My Puppies - Book One [Derek Hale]

Formality

"I'm guessing you're an emissary?", Henny asks. "I was. Now I'm just a vet." "The Hale family? Talia?" Deaton nods. Before they can continue their conversation, Scott wakes up and jumps off the table. "Welcome back to the light of the conscious. You doing okay?", Deaton greets. "Maybe you should sit down", Henny suggests when the werewolf sways a little. Then the bell at the front door rings. The threatening aura hits Henny instantly and she whispers a string of latin words under her breath while crushing a few herbs she has in her pocket. The vet raises an eyebrow at her, but Henny just puts a finger to her lips.

Deaton nods and walks out into the front area. While Scott crouches into the corner of the room, Henny stays perfectly still. "I'm sorry, but we're closed", Deaton tells the visitor. "Hi there. I'm here to pick up", a sickeningly sweet voice responds. "I'm not sure I remember you dropping off", Deaton states. "This one wandered in on its own", the Alpha replies. "Even if he did, I'm afraid I can't help you. We're closed", Deaton stands his ground. "Oh, I think you can make an exception this one time. Don't you?", Peter teases. His falsely kind voice sends shivers down Henny's spine.

"I'm sorry, that's not going to be possible. Maybe you could come back during regular hours", Deaton repeats himself once again. "You have something of mine. I'm here to collect it", Peter demands with the sweet act finally dropped. While Scott seems terrified for his boss, Henny is sure that an experienced emissary is prepared for unfriendly supernatural visitors.

"Like I said, we're closed", the vet explains one more time. "Mountain Ash. That's an old one", Peter declares before a crash is heard from the room. But Deaton's voice doesn't falter. "Let me be as clear as possible. We. Are. Closed." At that, the Alpha finally leaves the clinic. But he must have said something else only for Scott to hear, because seconds later he whispers, "Allison." And Henny has to agree with Derek. That girl is going to be Scott's downfall.

Scott leaves the clinic shortly after that, but Henny stays to chat with Deaton. "If I kept up with everything properly, then your name is Henriette Finstock", he guesses. "Yes. But I would appreciate it if you would call me Henny." He nods. "Of course. Please, call me Alan. That was a nice trick you pulled there. Masking your scent from the Alpha." Henny grins at the man. "Thanks. I hid my heartbeat too, actually. I made sure to carry the ingredients with me from the moment I became aware that Beacon Hills has werewolves. I haven't used the spell until now though."

"You haven't run into the Alpha before?", Deaton wants to know. "Surprisingly not, considering how many people have. For some reason I was always somewhere else when Peter was around. I guess I should be grateful though. Did Scott tell you what happened exactly?" Alan shakes his head. "No. I was the one who picked him up in the woods actually. I could hear gunshots coming from the Hale house though. My best guess is, the Argents paid Derek a visit." It must have been Kate's doing considering Henny was with Chris up until Alan texted her.

"Dammit! I'm guessing you're not hiding him in a different room?" The vet shakes his head slightly. "Well, I don't think they're going to kill him. Scott said they want to use Derek to get to Peter, which means he is still alive", Henny assures herself. "I hope so", Deaton comments. She sends the man a forced smile and leaves the clinic. Henny doesn't have the necessary ingredients for a locator spell and even if she did, she doesn't have the skills to pass by an entire team of hunters. The only thing she can think of to take her mind off the situation is Lacrosse. Derek is tough. He'll make it until Henny can coordinate with Scott and make a plan. He has to.

"What do you mean I can't go to the formal?", Scott asks while he follows Henny and Bobby through the locker room. By now all the boys are used to her being in there and they don't seem to mind. It's not like she lets her eyes wander. Why would she when her boyfriend puts all of them to shame. Her boyfriend who she hasn't seen in days after he teamed up with his homicidal uncle and who is right now probably being tortured in some secret bunker by his homicidal ex. Henny pushes the thoughts away.

"McCall, you're failing my class and two others", Bobby explains. "They told me to cut you from the team. I told them I'd sooner cut off my last remaining testicle than cut my best player." Henny looks at her uncle in disgust. That is not something she ever wanted to know about the man. "So the compromise is I can't go to the dance?", Scott inquires. "Yeah", Henny confirms. "Then I quit the team", Scott firmly states, sending Coach into laughter. "No, you don't", he decides. "And if you show up at the dance and I see you there, I'm gonna drag you out by your teeth." With that he leaves.

Scott stares after Coach in disbelief and Henny steps in front of him. "I offered to tutor you, Scott. I know the current situation is taking up a lot of your time, but you did find plenty of opportunities to stick your tongue down Allison's throat when you could have gotten work done. I offered to help you. Not going to the formal, that's accountability. It's a fair compromise. And a generous one at that." The wolf nods with his head hung. "Who are you going with anyways?", he asks Henny. "My puppy that I actually like", she responds with a smile. "You can't bring Derek", Scott says with a shocked look on his face. "Obviously not, dimwit. I'm talking about Isaac. Kind of like a mother son thing." She leaves Scott standing there with a baffled look on his face.

Henny opts to wear a white suit to the formal since a dress wouldn't allow her to take the bike. Isaac is stood at the entrance waiting for her when she pulls up. A goofy smile covers his face as Henny holds her arm out to him. "You look handsome, pup", she comments. "Well, you look stunning, mom", he responds. She smiles and they walk into the converted gym.

Streamers hang from the ceiling and a band is playing generic pop music. Before anything else, the two grab some punch that isn't spiked yet. Then Henny drags Isaac out onto the dance floor. "I'm a horrible dancer", the boy admits. Henny chuckles. "That just makes it more fun." And with her puppy by her side, she actually lets herself go. They make up horrific dance moves and sing along to the music completely off key. All in all, they are probably the most annoying people there. But it doesn't matter. Because the smile doesn't leave Isaac's face and for once Henny feels like a normal student.

While the two are performing a grotesque variation of a waltz, Bobby bumps into them. He is desperately making his way through the dancing students while shouting for Scott. As Henny follows his path, she sees the teen wolf pull Danny onto the dance floor. Bobby stops right in front of the pair and fumbles for words until he eventually gives up and lets Scott  be.

Under heavy chuckles, Henny drags Isaac over to the now abandoned Danny and throws an arm around either of the boys. "Sorry about him. I think we should try a Tango with three people." And that's just what they do. Or attempt to do. They fail miserably considering none of them even know how to dance a Tango. So they end up in a circle formation, just spinning around. It's evidently refreshing to all three of them to just act like a kid for one night. Chuck knows everyone needs a break once in a while. Whether they are involved in the supernatural or not.

With about half an hour left until the end of the dance, Isaac excuses himself because his dad wants him home. So Henny goes outside for a breath of fresh air, only to watch as two hunter SUVs corner Scott. Stuck in between two busses, the wolf has no chance to escape when the cars accelerate. The silver one that's closer to Henny revs first. Chris' red one follows. From her position, Henny can see his reluctant expression perfectly. He really doesn't want to kill Scott, but the other hunters are losing interest in the code. Probably under strong encouragement from Kate.

Henny watches with halted breath as Scott jumps up and lands with one foot on the hood of either car just as they come to a stop mere inches from each other. Then she realizes one crucial detail. Allison witnessed the entire thing. And she is now staring at Scott's shifted face. That's it for Chris keeping her in the dark then. If Kate hasn't already taken that decision out of his hands.