Try (Book Four, Teen Wolf)

Ch. 11: A Promise to the Dead

I was upstairs asleep, falling asleep to the sound of rain.

When the alarm started to go off.

Derek and Braedan were awake. Derek was in shorts. Braedan was in a bra and shorts. They both had guns.

Derek saw me on the spiral staircase, raising the gun toward me. He lowered the gun when he realized it was just me.

Braedan nodded to the door.

I walked to the door, my hand resting on the handle, looking at Derek and Braedan. They nodded.

My eyes glowing blue, I slid the door open, all of us turning toward the one who triggered the alarm. Derek and Braedan raised their guns.

Derek and Braedan lowered their guns, the glow fading from my eyes when we realized it was just Lydia.

Lydia was drenched from the rain. She looked up at us, screaming a Banshee scream.

*

Scott had brought a gym bag full of $500,000 from the vault, payment to Garrett from the dead pool.

I was standing next to the table and the couch, looking at Scott.

Derek was standing on the couch, sliding the bag on the table. "Okay."

"Don't you guys want to know why it took so long to return it?" Scott asked.

"How much do you make at the animal clinic?" Derek asked.

"Minimum wage," Scott answered.

"That's why," I told him. "Everyone can be tempted, Scott. Even a True Alpha."

"Neither of you are angry?" Scott asked. He looked at me. "You . . . You, I expected especially to be angry at me, after all the secrets I kept from you . . ."

"If I compared the secrets you kept and the consequences that came with it, this would be the last on the list," I told him.

Scott shook his head in confusion. "Wait, what? Why?"

"Because it's not even ours," Derek answered. "It belongs to Peter."

"Where's your money?" Scott asked.

"You're standing on it," Derek told him.

Scott looked down at the floor. He looked back up. "There's another vault?"

I smiled, looking down.

Derek chuckled. "No. I own the building. And I have my own bank accounts."

Scott looked at me. "So where's yours?"

"Laura left me a huge settlement for when I turned 18," I answered. "All of the money taken from the vault was Peter's. I think we'd actually be better off if the rest never came back."

Derek stood, zipping the bag closed.

Scott looked between us. "I know Lydia was here last night." Derek looked down. Scott looked at him. "Deaton's still working on figuring out what Kate did to you. If anyone can find an answer, it's him."

I looked at Derek.

Derek looked back at me.

I didn't want to lose him. I didn't know if I could.

Derek knew that.

*

Scott opened the door to the loft after dark, the lights completely out as he led the way in, closing the door behind us. "So, the first date has gone well so far. The movie at the theaters . . . Could've been better." I smirked. "The dinner after. . . But it's not over yet."