𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧

[5] 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬

-·•••·-

      It felt like a dream. A really bad dream.

     Once upon a time, the Hale House gave Hector a sense of security. It place where he could unburden himself and be himself.

     Now all he felt was the hole in his heart that was created the day he lost the woman he loved.

     But, regardless of the memories and the feelings that aros when he drove up, he needed answers.

     And Derek Hale had them.

     Quickly he put his car in park and got out of it, not bothering to to close the door. His body froze as he took in the sight of the burnt house.

      For a second he thought about abandoning his plan and jumping back into his car driving away and never looking back. But he needed answers, so he pushed down the memories and walked closer.

     "Derek," Hector called out. "I know you're in there. I need you to come out here we have a few things we need to discuss."

      For what felt like hours he received nothing. Nothing but the sound of the leaves rustling, birds chirping and the watch on his left wrist ticking.

     Then finally he gave up.  Heaving out a sigh he turned around and walked back to his car.

     But the sound of old hinges creaking made him stop. Hector turned back around and there in the doorway was Derek Hale.

     "You've gotten old," Derek cut through the silence that had grown between both men.

     Hector scoffed, slamming the car door and walked up to him. "As if you look any better than me. You better hope you at least look as half as good as me when you reach my age."

     A smile spread through Derek's lips, "I know you're wondering why I'm here," Hector spoke up before he could, "And I'll gladly tell you in return for one simple thing."

     "And that is," Derek asked, he was intrigued but the answer was something he had dreaded to hear.

     "The truth."

     It was simple. It was easy. And yet it couldn't have been more complicated.

     A sigh left his lips as his arms crossed over his chest. Looking at a man he looked up to once. A man he  had wanted to be one day; strong, smart, bold, but most of all brave.

     Derek Hale once thought the world of Hector Renatus, and to this day, seeing him again, he realizes he still does. So reluctantly he motioned for the older man to follow him inside.

     After some hesitation on Hector's part, he did.

     "What do you want to know," asked Derek, watching Hector's clouded eyes snap towards him.

     He cleared his throat, getting rid of the lump inside of it. "I um - I want to know about the werewolf that was killed."

     "Laura."

     Hector's heart broke for Derek hearing that name. He knew losing Laura couldn't be easy, but from his facial features he could see that Derek didn't want any pity, so he kept his condolences inside.

     "Who killed her?"

     "Hunters."

     "Why? Why would they kill her and what was she doing here in the first place?"

     Derek inhaled deeply. He knew he needed to answer truthfully, but the thought of losing the another person connected to his family and his past was something he did to want to happen again.