Heartbeat // A Derek Hale Love Story (Teen Wolf)

Stay in the Car

Lillian's POV

Derek inhaled sharply as we barrelled down the road lined with dark trees, his eyes moving quickly around like he was definitely seeing something I couldn't. I still had no idea where Scott could've gone specifically, but Derek must've had some idea where to go if he was driving this fast. I couldn't stop myself from gripping the leather armrest, gritting my teeth and trying not to look at the speedometer. Maybe staying in the car was a bad idea.

"How do you know where he is again?" I breathed, daring a glance at his face, frozen in a solid, cold expression. His nostrils were flared and his eyes narrowed. The darkened world outside the car flashed by, but I didn't bother to tell him to slow down. I'd heard what Stiles said, and what Derek had said earlier that night. Scott wasn't in control right now, and his girlfriend, Allison, or ex-girlfriend... whoever she was, she was in danger. From the sounds of it she had no idea what Scott was, and no way of defending herself against him. I barely paused my train of thought long enough to think of how lucky I was that I had my gifts that could protect me, or of the fact that Derek had an excellent handle on his instincts and abilities as a werewolf.

But as soon as that thought materialised, my heart gave a quick jolt at the sight of the full moon that hung over the forest around us. Would Derek be okay tonight? Had we even talked about what the full moon did to him? I glanced over again, and he didn't seem to be acting weird. Serious, and maybe stressed, but otherwise his normal, broody self.

"I know he's going after that girl, Allison, and unless she's hiding in the forest somewhere, she'll be somewhere off this road, 'cause this is the way Scott went. I think he can probably smell her, but I don't know what she smells like. If we don't find anywhere she might be, I'm going to get out and track Scott by his scent."

"Okay," I managed, eyes on the road ahead. "Do you really think Scott would hurt Allison? Last I checked, he was basically in love with her."

"Yeah, well, I've been trying to help Scott with the whole werewolf thing, since he's so new to it and by himself, but he hasn't wanted my help so far, especially on full moons. I haven't been able to help him get a good grip, so honestly, I have no idea how he's going to be. I have no idea what he's thinking, either." Derek paused, wrapping his hand tighter around the steering wheel. "But if he was motivated enough to almost rip off his hand getting through that handcuff on his floor, then I think it's safe to say we should be worried and hauling ass to stop him from whatever he's got in his mind to do. It was good Stiles tried to chain him up, though," he added, his eyes glinting. Had he ever had to chain someone up? My insides coated with ice. Had he ever been chained up?

Derek hit the brakes so hard that they made a crunk-crunk-crunk sound, my seatbelt bit into my collarbone and my heart nearly projected out of my throat as we were thrown forward. Then we went squealing into a driveway off the road we'd been barrelling down, leading to a small parking lot.

"Sorry," Derek muttered, eyes ablaze as the car slowed. "I can... sense Scott, and other werewolves, in a way, and I just got a really strong sense coming from over here."

I'd barely caught my breath. "Whatever you say, man," I huffed. No one was on the road so it was fine, I just wasn't used to tiny sports cars moving the way he just made it move. If I'd tried pulling that stunt with my pickup truck, we'd have gone careening into the ditch and I would've totalled my beloved machine. "You think he's in here?"

Derek didn't bother to answer me, or to bother with a decent parking job before he leapt out of the car. "Stay here," was all he said, to which I bit back my protest. I knew he was right to ask that of me, so I didn't argue, but instead I watched him drop down into hunting mode, his ears and canines elongating with sharp points, and his eyes glowing blue.