Eliana's POV:
After an hour or two of doing homework, I saw Erica enter with Jackson. Derek gave me a small smile as he walked out to Jackson and I followed moments later.
"What happened to you on the night of the full moon?" Derek asked.
"What? Nothing. Nothing happened," Jackson protested.
"You're lying."
"No, wait. No, wait, I can--I can prove it. I taped myself."
"You taped yourself?" Isaac asked in disbelief.
"Yes. It was the full moon. And maybe while you were curled in the corner having an existential crisis about turning into a monster, I was preparing for the so-called gift your big, bad Alpha promised me, and what did I get? Nothing. You want proof? Let me get the video."
"No," Derek said. "No, I have a better idea."
"What is that?"
"You know, Jackson, you've always been kind of a snake, and everyone knows a snake can't be poisoned by his own venom." Derek squirted a drop of kanima venom down Jackson's throat.
"Derek!" I yelled. "Are you kidding me?!"
"We need to know, Eliana," he argued.
Eliana. He's pissed. "You can't go around doing things like this to teenagers! Teenagers, Derek! You'd be wise to remember you were a teenager only a few years ago!"
His eyes flashed red and I flashed my blue ones, challenging him. He scoffed and turned back to Jackson. "You're still a snake, Jackson, just not the one we're looking for."
"You're still gonna have to do one more thing for us," Isaac said. "Well, actually, for me."
I followed Isaac and Erica to class, not wanting to speak to Derek for the time being. I knew Erica and Isaac were going to test Lydia to see if she was the kanima; something I highly doubted. She had her faults, sure, but she wasn't a snake.
Sure enough, during Chemistry, Lydia was tested, and nothing happened. I saw Derek outside and fired a quick text.
To: Derek
Lydia's not the kanima.
From: Derek
How do you know? Why should I believe that?
To: Derek
Lydia has been my best friend since second grade. She's not a snake. Trust me.
From: Derek
I won't do anything, but I can't promise my betas won't
I left him on read, too annoyed to continue our conversation.
After class, I listened to Scott, Allison and Stiles talk in the library as I worked on homework. They were trying to figure out the Bestiary.
I couldn't focus on my homework, so, as soon as Scott left, I followed him to the subway station.
"Yeah, which doesn't prove anything," Scott said. "Lydia's different."
"I know," Derek replied. "At night she turns into a homicidal walking snake."
"I'm not going to let you kill her."
"Who said I was gonna do it?"
I crossed my arms. "It'll be your betas."
Derek nodded. "I don't know why you think you have to protect everyone now, Scott, but even so, Lydia has killed people and she's gonna do it again, and next time, it's gonna be one of us."
"What if you're wrong?" Scott asked.
"She was bitten by an Alpha. It's her."
"You saw that thing up close. You know it's not like us."
"But it is! We're all shapeshifters. You don't know what you're dealing with. It happens rarely and it happens for a reason."
"What reason?"
"Sometimes the shape you take reflects the person that you are. Even Stiles calls her cold-blooded."
"Well, what if she's immune? What if she's got something inside of her that makes her immune to the bite, which is why she didn't get paralyzed?"
"No one's immune! I've never seen it or heard of it. It's n--it's never happened."
"What about Jackson? That's why you tested him, isn't it? Because you gave him what he wanted, didn't you?"
"Scott--"
"Peter said the bite either kills you or turns you. You were probably hoping that he would die. But nothing happened, right? And you have no idea why, do you?"
"No," Derek admitted.
"Well, I have a theory. Lydia's immune, and somehow she passed it onto Jackson. You know I'm right. Eliana, tell him I'm right!"
"No!"
"I've tried, Scott! Many times!" I yelled.
Scott frowned and turned back to Derek. "You cannot do that!"
"Look," Derek said, "I can't let her live! You should have known that!"
Scott sighed. "I was hoping I would convince you, but then again, I wasn't counting on it."
Scott left and I turned to Derek. "You can't be serious. Please tell me you're not serious."
Derek shrugged. "I am serious, Ella. If she's the kanima, we need to stop her."
"You said if! You're not certain either!"
"Don't put words in my mouth, Eliana! I said I wouldn't kill her. Yet. For now, we're going to Scott's house. That's where they're all meeting."
"I don't want to know how you found that out."
He smiled. "I have my ways."
"Yeah, I'm sure you do."
Stubborn idiot. Why can't he just listen to me?!
We got to Scott's house and after while, Derek sent Erica and Isaac into the house. Scott, Allison and Stiles soon came outside, leaving Jackson and Lydia inside the house.
Derek looked at Scott. "I think I'm finally getting why you keep refusing me, Scott. You're not an Omega, you're already an Alpha of your own pack. But you can't beat me."
"I can hold you off until the cops get here," Scott shot back.
"Get them out of here," Derek ordered as the kanima ran across the roof.
Lydia came out of the house and stood on the front porch as she demanded, "Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"
"It's Jackson," Scott realized.
Derek and his pack left, and much to Scott's chagrin, I followed Derek. I had some words to say to him.
When we got back to the substation, I said to Derek, "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"You were right," he mumbled.
"Say that louder."
He huffed. "You were right."
"Thank you."
Soon, Erica and Isaac showed back up. There was something about Erica that irked me, and I couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe it was because she kissed Derek and kept having her eyes on him. I liked Isaac well enough.
I supposed my displeasure for Erica was obvious enough because she said, "Seriously, chill out and grow up. I've noticed you spend a lot of time here. Why not go home and spend time with your family?"
I scoffed. "My family is not people I'm associating with right now."
"Why? Because they said something that hurt your feelings?"
"No, because my mom is someone I would prefer to stay away from."
"Why? What'd she do to you?"
"She did enough."
"What does that mean, enough?"
"I'd rather not say."
"I'd like to hear it."
"Would you, really?"
Erica nodded, tempting me.
I pursed my lips. "Fine. Story time. Gather 'round. My mom abuses me. Sometimes it gets really bad to the point I've contemplated escaping it all."
Erica rolled her eyes. "That's just asking for attention."
I sized her up, which probably looked hilarious due to my short stature. "Try being in my shoes. You have no idea what in hell it was like! I lived in a house where I never felt safe from the one who was supposed to love and nurture me. So don't say I was asking for attention!"
I let out a small growl directed at her before walking away.
Derek soon sat by me and tried to give me a hug, but I pulled away before he could. "Don't touch me right now. Please."
He nodded. "Okay. Can I stay?"
"Yeah."