Chapter Thirteen
"Family dinner's are the best"

"So young man, what's your name?"

Derek shifted in his chair, and looked straight into my father's face. It probably looked intimating to most people but I knew Derek looked at everyone like that, head on and intense. Sitting right beside him though, I couldn't make out his expression, and instead I focused on my dad's reactions. The rest of the table was watching interestedly too, and all other conversations ceased. After a long pause, Derek replied with the truth.

"Derek Hale, sir." My dad nodded slowly.

"Hale as in Peter Hale's nephew?"

Derek nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"The same Derek Hale who left the hospital AMA after being brought in on a rig with such a deep laceration that it reached the kidneys a couple of months ago?" He continued and I ducked my head at the few laughs from the Pack who remembered that incident.
Derek shifted again, gripping the table tightly,

"Yes sir, the very same one." Dad's eyebrows rose slowly, putting a forkful of food into his mouth.

"How did that turn out?"

Derek shrugged, and in answer stood up and lifted his shirt slightly to reveal his smooth flawless abs. Whoa. Obviously the sights affect on my heart rate was apparent as the various wolves around the table glanced knowingly at me. My dad just nodded, a puzzled look on his face, but he didn't look shocked.

"So Derek," my mum cut in, obviously trying to change subject, "how do you know Scott and the others?"

Why were my parents so nosy?! Ground swallow me up please.

"He used to go to BHHS before we did," Stiles said quickly when Derek's face remained blank, "and he was Captain of the Lacrosse team. Anyway, Scott wanted some tips and...er we all kind of got to know each other after that."

"Captain of the lacrosse team, huh?"

Derek nodded modestly. Guiltily, I realised I'd barely even considered his life before the fire.

"But baseball was more my thing." He said with a smile. My mouth curled as I remembered the picture of a young Derek holding a baseball bat hanging in his room.

"Didn't you get an offer from Stanford?" Asked Jared, one of my brother's senior friends from the lacrosse team. Derek glared at him.

"Yes, yes, I did," he said stiffly, shrugging it off. Scott nudged him with his shoulder proudly.

"Really dude?" Jackson asked, shocked. " I'm trying to apply there!"

"Stanford is an Ivy league college, one of the best in the country," Allison whispered in my ear helpfully. Derek turned to us, briefly catching my eye but his flitted away quickly. Wow. But why hadn't Derek accepted? Not looking at me, he leant down the table to reach the salt, and his dark t-shirt brushed against my arms, and I felt goosebumps appear where it touched. I groaned inwardly. How pathetic was that?

"But you didn't go?" Mum continued, voicing everyone's unasked question.

"Bad timing. My family were more important," he said quietly, eyebrows knitting together, shadowing his eyes. The table fell silent, and I realised the whole town— even my parents, new- comers— were aware of the Hale fire.

"Anyone want the last drumstick?" Scott asked, breaking the silence. We all turned to look at him, goofily holding it up sheepishly.

"Hell yeah," Jackson lunged for it and they wrestled over it until Boyd neatly snatched it up and licked it. He smirked at them while they stared in shock at him. And then Stiles being Stiles just bit a huge chunk of it from Boyd's hand.

"Dude! That's disgusting!" Scott groaned. Stiles just winked at him, and Boyd reluctantly handed it over to Stiles. By this point Derek had his head in his hands and my parents looked torn between laughter and disgust.

"So...who's up for dessert?' My mum asked weakly.

I stood at the sink, washing up, since that was the only job I was trusted with in the kitchen. Even though I had broken countless plates, I guess it was preferable to setting the kitchen on fire. I could hear the various people around the house, my friends had migrated to the garden and their loud conversation wafted through the open back door. My sister was kicking my brothers friend's ass on some video game, and my parents sat with them looking on with what seemed like confusion with teenage kind. I was actually glad for the quiet seclusion, as I didn't have to face a certain leather-jacket-clad wolf after he'd witnessed like, eight different people slapping my butt. I let my mortification overwhelm me as I robotically scrubbed the many dishes.

"Need any help?"

When the low voice appeared behind me, I jerked in surprise, and the current plate slipped from my hands. I lunged for it but Derek got there faster, gracefully sweeping from the doorway to catch it, and he handed it to me carefully before picking up a towel. I shrugged, brain seemingly unable to form words after my surprise.

He just silently picked up a wet plate and dried it quickly, then another one.
"What?" He asked gruffly, and I quickly turned my eyes back to the sink.

"It's a bit weird seeing an Alpha werewolf do something so mundane as drying the dishes," I said.

His eyebrow quirked. Did I mention I love it when he does that?! "What, did you expect us to lick them clean?"

"No..."

"Ever heard of a dishwasher? It's a modern invention, does this for you?"

"Hey, I've got to earn pocket money somehow," I told him. Suddenly his unusually bright demeanour darkened, but he nodded, continuing his job silently. I searched my brain for what I'd said to make him revert to his usual bad mood.

"So...my dad seems to be less suspicious of you than when he first saw you..." I said, awkwardly filling the silence. He didn't acknowledge I'd said anything. To be honest, I couldn't blame him, and we slipped into a routine. We were near finishing when a low growl came from behind us. Derek spun round, and I followed suit. To my surprise Indigo stood there. She never growled...except the first time we met Derek, I noted curiously. Quickly, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her, burying my face into her neck, and slowly stroked her ears until she calmed down.

"Sorry, she would never do that normally..." I said.

Derek just shrugged, "Happens all the time." I nodded as if I understood; this never happened with Scott or Erica or any of my other friends and they were werewolves. He obviously saw my still blank expression, and rubbed a hand over his face, sighing.

"Basically, because I'm an Alpha I'm automatically more intimidating to werewolves, but also to other dogs and wolves." I looked from Indigo, who was still on edge, to Derek. He suddenly, but calmly, flashed his Alpha-red eyes at Indigo. As soon as his eyes met hers, she went beserk, barking and spitting, trying to pull from my arms. My parents looked over, startled. It must have been the first time we'd ever heard Indigo bark. Derek's eyes quickly reverted to their grey-sea-green, and he moved forward, gently pulling me away from Indigo, frowning in confusion.

"Wha-" I started, but Derek yanked me behind him and Indigo finally stopped barking, looking her usual self. Derek stayed silent for a moment, and Indigo calmly trotted over to us, then jumped up so her paws were on Derek's shoulders and licked him from his chin all the way up to his hair. He started laughing and rolled onto the floor, and let Indigo continue licking him. I stood there in shock, and the back door slid open, revealing the Pack. Erica watched with a knowing smirk on her face, and whispered something to Erica and Allison, who both nodded and smiled, but had Derek turning to glare at her. I wondered what she'd said. At least the guys lasted until Indigo had gotten off of Derek to take advantage of his position on the floor before doing a massive 'pile-on'.

Boys.

AN- I know it was way too short, but after this chapter things really start to get going! We're going to be finding more about the Alpha Pack- why they're in Beacon Hills, what happened to Erica and Boyd, why Indigo really didn't like Derek and why she 'forgave' him and also more about Derek and his feelings towards Mer! :)

Thanks everyone and I'll be updating soon! :)