Dark Moon Rising

“Scott, you need to concentrate,” TJ said as she knocked Scott on his ass again. He grumbled something and accepted the outstretched hand from TJ.

“I’m trying,” he huffed out.

“I’m not saying you’re not,” TJ’s voice was soothing as she tried to calm the new werewolf. “You need to focus more, Scott. If you don’t, you’re going to end up getting yourself killed. Derek,” she shifted her gaze to the older werewolf. “Would you like to show the pup how it’s done?” Derek pushed himself off of the tree he was leaning against and moved into the clearing with a nod. “Watch closely, Scott,” she ordered as the teen moved to the side of the clearing where AJ and Stiles stopped their hand-to-hand combat to watch. TJ shrugged off her jacket quickly, knowing that if things got ugly, her favorite would rip. Derek did the same, and they both threw their jackets in the same direction.

TJ focused on the man in front of her, watching as he watched her. The two circled each other, as if circling their enemy, waiting for other to make the first move. TJ struck first, her fist grazing the other’s cheek before blocking a swift kick to her side. They exchanged a few more kicks and hits again, barely hitting the other, and then the two danced away from the other before circling again.

Derek was the one to make the first move this time, aiming a kick at her head. TJ quickly ducked, and punched him in the side, making him move away from her for a second before his fist glanced her arm. As his arm was retracting, she grasped his arm and swung him into a tree. A loud bang resounded from tree as it shook from the force of Derek hitting it before he got to his feet quickly.

“Woo! Go TJ!” AJ cheered making her older sister laugh lightly. Derek used that moment of slight weakness to his advantage. While TJ’s mind was on her sister’s antics, Derek made his move. TJ gasped when a hard kick was aimed at her abdomen, and doubled over. She recovered quickly, and grabbed the werewolf’s head, slamming it down on her raised knee before he grabbed her arm, forcing her to the ground. She bucked upwards, knocking the wolf off of her and they both rose fluidly and danced away from each other again. The two stood there, taking a mental inventory of their wounds.

TJ felt warm liquid travel down the side of her face and knew that there was a small wound on her temple. “Is that really all you got?” She asked, her voice sounding strangely like a purr. Derek growled, and wolf out. “That’s more like it,” she whispered, and quickly had to dodge as the wolf came hurtling towards her. She winced slightly when she felt his claws tear into her shirt and moved away quickly, jumping into a tree to assess her wound. She crouched down; keeping her heels planted on the branch so she was able to keep her balance, and watched the wolf circle the tree as if circling his prey.

TJ lowered her dark Aviators and looked around, not wanting her vision to be affected by the dark lenses. She quickly scanned the area around her, a plan already forming in her mind. She stood up slowly, not wanting to alert the wolf, and when he was in the position she wanted him in, she grabbed the large branch above her and slammed the heel of her boots into the branch, making it snap under the force. She heaved herself up onto the other branch and crouched low. While the wolf was distracted by the branch falling on him, she quickly leaped up to another tree, grabbing onto with her hands, pulled herself up to where her hands and feet were up against the branch and pushed off, the entire tree vibrating with the force and slammed into the wolf.

He fell to the ground with an audible thud, and TJ cartwheeled off of him. When her left foot hit the ground, she quickly spun and slammed the heel of her boot into Derek’s jaw. He flew back, and TJ quickly followed, grabbing him by the neck and pushed him up against a tree, pinning him with her body.

Her fangs were out and gleaming in the sunlight when she grinned. “I win,” she exclaimed, panting slightly.

“Do you?” Derek growled. TJ gave him a confused look and then felt a light pressure on her chest. She looked down and saw that his claws were pressed against her chest in a way that if she was an enemy, he would’ve already had sunk his claws into her chest and ripped her heart out.

“Damnit,” she cursed, knowing that he won. She felt his body shift, and when she looked back at his face, he was back to his normal handsome self. She quickly retracted her fangs, and took a couple deep breaths, pretending not to notice the way the breathed in sync and their chests kept pressing against each other. She quickly stepped back, and smiled. “Good fight, Derek,” she said. He nodded.

“You too, TJ,” he said, and walked back to where he was before.

“That was epic,” Stiles said, making AJ laugh. He looked over at her with a serious expression. “Can you teach me how to do that?” Her face dropped.

“Uh… no,” she said slowly.

“Aw, why?” He asked with a slight whine.

“Stiles, if you tried some of those moves on a vampire or a werewolf, they would laugh and then kill you. If you tried to do those moves in the trees, you would break something or die,” TJ said. She looked at Stiles and then at Scott. “Scott, I want you to run fifteen laps around the clearing. Stiles, I want you to run five.”

“Why does Stiles get the shorter amount?” Scott complained. TJ raised an eyebrow.

“Stiles is human, you are a werewolf. Come on, pup, think!” She shouted. “Now get started!” The two took off, and TJ noticed with slight pride that Scott was going purposefully slower so that his best friend could keep up.

“You have such a way with them,” AJ commented when she was next to her sister. TJ chuckled.

“They’re good kids, can’t deny that,” she said, and then faced Derek. “How do you think they did?” She asked.

“They could do better,” was the gruff reply. TJ rolled her eyes.

“They’re doing fine for their first day, especially Stiles. He learns quickly. Did you ever offer to help him with some self-defense or anything?” She asked. She got no reply. “Thought not.” She turned back to see Scott picking up the pace, and Stiles trying his damnedest to keep up. A fond smile crept across her usual cold face before she quickly schooled her features.

She could not get attached.