My Love for Derek Hale *Discontinued*

Lies of Omission

I sit, Indian style, on a counter with a tube coming out of my arm. The Dread Doctors want me to let them perform a few more tests before they send me back out to deal with the chimeras. I watch the Geneticist, with a syringe, withdraw fluid from the large, body-holding, tank in their lair.

The dead body of a teenage boy lies on the examination table with a spike stuck through his back. The Geneticist walks over and injects the liquid from the syringe into the Surgeon's arm. The arm, which seems 'frankensteined' from more than one body, is scarred and withered. After the injection, the flesh begins to plump up immediately and is soon restored to full vitality. Theo comes in and nods at me. "How do you feel, Scar?"

I shrug and lean my head against the wall behind me. "I've been hooked up to a machine all morning and it makes me feel like I'm high on drugs. Scott's asthma is back and so is mine. On top of that, I'm still lying to my family and friends. Other than that, I'm just peachy."

He laughs and turns to the Geneticist. "I need more time."

"Perigee-syzygy," it replies.

The perigee-syzygy of the Earth, Moon and Sun system, known colloquially as the 'supermoon'. It's when the moon is full or new at the same time it passes closest to the Earth. The moon appears larger in the sky and there is a very small, but measurable, increase in tidal forces. It'll be a b it tougher for werewolves to control their transformations on this particular night. "We'll know at the perigee-syzygy."

I glance over there and see the Surgeon is looking at four charts on a light box. They each show the moon or the phases of the moon. I can't really tell from where I am. "I need Hayden alive," Theo replies.

"She is a failure. Failures compromise the experiment pool."

I see Theo become upset. "I kept Scott out of your way. You promised me a pack!"

"We promised you nothing."

"I need Hayden alive!"

All three doctor turn on him. "Good going, Theo. You always know what to say to people," I retort.

He slowly backs up. The doctors finally agree to allow Hayden to live until the perigee-syzygy. The Surgeon retrieves the spike walking cane from the body on the table and re-sheaths it with a snap. The handle of the cane is actually a hammer. The Surgeon comes over to me and slowly takes the tube out of my arm. Black veins start to appear in my forearm as if wolfsbane was pumping through my veins. He slowly wraps my arm then hands me my hoodie. I use the sleeves to cover it up. I jump down from the counter and follow Theo outside. "You know, I usually go my own way," I say as I hop in his truck. "But now I have no choice because my life can easily end with the click of a button."

He chuckles and begins driving to school. "Well, what did you expect from the same people that made you into who you are?"

"A choice, Theo." I look at my phone and I have only one text message from Scott and three from Liam. I don't bother to read what Liam sent. But Scott said:

When this supermoon comes up, we need to stick together and also keep an eye on Liam.

I lean my head back on the seat. "What am I supposed to do, Theo? Scott trusts me and I'm breaking that trust by helping the same people who are killing innocent teens."

He doesn't answer me. As he pulls up in the school lot, I see Liam go between the buses with Hayden. I punch Theo in his arm. "Ow! Wha-"

"Stop the truck!"

He slams on his brakes. I jump down and go to where I saw them go. I hide behind one of the buses and peek around the corner. I catch them kissing. I'm shocked, at the same time, I'm not. I fight back my tears. I kind of deserve it for doing the same to him with Theo. I'm about to walk out when I hear Hayden say, "Please don't tell anyone."