"Y/n, focus." Derek's voice boomed. I groaned, and I gripped my head. I had the worst head ache, and it was still day light. I still had hours to go until sunset, then a couple hours later before the moon would reach it's peak. I didn't choose this life for myself. It just happened.
"I can't! My head is pounding." I said annoyed. I shot my friend a sharp look, and he rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed.
"Y/n, I need you prepared, you might break out of your chains, and if their are hunters out, I need you to be able to defend yourself." he said, as he tried to show me the move again, but I just couldn't focus. I kept worrying about tonight. What if I did get out, but I hurt someone? Or worse, kill? I didn't want this life. I was just minding my business, visiting my sister in another town, and a random alpha bit me. Great right? Wrong. My sister is a damn hunter. She said she'd try to keep other hunters in the town off my trail, but I came back home in the middle of the night, so here I am, with my friend, who is a former alpha, trying to teach me everything he can in a short amount of time.
"Yes you can. If you want to live, you will." Derek boomed. I flinched, and I jumped to my feet, trying once more to imitate the move he was showing me for the millionth time. I did a roundhouse kick, then turned to a roll, then I swiped his legs out from underneath of him. It took a couple more times, but I finally managed. Once finished, I collapsed onto the ground exhausted. My whole body ached. Surely this isn't normal. No one warned me of this.
"Once they are off their feet, and they don't have a weapon in reach you run. You run fast and far away until you can't hear their heart beats." he told me.
"Won't I be attracted to the heart beats since I'll want to kill every moving thing?" I asked.
"Break your own arm if you have to. It will shift you back to normal, just for a little while, but enough to get you far away. Long enough for me to track you down, and get you under control." he said as he sat next to me on the concrete floor of his loft.
"What if I hurt you?" I asked, looking up at his face.
"Then I'll heal." he told me.
"Won't you be mad?" I asked.
"No. Because I know you can't control yourself. Even if you could, I still wouldn't, because I know there would be a reason for you to do it." he said to me, regaining his breath from training me.
"What happens if I kill someone?" I asked, feeling very afraid. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did.
"Your eyes will be blue. like mine. You'll feel it marking your soul, weighing you down. And I'll be there every step of the way when you begin doubting yourself. but don't worry, I'll keep you in control." he told me.
"What makes you so sure?" I asked.
"Because I know how your mind works. I know how if I go in a threatening way, it only makes you stronger. You're like that in your normal human self, it will be a million times stronger in wolf form. For you to stay calm, others have to be. I'll help you find your anchor. I promise I won't let you kill anyone, and I promise I won't let a hunter hurt you." he told me.
"What about the alpha that bit me? Will he ever come after me?" I asked.
"Doubtful, he hasn't tried yet. You were helping your sister on a hunt, and you got bit. He must have mistaken you as an actual werewolf hunter who would kill themselves when they began changing." he told me.
"How do you know some much?" I asked.
"I know many hunters, ex hunters, but there are more around here. Some who came to take their place. The Argents don't hunt anymore, they say they lost too much." he said.
"Why do they hate us so much? We did nothing to them." I said weakly, feeling afraid, very afraid. I drew my legs up to my chest, and Derek put his hand on my back.
"I won't let them hurt you." he vowed. I looked up at him with fearful eyes, and he gave me a rare smile.
"But you need protecting too." I whispered.
"I'll be fine for one night." he said. I smiled up at him, and he rubbed my back reassuringly.
I had heard stories about how Derek treated his betas, but he's being so gentle and kind to me, why, I have no idea, probably because fear is emitting off of me in waves, and he knows me well enough to not do something to increase my fear. Or maybe because he was my actual friend before any of this happened, and he still thinks of me as a friend.
I don't know how long we sat on the floor, but the sun eventually went down, and the pain in my head increased, and I felt my skin crawling. "Come on, it's time to get you prepared. Do you want to change clothes first?" he asked me, as he helped my aching form up off the ground.
"No, I'm fine." I whispered.
Derek guided me to the upstairs portion of the loft, and he brought me to a support column. "This is not moving, sit down, your back against it, your arms behind you and the pole." he said. He helped me get into the position, and he put a pair of special shackles on my wrists. When I tried to move my wrists, metal would cut into my skin. He put the same type of shackles onto my ankles. He then brought a ring, and placed it around my waist, and if I stayed still I wouldn't feel the barbs cut into me. I heard chains, and he connected the wrist and ankle shackles to the waist band, and tied that tight around the pole. "Okay, usually I would use a head band with spikes, but I'll use a collar, okay?" he said. I nodded my head, and he produced a metal band, and placed it around my neck, and twisted the spikes, just enough so they were touching my skin, but not piercing me. He then used a chain attached to it, and wrapped it around the pole, and to the other parts.
"This gonna be a long night." I whimpered.
"I hope for your benefit you find an anchor. I just want this night to be over." he said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I hate seeing you in pain. You're seriously my only friend, I want to take away your pain, but I can't." he told me. I looked into his eyes, being careful of not moving any part of my body, and he had a sincere expression on his face. For him I will try to be good. I will try to stay in control for Derek, my best friend. The only person I am able to trust.
I felt the pressure in my head increase, and I nearly cried out. I tugged at the shackles so I could hold my head, and I writhed in pain, but that only made the pain worse, causing me to shriek. I'm not used to so much pain. "Riley, listen to my voice, find your way back, come on, listen to my voice." Derek said. He placed his hand on my cheek, and I slowly calmed down slightly, and leaned my clammy cheek against his hand. He brushed my sweaty hair back off my face, and he had a pained expression on his face, and I saw his veins turn black, and I felt some of the pain ebb away. I panted, and I tried to catch my breath.
"You're alright, I'm here, I'll always be here." he whispered. I closed my eyes, and I felt another wave, causing me to thrash and scream, I felt my body changing, and I wanted blood. I wanted to kill the alpha that bit me, and made me go through this. I hated the hunters, I hated everyone. Except Derek. Who is right next to me, trying to keep me from moving so I wouldn't be in more pain.
"Come on! Find your anchor! Find your way back! Come on!" he shouted to me, I cried out in pain, and I opened my eyes, and I saw that Derek had his face close to mine. "Come on, find my voice." he whispered. Something seemed to click, and I stopped trying to break free, but I stared up into his eyes, and he stared down at me, and I collapsed, and if it wasn't for Derek, I would've been in some serious pain.
"Derek..." I said sleepily.
"I'm here, I'm here." he said, and I felt the chains being taken off of me. Did I do it? Did I find my anchor? He unshackled my legs and wrists, and took of the bands around my waist and neck. I felt sweaty and bloody. It was gross, but he didn't care. He brought me into his arms, and he pushed my hair our of my eyes.
"You found your anchor... What is it?" he asked.
"You." I said before passing out.
I woke up, and my body ached, I feel like I was dragged through hell. I sat up, and I saw that I was in Derek's bed. I noticed I was in one of his t-shirts, and all of the blood was off of me. I put my hand to my face, and I sighed. I made it. I survived. And I also told Derek that he was my anchor. Shit. I stood up, and I walked to the living room area, where he was sitting. I walked over, and I shifted from foot to foot, trying to come up with something to say. Derek looked up at me, and he had an unknown expression on his face.
"Come here." he said. I walked over, and I went to sit next to him, but he pulled me down on his lap. I fell back into his chest, and he tightened his arms around me.
"You're my anchor too." he whispered.