Little Wolf - Derek Hale

Back Story

*5 YEARS AGO*

Vivian Argent's hands trembled as she hastily stuffed her belongings into a duffel bag, her heart pounding in her chest like a drumbeat of impending doom. She had just received the ultimatum from her family - an hour to pack her things and disappear before they came hunting for her. The weight of their betrayal hung heavy in the air, suffocating her with its crushing reality.

With only minutes to spare, Viv dashed through the corridors of her family's home, her footsteps echoing off the walls in a frantic rhythm. She didn't dare glance back, knowing that every passing second brought her closer to the inevitable confrontation she dreaded.

Finally, she reached her destination - Allison's room.

She burst through the door, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she surveyed the familiar space, illuminated by the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains. Allison sat on her bed, her eyes wide with confusion and concern as she took in Viv's disheveled appearance.

"V, what's going on?" Allison asked, her voice tinged with worry.

Viv forced a tight-lipped smile, her throat constricting with emotion as she crossed the room to kneel beside her sister. "Allison, I... I need you to listen to me," she began, her voice trembling with unspoken anguish.

Allison reached out to touch her sister's trembling hand, her brow furrowing in concern. "What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, her voice soft with compassion.

Viv swallowed hard, her gaze locked with Allison's as she struggled to find the words to explain the unfathomable truth. "I... I can't stay," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Allison's eyes widened in disbelief. "What do you mean? Where are you going?" she demanded, her voice tinged with panic.

Viv shook her head, her heart breaking at the pain in her sister's eyes. "I can't tell you," she confessed, her voice choked with emotion. "But please, Allison, you have to trust me. I need you to stay safe."

Allison's lip quivered as she reached out to embrace her sister, her arms wrapping around Viv in a desperate bid to hold onto her fading presence. "Please, V, don't go," she pleaded, her voice thick with tears. "We can figure this out together. Just stay."

But Viv knew that she couldn't stay, not when her very presence endangered everything Allison held dear. With a heavy heart, she pulled away from her sister's embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks as she met Allison's gaze one last time.

"I'm sorry, Allison," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the pounding of her own heart. "But I have to go."

With a final, agonizing glance, Viv turned and fled from the room, her footsteps echoing down the empty hallway as she raced toward the looming specter of the unknown.

Outside, the night air was cool against Viv's skin as she climbed into her car and sped away from her childhood home, leaving behind everything she had ever known. Tears blurred her vision as she drove, her mind consumed by a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

Eventually, she reached the edge of the woods, her hands trembling as she parked the car and stepped out onto the forest floor. With a deep breath, she steeled herself for the journey ahead, knowing that she had no choice but to face the darkness head-on.

As she ventured deeper into the woods on foot, Viv felt the weight of her family's betrayal pressing down upon her like a suffocating blanket. But amidst the despair, a glimmer of hope flickered within her - the hope of a new beginning, free from the shadows of her past.

But her respite was short-lived.

As she trudged through the underbrush, a sense of foreboding settled over her like a shroud. She knew that she was being hunted, that her family would stop at nothing to track her down and bring her back into the fold.

And sure enough, as she emerged into a small clearing bathed in moonlight, she heard the telltale rustle of leaves behind her. With a sinking heart, she turned to face her pursuers - her aunt, her father, and her grandfather, their eyes glinting with determination as they closed in on her like wolves on the hunt.

Panic surged through Viv's veins as she broke into a sprint, her feet pounding against the forest floor as she raced through the trees, her pursuers hot on her heels. Branches tore at her clothes, and thorns clawed at her skin, but she pushed onward, driven by the primal instinct to survive.

With every step, the gap between them narrowed, until Viv could feel their breath hot on her neck, their shadows looming large in the darkness. But just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a burst of adrenaline surged through her veins, propelling her forward with newfound strength.

And then, with one final, desperate leap, Viv vanished into the night, leaving her family behind in the darkness as she disappeared into the unknown.

Alone, broken, and pregnant she pressed onward, her heart filled with a fierce determination to carve out a new path for herself, one defined not by the shackles of her past, but by the boundless potential of her future.

For in the heart of the wilderness, there lay the promise of freedom, and Viv was determined to seize it with both hands. All she carried with her was a phone, a charger, and some clothes.

So the first thing she did was call Siera.

"Hello? V?" Siera said wondering why she only heard heavy breathing on the other side of the phone.

"They know." Vivian said above a whisper.

"Who?"

"My family."