Death is weird. All I could ever assume before was that I would wake up in some room with someone else waiting for me. They'd say something along the lines of 'you had a good life' or 'we have been waiting for you'. Something like that would happen. They'd go on saying that you died and now you are beginning another part of your life. Part of me expected a screen to slide down and begin to show a quick summary of my life.

The only part of me left on Earth would be the memories of me forever marked in my friends' minds. They could chose to remember me and all the times we shared together or push me to the back of their mind. I was curious to how everyone would react to my death. Would they cry? Feel like their whole world is collapsing on them because I died? Or would they be okay?

I didn't expect to wake up in Scott's bedroom. That's actually the very last place I expected to be. Slowly, I push myself up from where I was laying down underneath the comforter. What am I doing here?

I sit up on his bed. My hands fly down to my rib cage, gently pressing against them. I exhale in relief when I feel no pain. No broken bones, no blood, no pain. Standing up, I look around the room, befuddled of why I'm in Scott's room of all places. 

Unless I didn't die. But, how could I not have any broken bones?

"What if she doesn't wake up?" Lydia's voice comes from somewhere. 

My head whips around at her voice. It sounded like she was right beside me. I head towards the doorway, leading towards the hallway. Maybe she's out here. I frown when the hallway empty.

"But Scott bit her." Stiles says.

How can I hear them so clearly? They're nowhere near me. I don't even know where they are. I would assume I was dead, but everything seems to real. I press my hand to my chest, feeling my heart beating.

"That doesn't mean anything." Kira joins in the conversation. "My mom told me that you can't be a fox and a wolf. It's just not possible."

I creep down the hallway until I reach the stairs. The smell of coffee hits me immediately. I take a step back from the strong wave of coffee. The scent is so strong that it smells like the house took a bath with coffee instead of water.

"Then what's going to happen to Arden? Is she going to be stuck in between, forever unconscious?" Stiles is here?

What if I am stuck in between? My body is fighting against the bite, so I'm stuck in between. Maybe this is like the movies, where I'm like a ghost. I can move around and see everything going on, but no one can actually see me.

"I don't know." Scott sighs.

I reach the first floor and head towards the voices. I run my hand along the wall. I peek inside of the kitchen to find all of them crowding around the kitchen. The coffee pot is sitting on the counter half full. Everyone seems to have their own mug beside them or in hand. All of them to be sleep deprived by the bags under their eyes.

I stand in the doorway of the kitchen, quietly. None of them have noticed me and that almost begin to believe that I am a ghost. 

Lydia shakes her head and regrips the mug in her hands. Her eyes are red and puffy. They lift up from the mug to land on me. Lydia's eyes widen as she stares at me before setting her mug down. She pushes away from the counter. "Arden!"

Too stunned to move, I just stand there as her small arms wrap around my torso. Her yelling seemed to capture everyone else's attention. All of them rush over to me. Stiles is the first to reach us and joins in on the hug.

"Oh, thank God!" Stiles yells in my ear.

"You're okay!" Kira squeals, happily.

They all join the group hug nearly squeezing me to death.

"What happened?" I whisper, hugging whoever I can back.

All of them pull back, sharing looks. Scott scratches the back of his head. "What do you remember?"

"Dying." I deadpan. "I remember dying, but," I look around at all of them. "I guess that didn't happen."

Lydia leans back on the counter. "You almost did. Right before your heart could stop, Scott bit you. We weren't sure it was going to work. But, I guess it did."

"How is that even possible?" I look over at Kira. "Foxes can't turn into wolves. What am I?"

Kira shakes her head. Her phone is held between her hands, like she's in the middle of a text. "I-I don't know. I'm trying to find out if my mom knows anything."

I run my hands through my hair before freezing. I flick my eyes to Scott. "Where's Derek?"

Scott's whole body tenses up. I narrow my eyes in confusion when I suddenly hear his heart beating in my ears. I rub my ear, confused. Maybe that's my own heartbeat I hear. "Uh..." Scott trails off, glancing around to see if anyone is going to help him talk. 

The beating in my ears speed up. Is that seriously Scott's heartbeat? How can I hear that?

"Derek's, uh- He's not taking your almost death that well." Scott manages to say, once he realizes no one is coming to his aid.

"What do you mean?"

"After I bit you, he told us to take you somewhere safe because he, uh, had to deal with something." Scott awkwardly clears his throat.

"Haigh." I realize.

Scott half nods. "You were in really bad shape when we got to you, Arden. Derek- He was furious. He threw Haigh against the wall and slammed his head against the wall, repeatedly. He was going to kill him."

"Not like he didn't deserve it." Stiles mutters under his breath.

I walk over to the counter and lean up against it. "So, now what?"

"I don't know. We didn't really plan on what to do if you woke up. We were just praying that you would." Lydia admits. She walks back over to her mug, taking a sip. "We thought you weren't going to make it."

"Do you feel any different?" Scott asks me. "Like, werewolf different?"

"Scott, I'm not a werewolf. It's not possible." I remind him. "But, I could hear you guys talking from upstairs and I could hear your heart beating just a few minutes ago."

"Arden?"

I whirl around at the new voice in the house. Derek is standing in the other entrance to the kitchen, dressed in his usual black clothes. The corners of my mouth tug up in a small smile as I stare at him. I race past everyone and run straight to Derek. He breaks out in a large grin, catching me as I jump in his arms.

My arms wind around his neck, legs no longer touching the ground, but are wrapped around his waist. Derek's arms wrap around my back, holding me tightly against him.

"I was coming to check up on you." He whispers in my ear. "I've been worried sick that you weren't going to survive."

"Well, I don't know how I did survive." I admit, resting my face in the crook of his neck. "Technically, I shouldn't be here. Foxes can't change into a wolf. It's not possible in anyway. I don't know how I'm still alive."

Derek kisses the side of my head. "I don't care. I'm just glad you are."

With his arms still wrapped around me, I unwind my legs from around his waist. He gently sets me back down on the ground, but keeps me pressed up against his chest.

"I'm sorry I made you worry." I murmur.

Derek pulls back enough to kiss me. I suck in a breath, not at all prepared. The kiss is sweet, gentle, but I can feel how grateful he is that I'm alive. The way his lips turn a little rough knocks the breath out of me. Derek's heart beats fast in my ears and I can't help but smile in the kiss. I don't know how I can hear it, but I love knowing that I'm the reason it's beating so fast.

"Ugh. I think I just puked in my mouth a little." Stiles mutters, sounding rather disgusted.

I pull back and rest my head on Derek's chest.

From the corner of my eye, I see Lydia slap Stiles on the chest. "Shut up. They're adorable."

Kira awkwardly clears her throat. "Um, my mom texted me back. Uh, Arden, I think I know what happened to you?"

That seems to capture everyone's attention. We all focus on Kira, who is holding her phone tightly in her hand. Her fingers flex around the phone. "My mom said that when a fox is bitten by a werewolf, they usually die. However, on very rare occasions, they do survive, but, uh, they aren't the same..."

"What do you mean?" I ask my best friend, spinning around to rest my back against Derek's chest. His arms wrap around my shoulders.

Kira awkwardly shifts on her feet. "Well..."

XXXXXXXXX

Sorry about leaving this like this. (Just kidding, I'm totally not sorry) I enjoy torturing you guys wayyyy too much. It's just so much fun. I like to keep you guys guessing. It's good to have you wondering what's going to happen next.

How many of you just want to know what she is already? Don't worry. You shall find out in the next chapter, I promise. I won't leave you hanging again.

Darden is just so cute. I need more of them in my life.

Question: Any idea of what Kira is going to say next?

So, yeah!