"You Don't Know Me" || Derek Hale

16.

As I'm sitting on my bed with my sketchbook in my lap, there's a knock at my door. "It's open." The door opens, and I look up to see Mom standing in the doorway. "Hey, Mom," I greet.

"Hey, Cass," Mom greets back.

"How was work?" I ask.

She exhales. "Busy. And exhausting."

"I figured as much," I nod.

"Thanks for making dinner."

"Of course," I smile.

"I think I'm gonna turn in for the night."

"Okay, night."

"Night, Cass."

She leaves my room, and I look down at the sketch I've been working on for the past week. I close my book and toss it onto my nightstand. I stand up from my bed when I hear Mom's voice. "Where's your brother?"

I look over at her. "Uh... I'm gonna be honest, I don't know," I shake my head. I hear a thud come from Scott's room, and my brows furrow. I grab my pocketknife off my nightstand, and we leave my room. I flick the blade out as we approach Scott's room. I see someone climbing through Scott's window, and I speak. "Hey!" Stiles exclaims in shock and spins around to see Mom and I behind him.

"Stiles, what the hell are you doing here?" Mom questions as I slide my knife in my pocket. The light flips on, and we look over to see Scott standing in the doorway. "Can you please tell your friend to use the front door?"

"But we lock the front door. He wouldn't be able to get in," Scott points out.

"Yeah, exactly," Mom sighs. "And by the way, do you either of you care that there's a police-enforced curfew?"

"No," they both respond.

"No. All right then. Well, you know what? That's about enough parenting for me for one night, so good night."

Scott chuckles. "Good night."

She leaves the room and Stiles sighs. "What?" I ask.

"My dad left for the hospital 15 minutes ago. It's the bus driver," Stiles starts. "They said he succumbed to his wounds."

"Succumbed?" Scott questions.

"Scott, he's dead."

Scott's eyes widen, and he glances over at me. I notice his fists clench before he walks over to his open window. "Scott, don't," I try, but he ignores me and climbs through his window. "Shit."

"Still think Derek's innocent?" Stiles asks me.

I look over at him. "Yeah... I do."

~ ~ ~

I run inside the Hale House and speak. "Scott?! Derek?!" I rush around the corner to see them both standing across from each other. I halt to a stop when I see that absolute chaotic mess this place is in. "God, this place is a mess," I start as I look around. "I mean, it wasn't exactly in tip-top shape before, but--," I continue when I notice a large hole in the wall. "Was this hole always here?" I look over at them. "Do either of you care to explain what the hell's going on?"

"There's another," Scott states.

My brows furrow. "Another what?"

"Another werewolf," Scott sighs. My eyes widen.

"It's called an Alpha. It's the most dangerous of our kind. Scott and I are Betas. This thing is more powerful, more animal than either of us," Derek explains. "My sister came here looking for him. Now I'm trying to find him. But I don't think I can do it without Scott."

"Why Scott?" I ask.

"Because he's the one who bit me. I'm part of his pack," Scott admits. "I'm the one he wants."

I exhale. "That's a lot to take in."