Origins ➣ Stilinski [1]

8 | EIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT
❝ poisoned blade ❞

Aurora was calmer, but still a mess when she got home. Colten's Audi was in the driveway—she hadn't realized how late it was. The sky was already black.

    "Rose?" Colten asked when she slammed the front door behind her and hastily turned the locks.

    "Yeah, dad, it's me," her voice was unsteady.

    "Where have you been?" he thundered, appearing through the kitchen doorway with an ominous expression. She hesitated. He knew that she had only planned on going to get them dinner. She'd better stick to the truth.

    "I was getting gas," Aurora admitted.

    His eyes were tight, all humor gone. "What happened to getting dinner?"

    "Oh, right," she said, looking back at the door. "I left it in my car."

    Colten folded his muscular arms across his chest. He seemed to really look at her for the first time. She remembered that she'd spent a good ten minutes standing in the gas station parking lot hyperventilating with Derek holding her upright; she knew she looked a mess. Pale skin and bloodshot eyes. And she practically reeked of fear.

    "What happened?" Colten demanded.

    Again, Aurora decided that the truth, or part of it anyway, was the best option. She was too shaken to pretend that she'd spent an uneventful day. "I ran into Derek Hale at the gas station." she tried to say it calmly, but her voice was high and shaky. "I didn't think of it, though—until Chris Argent and a couple of other men showed up. And they blocked us in. They had guns. And they threatened Derek a-and...and..."

    Colten's eyes grew round with horror—or was it anger? He strode quickly to her and grabbed the tops of her arms.

    "Are you okay?"

    Her head bobbed in a weak nod.

    "Tell me what happened, ma belle rose."

    My beautiful rose, Aurora thought. It was something her father only called her when she was on the verge of having a break down. He used it to calm her down—make her relax.

    She nodded. "They didn't pay any attention to me. It was like I wasn't even there. Chris just focused on Derek; he kept talking about how Derek didn't have any family left and I thought he was being extremely rude. And then, before I knew it, one of the other's was busting Derek's car window with the butt of a shotgun."

    He let go of her shoulders and wrapped his arms around her. She felt herself relax into his strong broad chest. She hadn't realized how wrong things have been between them until now, when the father was holding his daughter. This was what she remembered, what she had felt before Scott was bitten all those weeks ago. Everything else had been forgotten. And now, with her mental ability broaden, Aurora felt as if she could touch Colten's thoughts.