How hard could it be? • LM / SS

Chapter 120

                      "You're still a traitor."

A/N:
as i've mentioned before, burnout is kicking my ass rn. im not really happy with this chapter but im still trying to update regularly so that some content is being published! so basically just bare with me bc im aware that this chapter isn't the best and i'll edit it when i have the time <33

Derek Hale paced up and down the room, hands on his hips as he tried to piece everything together— which, to be honest, wasn't exactly much so far. "If your pack was infected, then who was doing all the shooting at the entrance to the woods?" he questioned, momentarily stopping to regather his thoughts.

"Apparently another assassin. Personally, I'd rather face a gun than a variant of smallpox," Satomi pointed out. Although she was trying to remain strong, it was growing more difficult by the second. Nearly every single member of her pack had been slaughtered, and it wasn't a matter she took lightly. Her children, her family all had been murdered.

"It sounds like you're going to get plenty of chances," Melissa removed her hand from her mouth, pushing down the nauseating feeling. You would think that she was used to seeing dead bodies by now, given her career path, but it still managed to make her weak at the knees every time.

"Like— a lot of chances," Nathan added unhelpfully. Even though Blair had thought the comment to be rude, he could tell that she was biting back a smile. She was usually never this up-tight, being a bit more carefree when it came to rules, but first impressions apparently mattered to her. He mimicked zipping his mouth shut, throwing her the key.

Derek shot the woman a small smile, hoping to reassure her that Satomi wasn't going to take offence to the comment. The boy looked to be only fourteen or fifteen— he was still young! Although he couldn't say that he trusted the pair yet, he could tell that they weren't immediate threats. Blair seemed to be on edge, and he was sure that his angry outburst earlier hadn't made her any more at ease.

Satomi looked away quickly when he caught her in the middle of the examination of his face. "Sorry. I just noticed how much you remind me of Talia," she apologised. In all honesty, she had been trying to distract herself from glancing at her beta on the table. He was covered with a white sheet, but that didn't help the situation. "I used to visit her a lot, you know. Do you remember me?"

Derek furrowed his brows, faintly recalling what the alpha was speaking about. He hadn't been surprised at the comparison; he was the spitting image of his mother, from her eyes to her personality and he was constantly being reminded of it at any available chance that someone got. "I remember the tea. You always brought the tea that smelt terrible," he snickered, nose twitching at the memory. God, even thinking about it brought back the rancid smell.

"I brought that tea as a gift. Your mother loved it," Satomi nodded, remembering her friends habits. Talia had practically lived off the beverage, downing her body weight in the drink every Sunday evening. It was almost a ritual; she settled Derek, Laura and Cora down for bed, finished all of the chores that needed to be done and finally allowed herself to settle down with a steaming mug of tea.

"Reishi. It was wild purple reishi, wasn't it?" Blair moved away from the wall she had been leaning against, hands firmly pressed against a clear table. Everyone apart from Nathan and Deaton stared at her as if she had suddenly grown two heads or said the most obscene curse word known to man. In case they hadn't realised by now, being a druid meant you knew almost everything about everything. "It's a powerful remedy for sickness. You didn't get infected because you're immune, because you've drank the tea before."

"Druid?" Derek raised a questioning brow at the brunette, curiosity spiking. It was rare to see a druid this young, yet times were changing, more people in their twenty's inheriting the job and the knowledge that came along with it.