TAINTED HEART | D.HALE

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

chapter eighteen
( the dark moon )

Sofia clung tighter to Braeden as the bike made a sharp u-turn. The jeep had suddenly stopped behind the two. Braeden took her helmet off as Sofia moved off the bike.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. It felt like we hit something," Stiles said as the group proceeded to examine the jeep.

"Scott, we need to get there by night. It's too dangerous otherwise," Braeden told the alpha.

Scott was clearly torn between what he should do. Stiles noticed this and spoke up, "Go."

"Not without you."

Stiles paced towards Scott, "Dude, someone needs to find Derek. We'll figure something out, we always do. Just go."

Scott was still reluctant to leave the group. Sofia moved to the boy and handed him her helmet, "Scott."

The teen in question nodded and grabbed the helmet, "Okay."

Sofia began to help the other teens look for the cause of the jeep's turmoil. Kira said goodbye to Scott and he rode off with Braeden.

Malia bent down near the tire and noticed something. Sofia moved closer to the girl, "What is it?"

Malia reached in and yanked something out of the tire, "I don't think we hit something. I think something hit us."

She moved off the ground and showed the group the long sharp bone like structure that had been embedded into the tire. Stiles reached for it to take a closer look. Sofia thought it looked familiar but couldn't quite figure out where she had seen it before.

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The sun had started its descent and the group was all on edge. "Maybe we should just walk," Lydia suggested.

"Hey, I will never abandon this jeep. You understand me? Ever. Ever," Stiles protested as he continued working on the engine.

Malia suddenly looked into the distant with a focused face. Sofia noticed this and moved away from her spot against the jeep.

"Malia?"

The werecoyote looked at Sofia and then back to the open abyss, "Work faster Stiles. There's something out here with us."

Stiles paused and looked at the girl, frightened. He immediately turned back to the engine and scrambled to find the right tools.

Time had seemed to pass quickly and it was suddenly dark out. Stiles was still struggling to fix the car. Sofia had offered help but he shooed her away.

"Lydia, could you please hold the light still for a second? It's really hard to see anything if you keep shaking it like that," Stiles sassed at the banshee.

"I'm shaking it like this because we're in the middle of nowhere with your broken down jeep and we're being attacked by yet another razor-clawed monster. And I'm terrified," Lydia retorted.

However, Stiles wasn't having any of it, "Well just be slightly less terrified."

Sofia couldn't bear to listen to their bickering any longer and followed Kira who was walking up to Malia. Kira had grabbed her katana from the back of the jeep.

"Anything?"

Malia shook her head, "It's too hard to see. We should've brought another flashlight."

Sofia suddenly noticed the glare of the light reflecting off Kira's sword onto the ground. She tapped the sword, "Kira."

Kira looked up at the older girl and realized what she meant. She moved back towards the jeep's headlights and angled her sword.

The three girls immediately noticed something move behind a rock. Sofia stood in alert and Kira aimed it again.

"Did you see that?"

Malia drew out her claws and growled at the space. Sofia quickly turned the other way. She had been working with Deaton through her "anti-wolf" issues. Deaton had tried many things but when he started directing her through hypnotic meditation, they found the biggest results. Sofia had made good progress but she still chose to avoid looking at wolves if possible, in fear that she would go back to normal one day.

Malia took off without warning towards the space they had seen the movement. Everyone called after her but she didn't stop.

Kira soon followed behind the girl, Sofia taking off too. The two girls found themselves in a dark path. Kira was breathing heavily as they surveilled the area.

"Do you see anything?" Sofia attempted to squint for a better view but it was no use.

"No," Kira whirled around, checking both directions.

Loud footsteps were heard heading their way and the two girl readied themselves. Malia came skidding in, almost hitting Kira's sword, "It's me!"

"What happened? What's out there," Kira tried to calm her rapid heart.

Sofia noticed the werecoyote clutching her side with a worried look, "You're bleeding."

"I don't know what it is, but it's big and fast and it cuts deep," Malia slightly moved her hand so the two girls could see the full extent of the wound. A large gash was indented into Malia's side, blood seeping out.

Sofia was moving to take a closer look when the sound of the jeep starting up was heard. Kira sighed in relief and the three girl took off in the direction they came from.

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The group had finally made it to La Iglesia. As they pulled up, they noticed Braeden and Scott exiting the building. They were holding someone up who Sofia assumed to be Derek.

She quickly got out of the car, the others close behind. Sofia and Stiles were the first to get to Scott. They were frozen by the sight before them.

"Is that him?" Malia asked as she looked back and forth between the unknown man and Stiles. "Is that Derek?"

"Uh, sort of."

The young boy who resembled Derek lifted his head up to look at the group. It was obvious he was just as confused and afraid as everyone else. Sofia took a step closer just to confirm. It was indeed the boy she had seen in younger pictures of Derek.

"What the hell."

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haleshoe is typing...

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 18K READS THATS INSANE OML!!

ur all officially my besties now and ily mwah💋

also i should warn y'all that regular derek won't be back for like 3 chaps, but i'm hoping to post the young derek chapters close together!

thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed <33