"Knock, knock."
I tear my gaze away from the woods outside of the window in my room. Aunt Kate is hovering in the doorway, her hands hidden behind her back. I force a smile on my face and wave her in. I slide off of window seat and move over to my bed, patting the empty spot next to me.
"How ya feeling?" Aunt Kate carefully sits on the bed, her hands still hidden.
I tuck my feet under my body. "Better. I think it was just a twenty four hour bug."
Lie.
Truth is, I've locked myself in my room to let myself go over my thoughts of the previous night. Derek turning into this weird werewolf with an insane amount of facial hair on his face kind of freaked me out. I overreacted, that's for sure. I shouldn't have called him a freak and ran away from him. Yes, a part of me was terrified, but another part knew that he wouldn't hurt me. Mixed feelings like that make me react like how I did.
Aunt Kate smiles. "Good, because I have an early birthday present for you." She pulls out a box wrapped in red wrapping paper from behind her back. "I'm giving Allison hers tomorrow, but I couldn't wait to give you yours and we need tomorrow to make it happen."
I quietly giggle, while setting the square box on my lap. "Thank you."
For the past days, I've pushed aside the fact that my Aunt may have been the one to shoot Derek. I've ignored the fact, that maybe, just maybe, Aunt Kate knows what Derek is.
"Don't thank me until you open it." Aunt Kate waves her hands at me.
I tear a hole in the paper and continue to yank all of it off. A brown box with a lid now sits on my lap, wrapping paper discarded on the floor. I lift the lid off, peering inside. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but the thought of an arrow being in it never crossed my mind. Carefully, I pick up the arrow, immediately knowing that it belongs to my bow downstairs in the garage. I haven't done archery in a couple years, so my bow has remain untouched.
Aunt Kate notices my confused expression. "Your father will probably disapprove of this, but I want to teach you about our family history. Allison's not ready, you, on the other hand, is ready to know everything. This arrow will be the first one you shoot at our first practice. Tomorrow, in the morning, I'm going to teach you everything I know."
Sliding my thumb over the point of the arrow head, I gently press down to see how sharp it is. "Why would dad disapprove?" A sharp sting catches my attention when I feel the tip of the arrowhead pierce my skin.
"Let's just say that he doesn't want you to live this life." She doesn't elaborate. Does this have to do with what Derek is? Is that why she shot him? Or is she just going to tell me that we have a weird tradition in our family about archery? "But, you have to keep it a secret. You can't tell anyone, not even Allison. Can you do that or did I make a mistake in telling you?"
I gaze at my Aunt, thoroughly curious to know why everything is hush hush. What do Allison and I not know about this family? "You didn't make a mistake."
Aunt Kate beams. "Good. Tomorrow, I'll wake you up earlier and I'll give you your first lesson."
"Okay." I nod my head.
♢ ♢ ♢
Aunt Kate wasn't kidding when she said she would wake me up early. At the crack of dawn, she marched straight in to my room, demanding that I have to get up. With much struggle, I eventually did get up and dressed. Everyone was still asleep when we left, which made it easy for us to sneak out.
The last time I went to the woods, I ran away from Derek, but, this time, we are in the Beacon Hills Preserve. Aunt Kate handed me my bow, while she had a bunch of arrows.
"Have you ever wondered why your parents had you do so many activities as you were growing up; archery, track, kick boxing, fighting." Aunt Kate randomly asks after ten minutes of walking.
"I just thought they wanted me to stay active and be able to protect myself. " I shrug my shoulders.
Aunt Kate stops walking between two trees. "There's more to it than that." She glances at me and continues walking.
I stare at the back of her blonde head, curiously. After a second, I jog after her, falling back into step with her. "What do you mean?"
Aunt Kate pulls one of the arrows from the container they are in. "They were preparing you. Ever wonder why you always did more than Allison?"
"She was never interested in any of this. " I answer. "What were they preparing me for?"
"To become a hunter."
My eyebrows scrunch together in confusion. "A hunter?"
Aunt Kate hands the arrow to me. "For many years, the Argent family has hunted one thing and one thing only. Do you know what it is?"
"Deer?" I ask, not understanding where any of this is going. My fingers brush along the arrow before I slide it into place.
"Werewolves."
My grasp on the bow slackens and I quickly regain my posture. Werewolves? Did she just say werewolves? My family hunts werewolves? Is that why she shot Derek because she knows what he is?
"I know what you are thinking, werewolves don't exist, right? I can prove it to you." Aunt Kate continues.
"How?" I control my breathing as I aim at a tree about seventy feet away.
Aunt Kate steps off to the side. "Tonight. I know where the Alpha is. We're going to surprise him. Consider it to be your first test."
I swallow, deeply. "Who's the Alpha?"
"You'll see tonight."
With that said, I release my hand and the arrow soars through the air, hitting the tree directly in the middle. I lower my bow, staring straight ahead. I forgot how much I loved Archery. Off to the side, Aunt Kate grins with her hands in her pocket. The only thought running through my mind is; what if the Alpha is Derek?
"Why is this such a big secret?" I relax my shoulders, struggling to look somewhat calm. I can't let her know that I know Derek.
"Your parents didn't want to tell you until you were ready." She pulls another arrow out, this one looking slightly different. "But, when I arrived, I could tell that you were ready. You can handle this. I mean, you aren't even freaking out. You're reacting just like I did."
I need Aunt Kate to trust me. I need her to teach me everything she knows, not to hunt, but to protect Derek, and even Scott. "I don't feel like a part of me is missing anymore." I find myself saying.
"You're just like me." Aunt Kate rubs her hand up and down my back.
The scary thing is, I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Her outstretched hand holds the next arrow out. She's not just giving me the arrow, this is like an unspoken question, the only question that seems to matter at this time; am I ready for this? I need to keep Scott and Derek safe. Yes, they may be supernatural beings, but no one deserves to be hunted.
Trying to keep my shaking hand to a minimal, I grab the bow and draw it back. Going against my family's tradition could be a huge mistake, but I'm not one to kill something, I'd rather protect something. I inhale and when I exhale, I release the arrow, allowing it to sail through the air and hit my target.
"Excellent." Aunt Kate praises.
♢ ♢ ♢
Rule number one of hunting, according to Aunt Kate, don't talk unless it's absolutely necessary. Night rolled around and Aunt Kate told mom and dad that she was taking me out to go buy Allison a present. No one was suspicious of anything, which made it easy for us to leave. We both changed into black clothes to be hidden in the shadows.
Personally, I'm not looking forward to this at all. I don't want to go find the Alpha and, as Aunt Kate said, give him a little taste of what we can do. This may be my family's tradition, but I don't want to be a part of it. Sadly, I don't really have a choice in the matter.
My bow was securely hanging off of my back while Aunt Kate had felt that guns would protect herself better. We moved stealthily through the woods near Derek house and I could feel myself growing sick. I don't want to hurt him. The whole way over here, I was praying that he wasn't the Alpha, but as we draw closer, I know that praying won't help any. My Aunt Kate knows what Derek is and she seems set on hurting him.
Rule number two of hunting, never, for one second, put your guard down. It only takes a second to think you'll be okay and then, out of nowhere, something comes along and you're screwed. On the ride over, Aunt Kate kept saying that no matter what happens, I need to be on guard. She kept saying that she won't make me do a whole bunch tonight, except I heard her mutter saying that no matter what happens, I need to be on guard. She kept saying that she won't make me do a whole bunch tonight, except I heard her mutter that I will be shooting the Alpha a couple times.
Hopefully, Derek is out with Scott or somewhere else. I don't want him to be here. I regret how I reacting to him, but his reaction will be a lot worse when he sees what I am. Last time I checked, werewolves and hunters don't exactly get along.
Derek's burned down house comes into view and I grimace when I see his Camaro parked in front of the porch. He's home.
Werewolves are supposed to have really good hearing, right? So, maybe, if I talk and drop his name a few times, he'll understand that he needs to leave. He might understand that I'm trying to save him.
"This is Derek Hale's house." I barely say above a whisper as we saunter towards the house.
"You know him?" Aunt Kate holds the gun out in front of her, prepared to shoot anything that moves.
I advert my eyes away. "I've heard stories."
That's not a lie. I have heard stories, stories told by Derek himself.
Aunt Kate holds a hand up and creeps up behind a large tree. After a second, she beckons me closer with her hand. "Get your bow ready." Her voice drops even lower.
Reaching behind my back, I hold my bow in both of my hands. I don't want to do this. I can't show weakness in front of Aunt Kate.
Aunt Kate points to the front door, no more than one hundred feet away. "That's your target."
That's easy enough. I can shoot a door. I lift my bow up, drawing back an arrow. I exhale and let the arrow fly through the trees. Instead of just sticking into the door from the force, the arrow explodes on contact. My eyes widen in fear, the bright light even blinding from where we are standing.
"What the-"
"Stay focused." Aunt Kate warns me.
"But-" I lower my bow ever so slightly just to have her jerk it back up.
"Let's move closer."
Playing the part, I reach behind me for another arrow. These aren't normal arrows. Aunt Kate didn't tell me about this. I could seriously hurt Derek if I shoot him with this. I saunter forward, trailing behind Aunt Kate, my eyes darting to every window. Derek must be in there somewhere. If only I could give him some kind of warning.
"See that window?" Aunt Kate points to a window with currents blowing in the soft wind. "Shoot."
I follow her commands, hating every part of it. Just like the first time, the arrow explodes, but, this time, it's inside of the house. The front door wrenches open and Derek stands in it, eyes flashing a different color when he sees us. From this far away, it's nearly impossible to see his face, but I know he lives here, I know what he looks like. To Aunt Kate, she probably only sees a dark figure. His expression falters at the sight of me with my bow in hand. There's no way for me to tell him that I'm not like my Aunt Kate.
"Shoot him."
My hands begin to shake. I can't shoot Derek. I just can't do it. I'm not that strong. I'm not like Aunt Kate.
"Shoot him!" She raises her voice, angrily.
Derek stays planted on the front porch, eyes boring into my own. He knows I can't do it.
"Clara!" Her voice booms throughout the woods. "SHOOT HIM!"
I aim the bow slightly higher than his head. "Duck." I barely breathe as I release the arrow.
Derek ducks just in time, shielding his eyes from the exploding light. My heart pounds in my chest. That was too close for me. He casts one look at me before racing away. I did it. I saved him from getting hurt.
The anger radiating off of Aunt Kate is beginning to be too much from her heavy glare. She's angry, angry that I didn't shoot him when I was supposed to, angry that I missed.
She breathes through her nose, clearly annoyed. "Get in the car."
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Author's Note:
Ahh! Was that intense or what?
I've been playing on Kate introducing Clara to this world for a long time. Kate will get a little crazy in her teachings later on. I have something planned very soon. Next chapter will be interesting.
Question: What do you think of Clara pretending to be want to learn only to protect Derek?
So, yeah!