CONTROL ➳ D. HALE [2]

13 ; true alpha

13 ➳ TRUE ALPHA

Elise and sprinted up the stairs of the complex, far ahead of Stiles and Scott. Her breathing hitched in her chest as she finally reached the floor that Derek's loft was on. She skidded to a stop in the doorway, finding Jennifer Blake standing before Derek with a pleading look on her face.

"I know that you don't know who I am, but I need your help," the woman pleaded. Derek took a cautious step away, clearly trying to hold back that he knew who- and what- she was.

"I know you, though," Elise hissed, making her way into the loft. "Or, at least I thought I did."

Jennifer's lips formed a thin line as her head snapped in Elise's direction, eyes wide. Her eyes flicked back toward Derek, only to find that he now had his eyes narrowed, dropping his clueless act as Scott and Stiles barreled into the room. The latter of the two narrowed his tear- brimmed eyes at the woman, voice cracking slightly as he spoke. "Where's my dad?"

Jennifer moved quickly, trying to make it to the loft's exit before anyone could question her further. Derek moved quicker, though, and in an instant, he had his hand locked around her throat, keeping her from moving.

"Why did you do it?" Elise asked, taking a step toward the woman. "Pretend to be my friend? What kind of advantage could that give you?"

"Don't flatter yourself. I didn't do it to get close to you. I did it to get close to him." The woman flicked her eyes towards Derek, whose brows were furrowed in confusion.

"You used me to get to my boyfriend?" Elise questioned in disbelief. "That is so against girl code!"

Jennifer rolled her eyes in annoyance, not a shimmer of guilt passing over her features as she looked to Derek. "I want your protection. Your help. And you'll do it." Derek tightened his grip on Jennifer's throat, making the woman cough for air. Scott and Stiles both called out for Derek to stop, but their words had no effect. "I'm the only one that can save your sister... Stiles' father... their lives are in my hands."

Derek showed no signs of hesitation. Instead, he tightened his grip on the woman's throat and lifted her from the ground. "Derek!" Elise exclaimed, making her voice heard above Scott and Stiles pleas. "Stop!"

As if snapping out of a daze, Derek blinked and released his grip on Jennifer's throat. The woman sunk to the ground, coughing as she placed a hand gingerly against her throat. Derek's eyes burned with hatred as he eyed the woman.

"That's right. You need me," she sneered as Elise stepped around the woman, calmly making her way toward Derek's desk. The brunette briskly unplugged the desk lamp without Jennifer noticing.

"Not awake, we don't," Elise frowned, slamming the base of the small lamp down on the crown of Jennifer's head. The woman slumped to the ground, unconscious. Elise earned surprised looks from all three of others in the loft. "What?" she shrugged. "I know you were all thinking of doing it, too." Mumbles of agreement echoed throughout the loft as the four set to work devising a plan.

  ➳

"You should know that I'm not doing this because I have to," Jennifer frowned from the back seat of Elise's car. Scott and Stiles drove ahead of the Ford, guiding the way to the hospital. Derek sat in the passenger seat of Elise's car, his eyes trained in the road ahead and his brows furrowed in concern.

Cora was getting worse by the second, and they'd called Peter before leaving the loft to check on how she was doing. According to their uncle, Cora had started throwing up mistletoe and black blood. They'd all concluded that Jennifer had poisoned her, seeing as mistletoe seemed to be the woman's botanical weapon of choice.