t w o

AFTER TRAVELLING IN the wrong direction for an hour, and borrowing a couple people's phones, Astrid eventually figured out the way to Beacon Hills.

If only the bus route extended past the outskirts of town...

She let out a sigh of exhaustion as she watched the bus turn down another path, disappearing behind hundreds of trees. The cracked concrete seemed to stretch on for miles, without streetlights or signs to guide her.

Thankfully, the sun had begun to rise, painting beautifully warm colours in the sky. It illuminated the empty street, casting dark shadows underneath the trees lining up the road.

But not a car was in sight, which only meant she had to walk for the rest of her journey.

Fun.

Her wandering mind couldn't help but think of the past few hours as she walked, of her friends at the party, of her family and the staining blood.

Would she have visited this town if her life didn't end up like the nightmare it was?

Probably not.

Other than the Hales and her pack, Astrid knew no one in the small town; her parents had isolated her from the outside world, in fear she would become weaker as a werewolf if she spent more time around humans.

After all, she was the youngest and weakest member of the pack.

She was the Neville Longbottom of Van Tousen history. And with her elder siblings being held in high regard, Astrid had the weight of the world on her shoulders to be as great as them.

Even Evan, her younger brother, began showing signs of a werewolf far before she did.

And unfortunately, her grandfather was a traditionalist. He had the obsessive need for the family to stay pure.

Astrid always wondered what it'd be like to be human, but the harsh truth was... she wouldn't even be alive if she wasn't everything she didn't want to be.

But she was stronger now.

She hoped so, anyway.

Letting out a loud sigh, Astrid adjusted the backpack straps on her shoulders, watching her hot breath create puffs of white in the frosty air. It was still freezing cold out, despite the sun's appearance.

The more she walked, the more her she could sense human life.

Smell of dark coffee and minty breaths filled the air. Soft sounds of early-morning chatter could be heard, slightly muffled from starting car engines and chirping birds.

Her first glimpse of Beacon Hills included deputies in uniforms walking around, discussing animal attacks that had occurred in the past year. From what she could hear, those attacks were violent and unnatural.

Supernatural.

How could Thalia let everything get so out of hand? Astrid thought to herself, confused.

From what she could remember, Thalia Hale was thoughtful and wise, often acting as the border between chaos and peace. She'd also been on good terms with the Sheriff, allowing accidents to be covered up in no time.

A large hand came down on Astrid's shoulder heavily, jolting her back to reality.

On instinct, she grabbed the assailant's wrist, forcing the grip off of her.

"Woah."

The man, who looked like he was in his forties, raised his free hand in defence. His blue eyes were filled with a mix of concern and barely-concealed alarm.

Silently, she studied his appearance, taking note of his wrinkled uniform, and the sheriff's badge on his shoulder. The name tag on his chest read 'N. Stilinski'.

"Sorry." Astrid blinked, slowly releasing her harsh hold on his wrist when she realized he meant no harm. A tint of red filled her cheeks at her sudden actions.

But who could blame her for being on edge with everything that had happened so far?

"Are you lost?"

He didn't seem too bothered with her strength, or too worried about her disheveled appearance, which was good. Instead, he seemed extremely worried for the girl.

Astrid looked around slowly. She must have been too focused on the deputies' conversations to think about where she was going, for she was standing in the middle of the Sheriff Station's parking lot like a lost puppy.

A couple of people, mostly in uniforms, watched quietly from the sidelines, looking confused. A driver behind the teen honked her horn loudly, an irritated expression on her face.

Astrid nearly tripped over her own feet as she hurriedly followed the sheriff onto the sidewalk.

Her day seemed to get better and better...

"Um- Yeah..." she finally replied, nervously chewing on her bottom lip. "Do you know where Laura Hale is?"

The sheriff, Stilinski, cocked his head slightly, appearing to be completely taken aback at her question.

He scratched the back of his neck, averting his eyes. "I- uh..."

"Or where Thalia Hale lives?" she tried again, knowing her question about Laura was probably a difficult question to answer. It's not like everyone had trackers inside them.

"Do you have anyone I can call?" He purposefully avoided Astrid's question, subtly leading her towards the station's entrance with a gentle hand on the small of her back.

She jerked away from his touch when she realized his intentions, feeling sanity slip from her grasp. "No!" The lack of sleep was beginning to get to her, weighing on the stress of finding her sister.

How could sleep become possible again?

Every time she closes her eyes, blood and limp bodies haunt her mind.

The scent of gunpowder, of wolfsbane... The butchered chest of her siblings, of her parents... Everything was red; metallic; dead.

They were all dead.

"Hey!" Stilinski's voice was loud and demanding. His large hands were on her shoulders, shaking gently. Blue eyes bore into hers, wide in alarm.

Her cheeks were already wet with salty tears, flowing down and dripping on her thick, black hoodie.

Astrid had forgotten how to breathe, despite the two lungs hidden behind her ribs, and the fresh oxygen in the air.

Colours bled together as the girl struggled to inhale.

Her mouth was becoming dry, her heart beating frantically in panic, while her throat tightened with each passing second.

She barely registered the hard plastic being forced past her lips until the burst of air finally entered her lungs.

"My son," Stilinski explained, after seeing the curious look on her face. He carefully removing the inhaler from her mouth. "He used to have panic attacks all the time. After..."

Astrid knew she shouldn't pry, especially with a stranger who'd just helped her.

"Thank you," she replied genuinely, interrupting his train of thought.

Using the sleeve of her hoodie, she hastily wiped away the tears, wincing at the feeling of such a rough material on her sensitive skin.

He let out a tired sigh, dark circles under his bright eyes. A kind smile grew on his face, despite his exhaustion. "It's nothing, really."

After an awkward pause, Astrid decided to walk away from the man. Her mind was still focused on one person only, and she knew her time was limited.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

She turned back to look at him, surprised that he didn't take the chance to go inside the station to do his job.

What did he want with her now?

"We can give you a phone." He gestured to the station behind him. "To call someone."

Astrid crosses her arms, "I'm not lost. I'm just looking for my..." She paused briefly, her mind racing. "My family."

"You're a Hale?" he asked, looking at her with disbelief.

It was understandable. The Van Tousens' had interesting genes, with their jet-black hair and vivid, blue eyes. A Van Tousen pretending to be a Hale was similar to a goldfish impersonating an elephant.

"I'm Laura's cousin," she lied. "Can you tell me where they live? They won't answer my calls."

Of course, Astrid didn't even have a phone to begin with. But the sheriff seemed to buy her act.

The town was small, which meant almost everyone knew everyone. Thalia always kept close ties with authority to keep her pack well-protected, therefore he should know where the pack lived.

"What's your name?"

"Whatever, I can find them myself." Astrid turned her back towards him again, feeling frustration building inside of her, threatening to explode.

Time was ticking like a bomb, ready to destroy everything she had left.

"Wait."

The girl stopped in her tracks, but she didn't dare to turn around. Her growing claws were breaking the skin on the palm of her hands, and her eyes were flashing dangerously.

Thankfully, everyone had left before they could see.

"I'm not going inside." Astrid rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to rip out his throat.

Deep down, she knew he was merely trying to help, but the destructive inferno inside of her refused to shrink.

He sighed at her stubbornness, his heart beating faster with each passing second. "Laura Hale..." Astrid could almost feel the heavy thumps of his heart and the shudder of his breathes. "The Hales... they're all gone."

Gone?

The word indicates they're missing, that they've simply disappeared. But the tone of his voice, weighed with heavy sorrow, proved things were a lot worse than she'd thought.

Astrid froze, swallowing thickly at the news. Her heart plummeted to her stomach, weighing her down as tears prickled behind her eyes.

She had lost her second family, as well as her only hope, so soon.

Who could she turn to now?

Her and Arielle might as well be dead already.

He took in a deep breath. "Please come sit in the station. Do you have someone that can pick you up?" His voice was so soft, full of pity she didn't need.

Astrid opened her mouth, automatically preparing to answer with a firm, two-letter word, but a voice beat her to it.

"Yeah. She does."

It was an unrecognizable voice. But the scent, of pine cones and fresh mint, was unmistakably the same after seven years.

She was surprised with the relief that flooded through her body at the sight of him and his familiar green eyes.

Astrid had always despised him, because of what he'd done to his sister, but now... she was so grateful seeing him alive and well.

"Derek," she let out a small laugh of relief. "Shit, he said-"

"I know what he said," he stated, his face hard.

Despite his emotionless facade, she could see softness in his green eyes.

"Are you sure?" The Stilinski seemed worried for her. "Maybe it's best for you to stay at the station."

His hand hovered just above his waistline, subtly; Astrid wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for her sharp eyes. His heartbeat was faster, if that was even possible.

"Thanks for your help," Astrid replied, hoping the guy would just leave them alone. She snuck a look at Derek, surprised with how different he was now. "We have some family business to discuss."

☺☹☺

"What the hell are you doing here? Does your dad know?" Derek leaned on his car door with his arms crossed over his chest. He was obviously confused, seeing her without a 'bodyguard' by her side.

Astrid scratched her nose, attention on a squirrel in a tree. It stared back at her challengingly, but quickly scrambled farther upwards when it saw her yellow eyes.

She smirked in triumph.

"Are you even listening to me?"

The teen sighed, crossing her arms at the annoyance in his voice. Reluctantly, she switched her attention to the tall werewolf and cocked an eyebrow.

Sure, it was amazing to learn that Derek was alive. But, with Laura gone, he's just as useless as Astrid herself.

"My dad doesn't care, because he's dead." The truth left a bitter taste in her mouth. "My whole family is dead. And I'm sure Arielle is next, if not murdered already." Astrid glared at him, feeling the need to punch something.

"I'm sorr-"

"And I came here looking for Laura, or your mom. But apparently the only one alive is... you," she spat the last word out, her tone venomous. "Now I can't find her, because no one alive knows where she is."

He pushed himself off his car and straightened his back. "How do you know that?"

"Well, you obviously broke her heart. Why the hell would she trust you again?"

His eyes darkened. "Don't talk about things you know nothing about."

"I know enough."

Derek turned away from her, unlocking his car and slipping into the front seat. A vein on his forehead twitched as he ignored her words.

Where can I go now? Astrid mentally groaned at her predicament. What if the police are looking for me, thinking I'm kidnapped? Or the murderer?

Her long journey to Beacon Hills was useless.

She snapped her head to the dark-haired man, feeling his gaze burn holes in the side of her skull. "What do you want?"

Derek rested his elbow on the window frame, a pair of sunglasses hiding his eyes.

"Are you going to get in?"

He gestured to passenger seat, his face showing no emotion whatsoever.

"I can't," she rolled her eyes. "If no one in Beacon Hills can help, I'll need to find Arielle myself. Before-"

She cut herself off, unable to think about what would happen if she's too late.

What if I am too late, though? What if she's dead?

Derek seemed to understand. He broke eye contact with her immediately, focusing on his dashboard.

After a moment, he shook his head, looking extremely bothered. "Just get in."

"Why?"

After being treated like a fragile object for most of her life, Astrid found herself becoming more resistant against orders. She never did anything she didn't want to do, because her stubborn, werewolf ass would never allow it. It caused her to ask more questions.

"I never said I was the last Hale alive."

— A/N —

this chapter was sort of a filler...?
hope it wasn't too boring ahaha.

anyway, thanks for reading! i really hope this chapter was good.

and can someone tell me who the guy in the gif is?
i'll have to change it if it isn't derek :)
(i have a feeling it's chris?)

i didn't plan on publishing this soon, but i really like this story for some reason. the ideas just keep coming.

please, please, please
don't forget to VOTE, as well as comment!!!

i'll only publish the next chapter (which is already done) when this chapter gets enough recognition

cool, bye