Forbidden Hidden Love (Teen Wolf)(Book 1)

Chapter 17

"You know what we need to fix?" Fionnuala asked, as they walked her home.

"What?" Derek replied.

"We need to get you a new cell phone. Because if what you told Stiles is true, then the hunters may have your phone."

"I leave my phone on vibrate for texts and calls. It's a possibility that they didn't see that I accidentally left my phone behind. I did lock the car, but it doesn't change the fact that if they did see my phone they would've done everything they could to get to it. You have to believe me when I tell you that I desperately wanted to text you last night, Isolde."

"Don't worry. I do."

"When Stiles made an appearance last night at my place with Scott, he was pissed."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Said you were upset that I wasn't answering your texts. And he was mad about me not giving you a kiss goodbye or an 'I love you'. Honestly, you'd think he'd be happy about that."

"It was less about you not answering my texts and more about the fact that I felt completely and utterly helpless while I listened to you getting tortured verbally and physically."

"Thank you for listening to me though," Derek said. "Your safety was my #1 concern yesterday. It's my concern every day."

"That's very sweet." They arrived at the end of her driveway and turned towards each other. "My dad's not home."

"Mm. Good."

"But Stiles is."

"Well, it's a good thing he knows about us. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to do this." He leaned down and gave her a kiss. She smiled and kissed him back. "I need to go," Derek said, when they pulled apart to breathe. "I need to go pick up my car and make a stop before meeting Scott. I don't want to leave you, especially after how things went yesterday."

"That's okay. Check your car when you pick it up. If your phone's in it, shoot me a text."

"I will." He gave her one more kiss, before pulling away. "Go do your homework. Don't let those grades fall."

"I won't." Fionnuala turned and started walking up the driveway. When she arrived at her front door, she turned around and smiled when she saw him standing there still watching. She smiled and waved, blowing him a kiss before stepping inside.

Again, Derek knew the risk that he was taking, waiting for her to make it inside. But her safety was worth it.

As soon as she had gone inside and closed the door, he turned and started walking back to his house in the woods to pick up his car.

When he arrived, he stood a fair distance from the house and turned up his hearing to see if he could detect any heartbeats. There weren't any, so he proceeded to go get his car.

Upon getting in, he searched and found his phone in the center console. With a relieved smile, he pulled up his messages and sent one to Fionnuala.

Derek: Hey, I found it.

Isolde: Great. Now tell me what we did this afternoon. Just to be sure.

Derek: We had a picnic at my place with a wide assortment of foods and a bottle of sparkling cider.

Isolde: Anything else?

Derek: We kissed. A whole lot.

Isolde: What did I call you?

Derek: You called me cute. :(

Isolde: After that.

Derek: That I'm an intimidatingly hot werewolf boyfriend.

Isolde: You got it.

Derek: I'll text you later, okay? I have to run a quick errand.

Isolde: Alright. Love you.

Derek: Love you too.

With a smile, Derek set his phone down and turned on his car, beginning the trip to a nursing home. Upon arriving, he walked inside, his smile long gone.

He walked into the room where his uncle was sitting in a wheelchair and sat in front of him.

"I need your help," he began. "If you can hear me, I need you to give me a sign. Blink. Raise a finger. Anything. Just-just anything to point me in the right direction, okay?" He paused, looking at his uncle who continued to sit and stare into the distance. Derek looked down and continued talking. "Someone killed Laura. Your niece. Laura?" He paused again, waiting for any reaction from the man in front of him. When there was none, he kept going. "Whoever he is, he's an Alpha now. But he's one without a pack. Which means he's not as strong. I can take him. But I have to find him first. Look, if you know something, just give me a sign. Is it one of us? Someone else make it out of the fire?" He waited, again looking for a reaction but none came. "Just give me anything. Blink, raise a finger, just anything." He began to get frustrated. "Say something!"

"Let him go," a nurse said, coming into the room. "You think after three years of this, yelling at him is going to get a response?"

"You got a better method?" Derek asked, frustration clear on his face.

"Patience," she replied. "He'll respond if you give him the time."

Derek glanced down at his uncle and then back at the nurse. "I don't have anymore time." Then he walked out of the room and left the building, more frustrated than when he had arrived. He was about to get into his car when he saw a piece of folded paper stuck under one of the wipes on his windshield. He grabbed it and unfolded it, confused. When he saw what was on it, he looked around before getting in his car and driving away. There was one place that would provide the answer he was looking for to the question he had about that piece of paper.

The vet.