METAMORPHOSIS • DEREK HALE [COMPLETED]

Chapter Four

"The table's Italian," Peter flicked his eyes at the feet Braedon just rested up on the coffee table.

"So are these boots," she replied; the black boots remained. Both Derek and Alex quietly smiled at Peter's annoyed tone and her unwavering stance. "Are we going to talk about interior design and fashion, or are we going to talk numbers?"

Peter sighed as he scribbled a payment offer before putting down the pen and sliding it over. As he wrote out the numbers, Derek studied his changed eyes in the reflection of a pair of sunglasses. Alex, concerned, glanced at his him from her standing position from behind the couch. She remembered that after after Paige died, his eyes turned blue, but when she saw him shift the other night, his eyes were yellow. She also noticed how uneasy he has been in the past few days.

Braedon surveyed the digits and, dissatisfied, she crossed it out to rewrite a more favorable number before sliding it back over.

"We're hiring you to find Kate, not assassinate the president," Peter stated. Alex peered over his shoulder and gaped at the high amount.

"I was hired by the Calaveras to find Kate, and you, not to mention," she looked up at Alex. "You're hiring me to find them first. Going against the Calaveras is what's going to cost you."

"You're not going to tell them where I'm at, are you," Alex stepped forward, next to Derek.

"As far as I know, they believe you've left, covered your tracks, and disappeared. They're not very thrilled about that either, Alexandria, but," she paused, "I could tell them that I found you dead, got caught by an omega on a full moon."

Alex nodded, agreeing with any offer that would end the Calaveras' search for her. She wanted to be absent from them for good, and she had no ambition to look back.

"They'll kill you for this," she warned.

"I know. That's why it'll cost you extra."

Peter blatantly rolled his eyes as he hesitantly rewrote another number.

Braedon pushed it back, still displeased. Peter audibly groaned and stormed away from the couch. Derek ripped up the paper, "We'll pay. Just find Kate. That's all we want."

They came to an agreement on a slightly more acceptable settlement, and after she left, Peter slammed the door shut. "Are you insane," he bellowed.

"We didn't have another choice," Derek answered. "We've spent a week looking for her and came up with nothing."

"If we have her here, she's bound to come back," he looked at Alex. "She's probably using you to spy on us or something."

"I'm pretty sure I'd know if someone was using me, and besides, the last time I saw Kate was the night she bit me," she said defensively.

"I'm not sure. She knows how to trick a person into getting what she wants," he maliciously smirked at Derek.

"Enough," Derek glared back.

"If we don't find out who told Kate about the vault, we don't get those bonds back. What do you think I'm gonna do then, huh? Get a job? My resume is slightly out of date. We got robbed, Derek. Robbed," he repeated for emphasis and laid a hand on Derek's turned shoulder.

He turned around to let out a madden growl, bearing his fangs and yellow eyes.

"Oh, that's a new look for you," Peter stared.

"What happened to your eyes," Alex asked.

"I don't know, but I'm willing to pay to find out."

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