(1) Wolf in Me (D. Dixon)

Chapter One

At some point Carl and Sophia disappear off to find something else to do, leaving Diana alone, again. Everyone else has stuff to do and she gets nothing because Shane gives her preferential treatment. He won't even let her help all that much. She wishes he would so that she would have something to do. She's so sick of sitting around doing nothing. But he's always up her ass as soon as she even thinks about helping out. He's so up her ass about everything and she is sick of it. He's way too controlling of her for someone she still barely knows.

"You still upset I said no to you going into the city?" Shane asks, Diana lets out a breath and brushes her tongue along her teeth to compose herself before she answers him. Her fingers toy with the necklace hanging around her neck as an extra measure.

"You still going to try and boss me around?" She asks and then looks up at him. Shane clenches his jaw and lets out a breath through his nose. The answer she can see is written all over his face.

"You're my daughter" He defends his choices. "And I know that I wasn't around for you and Derek when you were kids.....but that's not my fault" He adds and crouches next to her. "I had no idea you were out there until you turned up at my door, all grown up...." He adds. "I'm trying to look out for you now..."

"I don't need you to protect me" She points out and pushes herself to her feet, he follows and folds his arms over his chest. "We have been alone since we were sixteen years old, we know how to take care of ourselves"

"From walkers?" He counters. She fights the snort that is about to erupt from her nose. Walkers are nothing compared to some of the things that she has faced. Walkers are chump change. Slow bitey little assholes. But she sees his point. He doesn't know about any of the stuff that went on in Beacon Hills. He doesn't know that she's a werewolf. He thinks he is doing his best by looking out for her. And maybe he is. But it's not needed. She wishes she could tell him, but she knows what happens when humans find out about them, when they become embroiled in this world. Stiles, Noah, Melissa. They knew nothing about werewolves until Scott. And they lived a life that was constantly being threatened. There is something in ignorance that protects humans. She's already lost her mother and her sister. Cora is so far away. Derek is now back in California hopefully with Malia and Peter. So right now, Shane is all Diana has. And she'll keep this truth from him to protect him. She doesn't know what the state of the werewolves are right now. Other than Daryl and Merle, she doesn't know how many more are out there and still running around. She doesn't know how this affects her kind. They barely know how it affects humans. Only if they get bit or scratched then they die and come back and try to kill anything living around them. There is still a risk to her safety and the safety of her people because this is something that has never been seen before. Kanimas. Banshees. Dread doctors. Chimera. Oni. She's seen some shit, but the dead coming back this way, like zombies, that's new and so widespread that it has come as a bit of a surprise. "Until you show me otherwise" Shane continues. "I will do whatever I have to in order to keep you safe" She sighs a little but she gets it. It's not that she doesn't understand, she just hates it.

......

Whilst technically Diana is part of the group, she chooses to camp away from them and just commute to the main camp during the day. It just works best for her. Giving her a space where she doesn't really have to hide who she is. It was one of the only things Shane caved on, as long as she was in shouting distance to the main camp and she checked in with them often. She would prefer to be slightly further away, just in case, but she knew that if she pushed Shane on it, he would push back, harder. She takes what she can get. Diana reaches into her tent and pulls out her backpack before she sits on the ground. Taking a moment to herself. She'll have to go and help out soon enough but for now, she is alone and she will take this moment to take a deep breath of the environment. It's hard to live with a group of people who haven't showered or bathed properly in almost two months with an enhanced sense of smell. She thought that she would get used to it but every day it gets worse as layers of dirt, grime, and sweat build up. She closes her eyes and inhales deeply. The smell of the world has changed too since this all started. There is a stench of death to every inhale as it clings to the very particles in the air. A sour note that taints the beautiful earthy nature. She reaches up and rubs at her nose. It is something she is going to have to get used to. She doesn't see that smell going away any time soon. She doesn't think any of this is going to go away any time soon. This might just be the world they live in now, and they have to learn how to survive and forge a life in it.

......

As she heads back to the main camp, Diana takes a hair-tie from her pocket to pull her hair away from her face as the wind starts to pick up. Which does not help the stench that is being picked up by it. She's just got her nose clear and now it is all ruined. She has to figure out a way to live with it. Because the world is not going to change overnight and this smell is just going to get worse the longer they have to live in these conditions. She snaps the hair-tie around her ponytail as Shane approaches her. She sighs, knowing he is going to ask her to do something. She can see it on his face. She drops her hands from her hair as he reaches her.

"We need some more berries or mushrooms or something," He tells her and then holds out a bucket towards her and she tilts her head as she stares at it. Blinking she turns her gaze back up to him.

"So go and get some" She argues causing Shane to give her a look.

"I'm going to do a perimeter check" He counters and pushes the bucket into her hands. She snorts and rolls her eyes. She knows exactly what he means by perimeter check. He is not checking the safety of the camp. He's going off to screw his dead best friend's wife under the lie that he is looking out for them. She's banking that truth away so she can use it. She almost did today to get on that supply run but she thought better of it. She wants to save this for something truly juicy. Patience. She hums a little and then walks away from him. She can tolerate picking a few berries or mushrooms.