After Dark: Derek Hale /DISCONTINUED/

1 - The reoccuring dream

It was dark. Viola was almost unsure of where she was in the inescapable darkness. Almost.

The long, dark shadows and the musky smell told her she was outside in some sort of wood. The soft squish of the earth beneath her and the dampness in the air hinted that it had recently rained. In the quiet of the night, small insects scuttling around were the only other thing Viola could hear as she walked, trying to calmly find a way out of the trees.

Crunch.

Viola froze. She didn't dare move a muscle as she felt the breeze of something fast moving behind her back.

Don't panic, she told herself. That's what they say in the movies, don't they? Well, Viola thought, let me tell you right now - that stuff sounding easy is bull.

She could feel the anxiety building up inside her stomach and the pace of her breath quickening already.

Should she ask who's there? Say hello?

No, her conscious said, don't be that dumb girl that gets killed in the first five seconds of the movie. You wanna know who's there? Death, that's who!

A slow, crescendoing growl emerged from somewhere among the trees. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Should she run? Or should she stay frozen? Viola chose the latter.

For a second, it was dead silent. The next, Viola felt hot breath fanning against her face and heard her heart pounding loudly in her ears. Or was that something else's heart beat?

"Open your eyes," a voice told her.

The voice wasn't harsh, but something told Viola listening to it would be in her best interest.

She eased her eyes open and gasped, her fingernails digging into her own palm.

Glowing blue eyes were staring into her hazel ones.

For a moment, they were staring at each other. The next, a pair of lips were against Violas, calloused hands against her face, her own nimble fingers tangled in soft and silky short hair.

And then she woke up.