Appetite for Destruction

Hanging By A Thread, A Rope, The Noose Around My Neck

Derek had always been the angry one.

People had tried to fix him, as though giving him a band-aid and a few chapters of Anger Management For Dummies would magically glue all the broken fragments of his life back together. But the only way Derek knew how to live was with his anger coiled tight and suffocating against his chest.

Mom had talked to him about it and Derek had tried to get his shit together, but after the fire and after Laura died there was no longer anyone around to lecture him on his anger problems. So he continued to charge ahead and leave me to worry about whatever mess he left in his wake.

But right now the roles were reversed; I was the one who wasn't thinking clearly, I was the one itching to fight, to hurt something. I couldn't think clearly past the furious ache for revenge burning in my throat like a tightening noose and I didn't care. I just didn't care anymore. I didn't care that the Darach was killing people, didn't care that we were running out of time. What did it matter now? Erica was dead. Boyd was dead. Derek was falling to pieces. Everything around me was spiralling out of control.

I couldn't kill the Alpha pack, hurt them like they hurt us. I couldn't make Derek feel better and I couldn't bring Boyd back. The image of the twins forcing Derek's hands up so Kali could drop Boyd onto his claws was the one thing in my life I could get some fucking vengeance for.

The twins had been inseparable since Boyd's death, most likely fearing retaliation because they were only stronger when they were together, but today Scott and Stiles were planning to speak to Ethan alone and I was going to use that to my advantage. I didn't feel guilty at all about using their plan for my own agenda because I needed to do something and maybe this would get rid of the helpless feeling that hadn't left since seeing Derek with Boyd's blood on his hands.

I was letting myself be... selfish.

I went to the school without a plan, watched one twin be lured into the locker room by Lydia and Scott pull the other aside to talk to him, and hesitated before following after Lydia. Scott would only try to stop me.

Fury was clouding my mind as I stepped inside the locker room, following the sound of voices to the coach's office where I hesitated, looking at the blurry shapes behind the frosted glass with the name 'Coach Finstock' on it. I put a claw to the glass and dragged it around and around until the spiral was complete.

I ducked behind the lockers a second before the door flew open and the twin came striding out. "Derek!" He called out, and I bared my teeth. Of course he was expecting Derek to be the one seeking revenge, Alpha against Alpha, but this was my fight.

"Aiden, stop! Please!" Lydia was pleading, but Aiden continued to ignore her.

"I'm right here, Derek!" He was taunting, arms out to his sides like he was daring me to make a move. "You want a fight? Come and get me!"

He turned away from where I was hiding and I knew this was the only opportunity I'd get. I leapt out from my hiding place and threw myself at him, slamming him against the lockers and raking my claws across his chest again and again. I didn't care that I had no plan, I didn't care that Aiden's eyes were glowing like hot coals. I was attacking and it felt good.

The Alpha's grip on my arm when I brought it down to strike was instant and I thought the bone would break with how hard he was gripping it. I snarled at him like a rabid dog and his other hand was at my neck, fingers tightening around my throat.

He threw me away from him and I let myself go limp so when I landed it wouldn't cause too much damage, but the impact of hitting the ground hurt far more than it should have. Pain made my vision hazy, but through the confusion I could see Aiden advancing on me and instinct kicked in, a fresh surge of adrenaline rushing through me.