In The Shadows (Teen Wolf) (Shadow Series #1)

Chapter 12

My leg nervously bounces underneath the dining room table, my eyes trained on the clock in the other room. An hour has passed since I saw Derek and my nerves are fried. Scott was too busy making out with my sister to help me search for the bullet earlier. This mystery bullet Derek needs is no where to be found and I can't help but feel like this is all my fault. If I can't find the bullet, what will happen to Derek? His arm didn't look so good before.

"Clara!" Mom barks from her end of the table. "Stop bouncing your leg. You're shaking the whole table."

I stop on her command, crossing my ankles together instead. "Sorry." I mutter, slowly looking at Scott sitting across from me.

Scott has been looking like a deer in the headlights ever since Dad caught him and Allison making out in the garage. After that, Aunt Kate had this idea for Scott to stay for dinner. The whole table has been silent, but I can see some questions brewing on Aunt Kate's face.

Another thought races to my mind about whether Aunt Kate shot Derek on purpose or not. No, this is Aunt Kate, she would never do that. Right?

"Would you like something else to drink besides water, Scott?" Mom breaks the awkward tension once again.

Scott stares down the table, his usual confused look on his face. "Oh- No, I'm good. Thanks." He sets the glass filled with water back down.

"We can get you some beer?" Dad asks and I can feel this conversation going downhill fast.

"N-No, thanks." Scott stutters, silently pleading with Allison for help.

"Shot of tequila?" Dad tries again.

Allison glares at him, annoyed. "Dad, really?"

Dad purposely ignores her, eyes only focused on Scott, who looks terrified. "You don't drink, Scott?"

This right here just shows why I will never bring a guy home. I don't need my dad interrogating them. Although, from the way Derek is built, he could easily take my dad, unless my dad has a gun. Oh, god. Derek still needs our help and I'm thinking of him as my boyfriend. This is not important.

"I'm not old enough to." Scott replies with a very good answer.

Mom holds her glass up from the table. "That doesn't seem to stop most teenagers."

Scott turns his attention to her end of the table. "No, but it should." Another good answer.

Aunt Kate smirks. "Good answer. Total lie, but well played, Scott. You may just survive the night." She winks at him from across the table.

Right when I think that we could have a normal conversation, Dad ruins any hope I may have had, "You ever smoke pot?"

"Oh, god." I mutter to myself, my face falling into my hand. Why can't I have a normal family?

"Okay," Aunt Kate drags out the 'o'. "Changing the channel to something a little less conservative. So, Scott, uh- Allison tells us that you're on the lacrosse team. I'm sorry. I don't know how anything about that. How do you play?"

I push the food around on my plate, too worried about Derek to care about the rules of lacrosse. I could always lie and say I wasn't feeling well. If Scott is going to help, then I need to.

Scott shifts in his seat. "Um, well, you know hockey? It's a lot like that, only, um, played on grass instead of ice."

My face scrunches up at his description. Scott does know that he just described field hockey and not lacrosse, right?

Dad fights back his smile when he sees my contorted face. "Hockey on grass- is called field hockey." At least I'm not the only one that caught that.