Beacon Hills She-Wolf

Bonus Chapter 1: Cold.

A couple of days layer, she was with Derek, Peter, and Isaac at the Hale House and Peter looked at the door.
-You haven't told them everything yet, have you? -He asked Derek.
-What do you mean? -Isaac questioned.
-Why do you think Derek was in such a hurry to build his pack? So eager to strengthen his power and his number?
-I thought the power hunger was a family thing. -Carolinne amswered and both Hales stared at her.
-When there's a new Alpha, people take notice. -Peter explained.
-People like who? -Isaac asked. -What is this, what does this mean? -He pointed at the door.
-It's their symbol. -Derek said. -And it means they're coming.
-Who?
-Alphas.
-More than one?
-A whole pack.
-An Alpha pack. And they're not coming. They're already here. -Peter corrected.
-Why? -Carol asked.
-Because they want more members.
-But why don't you wanna join them?
-They kill their Betas to steal power.
-Oh. You see, I told you that the whole "Alphas and Betas have a deep bond" thing was just poetry.
-We can't have them here.
-Too late for that. -Peter said.
Isaac got a call from Scott and took off right after that. Peter then looked at Carolinne and Derek and said:
-I have better things to do than staying here as a third wheel, so see you later.

Derek gave him the "I'm gonna rip your throat out with my teeth" look, but he just blinked at them and left before they could protest.
-So... -She started.
-So.
-Did you tell him about us?
-Why would you think that?
-He just made a comment about being a thrid wheel.
-Oh, right. He figured it out, actually.
-And does he know that we called things off?
-It's Peter. He doesn't care.

After a few long seconds of akward silence, he turned to her:
-Thank you.
-For what?
-For trying to help me.
-With Scott and Gerard? You saved me from Victoria, so I guess we're even.
-Not just that. That day with Matt at the station, after that with Erica and Boyd, then when you though Scott and Gerard were coming to attack us. Thank you.
-You're welcome. -She smiled.
-Why did you do it, though?
-I asked you the same thing when you saved us. And what did you say?
-That even if you hated me, I didn't wanna see you die.
-Exactly. Then I told you that I didn't hate you, and that we were friends. So there's your answer: I helped you because I'm your friend.

More silence. This time, she was the one to speak:
-I never hated you.
-Not even in those first few days? -He chuckled.
-...Ok, yeah, I hated you then. But I know it was mutual. -She laughed.
-Definitely.
-I think we stopped hating each other that day we met at the gas station.
-Speakimg of that, that was cool. You know, the dagger thing.
-Uh, thanks! I've been practicing with my grandfather since I was 7. He gave me my first dagger on my 10th birthday.
-I'm guessing the other children at school never messed with you.
-Nah, but I never had trouble with the other kids.
-Oh, right, I forgot I was talking to the almighty siren of Beacon Hills.
-I'm not an "almighty siren"! -She laughed.
-Yes, you are. -He rolled his eyes and said: -People naturally like you.
-I'm very likeble. -She teased.
-That, you really are. -He agreed, and suddenly he wasn't kidding anymore.
-I was joking. -She she said as he got closer to her.
-I wasn't.
-Derek... -Her voice was barely above a whisper.
-What? -He placed his hand on hers and her heart skipped a beat.
-I'm pretty sure we've been here before.
-I remember. -Their voices were barely above a whisper. -There was a disscussion about friendship, a "Little Women" quote, and... This. -He leaned and kissed her, and she melted into it. Each time they kissed it was different; this time it was sweet and gentle. But one thing that always puzzled her mind was: How was it possible for something to feel so right and so wrong at the same time?

When they pulled back, she whispered:
-What are we doing?
-What do you mean?
-This... Is never gonna work.
-What? Why not?
-Because... -She sighed. -You were planning to kill Jackson that night, weren't you? That's why Peter was hiding.

He stayed silent.
-It's what I thought.
-But I didn't. I cancelled that plan.
-For me, and I'm gratefull for that. But your instincts were telling you to do it, while mine were telling me to protect my brother at all costs.
-Where are you trying to get?
-We're completely different people, and not the kind of difference that completes each other. We have different priorities, different principals, and we seek different lifestyles. Ironically, the only thing we have in common is that neither of us are ready for this.
-Care...-
-You know I'm right.

And he did. Everything she was saying was true, even if it hurt both of them to accept it.
-Everything you said in the bus was true, Derek. -She continued. -We're not gonna give up on who we are and what we believe for each other, and we shouldn't have to. The healthy decision to make here is understant that we are not compatible.

That's when he snapped:
-Why are you analyzing this so deeply?! Why can't you just let things happen?
-Because we're both gonna get hurt if they do!
-You don't know that!
-I do, and you would too if you thought logicaly about this.
-People are not math, Carolinne! You can't just solve everything with logics.
-People are science, and yes, I can.
-No, you can't. You may think you can, but that's not how it works. You know, Peter and you keep saying that I lack a heart, and that I never show emotion, but you, Carol, are one of the coldest people I've ever met. You talk about human relationships like they're simple and practical, you establish unbreakable limits to your own feelings and you refuse to accept that not everything is going to fit in your precious conditions.

She knew that whatever she said, she would regret. Being phisically weak, Carolinne had learned from an early age to find power in other forms of strengh, and as she grew up, she mastered the art of manipulating words and playing with them like a magician plays with cards. That made her dangerous in a few situations, like this one, because she could be painfully mean if she wanted to. She was aware of the destruction she could cause, so she stayed there, breathing slowly, counting to ten, and biting her tongue against the virulent words that wanted to come out of her mouth.
-Why are you not saying anything? -He asked.
-Because I really, really like you, and I don't wanna lose you to my poisonous mouth.
-The fact that you actually have a nasty comeback in mind for this just provesy point.
-It's my defense mechanism, Derek.
-Defense against what?! Against the truth?
-Agaisnt being hurt.
-I'm not gonna hurt you.
-We're gonna hurt each other. I'm sorry Derek, but you'll see I'm right.

She gave him one last goodbye kiss and took off before this could go to far, leaving behind not only the guy she was in love with, but also a piece of her heart. Because her brain was telling her to.