Derek had brought Maeve back to the Hale house, knowing his mother is home, they stayed out in the garden leading out through the trees into the preserve. Maeve had been unsettled knowing she could be found out by her family at any moment by just being sat with Derek Hale, but for some reason she felt comfort in the company of the teen wolf.
Derek and Maeve sat back out near the pond on a small clearing of grass, bluebells overgrown and in every direction. Maeve sighed in defeat, glancing down at her red painted nails in her lap, trying to control the claws that only seemed to appear when they weren't supposed to.
"I can't do it," Maeve told Derek with a frown, Derek shook his head, smiling slightly at Maeve sat opposite of him.
"Just wait," Derek continued, sitting up from lounging back in the flowers, encouragingly lifting Maeve's hands up.
Maeve nodded slowly, taking a deep breath as she held her hands out quickly, staring up at Derek in shock as claws replaced her short nails, "I did it!"
"You did it!" Derek grinned proudly, as Maeve glanced back up to him, her claws faded.
Maeve bit her lip in concentration, holding her hand out to Derek, barley noticing his lingering gaze "Try it with me?"
When Maeve's real identity came to light, Derek tried to paint her as the villain, to put her with her family's reputation. That was until he'd gotten to know her, even if it were for a few moments, Derek could see there was a goodness in Maeve, a kindness that was overshadowed by hurt and pain. How could he even try to hate her for that?
"Derek Hale, are you trying to get yourself killed?" Derek and Maeve jumped back at the sound of Peter Hales taunting shout, turning to find him stood with an amused glare.
"Oh god," Derek muttered, Maeve glanced back at Peter awkwardly, herself and Derek shuffling up to stand "Get up!"
"Here to finally kill me, Argent?" Peter joked, Maeve noticed his playful tone, shrugging her shoulders with a smirk going along with him "Don't tempt me."
"Looks like that werewolf confidence kicked in, huh?" Peter pointed out, Derek and Maeve smiled at each other knowingly "My sisters home, so if you want Derek here to be not grounded for the rest of his miserable life. I suggest you leave."
Maeve had been alarmed by her sudden urge to argue with her family, and her lack of fear whilst doing so, but she was also glad she didn't hide in the corner and let everyone make choices for her. The same applied to the Hales, Maeve would be closed off and barley willing to even tell them her name, but for once Maeve could make friends without a horrid sense of fear flooding through her.
"I wasn't joking about my aunt," Maeve turned back to Derek, ignoring Peter's confused stare on the both of them, "She's probably thinking of every way to make me regret making her look weak in front of Gerard."
"Are you sure?" Derek asked in concern, sighing as Maeve nodded slowly.
"Kate wasn't afraid to hurt me when i was human," Maeve hesitantly told them, nervously glancing down to her feet "But i can't imagine what she'd do if she found out."
Though in the moment, Maeve knew she could protect herself, but that didn't take away the life long fear and worry over her family and how her life would be affected as a result.
"You'll be fine," Derek argued hopefully, Peter rolled his eyes at the optimism, Maeve too was not looking confident in his words either "You're a werewolf now."
"She's still an omega," Peter added in, crossing his arms over his oversized denim jacket, Derek sent him a glare.
"Maeve, you have us," Derek promised defensively, much to his uncles dismay, Peter muttering disapprovingly under his breath making Derek speak up angrily "What do you expect her to do, Peter? Maeve didn't ask for any of this!"
"How do we know this isn't one of the Argent's plans, huh? Did you think of that?" Peter exclaimed, motioning to Maeve like she wasn't even in the conversation.
"Maeve would already be dead if they knew, Peter!" Derek shouted back, Maeve gazed up at him in surprise at his outburst.
"Derek," Maeve spoke softly, trying to get his attention as she pulled on his hoodie.
"You didn't see her that night, Peter," Derek frowned remembering finding Maeve that night, the hurt on her face, the actual pain she felt.
"I did, Derek! Either she has impeccable acting skills or is just plain stupid," Peter commented, Derek straightened up ready to fight, Maeve rolled her eyes at his sudden protectiveness.
"Both, probably," Maeve muttered, the Hales turning to her in confusion, Maeve smiled innocently "What?"
Finding silence between the Hales, Maeve finally got her chance to speak up "Derek, its okay,"
"Peter? Derek?" Talia walked out onto the porch searching for her brother and son, recognising the blonde girl stood beside them instantly, a sharp glare shining through her toned facial features "Derek, get away from her!"
Maeve stared up at the alpha in confusion, meeting Talia for the first time, easily noticing the resemblance between Derek and his mother, even in her shouting rage "Derek, now!"
Maeve flinched at her shout, stepping back causing her to accidentally stumble against Derek, the Hale boy holding onto her arm for support, both of their eyes glowing amber.
Talia watched the interaction in shock, her face going pale at the bright amber glowing at her, growing at het brother motioning to the house, Peter nodded dragging a protesting Derek back inside. The large wooden door slammed shut and Maeve was left alone, fear and confusion floating around as she sat back down on the grass with a sigh.
Peter leant back against the dark wallpaper, his feet hitting the mahogany desk as his sister finally turned to them "Talia?"
"You let a hunter into our home?" Talia questioned harshly, slamming her hands down onto the wood as she leant forward "An Argent! Give me one reason why i shouldn't drag her back to the Argents letting them find out there's a werewolf hiding out in their family!"
"Maeve isn't like them," Derek argued, quietly, and hesitantly, adding "I trust her."
"You trust her?" Talia scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief "You trust a girl who's family's spent centuries trying to kill our kind, Derek?"
Derek felt like his mothers insult was a blow to the chest, for him, Maeve wasn't who everyone saw her as - Derek knew Maeve as the girl he'd saved in the woods, the girl he'd like to be his friend, the girl that had done nothing to hurt him.
"Oh, Derek, you've known her all of five minutes!" Talia exclaimed, staring at the hurt written on Derek's face in shock, "This is real life, and I'm not going to let you get hurt because a pretty girl walks into the picture and you suddenly think you're in love. In love with a hunter!"
"Maeve isn't a hunter," Derek glared at his mother, turning to walk out of the door, letting it slam behind him.
"Derek!" Talia shouted after her son with a sigh, hitting her fists against the desk before slouching back into the leather chair.
"Why did you do that?" Peter asked his sister, stepping away from the wall to stand straight "You know its true, why not tell them?"
"I'm not bringing an Argent into our family, our pack!" Talia growled, her fangs clenching down onto her dark lipstick.
"I think its too late for that," Peter shrugged, placing his hands in his back pockets "Don't wait for him to fall for her before you tell him, he's already had his heartbroken. You of all people should know what its like to be taken from your mate."
_
Maeve looked up with a weak smile as Derek walked through the trees towards her, sliding down on the back of the bench to sit beside her in the bluebells. Maeve hoped, prayed even, that Derek wasn't in trouble because of her, that she didn't pose as a threat to his family, that being the last thing she'd ever want.
"I'm sorry," Maeve apologised quietly, her vibrant eyes staring down at the flowers in front of them.
"Don't be," Derek shook his head, stretching out his legs on the grass, his trainers digging into the mud.
"I don't expect you trust me, any of you. I'm the enemy," Maeve mumbled, wrapping her cardigan tighter around her as she moved to sit opposite Derek, crossing her legs over on the grass "Why did you save me that night? You could've left me to be found by my family. But you didn't."
"I don't see you as the enemy, Maeve."
Maeve smiled down at the flowers surrounding her, twisting a stem of the bluebell in between her fingers. Derek watched her in confusion as she turned to him, gently placing the bluebell behind his ear, grinning with a laugh as Derek playfully glared.
Maeve leant back against the flowers, shaking her head in amusement as Derek went to remove the flower, only stopping once he noticed her smile, leaning back against the grass beside her with the flower effortlessly placed in his dark hair.
_
Maeve's beaten down white converse slid across the damp wood of her window frame, using her claws to latch onto the roof, listening to Derek's directions as she crouched down, her bare knees turning red from the pressure on the window sill as she unlocked the window.
Derek held himself up on the fence, leaning against the bricks of the house, cautiously watching Maeve "Careful!"
Maeve silently cheered as the window unlocked, throwing one leg into her room as she scooted across the white windowsill in her spotted denim shorts, knocking over a plant pot as she pulled in the other leg.
Derek groaned as he quickly caught the hand painted pot, silently exclaiming "Maeve!"
Maeve grinned innocently, holding her hand out for Derek as he easily climbed through the window, "Sorry!"
Derek placed the pot beside the row of other hand painted plant pots on the window sill, quietly closing the window before placing his hands in his school jacket "Why do you have plants on your balcony?"
"I like gardening," Maeve smiled with a shrug, moving forward to put the pot Derek placed in the correct place, Derek held in a laugh, rolling his eyes once he noticed.
The two werewolves turned to the door with wide eyes as the door handle turned, Derek looked to Maeve worriedly as the new beta panicked, taking Derek's hand before rushing into the direction of the walk in wardrobe.
Derek tripped over the rug as the two white doors shut behind them, holding onto Maeve's sides as they fell to the ground, rolling back to lean against the sheer curtains hanging on the doors. Maeve's eyes flickered up to Derek's, furrowing her brows in confusion as she stared up at him, a small smile landing on her rose painted lips as Derek glanced down at her, their noses almost touching in their close proximity.
The sun brightly beamed through the glass and curtains, shining back on the darkened wall behind the werewolves, illuminating their silhouettes in the tiny room. Maeve didn't even noticed herself holding onto the sides of Derek's jacket nervously, or Derek's arm holding himself up at the side of her head.
Maeve smiled genuinely as the sun lit up Derek's amusement, silent laugher shared between the two werewolves. Derek awkwardly moved to sit beside Maeve, helping her sit up as they hid beside the clothing rail, sitting up to stare through the glass in the door.
Maeve sighed in relief as she spotted the familiar black curls and red dress, her cousin stood in the middle of her room, Derek frowned "Who is it?"
"Mae?" Allison called out for her cousin, looking around in confusion as her brown boots dragged across the carpet, reaching up to take a book from Maeve's bookshelf in defeat.
"Allison," Maeve replied, watching in amusement at her cousin sneakily taking a book from her room, Derek asking slightly louder "Who-"
Allison turned in the direction of the wardrobe in confusion, Maeve jumped over to place her hand over Derek's mouth, shaking her head with wide eyes "Shh!"
"We're hiding from a ten year old?" Derek questioned as Allison made her way to the door, reaching up to the handle before running out at the sound of her fathers calls for her.
"Eleven," Maeve corrected, Derek rolled his eyes causing Maeve to quietly laugh "She's eleven."
To Maeve's relief, her and Derek had created some from of friendship, something she was weary of after her family had kept her away from high school and normal friendships. But Maeve was still Maeve, incredibly awkward, either talking too much or too little and clumsier than the average werewolf.
"You should-" Maeve began awkwardly, just as an equally as awkward Derek spoke too "I should probably-"
"Mae! I want to play tea parties, where are you?" Allison shouted from out in the hallway, Maeve shook her head in amusement, turning back to face Derek.
"Thank you, Derek," Maeve smiled genuinely, Derek smiled back, digging his hands in his jacket pockets as he rocked on his feet.
"Mae!" Allison called out again, Maeve rolled her eyes with a sigh, turning to walk to the door.
"Duty calls," Maeve told Derek as she opened the door, waving goodbye to him as she quietly let the door close behind her.
_
Allison jumped up from the couch excitedly, running over to hug a nervous Maeve "There you are!"
"Here i am!" Maeve cheered quietly, resting her head on Allison's shoulder with a sigh "Hey, Ally."
Allison pulled away with a toothy smile, Maeve frowned at her unusually messy hair "What happened to your hair?"
Allison rolled her eyes, pointing to Chris with a glare, "Dad happened."
"Victoria left you alone for three days, Chris, pull it together," Maeve joked with a smile, sitting down beside Chris on the sofa, Allison running to sit in front of them for Maeve to do her hair.
Chris sighed, shaking his head at Allison's hair "This is me pulling it together."
Maeve laughed, instructing Chris as she easily re-did Allison's braids, finishing it off with the navy headband from her own hair.
"Where's auntie Lizzie?" Allison questioned as she scribbled in her colouring book, Chris and Maeve looked to each other in surprise.
"I don't know, Ally," Maeve replied sadly, Allison frowned, turing to face the two elder Argents.
"But she's your mommy, you should know," Allison reminded her innocently, Maeve looked down with a sigh.
"Enough, Allison," Chris interrupted sternly, Allison pouted and returned to her colouring.
Elizabeth was a emotional topic to both Chris and Maeve, the both of them being the only ones to be in the dark of the eldest Argent siblings whereabouts.
"Its okay, Chris," Maeve smiled at her uncle sympathetically, looking to him in confusion as he handed a envelope from his jacket "Whats this?"
Chris watched with a smile as Maeve opened the letter, turning to her uncle with wide as she noticed the logo at the top of the page "You need to graduate sooner or later, right?"
Maeve had wanted nothing more than to go to school, have her own chance of normality, to escape the haunting of her own life and emerse herself into pointless teen drama and exams instead of fearing when the pin would drop and shed be ordered to kill a supernatural.
"Thank you," Maeve dropped the letter with a grin, wrapping her arms around Chris excitedly, laughing as her uncle tried to protest.
"Tea party!" Allison exclaimed suddenly, grabbing onto Maeve's hand pulling her off the couch, Maeve's converse slid of her feet as she stumbled, laughing as they ran across the living room.
Maeve's breath hitched at the sight of Kate sat in the other room, wanting to run in the opposite direction but Allison kept pulling on her hand, rambling about princesses.
Maeve stopped in the doorway, nodding back to Chris in Kate's direction "Its not a tea party without the grumpy king!"
If Maeve was going to be forced into a room with her aunt, she may as well be with the one person she felt safest with.
"You're evil," Chris whispered to his niece, Maeve bit her lip to stop her smile, pulling Chris along with her as Kate glared in her direction.
_
Maeve brushed her hair in the mirror as Allison got ready for bed, babysitting her cousin whilst their family went out on a hunt. Maeve looked around for a scrunchie, walking over to her windowsill where a collection of clutter had began to gather over the past few hours, reminding herself to clean it before it stressed her out the next day.
Maeve frowned in confusion at the glossy Polaroid laying beside a plant pot, glancing back at her film camera on the shelf before picking it up. Derek's smiling face made up the photo, his eyes glowing and the same grin Maeve had seen earlier today, flipping over the film to find written on the back -
You can do this
- Derek
Allison looked up from her school book, looking to the Polaroid in curiosity "Who's that?"
"Just my friend, Derek," Maeve answered, sitting down beside Allison on her bed, picking up the school book as Allison took the Polaroid from her cousin.
"He's cute," Allison realised, grinning up at Maeve teasingly "Is he your boyfriend?"
"No, he's not," Maeve muttered with a blush, quickly taking the photo back from Allison, placing it in her navy bedside draws.
Allison nodded slowly, sliding across a few of the pages of her book before she found the right chapter, mumbling "Then why did you hide him in your wardrobe?"
Maeve coughed as she choked on a breath, embarrassingly turning away to switch off the lamp "Its past your bedtime,"
_
( mentions of suicide ahead)
A sharp gasp escaped Maeve's lips as she sat up, clutching onto the blanket as a crash sounded downstairs, familiar voices shouting echoing soon after. Maeve glanced down at Allison, checking she was okay before pushing the blanket aside.
Allison tiredly looked up from her pillow, rubbing her eyes in confusion "Why's everyone shouting?"
"I'll check, go back to sleep," Maeve told her gently, climbing out of bed to put on yesterdays oversized cardigan over her black leggings and Chris' old t-shirt.
Maeve slowly made her way from the hallway, her hands shaking and nerves at their strongest, sliding against the wall beside the living room as she tried to listen in, quickly sliding on a pair of boots from by the front door once hearing the anger in her uncles voice.
Maeve took a deep breath, twisting the doorhandles hesitantly before stepping into the room "What's going on?"
Maeve stepped back at the sight of her uncle, tears coating his eyes, fists clenched in anger as he pointed over at her "Go on, dad, tell her!"
"Maeve, go ba-" Gerard began, waving her towards the hallway without even sparing her a glance.
Chris stormed over, taking Maeve's hand pulling her to his side "No, no - tell her!"
"Chris?" Maeve questioned nervously, squeezing his hand in concern.
"Tell her how her mother tried to kill herself and you kept it from us for months!" Chris shouted in disbelief, Kate took a step back at her brothers volume whilst Gerard sighed.
"What?" Maeve whispered in shock, her voice shaking in fear "Is this true?"
Silence fell on the room but Maeve's thoughts wouldn't quiet down, all fears of her mothers safety worsening. Though they argued constantly, disagreeing the majority of the time, Maeve's mother was her everything, the one person other than Chris she could love and depend on but she had been taken from Maeve months ago.
Maeve's pain fell into anger, looking down to stop her eyes from glowing as she shouted "What are you talking about? Tell me!"
"Elizabeth is my twin sister, how could you not tell me? Or keep it from her daughter?" Chris continued his rant at his sister and father, Maeve standing tall beside him with glares on the both of their faces.
"Its for the best, Elizabeth was in a terrible state," Gerard informed them, "We would've told you, but we didn't know what state she will be in."
"Mom was fine when she left," Maeve added in confusion, anxiously running a hand through her curled hair "Is she hurt?"
"Your mother is in the capable hands of a facility who is taking care of all her troubles," Gerard stood up from the arm chair as he explained, "No need to worry, once healed she'll be allowed to come home."
"I don't understand," Maeve mumbled, tapping her foot nervously as she looked to her family for answers.
"Its not that hard, Maeve, your mothers in a moment of weakness," Kate argued, boredly crossing her arms as she stood beside the fireplace "Who knows how long for, rotting away in an institution."
Gerard shook his head in disappointment, glaring harshly up at his youngest daughter "Katherine!"
"Mom almost died and you're acting like she's got a cold!" Maeve exclaimed, Chris was quick to pull Maeve back as she tried to storm over to her aunt "A moment of weakness? A moment of weakness is punching someone, not trying to end your life!"
Maeve was always hesitant to argue back at her family without reason, but anything involving her mother Maeve was the first to defend her.
"Don't try and turn this around on me, Maeve," Kate threatened, pushing away from the fireplace to glare down at Maeve, standing tall over her niece with the fire blaring behind her.
"Maeve," Chris muttered pulling on Maeve's arm gently, Maeve defeatedly took a step back.
"Can i see her?" Maeve asked hopefully, her eyes brightening at the sole thought of seeing her mother.
"Thats not for the best," Gerard shot down, Maeve let go of Chris' hand, taking heavy breaths as all hope vanished from her face.
"No, this is my mother! I have every right to know she's okay and you're keeping me from her!" Maeve shouted, engulfed by rage as Chris held her back, pushing him away as Maeve grabbed her grandfathers vintage vase, slamming it to the ground "I want to see my mom! Let me see my mom!"
"No, Maeve, you and your mother are better off without each other. Same for you, Christopher. So stop asking, its not going to happen," Gerard shouted back, harshly grabbing onto Maeve's arms, the teen struggling in his arms "Stop stomping around like a toddler, you're not in charge here, Maeve!"
Maeve harshly glared at Gerard and Kate over her shoulder as she stormed out of the house once pulling away from Gerards hold, letting the front door slam behind her.
"You torment her every day wanting for her to be like an Argent, you do that and you punish her for it?" Chris stared forward at his sister and father weakly, shaking his head as walked out of the room "I can't even look at you both."
"He's not wrong," Gerard pointed out, slowly moving across the room to pour a glass of whisky, turning to face his daughter shakily holding the glass "Maybe Maeve isn't as weak as we thought, her separation from Elizabeth as clearly lit a spark in her."
Kate placed her hands on her hips, raising a brow at Gerard curiously "What are you suggesting?"
_
Maeve stormed through the woods, heavy breaths turning into growls, her eyes flickering in the darkness, she couldn't stop her mind running. Maeve defensively shoved back the arms that grabbed onto her, stumbling forward in shock, turning to find who was behind her.
"What the hell!" Maeve exclaimed, staring at Kate with wide eyes "Kate!"
"Walk," Kate wrapped hand around Maeve's arm, pulling her along down the trail Maeve was beginning to learn was to the Hale house.
"Are you following me?" Maeve questioned in disbelief, walking quickly to catch up with Kate as her aunt pulled her along.
Maeve's claws dug into her palms, a bad feeling sinking in as they approached the silhouette of the Hale house in the distance. Kate let go of Maeve, motioning to the house as Maeve stared up at the house, the only light switched on was to Derek's room, finding him pacing nervously in his room, claws extended and eyes glowing.
Kate leant against a tree, crossing her arms in her leather jacket as she raised a brow at Maeve "You're going to school Monday, right?"
Maeve frowned in confusion, but nodded regardless, watching Derek walk towards the window, opening it to take a deep breath of the fresh air, his eyes still glowing. Maeve was thankful her back was turned to Kate, her own eyes glowing too, panicking as a loss of control began to arise.
"Meet your next hunt, Derek Hale," Kate told her niece with a troubled grin, "I'd expect you'd take this one seriously, theres a whole family to deal with."
The words didn't sink in immediately, but when they did, it hurt. Maeve couldn't hurt Derek, she couldn't hurt anyone that didn't deserve it, especially not at her aunts command. Maeve had found someone she had the opportunity to trust, someone to care for her without knowing the full truth of her life and within days she was already being pitted against him.
"Kate, i can't-" Maeve protested trying to walk away from the house, avoiding her gaze on Derek at all costs, wincing as Kate grabbed her arm, harshly pulling her back.
"You don't have a choice," Kate stated with a glare, gripping onto Maeve's arm as she pulled her along the path back to the SUV.
"You can't just bark orders at me all the time," Maeve snapped as she pulled her arm back, glaring at Kate, holding back a nervous breath as Kate suddenly turned back around.
Standing up to Kate was something Maeve had never done, and every time now she does, panic still floods in.
"I thought with your mother gone you'd turn out less like her, looks like I'm wrong," Kate told her venomously, looking Maeve up and down with a glare "Trying to fight this family won't get you anywhere, especially with me."
"I'm done playing your games, Kate, I'm not afraid of you anymore," Maeve argued, turning to walk away leaving a furious Kate behind.
Maeve was done, no more pushed about, no more orders. If her family want to mess her around, if they want to turn her into something she's not - two can can play at that game.
As Maeve walked, a bullet flew past, hitting into the tree beside her, the teen turned to her aunts angry gaze, gun clutched in her hands, staring forward in confusion as Maeve didn't even flinch.
"You missed."
_
hi guys!
I haven't shipped a couple I've written like this since i began writing Emilia and Derek, Hope and Isaac a close second... but Derek and Maeve are getting to the top of the list.
For those of you who read my other books, would you want to see more of frenemy or back to you??
Maeve's getting more confident with each chapter and i cant wait for you all to see her at her best!
What do you think Kate is up to?
the drama starts here lovlies...
- Ebony