Hope Andrea Argent

Formality (Part 1)

Pedal to the floor, Allison pushes her car past sixty, driving far too fast down suburban roads. The moment she blinks, she's back in the dimly-lit basement, watching Kate dial down the current at a control board. The static buzz fades allowing Derek to collapse back against the restraints. Still transformed, he gasps weakly.

Barely breathing herself, Allison keeps her distance,"What is he?" She asks.

"I think you already know the answer to that," Kate says, and Allison shakes her head,"Sure you do. Maybe you don't want to say it because it gets a little too real when you hear it out loud? Shape-shifter. Lycan. Werewolf. Whatever. To me he's just another dumb animal."

"What are you doing to him?" Allison asks in a whimper,"Is that going to kill him."

"Oh, kiddo," Kate says, like she's still a little girl,"Don't get all ethical on me. The electric charge just keeps him friendly."

She pushes Derek's chin up, then pulls his lips back like a vet might with a dog to inspect its gums.

"See that?" Kate asks,"Canines. Also known as fangs. Made for the rending and tearing of flesh. Not something you find on cute, leaf-eating herbivores," She tells her niece, gripping his chin, Kate fearlessly pulls Derek closer,"You know, there was an ancient breed of gray wolves whose teeth could crush bone? How hot is that?"

"This is a joke to you?" Allison asks incredulously.

"Sweetheart, werewolves are running around in the world. Everything's a joke to me. How else do you think I stay sane?" Kate informs her.

She casually drops Derek's head, letting his chin fall to his chest as Allison snaps her head up. Hurtling too fast toward the red brake lights of the cars ahead, she swerves into the next lane and is pulled back into the memory of what she just witnessed.

Down a dark corridor, Allison follows Kate.

"So was it him in the school? And all of the animal attacks?" Allison asks her.

"There's three of them," Kate corrects,"Another young one like him, called a Beta. The third is the Alpha."

"What's an Alpha?" Allison asks, one of the million questions going through her head.

"The pack leader. Bigger. Stronger. Nastier. Those are the real ugly motherfu--" Kate starts.

Allison is brought back to reality as her engine roars and Allison whips around a turn. She doesn't see a police car burst out of the shadows behind her, lights coming on while fluorescent bulbs flicker across the ceiling of the corridor where Kate leads Allison out.

"When were they going to tell me?" Allison asks in a quiet voice.

"They still haven't decided if they're going to tell you," Kate says with no filter.

"Why not?"

"Let's just say if you react badly when you find out, not good," Kate tells her as they continue to walk.

"What do you mean not good?" Allison asks, fearing the answer.

"They don't think you can handle it. They see a frightened little girl who's going to run crying into a corner when she hears the truth," Kate says with a little too much brutal honesty.

"What do you see?" Allison asks curiously.

"Natural talent. Potential," Kate informs her.

"Does Hope know?"

Kate shakes her head,"The tradition is that the parents tell the kid when they turn seventeen. But she's not born into this like we are."

"So... you don't think she can handle it?" Allison asks hesitantly.