Killer | Derek Hale

GRUMPY GRANDPA

"Where's Derek?"

Maia shrugged, "No clue. I ditched him an hour ago."

"You were supposed to be helping him find the alpha," Liam argued.

"And you are supposed to be researching my talisman," she retorted.

"It's the middle of the school day," he muttered, "I have class."

He clutched his backpack straps tighter and tried to keep his head low. They walked through the crowded halls and passed by several students.

"I could care less what business you have."

He grumbled curses under his breath, "Look, I have Mason doing research in the library on his free period."

"Who is Mason?"

"He's my friend," he explained, "And he's really smart so he'll figure it out."

Maia grabbed his shoulder and shoved him against a row of lockers. The sound caught the attention of the students and they all gasped as they saw the boy being threatened.

She leaned in close enough to whisper, "You and I have one thing in common: anger issues. First, I get impatient. And then I get angry, so I kill people. So maybe you should work faster."

A face poked between them out of the corner of her eye. She slowly turned her gaze to them and glared.

"Hey Coach," Liam greeted nonchalantly.

He grumbled in response before turning his attention back to the girl, "You're the one who caught the ball the other day, right? Aren't you a little old to be in high school?"

"Aren't you a little old to be a coach?" she retorted.

The students around them gasped.

At first his face twitched in rage. But that soon melted into a wide smile. He slapped a hand on her back in a friendly manner, "You. I like you."

He started laughing as he turned to Liam, "Nice friend you have here Dunbar."

Another person came running onto the scene. Lydia stepped between Coach and Maia, creating space for the angered werewolf.

"Actually she's my..."

She glanced back in a scramble to come up with an excuse.

"My cousin!"

Maia rolled her eyes.

"Yep...she's my cousin, Coach. I asked her to meet me and she happened to run into Liam on the way," Lydia explained.

The man looked between the three. Disbelief was plain on his face but his body language seemed to convey disinterest.

"You know what? Sure," she conceded, "I don't get paid enough to question this so yeah. Get out of my sight."

Lydia nodded nervously and pulled both Maia and Liam into her arms, dragging them out of the public eye.

"You," she spoke to Liam, "Go to class."

The boy tried to protest but the girl cut him off with a glare. He huffed and trudged down a separate hallway.

"And you," she said directly to the girl, "We have one more class until the end of the day. Derek called and he's on the lacrosse field. We will all meet you there during practice after school. Okay?"

Maia groaned and threw her head back, "But it's so boring!"

"So talk to Derek!" she suggested, shoving her out of the doors.

"Have you ever done that? It's like talking to a brick wall!"

Lydia faked a smile of sympathy before the doors shut again. Maia was left outside and she had no other option except to wait on the lacrosse field.

She made her way there and spotted Derek sitting on the bleachers. She sighed and trudged up the metal steps, catching his attention.

"Why are you being so difficult?" he questioned, "Is it so hard to just try and focus for one minute?"

"When that minute is with you, yes! Yes, it is."

He scoffed and shook his head, "Maybe this is why you don't have a pack."

She gaped and her cheeks grew red with anger, "I don't have a pack because I chose not to have one. I don't need people to make me powerful because I already am!"

"No, see, I think I've got you all figured out," he stated.

She scoffed and plopped down on the opposite side of the bleacher as him. She laid down on her back and propped one foot up.

"I think that you don't have a pack because you don't want anyone to treat you the way your family did."

She tensed slightly but relaxed.

"You don't want people to think you're weak because that's what they made you feel. You don't want someone to trust because you think they'll break it."

"And am I wrong?" she questioned rhetorically, "The people closest to people like us are only looking to betray us. To use us."

"Not everyone," he argued.

"Really? So your whole pack is just perfect, right? No one has ever made a single mistake that caused you to lose trust in them?"

He went silent for a moment. His lack of a response confirmed that she was right.

But she felt bad when she smelled the nostalgic guilt and pain emanate from him. It almost made her feel sorry for what she said, but she knew that the truth was better.

She tried to make up for the harsh words, feeling a sense of remorse she would never usually feel. But Derek made her want to reconcile.

"Some people are meant to be alphas...but not leaders."

She could feel his eyes look back at her as she sighed and stared up at the sky.

"I don't have a pack because leaders need to be selfless and trusting. Clearly, I don't have that," she stated, "I would just end up hurting anyone who got too close and they'd end up the way I did. And no one should have to feel the way I do."

As he heard her words, his gaze softened. His previous anger melted and there was a single moment of mutual peace between them.

He could smell her pain as well, knowing that it was deep rooted and strong. For some reason, he also felt the need to reconcile with her.

Somehow, the two of them shared a connection beyond understanding. Neither of them understood it, nor noticed it, but it was evident.

"Well if it helps...you're not too bad."

She let a short laugh escape her lips before rolling her head to see him,

"I guess you aren't too bad yourself."

His teeth were close to showing as he turned his head to hide his smile.

"Even if you act like a grumpy grandpa all the time."

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