"What happened to Ryker?" I asked as Abel kept his eyes focused on the road. 

"I told you, he got sick and had to leave early." He said turning the steering right. 

"Werewolves don't get sick easily." 

"Well, he does." He replied. 

I didn't push for more questions because he was getting annoying and I wasn't in a mood to return snarky remarks his way. 

The ride was long. Because apparently Derek doesn't live inside the town he lives out in the woods. It's either a big concrete castle or a bamboo sticks house. 

I don't know why but I can't stop imagining it's a bamboo stick house. I can imagine him wearing a feather crown and stripes painted with black under his eyes. 

The car finally came to halt and I bent a bit down to look through the windshield. There was a huge door in front of us.  

The huge gate slowly opened and Abel drove the car in. There was a fifteen minute drive through the huge grounds that expanded to miles. We were finally reaching a building. 

Yep, that's a huge castle in the middle of the woods. It's kind of similar to where Oliver Queen lives , you know.

He stopped the car and we were welcomed by a man dressed neatly by the gate. We both got out and Abel asked the man if Derek was home. He told him something about the training grounds. Abel gave him his car keys and gestured to me to follow him. 

We were greeted by different people in the house. It looked like a lot of people lived here. I mean it is a huge castle even from the inside it looks like a place out of the Victorian era. I realized most of them had the symbol of Hale pack tattooed on themselves, on their arms, chest, neck etc. 

Abel didn't say anything to me. He just kept walking and I kept following him. As we were walking down the huge hallway filled with different art pieces. There were sculptures, paintings and even mosaic arts placed in there. I was actually more focused on the still pieces on the wall than the boy walking in front of me. 

I didn't know what happened but Abel suddenly turned, held me by my wrist and pulled me towards him. It took me a moment to absorb the situation as I looked up at him. 

"What the hell?" The voice came out as a whisper from my throat. His eyes were focused on something behind me with his arm held up. 

"Sharp as ever." I heard a female voice and turned in it's direction. Abel was holding a knife by its  blade piercing into his skin. A girl with brunette hair who seemed to be in her early twenties was standing in front of us. 

"Attacking me is one thing but attacking a guest is against the rules, Tori." Abel said letting go of the knife. "Especially when she's here to see Uncle Derek."

"Ah.. Is this the Stilinski girl?" She said observing me. "She seems weak."

Abel tapped me on the shoulders. "Let's go." He said and I could see it in his eyes that it wasn't a request. 

I turned to look at Tori and she waved at me. Then I started following Abel. As we were walking I saw the blood dripping down his hand. 

"You're not healing." I said and he shrugged. 

"The knife was laced with wolf's bane." He said. 

"Why would she do that?" 

I thought it was like a fun thing the werewolves here do. Like they show on tv shows, there are rivals and they're always challenging each other. But this is wrong. 

"She hates me." He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, the whole Hale pack hates me around here."

I can't imagine why? He's had such a great first impression on me. That was sarcasm just in case you don't get it. 

"Why?" I asked to look empathetic. 

"None of your business." He almost growled. 

That's probably why… 

He led me to a door and tilted his head to it. I looked at him and I wanted to ask, will you not come in with me but then I just knew he'd say something snarky or grumpy so I let it go. 

" And.." He said and I stooped. "Don't tell him about Tori."

He said and I nodded. I didn't need an explanation as to why. It could be he didn't want Derek to know his pack was bullying him. 

I entered the room and walked in. The room was painted with gray and the walls were given a stone texture as if to give off the look of a cave. I walked forward and saw a steel railing in front of me. I approached it and looked down at the vast empty area. 

There was a man standing in the middle of the room blindfolded. He was wearing a gray tank top and black trouser. I couldn't see his face because he was too far away. 

Just then  I heard different sounds all at once and saw arrows, knives and bullets piercing through the air directed to him. I didn't know what happened but he somehow managed to dodge each and every one of them. There had to be like fifteen weapons thrown to attack him but he wasn't scratched from a single one. 

He took off his blindfold and the lights turned on lightning up the room. He smiled rolling up the blind fold in his hand. 

"You guys still need work." He said and the room boomed with sad 'awws'. I looked around and saw different people my age may be a bit older surrounding him. "But it's enough 'attack Derek' for today. I'm a busy man." He said and looked up in my direction and held up a hand letting me know he'll be with me in a minute. 

"God, Sophie you can't sneak attack me if you're being that loud." He turned behind him and looked at a girl who was drawing an arrow in her bow. She seemed a bit disappointed. 

"Okay, I'm leaving. Everyone go back to your rooms, study, have dinner and go to sleep. I want everyone of you to pass high school." Saying that he walked towards the stairs. 

Dad did tell me Derek takes in stray wolves or omegas. Abandoned by their packs or their families or even forced to leave their territories because of the hunters. Uncle Scott, Derek and Liam have been working along with The Protectors to keep such werewolves or other supernatural beings safe. 

"Allison Stilinski. I'm Derek Hale." Derek smiled at me widely holding his hand towards me as I took it and shook a little. 

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you." I said and he nodded. 

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you too." He said. "We should talk in private." He opened the door and let me walk out. 

"I hope Abel was nice to you." He said and I just smiled in response. 

I didn't want to get him in trouble. I don't like him and I have known him for like eight hours, I guess. But I still don't want him to get in trouble . If I lied Derek could tell by my heart beat so it was easier to say nothing. 

"Where's Ryker? Abel told me he got sick." I said and Derek slightly nodded. 

"Can I ask what he got sick with?" 

"Well, it's nothing serious. It'll wear off, hopefully." 

"Okay." I said as we walked down the hall and he brought me to a door. He opened the door for me and let me in. It seemed like an office. Like one of those rich CEO offices with a nice view. The theme of the walls and floor was followed as the whole mansion but the furniture here used was minimalist modern type. 

"Stay there." He said as he walked to one of his shelves and took a jar filled with some sort of dark dust. When he brought it closer to me I could tell it was mountain ash. He took a handful from the jar and created a boundary with it dividing the room. He stepped back and placed the jar on the table. 

"Okay, now step inside the boundary." He said and I did as told. "Okay, now step back out." 

I stepped outside the boundary with ease. He nodded a little as if confirming something to himself. 

"Now break the boundary." He asked and I broke the boundary slightly sliding my foot on it. 

"Sit down." He said taking the jar from the table and bringing it back to the shelf. "Well, Stiles was right. You didn't gain the banshee gene from your mother. It's either that or you just haven't been able to trigger it." He walked back to the table and sat in his chair. 

"I've promised Stiles that I'll make sure you're safe here in Beacon Hills. But I'm going to need you to cooperate with me."

"Cooperate with what?" I asked. 

"I want you to join the Protectors."

___

If you're enjoying the story make sure to show your support 💜💜