𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎

"𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘧 "

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╰┈˚ · ° .   AFTER THE WHOLE EVENT WHERE 'DEREK' TRIED TO KILL US, the school shutted down for the remaining two days of the week. I knew, my instinct knew that he wasn't dead but he was doing what we were thought to do when hurt, hide and heal.

Now Sunday night, with my skin tinted in various shades of colors, a canva infront of me and a brush in my hand, I spoke with Lydia. My phone was resting on the stained cart of paint that was next to me, her silvery voice blasting loudly through the speaker.

"Can you stop, please" I pleaded prolonging the last word with a whine

"I'm just saying, he definitely is into you" She said "I noticed how he kept you in his sight and always near him, that night. And after that, he took you out to eat. That was without a doubt a date"

I groaned loudly at my best friend "It wasn't a date" I corrected her for probably the twentieth time since I told her about it Thursday morning. "I was hungry to the point where I almost passed out. He saw when I almost fainted after running" I lied. Well, the lying part was that I had almost fainted because I was hungry and not because of over usage of magic on low energies, but still the rest was the actual truth.

"Sure. I believe you, Flora." Lydia said. She definitely did not believe me.

I huffed out an annoyed breath now deciding to change the subject. "What about Jackson and-"

"Allison?" She cut me off. Her name came out so sharply from her lips that it made me pause on my painting

"Lydia she would never..." I trailed off, the phrase didn't need to be continued to be understanded.

"I-I know" She said after a second of hesitation "Or at least, I really hope so"

"She is not like that, Lydia. Allison is not the type of girl that goes after her friend's boyfriend." I said softly. "Plus we both know that she loves Scott more than anything, even if they broke up." I added with a chuckle

"Yeah, you're right"

"And It was your boyfriend that was being a little bit too friendly with her when she was extremely worried about Scott."

"Don't start" Now it was time for her to groan out loud. I snicker at my friend, once again starting my paint.

"You deserve better" I said as matter of fact

"Deserve better." She echoed my words as I said them "I know, I know. You repeat this every opportunity you get. I just-"

"Love him?" Her 'yes' was so low that I could barely hear it from this side of the call "But that is not love. Not with the way he treats you. Not if you have to pretend to be someone else to make him happy. Not if the relationship is just one way"

"What do you know about love?!" Lydia snapped "You only have one night stands. You never had a boyfriend because you are too afraid to start caring about people for fear that they will leave you." A scoff left her mouth as her words dripped with venom "That is why you never wanted any friend aside from me. Or why you continue to 'hate' Alec even if it's clear that you like him."

My blood freezed into my veins. I knew that she always gets on the defensive whenever I speak about her relationship. It was not any of my business, I knew that. But seeing my best friend acting like a girl without a brain or crying because of how she wished her boyfriend would treat her differently, I couldn't stand it. Her venomous words, I knew were caused by pain, because she knew I was right, but still, she wanted to hang on the loose string that was her toxic relationship.

We had our fair share of fights during the years, it was a normal thing, I knew that giving the both of us time to cool off would be better. I clenched my jaw, swallowing the poisonous come back that I wanted to say and instead decided to just wish her good night and that I would see her tomorrow for school.

The forked tongue of Hex touched my neck as she hissed in displeasure. As my familiar, she could feel my emotions as if they were her own. "You know she is right" the she snake-dragon said "Even if she could have said it in much nicer way"

"Talking about her toxic relationship with that bastard always makes her go defensive." I sighed, patting her head for comfort. "And she is wrong" I glared at Hex as I felt her amusement through our bond. "At least about Alec" I conceded

"Sure, sure" Hex said before coiling around my neck one again.

With a scoff, I took back the brush between my fingers, dipping it into the yellow as I painted the figure of the moon above a dark forest where on the ground, colorful flowers bloomed around the black figures of black wolf and a girl with flowing hair. The moon in the star filled night was full, just as it was about to be.

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╰┈˚ · ° .   The nightmare still clinged to my skin as I eat my breakfast. Usually Hex would already be in her domus on my arm, but this morning, feeling my unpleasant mood, she decided to curl herself around my neck. Her small hisses were not enough to burst through the barrier that I isolated myself in, nor were the motivational comments that Citrine continued to chirp.

"Drink this" The clank of the ceramic mug as my grandma placed it on the wooden table in front of me startled me.

"Herbal tea?" I said with a lightly teasing but that came out more in a flat tone. My grams obsession with her herbal tea was something that I loved and hated about her.

"It's infused with my magic" She said with a sweet and comforting smile "It will help you a bit, I swear" Citrine, her hummingbird-butterfly familiar now landing on her shoulder. Her yellow eyes, bright and almost shimmery, were on me as I raised the mug without a complaint.

If this helps with my mood then I had no objection

"Do you want to talk about it?" The familiar asked, cheerful voice followed by a suave hum

"Just the same, as always" My nightmares were not a secret. I went to see a therapist the first years, but as I grew and at thirteen with my puberty my werewolf side emerged, I decided to quit. Probably it wasn't the best idea since it reminded me even more of my family.

"And?" My grams pushed. She knew, of course she knew that there was something else bugging me

"I had a fight with Lydia. I pointed out to her how toxic her relationship was and she snapped. Said some nasty thing that I know she regretted the moment they left her mouth and now I feel like shit about the fight because I know how she always gets whenever I push on the subject" I spoke everything in one breath, words rolling out of my mouth so easily that if I didn't know better would say that my grandmother had spelled the tea with the truth enchantment. I heaved a sigh, slouching back into my seat, feeling slightly better.

"You can feel concerned about your friend. Voicing it to them" Grams said "But remember that it is still her relationship."

I smiled at my grandmother's words, knowing that I had to go to school a bit earlier. I fed the last bit of pancake and bacon to Hex, who gladly accepted the treat before getting up from my seat. I kissed my grandmother's cheek and patted Citrine on her head saying goodbye to them, and soon, I was out of the door and already starting my car.

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╰┈˚ · ° .   It was our ritual, whenever Lydia and I would have a fight, the next morning if we were ready to apologize, we would wait in front of the school earlier than the starting time.

I parked my car in the empty parking lot. Minutes by minutes the time passed, and for a second I was certain that maybe Lydia wasn't ready.

"She will come" Said Hex, her body curled in my lap "Stop stressing"

But still, no Lydia until another car, a familiar one, parked next to mine.

The corner of my lips slightly turned upwards "Told you" Hex said as she slithered up my arm and returned into her domus in an explosion of purple mist.

The passenger door opened and the strawberry blonde beauty entered the car. We sat in silence, an uncomfortable one filled with unspoken words. Tired of it, I let out a tired sigh "I'm sorry." I said "I know that it's not my business your relationship with Jackson and even if I know that you could find someone better, I will reign in my comments." Turning towards her I raised a finger, stopping her from speaking "My comments, I said. I will still be concerned for you as long as I see the way your relationship with him goes but... I will not voice them as much as I usually do"

"I understand, I really do. And I'm so sorry for what I said. I didn't mean them" She tilted her head and pursed her lips as I scoffed at her. "I mean yes,I definitely mean what I said it's just..." She trailed off. Turning towards me her eyes glistened with unshed tears "The way I said them was just awful. You're the last person that I would want to hurt but I know that I did. I'm sorry"

Smiling softly at her I said "I forgive you"

"I forgive you," She told back. Her tears now dried up as new sparkle replaced it

"Oh no" I groaned "We are so not going to hug this out"

Her grin was mesmerizing whe she said "We are so going to do that. Just later. I will catch you by surprise" We both laugh at that.

Cars were now starting to fill the parking lot as school hours were getting nearer by the second. Both of us recognized Allison's dad's car as he dropped the girl off.

"C'mon, we have to go" I said

"Yes" The strawberry blonde nodded her head but she stopped me from getting out of the car with her arm. "And wednesday night with Alec, after school was definitely a date" With her last comment the girl runned out of the car, leaving me to curse heavily after her.

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╰┈˚ · ° .   "It's just weird. Everybody's talking about what happened the other night, and nobody knows it was us." Allison said after she, Lydia and I exited our classroom

"Thank you for the protection of minors." The strawberry blonde girl said smugly

"Do you girls think I made the wrong decision?" Allison breathed out after a second.

"About that jacket with that dress? Absolutely." Lydia snarked making me chuckle at her

"You know what I mean."

With a scoff, Lydia replied "Hello? Scott locked us in that classroom and left us for dead. He's lucky we're not pressing charges or making him pay our therapy bills."

Of course, knowing what really happened that night made me want to say something different. Probably the complete opposite, but I still understand it from their perspective. If I was oblivious of the real situation, I would've for sure strangled Scott at the first opportunity. And plus, I was still mad at him for framing Derek for all the murders, so I kept my mouth shut.

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╰┈˚ · ° .   It was just before lunch that I saw Alec for the first time that day. His curled dark hair was messier than usual hiding under the hood of his black hoodie that was as always worn under a leather jacket. His hands were squeezing into fists before relaxing, again and again in a loop. His defined jaw was clenched hard and his chocolate eyes shaded more into onyx. The full moon had a different type of pull on shadow wolves. Their ties being cut off from it by the curse didn't just left them with the feeling of emptiness, but when the moon rises in his full form in the night sky, the darkness were shadow wolf were created from, the place were my ancestor used to power her curse, would render the shadow wolves more on edge than normal werewolf. Angrier, more chaotic, more dangerous. Even if those were usually things that characterized every shadow wolf for all the moon cycles, during the full moon those qualities were heightened just as for normal werewolves. The thirst for the wildness was more prominent as it was the predator beneath their skin. The moon had yet to rise but even I could already feel the pull slightly.

"Alec," I said. My senses on high alert, my magic ready as they felt the potential threat. The boy continued to walk as I had never spoken. My hand instinctively grasped his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Are you okay?"

With deep breath he said "Not today, Elizabeth"

"You still don't have control on the full moon?" I questioned confusedly

"Yes." he replied through his teeth "Yes, I normally am in total control during full moons but that is when I know I can let my wolf out without risking any lives or mine. Because I'm pretty sure that the hunters will be roaming around all the forest searching for the Alpha, Derek and the unknown beta and probably for the both of us" a growl formed in his chest now his eyes slowly bleeding the black even the sclera as his temper rised word by word "So, no, witch, right now, I'm definitely not okay" his breathing was labored as he stopped speaking, wisps of shadows curling around him, eye completely black. We were lucky that everyone was in the cafeteria or at least eating lunch somewhere else and the hallway was empty.

His nail shifted into claws, now digging in his own palms. Crimson blood dripped down his hands, drops falling on the floor. Slowly his shadows receded and the white in his sclera was once again to be seen.

Pain makes you human.

His breathing pattern regulated and without even a word he walked away, leaving me confused and most of all to my surprise, worried.

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╰┈˚ · ° .   From the bleachers of the Lacrosse field I watched the training with my best friend. My eyes were trained on Scott even if my attention was split in two. With the full moon so near it wasn't only Alec that I was worried about. This would be only Scott's second full moon, but I knew that even with the woods crowded with hunters and streets filled with cops ready to arrest him, if needed, Derek will be there for him. The second thing I was focusing on was Lydia. She was shifting in her spot, anxiety a guilt coming out of her in waves

The training went on, players allied with each other took Scott under their wrath. Apparently he was the new co-captain with Jackson. I honestly would've loved to see his face once the coach broke the news of their team's new captain's status.

"Oh fuck!" I whispered as I saw Scott lining up for throwing. I could feel how the moon was already affecting him. "This is not going to end well" I mumbled as I passed my fingers through my hairs glancing towards Stiles, who was behind Scott, with a worried look. He too was concerned.

Scott started to run, the first two defenders were down in second and then, without mercy, the new werewolf hit the goalie with his lacrosse stick, Danny, and harshly sent him to the ground.

Various shouts of Danny's name could've been heard as everyone, even Lydia and I from the bleachers ran towards the boy. Paramedics quickly came, helping the boy out of the helmet on his head. His nose currently bleeding.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing?" I overheard Stiles with his friend

"What? He's twice the size of me." Scott defended himself

"Yeah, but everybody likes Danny." He wasn't wrong. Even I liked the boy

"Now everybody's gonna hate you."

"I don't care." was the only answer that came from Scott.

Seeing where my sight was focused on Lydia quickly averted his eyes away from the McCall teen. I furrowed my eyebrows and quickly dragged my best friend away from the team

"Spit it out" I kind of snapped "What happened? Did Scott do anything to you?"

Ater a brief hesitant pause Lydia sighed "He tried to kiss me" She said rapidly. My eyes widened, I knew he was already feeling the effect of the moon but this... this was a whole new level. "Please, tell me that-"

"No, no I didn't" She rolled her eyes at me "And then he apologized saying that he didn't know why he tried to do it in the first place"

I breathed out a relieved sigh, interlocking my arm with hers, starting to walk away not noticing how Stiles had just overheard only the first part of our talk, and now was furious with his best friend, who he thought had kissed his crush since third grade.

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╰┈˚ · ° .   The afternoon was quickly fading into night, the sky was now tinged in hues of oranges, yellows and pink as the sun started to set. The full moon was only minutes away from rising. To help focus as I always did during the full moon, my sketchbook was open on my laps, charcoal already staining my fingers.

"Come in" I said as I heard a knock from my door already knowing it was my grandma. Her joyful smile as always on her lips but I could scent the worry coming off of her in waves. "I'm fine, grams. You know that I can control my shift during the full moon"

"I know" Her fingers brushed a strand of hair behind my ear "But you know that I always worry. More so now that the Argent are back"

I looked up at her and said "You know that the hunters don't have us witches as their target. There is a treaty made for that, remember"

"Of course they wouldn't dare touch one of us. Mostly a Warren witch" She winked before a grief invaded her beautiful eyes. My mother. The Argents, of course, never claimed to have set the Hale house on fire, but we knew, we knew it was them. My mother, herself a Warren witch, died in that fire, but she wasn't the target. The Hales were. Grandma covered her sadness quickly, concern now shining in her eyes "But you are still a Hale too, Ellie. You are a werewolf too, not just a witch."

"And that is why I'm staying inside the wards" I grinned at her. Our property, the house and woodland around it, was protected by a barrier. A spell created for the first time by my grandmother when she first brought the house in her youth, now being renovated and recharged almost every week since the Argents were back. No one but us, us with Warren blood, could enter those wards.

"Some are not that lucky to have that" Grams says sadly. With a last smile at me, she walked out of the room.

Her words made me think back of the conversation I had with Alec that morning. How tense already he was and ready to snap at the first opportunity. Shadow wolves, unlike werewolves or any other animal shifter, could easily turn into their wolf form. The only pack able to do that as easily as them for the most part, it was the Hale's. The Hale family was notorious for their abilities to shift into full wolf. My aunt, Talia, one of the most respected Alpha that ever existed was able to complete the shift. And with her, Laura, her daughter, Ezra, my father and her younger brother, and lastly, my brother Oliver, who had just learned how to do it at eighteen when the fire happened.

As their instincts as predators were highlighted alongside rage and bloodlust, shadow wolves preferred to complete shift during the full moons, as in that form, the wildness, the freedom of the forests, would help them calm.

I looked outside, the moon only now just rising, I could feel its pull. I sighed through my nose and after another moment of thinking about it I decided to pick my phone and send an S.O.S message to Alec. To meet at my house as soon as he could, hoping that that would be enough for him to decide to come. I waited impatiently, even drawing would not help me settle down. Jogging down the stairs, I made my way to the kitchen and down the back door, sending a smile to grandma as I passed her in the living room, as always with a new knitting project in her hand. Sitting on the grass in the backyards behind the house that was just before the tree line for the woods, I focused on the moon. The pull of it calling my wolf and my magic. I sat there, absorbing its energy for so long that I had lost hope that Alec would come until the rumble of his motorbike caught my attention. I quickly ran towards the front door passing around the house from the outside and there he was. Eyes wide and frenetic, chaos emitting in waves from him. Shadows curled around him in such a way that it made me think that the boy was doing everything he could to not let them free.

"What happened!" Alec ran towards me, his eyes scanning my figure "Are you okay?"

"I am fine. Nothing happened" I said with an amused roll of eyes. But apparently that was not funny to him.

"Then what the fuck I am here for and why did you send me a S.O.S message!" I could feel the anger bleeding into his words as he raged at me

"Don't snap at me. I am trying to help you, asshole!"

"How is making me drive like a manic and make me worried that something had happened to you during a full moon is helping, witch. You know how shadow wolves get during one!" He yelled ferociously, his shadows more frenetic than before and eyes completely black

"Because I have wards around the priority, demon! " I yelled back, eyes glowing gold. I took a calming breath, soothing my nerves as I started to speak again. This time more calmly "No one can enter without mine or grams permission. You can go into the forest and shift into your wolf without having to worry about the hunters. You will know when the wards ends, don't worry"

It seemed that I shocked Alec enough for him to shift back completely human once again. "Are you joking?" He asked suspiciously

I rolled my eyes and started to walk back into the backyard "Are you coming or not?" I called back. He soon followed behind me. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow "What are you waiting for?" I urged, sitting back on the soft grass

"Are you sure-"

"Alec, shift" I cut him off rolling my eyes once again at him

"Are you going to watch me strip, little witch?" And his cocky smirk was back "I am not complaining" He shrugged off his shirt revealing his muscular torso. He was lean but still had muscles on him. His tattoos extend from the middle of his neck down his shoulders and arm, till his fingers that were cladded in silver rings.

I made show of checking him out before saying "Seen better" I replied nonchalantly opening my sketchbook

"You still haven't seen the best part" His chuckle was followed by the sound of the zip of his jeans

"You mean the part that I will cut off if you continue to annoy me" I said sweetly not looking up

"I was talking about my wolf." He laughed "But if you want-"

"Finish that phrase and I'll snap your neck"

He laughed again before I felt the magic in the air. He had shifted. Steps neared me and soon his head was nudging my shoulder.

His body was covered in black ebony fur, some wisps of shadows still clanged to him even if I knew that in this form he wouldn't be able to manipulate them. His eyes were completely black and stared intently at me.

"I'm going to say this one time and one time only." I said, raising my hand to pet his snout. "You were right. Your wolf is beautiful" He nibbed lightly at my hand before whining lightly, all signs of affection that are made by wolves. I kissed his head before nodding my head towards the woods "Go"

He didn't waste time to sprint into the forest.

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╰┈˚ · ° .   A couple of hours had passed before Alec came back. I was completely focused on my drawing when I felt his fur near my face. "Already back?" asked as the shadow wolf started to rub his body against me. Alec started to circle me before he laid down. I layed next to him, my head on his back. He curled around me as I started to pet his snout, earning low whine and rubles from the wolf.

"Terra flores" At my words the soft grass underneath us grew higher. Flowers of many shades bloomed around us, their colors shining from the light of the full moon and stars.

That night, surrounded by the scent of wildness and forest, the moon still high in the night sky, Alec's soft black fur underneath me, I fell asleep lulled by his steady breaths. The next morning I found myself in my bed, the alarm clock waking me up opposite to the normal nightmares.

✎

˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ˊˎ˗

Hello everyone!

This was a big chapter, I hope you liked it!

I love the friendship between Lydia and Elizabeth. They are literally my goal for friendship.

I loved writing the last part with Alec and his shift because of the full moon. We all know that Ellie is a softy deep down lol

Anyways, thank you for reading this chapter, I'll see you on thursday!

˚ · ° . 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 . ° · ˚

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞!

– 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 ☾