Chapter 21 - Ambushed

November 7 2003, 1:28 PM.

At the Hale house, Paige and Cassandra can be seen going out of the front door.

This year Derek and Drake decided to celebrate a short birthday party.

Which had already ended.

However the day isn't over yet thus, Drake went to the treehouse with Paige while Derek followed Cassandra.

"Cassy, can we meet at the school later? I have something to show to you."

Derek said while they walk towards the Krasikeva residence.

Cassandra stopped walking to think of an answer for a few moments before she said.

"Sure, but why?"

Derek smiled at her before he answers with.

"It's a secret."

"Ehh~ tell me~"

Hearing the word secret, Cassandra's curiosity were turned on and so she began to ask Derek about it, for the next following hours.

Though, this still didn't result of her gaining an answer as her boyfriend is kin to keeping a secret.

•••

6:40 in the evening.

"Derek? Where are you Derek?!"

At the Beacon Hills Highschool, a blond teen girl can be heard calling the name of her boyfriend.

She continue to check each classroom one by one, hoping to find her boyfriend.

Only to fail.

This teen is here because of his boyfriend who is named Derek.

And of course, this teen is none other than Paige's cousin, Cassandra Cain.

After seeing that no one is inside the room, she decided to take her leave now.

However, as soon as she closed the door of the last room she opened, she suddenly heard a loud noise from the stairs.

Thinking that the noise was created by Derek, Cassandra slowly went to look where that sound came from, but then.

She heard a growl and a 6 foot tall man appeared from the stairs.

Although she doesn't know why, the blond teen can feel that the man is a dangerous one and she needs to run.

And run she did.

Cassandra began to run away from the man as quickly as she can however, his speed is much faster than she can ever be.

Because of that, the man successfully grabbed her from the back.

"Help! Derek!"

However, even if she's currently being held down, Cassandra tried her best to get free from the man as she screams her boyfriend's name.

"No!!"

And with one last scream, the man bit her on her side.

After being released from the man's hands, Cassandra began to crawl away in desperation.

Though, she couldn't really get that far from the man as the said man is closely watching her as well as slowly approaching her.

But then, as they continue to crawl and walk slower than a turtle, out of nowhere, Derek suddenly appeared from the back of the man and attacked him.

Derek used his claws to slash the man's back, which surprisingly worked.

But a second later, the man's eyes suddenly glowed red and they began to fight.

Right and left, Derek agilely dodge all of the man's claws.

And unbeknownst to the two men that is fighting, when the lights of the school hits them, Cassandra saw that they have fangs and claws as well as some kind of furs on their cheeks.

This sight made her gulped down a few mouthful of saliva before she continue to crawl away from them.

Derek tries to punch the man in the face but he was kicked in his guts.

And unperceived by the two werewolves that is fighting, while still on the ground, Drake's yellow colored eyes glowed in a color of red, for a few moments, before it went back to it's previous color.

After standing up, Derek tried to attack once the man once again but then.

"I had enough of this."

The man said before Derek got thrown onto the walls.

And after giving Cassandra one last glance, the man walk out of the school.

After seeing that the man truly leave them alone, Derek hurriedly went to Cassandra's side and once he arrived at her side, he heard her voice.

"Derek? That's you, right?"

"Yes, it's me. Save your strength and don't talk... Let's get out of here."

Derek emotionally said to his girlfriend before he picked her up and hurriedly run to a random place, away from the school.

And with an unknown reason, Derek subconsciously arrived at the big tree that he hid at a few days ago.

The big tree named The Nemeton.

"I'm sorry."

Derek apologized to Cassandra as he watch her bleed.

He is currently asking himself why he listened to Peter's idiotic plan.

He should have been more brave than he did and just told the truth to Cassandra, like what his brother did.

'Why did I do it?!'

He thought to himself as he clenched his hands tight.

"I knew..."

But before he could even hurt and think to himself even more, Cassandra suddenly said to him.

"What do you mean?"

Her words of course confused her boyfriend, that's why she started to explain.

"I knew... Paige told me everything... About you and Drake being a born werewolf... That you can hear and see me from afar... And do many more incredible things..."

"And you still... liked me?"

"Not liked... I loved you."

Hearing Cassandra's words, regret filled Derek's whole being.

"I'm gonna die... aren't I? Ow... I can't, die yet... One Piece hadn't ended yet..."

Although Cassandra can feel her strength leaving her body, she still tried to joke around to make Derek feel a little better.

"Uagh.. I damn this.! Derek, I can't take it anymore... Derek, I can't."

But soon after that, Cassandra realized that she would really die and wouldn't turn into a werewolf, and so she began to cry.

"I'm here.. don't worry I won't leave you."

"Derek... Please... Please..."

When Cassandra began to plead to him, tears started to fall from Derek's eyes.

"Please... Derek.."

"Ok, It's gonna be alright, okay? Everything's going to be fine."

And after a few more desperate plea, Derek finally spoke.

"... I'm sorry."

And with that last words, Derek finally stabbed her with his own claws.

Though, even when she's in the face of death, Cassandra forcefully released one last smile for Derek.

This of course made Derek stop crying for a few seconds but when Cassandra's heartbeat finally stopped, Derek continue to cry as much as he wants.

And as he was crying, his green eyes shifted into his golden yellow one before it turns into a color of blood.

However, a few moments later, it changes once again and stayed in a color of blue.

And as Derek continue to cry, Cassandra's blood were being suck by the nemeton.

A strange phenomenon that happened without being noticed by the young werewolf.

•••

After half an hour, the trapdoor opened up and then Drake comes in, along with Paige and Peter.

Seeing the sight of her dead cousin, Paige hurriedly ran towards her side and hugged her.

The silent cry of the Krasikeva is something that made Derek feel more guilty.

"Go home Derek."

Drake said as he gestured to his uncle with his head.

"What about... Cassy?"

"We'll take care of her, go home."

After hearing Drake's words, Derek and Peter left Drake and Paige behind.

"Paige..."

As soon as Drake approached Paige, he placed his right hand on his shoulder as he said.

"Paige I think I can still save her."

"What?! How?!"

After hearing this question, Drake began to tell her that he has a gut feeling that he can save Cassandra if he bite her now.

"Then bite her!"

Because of the adrenaline, Paige continue to shout at him.

"But it will likely turn her into a werewolf..."

"She knew the truth about you and Derek, so don't worry about that. And if that's only what it takes to save her, then do it! "

Ignoring the fact that Paige shared their secret to her cousin, Drake crunched down and lifts Cassandra's left arm.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Drake asked Paige one last time before he finally bit her.

"So? What now?"

After letting go of her arms, Paige asked Drake.

"We wait."

•••

November 7 2003, 10:25 PM.

At the entrance road of the Beacon Hills, a black car can be seen driving at the right speed.

"Give me that!"

"No! It's mine to begin with!"

A eight years old girl were fighting with a four years younger girl over a doll toy.

"Malia, give your sister's doll to her. We're almost home so please don't fight."

"Hmph, you always sided with her! I hate you!"

The female driver, which is their mother, spoke to stop their fight.

However, although Malia give the doll to her sister, she said some hurtful words to her.

But just as she's about to talk to Malia again, a different car suddenly blocked their way and started to shot them with a gun.

""Mommy!!""

The two girls shouted as they saw their mother being hit, but the guns didn't stop firing.

And as the gun fires, Malia, the older kid, began to shift into a coyote.

"Sister!?"

Her clothes got ripped out as her limbs changes into a paws.

Her face morphed into a coyote like shape before furs began to appear on her whole body.

"Akw-awk-akwwhhoooo!!"

And after releasing a howl, the coyote, which is Malia, started to attack her mother and sister.

After slashing them with her claws, Malia jumped out of the car through the window and run into the forest.

This all happened in a timespan of 15 seconds.

And at the 16th second, the black car flipped over and struck the trees at the side of the road.

The impact squeezed the mother and daughter duo, confirming their death.

Meanwhile, after seeing the car flipping, the driver of the other car drove away as if nothing happened.

•••

And while the car accident happens, Peter can be seen, inside of the same underground room of the Hale house from before.

*Thud!* *Bam!* *Thud!*

He can be seen throwing the things around him, left and right.

"Why!? What happened?! Derek was supposed to be the true alpha! Why did he not become one?!"

That's right, the reason why Peter suggested his plan, in the first place, was to awaken Derek's dormant power.

This nephew of his has the quality of being a true alpha, a fact that no one else in the family knows.

Even Talia herself.

On the other hand, Peter noticed this fact when Drake was training his twin about the anchor.

Maybe it was because of his constant flirting with Paige, but the said alpha didn't noticed that Derek's werewolf eyes would sometimes glow, back and forth, between red and yellow in color.

However, Peter noticed that and when he began to watch him carefully, he confirmed that Derek really has the spark of being an alpha.

A true alpha.

A being who is believe to be only a myth.

Once he confirmed this, Peter's greediness for power, something that he gained from his father, was awakened once again.

The glory of having not only the born alpha in the family, but also the true alpha, is something that no one will be able to beat.

And Peter wanted to be the one who would awaken Derek's true potential.

As it would surely allow Peter to control the said werewolf after that happened.

But it has not.

In fact, his whole plan completely failed.

That is why, he is releasing his anger and disappointment the way he is doing right now.

"Why!?"

•••

10:50 PM.

Derek and Paige brought Cassandra to the treehouse and began to wait till something happen.

At first Paige slept first and let Drake watch over Cassandra, but when her turn to watch her comes, Paige fall asleep once again.

And so, right now Drake and Paige were sleeping at the same bed and no one's watching over Cassandra.

No one saw how her wounds healed up, no one saw how the color of her skin returned.

And lastly, no one saw how her blue eyes suddenly opened wide before it changed into a golden yellow one.

"Aawhoooo!!"

Drake and Paige both woke up and sat up, still in the shock from Cassandra's loud howl.

"Cass?"

Paige called out for her cousin as she carefully approach her.

"Cass it's me, your cousin, Paige. How are you feeling?"

Paige called out once again but instead of answering, Cassandra suddenly attacked her like a wild beast.

Thankfully, she dodged her in time.

And after her unsuccessful attack, Cassandra turned her bloodlust on Drake and started to claw him instead.

"Cassandra it's me Drake!!"

Drake yelled at her hopping to wake her up, all the while avoiding all of Cassandra's attack.

However, as if she have no sanity left, Cassandra continue to slash him with her claws and bites him with her fangs.

It was as if she's nothing but an animal running wild.

"Groaarr!!"

Realizing that nothing else can be done, Drake shifted and roared loudly at her.

After shifting, his piercing red eyes stared at the crazed golden yellow eyes of his beta.

"Caasssaanddraaa!!"

And once again, Drake roared Cassandra's name but this time with a much louder and stronger voice.

Thanks to that, Cassandra, who is acting wildly, recovered her sanity and was forcefully shifted back into her human form.

"Wha-what happened?"

She asked her cousin and her friend while feeling scared, because her wolf instinct is still afraid at her alpha's shout.

"Cass!!"

Overwhelmed with joy, that her cousin is alive again, Paige loudly exclaimed as she ran and took Cassandra into her arms.

Thanks to her hug, Cassandra calmed down and so, she hugged her cousin back.

Drake on the other hand, released a deep breath before he smiled to her and said.

"Welcome back."