(Previously: Kristin gets questioned by Michelle about Derek before she attends Kate’s funeral, and has a moment with Vince and wonders why her brother is being distant.)
Alex’s cold shoulder during the funeral was just as bad after Kate’s body had been lowered into the ground and dug over. I know he is blaming me for not saving Kate, well I’m 95% sure. He has to know deep down that there was nothing I could do. Kate shot me in the leg plus I barely had the strength to stand to my feet. Alex spoke to me in the hospital. He said I’m glad you’re okay but that was it. At least the dirty laundry has been aired between me and Vince. I honestly had no idea he cared that much.
Wait I need to focus, snap out of it! I order myself as I stare into the mirror which is glued against the wall in the faculty women’s restroom. Gerard wants me in his office ASAP, and I can’t help but worry. I don’t want to be cut in half, or tasered again for that matter, not after feeling the torture that was being inflicted upon Derek through the bond.
It was horrible. It nearly killed me, and I’m pretty sure it’s the reason for my change from human to werewolf. It still doesn’t seem real. Is this how Belle felt? Looking at her now you wouldn’t think so.
Belle loves the perks.
“He doesn’t know and he isn’t going to find out,” I reassure myself before I tidy my very dark hair which is sitting just over my shoulders, and after taking a deep breath I march out of the bathroom and to the principal’s office with my head held high.
It’s not like it’s my first time being called into the principal’s office.
I’ve totally got this. I give myself one last boost of fake confidence before I knock on the door.
“Come in,” Gerard calls out, and I open the door and flash him a big smile before I close the door and take a seat in front of his desk. As expected there’s no clutter in sight, even the plaque with his name stamped against the wood is sitting at what looks like a measured straight angle.
“Hey Gerard,” I greet him.
“Hello Kristin. I just wanted to say thank you for attending the funeral. I know it would have meant a lot to Kate,” Gerard gives me a slight nod. His grey hair reminds me of Grams and I have to push away the longing. It’s strange the things that remind you of someone you loved, especially considering my Grams was nothing like Gerard.
I don’t have a good feeling about this meeting.
“It’s no problem. Kate was my friend,” I reply and it’s not a lie although it’s like I didn’t know her at all, not really.
The Kate I thought I knew wasn’t capable of murdering innocent werewolves let alone humans and children. How could’ve I been so wrong? I mean sure Kate was a little unstable but . . .
Never mind, I can’t dwell on that right now. Gerard asked me in here for a reason, and I’m pretty sure it’s not a good one.
“She was a good soldier.”
I nod my head in agreement, “She was one hell of a fighter.”
As well as a murderer, I decide to keep that part silent. I can’t make an enemy of Gerard, at least not yet. Gerard didn’t come to Beacon Hills to play nice. He has a plan but I can’t beg him to join the team, he has to be the one to ask me.
“Kate was misguided but she had good intentions.”
Good intentions?
Seriously?
No wonder Kate was so messed up, she never stood a chance.
Calm the hell down woman. I have to take a subtle deep breath and focus. My nails were just moments away from shifting into claws. That’s the very last thing I need right now, especially in front of Gerard of all people.
“Well I should probably get back to it,” I stand to my feet but Gerard gives me a look that lets me know he isn’t finished with our conversation, and I sit back in my seat and force a small smile.
I just want to get the hell out of here already.
“I’m sure they can handle it,” He smiles, and if you didn’t know any better you’d think he was just being a friendly old man. Unfortunately I do know better.
I can always fake a heart attack. I did have one not that long ago.
Pfft who am I kidding that won’t work.
Damn it.
“Of course,” I reply.
“You know I always thought you’d stick with the hunting job, or at least become a police officer after all that hard work. I was surprised to hear of your current predicament.”
Predicament?!
What is his problem?
“It’s just temporary.”
“That’s good to hear,” a smirk surfaces on his face, “So . . . Tell me about Tane.”
Oh shit. I knew he was up to no good.
“We’ve been done for a while now,” I shrug trying to look indifferent but the truth is that I miss Tane a lot.
We were best friends.
“You know it’s easy to get a bad reputation within the hunting community. You have talent. I’d hate to see you shunned.”
What the hell is he getting at?!
“It was a mistake,” I shrug again.
“It seems you keep making mistake after mistake. I mean first Derek and then Tane,” Gerard replies and I try not to visibly cringe.
I can’t seem affected, not when Gerard is testing me. He wants to know if Derek and I are dating again and we’re not so why does it feel like I would be lying if I said no? Damn Derek.
“Did you ask me here to talk about Derek?” I ask trying to sound bored at the mention of his name.
“Is there anything to tell?” Gerard asks.
“It was six years ago. I was just a kid. I didn’t know any better.”
“And what about Tane?”
“Well I’m a sucker for abs, and Tane was super ripped,” I reply although Gerard doesn’t seem amused by my words.
At least I didn’t lie. Geez he needs to lighten up a little. Why are most old men so grumpy anyways? Maybe I should set him up with Mrs Clarke. She lost her husband ten years ago and is the current librarian.
Nah Gerard would probably kill me if I tried that.
“Kristin I don’t want to see you waste your life with someone that doesn’t deserve you. Derek is just as bad as his Uncle was-”
“I know,” I interrupt.
He nods, “Good because you don’t deserve to be shamed because of your romantic choices. I’m looking forward to seeing you around here,” his smile is almost sinister, and I feel the chills begin to run up and down my spine.
“Thanks. It’ll be good having you around,” I lie although Gerard seems to be buying it of course.
Thank god. I hold in the sigh of relief.
If I didn’t have my mother and sister to worry about then I wouldn’t bother playing nice, but if he finds out about me, then he will find out about them and I can’t risk that. I’m going to have to have a little talk with Belle after I’m finished here.
“Well I better let you go,” Gerard gives me a slight nod, and I make sure I don’t stand to my feet too quickly.
“I’ll see you around,” I reply before I leave the room and rush down the crowded hallway through the sea of teenage bodies, and I spot Belle at her dark metal locker putting away books on the top shelf.
Here goes nothing. I would love it if Belle is oblivious to my change. I don’t feel like explaining it considering I’m not 100% certain myself, of course Belle is going to find out sooner rather than later.
“We need to talk in private,” I keep my voice low.
The clanging of lockers and the many annoying voices scattered throughout the hall is almost too much until I take a deep breath and close my eyes, and focus, pushing the noises away although it takes too long for my liking, and even Belle notices.
“Are you okay?” Belle asks concerned after I open my eyes.
Yeah I’m great I just miss being human. I don’t want to be tied to Derek. I don’t want to feel the bond. I just want everything to go back to normal. I want to go back to being normal. I snapped my toothbrush this morning, and nearly ripped off the door handle when I was leaving for work. Not to mention that I’m barely sleeping because I can hear the next door neighbours television that he keeps on all night, even when he’s asleep and snoring.
I just want to scream and punch something or someone.
Someone would be better rather than something.
“Yeah I’m fine,” I shake it off and force a smile. It seems that’s all I’m doing at the moment is faking smiles and trying to figure out how to shut it all out.
“Okay,” Belle gives me a suspicious look before she closes her locker and we begin the walk down the hallway and out to the parking lot. Gram’s old red Volkswagen which now belongs to Belle isn’t far and I can spot it as soon as we exit through the doors.
The parking lot is already a quarter empty as Belle unlocks the car and throws her bag in the back seat. It doesn’t seem that Belle has picked up on what happened, but I have a bad feeling that's going to change, especially sitting in this small space.
“Are you getting in?” Belle asks as she patiently waits in the driver’s seat.
Here goes nothing.
Without over thinking it I quickly get in the car and close the door.
“Kristin?” Belle sounds worried and I twist in my seat slightly and face her.
“We have a problem.”
“What are you talking about?” Belle asks, and I see her usual brown eyes flash bright yellow before they return to their normal colour.
Oh crap that’s not good.
“Oh my god!” Belle practically screams in both shock and excitement.
Double damn! I should’ve known Belle wouldn’t be oblivious to my change. I should’ve just waited until she got home and called her mobile.
Why didn’t I think of that?!
“Shhh will you!” I try and shush her.
“Oh my god! Talk about a late bloomer,” Belle whispers almost stunned, “How and when? Did Derek bite you?” Belle begins the questioning.
“Of course not.”
“Okay so what . . . You just woke up a werewolf?” Belles are glowing with excitement.
“Can you not say that word?”
“Werewolf?” Belle almost looks confused as she moves some of her strawberry blonde hair behind her shoulders.
“Belle seriously someone could hear.”
“Why don’t you want Scott to know? Why didn’t mom tell me?”
“Mom doesn’t know yet, and the less people that know the better.”
“How can she not know?”
“How did you?” I ask.
“I don’t know I just sensed it,” Belle shrugs. The parking lot is emptying out and I hold in the sigh of relief as I search for Scott but he is nowhere in sight.
Thank god.
“Okay well. It happened after the heart attack. I woke up a couple days ago and all my wounds were healed.”
“Why haven’t you told mom?”
It’s my turn to shrug,” I don’t know.”
“It’s hard at first but it gets easier,” Belle gives me an encouraging smile, and I want to believe her but I don’t.
Usually it’s the other way around and it’s me comforting her, it feels odd.
“That’s not what I came here to talk to you about.”
“But the full moon is tonight,” The confusion is back in Belle’s voice.
“I know and I’ll handle it, just let me tell mom when I’m ready. She will probably figure it out anyway like she did with you.”
“Yeah after I went to hunt someone down and maul them to death,” Belle doesn’t sound impressed by my choice.
“That’s not going to happen.”
“How can you be so sure?” Belle’s look is turning to an accusing one.
“You keep forgetting I was a hunter. I know tricks besides it’s you I’m worried about. You need to keep your distance from Gerard.”
“Gerard?”
“The new principal.”
“How am I meant to keep my distance from the principal?”
“Don’t get in trouble or do anything to gain his attention. He’s dangerous.”
“Okay is that all?” Belle asks.
“Yeah, just be extra careful,” I ask and Belle nods.
“Okay I will,” She promises and I give her a small smile before I leave her car and head across the parking lot to my purple 2010 Ford Fiesta.
It’s going to be a long night and I’ve got a lot of preparation to do. The smart thing to do would be go to my mother before the full moon and the shift but I know I can handle it by myself.
I make it home to see my father’s dark Chevy Tahoe parked on the curb in front of my house although as I approach the car I realise it’s empty. My father doesn’t visit enough for me to give him a key, and I got rid of the spare key just a couple of days ago. I figured with everything going on it wasn’t safe. I’m guessing he broke in, probably to teach me a lesson.
Maybe it’s time to try again.
I take a deep breath and focus on my house or rather what’s inside my house although all I can hear is children arguing next door, and a few dogs barking across the street. A couple is fighting with each other over money, and there’s a baby screaming.
God damn it!
This is stupid. I open my eyes and walk down the cement walkway that leads to the front door before I grab out my keys from my bag and unlock the door. There’s mail waiting on the small table and I plop my handbag on top before I kick the door closed and move onto the living room.
Sure enough my father is sitting on the couch patiently waiting for my arrival. The annoying ‘I told you so’ grin surfaces on his face, and I have to hold back the eye roll before I cross my arms over my chest.
“If you broke anything, you’re paying for it,” I smirk.
“No window was broken. I just jimmied it a bit. You know you really need to be more careful Kristin.”
“I know but people don’t usually break in to my house,” I sit beside him.
Well apart from Derek.
“There’s a reason I stopped by, and it’s not a good one,” His face turns serious. It’s not a look I’ve seen much which means whatever he is about to tell me is really bad. Oh my god is he dying or something!?
Is Alex dying?
Did someone else die?
Why do I automatically think death? I didn’t use to be like this.
“Okay,” I take a slight deep breath readying myself for the worst.
“Gerard basically declared war last night.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Long story short, Gerard killed the Omega that dug up the body from the grave, and he plans on killing all werewolves. It’s not going to matter if they’re young or innocent. Kristin he wants them all dead.”
What?
I knew Gerard was taking Kate’s death hard but . . . This can’t be happening. I knew if he found out about Belle that he would do the usual questioning routine, which is usually painful when Gerard is involved and have her under watch constantly but I didn’t think . . . Why am I so surprised? I should’ve known.
Belle and mom have to leave town, it’s the only way to keep them safe of course getting them to leave is going to be near-impossible.
“Because of Kate,” I reply.
“He wants revenge.”
“Peter is dead!”
“I know.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I ask. I can’t help but worry that my father knows about us, or my mother and Belle at least. I know he would never tell Gerard, but I also know it would take him time to get used to the idea. My father has dealt with a lot of monsters.
“So you can warn Derek.”
“Derek?” I reply and try my best to sound confused.
“Come on Kristin, you can’t bullshit a bullshitter.”
“It’s complicated,” I shrug.
“Well it’s about to get more complicated, you should warn him.”
“I’ve got a feeling he already knows,” I reply without thinking. I can feel it through the bond, although I’m quick to shut it off knowing it works two ways. I don’t want Derek knowing, at least not yet.
“Well just promise me you won’t get caught in the cross fire. Gerard is unstable at the moment.”
“I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me. What are you going to do?”
“I can’t leave you, not with how Gerard is acting, and Alex is on Gerard’s side. I can’t leave the hunting team.”
“So you’re going to murder innocent werewolves?” It comes out harsher than I intended. I can’t help it.
“I can do more inside than outside.”
“You said Gerard is unstable. I don’t think you should be working as a mole,” I disagree.
It’s too dangerous.
I won’t lose my father too.
“Please dad,” I beg.
He shakes his head and I feel the worry and fear double in size, “I have to do this Kristin. I can’t let Gerard change Alex.”
I nod my head slightly. I understand but I wish I didn’t.
“I have to go. I’ll see you soon,” He smiles, stands to his feet and kisses me on the forehead before he leaves the house. At least I know where I get my heroism problem from. All I can do is hope my father plays his part convincingly.
What I don’t understand is how Chris can be going along with this? I know you’re meant to be loyal to your family, but Chris has always hunted by the code . . . Always.
Derek needs to get out of here while he’s still alive. Maybe I can talk him into taking my mother and Belle with him, of course I know Derek won’t leave even if I ask him super nicely.
Why is he still here anyway? I know it’s not just because of me.
No I need to snap out of it and get to it. The last thing I want is to shift and go on a murderous rampage. I’ve got a feeling I’d head straight for Gerard and end up cut in half. I’d rather avoid that if possible.
It’s time to get to work. I stand to my feet and head straight for my closet. The big chest is sitting at the bottom of my wardrobe and I carry it over to my bed, grabbing everything I need which includes various types of wolfsbane, handcuffs and my knife.
This is not going to be fun.
By the time the moon starts to finish its ascension in the dark night sky, I have the handcuffs sitting in wolfsbane water along with the knife, and I even have a drink bottle full of the type of wolfsbane that inflicts a lot of pain. I decided on a motel on the outskirts of town. I figure it’s safer that way.
Mother still hasn’t shown and I know it’s now or never. I’ve decided on the bathroom, and I’m sitting on the ground near the towel rack that I made sure to re-secure and strengthen for tonight. Thankfully no one seemed to hear the drilling noise, but then again I did have my TV practically blasting. The motel was practically empty anyway.
It’s starting. I can feel it.
The pain in my chest is pulsing and I don’t hesitate before I grab the handcuffs and secure myself to the towel rack. The skin is burning and blistering in response to the poison and I hold in the wince which is trying to escape.
It’s time for the knife next and I don’t hesitate before I plunge it into my thigh, holding back the screams. This way I can’t heal, and the water is next and almost impossible to swallow as it burns down my throat. Half of it ends up on the floor and down my chest as well as all over my face.
The pain is too much and I can’t differentiate between it all. Every inch of my body is throbbing as I hold back the sobs that are trying to break free. It’s as if my skin is literally burning away from the outside in and the inside out and deep breaths aren’t helping in the slightest.
“Mother of god!” I say behind gritted teeth as I feel the full moons pull. It’s getting harder to breathe but I’m not sure if it’s because of the poison or my first change. I’m assuming both. Maybe the poison more so since I can taste the blood filling up my mouth and throat. The wolfsbane I used won’t kill me. It takes many hours of exposure for death to happen. Hunters use it to torture werewolves because they heal after it’s washed off, and then the torture begins again.
I don’t need to look at my face to know my skin is burning and blistering along with my wrists. I bet I look real attractive.
“Fracking balls!” I feel my canine teeth shifting and changing, at least I think I do. My nails are next and turn into sharp claws and I assume I have the excess hair on my face, of course I can’t feel it or even my face for that matter.
At least it worked I guess. I smile to myself before my eyes start to become too heavy and I slump against the cold wall.
THANKS for reading! Did you enjoy it?
THE SONG fits perfectly and shows how Kristin is feeling deep down.
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