Heartbeat // A Derek Hale Love Story (Teen Wolf)

I Felt His Pain

Lillian's POV

Stiles and Scott came with me up to the loft to talk with Derek, my legs shaking as I ascended the stairs. I could feel the stress seeping out of me, but my mind was preoccupied with all that we still had to do. Finding the Alpha was still a top priority.

But my brain felt like mush. All I wanted to do was take Ophelia and ride away into the forest. My life wasn't over. Derek wasn't a wanted anymore. I doubted the police would care or ever find out I lied to them. A massive weight was gone from my shoulders and I trembled in the freedom.

I collapsed into Derek's arms the second I stepped into the loft, barely noticing that he picked me up off the ground as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "You're off the hook," I breathed, shaking like a leaf in the embrace, his hands firm on my back.

"We're off the hook," Derek said lightly, setting me back down and kissing my cheek.

Stiles cleared his throat pointedly. "So are you guys back together now, or what?"

"Obviously," Derek scoffed as I turned back to Scott and Stiles, and grinned a bit at the ease with which Derek said the confirmation.

"What exactly happened last night?" Scott asked, patting Hudson who was doing laps around him.

"I came to the school, dragged Derek into my truck, drove home, stitched him up and now we're here," I summarized. "Come sit, I think I'm going to collapse out of stress if I stay standing much longer."

The boys complied, and I took a seat at the head of my bed after kicking off my shoes at the door. The mattress beckoned, and I almost laid down right then and there and sank into a blissful sleep, forgoing all the things the four of us still had to talk about. But I knew there was too much to go over.

Without prompting, Stiles launched into an account of what their night was like. The Alpha trapped them in the school but let their three friends, Lydia, Jackson and Allison into the building. Allison was apparently Scott's girlfriend but she told him the night Derek was attacked that she needed space. I felt bad for both of them, but especially Scott. Poor kid. The most urgent matter Stiles had concerned himself with was the fact that Allison said Scott texted her to come to the school but he did no such thing. He was in the process of figuring out where the text was sent from. He promised he would tell us as soon as he found out.

Once I was satisfied at the conclusion of that part of the discussion, I glanced at Derek and thought about where I should even start with the next bit about what was going on with me. It all seemed pretty ridiculous, still.

"So, we should probably get you guys caught up on what's been going on with me," I started, hugging my knees gently. "Remember when Derek was shot?"

"Vividly," Stiles replied immediately, his eyes bulging slightly.

"I felt his pain," I said. "And I felt it last night, that's how I knew something was wrong. And when I went to get Derek at the school, the Alpha charged at us, but I yelled at it to stop and it did. I don't know how I did it but I did. And the night Derek and I broke up, I told him to stay away from me and he did."

"Are you sure that's not just because you broke up with him?" Stiles interjected, and my eye roll was audible.

"Yes," I snapped. "Derek and I talked about this. He tried to come after me and literally couldn't."

"Hm," was all Stiles said back for a moment. "So you're accidentally engaging in witchcraft or something?"

Derek scoffed. "That's what I said but after looking into it, I realized you can't 'accidentally' do witchcraft. And I don't even know if witchcraft is legit in the first place."