Howling to the Heart (1)

25.

   OUTSIDE, a bang sounded, making me pause where I was up to with watching Harry Potter. Stiles was with Scott tonight to help with the full moon, so I knew it wasn't them, and Mr. Stilinski was working like usual.

But if it was none of them, then what the hell was that noise?

"I need to stop watching horror movies," I mumbled to myself, getting off the couch.

It didn't help that half the lights in the house were off, too.

Slowly walking around the back of the couch, I used my hearing to listen around me.

Another bang came from the front of the house, and I froze, hearing a heartbeat.

Great, someone was out there.

"Riah! I know you're in there!" my dumbass of a cousin shouted from the front door, and I jumped, holding my chest.

Wait, Derek was alive?

"What the hell?" I shrieked, jogging down the hallway to the front door. Throwing it open, my eyes widened at the sight of Derek actually standing right before me in his usual leather jacket. "I thought you died!"

Holy crap!

My cousin was alive.

For once in his life, he cracked a smile. It was the smallest smile I'd seen, but it was still a smile. "Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily?"

Rolling my eyes, I smiled. "Not really, but you looked pretty dead at the time."

Chuckling, he shook his head, but then his expression turned serious, and he tucked his hands into his pockets. "I need to find Scott before the Alpha does. Do you know where he is?"

"At his house with Stiles," I answered flatly, crossing my arms over my chest.

Even after how many hours, I was still pissed at Scott freaking McCall for the shit he pulled today. The only reason he wasn't walking around with his legs in casts was that it was a full moon tonight.

That was the only excuse I could give him for his actions toward me.

Raising a brow, he sent me a questionable look. "And you aren't with them because?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I looked at the full moon in the sky behind him. "With Scott being bitten, does the full moon make him do things he wouldn't normally do?"

"What did he do to you?" he asked with a sharp tone, almost sounding like a growl.

Snapping my eyes back to him, I dropped my arms to my sides. "He just did something stupid, and I want to hope it's the full moon."

He sucked on his teeth with a furious look. "It could've been the full moon, but either way, whatever he did doesn't have an excuse."

"And here comes the overprotective Derek," I teased, trying to lighten the mood but failing. "Just go find the idiot and make sure he doesn't leave his house," I mumbled, shooing my hands at him.

"Also," he drawled, taking a step back, "I don't appreciate being made a fugitive."

I threw my hands up in defence. "That was all Scott. I swear."

"I'm not even sur—" he cut himself off, looking over his shoulder. "Stiles is down the road," was all he said before taking off into the dark like a weirdo.

"Wait, what?" I yelled, but he was already gone, and Stiles was pulling into the driveway.

Jogging down the steps, I rushed around to Stiles's Jeep door when he parked. "How did you lose Scott?" I asked him, pulling the door open before he could even reach the handle.

Stiles gaped at me with wide eyes, still in the car. "Is this like a werewolf thing? Reading minds or something."

Clutching his arm, I pulled him out of the jeep. "No, Derek said you were down the road and then took off. And if you're here and not at Scott's, that means he got free."

Widening his eyes, he turned pale. "Derek's alive?" he exclaimed, shutting the Jeep door.

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter." I brushed it off, walking back toward the house. "Why and how is Scott out and about?"

Just as I reached the open front door, Stiles grabbed my hand and turned me around to face him. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked with a small amount of hurt in his eyes.

"About Derek?" I questioned, furrowing my brows. "I swear I only just found out—"

"Scott," he cut me off, squeezing my hand. "I know what he did today before practice, Riah. Why didn't you tell me?"

Oh...shit.

I felt my face drop with my stomach.

Of course, he would find out with that too smart a brain of his. But I wasn't expecting him to ever ask me about it.

"I-I was worried," I admitted quietly, looking away from him. "The three of us have been best friends for years, and I was scared that if I said something about what happened, it would strain all our friendships."

He was quiet for a long moment, and I could hear his heart beating rapidly.

But then he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest. "You should've told me," he mumbled into my hair, and I wrapped my arms around his waist, holding him tighter. "Yes, I'm pissed with Scott for what he did, but that has nothing to do with what I think about you. What he did was messed up, and he better apologise, or I'll attempt to kick his werewolf ass."

I laughed into his chest. "I'll help you with that."