Wolfsbane | Teen Wolf

Chapter 5: Aftermath

Ever since that night she saw Derek cry over Paige, a year had passed. Shortly after Paige's death, Deucalion fell prey to Gerard's ambush and lost his sight. Deucalion had then gone on a rampage and killed the rest of his Betas to absorb their power. He convinced Ennis and Kali to do the same and formed the first ever Alpha pack.

He had tried to convinced Talia too, but the Hale Matriarch refused adamantly. However, the incident did convince him of Ashley Hale's powers and her potential as an emissary. If it wasn't for the protection of the Hale family and the druids, Deucalion would have taken Ashley by force. In the end, seeing no other reason to stay, Deucalion and his pack left Beacon Hills.

It was around this time that Derek met Kate. Ashley took an instant dislike to the older blonde. To her, it seemed like Kate was taking advantage of Derek's grief and vulnerability. At first, Ashley had tried to talk to Derek about it, but the teenage boy would not be swayed. He needed something or someone to hold on to after losing Paige. It just saddened Ashley that it wasn't her.

She would often complain to Peter about it and the latter would simply nod in agreement. While Ashley only had eyes for Derek, Peter only had eyes for Ashley. He could tell the girl's feelings for his cousin was deepening and the two were oblivious to it.

After a few more confrontations between the three, Ashley started avoiding Derek whenever he was with Kate. When Derek was alone, they spent time together as friends. The moment Kate comes onto the scene, Ashley would leave. Thankfully, Derek understood, and it allowed their friendship to continue.

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It was the beginning of 2005 when everything changed. The Hale fire caused the death of Talia and many of the Hale family. Only Laura, Derek and Ashley survived because they had been at school. This incident changed the three of them. Laura took leadership of what remained of their family. Though still young herself, she became the mother of the trio, dragging the two teenagers across the country to New York in an attempt at a fresh start.

Derek sunk deeper into anger and depression. He wouldn't open up to either girl, so they assumed it was his way of dealing with all the grief and loss. Ashley too was saddened by the events that had transpired. She had just started to get used to Beacon Hills and being part of the Hale family and to suddenly lose it all and be uprooted caused her to feel lost. Moreover, they had to leave behind Peter who was stuck in a coma after the fire. Ashley felt restless without her older friend with her. She missed having a friend she could talk to about everything.