✧☾ ATONEMENT ☽✧

━━━━ act one. full moon

two. set in motion ━━━━

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WITH HER BAG SLUNG OVER HER SHOULDER, NOLA WALKED INTO BEACON HILLS HIGH. She couldn't remember ever being nervous on the first day before. But the reason why had nothing to do with making new friends or leaving a good impression. Instead it had everything to do with the weight of her father's expectations resting on her shoulders. One wrong step and the plan would fall apart. And she wasn't eager to be the target of her father's wrath.

It was strange how she both feared and loved her father. She was afraid of what would happen to him if he'd be able to fulfill his goals. What would happen if he continued gathering power? He was barely a wolf anymore, instead having turned into a beast beyond recognition. And Nola feared that one day, he wouldn't be able to transform back anymore. She supposed she wasn't really scared of him but more scared for him.

Yet, despite the darkness that had taken hold of his heart, Nola still loved him. How could she not? He was her father. When moments of doubt crept in, moments she wondered if she was doing the right thing by following him, she reminded herself of how it used to be. Of all the evenings spent on the couch as they watched a movie, or their weekly trip to the local restaurant to get her favorite milkshake. She remembered her mother, always telling her how her father worked to make sure Nola would have a future. That all wolves had a future, without being hunted by the Argents, or any other hunting family.

With that reminder burning in her mind she tried her best to shake off her nerves and navigated the sea of high school students with a calm expression. She'd picked up her schedule at the Principal's office earlier and was now looking for the English classroom. Meanwhile she made sure to keep an eye out for the very person she was even here for in the first place. Scott McCall...

Marin had shown them pictures of him when she'd told them everything she knew about the Alpha to be. According to her, he had no idea he had the potential to become one of nature's rarest phenomenons. A True Alpha. A Beta rising to the rank of Alpha by strength of character alone. And because he had no idea, it was their job to make sure it stayed that way. Make him think they were here to go after Derek instead and not because her father couldn't risk the possible threat of a True Alpha rising up against him.

Nola wasn't sure she believed in the myth at all. She'd never met anyone with the characteristics to qualify for the title. She didn't think there was anyone on earth who could possibly be that good, that loyal. And so the fact that her father was this worried about a teenage boy no less was a little ridiculous to her. But then again, Deucalion had seen a lot more of the supernatural world than she had. So, who knew, maybe it was possible after all.

The high school wasn't that big and yet it took her longer than she would've liked to find the right classroom. She knew Aiden and Ethan weren't in this class, which was a relief beyond words. She hated having to act like she didn't know them but knew it was for the best. If one of them was discovered to be a part of the Alpha pack, the other might still be able to remain on Scott's good side.

As she let her eyes go through the classroom they finally landed on the person they'd come to Beacon Hills for. Scott McCall was seated in the third row. Brown hair, brown eyes and, she realized, a jawline that was a little uneven. He didn't look like anyone worthy of spending this much effort on. Seated beside him was his best friend, who she believed was called Stiles, her target. She also recognised the girl with strawberry blonde hair seated next to the window and she wondered if Aiden had already made his move on her.

She swallowed the discomfort that came with the thought of her boyfriend flirting with someone else and made her way towards her seat instead. She managed to take the empty table behind Stiles and put her books in front of her. She hadn't given any thought to how exactly she was supposed to approach him, much less make him trust her. Enough that she could gain insight to what Derek was planning and if Scott somehow fit into it.

There wasn't much more time to think about it however when suddenly all the phones in the classroom rang at once. Frowning, she reached for her phone and opened the message she'd received from the unknown number. It was a book quote. Just as she was about to read it, a female voice did it for her.

"The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds and the tranquil waterway, leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky, seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness."

The woman, who Nola assumed was their teacher, came to a halt in front of her desk, smiling at the students. "This is the last line of the first book we are going to read. It is also the last text you will receive in this class. Phones off, everyone."

With a sigh she turned her phone off and put it into her bag. She wasn't a big fan of Heart of Darkness, or reading in general. She just could never seem to understand metaphors and similes. Which was why the lesson that followed seemed to pass her by completely. She honestly tried to pay attention, keeping her grades up besides all the craziness in her life had always been a challenge but one she knew to be important, but English simply wasn't her favorite subject.

About half an hour had passed when the door to the classroom was opened and the Principal walked in. Nola watched with a frown as he whispered something to Ms. Blake, who then called Scott to the front and left the classroom with him. After a minute she came back alone. Whatever had happened, it was important enough for Scott to be allowed to leave school. Nola had a feeling Derek's Beta had been able to warn Scott about the Alpha's following him. With a frustrated glance at the teacher she realized there was nothing she could do with her phone turned off.

Her heart jumped in her chest when a loud bang echoed through the classroom. She sat up a little straighter in her chair, realizing it was a bird that had flown against the window, leaving a red blood stain on the glass. For a moment everyone seemed to hold their breath. It wasn't uncommon for birds to hit a window and yet Nola had a feeling this wasn't an accident...

And when another hit the glass a second later, she knew for sure it wasn't an accident. With wide eyes she watched as the entire sky was suddenly black with birds, all heading straight for the windows. One after the other they hit the glass, until the windows couldn't hold it anymore and cracked.

Chaos erupted as the birds flew into the classroom. Students screamed and sought cover beneath the tables. All while the animals flew around as though they were possessed.

"Get down!" Ms. Blake screamed. "Everyone! Get down!"

Nola didn't have to be told twice, wincing when a raven clawed at her arm, leaving red marks on her skin. Another bird pulled at her hair and with a startled yell she swatted at it, managing to get it off. She duck beneath the table, her heart caught in her throat. What the hell was happening?

The birds flew against the wall, the ceiling, anything they could to seemingly end their lives. All while crowing like crazy, as if they'd seen something that had left them completely and utterly terrified.

And almost as soon as it started...it ended.

Feathers and dead birds lay scattered on the ground, turning the classroom into a graveyard. Slowly, and completely in shock, the students crawled out of their hiding places, looking around with wide and startled eyes.

Nola inhaled deeply to calm her racing heart. She'd readied herself for many strange things to happen during her stay in Beacon Hills. But this certainly hadn't been one of them. Slowly she crawled from beneath her table, taking in the wreckage with wide eyes. She wrapped her arms around herself, swaying slightly on her feet as she slowly recovered from the shock.

"Hey, you okay?" A voice broke through her thoughts. She looked up into a pair of worried brown eyes. Stiles was staring at her with a questioning look. "You're new here right? Quite the first day, huh," he said with a small grin, perhaps hoping it would ease the tension.

"Yeah," she replied. "I certainly didn't picture this happening."

He smiled but then his eyes were drawn to her arm and he winced and she remembered the claw marks. "Oh my god, you've got, eh-" he gestured at it and suddenly looked a little sick. Can't handle blood, noted.

"Oh," she said, making sure to sound surprised. A sudden idea crossed her mind. She was going to have to find a way to get close to him anyway, so why not by getting him curious. She wiped away the blood on the sleeve of her other arm, revealing her skin, completely healed. Not even so much as a scar.

Quickly she hit her arm behind her back, pretending to be startled. "I gotta go," she muttered, catching sight of the frown on Stiles' face before she hurried from the classroom.

She was halfway across the hall when she heard his footsteps coming after her, though she pretended not to notice and kept on walking. Just when she turned around the corner, he caught up with her. "Hey, hold up!"

She came to a halt before slowly turning around to face him. "What?" She questioned sharply.

He seemed caught off guard, but not enough to back down completely. "How did you do what you just did?" He eventually managed to ask, gesturing at her arm.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you did something because you are something, right?"

"How would you know I'm something unless you know something?" She fired back, deciding to play along with his confusing word game.

"Yeah, well what if I do know something?"

She studied his face, realizing he wasn't going to back down unless he got a satisfying answer. Well, she wasn't about to give him one. At least, not yet...

"Then I suggest you keep that something to yourself." Without waiting for his response she turned around and walked away. This time, he didn't follow her.

She knew she made the right move. Winning his trust would come later, for now, she'd made him curious enough to get another conversation out of him. If she played it smart, she might just be able to get all the information they needed out of him.

Reaching into her bag, she took out her phone. She wanted to check up on the others and, most importantly, check if her theory about Scott leaving to help Derek was correct. Instead, as soon as she turned it back on, she saw a message from Aiden.

Boys locker room. Now.

Frowning, she put her phone away and walked over towards the locker room, remembering the way because she walked past it on her way to the Principal's office. Which was lucky, because she found it a lot sooner than she did the classroom that morning. She reached for the handle but froze when she smelled a familiar rusty scent. Blood.

She focused her hearing, catching the sound of six heartbeats in there. Five of them were familiar, one was not. Bracing herself, Nola opened the door and stepped inside. She'd been correct in her guess. The entire pack was there. They turned their heads as she entered and only then did she see the girl seated on the ground against the lockers.

It was the same girl who'd rescued Isaac.

She was holding her stomach, blood dripping between her fingers. Her face was bruised and her nose was bleeding. Still, Nola had seen people left in far worse conditions when facing down their pack.

Nola came to a halt next to Ethan, who gave her a sideway glance. She could read it in his eyes, the silent warning that perhaps she would've been better off staying away. Whatever was going to happen next, and they all knew what it was, Ethan didn't agree with it. And Nola wasn't completely sure she did either...

She watched as her father made his way towards the girl, kneeling down in front of her. He reached out, following the lines of her features to get an idea of what she looked like. The girl flinched beneath his touch and he slowly withdrew his hand.

"Beautiful, but defiant, aren't you?"

"Because I know something," she rasped through painful breaths. "I know you're afraid of him."

"Of a teenage boy?" Deucalion questioned, his voice eerily calm.

"Of the man he'll become."

Nola listened carefully and realized her father's heartbeat never once went up or down. If the words of the girl held any meaning, and Nola knew for a fact that they did, he was very skilled at hiding it.

"I'm aware of a certain potential threat. But then someone once taught me a very smart way to eliminate threat. Get someone else to do it for you."

She frowned, not familiar with this part of the plan yet. Ice cold dread poured into her stomach when she was forced to admit that even she would never know all the details of her father's plan. But, despite hearing about it for the first time, it wasn't hard to figure out who he had in mind. Always make sure to have a plan b.

The girl's eyes went wide, that very same realization hitting her.

"Derek."

Deucalion smiled. Then, slowly, raised his hand, claws out and with one, clean slash, he cut her throat. Blood splattered on the lockers, the sound making Nola wince.

Perhaps she'd been right to be nervous about today after all.

✧☾ NOTE ☽✧

Hey guys! The second chapter has arrived!

I really enjoyed writing this one as it gives a little closer look into Nola's feelings about the whole situation. And of course, her and Stiles meet! Writing their interaction was so much fun. Though I do still feel a little bit inexperienced writing Stiles since I've only just started writing for him. So I hope he feels in character and if he doesn't, please let me know!

Also, Nola not believing Scott to be worth much is gonna be so much fun. She's gonna be very surprised once she actually gets to know him :)

I wanted to thank you all for the crazy amount of comments you guys left on her first chapter. Your support means the world to me. Thank you so much for reading!

xx Nelly

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