CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
"eighteenth birthday"
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DEREK SAT ON THE MAKESHIFT BED IN ONE OF THE TRAIN CARTS AT THE ABANDONED TRAIN STATION. He was still adjusting to the new power of becoming an Alpha. Knowing he couldn't stay at the Hale house anymore, he decided to take shelter at the train station that'd been abandoned for years. He knew he would have to get back onto Haven's good side considering she was still very pissed that he bit Jackson.
He could handle her being temporarily mad at him. With just the right tricks and words, he had her wrapped around his finger like she had him wrapped. Even if she didn't wanna believe she was wrapped around his finger, she made a good effort with hiding it. But one thing Derek knew that she didn't was the fact they were bonded together.
He's known for quite a while but hasn't found the courage to tell her. Certainly he didn't want to scare her away but he desperately wanted her to know. Though this was something that was a lifetime commitment. They were bonded until death and nothing could ever change that. Just like how nothing could change his love for her. And he loved her before he knew for sure they were bonded.
"What?" Derek grumbled when his phone rang loudly due to Scott's incoming call, which interrupted the text he was typing to Haven.
"Haven's gone." Scott said in a nervous voice, clearly scared of Derek's reaction.
A bloody, vicious growl ripped from Derek's throat, "What the hell do you mean she's gone?"
"She ran away. Some of her stuff is missing but she left her phone here with a note. I don't know where she went." Scott explained to him, taking a deep breath to calm himself as he knew he would be dealing with the wrath of Derek Hale.
"I'm on my way, then I'll track her scent from your house." Ending the call, Derek squeezed the phone tightly in his hand as his breathing grew heavy. His wolf was clawing at him to hurry and search for Haven, not wanting to be too far from her. And to not lose her.
Tears flooded his eyes as his heart felt ripped from his chest. He pinched the bridge of his nose, dropping his head as he let out an inaudible sob. Things were finally at ease and perfect between them despite her being upset with him about biting Jackson. Other than that, they were in such a perfect state. And her running away, it killed him. To him, it was a wound like no other. He could already sense the void filling him.
"You promised me," He whispered in a pained cry.
His girl was gone, and he wasn't sure he would ever get her back.
•••
Slamming her locker shut, Haven turned her body to begin walking to her next class. She stopped with a flinch, seeing Lydia leaned against the locker next to hers with raised eyebrows. She wondered why her friend was giving her an 'are you serious' expression as she tried to think of what she'd done. There was nothing she'd done to make Lydia mad at her... right? Then again, Haven has been off the grid when completely ending things with Derek. As much as she claimed she was okay, she knew she wasn't.
"You think you're sneaky, Haven," The strawberry blonde said, squinting her eyes at her. "Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?"
In realization, Haven's eyes widened as she knew what Lydia was talking about. Though it wasn't her actual birthday. Her actual birthday was in January, but when she was put in the system, they read it wrong and marked her birthday as June. Now that it was ending the school year and it was June, she knew her fake birthday was coming up. She just forgot it was today.
"No one knows that today is my birthday. I don't really care for it anyway." Haven shrugged it off until she saw the determined look flash through Lydia's eyes. "Don't you plan anything!"
"Haven, it's your birthday! And you've been disconnected from everyone lately. Plus we can have the party at my house." Lydia tried pleading with her, hoping to get somewhere but it seemed like she was having none of it. "How old are you turning anyway?"
"Eighteen. And do not ask me how or why." She answered with a mumbled, giving her pleading look to not throw her a party.
It's not like she wasn't willing to have a party. She just wasn't in the right state to be having any celebration. Not when things weren't going so well. And especially since she wasn't with Derek. There were too many things going on and having a party for her 'birthday' was something she absolutely did not need. She felt like she was failing everything, how could she possibly throw a celebration for herself?
"Lydia, I just have so much on my mind and going on. I can't have a party, I'm sorry." Have told her, frowning when disappointment morphed onto her friends face. "Besides, who would want attend a party for the former foster, juvie, runaway girl?" She added, knowing the entire school was aware of her past.
"Trust me on this one. It'll be the best party this school has ever seen."
Lydia made sure to keep her word when she told Haven it was going to be the best party. Much to her dismay, Haven showed up to Lydia's house later that night with Scott and Stiles where loads of kids from school were already dancing and drinking. The only person that knew of today not being her real birthday was Scoff. He made sure to keep quiet.
Haven slowly let loose, dancing with Lydia, and Allison who showed up not too long ago. She was already on her third red solo cup of alcohol and was beginning to feel the familiar buzzing feeling in her veins. Her mind was clear of Derek despite the dull pain in her chest since she ended things.
Drinking halfway through her fourth cup, she suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous. She tried looking for Allison or Lydia, only to find Allison with Scott and Lydia nowhere to be seen. Her head started spinning and her body began overheating. She needed to find somewhere to calm down for a moment.
She rushed into the house and up into Lydia's room, closing the door shut behind her. She took a few deep breaths, trying to regain her composure but only felt sicker. A sudden coolness hit her skin causing her to shiver slightly. A hand on her shoulder caused her to jump, her eyes meeting those beautiful green ones she fell in love with.
"D–Derek?" She whispered, leaning into his warm hand as it moved to gently rest on her cheek. She for sure knew she probably wouldn't remember any of this as she was a little too drunk. "I know I've been the worst person and I never meant to hurt you. I just didn't want to get too attached to you because nothing in my life has ever been permanent." She cried, her words slurring over as Derek seemed to kneel down in front of her.
His expression was unreadable, "I understand, Haven, but you're right. I was never going to be permanent in your life." His voice turned deep, his eyes giving a darkened glint.
"But you always promised you wouldn't leave me?" She whispered, taken back by his heartless words.
He chuckled, stroking her cheek gently and wiping away a fallen tear. "And you promised you wouldn't run. But you did just that."
"I came back. For you. I couldn't be apart from you." She spoke in a pained cry, allowing her tears to fall freely down her cheeks.
"Isn't that lovely. I guess you made the mistake to come back in the first place. I mean, I could've been happier with Erica if it wasn't for you." He spat, glaring up into her bloodshot eyes.
His words sent another striking pain through her but he didn't stop there. Instead, he continued on his with taunts which sent her into a deep state of pain.
"She's everything you'll never be. Strong, amazing, submissive, and beautiful. But you?" He laughed dryly, tilting his head as he stared emotionless into her eyes. "You're nothing but the foster, juvie girl freak. I don't know what I ever saw in you." He added, clenching his jaw as he seemed to mean every word leaving his mouth.
"Derek, stop!"
"You're not strong enough to carry out your mother and grandfather's hunting legacy. It's a good thing your mother was killed by my kind." Those words would've meant to be the last straw for her. She was in great pain that was slowly disseminating into fury.
"Please stop. Stop hurting me. Just stop, please! Let me go for good." She whispered, closing her eyes as she let out a shaky breath.
"You hurt me, Haven, more than anything. It's only fair you feel the same pain you gave me. When you left all those times." His voice faded.
It was silent for a few moments and when she opened her eyes, Derek was no longer there. She whimpered, dropping to her knees on Lydia's carpeted floor as she held onto her chest while she cried. The pain she was in was like no other. The guilt was too much to bear. And the words said to her, in her mind seemed to be true. She knew Derek was right. She wasn't strong and she was the juvie, foster girl freak.
Once she finally calmed down, she wiped her tear stained eyes and stood to her feet. She looked in the mirror in Lydia's room, staring at herself for a few moments. The pained expression on her face turned into a look filled with burning rage and fury. She knew what she had to do. She was going to turn her pain into power.
And no one would see her coming.
__________
hi pals. sorry for the long waited update! sorta lost my spark for this story but i now know where to lead the the last four remaining chapters! grab those tissues.
hope you all enjoyed this chapter! can't wait for you all to see what's planned next. be sure to leave feedback and check out my latest derek hale story 'dark collisions'
vote n comment for next chapter!
word count; 1761