𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 | derek hale [ON HOLD]

77 | s u n d o w n i n g - r e l i c s

Third Person POV:

The teens had school the next morning, so Derek left the clinic for his loft. He has not been back since he moved to North Carolina, but he had hired biweekly cleaners before he moved so it stayed clean. He is ready to crash, the long flight and the new information leaving him exhausted. The cleaners should have come only a few days before, so his bed would already be made.

What he did not expect was the door to open when he got there. Immediately, his senses sharpened as he prepared himself to deal with intruders. There was no telling who could have broken in. It is no surprise that the Hales and the McCall pack had enemies, and with the rising hunter war, there was also a constant danger everywhere he turned.

The sliding door creaked as pushed it back, revealing the vast, dark room, illuminated only by the moon's light through the tall far windows. So many shadows, too many hiding places. He slowly stalked into the room, waiting for any signs or hints of an intruder to reveal himself to him. He did not have to wait long. The clatter of light steps echoed through the loft, getting louder. Who emerged was the last he expected it to be.

Walking out of the bathroom was a dog with white and brown fur. It is a hunting breed, he could tell. And a girl. He stared at the dog in confusion as she walked over to him and sidled up against his legs. She sighed deeply and sagged in relief, leaning her weight on him. She was thin, too thin, like she had not eaten a full meal in days. The poor thing must have been hiding out in his loft for at least the past few days. The cleaning crew would have reported a homeless dog.

He noticed she was wearing a thin collar with a tag. He carefully reached for it and held it in the moonlight so he could read the writing engraved.

Ricochet

There is no address or numbers, just the name. He gently caressed the soft fur of her ears, and she leaned into his touch. "You've been camping here alone, you poor girl. You must be so scared and confused." She shut her eyes as he began scratching the back of her head. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you need, Ricochet. You are safe here." He moved his hand down her neck to pet her back, and her balance wavered. She was tired and definitely starving.

He gently maneuvered his hands underneath her and lifted her in his arms, holding her against his chest. She did not seem to mind, which surprised him. Most dogs often wriggle and thrash when picked up by a random person, but she seemed oddly comfortable with him. He walked over to the bed, which was made with fresh blankets and sheets, and set her down on the plush comforter. He could tell by the smoothness of the sheets that she had left the bed untouched, and he found that fact oddly respectful and sweet. "Let me find you some food."

He knew there wouldn't be any save for some spare seasonings, but he wanted to check anyway before ordering something for her. It was too late to visit the store, so he made a mental note to do so in the morning. He opened one of the lower cupboard and was surprised to see an unopened bag of dog food sitting in the back.

Why the hell does he have dog food in his kitchen? He didn't plan on visiting Beacon anytime soon, so why is there even food here? And he had only gotten Fallon a few months ago. He had never had a dog in Beacon, and he sure as hell never needed it for himself.

He checked the dates on the bag to find that it was fresh, seemingly bought fairly recently. Perhaps one of the cleaners bought it and stored it here. He could not find it in himself to be annoyed, as the bag was a life saver at this point. He grabbed a bowl from one of the drawers and filled it with the pebbled food. He joined her on the bed and set the bowl before her. She sniffed it for a few moments before digging in ravenously. She made a mess on the blankets, but it did not matter because she would clean any excess food moments after.