he could. As he got out, he wrapped a towel around his waist and began to scour his room for something to wear. After smelling things he picked up off the floor and rummaging through his dresser, his mother became aware of the grunts and commotion coming from his room. Silence fell when she knocked on his door.

“What?” Derek shouted through the closed entrance, not realizing his tone. His mother opened the door and leaned against the frame, giggling at her frenzied and aggravated son. “Why is everything I own dirty or boyish?” He huffed as he threw clothes over his head.

“Here.” His mother entered the room and headed straight for the dresser. Among the chaos of unfolded clothes, she found a long sleeve green Henley and handed it to her appreciative child. He smiled as he thanked his mother and her ability to always have a solution, no matter the problem. This was something he always admired about her. Her ability to not allow emotions to control her choices and responses. 

The dark haired woman left the room, closing the door behind her and the boy rushed to get dressed. He added a pair of blue jeans to the shirt and old, worn converse. He went to his closet and pulled out an old bottle of his dads cologne. He was able to swipe it before his mother gave away most of his things after he died. He would occasionally pull out the bottle and embrace the scent, reminding him of when he would nuzzle his head into his father's solid chest. He worried he reeked of teenage boy so he doused himself in the perfume, scoffing at the intensity as he over sprayed.

He grabbed a sweat jacket from behind his door and hurled himself down the stairs. His mom, sitting on the couch in the living area, raised an eyebrow as he rushed past her. “Come here.” She simply stated as an impatient Derek slowly reversed his steps to meet her gaze again. “Where are you going?”

“Out.” He buzzed with urgency, already running late.

“Are you meeting a girl?” Talia questioned with a smile, happy her son was finally going out willingly.

“Uhm, yeah.” He palmed the back of his neck as redness rushed to his cheeks.

“Is she from school? Would I know her?” Derek’s eyes widened at the question, realizing the disapproval his mother would have of the older woman.

“No. I mean yes. She’s from school but you wouldn’t know her.” He looked to the door biting his lower lip, looking to escape.

“Go. Have fun.” His mother smiled and Derek was surprised that she believed the lie. He considered that his heart was already racing, it’s beat irregular, making it difficult to discern his words as truthful or not. He jetted towards the door as his mother shook her head at her spastic son.

Derek leapt from the porch over every step and let out a grunt as he landed. He ran as fast as he could to the road where Kate had texted him to meet her. She was already waiting, straddling the bike,  holding a helmet for him. She smiled the way that makes Derek blush, handing him the helmet as she said, “Let’s go have some fun.”

They rode for about half an hour before Kate pulled the bike off the main road and onto a dirt one. After another fifteen minutes they pulled up to an empty cabin that looked like it had been uninhabited for at least a year. Derek sheepishly followed Kate off the bike and towards the entrance of the small development. Kate smiled at him as she pulled out a set of keys, unlocking the door to the ominous wooden structure. 

When they entered, Kate flipped on a switch revealing a homey interior that clashed with the rundown exterior. She laughed at his expression and provided an explanation. “I’ve been staying here for the past couple of months. My family owns the cabin, but it hasn’t been used in years.” Derek raised his eyebrows insinuating his curiosity as to why it had been left untouched. Off his expression, Kate continued on her explanation, “Too many wolves.” She smiled hellishly and laughed as horror flooded the young boy’s face.

“Wolves?” He whimpered, terrified as to what she meant by this accusation.

“Aw, baby boy. Don’t look so frightened. There haven’t been wolves in these woods for years.” She cupped his cheek and brushed his forehead as she pouted her lips, almost mockingly. Derek strained his face, attempting to hide his uneasiness at her comment of wolves and then how she referred to him as a baby boy. She took her leather coat off and slung it on a chair at a large wooden table. “You want a beer?” She shouted as she headed to the kitchen unable to see Derek’s voiceless nod. She grabbed two beers despite his answer.

Derek headed to the table and sat down as Kate reentered the room with the beers and a deck of cards. She handed the nervous boy the beverage and asked him if he knew how to play. Slightly more relaxed Derek retorted, “Depends on what we’re playing.” His demeanor becoming more arrogant since he loved to play poker against his cousins. He always won and was pretty damn good too. “How about poker?” He offered.

Kate nodded and sat as she began to shuffle the deck, then dealing with the two cards each player is designated. They played for hours and Derek hadn’t even realized until he looked out the window and saw the sun had already set and night had long arrived. “I should go, it’s getting late.” 

“Alright. You need me to give you a ride?” Derek shook his head  fervently. He hated having to leave, but he actually preferred to run. This would also give him a chance to cover the scent of the woman with that of the woods, so his mom would be less suspicious of who he had been with. She smiled and waved nonchalantly from her seat as she sipped her third beer, expecting the kid to show himself out. Derek waved back surprised at her lack of dismay to his departure.

Just as he opened the door, he heard her shout from behind, “We’ll have to do this again soon. I’ll call you.” Derek smiled over his shoulder and left hurriedly to get home before Talia would ask too many unwanted questions.

He enjoyed the run and the fresh air. He hadn’t allowed himself to stretch his legs in a while, letting the wolf out. He opened himself to all his heightened senses, taking in all the smells and sounds mother nature had to offer. He had forgotten how much he missed this, letting the beast in him take over. Since his eyes changed, he held back the change in fear of himself and what he would do. What he once respected and held high, was now despised and a distasteful reminder of all his mistakes. 

He used his fear and anger to control the shift on full moons every month. The mantra his mother had taught him and others for generations lost its effectiveness after he changed the color of his eyes. His mother and others tried desperately to help him control his inner demon, but no one was able to until Peter.

------

“I thought...I thought I could control it.” Derek bellowed as he rested on his hands and knees on the ground.

“Did you bring it? Did you bring the triskelion?” Peter shouted over the younger ones grunts and growls.

“It’s...not...working.” Derek huffed each word through gritted teeth, using every bit of strength he had to hold back the shift.

“SAY IT!” Peter screamed at him. 

“Alpha. Beta. Omega.” Derek howled, echoing through the woods, losing his hold against the wolf. He gave Peter a glare the insinuated he was going to tear him apart. Peter cautiously approached his nephew and kneeled next to him. 

“What do you feel right now?” 

Derek glared at him with confusion and frustration. “I’m...angry.” Derek let out each word individually with a huff of his chest.

“Why are you angry?”

“Because I can’t control the shift anymore.”

“How come?” Derek shot at deadly look at him for his question, his eyes now glowed a heartless blue.

“You know why, Peter.”

“No, I don’t. Tell me why you can’t control the shift.”

“Because...I...KILLED HER.” The last words came out with a roar, finally verbalizing his struggle that he avoided to confront.

“Now use that anger. Use the power it gives you to hold it back. Give in to the pain and use it as an anchor. No, use it as an armor that makes you stronger. You have to give into the anger Derek.” His huffing fading into a less vigorous panting, he looked at his uncle with gray eyes.

“I think...it’s working.” Derek took in a deep breath, holding it in his lungs and then letting it out in a long puff.

------

Derek walked through the door of the sleepy house around 10PM, all his cousins and siblings asleep. During the day, there wasn’t a moment of peace outside of his room from all the children. His older sister Laura moved out last year to go to college, but everyone else still lived together in the house. The residents consisted of many relatives, the immediate ones being his mother, Talia and younger sister, Cora. His uncle Peter and aunt Kayla with her husband Paul and their hoard of children, six to be exact. Tyler was the oldest at 13 years, Harley who was 11 years, and then Jacob who was 8 years old. Jake and Jack were 5 years and twins, and lastly there was Hannah who just hit 10 months. Although the wolf gene ran in the family, not all of them had it while others were still too young to tell.

Derek tiptoed up the stairs and to his room, silently closing the door behind him. He stripped off his clothes like an outer shell and fell into bed. He laid there thinking about Kate and how she made him feel less guarded. Was it so crazy that he felt this way after knowing her for only 24 hours? She didn’t treat him like a child, which he wasn’t after everything he had been through. As his thoughts trailed on, he slowly drifted off into sleep.

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What pushed him over the edge was when he was walking down the hall and heard Kelly say how much she was going to miss hearing Paige play cello. If Peter hadn’t been there, he would have gone full wolf and torn her to shreds. Since then, Derek has gone unnoticed avoiding all confrontations and interactions.

One Year Later...

Beep Beep Beep…

The alarm blared, alerting Derek that it was 6:00 am and he needed to start getting ready for school. He groaned as he turned off the alarm and rolled out of bed. He pulled on some jeans from the floor and grabbed a t-shirt off the chair. He picked up a pair of socks from the hamper and sniffed them, flinching and grimacing at the stench. He threw them back into the pile and rummaged in his dresser drawer for a clean pair. After he put on his socks and shoes he fumbled his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Derek looked at his reflection in the mirror and attempted to smooth down his hair but gave up when he failed to flatten the mop. Waddling down the steps he went into the kitchen and waved to his mother with a smile as she sat at the table eating some toast.

“Good morning sweetheart.”

“Morning mom.”

“Any plans for today?”

“Not really. Was just gonna come back here after school.”

“Why? You should go out with your friends. It is your birthday after all. Sixteen is a pretty big deal, I’m told.” Derek slammed the fridge and groaned at the thought of going out, especially with people who were certainly not his friends. “I’m just saying you should get out of the house, honey. You’ve been held up in your room for too long.” Derek rolled his eyes as he stuffed a muffin in his mouth and headed out to school.

While waiting for the bus, he finished his muffin and wiped the crumbs from his shirt. Shoving his hands into his pockets, his right fingers found a crumpled paper. He pulled out the note and read it realizing it was an assignment he had jotted down yesterday. Groaning, he let his arms go slack and rolled his head at the fact he had forgotten to complete the homework. Great, he thought, this is gonna be a ‘great’ day. 

The bus arrived and he jumped on, shifting through the tight isle through the sea of kids and backpacks and found an empty seat all the way in the back. Everyone seemed to ignore him and carry on their conversations and shenanigans which is exactly the way Derek liked it. He slumped into the seat and looked out the window as the large vehicle gathered momentum and watched the trees turn into houses as they neared the high school.

-----

“Derek!” Peter yelled from across the open courtyard. He started making his way over as Derek turned and tried to escape before he could reach him. “Hey, why are you acting like you didn’t hear me?” Derek winced at the voice behind him and turned to face his uncle. 

“Sorry, I was in a hurry to get to class.”

“The first bell hasn't even rang yet.” Peter raised his brows as Derek made a face of annoyance. “So I was thinking we could go out for your birthday tonight. Wha’d ya say?”

“I say that it’s still weird and creepy that you hang around a high school after you graduated.” Derek turned as he spoke and headed for his locker. Peter followed in stride as the boy left.

“Come on. Let’s go out. I even know this place that doesn’t card so you can get in.”

“We can’t get drunk, so what’s the point?”

“Girls, duh.”

Derek rolled his eyes, which seemed to be a natural occurrence today. He slammed his locker and started for class but his uncle stayed at his heels. Grunting as he swung around, causing Peter to almost crash into him he glared at his relative. “Fine. Now will you just go away?” He stomped off, this time alone. Peter smiled in victory and scurried off to do whatever it is that he does.

Derek huffed as he sat down in his seat, alerting his neighbor. “Hey, you good man?” He leaned up from behind, frightening an already agitated Derek.

Derek, whirled around to meet him, “Wha..what? Yeah. I’m fine.” He faced forward hoping that would be the end of the engagement.

“So today’s your birthday?” Derek slowly turned to face the boy, holding a deathly glare that should have intimidated the kid but he still leaned forward with a quirky smile that ground Derek’s gears. “I overheard you talking to that guy, that's why I was asking.” He responded after a lack of an answer to his previous question.

Derek squinted his eyes conveying annoyance and the kid still didn’t get the memo. Fully steaming now, Derek growled under his breath and spoke through gritted teeth. “Sure.” 

“Well happy birthday, man.” The boy gave Derek’s shoulder a pat, taking his rage further. “Names Julian by the way.” He finally leaned back into his seat distancing himself from Derek who could now feel the wolf boiling to the surface.

He gripped the edges of the desk as his nails started to push out of his fingertips and fangs began to sprout in his closed mouth. The taste of blood brought him down just as the bell rang and class started. Hopefully no one noticed the new claw marks on the bottom of the desk.

Derek left his locker and headed out to the courtyard to leave at the end of the school day and was all but surprised to see his uncle waiting for him outside. He sighed and rolled his eyes as he approached him, coming to the conclusion that his relative would wear him down until he lashed out or gave in.

“You ready kiddo?” Derek just glared at Peter’s words and grunted. Peter took that as yes nonetheless and swirled around leading the younger boy towards his BMW.

“So where exactly are we going?” Derek questioned as he threw his backpack into the seat behind him.

Peter raised an eyebrow noticing the unnecessary force Derek used to toss his school bag. “Please don’t break my car. That’s German leather.”

“It’s German leather,” the youngest of the two mocked in an unflattering voice under a hushed breath, instigating a cocky smile on his counterpart as he drove off from the parking lot.

------

It took almost two hours to arrive to their apparent destination. Derek gawked out the window since he had entered the city only twice before, years ago. He strained his neck to see the tops of the skyscrapers, leaving his mouth agape in amazement. The boy who was accustomed to the woods and nature felt out of place in the hustle and bustle of the megalopolis.

He clumsily followed his uncle for a couple blocks until they turned a corner to a building that appeared abandoned and lifeless aside from the blasting music that seeped through its outer brick walls. As they approached, there was a large metal door that Peter leaned against as he tapped it with his knuckle. A little window slid open revealing large black eyes the nodded when the young man raised a $100 bill. The window shut and then the door slid open. Peter handed the burly man the bill and received a raised eyebrow as the underage boy followed behind with his head down and hands in his pockets.

They approached the bar and Peter ordered them both a fancy beer he had never heard of and gave his uncle a confused look. “It’s for aesthetic. And it tastes good.”

Derek accepted the beverage and sipped the bottle only to recoil and spit. “That’s disgusting! How do you drink that?” He wiped his tongue on the sleeve of his jacket.

Peter rolled his eyes at his uncultured nephew. “You have to acquire a taste.” 

Only having been there a couple minutes, Peter already caught the eye of a woman across the bar. His cocky smile and vibrant blue eyes seemed to be working since she blushed, prompting Peter to push his back off the bar as he started towards her.

“Peter wait. Don’t leave me alone.” Derek shouted over the music as the man ignored his pleas. Derek turned around to face the bar and closed his eyes in an attempt to shut out the liveliness of the club. “Alpha. Beta. Omega.” He chanted repeatedly, trying to calm his brewing anxiety and feeling of abandonment. The mantra seemed to have no benefit as the room started spinning and his breathing became nonrhythmic. He felt like he was falling over when soft warm hands caught him. They held him up and lead him to a different and quieter part of the building which gave him the ability to hear his own breathing. He used this to help calm his nerves. He sat down against the wall and pulled his knees to his chest.

Suddenly he started crying as he remembered Paige. He had tried so hard to shut her out of his mind but she always knew how to comfort him. If she were here, she would hold his hand and smile, immediately filling him with warmth and easiness, probably saying something witty like, ‘don’t be such a werewuss.’ The thought of her comment made him chuckle to himself.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Derek swung his eyes open, forgetting he wasn’t alone. A women squatted down to meet him, her hands resting on his knees. She smiled a toothy grin at him that caused him to shudder. Her long blonde locks were pulled back into a ponytail. He cocked his head as he analyzed her and accepted her presence. She was warm and seemed genuinely concerned about him so he relaxed.

She sat down against the wall next to him. “You wanna talk about?” Derek nodded in response. He hadn’t talked to anyone about anything in over a year, but something about the nameless woman made him feel vulnerable and open. “Let’s start with why you’re here.”

“My uncle. He made me come here for some reason.”

“He made you?” Derek nodded again, proving what he said to be true. “No one can make you do anything. If you truly didn’t want to be here, you wouldn’t be.” Derek knew he should have felt insulted by her words, but found truth in them. He took it as him being weak. If he were stronger he would have stood his ground and not given in to Peter.

“Here,” the woman stood up, offering a hand to the sitting boy. He reached up and she pulled him up with unusual strength that implied she was very active. Derek lifted to meet her, accidentally slamming into her form. He blushed and stepped back as she smiled her now familiar smirk. “You wanna get out of here?” She asked as she cocked her head towards the door. Derek shook his head with wide eyes, practically begging to leave.

He shuffled out behind the mysterious woman as she tugged him along by the wrist. When they exited the crowded building, Derek welcomed the brisk air of the city. He took a deep breath and relaxed every muscle in his body. He looked over to the woman who was swinging her leg over the side of a motorcycle. She gestured for Derek to get on and handed him a helmet.

After she started the bike, Derek shouted over the engine, “I’m Derek by the way! What’s your name?”

The woman smiled wider than she had before with villainy, the boy unable to see. “Kate.” She knocked her helmet shut and drove off with the boy clinging to her waist.

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Chapter 4

Derek sulked around the house with his head hung as his cousins played cheerfully. The twins ran up to him on either side, standing to his waist and tugged on his shirt begging him to play with them. “Leave me alone.” The dark haired boy shrugged them off as he grunted. When they refused to loosen their grip, he growled at them, causing them to scream as they ran away. Talia immediately locked her gaze on her son and pulled in her brows, giving him a stern look.

“Derek, you do not speak to your cousin’s like that nor do you growl at them. We are werewolves, not animals.” Derek shot his mom a look of annoyance as he rolled his eyes. Without hesitation, she shifted from mother to alpha. She shot up from where she was seated and gave Derek a look that caused him to shrink in size, cowering before the alpha. 

The boy looked up at her with deep green eyes, full of pain and she let the alpha melt away as she became his mother again. “Derek,” she whispered as she caressed his sorrowful face. “You’ve been walking around this house for almost a week now with this atrocious behavior. Talk to me my child.”

Derek averted his eyes from his mother, unwilling to reveal any reason to his behavior. He pulled his face away from her touch, immediately feeling guilty at the motion. He didn’t look to see her reaction, but she knew it was one of disappointment, in him and his reluctance to talk to her. He walked away from her before she could see the tears starting to fill his eyes. “If you won’t talk to me, please talk to someone. You can’t let this eat away at you the way Paige did.”

Derek stopped in his tracks, eyes wide, as his mother spoke to his back. He raised his head and held his breath. This was the first time his mother had spoken to him about her since the cellar. Lost in his thoughts, he lost all his strength towards holding back his tears as they began to fall down his face. He ran to his room to hide from her words and the world.

He curled up into a ball in his bed as he tried to escape the thoughts that were now flooding him. His memories of Paige that had fallen to the back of his mind since he met Kate. It was like reliving the whole story again. When he saw her for the first time in the hallway while playing basketball with his friends. Seeing her play cello when she thought she was alone. The first time they kissed under the stars. Her snarky comments towards him. The way she didn’t put up with his bullshit and told him what she thought without hesitation.

Then his mind drifted, without his consent, to the sound of her heart racing as she ran through the halls of the school from the alpha who attacked her. Her screams when he bit her. The black blood that seeped from everywhere while she laid dying in his arms. Her cries of agony that he couldn’t alleviate. Her begging him to take her life and-- Derek slammed his eyes shut, pulling his legs in closer to his chest. He screamed, trying to shut out her death. He opened his eyes and laid there, gasping for breaths between sobs. His face covered in tears and snot, his face puffy and red. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve as he sat up, collecting himself from the attack of emotions and sat at the edge of the bed, looking at his feet.

His mother had been right. He needed to talk to someone, but he had no one to talk to. No one outside of his mother and Peter knew he was the cause of Paige’s death, but neither of them would understand what he went through, the part of his soul that was taken when he took her life. Not only could he not talk to them about Paige, but he couldn’t talk about Kate either. Peter would tell his mother and she would order him not to see her anymore. Yeah, he was 16 and she was 22, but it was different with her. They just don’t understand. 

Derek’s phone buzzed on his desk, springing him back to reality. Sniffing and then wiping the snot from his nose, he stood up and walked over to answer the phone. He saw that it was Kate, and where he normally would have been ecstatic to hear from her, he felt melancholy. He took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and answered the phone as best he could.

“Hello.” His voice rasped as he spoke, revealing the soreness and that tears still lingered in his eyes.

“Hey stranger.” Kate spoke in her smooth, seductive voice. The sounds immediately bringing warmth to Derek, filling the emptiness he had been feeling only a second ago. She heard the hoarseness of his voice, but ignored it. “I’ve missed you, handsome. Wanna come over and play some more poker?”

“Um, yeah. Sure.” Kate was not unaware of his lack of enthusiasm. While Derek did want to see her, he also wanted to escape the lingering sadness and reminders of his room and family. Kate allowed him to escape from this world he found himself in. He slipped out of the house while everyone was getting ready to eat dinner. He hopped on his bicycle and then headed for Kate’s cabin.

What would have taken a human about 45 minutes to bike took him 20. The lights were on inside, but that was no surprise. The sun was starting to set, giving the sky an orange tint that broke through the trees. He walked up to the door and knocked, then shoved his hands in his pockets to hide his sweaty palms. Kate answered the door, wearing jeans and a spaghetti-strap tank top. His eyes gave her a once over, her cleavage not going unnoticed. She caught his gaze and smiled devilishly at the boy. “Come on in.” She stepped aside, allowing him to enter. He kept his head down as he did, hiding his embarrassment.

She asked him if he wanted a beer and derek accepted. He really didn’t want one and it was pointless since it would have no effects, but he didn’t want the woman to ask questions. What sixteen year old boy wouldn’t say yes to a beer? He sat down at the same table as before, the cards already sitting in a stack on its surface.

She handed him the beer, another in her hand for herself, and sat down in the chair sideways, using the chair’s back as an armrest. She gave to boy a crooked smile as she took a swig from the bottle. “So.” Her voice echoed through the small space. She turned in the chair to face the boy and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “What’s new with my brooding boy?”

Derek furrowed his thick brows, immediately glaring at the woman and shot back in a loud voice, “I don’t brood.” She raised her eyebrows causing him to relax his face. His cheeks turned red as he realized he was, in fact, brooding. She laughed and shook her head at him as she picked up the cards and started to shuffle.

“You need to lighten up kid. Relax and have some fun.” Derek raised his eyebrows to her, interested in her ideas. He desperately wanted to, but somewhere along the way he’d forgotten how. Kate flashed a cheshire grin that sent chills down the boy’s spine. “I have an idea.” She spoke in a deeper and more mischievous tone than Derek had heard her use before. “Let’s play strip poker.”

Derek’s face went flush and his body froze at the suggestion. He must have looked sickly because concern covered Kate’s face, a look he had never seen on her before. He shook the cobwebs from his head and answered. “Yeah.” He hadn’t realized what he said until it was too late to take it back.

His cheeks were flushed and he couldn’t look Kate in the eye. She found this amusing, to see him writhe and wriggle in discomfort under her thumb. She began to deal the cards out as Derek thought to himself that this is really happening.

His wolf howled at him, telling him this was a bad idea, but his raging hormones proved to be superior. He took the cards that sat in front of him and began what he knew would be a long night.

———

“Full house,” Derek laid his cards out in front of him in confidence. Kate raised her brow and smiled deceptively. Dread fell over him as he knew what was coming. 

“Royal flush, baby.” She winked at him as he threw his arms back and groaned. Derek then proceeded to remove his jeans. As he stood there in nothing but his boxers, Kate looked him over as she bit her bottom lip. For some reason, this made Derek want to cover himself, like she was a wolf eyeing her prey. He sat back down quickly to hide himself behind the chair.

“How come you haven’t lost a single game?” Derek asked sincerely. Suddenly he furrowed his brows, “Are you cheating?” His accusations were hard and cold. Kate laughed.

“Here,” she stood up and removed her top, revealing a pink laced bra. “Better?” She looked down at him seductively with hazel eyes. Derek couldn’t believe his eyes. He didn’t mean to stare, but shock left him useless and unable to move. He finally averted his eyes when he could feel pressure building in his boxers.

He turned to face the table and kept his eyes down. Kate sat back down at her seat and rested her face on her hand. “Don’t be shy, Derek. It’s okay.” Her voice wasn’t soft or sweet, but it was relieving. He slowly turned his head to meet her, but looked at her face the entire time. “You act like you’ve never seen a naked girl before.”

Derek blushed as he shook his head, “I haven’t.” He spoke under his breath, barely audible. Kate sat back and let her mouth fall open in amazement. She stood up and grabbed Derek’s wrists, pulling him up in front of her. Derek stood two inches above Kate. Her eyes turned black as she took a step away and wrapped her arms around her back. She unhooked her bra, letting the straps fall down her arms until the garment hit the floor. Derek bit his bottom lip and felt the pressure rising again. 

Kate stepped forward and grabbed Derek’s right hand and put it on her left breast. He swallowed the lump in throat as he took in her peaks and valleys. Her hand still holding his, she squeezed, prompting him to do the same. Kate bit her lip and let it slide through her teeth. Derek took his other hand and placed it on the lonely breast. He gave both of them a good squeeze and looked back to Kate. She was giving her all too familiar seductive smile. “I’m guessing you’ve never touched a girl before either.” She asked, and Derek shook his head. “So that means your a virgin.” Even though it wasn’t a question, he still nodded yes. “Have you ever done anything?” Derek looked back up again at her face and looked embarrassed for his lack of experience.

“My girlfriend would sometimes rub me through my pants. And we made out a lot, but that was all.” He looked down to the floor, ashamed. Kate took her hand under his chin and lifted it up. She looked into his eyes, studying him and then brought his face to her lips. They touched for a moment and then parted. Derek looked at her for a moment, then the wolf took over, like a primal instinct. He grabbed Kate’s head with both his hands, pulling it towards him, smashing his lips against hers. She responded by pulling his body into hers. She wrapped her arms around the boy and clawed at his skin, leaving trails.

Derek parted his lips to take a breath, but Kate took the opportunity and pushed her tongue through the opening. They explored each other’s mouths, entangling their tongues. She guided the boy to the couch and then broke from his lips. She pushed him down with a growl and stood, towering over him. She looked down to see his fully erect cock begging to escape. Kate licked her lips and eased herself down until her weight was balanced on the balls of her feet. She slid her hands slowly up his thighs until they reached his waistband. Her touch alone was enough to send him over the edge.

She tugged on the material, allowing the firm member to spring free. She smiled, pleased with what she saw. The boy’s jaw dropped at the feeling of freedom. She palmed his stomach and blew air on him as her hands made their way down the trail of hair. She wrapped her hand around his cock and pumped it twice. She used her thumb to swirl the precum that had beaded at his slit. She pumped him a few more times before she kissed his tip. She licked the spot she just kissed, swirling her tongue in circles around his sensitive spot. He threw his head back in pleasure and Kate took that moment to take him entirely into her mouth. The surprise caused his body to shake. He looked back at her and they kept eye contact as she pulled back slowly on the shaft. As she reached the head of his cock, she scraped him with her teeth, stirring the wolf and releasing a growl.

He wanted the feeling of her mouth again, so he grabbed the back of her head, urging her forward. Almost instantly she reached back and took his hand, slamming it on his knee. Derek was surprised, but found the dominance even more arousing. She chuckled at his response, sending vibrations up is cock and into his stomach where his release was hanging on by a thread. She bobbed on his cock a few more times before his body began to shudder, signaling his release. She leaned back and told him to cum on her tits. He obliged, standing up and pumping himself as spurts of warm seed shot onto her breasts. He milked out every last drop, riding his high until his muscles lost all strength and he fell back onto the couch. 

Kate got up and went to the kitchen, she cleaned herself up and put her bra back on. Derek felt self-conscious about it, so decided to cover up as well. He pulled his boxers up from around his ankles and found his jeans on the floor. After he put his shirt on he sees Kate in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and drinking a beer. He goes in and stands next to her. 

“It’s getting late. Don’t you have school tomorrow?” She asked without looking at him. He nodded yes and turned to face the beautiful woman.

“I’ll see you later then?” He smiled and leaned in for a kiss but his lips were met by Kate’s finger. 

“I’ll call you.” She stepped past the insecure child and went to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Unsure how to read the situation, Derek grabbed his coat from the chair and hesitantly left. He thought he must have done something wrong and wanted to fix it, but he didn’t want to seem childish. So he headed back home on his bike.

It was a little after 8PM when he got back, all the kids were asleep, but his mother was up. She was reclined on the couch, the spot he often found her in. As he entered the house, her eyes immediately flickered up to the boy. As he passed where she was, he saw a look on her he had never seen. Her face often wore confidence and composure, but this was an expression of shock and confusion. He mirrored the look to his mother.

Derek’s eyes widened as he realized why she must have made the face. His scent reeked of sex. Mortified, he turned and continued upstairs, thankful that his mother didn’t oppose. He jumped in the shower, washing away the events of the night, but the memories lingered in his mind. He replayed every part, trying to pinpoint what he did to make Kate so standoffish. Did he cum too fast? Did he touch her wrong? Was it when he put his hand behind her head? He got out of the shower and dried off. He pulled on a pair of clean boxers and plopped into bed. He wanted to keep analyzing what happened, but he was exhausted from all of it, so he passed out almost instantly.