Beautiful Redemption ━━ Teen Wolf [3] [Completed]

21 | battle of the fittest

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not Edited. Final chapter of part one!

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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

     BATTLE OF THE FITTEST  

     "Don't call until you're a hundred miles away." 

     Clara somberly nodded at the eldest Hale, glancing at Derek, who sat next to her in the driver's seat, and Cora, who was in the back of the car. After a grand total of one and a half minute packing (they were in a rush considering the fact that two homicidal alphas were after them), they loaded up the car with their luggage. Peter was staying behind, but none of the three bothered to question him about it. The overwhelming heave of panic was now building up inside of her; her heart was thundering against her rib cage, a string of nervousness was coursing through her veins, and a tide of uneasiness was settling on top of her. 

     "Go!" Peter anxiously shouted. With that, Derek put the gear stick into shift and pressed down on the gas petal. The figure of Peter became smaller and smaller as the ebony colored car sped down the road, the streetlights glaring against the windshield. For a handful of minutes, a conversation between the three werewolves was nonexistent; a tense silence filling in the blank spaces. 

     The brunette in the passenger's seat continuously bit her thumbnail and tapped her foot against the hard-covered floor. Occasionally, Clara would look out of her window and glance up at the brimful, iridescent moon that was slowly rising in the dark sky. They had hours, mere hours until three of the most wonderful parents in Beacon Hills were dead. Bile rose up in Clara's throat when she began to realize all the ways this night could go wrong. She had to focus on something else, something to keep her from breaking down in this very car.

     "How does it feel, Cora? To be back from the dead?" While the comment was meant to be humorousness, it came out emotionless and blank. Clara glanced up in the rear-view mirror to see that Cora was leaning against the door, her eyes burning out of the window. The younger Hale looked just as nervous as Clara felt. 

     Cora sighed heavily, "I'll feel better when we're out of Beacon Hills."

     Derek's hands seemed to tighten on the leather steering wheel, his jaw frustratingly clenching. "You shouldn't have come." His voice was low, his words cutting sharply into her. He didn't even need to say her name; she knew he was talking to her. "Kali and Aiden are both after me, not you. You could get killed. This is dangerous!"

     "What else is new?" Clara sounded surprisingly calm. "I'm not leaving you or Cora by yourselves. I'm not going anywhere."

     Her simple, yet so meaningful words struck a cord inside of Derek and even in Clara. A loud buzzing come from her back pocket broke Clara out of her tornado of deep thoughts. She snatched the phone from her jeans, clicked on the answer button, and pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

     "Clara! Hey!" It was Scott's voice. He sounded rather antsy. "Lydia texted me, said you were heading out of town. What's going on?"

     "Long story short, Kali and Aiden are out to kill Derek. It's kind of hard to explain, but Derek's no longer an Alpha." She sighed, pausing to run a hand through her hair. "I'm leaving for long. I'm just gonna make sure both Derek and Cora are out of town, safe and sound, before I head back. Listen, Scott, I'm sorry ―"

     Scott interjected. "Don't apologize. I understand. Just make sure Derek and Cora are alright. And Clara...just make sure you're careful. The last time you left ― " He paused, taking a moment. Clara's breath hitched at his next words. "― you were gone for four months and I didn't hear from you. Don't do that to me again."