The abandoned railway depot was quiet except for the faint hum of the city above. Rusted tracks stretched into darkness, dust floating through weak light spilling from broken windows.
It was where Derek trained his betas.
Where Isaac Lahey, Erica Reyes, and Vernon Boyd learned how to control the power he gave them.
And tonight…
You were finally here.
Your footsteps echoed softly through the station as you stepped deeper into the depot. Your senses were overwhelming— every distant car, every dripping pipe, every heartbeat in the building.
Including his.
From across the room, Derek stood near one of the pillars, arms crossed like he’d been expecting you.
Which… he probably had.
His eyes flicked up when he heard you approach.
“You finally stopped running.”
Your jaw tightened.
“I wasn’t running.”
Derek tilted his head slightly.
“You avoided me for three weeks.”
“I was adjusting.”
“You ignored every message I sent.”
“I didn’t ask for this!”
The words came out sharper than you meant.
Silence filled the depot.
Your breathing was uneven, your pulse racing as the wolf inside you shifted restlessly beneath your skin.
Derek stepped forward slowly.
“You think Isaac asked?” he said quietly.
“Or Erica? Boyd?”
“That’s not the same!”
“Why not?”
You clenched your fists.
“Because you chose it for me!”
The growl in your voice surprised even you.
Derek stopped a few feet away, studying you carefully.
“You were dying,” he said bluntly.
Your voice cracked.
“You still took my choice.”
Your claws threatened to push through your fingertips as the anger and fear tangled together.
And Derek noticed immediately.
His expression sharpened.
“The full moon is tonight.”
You froze.
“…I know.”
“Do you?”
You swallowed hard.
Your eyes flicked toward the tracks.
“I can hear everything,” you whispered. “Every heartbeat in the city… every sound… it won’t stop.”
Derek’s voice lowered slightly.
“That’s why you came.”
You hesitated.
Then nodded.
“…I can’t control it.”
For the first time, Derek’s expression softened— just barely.
“You won’t be alone.”
You looked at him.
“But you bit me.”
“Yes.”
Your voice trembled slightly.
“So if I lose control…”
Derek met your eyes steadily.
“Then it’s my responsibility to help you find it again.”
Your wolf stirred beneath your skin.
The moon was rising.
And tonight would be your first shift.