Shadow of the Moon

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this

Omega

Her name was Artemis Moon.

Her life had once been a simple one, filled with the ordinaries of a regular teenager's life. But her life was anything but normal now. On the eve of her junior year of high school, Artemis Moon was bitten by an Alpha werewolf and became a lycanthrope. In the time that followed, Artemis struggled to control her inner beast with the help of her childhood friend and fellow lycanthrope, Derek Hale, while trying to find a cure for her curse. During that time, they learned the Alpha's identity and why he was killing people—he was Derek's uncle and taking revenge on those who'd slaughtered his family in the infamous Hale Fire, but not before he killed Derek's sister, Laura, to become an Alpha wolf.

Against Derek's wishes, Artemis befriended the youngest in a long line of werewolf hunters, Alison Argent. While trying to balance her new double-life, Artemis had sought a cure for her lycanthropy (which was rumored to be killing the Alpha that bit you) and also had to deal with her growing feelings for Derek and discover how she was suddenly able to feel his emotions and see into his memories. Later it was revealed that Alison's Aunt Kate had been the one to disregard the hunters' code and commit genocide. Kate had been killed by Peter in a final act of revenge as a result and Alison was brought into the supernatural world.

However, when the time came for Artemis to get the cure she sought, she refused it as as no one knew for sure if Artemis killing her sire would remove her lycanthropy and Artemis feared it would just make her like Peter. So, Derek killed Peter to keep him out of their lives and to help Artemis better. Following that, Derek revealed that the link he and Artemis shared meant they were true mates, as werewolves only truly love one person once in their lifetimes. They professed their love for one another and chose to face the world together as werewolves.

But they had no way of knowing that even with their slightly shaky and quiet truce with Chris Argent, one of the few noble and honorable werewolf hunters and Alison's father; that a great war was on the horizon.

The night was dark and chilly as Artemis ran through the woods on all fours, fully wolfed out. She leapt over a great chasm and gracefully landed on the other side, fully human. She'd gained more control over her inner wolf and more acceptance of what she was of late. And that wasn't the only thing that had happened in recent days.

Artemis and Alison had been forced to end their friendship publicly as Alison's mother, Victoria, had threatened to kill Artemis with a gun full of wolfsbane bullets, if she came near Alison again. Chris had no problem with his daughter's friendship as Artemis had yet to do anything to get herself hunted, (at least in his opinion as he followed the hunter's code) but Alison and Artemis had agreed to fake the ending of their friendship and were secretly continuing it behind Victoria's back as they refused to let anything stand in the way of their friendship.

Artemis then wolfed out again and resumed her run until she pinned down Derek, who was walking in the woods. She smiled at the look on his face. "I win. I caught you and I pinned you. You owe me a chocolate shake."

Derek just quickly rolled over and then pinned down Artemis. "I beg to differ," he said, before kissing her passionately. "I already knew you were coming, Huntress." They'd been practicing her tracking skills by seeing if she could catch Derek before he caught her.

"You mean you cheated," said Artemis, as he helped her stand up.

Ever since their first kiss, Artemis and Derek's link together had become even stronger and their relationship had continued to prosper. They now always felt each other's emotions, could keep each other anchored, saw each other's memories and could communicate telepathically. They could block each other out if they wished, but they rarely did so. Derek suspected the strengthening of their link was due because they'd kissed and because she was now the Alpha's mate and his second in command. Proof of Artemis's change was the fact that she was now in the habit of wearing black leather every day, just like Derek did.

"No, I just know how you work," said Derek. He took his hand into hers and they began to walk through the forest.

"So, you cheated," said Artemis. He couldn't lie to her. She knew his mind. He'd used the link.

"Okay, yes, I cheated," he admitted.

Artemis just burst out laughing before kissing him again. "I love you." Gads, it felt good to be able to say that to him.

"I love you too," said Derek, as they resumed their walk. "So, is there any word on Stilinski's little crush?"

"Lydia? Not much. She's still in the hospital. I still don't think she's a werewolf. She's been in the hospital for days and the bite hasn't healed like mine did," said Artemis. Lydia Martin, the school's Teen Queen and the secret crush of Artemis's other best friend, Stiles, had the misfortune to be bit by Peter the night of the Winter Formal. Her wound should've healed completely within twenty-four hours and it hadn't yet, which was strange. "Stiles has been camping at the hospital all weekend. He's worried sick about her."

"He's been spending his nights there?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Artemis sighed and gave out the last bit of news she had. News she knew her mate wasn't going to like. "And Alison says Kate's funeral is coming up soon."

"Which means more hunters will be coming to Beacon Hills and they're going to know Peter killed her," growled Derek. If there was one thing Derek despised, it was hunters, especially Kate Argent, his ex-girlfriend and the reason his family had perished. "Regardless of what she did, the hunters don't take kindly to the loss of their own. They're going to be looking for any excuse to kill a werewolf now, especially if they find out about us."

"I know." Artemis was terrified at the thought of more hunters. Quite frankly, the only hunters she trusted were Chris and Alison. "Gads, I wish we didn't have to hide."

She and Derek had been sneaking around as while Stiles, Alison and Chris knew they were dating and had agreed to keep that information to themselves, no one else knew about Derek and Artemis. They'd agreed it was too big of a risk for others to know of their relationship for the time being. If a hunter were to see that Derek was involved with a seemingly ordinary teenage girl, the pieces would be put together and they'd be hunted quicker than they could shift. One or two werewolves alone were a tempting prize to hunters, but an Alpha wolf and his mate was even better.

"I know. So, do I," admitted Derek. "But no matter what they do, they can't touch us or what we have. Not ever."

Artemis smiled and kissed Derek again before they resumed their walk.

They stopped walking when a strange noise hit their ears. It was unlike anything either of them had ever heard before and not at all pleasant. Thankfully, after a few moments, it ceased.

"What in the heck was that noise?" muttered Artemis.

"I don't know, but I doubt it was anything good," said Derek.

Just then, Artemis's phone rang. Without even looking at the caller ID as she'd set her contacts to certain ringtones, she answered it. "Yeah, Stiles, what's up?"

"Artemis, we've got a serious code red. I repeat; a code red. Lydia's in trouble," said Stiles, sounding panicked.

"Are you kidding me? What happened?" asked Artemis. What kind of trouble had that girl gotten herself into now?

"I don't know what happened. I was at the vending machine buying a snack when I heard her scream bloody murder. Your mom, her dad and I all ran into her room and found the shower still running and the window open. Lydia was gone. She's vamoosed and no one knows to where or why."

"Oh, crap," muttered Artemis. Now they had another problem on their hands. If the bite had healed and the lycanthropy had finally taken hold, Lydia could be out there running loose wolfed out. "Do the police know she's missing?"

"Yeah, my dad was called. He's put out an APB and the cops are out looking as we speak, but I think it might be better if you and Derek found her before the police do," said Stiles.

"Sure, just…wait." Artemis frowned. "How do you know I'm with Derek?" She hadn't told Stiles she was going to be out with Derek that night.

"Dude, he's your boyfriend and who else would you be with at this heaven-forsaken hour?" said Stiles, sounding bored.

Okay, he had a point. She usually was with Derek at nocturnal hours more than daytime hours. When they weren't off the in the woods together, she was crashing at his place and he usually slept with her at night to keep the nightmares at bay.

Derek took Artemis's phone from her. "Stilinski, we'll meet you at the hospital parking lot in my car in ten minutes. Just bring something we can use to track her scent with."

"You've got it."

Stiles hung up, Derek returned Artemis her phone and then the two of them got into Derek's Camaro and drove off to the hospital. Once they arrived, Stiles met them in the parking lot. He was holding an article of Lydia's clothing in his hands. Derek took it from him after getting out of the black car.

"You're sure that this is what she was wearing right before she disappeared?" asked Derek.

Stiles nodded. "Dead sure." He still looked worried.

"We're not going to let anyone hurt her, Stiles," promised Artemis. She didn't like Lydia, but she wouldn't let an innocent life be harmed or killed.

"Not again, you mean," said Stiles, sighing. "Just do your wolfy thing and find her, okay?"

"We will," promised Artemis.

"Not without me, you're not," said a voice.

They all turned to see Alison standing in front of the car, ready to help.

"Alison, what the heck are you doing? Someone's going to see us," hissed Artemis. If Alison was seen with them, Victoria would kill them all.

"I don't care. Lydia's my friend and I'm not going to let anyone hurt her. We need to find her before they do," said Alison, firmly. "Are we going or what?"

"We are not going anywhere. You are staying here," growled Derek. "We can find her before the cops do."

"Can you find her before my father does? I just saw him and three other guys leave in some SUVs a few minutes ago," said Alison.

More hunters. Just perfect. Artemis sighed. "They're going on a hunting party. We're going to need Alison's help."

Derek looked like he'd just swallowed wolfsbane. "Alright, fine. But you ride in the back of the car with Stilinski and you do exactly as I say. If you disobey me, you're going back to your house, got it?" Artemis's friend she might've been, but Derek still didn't trust hunters, least of all those with the surname of Argent. The name of Argent was fitting for werewolf hunters, considering it was French for silver.

"Perfectly," said Alison. She got into the backseat with Stiles while Derek and Artemis got into the front and drove off.

"If she's turning, will they actually kill her?" asked Stiles, as they drove.

"I don't know. They won't tell me anything," said Alison, exasperated. "All they say is that they'll talk to me later after Kate's funeral, after the others arrive."

"Your family's got real communication issues, you know that?" said Stiles.

Derek let out a soft growl as his eyes briefly flashed their alpha wolf red. He was angry and scared, not the best of combinations.

Artemis reached over and put her hand on his arm. Calm down. Everything's going to be okay. We beat Peter. We can handle more hunters, she soothed. She was worried, but she was forcing herself to stay calm and focused for Derek's sake.

I hope you're right. Because if more hunters do come, we'll need to build up our pack, said Derek.

Artemis stared. Build up their pack? As in turning other people into werewolves?

Are you serious? We cannot turn people like Peter turned me! The last thing she wanted was for innocent people to endure what she did when she was turned. She'd been scared, confused and used. If it weren't for Stiles and Derek, she wouldn't have known what to do or what was happening.

I don't mean we should go turn someone right this second, but we need to consider this, said Derek. Some people can handle it, just like you. And who says I'd do what Peter did? If I did turn anyone, I'd talk to you first as well as the one I'd consider turning. Look, like it or not, we need to be ready, Huntress. There's always attention when a new Alpha's made and the best way to deal with that is to have a strong pack. United we stand, divided we fall.

Artemis sighed. She didn't like it, but she knew he was right. If they were going to stand against the hunters, they needed more pack members than just the two of them. Fine, but we don't turn anyone unless we make sure that whoever you choose knows exactly what they're getting themselves into, they want it and we protect and train them. Agreed?

Agreed. Now, check the scent and make sure we're going the right way. I can't do that while driving, said Derek.

Artemis leaned out the window and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent. "Take the next right, Derek."

Derek did as she commanded and surprisingly enough, the scent took them to Derek's old property. He'd stopped living there after Kate had come after him and Artemis had him take residence in her basement and now he had a place of his own.

"Why in the heck would Lydia come here? Are you sure you followed the scent correctly, Arty?" asked Stiles, as they got out of the car.

"Yes, I followed it, correctly," said Artemis. After all of her training with Derek, she knew how to track a scent. Lydia's definitely led to the Hale House. However, why it led there, she had no idea as Lydia would have no reason to set foot there.

"The Martin girl's definitely here. I can smell her. Has she ever been here before?" asked Derek, frowning.

"Not with me," said Alison, shaking her head.

"And I didn't smell her on the property before now," said Artemis, as she tightly held Derek's hand. "Come on, let's find her and get out of here. I don't like this."

"None of us do," said Stiles, as they walked up the property.

"Do you think the bite's finally taken? She might be looking for an Alpha," said Alison. "Is it instinctual, to want to be part of a pack and find the pack leader?"

"I don't know. Maybe. But I didn't want to be part of Peter's pack after he turned me," said Artemis. Could it be different for Lydia, though? "And that was before I knew him to be my sire."

"But we're stronger in numbers, and I don't just mean that the odds are better," said Derek. "A werewolf's powers grow stronger with a pack's."

"Holy crap," said Alison, looking stunned.

"Hey, I think I found something. It looks like a trip wire," said Stiles. He was kneeling down and fingering a thin yet sturdy grey wire. He gave it a good yank, causing it to go off and catch Derek. He was now upside-down and glaring at Stiles.

"Stilinski, the next time you see a trip wire, don't trip it or I'll kill you," said Derek, as Artemis and Alison tried not to laugh.

"I'll get you down," said Artemis. "Hang on a second." Derek looked a little annoyed as Artemis cut him down from the trap.

Suddenly, their werewolf senses picked something up, or rather some people. The four of them weren't alone and they were about to be caught.

"Stiles, Alison, someone's coming," said Artemis. "Get out of here. Now!"

Stiles and Alison looked as if they were about to protest, but then Derek gave them a look and they both hid as Chris Argent approached them. Chris didn't look the least bit surprised to see the two werewolves, or to see Derek keeping a protective arm around Artemis.

"Artemis, Derek," he said, as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Chris," said Artemis. She held up the broken remains of the trap. "I take it this is one of yours? It's a good one."

Huntress! said Derek, warningly. Do not compliment his traps!

Oh, would you stop it? Let me handle this, said Artemis, giving him a look.

"Why don't we just cut to the chase? What're you two doing here?" asked Chris.

"We're looking for my friend," said Artemis, innocently. It was true. It was all they were doing. But he didn't need to know Stiles and Alison were also involved.

"Oh, yes, that's right. Lydia Martin's in your group now, isn't she? She's part of your little pack," said Chris, stiffly. "Another wolf to make you stronger."

"We don't know that yet," growled Derek, before Artemis could speak. "Whenever someone's bitten, the bite usually heals within twenty-four hours. That little twit was attacked days ago and it's not healed yet."

"Meaning she could either remain human or become something worse," said Chris. He didn't seem pleased by this. He sighed. "Be careful. Keep an eye on that girl and watch yourselves. My wife's out for any excuse to claim both your heads and she can be like Kate sometimes."

"Thanks for the warning. And be careful, Chris," said Artemis. Technically, they were enemies, but Artemis shared a small friendship with Chris Argent and held a great deal of respect for him. She didn't want Alison to lose her father.

Chris nodded and then left the area. As soon as Chris was gone, Stiles and Alison emerged from their hiding places.

"Are you guys okay?" asked Alison.

"Yes. We just had another lovely chat with your father," said Derek, sarcastically. "Can we go now while we're still young?"

No one argued with Derek as they followed him inside the house.

Unfortunately, their efforts were fruitless as Lydia was nowhere to be found. After searching for another few hours, they decided to call it a night. At least, Stiles and Alison did. Derek and Artemis had business elsewhere.

XXX

In the cemetery across town, Isaac Lahey, a young boy from Artemis's school was doing his work for his father. Whenever he wasn't in school or doing lacrosse, Isaac was doing cemetery work for his father, who didn't deserve to be called one. Mr. Lahey was cruel to Isaac and he frightened Isaac greatly, so Isaac took every chance to get out of the house and away from him.

At that moment, Isaac had his earphones in as he listening to music while using his father's machine digger to dig Kate Argent's grave for her upcoming funeral. Despite the noise from the machine and his iPod, Isaac heard strange noises. He switched off the machine and his music and looked around. But there was nothing and no one. Had he been imagining it all?

Then Isaac's eyes widened when he saw a hand sporting claws instead of fingernails touching a gravestone.

"What the heck—?" What's going on? Did I really just see that? It was like something out of one those scary movies he watched on Halloween.

Just as quickly, the hand with the claws disappeared and then suddenly, a beast unlike anything Isaac had ever seen jumped at him. The digger machine toppled over and he landed in Kate Argent's grave.

Terrified, Isaac dared to peek out and saw the creature digging into one of the graves and judging by the noises it was making, it sounded like a very hungry animal and one that wasn't in a good mood. Isaac slid back into the grave, scared to death and silently praying that he'd be okay. Then, all of a sudden, there was silence and then suddenly the digger machine was lifted up and Isaac saw Derek Hale and the nice girl from his school, Artemis Moon, looking at him.

"Artemis?" he said, surprised.

"Hi, Isaac," said Artemis. She leaned down and extended her hand. "Don't be scared. You can come out. It's safe, I promise."

Isaac hesitated, but then took Artemis's hand. Even if they weren't close friends, Artemis had always been nice to him. He had no reason not to trust her. She helped him climb out of the grave and onto the cemetery grounds.

"You okay?" asked Derek, concerned.

Isaac nodded. "Just scared. What just happened? Did you see what attacked me?"

"No. It ran off when we got here," said Artemis. "Did you see it?"

Isaac hesitated as he wrapped his arms around himself. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." It sounded crazy even to him. He'd have to report this and heaven alone knew what he would tell his father and the police come the morning.

"Try us," said Derek, as he folded his arms.

Isaac hesitated again. "It…it looked like a werewolf. It dug into that grave over there. I don't know what it was doing."

Much to Isaac's surprise, he could tell that Derek and Artemis believed him. Derek went over to the grave that had been robbed and looked to be investigating it. Artemis took out a bottle of water and a tub of ointment from the bag she was carrying.

"Your black eye looks nasty. Put this on. It'll help with the pain. And drink the water. It'll help you calm down," said Artemis.

"Uh, thanks," said Isaac, as he took the offered items. "Wait, why do you guys believe me? I just told you I saw a werewolf. Why don't you think I'm nuts?"

"Because you're not," said Derek, as he approached them. "You're not crazy. What you saw, the werewolf, was real. It's why we're here."

Isaac frowned in confusion. "What?" Then he caught on and his eyes widened. "Holy crap! You're both werewolves?"

Artemis and Derek nodded.

Isaac was shocked as he'd never once expected this in a million years. "Wait, wait, hold on. If you're both werewolves, why are you here? Was that wolf one of yours?"

"He's not part of our pack, if that's what you mean," said Derek. "I didn't recognize the scent."

Artemis frowned. "Wait, 'he'? The scent's not—?"

"No," said Derek. "It's definitely a male's. He's a hungry scavenger by the looks of it. He took the corpse's liver."

Artemis made a face and looked ill. "Gross." To each their own, but still. Disgusting.

Isaac fought the urge to be sick himself. "Disgusting. Do all wolves do that?"

"Only the desperately hungry ones," said Derek.

For some reason, Isaac found the information made perfect sense to him. "Okay. You guys still haven't answered my other question. Why are you here?" asked Isaac.

"To make you an offer," said Derek. "I'm the new Alpha wolf and we're looking to build up our pack. We thought you might be interested."

"After, of course, you get the full story," said Artemis, giving Derek a warning look. "Are you willing to hear us out?"

Isaac couldn't bring himself to refuse, so the three of them sat down under a tree and Isaac was told everything about the pros and cons of lycanthropy. He was overwhelmed when it was over and asked that he be given time to consider their generous offer. Derek and Artemis agreed and told him to give them answer within a week's time.

Isaac agreed.

XXX

The next day at school, Artemis met up with Stiles and told him what had happened the previous night after they'd departed. Needless to say, Stile was anything but pleased to learn of what had occurred and what Derek wanted to do.

"Derek seriously wants to build up the pack and has already offered it to Isaac Lahey? Is he out of his mind?" said Stiles. "Am I the only one who remembers all the trouble we had when Peter turned you?"

"No, but Stiles, we may not have a choice," said Artemis. "Derek said that attention's drawn when a new Alpha's made and with the number of hunters coming to Beacon Hills, it'd be better if we weren't alone. And another thing, Derek swore to me that when he's found someone he wants to join, he'll talk to me first, then we'll talk to them, make sure they understand the situation and give them time to decide if they want it. Then we'll train them, protect them and take precautions during the full moon." She really didn't like Derek's plan, but if he was right, then they could use all the help they could get. However, she would do her best to make sure no one went through what she did when Peter turned her.

"I think I get it, but I still don't like it," said Stiles, grumpily. "Did Isaac agree to be bitten?"

"No. He said he needed time, so he's going to let us know in a week," said Artemis. "And anyway, we've got bigger issues right now. After we left Isaac, Derek and I searched for two hours, but Lydia's still missing and there's another wolf in town."

Stiles stopped in his tracks and stared. "Another wolf? Are you serious? Was it behind that grave robbery I heard about today?"

"Yep. And it wasn't Lydia. Derek said the scent was a male's and most likely, he was just a hungry scavenger," said Artemis.

Stiles made a face. "Seriously? Gross."

Artemis nodded in agreement. "Tell me about it."

"Well, remind me to pack wolfsbane spray next time I go out," said Stiles.

Artemis didn't know if he was joking or not.

The school day went on as it normally did, but this time there were flyers reporting Lydia's disappearance and requesting help in locating her, and Coach Finstock even put a signup sheet in the locker room before lacrosse practice, saying anyone who volunteered would get an A in his economics class if they did. Needless to say, everyone on the team signed up.

It was just after chemistry class that things became weird.

It was break time and Artemis was about to grab a soda from the vending machine when she heard Jackson's voice call out, "Artemis, help me."

Artemis felt a twinge of fear when she heard the fear in Jackson's voice. He wouldn't be asking her for help unless something was really wrong. She followed the sound of his voice to the locker room. "Jackson? Where are you?"

"Over here…"

Artemis followed, only to let out a gasp of horror when she saw Jackson lying on the floor of the locker room showers. He was coughing up and puking what appeared to be black ooze into the drain. He looked miserable and sick.

"Help…me," said Jackson, as he puked again.

"Oh…oh my—" Artemis didn't know what was happening, but she knew someone who might. Derek, I need you to get to the locker room of my school, NOW!

She then knelt down and helped Jackson clean his face. She rubbed his back as he continued coughing up black ooze. Her fear grew worse when she saw it come out of Jackson's ears. "Jackson, what happened to you? When did this start?"

"In chemistry," he coughed. "I'd just injected myself, but it didn't work out like I wanted."

"What injection didn't work out?" she demanded. What on earth is Jackson talking about?

Just then, Derek made an appearance. He looked anything but happy at the sight before him. "What happened?" he demanded.

"I don't know, but it's been going on for half an hour now. Jackson said he injected himself with something that caused this. Check his backpack," said Artemis.

Derek rummaged through Jackson's backpack, which was lying against the locker room wall. He pulled out a syringe that had small traces of something Artemis didn't recognize in it, but was otherwise empty. Derek's eyes flashed their Alpha werewolf red at this.

"Jackson, where did you get this?" growled Derek.

"I found it in my locker," said Jackson, before vomiting again. "There was a note. It said all I had to do was inject it and then I'd get what I wanted. It would make me like you."

Derek looked furious.

"Derek, what is it? What was in that syringe?" asked Artemis. The look on his face worried her, as did the smell that was emitting from the syringe.

"Werewolf venom," he growled. "The idiot was stupid enough to use it."

"What're you talking about?" she asked. What on earth was werewolf venom?

"An Alpha's blood has special venom in it. Once it's in a human's system, it works the same as a bite," explained Derek. "Peter left a vial of his own blood in Jackson's locker before he died and this numbskull's injected it into his system. It should've turned him, but instead his body's rejecting it."

Rejecting it? How was that even possible? "Oh my gads. So, what does that mean? What'll happen to Jackson?" asked Artemis, horrified.

"I don't know," admitted Derek. "There's nothing we can do for him now. He's going to have to ride this out. Right now, we need to get him out of here."

Artemis nodded. "Take him home. I'll clean up and tell the office he went home sick." She wasn't at all fond of Jackson but nevertheless, she hoped he'd be okay.

Derek agreed and dragged Jackson out of the locker room.

First Lydia's bite doesn't heal instantly and she goes missing, then there's a new werewolf in town and now something's wrong with Jackson. What's next?

XXX

Meanwhile, Alison was having a miserable day.

With Lydia still missing, being unable to be friends with Artemis in public, Kate's actions and the upcoming funeral, she was an emotional wreck. All day, she kept hearing whispers from her classmates who were judging her and shunning her for what Kate had done.

Eventually, she reached her breaking point. Her vision became blurred with tears as she walked down the hall and tried to find a place where she could cry in peace. Then suddenly, she was grabbed and pulled into an empty classroom by Artemis, who handed her a tissue.

"How did you know?" asked Alison.

"Enhanced senses, remember? I could hear you crying," said Artemis. She looked at Alison with concern. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Alison nodded as she wiped away her tears with the tissue. "Everything's so messed up right now. You're my best friend but I have to hide my friendship with you because of my werewolf-phobic mother, Lydia is still missing, and I'm a pariah here because of what Kate did. I can't go to the funeral. I just can't. Everyone is going to be watching me and there are going to be cameras there and I just can't…"

"Yes, you can," interrupted Artemis. "Ali, it's going to be okay. We're going to find Lydia, I promise. Just think about it. Peter's gone, there are no more animal attacks and your dad's going to help me with your mom. He likes me, even if she doesn't."

Alison smiled a little bit. "But what am I supposed to do at the funeral? I'm going to cry no matter what. But how can I cry for Kate, after all she did to Derek, his family and to you?"

Artemis sighed as she tried to come up with the best thing to say. "You're not crying for the person that Kate turned out to be. You're crying because you lost the big sister figure she used to be to you. Regardless of what she really was, you still lost someone. That's what you're crying for. There's nothing wrong with that."

Alison's only response was to hug Artemis tight and bury her face in Artemis's shoulder as she rubbed soothing circles on Alison's back.

"Can you be there at the funeral? Please. I think the only way I'll make it through it is if I know you're there," said Alison.

Artemis didn't see how she could fulfill Alison's request, but she could try. "I can't promise anything, but I'll do what I can. Just promise me you'll remember that no matter what happens, you and I will always be friends."

"I promise," said Alison. She pulled back and looked considerably calmed down. "Thanks, Arty. I needed that."

Artemis nodded and then they went their separate ways.

XXX

At Kate's funeral the next day, it was a nightmare.

Reporters and photographers swarmed upon Alison and her parents like wolves, demanding answers to questions and trying to get pictures. It was bad enough that Sheriff Stilinski had to make a police line to force the reporters and photographers back. Alison's parents weren't pleased and Alison looked miserable. But when Alison sat down and Chris passed her a small note, Alison's face brightened a little before she hid the note.

The previous night, Artemis had secretly contacted Chris and she had asked him to deliver a note to Alison at the funeral. Chris had agreed. It was a simple note in Artemis's hand writing that read, I'm here for you. And she was. She was watching from the woods and kept herself concealed by the trees.

Artemis felt sorry for the Argents. Kate had been a monster, but her family deserved to mourn her in peace. Why couldn't anyone let them do that? They'd had nothing to do with Kate's criminal activities. That had all been her doing.

Artemis's blood ran cold when she saw Alison's grandfather, Gerard come into view and greet Alison for the first time since she was three. Artemis recognized him from the research of the Argent family Derek had insisted on showing her. Gerard was Chris and Kate's father and as cold and ruthless as Kate had been, if not more. He was also the vengeful type, which meant there was little chance he'd follow the hunter's code and that didn't bode well.

When the funeral ended and it began to get dark, Artemis started making her way home, only to run into Stiles, who looked terrified.

"Dude, where've you been? Why didn't you answer your phone? I've left you six messages," said Stiles.

"I've been watching the funeral like I promised Alison and my phone's at home charging. Why? What's happened?" asked Artemis, worried.

"My dad's nearby. He got a call. An ambulance was taking a heart attack victim to the hospital, the victim was D.O.A., but something attacked the ambulance. Something big," said Stiles. "And it went after the dead guy in the back."

"Oh, crud. Did you call Derek?" asked Artemis.

Stiles nodded. "He's on his way, but we need to go. Now."

Artemis didn't hesitate to follow Stiles deeper into the woods. They ended up several feet away from where the police and ambulance were stationed. It was a mess, but fortunately Artemis was able to pick up a scent without having to get closer.

"Did Lydia do this?" whispered Stiles.

"Don't think so. I don't smell her there, but…wait." Artemis froze when the wind blew a fresh scent to her nose. It was Lydia's. She was close. Artemis immediately turned around and was quite shocked to see Lydia standing before her. "Stiles, don't turn around. Lydia? Holy cow, is that you?"

Lydia was pale, covered in dirt and twigs and looked both frightened and a mess. "Yes, it's me. Can one of you lend me a coat?"

"Yeah, sure." Thankfully, Artemis had brought her backpack with her and stuffed some spare old clothes in it. She handed Lydia the clothes along with a jacket and pair of shoes, which Lydia gratefully accepted and quickly put on.

"Thank you," she said, softly.

"You're Welcome." Lydia Martin just thanked me? What else is going to happen?

Stiles, who'd turned around when Artemis said to, looked at Lydia with worry and concern. "Are you okay, Lydia? Everyone's been worried sick looking for you. What happened? Where've you been?"

Lydia just wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't know. Can one of you just take me home? I'm cold, hungry and tired. I just want to get out of here. Please."

Artemis sighed. Lydia wasn't lying. Obviously she didn't know anything and she sure as heck wasn't the one who had attacked Isaac or the guy in the ambulance. Whatever had happened to her would have to remain a mystery for now.

"Sure, Lydia. There's an ambulance and the police down the street. There's something I need to do, so Stiles will take you there and they'll take you home. Okay?" said Artemis.

"Okay," said Lydia.

She must really be shaken up if she's agreeing to this. Normally, Lydia took a lot of persuasion to do anything with Stiles, but at that moment she didn't put up even the smallest protest when Stiles wrapped an arm around Lydia's shoulder and took her away to get her help.

When Artemis saw that they were safe, she went further into the woods. She'd picked up the scent of the unknown male werewolf at the same time she'd picked up Lydia's scent and intended to follow it. She ran through the woods wolfed out, and was picking up speed when she was suddenly knocked down the same werewolf she'd been tracking. They ended up rolling down a hill until they stopped and it was then that they looked at one another.

"Harold?" said Artemis, surprised. "Harold, is that you? It's me, Artemis."

He looked as surprised as she was. "Miss Moon?"

The werewolf then shifted to reveal his human form as Harold Smith.

Harold Smith was the sweet homeless guy Artemis had seen hanging around Beacon Hills for the past week. Artemis had befriended him, directed him to the homeless shelter, and gave him food whenever she saw him. His filth had disguised his werewolf scent, which was why she hadn't recognized him as a werewolf at first.

"You're a werewolf too," said Harold. "I can't believe I didn't realize it before."

"You're telling me," said Artemis. She couldn't believe this was happening. Who else was going to be part of the supernatural world next? Everyone in Beacon Hills? "But you know what, it doesn't matter. Just answer me this and don't lie to me. Were you the one who attacked Isaac in the graveyard and stole that liver?"

Harold looked ashamed as he nodded. "I'm sorry if the kid got hurt. I wasn't trying to hurt him, I swear! I was just starving and I needed to eat something."

"Okay, okay. I believe you. And don't worry. Isaac's perfectly fine. Did you attack the man in the ambulance?" asked Artemis.

Harold shook his head. "He was dead when I got there. I just…"

Artemis held up her hand, silencing him. "I got it. You don't need to tell me," she said. "So, what are you doing in Beacon Hills in the first place? Where's your pack?" She was beginning to wonder if he even had a pack. What kind of werewolf pack would let one of its own go hungry and be homeless like Howard?

Harold looked sad. "I don't have one. I'm an Omega, a lone wolf. I heard there was an Alpha here, so I came looking for him. I want a pack again."

Artemis's face softened and her heart ached for him. He's just alone and needs a family. "Well, I can take you to him."

Harold's face lit up with joy. "You know the Alpha?"

"Better than that. He's my mate and we're trying to build up our pack. Come on, I'll take you to him," said Artemis. "Follow me."

They journeyed through the woods together, but then suddenly Howard shoved Artemis away and fell into the hunter's trap she nearly got caught in. He was hanging several feet in the air by his wrists.

"Oh, gads. Howard! Hang on. I'll get you free," said Artemis.

She tried to help him, but Howard kicked her away. "Run, Miss Moon!" he hissed. "They're coming! Run!"

Before Artemis could do anything, Derek appeared out of nowhere and dragged her away where they hid behind a large tree. He kept her in his arms and wouldn't let her go.

"Derek, he's my friend! I can't just abandon him!" said Artemis. "Let me save him!"

"It's too late, Huntress!" hissed Derek. "The hunters are here and you'll only get yourself killed if you try to help him. Do you think he wants that after he just tried to save you?"

"No," she admitted. She knew Derek was right, but inside she felt terrible as she watched the hunters surround Howard, armed to the teeth and ready for a fight. Why does this have to happen to Howard of all people? He's done nothing wrong! She wanted to cease looking, but she found herself frozen in place as she watched Howard be interrogated by Chris and Gerard.

"Who are you?" demanded Chris. "What're you doing here? You're not from Beacon Hills."

"I'm not doing anything wrong, I swear," said Howard. "My name's Howard Smith. I'm a homeless man. I heard the Alpha was here, so I came looking for him. That's all, I swear. I've never hurt anyone that was living, I swear! The guy in the ambulance was already dead when I got there, I swear to you!"

Chris, please let him go. Please, begged Artemis, silently. But it looked like Chris wasn't in charge of the hunters anymore.

"Gentleman!" said Gerard. "Take a look at this rare sight! This is an Omega, a lone wolf. He has no pack of his own. Possibly, he was kicked out of his own pack or his pack was destroyed and he was the only survivor. He might even be alone by his own choice. But it's certainly not a wise choice, because an omega rarely survives on his own as I'm about to demonstrate." Gerard then pulled a large sword out of his bag.

Artemis couldn't watch anymore. She knew what was going to happen. She buried her face in Derek's chest as he held her tight against him and placed her head under his chin.

"Gerard, we can't!" said Chris. "He hasn't hurt anyone. We stick to the code!"

"Not when they murder my daughter," snarled Gerard. He then killed Howard before glaring at Chris. "Let me make this clear to you, Christopher: there's no code, not anymore. From now on, these things are just beasts waiting to be dealt with. I don't care if they're wounded and weak or seemingly harmless begging with the promise that they've never or will never hurt anyone. Or some desperate lost soul with no idea with what they're getting into. We find them, and we put them down. I'm declaring war on the werewolves. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly," said Chris. But he sounded like he wanted to argue further about it and was anything but happy with Gerard's decision.

The hunters left after that and they disposed of Howard's body, leaving Artemis and Derek alone in the woods. She was shaking Derek's arms and was quite upset.

"I'm sorry, Huntress," said Derek, sounding truly regretful. "I didn't want you to see that and I'm sorry I couldn't save your friend."

"It's not your fault," said Artemis, as tears slid down her cheeks. "It's mine. Howard sacrificed himself for me."

"You can't blame yourself. He made his choice. You made him happy for a while and he's in a better place now," said Derek, gently.

I hope you're right, Derek. "Gads. Looks like you were right about building the pack. We need to stick together." With war declared between the two sides, the last thing that needed to happen was for a wolf to go off alone. "But even so, how can we risk turning people with war on the horizon? How can we accept Isaac into the pack if he agrees? And what if something happens to us?"

Derek cupped her face in her hands and wiped away her tears. "Look at me, Huntress. If Isaac agrees, we'll protect him And I'm not going to let them hurt you. They'll have you over my dead body."

And that's exactly what worries me. Why can't you see that? Aloud she said, "Let me rephrase that. It's not me I'm worried about. It's you. I thought you were dead once and I nearly died with you when that happened. I can't endure that again." She knew it took a lot to kill an Alpha, but no werewolf was truly immortal. When it had seemed Derek had died by Peter's hands, Artemis had been broken. Losing him a second time would kill her. "I can't lose you, Derek."

"And you won't," assured Derek. "I'm not going to leave you, I promise. I love you too much to ever leave you."

Artemis's eyes filled up with tears at this. "I love you too. I love you so much." She then kissed him before he took her home.

XXX

The next day after school, Artemis was at Derek's house.

Artemis's mom was working the nightshift at work, so she was spending the evening at Derek's. They'd had dinner and just finished up a movie when there was a knock at the door. Derek rose up to answer it and found Isaac on the other side.

"Hi. Sorry for just coming over like this without calling first, but I needed to see you. Can I come in?" asked Isaac.

Derek nodded and allowed Isaac to come in. "I assume you're here because you've made up your mind about our offer?"

Isaac nodded. "Yeah, I have."

"And?" pressed Artemis. "What've you decided?"

"My answer's yes. I want to be turned," said Isaac.

Derek looked pleased to hear this. Excellent.

Don't do anything just yet, warned Artemis. She beckoned for Isaac to sit down beside her, which he did. "Isaac, before we do anything, you need to know something. The hunters have just declared war on our kind. They're not following the code anymore, which means you'll be in considerable danger when the full moon comes. If they find out you're a werewolf, you'll be killed. We'll do our best to protect you, but are you sure you still want this?" Part of her wanted him to say no, yet she knew what was coming.

Isaac nodded. "I've never wanted anything else. The benefits are worth the risks," he said. "I've been afraid and alone all my life and I've never known what it's like to have a family. If I join your pack, I'll have a family and I'll feel safe. I don't just want this, I need this. Please, give it to me. Please."

Derek and Artemis exchanged looks before nodding.

"Okay," said Derek. "You'll get your wish."