"Selenophilia-"
"Don't call me that, Hale." She snapped, keeping her eyes on the road.
"It's your name."
"No, it's a word that my mother loves so much that she named her only daughter it. So it's not a name. It's just a word." Derek turned to her, didn't speak, but quickly looked away at the road. Scott looked back at the two of them. He understood that they had met before but it seemed that it had been a while. At least, that's what it looked like. He looked away and looked back at the street. They were heading for his house since it was closer to town and was probably safer. No one had gotten hurt, but Scott feared that the next time they wouldn't be as lucky. He felt Stiles nudge him. When he looked at him, Stiles tried gesturing his head towards something, but Scott just looked at him confused.
"She's hurt," He continued to look at Stiles confused. He sighed and continued, "Her neck."
Scott looked back at the girl who was still focused on driving. On the side of her neck was a bloody gash that was surrounded by a large bruise. They both seemed to be healing but seem to be clearly somewhat fresh. It reminded him of a cut that had come from a werewolf.
"How did you get that?" Scott spoke up after looking at it for a moment.
"What?" The girl questioned realizing he was talking to her.
"There's something on your neck." She felt the side of her neck as if she had forgotten what was there. She then pulled the collar of her jacket up to cover it.
"What was that?" Derek demanded, sounding a mixture of angry and worried.
"Nothing. A wound from a trap I accidentally set off."
"Don't lie to me."
He let a low growl and his eyes glowed a bright blue. She didn't seem frightened by it. She just kept driving and didn't respond in any way.
"How did you get it?"
Again, she ignored him.
"Did your mother or someone else from your pack do it?"
She didn't answer, but her grip seemed to tighten on the steering wheel.
"I told you it wasn't safe to stay with them. They'll either kill you or turn you and there is nothing you can do." He turned away from her and muttered, "All they are is a loose cannon."
Her foot slammed on the breaks, causing everyone more trouble of staying in their seats. Derek's head came down and he almost hit the dashboard. She shifted the gear into park and turned herself to face him.
"This is the first time in months." She responded as she pulled down her jacket showing the wound. It was much large than Scott and Stiles originally thought. "Through a bunch of full moons and stressful times, they had control over themselves. It was one time. One single fuckin' time!" She teared up a bit, causing Derek to stand down. She shook her head and looked back at the road, shifting the gear back to drive. "You are not in the position to tell me what to do with me and my pack. Last I checked, your pack is nonexistent. You were an alpha and then gave it up to save your sister." She started to drive on the street again. "You've got no right, Hale. None." She combed one of her hands through her hair and kept it there as she leaned against the door; the other gripped the steering wheel tightly.
There was nothing but silence the rest of the ride. When they turned onto Scott's street, she slowed her truck down. She pulled over so she was partly on his lawn and partly on the street. She shifted the trucks gear back into park before Scott and the others got from the bed of the truck. Derek stayed put for a moment. "Why aren't you getting the hell out?"
"I'm sorry for what I said, but it is the truth," He looked at her with an understanding look. "And I think you know that," She didn't reply, but he could tell by her face she agreed. "Thanks for the help and we may need it again."
"I am not doing this again, Derek."
"Selenop-" He started but was cut off by her glare. "Lena. You owe me." Her face didn't change. "You know you do." Her scowl softened as she sighed. She pulled a pen and piece of paper from the glove box and wrote something down.
"This is my number. If you really need me, text or call but tell-"
"Tell you what the exact situation is, so you can prepare for whatever you're running into. I remember. You haven't changed that much." She smiled and shook her head.
"Neither have you, Hale. Now, get out of the truck and go do whatever you got to do."
Derek got out of the truck and slammed the door behind him. He leaned on the door through the window.
"It was good to see you, Lena."
"You too." She shifted the gear to reverse. He backed up a bit from the truck. She backed up until the front of her truck faced where they had come from. She shifted the gear back to drive and looked at Derek. "Don't die and don't kill anyone." She yelled out jokingly and she swore she saw him smile, just as she drove off.
Lena looked at the cut surrounded by the bruise on her neck. Her mom didn't mean to turn into her half shift, just like she didn't mean to hit Lena with her claws. It was an impulsive action. Her wolf took control for a moment. That's all. She picked up a bottle of pain killers and took two. She heard knocking at her bedroom door. Lena rested the bottle on her nightstand. Before she opened the door, she tried to cover the wound with her hair. When she opened it, she saw her mother who was still in her human form. For now at least...
"Hey, sweetheart."
"Hey, mum. What's up?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to wish you a good night and-" She stopped as her gaze looked down at her neck. Lena's mother reached out to touch it and Lena, accidentally, flinched at the contact. Her hand shot back. "I am... I truly am... I-"
"Mum, it's fine." Her mother shook her head grabbed the back of her head, clawing at it. Her hands started to shift. She began to mumble and Lena knew what that meant. "Mom. Calm down. It's fine. Really." Her mother didn't respond but her mumbling continued and Lena started to hear some of the words she was saying.
"Thantophobia. Noun. The phobia of losing someone you love. Lacuna. Noun. A black space. A missing part. Sorry. Adjective. In a poor or pitiful state or condition. Cut. Verb. Make an opening, incision, or wound in something with a sharp-edged tool or-"
"Mom, stop," Lena grabbed her mother's wrist. "It's fine. I'm fine." Lena paused as her mother shook her head.
"Kalon," Lena started. "Noun. Beauty is more than skin deep. Dormiveglia. Noun. The space that stretches between sleeping and waking. Meliorism. Noun. The belief that the world gets better. The belief that humans can improve the world. Selenophilia."
Her mother finally looked up at her.
"Noun. Loving the moon and finding it soothingly captivating." She calmed down completely as Lena pulled her into a hug. "We are going to get through this. I promise." Her mother hugged her back.
"I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you too, mum."