InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Mich Forever"

The last day of school could not come soon enough. It wasn’t hard, it wasn’t too difficult. But it wasn’t for her. Not school, just this setup. She had Stonehaven, but she didn’t have her pack. It just wasn’t the same, and she was restless. At least if she was out of school she could focus her studies and interests on what she wanted to do.

But she wasn’t there yet. There was still some time left. So there she was before class started. She was the first one in the room for once, having arrived early, rather than just on time for once. Kate sat herself down at the tables closest to the exit.

Once she was settled in her seat, she pulled out a book she was reading on the history of Vallo, specifically one around the history of werewolves. She’d read it before. It was nothing new, but she was reading it again to see if she had missed anything on her first read-through it.

She was stretched out in her seat, legs crossed at her ankles, free arm laying across her stomach when she heard someone else come into the building and start down the hall toward the classroom. She watched for a second, waiting, but then flicked her eyes back down to her book one they were about to appear in the doorway.

In all honesty, Erica couldn't wait to be finished with school. It would mean easier changes in her life being here. Once school was over, she could change her work schedule to afternoons instead of nights, spend some extra time training, and have more free time for herself. It would be great. But it was a number of days away. How many, she wasn't certain yet, but you better believe she was counting.

She knew she was early for her class, but this wasn't Beacon Hills. No one here knew her as the pariah with Epilepsy... or as the angry vixen after she'd been bitten. Here, she could find her balance, her anchor, and maybe figure her shit out. Figure out who she was actually supposed to be.

Upon reaching the door to the classroom, she found that she wasn't the only one who was early. And she wasn't the only werewolf either if her nose was telling her correctly. Even if the scent was a smidge off, it was still easy to recognize as similar to her own.

She blinked, choosing to say nothing — for now. Instead, she made her way to another free seat and plopped down into it. Pulling out the laptop she'd gotten with a bit of the money she'd been given upon arrival, she popped it open and set to work, knocking out the rest of the homework they'd been given previously.

Holy shit, another female werewolf. First, it had only been her and her mother. Now she was here and there were two of them right around her own age. The scent reminded her of Cora and Scott, which led her to believe this was the new arrival from their world. Apparently werewolves were plenty there.

Even if she was used to other werewolves, and other females, Kate had expected some reaction. But nope, nothing. So Kate set her book down on the table and turned her body to face the newcomer in the class. “You’re a werewolf.” she said bluntly. “From Scott and Cora’s world?” she was pretty sure her nose was one the money, but it was better to confirm.

Blinking Erica was caught a little by surprise whenever the other blonde turned around and flat out called her out on what she was. She knew that this place was pretty open about everything, but she hadn't quite expected that from the other person.

Still, maybe it made a weird kind of sense. Even if they weren't from the same place, she could imagine some Weres would want to stick together. Or at least know who was who. It was safer that way, to a degree.

"Your nose isn't wrong," she confirmed, raising an eyebrow and leaning back in her seat to actually look at the other woman.

She was cute. Erica would give her that. "What about you? You're not from the same world as us." She could tell that easily. And it kind of intrigued her. She was curious as to what other places had in terms of what she was. And maybe what other people were.

“Nope, I’m not,” she said with a grin. “My world, from what I can tell, is really different.” she leaned forward in her seat slightly, studying the other girl as much as she was being studied. “For one, female werewolves in my world are rare. It’s just me and my mom. Meeting you and Cora doubled the amount.” the fact that women could be just as common as men was mind-boggling.

“I’m Kate.” she offered, “I think I was one of the first Outlander werewolves to arrive. Scott followed not long after, then Cora.” She wished there would be someone else from her own world, but she was glad she wasn’t the only Outlander.

Females were rare where she was from? Erica didn't really know if that was the same for her world, though. "I... I don't really know if it's the same where I'm from, honestly. I've only met one other chick... and she tried to kill me." Or, well... she supposed if what Stiles said was true, she did kill her. That was a fact that she didn't want to dwell on at the moment, though.

The thought alone made her sad. Made her wonder if maybe she wasn't meant to be here after all. And it kind of pissed her off as well. Not just the fact that she was dead back home... but how the news was delivered here as well.

"I've never met Cora, but I do know she was born. So it might be different since I wasn't." Bitten and born were so different it seemed. "But anyway... Erica." She reached out to offer the girl her hand in greeting, waiting in an out of character patience. Maybe this place was already changing her for the better. Maybe this was where she was meant to be.

“It doesn’t sound like it is from talking to Scott and Cora.” she said with a casual shrug. It was interesting how what was a big thing in her world was so common in another. “And, well, shit. What happened?” There were a lot of reasons a werewolf might try to kill another werewolf. Some were justified, a lot just seemed like stupid bullshit, in Kate’s opinion. There were other ways. Plus, just don’t be a dick.

Kate lifted herself out of her seat far enough to reach for Erica’s hand, shaking it firmly before sitting back down. “Nice to meet you, Erica. It’s cool to meet other wolves my age. Especially other females. That’s not really an opportunity I have much of back home.” There was her brother, and there was the werewolf from camp, and that about summed up here werewolf peers.

“Were you? I think that’s even more impressive by my world’s standings. I was born, but my mom was bitten and actually survived the change. There’s a high death rate for people who are bitten, but women seem to have less of a chance.”

Erica chuckled dryly. What did happen? She didn't know for sure, she just knew they were taken. "My friend, Boyd, and I were taken. Kidnapped by a pack made up of Alphas. I didn't take it too well, fought back. The chick put me on my ass just before I ended up here." She took a breath before she started on her next sentence. "Apparently, according to one of the guys from home, I never made it out of the bank vault."

She shrugged as if she were over hearing the news. Deep down it still bothered her, had added to the nightmares she already had of Allison's grandfather. But it was what it was. There was nothing she could do about it now.

Hearing about how wolves were in Kate's world had Erica thinking about her turning all over again. It hadn't been easy... but she'd survived it. Derek had been so damned alluring. He'd drawn in a girl who felt helpless and alone so easily. It almost made her sick how pathetic she'd been, how effortless it had been for him to pull her into his world. How quickly she gave in to the promises he'd given her.

She'd even foolishly thought there might be something more there. But didn't all people who didn't have much in the way of social skills to begin with? She'd learned quickly, afterward, however.

The other wolf — Kate — gave her a bit of an ego boost, at least, whenever she called her impressive. Even if by her world's standards it hadn't been. "Guess I'm just a special cookie," she chuckled, shrugging. "It took a werewolf in dire need of a pedicure to kill me."

For a brief second Kate thought she might be making a joke, or maybe she had misheard. But no, Kate barely misheard, but there was a lot to unpack in that sentence. How does one have a pack full of Alphas? She knew Alpha’s worked differently in their world. Something about killing other Alpha’s ascending, a transference of powers. You could certainly kill an Alpha in Kate’s world to take over, but there was no special spark of power. If Kate ever took over from her mom, it would be passed down when she was ready.

Her smile faltered, the corners of her lips falling straight. “Holy fuck.” she said softly. That was some dark shit, and Kate didn’t have a clue what to say in response. Did she just not address what it sounded like Erica was saying. “I’m sorry.” she said sincerely, but what could she say on top of that? She couldn’t change or fix anything.

Kate didn’t quite follow the pedicure comment. Maybe it had to do with claws. But didn’t they all have that? “At least they’re not here.” She was pretty sure. “I think.” Wouldn’t that be a bitch. “Hopefully things can be better. Despite the status of packs around here being a mess, it’s not too bad for us.”

Erica knew the moment that Kate figured out she wasn't lying. It was in her posture, in her scent, in the look in her eyes. Derek may have been a shit Alpha in a lot of ways, but he did manage to teach her a few things anyway. She had paid attention.

The wolf gave a shrug at the other woman's apology, acting as if the fact she knew she was dead back in her own world didn't phase her. The reality was much different, but she wasn't about to admit to that piece of weakness.

"It is what it is, right? Besides, I'm not there. I'm here. And I'm breathing. And no bitch with permanent five inch toenails is going to put me in the ground here." She'd make damn sure of it. It was why she was actively beating her own ass almost everyday with those fighting classes that Sara lady was giving. Better to be exhausted for a little while and be able to protect herself better later than to be perfectly fine now and be dead later, right?

"Definitely not here." Might as well confirm that piece of information. "And things will get better. They have no other direction to go." And Erica was going to make damn sure that if there was another direction, it wasn't going there. She wouldn't be dying anytime soon if she had anything to say about it.

Kate had to give her props for the way she was dealing with it, or at least trying to deal with it. She might feel that way, but she could also be burying how she really felt. Most people would. But it was not her place to poke at that.

“I’m mean, no, probably not. It kind of seems like there’s a small army of people here who would protest the murder of a teenager.” Why the fuck hadn’t anyone stood up for her in her world? She had questions, but she also didn’t want to pry. It was probably personal.

“She doesn’t sound like much of an Alpha anyway. Scott mentioned something about Alphas in his world. It takes a hell of a lot more than some special spark to make an Alpha.” It was a level she hoped to achieve someday. If she could be anything like her mother, she’d be doing good.

But she’d drop that so she wouldn’t push. “Anyway, it’s cool you’re here now.”

Though she'd have no way to know it — unless in her world werewolves were telepathic as well — the thought that Kate had was one that Erica wondered often before The Bite. And sometimes afterward, as well. But the answer that she always inevitably found herself back at was the simplest of all:

Children were cruel.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not really all that informed on people like us where I'm from. Derek didn't have a whole lot of time to teach us before things went to shit." Or maybe he did and he had just not bothered. He hadn't needed her to do much other than his dirty work... but she'd been loyal and she'd been a good beta, damn it. Right up until she ran.

She and Boyd had been on their way back to Derek when the Alpha Pack found them, though. Apparently, she'd just never quite made it.

The blonde couldn't help the small, if slightly insecure, smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth when the other woman said it was cool she was there. Already this place was proving to be much more promising than Beacon Hills. Maybe she'd just stick around here if the option to go back ever came around.

"Thanks. I'm already liking this place better than home, anyway. Even with the geese."

She couldn’t imagine another pack killing one of their members, especially one of their teenagers. Which was really just Kate and her brother. As kids of the Alpha, that other pack would probably be unleashing hell onto themselves.

“The geese stole my hat, they’re lucky I didn’t make them dinner.” Kate made a face that showed her annoyance, but there was humor in her words. “Anyway, if you ever want to go running or spar or anything, I’m always around. Without my pack here I’m basically bored half the time and itching for something to do.”

"The geese stole my coffee maker. They're lucky I didn't decimate their entire little flock for that alone," she grumped. She'd had to go and buy a new one, but it had been an upgrade. Still, those geese were not forgiven. Not one tiny little bit.

"I'm down for company. I just... kind of don't have control over my shift yet. Full moon comes and I'm a raging Jeffery Dahmer with fur," she explained, shrugging. "Once I find my anchor, though, I'm all for it." She just had to find a place to hunker down before then... make sure she didn't kill anybody.

Kate’s lip curled up into a smirk at the comment, because she could seriously relate. Geese screwing with her possessions? Nope, not how the natural order went.

She was about to ask what the hell an anchor was when her ears picked up on footsteps coming down the hall, and a woman’s voice was talking, probably on a cellphone. It was their teacher heading this way.

Her question forgotten, Kate turned to look at the door. No one was in sight yet, most people wouldn’t be able to hear who was coming, but it was easy enough for her. Probably Erica as well. “That’s Vanya, one of the teachers.” She looked back to Erica, “Sometime not during the full moon then. We can figure it out later.”

The footsteps and voice had Erica's ears twitching slightly as she glanced at the door at the same time as Kate. It was Kate's explanation, however, that had Erica shifting in her seat and situating what she needed to situate.

"That sounds great. I'll give you my number when class is over. We'll talk. Set stuff up." It seemed this place really was shaping up. She was making new friends already, which was a definite change from Beacon Hills.

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