Connected (Teen Wolf) Book 4

Chapter 22 - The Locker Room Again

Surprisingly I wasn’t tired when I got to school despite not having a coffee and functioning on half a cylinder of Pringles.

I had gone back to Scott’s to get changed before heading to school and meting the guys. Clearly Scott had told Stiles what happened last night by the way he was looking at me as I walked up to them, but before either of them could say anything I simply gave Scott a hug.

“Sorry I freaked out on you.” I said as I pulled back.

“That’s alright.”

“Did you go to Peter’s?” Stiles asked straight away and not in an approving tone.

“Eventually. I actually ran into Jordan first and I calmed down. I was going to go back home, but I got tired and decided I was closer to Peter’s than anywhere else, so… What’s happening?”

“Well we’re meeting Derek here. He’s going to help me talk to Liam.” Scott explained just as Derek pulled up in his car beside us.

“Okay boys, listen up. Do not scare him… please? Or kidnap.” I pointedly looked at Scott who looked at the ground guiltily.

“I just want to see how angry he is.” Derek said. “See how hard it will be for him to get control.”

“Our next game is against Liam’s old school, I don’t know if he should play or not.” Scott added.

“Did Derek’s threats stop you from playing?” I asked him. The look he gave me clearly said no. “Alright go, but try and be nice.”

“Really? You already have a soft spot for him?” Stiles asked.

“He reminds me of a puppy.” I said in an innocent voice that stiles scrunched his eyebrows at, not understanding at all while Scott and Derek just chuckled before walking off to find Liam.

Stiles and I headed for the lockers, at first in silence until he spoke up out of nowhere and quite suddenly and I little too loud causing me to jump a little. “Peter? Really? You have a nightmare and can’t be around Scott because he was in that nightmare, you come to me. Or Lydia or Derek, not Peter bloody Hale.”

“You know there was a time when you would have said that about Derek.”

“That is completely different and you know it.” He said turning to me.

“Stiles.” I said in a calm voice, placing my hands on his shoulders. “I love you and I appreciate the concern, I really do, but I can look after myself. Peter is the least of our problems right now.”

“Peter Hale is never the least of our problems. The longer he doesn’t do something just means more time he has to plan his next diabolical scheme.”

“Or maybe dying set him straight. He’s been helping us, Stiles.”

“He does sometimes and very rarely and reluctantly.” He said as the school bell rang.

“Okay, until we have evidence to believe that Peter is actually trying to kill us can you let this go? Pretty please?”

“For the time being.” He agreed, but not happily.

“Okay, now get to class, I’m going to see what Scott and Derek are doing. Make sure there’s no duct tape involved.” I said. Stiles smiled a little before nodding.

I followed Scott’s scent to the locker room and was about to enter when I heard them talking.

“This was supposed to be a semester where I could focus on school again… But Kate’s back… and I’ve got a beta… there’s a deadpool and after last night I’m starting to worry about Anna again.”

“If all our names are on that list then that’s what we should be focussing on.” Derek said. “We’ll work with Liam as we go and there’s nothing we can do about Kate at the moment until she shows up again… and Anna…” Derek sighed a little before continuing. “There’s not much I can do. You’re the one with the connection, you’re the only one that’ll be able to get through to her if it turns bad again.”

“Peter seem to be doing a better job than me at the moment.”

“You know I remember everything that happened when I was, I guess, 16 again and it made me think of something. I’m not saying you can trust Peter or that I do, but I think Anna can.”

“Why?” It wasn’t Scott who asked, it was me as I finally decided to make myself known. Oddly enough I did actually trust Peter, but I never thought I would here Derek say it.

Derek looked at me for a moment before answering. “When you followed me back to what is left of my old house, before Deputy Parrish and Haigh showed up… I asked if you were friends with Selene, do you know why?”

“Because I said I was friends with Peter and Peter doesn’t have friends.” I explained.

“Because you’re a lot like her. Sometimes it’s eerie. I think you can trust him because Peter hates himself for what happened after the fire, when she went back to Mexico.”

“He hates himself because she went back to hunting?” I asked, confused while Scott looked between us with even more confusion having no idea what was going on.

“She didn’t go back to hunting Anna… The Calaveras killed her because of Peter.” Derek explained. “You’re the only one that can tolerate him, like I said you’re a lot like Selene, and I think you can trust him because he won’t let the same thing happen.”

“How do you know she died?”

“When Arya had Peter and me she told us right before she cut off Peter’s finger.”

“Have I mentioned I don’t like that women?” I muttered.

“Once or twice.” Scott muttered. “Alright so what’s the plan?”

“You’re the alpha.” Derek said.

“Lydia’s working on finding the next key. Until she does all we can do is keep trying to figure out who is killing people.” Scott said.

“And go to Economics.” I added.

“Coach’s class is first?” Scott asked, terrified.

“Yep.”

“We’re late.”

“Yep.”

“Go.” Derek said as he stood up. “Let me know if you need a hand with Liam.” He said before walking out.

Scott and I left right behind him and braced ourselves for the inevitable yelling at…

Little more about Selene, but again if you haven't i recomment you read my book about her and Peter, especially the end of it because it will make more sense. It's called 'Burnt'
:)