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

Chapter 27

   Aunt Kate knocks on my door while walking in my room with the door shut behind her. Figures. The one time I actually do try to study, everyone decides to come in my room. My mom came in earlier to get my dirty laundry then my dad came in to see if I found out anything about Stiles.
   Slightly annoyed, I push my chemistry book to the side a little. "I'm trying to study. I have a test coming up."
   Aunt Kate runs her fingers over my dresser. "We need to talk."
   "I haven't heard anything about Stiles. Dad already asked me about him." I pull my book back.
   "No, we need to talk about you." Aunt Kate's voice turns a degree colder. "Your mom said you were at the game the other day, but none of us saw you. Where were you really? Because from what Allison said, Stiles was missing, too."
   Keep calm. Don't let her see in your face that your lying. If she detects a lie, she won't trust me. I need her to trust me.
   "I was with Stiles." I flip through my textbook for the next chapter, calmly.
   "Why?"
   I look up from my textbook to see her eyes scrunched together. She's trying to read me. "To get him to trust me even more. If he knows something about the alpha and beta, maybe he'll tell me."
   Aunt Kate continues to study me. "Where did you guys go?"
   "We just drove around town until a car accident happened and we were blocked in. That's why he couldn't get to the game. Now, can you please leave? If I'm banished to my room, I'm going to take advantage and study." I tuck a loose piece of hair behind my ear.
   "No, put some shoes on. We're going out." Aunt Kate orders.
   "I'm grounded."
   "No one is home."
   "Allison is." I remind her.
   "She snuck out twenty minutes ago."

+

   "Where are we going?" I carefully walk through the woods, the leaves crunching under my weight.
   The Hale House appears through the trees, except she doesn't lead me that way. A hidden entrance to something underground is covered my dirt and many leaves. If I hadn't seen Aunt Kate walk up to it, I would have completely missed it.
   "What is this place?" I follow her down a hallway with zero lights in it.
   "Remember our family history? This is part of it." Aunt Kate tugs on a door and slides it open.
   Inside, it's mostly dark, only a few things illuminated by a little moonlight. Aunt Kate wanders over to a set of construction lights, but doesn't turn them on right away. My boots step in a puddle of water from when it last rained. A something odd is hung up on a bar fence, but my eyes won't adjust to the poor lighting.
   The lights controlled by Aunt Kate flick on; lighting up my worst fear. "Isn't he beautiful?"
   Derek growls, completely in his werewolf form. Oh my god. No, no, no. Eyes wide, I nearly lose my thought process to put on an act. His wrists are chained to the sides of his head. I never thought he would be caught. I didn't plan for any of this to happen. I haven't heard from him since he reunited with Peter. I just thought he was mad at me.
   "What are you doing to him? Is that gonna kill him?" I struggle to keep up with tough act that I know Aunt Kate expects me to have.
   "Oh, come on, kiddo. Don't get all ethical on me now." Aunt Kate strolls over to me, nudging me closer with her hand on my back.
   I swallow, trying to put a leash on my emotions. Derek's not even looking at me, which is probably a good thing. If we make eye contact, I'll probably lose it. "He's the werewolf we ambushed that one night, right?"
   "Shape–shifter. Lycan. Werewolf. To me he's just another dumb animal." Aunt Kate steps closer to him, lifting up the corner of his top lip. "Come here. See these right here?" She shows me his teeth. "These are canines, also known as fangs. Made for the tearing and rending of flesh. Not something you'd find on those cute little leaf–eating herbivores, is it?"
   Derek lowers his eyes to the floor as I approach him. I run my eyes up his naked chest all the way up to his face. I can't do this. I have to break him out. Aunt Kate will know it was me.
   "Is he the only one?"
   "There's actually three of them– Another younger one like him called a Beta, and then there's the Alpha. Alpha's the pack leader– Bigger, stronger, nastier. Those– are the real ugly motherf–"
   "I thought you said Derek was the Alpha?" I instantly regret saying his name because his head snaps up.
   "No." Aunt Kate takes a step back. "There's more and you're going to help me find the beta."
   "How?"
   "Don't worry about that yet." Aunt Kate pushes a hair of mine back. "Go to school, do your homework. Go to the Formal on Friday night. Be a normal teenage girl who doesn't know anything. Trust me to get everything ready for the next part."