4

It didn't take long for the body to be found. Paige. The girl that was permanently attached to Hale's hip. It was her blood that was on my now clean shoes. I'd witnessed it, with absolutely no memory of it ever occurring. All thanks to Thalia Hale.

Beacon Hills is a small town, most of us have been in the same grade since kindergarten. And yet I doubt I'd ever actually spoken to her. Opposite social circles will do that, if I'm being honest I don't really branch out of the cheer squad. So I, like everyone else in my year was trying to move on, animal attacks to the humans were sadly normal. Yet I couldn't understand why. Literally what motivates would the Hales have for killing a fifteen year old girl?

I wondered if the Hale pack had similar rules to my own. Secrecy, perhaps she found out more than she should have. It still didn't justify the kill. Even my pack weren't that savage and we had a reputation for being ruthless when it came to punishment. 

But despite all that, I knew the real reason I couldn't get Paige's death out of mind was because Tahlia Hale, my greatest enemy let me live with the exception of erasing it from my memory. Something that just doesn't make sense.

It wasn't until the following week that Hale decided to grace us all with his presence. I had reveled in what had been a Derek Hale free two weeks. But alas all goods things have to end eventually and apparently that time was right now in the middle of math. 

To put it lightly, he looked like complete and utter shit. Which I guess is to be expected. A hush had fell instantly across the class. He didn't seem aware of all the eyes on him, or he simply chose to ignore it. Uncaring is how he was coming across. But he couldn't lie, not to me anyways. His heart was beating intensely, just slightly too fast to be at ease. It had me smirking from the back of the class.

As if he could somehow pinpoint my eyes on him over everyone else's, His eyes met my smirk with a glare of his own. Well at least I can always count on one Hale to hate me. I liked it, hating each other is normal, second nature and I was glad that despite the last full moon that hadn't changed. For some reason that had changed for Laura. 

She keeps watching me, I've caught her at it a few times but she hasn't stopped. It's not in malice, which is odd. She still hates my sister, and yet she watches me...almost protectively. It's not normal. She should hate me like her brother, I'm a Wood and she's a Hale therefore we should hate each other. But she doesn't, not since the last full moon, since I was on her territory, since I witnessed Paige's murder. Therefore she knows, she knows the reason why Tahlia let me live and it's enough for her to forget about the deadly feud and protect me. 

It makes sense after all Laura is Tahlia's second in command. Therefore she knows just slightly less than Tahlia and more than Derek it seems. It was the same in my pack too, my bother knew more about our fathers affairs then my sister and me. If I can somehow get Derek to find out from Laura, why Tahlia let me live then I may be able to sleep at night. My only problem with this plan is that Derek Hale is the worst person I've ever had the displeasure to meet. Not to mention I've never had a conversation with him that didn't end in a fight. 

He was exactly two rows in front of me and I was little intimidated. I didn't like the fact that my enemy knew something, that I once knew only for it to be taken away from me. And yeah it didn't help it involved his now dead girlfriend. I wondered if he was actually in the world or just stuck in his head. I could whisper to him, after all it's the best way to go in a crowded room such as this. But if he's stuck in stupid thick head then he won't hear me, all well there's no harm in trying...

"Pssst Hale". I prayed he heard me, although there's a 50/50 chance he won't reply just out of spite.

His head rose as if he was looking at the blackboard. Well he heard me.

"Piss off, Wood". See what I mean? What a dick.

"Why did your mother let me go". I growled out at him.

He leant back in his seat, all the while his eyes never left the board and all I could see was the back of his messy hair. "Oh you mean you don't know?, how is your memory these days?"

I sighed "It'd be better intact if your Alpha didn't steal it".

"Yeah well, why don't you be normal for once and just be glad you're still intact"

"Because I don't get it! That's why, you idiot!". I head him chuckle darkly from the front of the room.

"Really? I wouldn't be going round calling me an idiot when you're the idiot that crossed the boundary line and signed your own death sentence". I could feel his satisfaction from here and I hated it.

"I'm sure I had my reasons, I would've done it on purpose you airhead!"

"Well I mean we can't be sure of that now can we? After all you have no memory of it, remember? Oh yeah that's right, you don't."

I sighed frustratedly. "You know I bet she didn't even tell you. After all that's why you haven't outright said it. What's the matter Derek? Does Mummy not trust you as much as she trusts Laura and Peter? that must be rough". My voice dripped with fake sympathy.

He sighed and after a moment of silence with only our teachers voice going over the last equation did he retaliate. "You know, I bet you didn't tell Daddy about your little field trip. How do you think the dreaded Wood pack will punish you when they find out?, I couldn't imagine keeping such a deadly secret from my pack and what with the entire Hale pack in knowledge of what happened...I just don't think it's wise for you to be making assumptions in your vulnerable state". Well fuck.

"They're my family, my pack. They wouldn't punish me like that."

"Oh yeah I can see it now, your father would be elated that you're a betrayer of peace".

"I'm not a betrayer of peace!. Your mother chose to let me go, as long as I don't go against the treaty again then your Alpha doesn't have just cause."

He snorted. "Please you think she cares about just cause? You were on her land, our land. You don't think she's going to get you back for that?"

I smirked. "I doubt it, it's an act of open war if she does. Besides it'd be your pack's word against mine. My pack would fight to death for me as I would them, because were family".

"No, your pack are savage killers and trust you to start a war."

"Oh because the Hale pack are so peaceful? Try telling that to Paige's devastated parents." He growled, not just a silent growl but a real growl that had every student's eyes on him. He whipped his head behind him, right to the back row at me. 

''Dead", he mouthed it silently and I really felt he meant it.

As soon as the bell rang everyone rushed out of the classroom, eager for lunch it seemed. Well apparently Hale wasn't. He stood in front of his desk, watching me like the fucking devil himself. I could feel my heart race increase and I prayed he couldn't sense my slight fear. He had me corned now.

We stood in a glaring match, a small wooden desk the only obstacle in our way from tearing each other's throats out.

 A sudden cough in the doorway broke the silence and we both whipped our heads to find out who it was. Peter Hale. Peter the Creeper. He doesn't even go here!

"Thalia sent me to check on you" he said un-caringly to Derek. He lent against the door frame casually and smirked at the scene in front of him. He then looked me up and down just long enough to make me uncomfortable, it was sort of like Laura's glance but filled with slight jealousy. So he definitely knew what she did.

I flashed my eyes and growled at him. And he shocked me when he didn't growl back, get this instead he smirked!. 

"Well that's adorable, Derek don't you think that's adorable". Excuse me. I'm threatening not adorable.

Derek's glare transformed into a smirk. "Well it definitely wouldn't scare anyone that's for sure".

And just when I thought this couldn't get any worse Laura Hale stopped mid walk as if she'd been following a scent and found its source. Well this is just fucking great. A Hale gathering and of course two of them are blocking the only exit. God where's Anna when you need her?

Laura glared at the Creeper and then raised her eyebrows at me.

"You know Avery, school isn't the best place to wolf out". She said patronizingly and it just caused me to growl more.

"Just get away from the door so I can leave!" 

Derek smiled evilly at me "Why don't you try using please". 

"Why cant you all just leave!"

Laura sighed and moved out of the doorway. Well that's bloody unexpected. Apparently Derek thought so too.

"Seriously, we're just going to let her leave! After everything she's done?!?"

Laura smirked at me "yep, because unlike some people we keep the peace, be careful Wood. We'd hate to out you to that brutal pack that you belong to".

I visibly gulped. Fear. They could sense it. It was coming off me in waves and the point was clear. If I stepped one toe out of line they'd spill, and as much as I hated to admit it we were brutal and savage. My pack aren't known for our mercy, they loved me obviously but they wouldn't let what I did go unpunished. Especially if my father was scared Anna or Alec would follow in my footsteps. Would I be disowned? Forced to become an omega. It was a scary thought.

Point made, They owned me.