𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐑━︎━︎I. Lahey ✓︎

𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞

     "Don't focus on your anger, at all." Derek told her. "Because then you might make a habit of them only coming out when you're angry."

     "No anger." She breathed, shaking her head. "Just full on imagination." It took awhile, though she had managed to get the claws the first time, it took her awhile to actually control retracting them and making them appear on command. Three hours worth, actually. And though she would never admit it, when Derek wasn't being a complete asshole, or an alpha, he was actually tolerable. When she was positive she got it, she thanked him.

     "Jesus, I didn't think it would take that long." The girl groaned. "My hand hurts. Anyways, thank you, Derek. Really, I appreciate this."

     "It's not a problem." Derek waved her off.

     "Now that I can do that, I'm actually scared of what Scott's going to say." Gwen admitted, sitting down on top of one of the tables.

     Derek furrowed his eyebrows. "Why? Because I was the one that taught you?"

     "No." She shook her head. "Because I don't have yellow eyes. I have blue."

     "Just because you have blue eyes, doesn't mean anything, Gwen." Derek told her, frowning slightly.

     "No, I know." She nodded. "It's just. . . that will forever be stuck with me, because I snapped and killed someone. Someone innocent."

     "Was he really innocent, though?" Derek softly asked her, making the girl look up, surprised by his gentle tone, one she hadn't heard on him before. She bit her lip, feeling the guilt seep in her eyes. "Gwen, you shouldn't feel guilty for something that you couldn't control, especially if it happened to someone who deserved it."

     "But. . . he was my only family left."

     "And tell me, are you happier now that he's gone?" He asked.

     "How did you know?" She whispered.

     "Because you and Isaac act the same way. You flinch at the simplest of touches, when someone raises their voice a level too high." Derek answered her. "So, Gwen, trust me when I say, no one is going to see you any differently, because of the color of your eyes."

     Gwen nodded her head, offering the alpha a gentle smile. "Thank you, Derek. I really needed that." She paused before looking at him. "If you did this just so I could become part of your pack, it's not going to happen."

     "Can't I just be nice sometimes with no strings attached?" Derek asked.

     "No." The girl deadpanned.

     He rolled his eyes. "Look, you're a werewolf without a pack. You are going to end up dead, Gwendolyn. I'm not asking for you to join my pack to get back at Scott, I'm asking because I don't want to be at the other end of Scott's claws when he finds you dead."

     She knew he was telling the truth, having listened to his heartbeat the entire time. She sighed, nodding her head. "I'm not part of a pack because I don't need to be. Amarok wolves are known to stay on their own and not join a pack." She sighed once more. "But even so, Scott's family. So maybe I'm not officially a part of his pack because of the type of wolf I am, but I am an ally to his pack, and I will always take his side. No matter what." Derek looked at the girl before nodding his head in understanding. She offered the man one last smile before walking up the steps, and exiting his hideout.

━︎━︎━︎━︎━︎

     It was later that night that the two wolves were inside of the animal clinic, waiting for Derek to show up. "You're not mad, are you?" Gwen asked, having just showed Scott that she could control her claws, fangs, and eyes, whilst also then explaining to him how she went to Derek for help instead of him.