30

We retreated once we found the body.

Alec going as far as picking up our hysterical sister and dragging her away from the body. I was still in shock. Every time I closed my eyes I'd just see his pale face.

But, there was something about his death all three of us can't ignore. 

His throat was slashed. As if someone had clawed it. 

Which means his death wasn't an accident. Someone had killed Aaron Baker and left his body there to rot.

Alec still carrying a now passed out Anna sighed in disgust. "It was them".

I shuddered. Even in our own land, I still couldn't shake this odd feeling to protect the pack that has every reason under the sun to kill us. "We don't know that".

He scoffed. "His body was left at the place we all decided to kill Peter at. What more proof do you need, Avery?".

My silence said it all. Even I have to admit that its too coincidental. "Well, it makes us even now right?. We attempted to kill a member of their back and I guess its vendetta. His body was left under the spiral afteral-"

He paused and stared at me in disbelief. "Are you even listening to yourself?. They killed an innocent boy!."

I tusked. "An innocent boy that knew about us. Even if they just did it to save their own necks you have to admit its all very convenient".

He nodded. "Sure. Explain that to Anna. Or his parents. This isn't right and you're starting to sound like our parents. What they've done..."

He shook his head and looked down at Anna with all the hurt in the world.

I bit my lip before saying my racing thoughts out loud. "What they've done is kept the peace. You and I are even now with the Hales.  You slashed Peter's throat and someones slashed Aaron's. And he died before he could blab about our kind."

Alec's eyes swept from our sister then to me and they narrowed. "You disgust me. That boy is dead. Rotting there for us to find. It should be against the feud. They killed a human. The Hales don't normally kill".

I shook my head. "They killed a human girl my age a couple months back. They're more deadly then we give them credit for".

Alec frowned. "I hate it. But...its kept the peace.  What's the point of a peace treaty or peace in general?!? If all we're doing is killing humans instead of eachother?".

I blinked and looked down in shame. I almost forgot that if there's one thing Alec can't stand it's the feud. And myself?. Did it not worry me that the pack across the reserve are killing people left, right and centre?. When did I become so accustomed to it?. When did I choose to over look murder in the sake of protecting my family's own skin?.

Aaron was innocent. Eighteen with his whole life ahead of him. The reason that two people lost their son? Because he was naive enough to beileve that the supernaturally beautiful girl in his math class loved him. He got too close to a girl who wasn't human enough to love him forever and with one glance at the wrong time, becuase she didn't want to be alone, he paid the ultimate price. 

I looked down at my sister, fragile and broken in my brothers arms. Passed out from her own hysterical grief. I shook my head.

No.

What the Hale's did was wrong. They killed a boy. And my sister will forever live with the consequences of her actions.  I won't defend them. Not after this. Because he's right.

We Woods are vicious, cold and yes we do kill. But not children. I turned to Alec with my eyes tearing up. "I need you to tell me right now. What happened to the girl you told about us?".

Alec gulped. As if he was swallowing down the memory of it. "We handed her to the Emissary and...I never saw her again".

I sniffed. "So, she's still alive?".

He coughed. "No. Her body was found in the creek in our territory a week later.".

Oh..."So father?".

He tusked. And utted out the word with the upmost hatred. "Father".

I'm glad he took away the memory of it. At eleven, even after seeing him kill a wolf. I don't think I could look him in the eye also knowing he killed Alec's girlfriend. 

Actually, what am I talking about?!?.

I don't know how I'll be able to face him at all now.

Today, I know will be eventful.

Theres no way it won't be. We have to go to school. Aaron won't be there and unlike the student body...only myself, the Hales and Anna will know he's dead. 

It's why I growled in annoyance at the sound of my alarm. Its why I was shaking as I sat in the car with Anna.

Oh god Anna.

Anna with bags under her eyes. A feat near impossible with our genes. Her clothes aren't the usual designer high fashion that sets her apart. Today she's in Alec's old T-shirt, black sweats and converse.

I frowned. No, from the scent its his shirt.

I stared at my hands, ignoring the tear that fell down her cheek. She sniffed and wipped it but I saw. I choked out "We don't have to go. Not today".

She coughed before a smile adorned her face, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. "We have to go. Otherwise people will think we had something to do with it. Only a matter of time till the b-body is found".

I swallowed. "They'll known from the sight of you that...t-that you knew. You look like..."

I stopped talking. How do I say this without breaking her even more?. 

She sighed. "I have a dress in my trunk and make-up".

She said it all with a smile and it was starting to creep me out. Its empty of any emotion. I stared at my lap still. "No one will think badly of you if you skip. Actually, its probably better for all of us if you do".

She nodded and swang into the nearest parking space with a sob. And I sat and let her cry on my shoulder. I let her soak my shirt in her tears. I let her wail while I patted her back. I even started humming. All the while hiding her from on lookers. Not that there were many.

But I know Anna doesn't have much. But what she does have is a repuation. And I'll be damned if she loses that too!.

The girl I've envied since I can remember has lost everything. Does she even have real friends? Or are they just followers?.

Her voice entered my head:

I just wanted to feel loved.

I shook my head and kissed her forehead. Love, in a pack like ours doesn't exist. Only pain and suffering. Love. Love can only be for our mates. We don't feel it from our family. Our siblings, the three of us haven't been this close since I can ever remember.

If we'd just talked to eachother sooner, shown we'd be willing to die for each other sooner. Would Anna have sought out a love that's destroyed her?. Would Alec have?.

Or maybe a better question...

Are my siblings now enough, after showing our love for eachother is strong enough to die for?. Or will I hold on to this feeling in my chest and follow in their footsteps?.

So, I entered the halls alone.

And as I walked past the basketball team I exhaled. They seemed fine, not all worried about Aaron. But, I suppose they don't know.

Not yet.

I couldn't even imag-

What. Is. That?...

I stopped and found myself inhaling the air. It was everything. I felt dizzy and almost trance like. I opened my eyes and there he was. 

I watched in facination as he turned away from his sister and faced me. Watched as he looked at me with a knowing smirk. Stood still at the end of that hallway as I observed every inch of his face. Every inch of him.

I whimpered and damn if he didn't smirk at that. Raised one cocky eyebrow at me. All the while every action he did, every breath that left him caused my body and soul to have a meltdown. 

And I could feel it. That pain in my heart was gone. And what's left is him. God, its always been him.

I vaguely registered that I was walking towards him. I just knew I needed to touch him. I have to touch him. Need to touch him. Have to t-touch every part of him. I need to feel him.

I reached for his neck on impulse. Only for my heart to shatter, rejection flooding through me as he held my arms to my body tightly. His cheeky face now of the upmost pride. "Breathe".

I did and inhaled his scent. I heard him tusk and if that isn't the most beautiful sou-

"Not like that, Avery". 

I opened my eyes to find his green, concerned eyes staring me down. "I know its a lot at first. But you can't just mark me in a school full of humans. You can't do that without my permission."

I frowned. Doesn't he get it?. "B-but you're mine!".

I heard a snigger from behind him and glared at Laura. That is until Derek taped my chin so I was looking back at him. I sighed. "I-I need you".

He shook his head. "What you need is to calm down. You're not thinking straight, Avery".

To hell I am!. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. "Why haven't you marked me?".

I instantly felt bad for yelling at him. It actually hurt so much I winced.

He blinked and stared at Laura who held her hands up in defence. He then stared at me like its obvious. "Your father would kill me".

I opened and closed my mouth. It was like he just poured a cold bucket of water on me. 

Oh. My. God.

My mate is Derek Hale...

He watched face filter through different emotions. Like I'd said it out loud, I could tell he knew I was off that cloud nine from offically finding my mate. Reality was hitting me in the face. 

I whimpered. "I-You...how?".

He took a step back and rubbed his neck. I was suprised how quick I was to grab his hand back. He smirked at that and shook his head. "I should've told. I wanted to. Only I swore to my mother I wouldn't".

I froze. "Thalia knows?".

He nodded. "Knew before I did".

Oh fuck. The tea. Hell even..."Is that why she killed Aaron?".

Confusion instantly swam over his face. I was so busy watching him that if she hadn't have spoken then I wouldn't have known Laura Hale was still with us. "She didn't kill anyone."

I scoffed and turned to Laura with a galre. "Of course she did!".

She shook her head gravely. "Just when would she have the time to do it, Avery?. We were only allowed to leave our den at midnight and you saw the body. He's been there for days. It was your pack".

I thought of the only members of my pack who knew about it. Anna, Alec and myself. The three of us never left the house for the entire week. We spent every day in that room together. The three of us planning a way out. 

I thought of Anna, she could never.

I thought of Alec, who'd suffered the same fate. The disgust and actual hurt at seeing that kid's body. How really I knew he was seeing her body all over again. The anger he had now that his girlfreind had died in vain.

It wasn't him. Or Anna.

I'm literally their witness and it wasn't me so...

I shook my head at her. "I don't believe you".

I felt Derek's thumb stroke my hand. My eyes connecting with his. Eyes that looked liked he could feel my pain. "Listen to my heatbeat. We didn't kill him".

No. That can't be because...theres literally no one else. 

I stared at my hand in his. It feels so right. And I can't hurt him. But theres a thought, one I can't ignore. I can't hurt him but I can rest my pulse. And that means I can lie to him. It means despite being mates we can lie to eachother. 

It means he can lie to me.