o n e

LOVE, BASED ON foolishness and innocence, was destructive.

The kind of destruction that would eventually unwind into chaos, unafraid to harm whatever's in its path.

Astrid Van Tousen decided long ago that she wouldn't going to go down the regretful road, even if it was a choice between life and death. Because nothing could ever compare to the crushing pain of a broken heart.

Seven years is a long time; for lives to change and new friends to be made. Yet, she still finds herself clinging on to her memories, like a python with its prey, refusing to let go.

How could she forget?

Her big sister was the one Astrid always looked up to; she was a goddess, and the young girl worshipped the ground she walked on.

But the goddess came home one day with her beautiful face tainted by smeared chemicals and salty tears.

Even as a kid, Astrid knew the tears couldn't fully show the pain of a shattered heart, for it was hidden beneath flesh and bone. Protected from physical harm, but vulnerable to everything else.

Derek Hale ruined her big sister, Arielle, that day.

One thing led to another and the girl with her broken heart ran into the arms of a human boy, someone older. Their relationship was forbidden, but they didn't care.

Soon, the new lovers decided to escape the grasps of their suffocating town, as well as the harsh judgements of her parents and the townspeople.

Arielle Van Tousen was goddess, who abandoned her pack because of young and innocent love; who followed an eighteen-year-old boy into college, leaving her family behind.

Because of her, the Van Tousens' moved away from the toxic environment of Beacon Hills, unable to survive the memories that appeared every corner they turned, to escape the pitied glances sent their way from friends and neighbours alike.

They settled in a random city, keeping to themselves to avoid attention from hunters and other packs.

They lived a normal, human life for seven years.

Which eventually led Astrid there, walking back home in the middle of the night as she contemplated life, and everything that came with it.

If only she stayed at home and watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix to celebrate her last day of school, like she had planned. Instead, her dumb ass decided to follow her friends to a party.

A party.

At a night before the full moon, with her senses heightened... It was the dumbest mistake she could ever make.

Why the hell did she believe it would be fun? Her inability to get intoxicated should be a good enough reason for her to stay home.

The girl thought back to a hour ago, feeling the pulsing music echo throughout the air, the heavy bass making her ears ring.

Astrid blinked harshly, her sensitive eyes stinging because of the bright streetlights. But behind her eyelids, colourful lights from the party flashed repetitively. There was no escape.

She exhaled loudly, attempting to focus on her faint footsteps against the concrete path; attempting to focus on the tiny stones bouncing around, after being kicked by the sole of her shoes.

Other than that, the soulless night was as quiet as it could be.

Her skirt, ending mid-thigh, brushed against her leg with the frigid breeze. Yet, goosebumps refused to appear on her bare legs and arms.

Why couldn't she live a normal, teenage life? Why couldn't she get trashed with her friends? Get cold and feel pain as a normal person would?

She wanted to feel. But being born as a werewolf made that impossible.

No, she lightly scolded herself. Shut up Astrid.

There were people out there, desperately wanting the bite. Some would do anything for a chance to be a werewolf... She was being ungrateful.

The bite... It was a gift.

That's what she keeps telling herself, anyway.

By the time the tired girl reached home, the temperature outside had dropped quite a bit; the plants beside the sidewalk were covered with a thin layer of frost. Of course, she couldn't feel a thing.

Surprisingly, Evan, who doesn't ever come home at night anymore, had parked his car in the driveway.

She strained her ears for the sound of snoring, or at least a heartbeat in the hollow air.

She needed to know if her parents had found out about her sneaking out; if they were waiting for her in the living room.

But the house was dead silent.

Astrid's stomach filled with dread as she neared the front door. Sensitive senses going crazy when she realized the door was left ajar.

A faint, metallic scent could be picked up from inside.

The smell caused her heart to thump angrily against her ribcage, overwhelming her thoughts with nothing but worry.

Did Evan screw up again? Is that why he's home?

She pushed the door wider with a creak, her irises immediately flickering yellow so she could see better in the darkness. Perhaps there were some perks of being a werewolf after all.

Astrid walked down the familiar halls, her fingertips grazing the smooth walls as she followed the familiar scent of blood.

She pushed open the door of the first bedroom.

Claws had replaced her nails already, but her erratic heartbeat didn't care. There was too much blood... Someone was dead.

The scent was stronger in the bedroom of her elder brother.

Tyler's white walls were decorated with black and red posters, of bands he spent years obsessed with. His red electric guitar stood on a stand at the corner of his room, while random items of clothes circled it like a satanic ritual.

He wasn't the cleanest person she knew.

And on his bed, laid a nineteen-year-old boy.

His was slicked with sweat, causing his black hair to stick to his forehead.

She trailed her eyes down his body, despite desperately wanting to look away.

A hole was in his black T-shirt, right where his heart was. Around it, the black fabric was darker than the original colour, damp with a sticky substance.

The faint, burning scent of wolfsbane washed away all the hope Astrid had left.

A scream threatened to escape at the sight of her big brother's corpse, but the overwhelming fear forced it down.

Her vision blurred as she stumbled through the house, hopelessly searching for someone alive.

She tripped over a small, aluminium cylinder on her way down the hall. No doubt it contained wolfsbane gas, purposefully used to make them weak in their sleep.

This felt like a nightmare.

Her home was filled with corpses, all with wolfsbane-laced bullets buried in their hearts. This wasn't just a massacre; it was an assassination to erase the Van Tousen pack off the face of the Earth.

They were cowards, killing her family in their weakest state; not giving any of them a chance to fight back.

She just wanted to wake up.

Astrid knew that she belonged here with them.

If it weren't for her sudden change of plans to sneak out for the party...

"Nine-one-one," a male voice droned, "What's your emergency?"

The phone clattered on the ground, his sudden voice surprising her.

Astrid's hands shook violently as her mind raced. She hadn't even realized that she called the police in her muddled state.

She needed to snap out of it.

"Hello?" the voice sounded concerned, but Astrid couldn't bring herself to care.

Did she really lose all of her family in just one night?

It was unfair. She didn't deserve this. Her family didn't deserve this. They did nothing wrong.

What could she do? Everyone in her family, her pack, was dead.

No, not everyone.

A name popped inside her head, repeating over and over again like a broken record.

Without even thinking, she ran to her room and grabbed a backpack. The girl dumped her notebooks, pencils, erasers, and pens out. They clattered on her bed, tumbling onto the hard, wooden floor.

She began to stuff the empty backpack with different items of clothing. Then she ran to her bathroom, grabbing anything she could see.

Her mind only had enough room for one word: Arielle.

Astrid zipped up the backpack quickly, then grabbed her wallet and threw on a hoodie. She still wearing clothes from the party, but there were more important things to worry about.

She reached for her phone, only to realize it was gone. It was probably still at the party, on the kitchen counter.

The girl shook her head, hearing police sirens approach from two streets away.

She had to get out of there before they barged in. They'd only restrict her, placing a target on her back for those hunters.

If the hunters wanted to get rid of all the Van Tousens, they'd head for her sister next, assuming they don't know about Astrid.

Assuming they wanted to get rid of majority of the pack, first.

Who would know where Arielle ran off to, all those years ago?

The only person Arielle trusts the most, over her own family, was Laura Hale.

Laura was her sister's best friend... She'd know where Arielle had escaped to.

Is Arielle the alpha now? Or are we both omegas? she thought to herself, feeling a heavy weight on her chest.

If it was the latter, it meant they were now vulnerable and a lot weaker than before.

Astrid had to find the Hale pack.

Before it's too late.

Because this wasn't a nightmare she could wake up from. It was the harshness of reality, and she was living in it.

— A/N —

woah
an actual chapter... what is this

i recently started rewatching teen wolf again, which really gave me inspiration to finally start this story

re-reading some tw fanfics by JustMe52 also helped me with creating/bettering my plot. so thank you, and your amazing writing!

also, dw. i won't continue the bold and italic paragraphs anymore. it's a bit weird, but it's the only way i could show how Astrid felt in this chapter.

anyway, thanks for reading!!

i'll most likely post the next chapter until this one gets enough recognition!