Courageous

11

Allison drove away from the dungeon as prior events played out in her mind. Carter had gone his own way, quietly cursing at his mother.

She remembered Kate turning n the electricity to the torture device she'd connected to Derek, and she recalled the werewolf's screams.

"What are you doing to him?" Allison asked. "Is that gonna kill him?"

"Oh, come on, kiddo. Don't get all ethical on me now," Kate replied. "Carter, remember, they're monsters, not friends."

"What is he?"

Kate laughed. "Shapeshifter. Lycan. Werewolf. To me he's just another dumb animal." She pried open Derek's mouth. "Come here. See these right here? These are canines, also known as fangs. Made for the tearing and rending of flesh. Not something you'd find on this cute little leaf-eating herbivores, is it?"

"This is a joke to you?"

"Sweetheart, there are werewolves running around in the world. Everything's a joke to me. How else do you think I stay sane?"

"So - it was him at the high school and all the other animal attacks?"

"There's actually three of them - Another younger one like him called a Beta, and then there's the Alpha. Alpha's the pack leader - Bigger, stronger, nastier. Those - are the real ugly motherf-"

Carter glared at his mother. "Stop it!"

"Don't tell me you're actually sympathizing with them."

"So what if I am?"

"Then I'm ashamed to call you my son."

Carter stood straight and nodded sharply. "Goodbye, mother." He stalked away.

"Oh, God, not now," Allison muttered, seeing flashing lights behind her.

Kate led Allison rom the dungeon and Allison asked, "When were they gonna tell me?"

"They still haven't decided if they're gonna tell you," Kate replied.

"Why?"

"Let's just say if you react badly when you find out - Not good."

"What do you mean, "not good"?"

"They don't think that you can handle it. They look at you and see this frightened little girl who's gonna run crying in the corner when she finds out the truth. Me - what I see - Natural talent. Much more than your cousin. He's too sympathetic for this. Allison, you said you wanted to feel more powerful, right? Now's your chance."

"What am I supposed to do now?"

"Go to school, do your homework. Go to the Formal on Friday night. Be a normal teenage girl who doesn't know anything. Trust me to get everything ready for the next part."

"What's the next part?"

"You're gonna help me catch the second Beta."

An officer approached Allison's car. It was Sheriff Stilinski.

He saw her crying and asked, "Allison? You all right?"

"Yeah," Allison replied through her tears. "Sorry I was going so fast, I-I didn't realize I-I-"

"Oh, no. Uh - Okay, all right, uh - Listen, you weren't going that fast. Just, uh - 75 in a 25 in a - construction zone."

"Oh, God - uh, I'm not crying to get out of the ticket. I just, um - I don't want you to think I'm like this-"