Hearts and arrows

Chapter Three: The hunter.

"Okay, so what do we do?" Isabelle asked. "All we know is we're hunting someone who's killed innocent humans. We don't know if Scott's really the werewolf we're looking for. Could he be a killer? Maybe on the full moon he was mentioning, according to you, Alec. Two other options are this Derek guy or the Alpha—whose identity everybody seems to ignore. Great."

"What we would need is to get more information. We need to get closer to these guys," Alec intervened. "I think that Scott can help us. He knows Derek, and he's looking for the Alpha too."

"Oh, but that's clever," Jace replied sarcastically. "And how exactly are we gonna do that? By 'keeping a low-profile'? May I remind you that you of all people never talk to anybody?"

"But he talks to cute guys," Isabelle pointed out in a smirk. "He's gonna get information from the lover boy."

********

Alec was in the queue in the cafeteria, waiting for a plate, when he perceived a known face a few metres away. Danny. Perfect, he thought. Then he made sure the Hawaiian student saw him but without making eye contact, and waited for him to come closer.

"Hey, Alec! I don't know if you remember me, hum, biology class? We were lab partners a few days ago?"

"Yeah, of course. Daniel, is it?"

"It's Danny, actually." After a silence, that Alec made last on purpose, he continued awkwardly, "Well, would you like to eat with me? I mean, with us. There's a seat left, and we could use this lunch to know each other better. As lab partners."

"I'd be delighted," the dark-haired boy replied, trying to be kinder than usual.

He was led to a big table, where he recognised Scott and his friend. Danny introduced him briefly, and Alec had to sit next to someone named Jason—or was it Jackson?—who looked daggers at him.

Alec was forced to distractedly answer Danny's questions about himself, making sure of being always evasive, and got all his attention on Scott and Stiles who were chatting very low. Fortunately, Alexander had used his stele earlier to print the Hearing rune on his torso.

"We can't possibly go," Stiles protested.

"We have to! What if the Alpha tries to get me by kidnapping you and hurting you?"

"Well I could always defend myself. I've got a baseball batt, too."

But they were interrupted by the captain of the lacrosse team, who had an arm around a gingerhead's shoulders, "Hey, McCall, going bowling tonight with us? I might get a revenge."

Scott stammered and replied in a nervous smile, "Uh, tonight? Tonight—Tonight isn't a good night, I can't—can't go. Got plans. With, uh..."

"With me," Stiles cut. "Yeah. Nerd stuff. You wouldn't get it."

Alec narrowed his eyes. He knew it was tonight. They were gonna reach for that Derek guy. The assumed killer. Once his purpose achieved, Alec couldn't wait to go away to inform his siblings.

When they finally left, he couldn't escape, nonetheless, because Danny had called him. They waited for everybody around to leave them, and the brown-haired guy asked, "You looked pretty disconnected at lunch. But... Still, I think I like you. Would you care... sharing a meal tonight, with me? I know a pretty good restaurant, they even serve veggies if you're not into—"

"I can't," Alec cut heartlessly. He hadn't meant to be abrupt, but truly, he couldn't. Plus he had no right to get close to a mundane like Danny.

"Please...," Danny implored in a low voice, conscious that he had already lost. "Is it because you're not openly out?"

"Yes. Partly."

"You can come over at my place. No one will know. Please. I like you, Alexander."

"I'm sorry," he murmured, then left, not to hurt Danny too long, and not to hurt himself.

As he was running away, he was stopped by a powerful grip. He groaned discreetly when he saw Jackson, Daniel's best friend. And he looked furious.

"I saw you with Danny," he simply stated. After a moment, he dropped Alec's arm and continued between his teeth, "Don't touch him. I swear to God that if you hurt him, you'll die. I don't know what you and your friends are up to, or what McCall and Stilinski are doing, but I know it's nothing safe. So leave Danny out of it."

"Don't worry," Alec mumbled back. "I'll never allow myself to hurt him. So yeah, I'll never talk to him again. Trust me on that."

"Perfect, then," Jackson replied in a smile, a bit surprised all the same. "I'll keep an eye on you."

"Just keep an eye on Danny for me."

"I will. But not for you."

"Whatever," the dark-haired teenager concluded before leaving, meeting his siblings in front of the school with brand good news for them, and a bad one for him—he could never have Danny.