Destiny [D.H.]

13

Derek looked at Jackson before saying, "You're looking a little pale there, Jackson. You feeling okay?"

"Never better."

"Liar," I scoffed, sensing the blip in his heartbeat.

Derek frowned at me before turning back to Jackson. "If something's wrong, I need to know. You're with me now."

Jackson's eyes narrowed. "Wait--with you? Me with--with you? What am I, your little pet? I mean, just because you gave me "the bite" doesn't mean I'm part of your little wolf pack. Sorry,bt to be honest, you don't exactly show outstanding leadership qualities. I'm surprised Eliana has stuck around you for as long as she has."

"You're a beta, dumbass," I said. "And you shouldn't be surprised. He's your alpha. Derek has helped me more than any of the shitheads in this school have, and... I won't tell you that."

I kept my focus on Jackson. "Is that so?"

Derek held me firmly so I wouldn't go after Jackson as the beta continued. "Look, I've got my own agenda. Which doesn't involve running around the woods at night, howling at the moon with you two and McCall, okay? So why don't you just back the fu--What is it? What's happening?"

Black liquid oozed from his nose.

"Body's fighting the bite," Derek said.

"Why?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know."

As Derek left, Jackson asked, "What does it mean? What does it mean?!"

I glanced at Derek. "If his body reject the bite, he dies, right?"

He nodded. "Exactly. What's going on with you? I've never heard you go off like that."

I shrugged. "I hate it when others are put down."

Derek walked me to class and waved goodbye.

The second I stepped inside the classroom, Harris said, "You're seven minutes late, Ms. Hart."

Unfortunately, since Chemistry was my last class, I was stuck in Harris' room. Stiles soon entered. Not surprising.

After an hour of counting ceiling tiles, beakers in the classroom, and the total number of chairs, Stiles and I got up.

"Sit," Harris ordered.

"But it's been an hour," Stiles argued.

"My detention's an hour-and-a-half."

"You can't do that," I retorted angrily.

"Oh, but I can. You see, Stiles, since your father was so judicious in his dealings with me, I've decided to make you my personal project for the rest of the semester. Eliana, I'm good friends with your mother, and she believes you need all the discipline you can get. You two are going to benefit from all the best that strict discipline has to offer. Now--sit down before I decide to keep the two of you here all night."

I growled quietly and felt my eyes shifting. Stiles moved next to me and whispered, "Think of your anchor."

I soon calmed down and eventually, Harris let us out and made our way to Kate's funeral. I didn't want to attend, but Stiles practically forced me to go.

We saw Scott and Stiles greeted, "Yo."

"Who the hell is that?" I asked quietly, acknowledging the old man in a suit.

"He's definitely an Argent," Scott replied.

"Hey, you know, maybe they're just here for the funeral," Stiles guessed. "I mean, what if they're the non-hunting side of the family? There could be non-hunting Argents. It's possible, right?"