Destiny [D.H.]

17

Eliana's POV:

After an hour or two of doing homework, I saw Erica enter with Jackson. Derek gave me a small smile as he walked out to Jackson and I followed moments later.

"What happened to you on the night of the full moon?" Derek asked.

"What? Nothing. Nothing happened," Jackson protested.

"You're lying."

"No, wait. No, wait, I can--I can prove it. I taped myself."

"You taped yourself?" Isaac asked in disbelief.

"Yes. It was the full moon. And maybe while you were curled in the corner having an existential crisis about turning into a monster, I was preparing for the so-called gift your big, bad Alpha promised me, and what did I get? Nothing. You want proof? Let me get the video."

"No," Derek said. "No, I have a better idea."

"What is that?"

"You know, Jackson, you've always been kind of a snake, and everyone knows a snake can't be poisoned by his own venom." Derek squirted a drop of kanima venom down Jackson's throat.

"Derek!" I yelled. "Are you kidding me?!"

"We need to know, Eliana," he argued.

Eliana. He's pissed. "You can't go around doing things like this to teenagers! Teenagers, Derek! You'd be wise to remember you were a teenager only a few years ago!"

His eyes flashed red and I flashed my blue ones, challenging him. He scoffed and turned back to Jackson. "You're still a snake, Jackson, just not the one we're looking for."

"You're still gonna have to do one more thing for us," Isaac said. "Well, actually, for me."

I followed Isaac and Erica to class, not wanting to speak to Derek for the time being. I knew Erica and Isaac were going to test Lydia to see if she was the kanima; something I highly doubted. She had her faults, sure, but she wasn't a snake.

Sure enough, during Chemistry, Lydia was tested, and nothing happened. I saw Derek outside and fired a quick text.

To: Derek

Lydia's not the kanima.

From: Derek

How do you know? Why should I believe that?

To: Derek

Lydia has been my best friend since second grade. She's not a snake. Trust me.

From: Derek

I won't do anything, but I can't promise my betas won't

I left him on read, too annoyed to continue our conversation.

After class, I listened to Scott, Allison and Stiles talk in the library as I worked on homework. They were trying to figure out the Bestiary.

I couldn't focus on my homework, so, as soon as Scott left, I followed him to the subway station.

"Yeah, which doesn't prove anything," Scott said. "Lydia's different."

"I know," Derek replied. "At night she turns into a homicidal walking snake."

"I'm not going to let you kill her."

"Who said I was gonna do it?"

I crossed my arms. "It'll be your betas."

Derek nodded. "I don't know why you think you have to protect everyone now, Scott, but even so, Lydia has killed people and she's gonna do it again, and next time, it's gonna be one of us."