Wicked Game

Chapter 26

"Holy shit, Kasey," Isaac exclaims once I introduced them to my nameless stalker. I scratch the back of my head and wince, preparing myself for the backlash.

All four of the boys turn to look back at me, and I feel the heat rising to my cheeks. Stiles scoffs, "Huh, she's a beast!"

I meet Derek's eyes, his eyebrows were raised again. I shrug, holding back a grin. It was twisted, but at least now Derek knew he had underestimated me. I was well aware that I was learning my ways. And making mistakes, too.

The werewolf hunter had dragged me to an abandoned factory deep into the woods. Someplace far, far from the roads and range of hearing by miles. We retraced from a distinct trail I had carelessly left. I was entirely drained from the fight I had given myself, and that hunter.

"Kasey, I can do that," Isaac reaches for my shovel as I begin helping Stiles on a hole. I hold it out of his way.

"I'm fine," I tell him, and stab the shovel point into the ground. Stiles glances at me, flinging a load of dirt to the side.

Isaac lets his hand down, and nods, backing off. Instead, he disappears into the building, probably to assist Scott and Derek with the body. I bring my eyes back down to the ground, focusing my energy on the earth beneath me.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asks me after a moment of nothing but the sound of our shovels piercing the ground.

I scoff, realizing that it was the first time anyone's asked me that question since my incident. I lick my lips, but keep my eyes down. I say bluntly, honestly, "I feel like a killer."

"Come on, Kasey. You couldn't help it. Right?" Stiles configures a response to negate the undeniable truth.

"Part of me was there, I knew what I was doing. The rest... that took over..." I pause to fling a scoop of dirt into my pile, "It felt like instincts- instincts that I have never felt before. It was very intense."

I shivered at the thought, remembering how deep into my montrous self I delved into on that particular full moon. But Stiles didn't judge me. I caught a glimpse of his expression, and I could tell that he was trying to understand.

"So, are you okay?" He asks again, searching for a certain answer.

I pause, using my shovel to lean on. Deaton had cleaned my battle scars up enough to where they could heal the rest of the way by themselves. It had taken a while because of how much of the wolfsbane had actually gotten into my system. Here I was now, though. Dirty but no more scratches.

I decide, "I'm okay."

Lie.

I was afraid of myself more than ever. The hunter may have asked for it, but I committed it. I didn't even know what her name was.

The boys hauled the body our way, and I resumed shoveling. Stiles and I hadn't gotten quite that far yet. In fact, as soon as Stiles spotted the body, he spun around to bend over and hurl.

The dried blood almost blended in with her crimson locks. I bit the inside of my cheek, tearing my eyes away and hiding them from everyone else. I keep digging, facing away from everybody and pretending to observe the flood of trees from a distance. I hear the body thud as the boys dropped it to the ground.

Scott and Isaac maneuver into my line of sight, more than likely intentionally.

"Take a break, we got it," Scott insists, and Isaac holds his hand out for my shovel. I reluctantly hand it over, and turn on my heels, making my way to where Stiles stood up from ralphing.

"You good?" I ask him, observing his ghost-white face.

"Yeah," he lies, trying to suck it up. "I think I got food poisoning."

I roll my eyes, my back towards the others. I look back at them anyway, back at her. Her cold, absent eyes were still open.

Once the hole was deep enough to where I could even have a hard time getting out of, Derek rolled the body into it with his foot. The plop made me wince, as the sound of a couple bones cracking caught my ears. I slowly shift so that I face the opposite way as they begin moving the dirt back. I shove my hands in my pockets, wishing this day was over.

It was a long and quiet walk back to the vehicles, until Isaac was able to distract us all for a moment, at my expense of course.

"Kasey, no offense, but you smell really bad," he breaks the silence between us.

Scott chuckles and Stiles cracks a grin. I avoided looking at Derek, and instead replied, "I know. Can we get this police station thing over with so I can shower? I've been in costume all day."

"Yeah, we'll go get it over with," Scott brought a hand to my shoulder, giving me a Welcome back smile.

"I don't know why I had to stay this dirty..." I mutter, but it doesn't get past most ears.

"You want the story to be believable, don't you?  Everybody's looking for you," Derek points out the obvious, unlocking his car. Too bad I had to ride with him. After the last few days, my nerves were on edge, and Derek seemed to be the only person I let get to me. We share the same level of stubbornness, and sometimes it feels as if that's the only thing that was in the way.

"If it were up to me, I wouldn't go back, but you know, what alpha says goes," I let myself push my luck, and didn't hold back. I could make up for it later, but the frustration was overwhelming me. I did my best to keep it together.

Isaac and Stiles glanced at each other nervously, and then at Scott. I hear Isaac mutter, "Should we really let them drive together?"

"Yeah, they might be at each other's throats," Stiles added quietly, but I watched Derek from over the top of his car. His turn.

I could tell that he was trying to keep it together as well, by the way he clenched his jaw and icy eyes drilled into me.

I yank my door open, and get into the passenger side. He does the same, with about the same amount of attitude I did, and started the car up. I glanced in the mirror, seeing the boys staring cautiously at us. I let my gaze drift to my window and keep it there.

"No one's stopping you from leaving," Derek scoffs, "just make sure you leave a note next time."

"You get mad at me for lying about where I was, but now you want me to go and lie to everybody else," I whip around to speak to him as he drives. I could feel myself getting heated again, and my mouth took off, "Why don't I just tell them I tore a woman's throat out? Get me off your back. I don't need lectures Derek, I need a level of understanding from just one person."

Derek had glanced at me, and double taked, staring the second time. Instead of getting frustrated back, the corner of his mouth turned up, and he laughed a little bit. I stared at him with my eyebrows raised and no less agitated.

He glances at me again, and raises an eyebrow. "Look in the mirror."

I had felt my eyes changing the more worked up I got, but I didn't put much thought to it.

My eyes glowed a brilliant blue.