"Derek will probably try something to make me join his pack. His betas might do something on their own or with him. Lydia got scratched by Peter, I don't know what's happening there. Other werewolves could visit town any time. I don't know what other weird things are out there."

"Awesome. Okay."

She closes her eyes and tries to think. ... And then the book shows up. Because of course it fucking does.

She growls, opens her eyes, and stares at a spot on the ceiling instead.

"So. Agenda for today for fixing the everything. Tell Matt the potential kanima cure, talk to Derek about specifics of that and also about trying to make you join his pack. Talk to Jackson, get his statement on kanima-hood and whether the kanima did or did not force Matt into giving it people to kill. Figure out what to do with Matt. Figure out what the hell with Lydia, maybe actually meet her, because honestly, I think it's past time I did. Anything else? Am I missing anything?"

"Gerard died last night. I don't know how Allison and VIctoria are doing, but Chris didn't take it well. Jackson went to Derek." 

Yvette grits her teeth.

"You could have mention-" Nevermind, it's a waste of time to just expect that he'll tell her things on his own, isn't it. "Jackson went to Derek, pack wise? Because when I was negotiating things I worded it as if he would be part of your pack. Okay. Fine. No protection for him. Two birds with one stone, I can talk to Derek when I talk to Jackson."

"Okay. What do you want to do first."

"How did Jackson's pack move - work, was there any reason or was it just an arbitrary insane decision like just about every single one that is made in this deranged town."

"Arbitrary and insane, I guess. He was always supposed to be Derek's beta, since he turned him. The kanima thing just threw things off course. As soon as he became a werewolf he felt the call of an alpha."

"Fantastic." More information she didn't know. "Enforced werewolf mind control. So I'll mark that down as a lost cause and not worry about seeming weak in front of the Argents for playing the wish-wash game, and just tell them he's Derek's problem. How do pack dynamics work."

"It's not...mind control, exactly. Not this time, not with Derek. It's just...being an omega hurts. It's scary."

"Enforced werewolf mind fuckery, then," she mutters. "How do werewolves work."

"Do you just want me to tell you everything I know about how we work? It's not much."

Melissa, by this point, has decided to quietly leave for work. 

She has to get there sooner or later, and sooner will probably help that growing headache.

No, she wanted you to fucking dodge the question for a third time that sounds fun -

"Yes," she sighs. "That is exactly what I want."

"So. The major things. Some are born, like Derek and his family, most of us are turned. If something weird happens, kanima. Derek's theory is not having enough love. Wolves have better senses, strength and speed than humans. We can transfer the pain of others to ourselves. Alphas are weird, they can scratch people and implant or erase memories. Also they can sort of mind control their betas if they scratched them, but I don't think they can if they bit them. There might be other stuff but it's probably better if you ask about the confusing parts."

"Is there a difference between born werewolves and made werewolves, can a werewolf evolve into a kanima if they feel abandoned or unloved, are alpha and beta just arbitrary words assigned to the dominant wolf in the pack and their lieutenant, or is it a specific species thing?"

"Any differences seem mostly about being raised as one. A little better with the senses, a little more comfortable with violence. Derek didn't mention any stories about evolution like that and it's not in the bestiary, so that's all I know. And I don't know how alphas start, but any beta who kills an alpha becomes one. Derek killed his uncle, who killed his sister, who was alpha."

"Okay. Implant and erase memories, is that in anyone, or just werewolves? Is there a range requirement for it?"

"The last alpha we knew was Peter, Derek only tells me cryptic things to get me to join his pack, so he hasn't told me anything." 

"Not to worry," says Yvette, "I'm going to be interrogating him, too. I'll ask."

"Sure. Do you need me to do anything other than introduce you?"

Possibly, but she hasn't gotten that far yet.

"Do you have school today?" she asks. Pause. "What day is it, even."

"It's spring break. We still have lacrosse practice, but not today."

"All right." So clearly you are free to drive me around as I solve all of your problems for you, she doesn't say. "What's Derek like?"

"Derek thinks of humans as being liabilities to work around. Other werewolves are threats unless they're part of his pack. He grew up as his mother's beta, and then his sister's. Kate Argent, Allison's aunt, started the house fire that killed most of the Hales. That's why Peter turned me, to get revenge on everyone he blamed for it. That's Peter Hale, Derek's uncle. Derek has three betas he turned to deal with the Argents being in town again. He doesn't trust easily."

"... So it sounds like I need to have something to offer him before I can get anywhere of note," she muses. "Does Derek want revenge on the Argents?"