Derek flew across the room, his back slamming so hard against the solid metal wall it knocked the wind from his lungs and almost knocked him unconscious. He slumped to the floor and willed himself to hold on to his alertness. It was in moments like these, when he was half-senseless and weak, that he couldn't stop thinking about her. He still saw her in his thoughts all day long, and he couldn't push her away. He tried so desperately to forget her, but it was true: werewolves mate for life. He'd chosen her, imprinted on her, and he could never go back. All he could do was avoid her and become half a being without her.
The betrayal was more than he could bear. He'd seen Peter's victorious grin as he'd hovered over her, triumphant that he'd defeated his nephew. However, he hadn't won the war. He may have won the battle - succeeding in Derek falling in love with his pawn and getting his heart and soul broken - but he had not won the war. Derek had pulled out his own maneuver, killing that murderous bastard Gerard. He'd turned full alpha in that moment, unable to deny it was mostly because he saw the arrows protruding from Lydia's petite body and the urge to protect her overpowered him. His anger had always been his anchor, and it fueled his rage as he attacked the old hunter, ending his life so swiftly he couldn't revel in it. The other hunters had been just as unlucky, and he'd strung their body parts so far and wide even the news reporters hadn't found them. The forest animals had taken care of them by then.
He'd shown his weakness by taking Lydia to the hospital and lingering until he knew she would be okay. It cost him dear time he could have been using to get as far from her as possible, but the closer he was to her, the stronger his magnetism to her was. It shattered what was left of his soul when he told her goodbye, but it was necessary. He couldn't trust her, and his love for her would only weaken him again. Peter would kill him next time if Derek didn't get to him first. A small part of him also knew Lydia was safer the farther he was from her, and he couldn't escape his desire to keep her safe. So he'd left. He'd run, was more like it.
And now he was getting his ass kicked.
Shaking his head to clear the fuzziness remaining from his contact with the unflinching wall, he focused on his assailant just as the man grabbed him by the throat and hoisted him effortlessly into the air. He growled, his eyes glowing red as he glared at the man.
"You stupid dog," the man spat, tossing him again, this time causing him to slide across the floor until he caught his balance and rose to his feet, glaring daggers. "You think you're so clever, but you will see. You will serve me one day, pup."
The words boiled Derek's blood, and he lunged for the him, but was too late. The man was gone in a flash, seemingly materialized into thin air although Derek knew better. Cursing to himself, he punched the floor and growled angrily. So close...
An hour later he was laying on the uncomfortable bed in the hotel room he'd rented, with his hands behind his head and his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Thoughts of Lydia interfered with his purpose for being here, and he tried to sort through them and figure it all out. He couldn't worry about Lydia right now. She would take care of herself. He had to worry about himself.
Outside, the brakes on a car screeched to a halt and he winced at the noise. It was much louder for him than it would be for a human, and he shook his head irritably as he continued staring relentlessly at the ceiling. He could hear footsteps outside on the pavement, and his senses prickled. His muscles tensed visibly, and he lunged, throwing open the door to see a stunned Isaac standing outside, fist raised to knock.
"Isaac..." he backtracked, surprised by the familiar face this far from home. "How did you find me? What are you doing here?"
"It's good to see you too, Derek," Isaac remarked, smiling his goofy smile.
"Come in," Derek urged, grabbing him and easily pulling him into the hotel room, checking the parking lot warily before he closed the door.
"I found you by your scent, and I seemed to be able to just... know where you were," Isaac answered him honestly, eyeing the room with a skeptical gaze.
"That's because you're a member of my pack," Derek explained, finally turning to face him, "You can sense your alpha. Damn, I should have anticipated this." He stalked past Isaac toward the sink at the back of the hotel room. He hadn't been thinking when he left town. He should've known Isaac, and his other betas as well, would be able to track him even if no one else could.
The teenager took a seat on the edge of the bed and watched him as he turned back toward the room. "You just disappeared... We had no idea where you were."
"That was the point," Derek grumbled, pacing toward the window. A movement outside caught his attention, and his eyes widened.
"Get down!" he yelled, grabbing Isaac and throwing him to the floor just as the window shattered and a silver arrow lodged itself into the far wall.
Venturing a peek above the windowsill, he saw the archer standing on the far side of the parking lot. Only a supernatural being could make that shot. He suspected whoever it was had only missed out of choice.
"We have to get out of here," Derek cursed, seeing the car Isaac had brought parked directly outside of the door. The archer knocked another arrow, and this time, Derek saw the archer's master standing behind him in the shadows: the same man he'd been tracking before.
"You led them straight to me, damn it."
"I'm sorry! How was I supposed to know you were on the lam?"
"I'm not on the lam," Derek snapped crossly, gathering his one bag of belongings and inching to the door. "It's... complicated." Isaac raised his eyebrows in a 'well-duh' look and followed him, inching along the ratty carpet.
"When I say run, you run," he ordered the younger werewolf. The teenager nodded and set himself to bolt at the command. Derek grabbed the doorknob and turned it, steeling himself.
"Run."
The door flew open as he raced through it, Isaac on his heels. The swish of an arrow cut past his head, and he twisted out of the way, just missing it by mere inches. He leapt into the driver's seat as Isaac dove into the passenger's side and tossed him the keys. Revving the engine, he floored the car and was out of the parking lot in a flash, watching in the rearview mirror for any followers.
"What exactly was that? What's going on?" Isaac asked, his voice high with anxiety.
Derek didn't answer as he swung the car off the road and into a secluded little copse of trees, the shadows hiding them from view of the road. They waited for what seemed like an eternity, but surely enough, a black SUV sped past them, throwing up leaves in its rush. It sped off down the road, and Derek breathed a sigh of relief, hitting his forehead on the steering wheel as he sighed.
"What is going on, Derek?" asked the teenager again, examining his face candidly.
Turning to look at the boy, he sighed and ground his teeth together. "Vampires."
YOU ARE READING
Wolfsblood
Fanfiction((sequel to Wolfsbane)) Finding out the love of his life betrayed him sent Derek Hale over the edge, and out of town. Meanwhile, Lydia remains in Beacon Hills trying to cope with losing the only man she's truly loved and the idea of raising their c...
