I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of gun shots and howling. Beacon Hills is so weird. I decided to go down stairs to get some water.

Our house is two stories tall with a basemen. It's tight tanish stone and has a lot of huge windows that make it seem open and airy.

As I walk past one of the biggest windows in the back of the house to get to the kitchen I catch a glimpse of something. It's a big, shadowy figure with red glowing eyes. Normal people would think that was crazy, but then, my family is anything but normal.

I stop dead in my tracks as soon as I see it. I'm not sure what it is but I'm guessing it's bad since it's lurking in the shadows with beady red eyes.

I slowly begin to walk towards our locked closet down the hall. Why do we have a locked closet you ask? Well when you have more than one hundred military grade weapons you don't typically want to leave them lying around. Sure my mom and I can shoot fireballs out of our fingertips and morph into giant birds but it's good to be prepared. Also my dad isn't technically supernatural since being a samodiva is only possible for women, so then there's that.

Anyway, I grab the key I wear around my neck and unlock the door. Grabbing a gun with wolfsbane bullets I methodically load it and go to the back deck.

The thing is in a tree now and I'm almost positive that it's a werewolf. Not just any werewolf, but an alpha. Because the gun has a silencer on it I'm not worried about waking the neighbors with a gunshot. I aim the gun and shoot, hitting its leg. Oh, that's gotta hurt. It howls and runs off into the woods.

I calmly return the gun to the closet and continue walking to the kitchen. I grab a glass and fill it with water, walking quietly back to my room. Once I get there I shut the door and go to my window, closing the curtains. I was hoping that there would be nothing supernatural in Beacon Hills. My parents had told my it was just an ordinary town. I think about those red eyes again. I guess I didn't get my wish.

• • •

Three days later I was walking to class with Lydia and Allison. "So Scott's coming over tonight?" Lydia asks Allison. "Yeah but we're just studying," Allison replies. "Come on," Lydia says, "Studying doesn't ever end with just studying. It's like getting into a hot tub. Somebody eventually cops a feel." "Lydia!" I say. She is so blunt it makes my head spin. "Ugh you guys are so innocent. Allison just better make sure he covers up," Lydia says like she's talking about the weather. "Pardon?" I say with a small laugh. "I'm talking about a condom Snow White," Lydia says sounding annoyed. "We've on only had one date!" Allison exclaims. Lydia rolls her eyes. "Oh calm down. Just give him a little taste." "Well," Allison begins, "How much is a little taste?" Lydia eyes Allison. "You really like him, don't you?" She asks like she already knows the answer. "Yeah, I do," Allison states. "When I moved here I had this rule, no dating until college. But then I met him and I just... I can't explain it." Lydia looks at her, saying matter of factly "I can. It's your brain flooding with phenylethylamine." "Lydia you are like a walking, talking, encyclopedia," I tell her. I wish you wouldn't play dumb just make Jackson feel better. "Thank you," she says to me. Then to Allison "Okay, I'll help you. When is he coming over?" Allison groans. "Right after school." "Okay-". Lydia started to say something but never finished. The second bell rang, signaling that we were late for class. "Gotta go. I'll text you later," she said instead as Allison and I began running to French.

• • •

Later, as I was walking out of school I saw Stiles getting in his Jeep. He pulled out really fast and just as he started to drive off a guy in a black leather jacket walked right in front of his car. Just a style slammed on his brakes, the guy collapsed. I run over to see if he's okay. Samodivas are natural healers, so it's kind of my first instinct.

When I got over there, Scott had run over and Stiles was getting out of the car. "What the hell?" I recognize the guy has the same one who drove me and Allison home after the party. Derek Hale. I hear Scott say. "What the hell are you doing here?" "I've been shot," the guy says quietly, but I still hear it. "Um he doesn't look so good," I say to Stiles. "I think we should call 911." People behind us were honking now. "Hey Seph let's move over here," Stiles says, grabbing my shoulders but not before I see the leather jacket guy's eyes turn blue. Not normal blue either. They are flashing from dark brown to fluorescent blue. That only happens to werewolves. "Get him in the car," I order. "It's fine just go home Persephone. We'll take care of it," Stiles tries again. "This time I'm almost growling. "Get. Him. In. The. Car." "Scott I think we should get him in the car," Stiles says. They help Derek into the car and I wait until Stiles is in the driver's seat to open the passenger door. "I'm coming with you," I say. I'm so not in the mood for playing games right now. "I think you should go home-". Stiles starts but I cut him off. "Drive," I deadpan.

• • •

"Ugh can you try not to bleed out in my car? We're almost to your house," Stiles says to Derek, looking annoyed. "My house? No. You can take me there," Derek says. "Well in case you haven't noticed a hospital isn't really an option so if you have any better ideas please tell us," I say back to him. "Talk about high maintenance," I mutter. Derek manages to role his eyes. "And who the hell is she?" He asks Stiles. "Hey, be nice. You're lucky we didn't leave you on the road to be run over," Stiles says. "I'm here to help," I say, trying to keep the peace. "Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?" Derek sounds indignant. I don't say a word, I simply looked back at him and drop my eye disguise for a split second. He quit complaining about me after that.

"We can't go to my house," he says, "Not when I can't protect myself." Stiles doesn't respond. He just pulls over. "What happens if Scott doesn't find your little magic bullet, hmm?" Stiles says. "Are you dying?" "Not yet," is Derek's response. "Comforting," I say sarcastically. "I, uh, I have a last resort," Derek clarifies. "What do you mean?! What last resort?" Stiles yells back. Derek doesn't respond. He simply pulls up his sleeve, revealing his wound.

I've got to say, I've seen a lot of gross stuff in my lifetime, but this is one of the worst. It's basically a bloody hole in his arm oozing puss and blood. Not only that, but it smells bad to. "What the- What is that?" Stiles asks. "Ugh, is that contagious? Ya know you should probably just get out." Breathing heavily, Derek says "Start the car, now." "Yeah, I don't think you should be barking orders, with the way you look. In fact, I think if I wanted to I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for dead," Stiles retorts. The look Derek gives him is deadly. "Start the car, or I'm gonna rip your throat out. With my teeth." They stare at each other for a second and then Stiles the car.

• • •

Two hours later we're still sitting in the Jeep. With a bleeding werewolf. Who's dying. All in all, a fun night, note the sarcasm. "He's starting to smell... like death," Stiles says into his cell. He's on the phone with Scott trying to decide what to do with Derek. "What about your boss?" He says after while. Stiles sighs and hands the phone to Derek saying "You're not gonna believe were he's telling me to take you." Derek, looking exhausted, takes the phone. "Did you find it? .... Look if you don't find it I'm dead alright? .... Then Think about this. The Alpha called you out against your will, and he's going to do it again. Next time, you either kill with him or get killed. So if you want to stay alive, then you need me. Find the bullet," He finishes, hanging up the phone.

"Great. So he hasn't found it yet and you've got something bad pulsing through your veins. Just peachy," I say.

• • •

When we get to the animal clinic, Stiles grabs the key from behind the dumpster and unlocks the garage door. His phone buzzes. He looks down at it and then looks back up saying "Does northern blue monkshoon mean anything to you?" "Shit," I say. "What? What is it?" Stiles asks me. I'm about to say something but Derek beats me to it. "It's a rare for of wolfsbane. He has to bring me the bullet." "Why?" Stiles asks. "Cause he's gonna die without it," I say.

"Can needs to lie down," I say. "Help me get him to the table in the back." Stiles helps me drag Derek to the metal table and we lay him down. I take his shirt off to asses the damage.

His veins look black under his skin from where the wolfsbane has spread. "Ya know that really doesn't look like anything some echinacea and a good nights sleep couldn't take care of," Stiles says. We may be friends but I swear if he makes one more joke about this I'm going to throw a fireball at him. "When the infection reaches my heart, it'll kill me," Derek states. "Positively just isn't in your vocabulary, is it?" Stiles says again. "We need to try and stop it from spreading. I'm gonna tie this band around your are okay?" I say, holding one of those aplastic bands that they tie around your arm when you give blood. "That'll just slow it down. We need to stop it." I look him in the eye. "If you have any better ideas be my guest." "It's time for my last resort," Derek says, pulling some sort of machinery out of a drawer. "You're gonna cut my arm off."

• • •

"There has to be another way," I say. I've done a lot of stuff but cutting someone's arm off isn't one of them. It's something that I'm totally okay with never doing. Style starts protesting. "Are you crazy? What if you bleed to death?" "If it works, I should heal." "Oh that sounds promising," I say sarcastically. "I don't know if I can do this," Stiles says. Derek glares at him. "I'm not asking you to do it, I'm asking her to." "But the blood and the-" Derek, looking disgusted, says "You faint at the sight of blood?" Stiles stutters "No, but I might've the side of the chopped off arm!" "Either you let her cut off my arm, or I'll cut off your head," Derek says, gesturing to me. Stiles rolls his eyes. "Okay, you know what, I'm so not buying your threats any-" Derek cut him off my grabbing his shirt and jerking Stiles towards him. "Hey!" I shout at them. "Just hold on. We'll be back in a minute," I say to Derek, taking Stiles' hand and guiding him into the hall.

"Hey, hey, look at me," I say, cradling his face in my hands. "We're gonna be okay, alright?" He shakes his head a little. "It's going to be fine, just focus on me. Look at my face." He stares at me and for a while we just sit there. Then Derek yells at us to hurry up and the moment is gone.

As I walk back into the room, I feel my breath stop. I am about to cut someone's arm off of there body. What if something goes wrong? What if we can't stop the bleeding? I continue to walk forward until I'm standing by the table. When I get there I look down at Derek. He's getting worse, I've got to do this fast. Suddenly he turns his head to the side and throws up black blood. I've heard of this before so I'm not surprised. Stiles, however, is very surprised. "Holy God, what the hell is that?" He whines. "It's my body trying to heal itself," He answers. "Well it's not doing a very good job," Stiles says with a grimace. Derek looks at me and says "Now. You've got to do it now." I don't speak but I grab the machine and turn it on. It makes this horrible clanging noise. I'm just about to start cutting when I hear Scott's voice. "Stiles?" he calls, making me pause. A second later he burst into the room. "What the hell are you doing?" he yells at no one in particular. I am mediately put the machine down and take a deep breath. I really wasn't prepared to do that. "Oh you just prevented a lifetime of nightmares,". Stiles says to Scott with laugh. "Did you get it?" Derek asks him. Scott wordlessly hand the bullet to Derek, who is now sitting up. "I'm gonna... I'm gonna..." but Derek never finishes. Instead he drops the bullet and crashes to the floor. "Shit," I say as Scott dives for the bullet and I try to get Derek up. "Scott what are we gonna do?" Styles, who is now next to me trying to wake up Derek, asks. "I don't know." Scott says as he tries to get the bullet out of the drain. "I can't reach it." "I think he's dying!" Stiles exclaims. "I think he's dead!" "Calm down Stiles!" I say to him. "Freaking out isn't going to get us anywhere." "Just hold on!" Scott yells.

Suddenly he's next to us, holding the bullet. "Please don't kill me for this," I hear Stiles mumble. Then he punches Derek in the face. His eyes fly open. "Oh thank god," I say as we help him onto the table.

What happens next completely confuses me. First, Derek breaks open the bullet, dumping the wolfsbane out. Next he likes it on fire with a lighter I didn't even know he had. It starts to him and he a blue smoke and he quickly scoops it into his hand. There is a short pause, then he slams it onto his wound, yelling out in pain. He starts writhing on the ground, still yelling. And then, right before our eyes, the wound completely heals.

"That... was awesome!" Stiles says. This makes my laugh. "Well are you okay?" Scott asks Derek. Derek gives him a look, saying "Well except for the agonizing pain, yeah." "Well the ability to use sarcasm is a good sign of health," Stiles states, affording a deadly look from Derek. "Okay we saved your life," Scott says, "Which means you're gonna leave us alone. And if you don't, I'm going to go back to Allison's dad. And I'm gonna tell him everything." Wait, what? I think. What does this have to do with Allison's dad? "You're really going to trust them?" Derek asks. "You think they can help you?" "Well why not?" Scott says back. "They're a lot freaking nicer than you are." "Yeah I can show you exactly how nice they are," Derek says. "What do you mean?" Scott says, looking confused.

• • •

After a lot of arguing, Stiles and I end up going home. Derek only wanted Scott to come with him. When I get inside my house my parents are waiting in the living room. The look like they're packed for a ten day trip, suitcases and all. "What's going on?" I ask. My parents exchange a look. My mom speaks first. "Don't you remember? I told you our flight for roads leaves today." "We wanted to say goodbye before we left," my dad says. "I'm sorry kiddo. I know you wanted to come." "It's okay," I say, even though it's not. We say her goodbyes and I watch as they pull away in my dad's car. They decided to leave my moms here just in case I need it, even though almost everything is within walking distance from our house.

I go to the kitchen and feed Kenji. I just decide to skip dinner. I've lost my appetite. I walk upstairs and into my room. Dropping my bag, I go to my bathroom and start the water in my shower. There are two things that never fail to make me feel better: coffee and bathing. Before I get into the shower though I go back into my room to grab my robe out of my closet. As I step toward the closet I here a strange sort of scratching. I decided it's probably just the wind and I'm only jumpy because of the night I've had.

As I walk back to my bathroom, the sound comes again. If I had bothered to look back, I would have seen a huge gray animal with read eyes looking at my through my window. But then, I didn't bother to look back.