AN: Hi, sorry I missed last week, but here is the next chapter. I may post another one this weekend if I get the chance to make up for the missed week. Other than that, let me know how you're liking the story so far!
Influence
"It's been a week, they haven't remembered anything else. We should just tell them," Zach thought to the others as he, Kaia, and Jay walked into Mr. Douglas's class.
"We let need to let them figure it out," Kaia reminded him.
"Well, they haven't since we stepped away. And neither has Steve," the chimera replied.
"We can give them a few more days," Jay said before the bell rang.
"Power. The ability to control thing," Mr. Douglas started, walking down the aisle and holding a metal rod. "This metal has no power. It's small, weak, insignificant. Is there anything we can do to change that?" he asked. Corey raised his hand and the others turned to him. "Corey, what you got?"
"We can add electricity," the chimera said.
"Exactly," Mr. Douglas said with a smirk before walking behind his desk. "We can turn this metal rod," he said, tossing it on the table. "Into a magnet," he finished, picking up a different rod that had a copper wire wrapped around it. "Now it has power. Now it has influence over others," he said, placing a metal ball from a glass bowl.
"We need to be the metal rod," Zach thought as Mr. Douglas set the ball in the bowl, giving it a spin.
"I'll hook you up to some electricity then," Jay commented as Mr. Douglas turned on the generator.
Zach scoffed. "We need to be the electricity," Zach corrected as Mr. Douglas guided the rod along the outside of the bowl, causing the ball to follow.
"Shock them to their senses?" Kaia asked as they watched the ball accelerate. The three perked up when Mr. Douglas started to cough roughly, slamming his hand into the table to support himself.
"Are—Are you okay, Mr. Douglas?" Hayden asked.
He looked up and her with a smile. "Just a little cough," he said before looking down at the experiment. "Where were we—um—Right. Now we have electricity and a little bit of power. Let's add a little more," he said, increasing the generator's power. "After all, the greater the power, the greater the control.
The ball began to spin fast before Mr. Douglas went into another coughing fit. "Leonard?" Jay asked as Mr. Douglas punched the table. "Know anything that would cause this?"
"Asthma's the closest thing I can think of off the top of my head. But, he's not wheezing like someone would when having an attack."
Mr. Douglas grabbed his water bottle as he tried to fight back the cough, turning away from the class and taking a sip. He stood there for a moment before turning back to the class, looking slightly concerned for a moment before shaking himself back to the lecture. "Imagine how powerful this rod would become with boundless electricity," he stated, holding up the rod. "Say, from a lightning bolt? What else could we control?" he added, turning the generator up even higher.
The ball started spinning faster in the bowl before Mr. Douglas started coughing again. "Cough caused by electricity?" Zach thought.
"I'll look when I get home," Leonard replied. Before Mr. Douglas's cough became wheezy.
"I thought you were home?" Kaia asked as Mr. Douglas moved to the back of the room. The kitsune turned and watched him slam the door on the supply closet.
"I'm looking into that murder from last week."
"Why wait until now?" Jay asked before Liam got out of his seat and walked towards the door. The werecheetah followed him, listening to the teacher cough and wheeze behind the closed door.
"Timing," Leonard replied.
"Mr. Douglas?" Liam asked as Jay heard air hiss in the room.
"Mr. Douglas?" Jay echoed, knocking on the door.
"I'm fine," Mr. Douglas sighed, stepping out a few moments later and closing the door behind him. "Let's get back to the lesson," he added, nodding at Liam and Jay before returning to the front of the room.
"Anyone remember how to pick a lock?" Jay asked, testing the door handle and finding it was locked.
Kaia was changing after gym when her phone vibrated. She noticed all the other girls checking their phones as various vibrations and ping filled the locker room. She opened the message and found an invitation to a start of the season lacrosse party. "Keg and DJ?" Jay asked. "Sounds like fun."
"We can't get drunk," Leonard reminded him.
"If you hated fun less, maybe you wouldn't mind watching others have fun," Jay commented.
"Where is it?" Kaia heard someone shout before slamming a locker. The kitsune turned and saw Gwen standing in front of one of the lockers. "Who took all of her stuff?"
"What's wrong, Gwen?" Hayden asked walking over to her.
"Someone stole all of her stuff."
"Whose stuff?"
"Phoebe, my sister," Gwen said. "She's been on your team for two years."
"I don't remember her," Hayden said.
"You don't remember her? The school doesn't remember her. No one remembers her," she sighed before walking out of the locker room.
"Sounds like Ghost Riders," Leonard thought.
"But how does Gwen remember her?" Kaia asked.
Fiona and Charlie walked into the library with Scott and Lydia before they googled Stiles. "Stile, an arrangement of steps that allows people, but not animals to climb over a fence," Scott read.
"Yeah, somehow, I don't think these are the stiles we're looking for," Lydia muttered looking to Fiona. Fiona shook her head in response.
"These are not the droids you're looking for," Jay commented.
"What?" Charlie asked.
"Star Wars. Malia said Stiles liked that movie."
"Maybe Malia's found something," Scott said.
"No, she's been taking a make-up test all morning," Lydia said.
"It'll come to you," Charlie assured them.
"Has Steve remembered yet?" Scott asked.
"No," Fiona sighed.
"Speaking of Malia," Jay said, showing them a coyote running down the hallway outside his classroom.
"Then how can you—" Scott started.
"Malia lost control," Fiona said, interrupting the alpha.
"My mom," Lydia muttered, getting to her feet.
"She's fine, Malia just turned into a coyote and ran off," Charlie told her before they heard a howl fill the school halls.
"Yeah, but what about the rest of the school," Scott whispered before the four of them ran out of the library.
"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Fiona asked when Jay joined them.
"I know where she ran to," the werecheetah told them before running down the hall. The four chased after him as he led them to the basement and found the sheriff and Ms. Martin waiting for them.
"Let Scott go first," Lydia told them all. Scott nodded before walking into the basement. The others followed after a few minutes, staying by the door when they heard the werecoyote growl.
"Malia, it's okay. You're safe," Scott told her, but the coyote snarled back at him. "I'm not gonna hurt you," he added as the others moved closer to him. "I think she's calming down," Scott said before Malia growled at them.
"Clearly," Jay mentioned, stepping past the alpha.
Scott moved to stop the werecheetah but Charlie held him back. "He has experience with this," Fiona mentioned.
"With Malia turning into a coyote?" the sheriff asked.
"Turning feral," Charlie replied as Jay knelt in front of the coyote.
"Malia, it's me," Jay whispered to her. "The danger's passed, you're safe now." Malia sniffed the air, backing away from Jay a bit before she looked past him and snarled at the others. Charlie and Fiona jumped with the others when Malia barked and growled at them. "It's okay," Jay whispered. "We're your friends."
"We're the problem," Lydia realized. "This is her territory. Maybe we need to get out of here."
The other nodded and moved back to the door as Jay continued to try and calm Malia. "Jay," Charlie thought. "Come back here."
"I think she remembers me. The subconscious of the coyote form," the werecheetah replied, not moving from his crouched position. Charlie heard the growls fade away as he turned to the others.
"Malia came here to get through the full moons," Lydia explained. "Then we started using the lake house."
"I thought you said a wild animal got in the lake house," Ms. Martin replied.
"Just be happy about all the things I don't tell you," Lydia told her.
"This is like her den then," Charlie said.
"Why is Jay still in there?" Scott asked.
"They have a history," Fiona told him before they noticed the growling had stopped. They looked back around the corner and found Malia had returned to human form.
The sheriff and Ms. Martin flinched when they noticed she was naked. "It's all right. I'm okay," Malia told them before Ms. Martin brought her her clothes and forced Jay to turn around.
"Any idea what made her shift?" the sheriff asked.
"She's under a lot of pressure," Scott admitted. "School, her life after graduation."
"Her mom trying to kill her," Lydia added.
"Losing an anchor," Charlie said, causing the sheriff to look at him surprised.
The sheriff nodded at Scott and the two walked towards the stairs. "What're you doing with them? After everything you told me—" Charlie heard the sheriff whisper.
"I know," Scott sighed. "We're just trying to figure something out."
"Well, help me figure out what he means by her losing an anchor."
"It might have to do with this Stiles, but we haven't figure out what it means."
"It's a he," the sheriff told him.
"Who?"
"Stiles. It's a family nickname. I never used it but my father did," the sheriff explained. Scott glanced over to Charlie. "But, I don't think he had any attachment to Malia," the sheriff added before walking up the stairs.
"We should look into it?" Scott asked, looking at Charlie.
"You three go, I'm going to check on something else," the beta said.
"Look into what?" Lydia asked, looking at Scott.
"I'll explain on the way," Scott told her as the three ran out of the basement.
"Why didn't I attack you?" Malia asked once she was dressed and the others ran off.
"Irresistible charm?" Jay suggested, turning back around.
"Yeah, no," Malia scoffed
"I've had some experience with losing control before," Jay admitted. "You still don't remember anything, do you?"
"No," Malia said shaking her head. "Should I?"
"I don't know. But maybe your coyote form could help you remember," Jay said.
"Not right now it can't. You have a test to finish," Ms. Martin said, looking to Malia. "And remember, safe space," she told Jay as she guided Malia away.
"What the hell do they think we did last semester?" Jay asked the others.
Scott finished explaining what the sheriff said to Lydia before they reached her car. "You think your best friend was the sheriff's dad?" Lydia asked.
"The Ghost Riders take people. This is the first thing we have that involves Stiles as a person. It's worth looking into," Scott told her.
Lydia turned to Fiona. "Well?"
"We're unsure if telling you would actually hinder your ability to remember," Fiona admitted.
Lydia shook her head before sighing. "Fine, we can look into it then," she said before the three got into the car.
"What're we doing here?" Fiona asked as they pulled up to Scott's house.
"I thought we were going to look into it?" Scott said, turning back to look at the banshee.
"But you already know someone who has the information," Fiona reminded them.
"Stilinski," Lydia muttered, looking at Scott. The alpha sighed before backing out of his driveway.
The three exited the car and knocked on the door. The sheriff answered and his mouth opened when he saw the three standing there. "We were wondering if you could tell us more about Stiles. We think he is involved with the Wild Hunt," Scott said before the sheriff could respond.
"What do you want to know?" the sheriff sighed, leading them to the living room and gesturing for them to sit in the chairs across from the couch.
"Anything you could tell us," Scott said. "Maybe even talk with him if that's possible."
The sheriff let out a long breath before he noticed a woman walk past the living room. "Honey, could you grab my father's box?" he asked her. She nodded before continuing down the hallway. "I don't know how much I could tell you that would matter," he sighed before the woman returned and handed him a small metal box. "Thanks, honey."
"The sheriff is dating someone?" Fiona thought to the others.
"I don't remember Steve sensing anyone other than Stiles and his father when he was there," Leonard replied.
"He was an army engineer," the sheriff started, opening the box. "Ended the war one bridge at a time," he added handing a photo to Scott.
"And he went by Stiles?" Scott asked looking at the old photo.
"So, what's this go to do with the Wild Hunt?"
Scott looked to Lydia and Fiona before turning to the sheriff. "We think that somebody was taken from us," he said.
"Any idea who?"
"The Ghost Riders would have erased out memories," Scott replied, shaking his head.
"Well, now, that's convenient," the sheriff added, looking to Fiona.
"We found a clue," Lydia stated, noticing the sheriff's look.
"Did you now?" he asked, still looking at Fiona.
"The word Stiles," Lydia told him. Fiona noticed the woman turn to Lydia, her eyebrows raised.
"And that's why you wanna talk to Elias?" the woman asked.
"Yeah, maybe he can help us figure it out," Scott said. "Maybe he knows who we're looking for."
"Now, this is someone your age?" the sheriff asked, returning his attention to Scott.
"Yeah, I—I think he was my friend. Maybe he was my best friend."
"I can guarantee you, my father can't help you," the sheriff said, getting to his feet and taking back the photo.
"Why not?" Fiona asked.
"Couldn't we try?" Scott added.
"He lives in a nursing home, three towns over," the sheriff said. Fiona jumped when she saw an older woman walk behind him. She looked at the others and saw Lydia's eyes widen as she tracked the woman. Scott's focus didn't shift from the sheriff as the woman stared at the two banshees before walking past the couch. "Hasn't had a visitor in years," the sheriff explained to Scott.
The woman looked away for a moment as she walked forward before stopping at the hallway and looking back at them. "The following stops have been canceled," the woman said before they heard a train whistle. "The following stops have been canceled," she repeated as the whistle got louder. The woman turned and started down the hall.
"Can I use your bathroom?" Lydia asked, looking at the younger woman.
"Sure," the woman said nodding.
"I'll go too, so we can get out of your way," Fiona added and the two banshees moved down the hall. They rounded the corner and found the woman staring at the wall midway down the hall.
"Why are you here?" Lydia asked the woman.
"Jay, come to us in case we run into traffic again," Fiona thought as the two stepped closer to the woman. The older woman continued to stare at the wall, ignoring them.
"Is there something you want to tell me? What stop has been canceled?" Lydia asked, but the woman remained silent.
"Excuse me," Fiona said, reaching out for the woman.
"Did you find it?" the younger woman shouted from the living room causing both banshees to flinch and turn. "It's the last door on the left."
They sighed as they realized they weren't followed and turned back to the hall. The older woman had vanished. "Found it," Lydia called out before turning to Fiona. "You've never seen anything like this," she whispered.
"No," Fiona replied shaking her head. "I've only ever heard the voices."
"What're the voices saying?" Lydia asked.
"Nothing. Not since the night they were taken," Fiona told her.
Lydia sighed before the two headed back to the living room. "You're not hearing me. Trust me, you don't wanna talk to him," the sheriff told Scott as the banshees stepped back into the room, they froze in the entryway as they watched the others argue.
"We just need a few minutes," Scott said.
"Scott, my father can't help you."
"Just a few questions, five minutes. It's all—" Scott pleaded.
"You know what? You don't just talk to this guy!" the sheriff shouted, cutting Scott off. "Just find another way."
"But what if this is the only way?" Scott asked as Lydia and Fiona moved towards him.
"Scott, you have your answer," the woman told him.
"Sheriff, please."
The sheriff turned and noticed Fiona and Lydia walk up to him. "Why don't you just have them remind you?" he spat nodding at Fiona.
"What's that supposed to mean?" the banshee asked.
"Sheriff—" Scott started.
"The answer's no," the sheriff told him, sternly.
"Come on," Lydia whispered pushing Scott towards the door.
"How's your psychoanalysis skills?" Charlie asked, stepping into the office.
"Why?" Marin asked looking up from the papers on her desk.
"I need to figure out the impact August had on Steve growing up, so I can figure out what Steve would be like without him."
"You can't tell?"
"He's been lying to me. I need to figure out what could have changed."
Marin nodded before pointing to the seat in front of her desk. "Start with when he first met August and anything you can remember since then."
Leonard stretched as he waited outside Scott's house for Melissa to wake up. The werelion heard a soft bang from the back of the house and moved around to the back door. He noticed a shadow moving in the kitchen. He closed his eyes and listened past the clanging dishes, hearing someone walking down the stairs. Leonard ran to the back door, barging in as Melissa came around the corner carrying a candlestick.
The werelion turned to the kitchen, spotting Chris Argent. "I thought you were a home invader," Leonard sighed, looking at the hunter.
Chris turned, his hand moving to the gun at his back when he saw the werelion. "You are a home invader," Melissa said, looking at Leonard, still clutching the candlestick.
"Chris, you worked with us before," Leonard told the hunter. "You worked with Tiberius, then helped us with the wendigos."
"I remember that," he stated.
"Forget everything that might have happened after. We worked together," Leonard repeated.
"What do you want?" Melissa asked.
"I want to examine a body in the morgue," Leonard told her.
"From last week's murder?" Chris asked. Leonard nodded. "That's why I'm here to," he said, turning to Melissa.
"And yet you two can only sneak into kitchens," Melissa told them.
"I wanted your expertise on something," Chris said, moving toward Melissa.
"I have some knowledge as well," Leonard said.
"Oh?" Chris asked.
"I've studied anatomy, physiology, chemistry—," Leonard started but stopped when he noticed Chris looking skeptical. "No August means no Osmont," Leonard muttered to himself.
"What?" Melissa asked.
"Just let me take a look, please," Leonard begged.
"He's the least dangerous of their pack," Chris whispered to Melissa. Leonard scoffed softly, looking at Chris.
"So, why does Gwen remember Phoebe?" Zach asked, following Kaia and Jay down the hall.
"I don't know, no one else can remember her. No one remembers anyone who was taken," she said.
"No, Alex remembered he had parents. He didn't understand what was happening, but he remembered his parents when no other trace of them existed," Jay told them.
"But that was right before Alex was taken as well," Kaia reminded him.
"Exactly," Jay said.
"So, if Gwen is next, shouldn't we be there to protect her?" Zach asked, causing the other two to stop in their tracks.
Jay sniffed the air. "Found her," he said before running to the library.
"I got up to get some water, and I thought I saw this man standing in our front yard," he heard Gwen say as they neared the library. "When I looked again, there was no one there. But this morning my sister was gone and her room was completely empty."
"Theory confirmed," Jay whispered when the others caught up to him and they entered the library.
"I can't reach my mom, and I tried to call Phoebe's phone, but the line's been disconnected. And no one believes that she exists. The cops, the school, they're all saying that there's no record of her. And everyone's looking at me like I'm crazy," Gwen continued, but stopped when Jay, Kaia, and Zach moved behind Hayden.
"I believe you, Gwen," Kaia said. "I remember Phoebe. You're not crazy."
Gwen sighed as she shook her head, taking a bracelet off her arm. "I made this for Phoebe for her birthday. Mom forgot to buy her anything, she travels so much. This is the only thing I have left," she muttered.
"The man in your yard, what did he look like?" Hayden asked.
"He had a black hat, a long coat. But I couldn't see his face," Gwen told them.
"Shh," a student sighed behind them, rubbing his forehead.
"You know what?" Zach muttered turning to the student before Jay grabbed him and the five moved into one of the aisles.
"He's called a Ghost Rider. They take people and you don't even know it because they've erased your memories," Hayden explained. "If you see them, according to the mythology, you're next."
"Do you think I'm stupid," Gwen chuckled, shaking her head.
"Gwen, she's telling the truth," Kaia told her.
"Is this just all a big joke to you guys? You say you remember her and then make up some ghost story to make fun of me?" she said, shaking her head before walking away.
"Mythology was probably a bad choice of words," Jay whispered to Hayden.
The werewolf glared at the werecheetah before walking off.
"Didn't you want to check out Mr. Douglas's storage room?" Zach asked.
"What he does in his free time can wait until Gwen is safe," Jay replied.
"And how do we do that?" Zach asked.
"With some help from our friends," Jay commented.
Melissa hesitated at the morgue's doors, her keycard hovering above the scanner. "I'm not going to do anything," Leonard told her. "If I did, Chris would be able to take me out."
She sighed before swiping her card and letting them in. The three of them moved towards one of the drawers, sliding it open and uncovering the man's body. Chris turned the head, the neck cracking from the force due to the rigor mortis.
"I'm gonna go with head trauma as the cause of death," Melissa said.
Leonard leaned close to examine the gaping hole on the back of the man's skull. "Trauma, yes," Leonard muttered. "But not blunt force like everyone is saying. Those are teeth marks," Leonard explained.
"A werewolf," Melissa said as Leonard continued to look at the head.
"A werewolf with an unusually power set of jaws," Chris told her as he looked at the bite marks
"Not a werewolf," Leonard whispered. "The fangs don't line up right."
"What do you mean?" Melissa asked.
"A werewolf's fangs grow from the canine's, hence the name," Leonard explained pointing at his teeth. "These marks show an extra pair of teeth between them, like this," he finished before shifting and pointing to his fangs.
"A werelion then," Chris muttered, looking at Leonard.
"Or other werecat. He'd have to unhinge his jaw and still be able to bite down in order to cover that large of an area, so werelion is the most likely option."
"Where did you learn this?" Melissa asked.
"Other than the fact that I'm a werelion? I read a lot," Leonard replied before he returned his attention to the wound.
"This isn't his first victim," Chris told them.
"Stilinski said no, didn't he?" Malia asked as she opened her locker.
"Yeah," Scott replied.
"But we're going anyway?"
"Yep," Scott said before Malia closed her locker.
"Or you could stay here and help us convince Gwen she's in danger," Liam said nodding to Jay.
"It's not your job to convince her," Scott told them. "It's your job to keep her safe."
"Just kidnap her," Malia stated before walking away
"Do not kidnap her," Scott warned glancing at Jay as they followed the werecoyote.
"Yeah, 'cause that was my original idea," Jay commented. "That's why I already did it."
"You did what?" Scott asked, coming to a stop.
"I made a joke," Jay told him, patting his shoulder before passing the alpha. "You'll catch on."
Scott sighed before he started walking after Jay and Malia. "We'll be back tonight after we talk to Stilinski's dad."
"Do we really have to do this?" Malia asked, stopping near the exit.
"He's our only lead," Scott reminded her.
"Okay, but what if the Ghost Riders show up?" Liam asked.
Jay turned to the beta. "Then we stop them," the werecheetah said as Kaia and Zach met them in the hall. "You didn't think I'd be doing this alone did you?"
"You've got Mason, Corey, and Hayden too," Scott reminded Liam. "Just find a safe place for Gwen and keep her there."
"Any suggestions?" Liam asked.
"It doesn't matter, as long as she's safe," Scott told him before heading out the door.
"Kidnap her," Malia whispered to them before following Scott.
"Do not kidnap her," Scott shouted before the doors closed behind them.
"Okay," Liam sighed. "Do you guys have a plan?"
"First, we find Gwen," Kaia told him.
"Then we get the others and come up with a plan," Zach added.
"How do we find her?" Liam asked.
Jay sniffed the air. "Already did, she's in the library, have the others meet us there."
The four of them headed towards the library as Liam pulled out his phone and texted the others.
"I see her," Zach said as they walked into the library.
Liam turned to the second floor where Zach pointed to before Jay reached around and pushed the beta's head forward. "Don't make it obvious," he whispered before leading them to a table on the first floor.
"We shouldn't let her out of our sight," Liam whispered back.
"We have more senses to rely on than sight," Jay reminded him, pointing to his nose.
Mason and Corey walked into the library and joined the others. Hayden joined them shortly after.
"Until we find a safe place for Gwen, we need to know her location at all times," Liam told them once Hayden sat down.
"Okay, that's great while we're at school, but what happens after that?" Mason asked. "She could go anywhere."
"I can run fast, Zach can fly, and Corey can become invisible. We won't exactly have a hard time keeping up with her," Jay told him.
"Yeah, but then you three would be alone. And, no offense, you aren't exactly our best fighters," Kaia reminded him.
"Hayden could ask to hang out with her," Corey suggested.
"Yeah, have mythology club," Jay commented.
Hayden rolled her eyes before sitting up. "We don't have to, I know where she'll be tonight," she told them, pulling out her phone before showing them the party invite. "Nathan's party."
"Hell yeah," Jay muttered.
"Yes, cause when I'm missing my sister I go to a party," Zach commented.
"She's been asking everybody at school about Phoebe. Almost everyone is going to this party. She'll be there to ask them about Phoebe," Hayden told him.
"But, we can't keep her safe at Nathan's," Liam said. "We need a place where supernatural can't get in."
"I know a place," Mason chuckled. "The safest place."
Fiona stepped out of Lydia's car and followed her, Scott, and Malia to the nursing home.
"I can't believe we're about to break into a nursing home," Scott muttered as they stopped at the doors.
"Beats infiltrating a mental health facility," Fiona told him.
The others turned to her, surprised. "She's right, after the orderlies at Eichen House, I'm sure we can handle some nurses," Malia said with a shrug before walking into the building.
"We aren't doing this tactfully, are we?" Fiona asked as they watched her walk to the front desk.
"Nope," Lydia sighed as Malia slammed the nurse's head on the desk before hopping over it and dragging him away.
"Well, let's figure out where Elias is," Fiona sighed before walking through the doors.
Fiona and Scott searched the desk for any information while Lydia turned to the computer. "He's in 138," Lydia said when Malia returned.
"Where's that?" the werecoyote asked.
"I don't know, you just assaulted our tour guide," Fiona replied.
Lydia sighed before pointing to a sign that directed visitors to room numbers. The four moved down the hall, stopping at Elias's room. Jazz played on the radio as they peered in and found an elderly man sitting in an outdated room writing on a pad of paper at a dining table.
"Yes?" the man asked, turning as they entered the room. "Oh, is it time for my medicine?"
"We don't have your medicine," Malia spat, crossing her arms.
"Oh," the man sighed, turning back to the table.
"Are you Elias Stilinski?" Lydia asked.
"I am," he replied.
Lydia smiled, turning to Scott before walking toward Elias. "I'm Lydia Martin," she said, beaming. "Do you know who I am?"
"Should I?" he asked.
"Hey, Mr. Stilinski, we're looking for somebody who might be named Stiles," Scott said, approaching the man. "You went by that name in the army, right?"
"Yes," he replied. "Best years of my life."
"Do you know any of us?" Malia asked, her arms still crossed.
"Of course," he replied. Fiona raised her eyebrows in surprise as he looked towards Scott. "How could I forget my own son?"
"Your son?" Scott asked.
"Mr. Stilinski, what year is it?" Lydia asked.
"1976," Elias told her. Lydia sighed as she closed her eyes. "It's my son's birthday next week."
"He has dementia," Lydia said, turning to them.
"Is it time for my medicine?" Elias repeated, turning to Scott.
"Then we're wasting our time," Malia stated.
"He might remember something though," Scott said, turning to her before looking to Fiona. "Right?"
"I don't know," Fiona said, shaking her head.
"This is a horrible idea," Liam stated as the DJ brought in her equipment.
"This is a great idea," Jay replied as Zach swooped down, carrying a keg.
"Where'd you get that?" Liam asked.
"From a liquor store," he said.
"You're not twenty-one," Corey stated.
"I didn't say I went through the front door."
"This is bad," Liam sighed.
"Relax. I only invited enough people to get the word around to Gwen," Mason said as Zach brought the keg inside. "I only invited her and a handful of her friends."
"Nathan invited the whole school," Hayden reminded him. "Everyone will else will be at his party.
"Okay, but who invited the DJ?" Liam asked as she walked past to unload more of her gear.
"What kind of party doesn't have a DJ?" Jay asked before helping her bring the equipment inside.
"This is bad," Liam repeated.
"Only a few people were invited, the music might help Gwen stay," Kaia shrugged.
"This party is bangin'!" Jay shouted as he moved off beat through the massive crowd of people.
"Does he know he's a bad dancer?" Mason asked as he watched the werecheetah move through the crowd. He, Corey, and Kaia leaned against the wall watching the crowd through the flashing lights.
"Not as bad as him," Corey said, nodding towards Zach.
Kaia sighed, rolling her eyes. "Either of you see Gwen yet?" she asked.
"No, but there's Liam," Mason nodded as Liam pushed his way through the crowd.
"Hey, not there," Liam said, rushing to grab a cup someone had set down on the table. The front door slammed open, knocking a picture off the wall. Liam caught the frame before it could hit the ground.
"You stole my party," Nathan said. Jay stopped dancing when he recognized the voice from Malia's house last week and ran over to Liam as Nathan shoved the beta against the wall. "What, are you gonna steal lacrosse captain, too?"
"Maybe you should learn how to throw a party people actually want to go to," Jay commented, grabbing Nathan's shoulder. "And probably get better at lacrosse instead of worrying about a party," he added with a smirk. Nathan swung at the werecheetah, but Jay ducked out of the way, chuckling. "It was just a joke, man. Don't take it too hard."
"Yeah, how'd you think I take it," Nathan huffed, stepping toward the werecheetah.
"In hundreds," Mason replied, holding up some cash.
Nathan glanced at Mason before taking the money from his hand and walking into the crowd celebrating his winnings. "You ruin all the fun," Jay commented.
"I'm starting to think this was a bad idea," Liam said.
"Scott told us to do whatever it takes to keep Gwen safe," Mason replied.
"I thought you only invited a few people?"
"Word must have gotten around," Mason sighed.
"Yeah, but what if Melissa shows up? She already doesn't like me," Liam said.
"Well, none of you liked us," Jay mentioned. "Yet here we are," he added, gesturing to the crowd behind them.
Mason sighed and shook his head. "Melissa has the night shift. She won't be home until four am," he said, hanging the picture back on the wall, crooked. "And we'll have this place cleaned up way before then."
"I'll be there to help. It'll take no time," Jay added.
"Scott told us to protect Gwen," Mason started, grabbing the jar of mountain ash. "And putting her in a house line with mountain ash is a good plan," he finished, pouring the contents across the door. "Believe in the plan," he said, closing the door.
"Believe in the party," Jay added before rejoining the crowd.
Mason chuckled slightly as he watched the werecheetah dance away.
The sun had set as they continued to try and explain the situation to Elias. "Don't tell Scott about the party," Jay warned Fiona.
She shook her head as Elias turned to Scott. "Scott McCall?" he asked, Scott smirked and nodded his head. "No, no, no, no, no. You're my son."
"Keep it down old guy," Malia warned. "You'll wake the other old people," she added before she started to pick at Elias's tray of food.
"I don't like her," Elias commented.
"She takes some getting used to," Fiona told him as Lydia sat next to him.
"Your son," the banshee said. "He's the sheriff of Beacon Hills."
"Sheriff? No, no, no, no, no. I was in the army."
"Use your claws, Scott," Malia said.
"It could kill him," Scott said when Elias looked to them, scared.
"I get that, but we're running out of time," Malia said.
"There will be other chances," Fiona told her. "It's not worth risking a life." Malia growled, flicking out her claws and walking over to Elias. Fiona grabbed the werecoyote's wrist. "I can scream an alpha across a room, wanna see what I can do to your hand," Fiona threatened.
"We're not hurting him," Scott said. "Or each other," he added, looking at Fiona.
"Young lady, you need to clip those nails," Elias said as Fiona released Malia's wrist.
"You're not having fun," Jay said as he walked over to Kaia.
"Not for me," Kaia replied.
"Oh no, Leonard's rubbed off on you," Jay said, his eyes widening before he started laughing.
"Someone's having fun," Zach mentioned as he moved next to him.
Jay followed Zach's eyes and saw Liam and Hayden kissing.
"Have you seen Gwen?" Liam asked.
"Over there," Hayden said, nodding towards Gwen. "Talking to everyone but me."
"You didn't tell us she was here," Zach said, turning to Kaia.
"I can keep an eye on here while you two act like idiots," the kitsune replied.
"Well that's rude," Jay told her.
"Well," Kaia shrugged before she noticed Gwen walking away. She pushed past Jay and Zach as she followed after her.
"Leonard's a poison," Jay told Zach as they watched her leave.
"I can hear you," the werelion reminded him.
"Just don't suck the fun out of me through the link," Jay warned.
"You shouldn't be here," Elias yelled. "If you don't leave, I'll have to report you."
"What's wrong with him?" Scott asked, turning to Lydia.
"The sun went down," Lydia said.
"So?" Scott asked as Elias started muttering.
"He's sundowning," Lydia said. "It's when dementia patients lose their faculties after the sun goes down."
"I don't want to talk to you anymore!" Elias shouted, pointing at the four of them.
"So, what do we do?" Malia asked.
"Come back during the day," Fiona suggested.
"We won't be able to come back," Malia told her.
"There's gotta be something we could do to keep him quiet," Scott said as Elias continued to yell and scatter the papers on his desk.
"Please, leave," Elias cried out, shaking his papers.
"I can calm him down," Malia said.
"No!" the other three shouted.
"Elias," Lydia said, grabbing one of the pieces of paper. "Look at the equations. Look," she added setting the paper down and pointing at the writing. "It's binomial probability, what's p?"
Elias looked down at the paper for a moment. "Um—probability of success," he stammered.
"Right," Lydia replied. "And that mean n minus k is?"
"Uh—number of trial minus the number of successes."
"What's with the math?" Malia whispered.
"It helps dementia patients concentrate," Lydia explained before turning back to the paper. "And this one?"
"That's—um—conditional probability."
"Let's find the moment of inertia," Lydia said, searching through the pages as Elias stood, holding the probability sheet. "Elias?" she asked when she noticed him moving away from her.
"That's Mr. Stilinski," Elias said. "Just who the hell do you think you are?" The man seemed to be more lucid than he had since they walked into the room.
"So, what're we going to do if the Ghost Riders show up?" Zach asked as he and Jay continued dancing.
"We fight them, duh," Jay chuckled.
"How do we fight them if we can't see them?" Zach asked.
"Oh," Jay sighed as he stopped dancing. "Uh—well they shouldn't be able to get in here," he said, looking around the room. "But if they do," he said turning Zach towards Mason and Corey. "We have someone who can see them. And he can help us see them. One of us grabs hold of Corey, the rest of us fight the Ghost Riders."
They heard thunder outside and the crowd gasped before the DJ turned up the volume. Everyone cheered and started to dance again. "Maybe we should do something else?" Zach said.
"Kaia's with Gwen and Hayden. Liam's watching the back door. And we," Jay said, gesturing to himself and Zach. "Are watching the front door," he added pointing to the door.
"Are we?"
"I am," Jay replied. "You can relax and have fun."
"But you're out here having fun too."
"I'm always better when I'm having fun," Jay chuckled before dancing back into the crowd. Zach sighed before someone bumped into him. The chimera shrugged, glancing to the door before moving back into the crowd.
"You know Scott isn't you son?" Lydia asked.
"Of course I know that. Are brains getting smaller with the skirt?" Elias commented.
Malia growled lightly as she stepped towards Elias. "Malia, it's okay," Scott told her.
"So, you're that McCall kid."
"You know me?"
"I knew your dad. Couldn't hold his liquor and he certainly couldn't keep that wedding ring on his finger. Pretty young thing would walk by and poof, that ring just disappeared like magic," Elias stated. Scott sighed at the comments. Malia growled again, but Fiona grabbed her shoulder and shook her head.
"Do you know all of us?" Lydia asked.
"Oh, you're Natalie Martin's girl? Am I right?" he asked. Lydia nodded slightly. "You look like her. She was pretty once too."
"Stop talking," Malia warned, her eyes glowing blue.
"Hey, Malia," Scott whispered, jumping to his feet and moving between her and Elias.
"And she also liked to talk like she was the smartest person in the room," Elias continued, ignoring the werecoyote.
Malia flicked her claws out and stepped towards Elias before Scott and Fiona grabbed her. "Enough!" the sheriff shouted as he stormed into the room.
The four of them froze and turned towards the door. "Sheriff, we—uh," Scott stammered.
"I explicitly told you not to come here."
"It was my idea," Fiona stated.
"Yeah, did you attack a staff member?" the sheriff asked.
"No, it was her," the nurse said, pointing at Malia. The werecoyote growled at the man.
"What the hell were you thinking?" he asked her.
"Noah, we were just having a nice conversation," Elias said.
"The four of you, out now," the sheriff told them.
"Noah," Elias groaned as the four of them moved toward the door before the sheriff moved to follow them. "That's right! Act like I'm not even here," Elias shouted. "Go crawling back to your dead wife and your loser son!"
Fiona stopped Scott as the other two continued down the hall. "What did you say?" the sheriff asked. Fiona pointed to her ears and Scott nodded.
"Is it time for my medicine?" Elias murmured.
Fiona sighed when Scott looked at her, confused. "Nevermind," she muttered before they moved to catch up with the others.
Kaia stood next to Hayden as the two watched Gwen sit on Scott's bed and play with the bracelet. Thunder roared and Kaia peered out the window, watching the night's sky illuminate from multiple flashes of lightning.
Jay and Zach moved over to Corey and Mason. "That sounded like it was right above us," Corey told them.
"Yeah, but the barrier is still intact," Jay mentioned, looking toward the front door.
"What is that?" Corey asked looking at the ceiling. The other three looked up and saw black tendrils spiderweb across the ceiling.
"Oh, my god!" Gwen screamed as she ran down the stairs, Kaia and Hayden following right behind her. Liam stopped Gwen as she headed toward the door.
"What's wrong?" the beta asked.
"I saw him," Gwen gasped before turning to the stairs, shaking. "He's right there," she said nodding at the stairs. "Don't you see him?" she asked before running away.
Zach grabbed Corey and as he ran to the wall before the two chimeras disappeared. Zach watched as the Ghost Rider strolled through the crowd after Gwen. "Get him," Zach told the others, sharing his sight.
"Liam, it's a Ghost Rider," Corey shouted.
"Where?" Liam asked
"Follow me," Jay said, flicking out his claws and running towards the Ghost Rider. Kaia pulled out two daggers and did the same.
The two passed through the Rider as it neared Corey. "Right here," Corey said, grabbing the Rider and becoming visible. Zach and Corey gasped as they watch the Ghost Rider turn towards them. He grabbed the two and slammed them against the wall, knocking them to the ground before the crowd started to scream.
"No," Jay sighed, turning around to see the Ghost Rider surveying the crowd. "Everyone can see him."
"Everybody out, now," Corey called out as he and Zach returned to their feet.
"What do you think fire does to a Ghost Rider?" Kaia asked Jay as the crowd ran past them and the Ghost Rider.
"I don't know, but I'd like to find out," Jay growled as his amber eyes started to glow.
Mason ran in front of them and poured a line of mountain ash in the doorway. The Ghost Rider stopped and pressed his hand against the barrier, unable to pass through.
"It worked," Mason sighed, before turning around.
"Except now we're stuck in here," Jay sighed, returning to normal.
"Denise Novak. Found at a campsite with the back of her head cracked open," Chris said as he showed Melissa pictures on his phone. Leonard continued to examine the wound from the other side of the room.
"The size and bit pattern appear to match," Melissa said, turning to Leonard.
"Seems fair to assume that whoever took a bite out of Denise did the same to Mazzara," Chris said.
Leonard looked up and saw the two of them staring at him. "This would have been an adult," Leonard told them. "My mouth is far too small for this," he added, returning to the wound.
"It's odd," Melissa sighed, looking back at the phone. "Even for Beacon Hills. Why bite off the back of someone's head and not take anything?"
"Well, something was taken from Denise. Her pineal gland," Chris explained.
"Her pineal gland? That's right in the center of the brain," Melissa commented.
Leonard's eyes turned emerald as he knelt so his eyes were level with the wound. "Looks like someone did some digging here too," Leonard told them as Melissa moved toward him.
"Was anything missing from Mazzara's brain?" Chris asked.
Melissa grabbed the clipboard and flipped through the report. "The report doesn't say. But there's one way to know for sure," she said, setting the clipboard down and pulling out a scalpel.
The Ghost Rider pushed against the barrier a few more times before stepping back. He pulled out a whip and snapped it towards the barrier. Kaia grabbed Mason and pushed him behind her as the whip slapped against the barrier.
"We can't let him get through," Liam said, looking to Zach and Corey. The two nodded and Zach shifted, his wings springing out of his back as his eyes turned white, causing Gwen to gasp.
Liam grabbed a lamp and shattered it on the Ghost Riders head. The Rider grabbed the beta and slammed him into the wall. "You might as well shift," Jay suggested as Zach dug his talons in the Ghost Rider's back. The Ghost Rider shrugged before backhanding the chimera into the wall next to Liam.
"Guys, he's breaking through," Mason shouted as the whip hit the barrier again.
Corey leapt onto the Ghost Rider's arm as he brought the whip back, but the Rider threw him back. The stair's railing shattered as Corey flew threw them. Flames danced around Kaia's hands as Corey rolled down the stairs. "Will that make it through?" Jay asked as a fireball floated in front of her.
"I don't know," the kitsune sighed. "It might break the barrier if doesn't."
Liam and Zach ran forward and grabbed both of the Ghost Rider's arms. "Get her out of her," Jay said, turning to Mason. He nodded and grabbed Gwen before heading towards the back door. Kaia launched her fireball as Liam and Zach were thrown to the ground. The fireball passed through the barrier before colliding with the Ghost Rider. The kitsune gasped as the fire dissipated and the Rider remained standing, unharmed.
The whip hit the barrier again, leaving a glowing green fissure. Kaia flicked out her staff as Jay shifted. Hayden stood between them, preparing to fight. Jay turned as Mason and Gwen ran back inside. "There are more out there," Mason explained as the Ghost Rider wound up for another strike. The whip flew past as the barrier shattered, wrapping around Gwen's leg and pulling her to the ground.
Hayden and Mason grabbed Gwen's arms as Jay and Kaia ran at the Ghost Rider. He slapped Jay aside before grabbing Kaia's staff, snapping it before kicking her away. "Help me!" Gwen screamed as the Ghost Rider started to pull on the whip.
"The coroner found damage to both of Mazzara's cerebral hemispheres but assumed it was sustained from the wound," Melissa explained as she sliced into the skin on the back of his head.
"A lot of digging then," Leonard commented, watching as she worked. She gasped as she pulled the flesh away with a clamp.
"Hold this," she said, handing the clamp to Chris. Leonard watched as Melissa stuck her gloved finger into the man's brain. She paused for a moment once she had reached all the way in. "Oh, wow," she sighed. "Mazzara's pineal gland is missing," she told them before removing her finger.
"Turn him on his side," Leonard said as he put on a pair of gloves.
"What?" Melissa asked.
"Turn him on his side," Leonard repeated. "I want to see how much digging was done." They rolled him over and Leonard slowly slid his finger into the wound. He felt around the brain, searching for any extra damage. "Can you see my finger?" he asked, looking up to Chris. The hunter shined a flashlight into the hole Melissa made and nodded when he saw Leonard finger. "Not much digging," Leonard sighed. "Whoever did this jammed his finger all the way in before puling back and grabbing the gland."
"So, he knew what he was doing," Melissa said.
"He knew exactly what he was doing," Leonard emphasized.
Hayden and Mason struggled to pull Gwen away from the Rider as they heard the whip strain from their efforts. Jay and Zach rolled on to their side and saw Corey and Liam roll over to push themselves back up as well. The four froze when the door slammed open. "Freeze!" Parrish shouted, pointing his gun at the Rider's back. "Let her go!" he shouted when the Ghost Rider didn't react.
"Shoot him, Parrish," Liam told him.
"Everyone down, now," Parrish ordered. Mason and Hayden ducked as the deputy opened fire on the Rider. The bullets disappeared into the Ghost Rider's back as green smoke floated away on impact. The Ghost Rider dropped his whip and turned to face Parrish. The two stared at each other for a moment before Parrish stepped forward. "On your knees!" The Ghost Rider began to walk towards the deputy, ignoring the order. "On your knees," Parrish repeated.
Jay heard a faint whisper emitting from the Ghost Rider, but was unable to make out any words. He watched as the Ghost Rider tilted his head, inches away from Parrish's gun before leaves started to blow across the room. Jay shielded his eyes from the leaves. He looked up once the wind stopped and noticed the Ghost Rider had disappeared. The werecheetah glanced at the others as they started to get to their feet and sighed when he noticed Gwen was still there.
"We know this looks bad," Scott said as the four of them stood in the sheriff's station, Ms. Martin pacing in front of them.
"It doesn't look bad, Scott. It is bad," she corrected him. "You broke into a nursing home, you harassed a dementia patient, and you beat up a nurse. This could affect the rest of your lives. Especially you, Malia. They're talking felony assault."
"I didn't beat him up," Malia told her. "I could have, but I chose not to."
"That's an improvement," Lydia added quickly.
"High standards," Fiona whispered causing Malia to glare at her.
"By some miracle, the nurse decided to drop the charges," the sheriff told them, stepping into the office. "They're free to go," he added before walking away.
"Just because you're not going to jail, doesn't mean you're not grounded for eternity," Ms. Martin said, turning to Lydia. "You should know better than to follow any of her ideas," she added looking to Fiona. "Let's go," she said as she walked out of the office. Lydia sighed and followed after her.
"Threaten me again, and I will beat you up," Malia told Fiona before walking out.
"You took the blame for all this, why?" Scott asked, pausing at the door.
"They already don't like us. No sense in you ruining your relationships while you figure this out," Fiona shrugged, following after him.
Scott opened his mouth to respond, but couldn't find his words as the two walked out of the station and parted ways.
"You should go, Scott's on his way," Liam told Jay, sliding his phone back in to his pocket.
"It's been requested that I examine the mark on the ceiling by Leonard."
"Why you?"
"And why not Kaia who usually takes things more seriously and also has a pretty knowledgeable background?" Jay asked looking down at Liam, the beta shrugged. "Because Leonard and I are both werecats, so we share similar senses. For the most part, anything he would want to see, I would be able to see," he replied, looking at the ceiling, his amber eyes glowing.
"Do you know what it is?"
"Leonard has a theory, but he isn't sure."
"What is it?"
Jay turned and smirked at the beta. "Leonard doesn't like to share his theories until he's sure about them. It's pretty annoying," Jay chuckled before the front door opened. The two turned and watched a stunned Scott step into the house.
"You said to find a safe place," Liam said as Scott surveyed the destruction. "So, we brought the party here."
"Who said to throw a party at all?" Scott asked, glancing at Jay.
"It was the only way we could think to get Gwen to come here, short of kidnapping her," Jay replied, shrugging as he returned his attention to the ceiling.
"We saved her," Liam added.
"But you saw one of the Ghost Riders," Scott realized.
"Corey made him visible so we could fight him."
"We couldn't touch him until Corey grabbed him," Jay added.
"Okay, but doesn't the book say that if you see the Wild Hunt, you'll be taken too?"
"Everyone at the party saw him," Liam told the alpha. "Does that mean—"
"They're all gonna be taken," Scott finished. "I should have been here," Scott sighed, stepping on a shard of the broken lamp. Liam opened his mouth to respond. "I'll clean up, go home," Scott said.
Liam nodded before heading out of the house. "He did his best," Jay said once the beta left, his eyes still on the ceiling.
"Yeah," Scott sighed.
"We all tried to fight the Ghost Rider, we couldn't even make him flinch," Jay added, turning towards the alpha as he moved to the kitchen. "I don't think you being here would have made much of a difference."
"Why not?" Scott asked as he started to toss cups in a garbage bag.
"The pack link lets us share our powers. Charlie and I both gave Zach some extra strength and the Ghost Rider was able to just slap him around," Jay replied before grabbing a garbage bag of his own.
"I got this," Scott told him.
"I promised I would help clean up. And I'm pretty fast. It'll make it easier."
"This wasn't your idea though?"
"No," Jay said shaking his head before smirking. "I had fun though, until the Ghost Rider showed up. Least I could do is help clean up." Scott shrugged before turning around. "You can take the upstairs if you want to be alone. It's not as bad up there."
Scott turned back as the werecheetah started to sprint around the room collecting cups and bottles. He set the filled bag on the ground before grabbing another and moving to fill that. Scott nodded and moved up the stairs.
"I see," Marin muttered after Charlie finished.
"So, now we just work out what would have changed," the beta told her.
"I had already heard the story from Kaia," she reminded him. "I wasn't aware that Steve didn't remember at the time, so hearing it again gave me time to think. It also allowed me to determine that Kaia was telling the truth."
"I didn't come here to play mind games."
"Didn't you?" she asked. "You wanted me to analyze Steve's mind without actually talking to him. I feel as though I should at least be able to determine the validity of your story."
"Fine. What do you think happened?"
"I know what happened," she told him. He sat back, surprised. "Without August, Steve never interacted with the others in the Republic growing up. He stayed mostly with the pack. When the Argents came, his loyalty was with the pack and no one else."
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.
"Blake never died."
Charlie leaned forward, narrowing his eyes at the emissary. "Excuse me?"
"Steve was willing to risk the lives of Tiberius, Dianna, and Marcus. He had only known Blake as a role model and would follow him where ever he led. The two came to meet Gerard, but the hunter had already left for Beacon Hills. Blake promised to hunt Gerard down to seek revenge and left the valley."
"If Blake isn't dead, then how did Steve become an alpha?" Charlie asked her.
Marin paused for a moment before shaking her head. "It's a detail the Ghost Riders couldn't reconcile. Just like the formation of the pack, though I'm sure Steve remembers a different reasoning for everyone joining him."
"So, in Steve's mind, Blake's alive."
Marin shook her head. "No, Blake is alive."
"I watched him die," Charlie told her.
"And I've seen him alive and well. It's what made me doubt the story Kaia told, but you two are either excellent liars or the Ghost Riders were able to bring Blake back to life. Leonard may be able to find something about that. I'll look into it too."
"I'll let him know at some point," Charlie said, his eyes glowing blue. "Blake's likely in Beacon Hills, since this is where Gerard is? And the pack?"
"I'd imagine so, but—" she started before the beta stood and walked out of the door. "Charlie?" she called out after him.
Jay came to a stop when he heard the front door open. He listened as someone walked up the stairs before peaking around the corner and spotting the sheriff. The werecheetah sighed as his body relaxed. He started to pick up cups again as he heard a knock on a door upstairs.
"Looks like a hell of a party," he heard the sheriff say.
"Yeah—uh—Hopefully I can get it all cleaned before my mom comes home," Scott said.
"You've made pretty good progress downstairs it seems. I'll help."
"I have a little bit of help already," Scott admitted.
Jay heard the sheriff chuckle lightly. "It wasn't Fiona's idea to go see my father, was it?"
"I'm really sorry. We never should have gone there to see your father."
"Nah, no, it's okay. I should have been clearer about who he is. And maybe a part of me just didn't want to have to, um, admit to it. This is my dad Scott. He pushed me through a glass table going after my mom. There's still tiny pieces of glass in there. The doctor told my mother that they'd probably be in there for the rest of my life working their way out. Small price to pay to keep him away from her. That time." The sheriff paused for a moment before continuing. "You know, something you said has just been bugging me all day. Something about memories."
"What do you mean?" Scott asked.
"Have you ever had a dream that's—that's so real that you thought it was a memory?" the sheriff asked before there was another pause. "Okay, in this dream, I'm lying in bed with Claudia, it's a couple of weeks before we graduate from college, and we're talking about the future and kids and what we'll call them. And I tell her that if we have a son, I want to name him after her father. And she laughs at me and she says, 'Why would you want to saddle some poor kid with a name like that?'" the sheriff chuckled. "And I told her, 'Because he's a great father. The kind of father I wish I had. The kind I hoped to be.' At that point in the dream, she smiles, kisses me, and says, 'Okay, we'll name him that. But it won't matter. He'll just be called Stiles anyway'"
"Maybe we've been going about this wrong. Maybe the connection is stronger with family," Jay heard Leonard say in his head.
"We can't exactly talk with Tiberius right now," Fiona reminded him.
"It's the size of a pea. To know exactly where it is—," she started before shaking her head. She looked up at the other two. "Why kill for it in the first place?"
"The pineal gland is believed to be the seat of the soul," Chris told her. "A conduit to express our souls through physical actions."
"As far as the supernatural is concerned, it is the seat of the soul," Leonard added. "But I've never heard of a use for it, outside of someone wanting to alter a person's personality."
"So, someone or something is biting open head to what? Steal souls?" Melissa asked.
"Looks that way," Chris muttered. "But the real question is, why?"
"You don't know where Charlie is?" Kaia asked as she, Fiona, and Zach sat around the table.
"No, he's shut us out of the link after he left the school," Fiona told them.
The three turned as the door slammed open, bouncing off the wall before closing again. "Found him," Zach muttered as Fiona got out of her seat.
"Charlie?" Fiona asked, following the beta up the stairs.
The beta kicked in Steve's door and walked towards the alpha. "I don't care if you don't remember August," Charlie growled, his eyes shining blue. He slammed the alpha into the wall before Steve could move to defend himself. "I don't care if I have to shove my claws through to the other side of your throat to get deep enough. You're going to remember what he did to us."
Fiona ran to the doorway as Charlie shoved his claws into Steve's neck, the alpha's head bouncing on the wall from the force. Steve was shown the memories from when he and Charlie were held captive, where Charlie was the night of Blake's death, and the events leading up to and including Blake's death.
Blood sprayed on the beta's face as he pulled his claws from the alpha's neck. Steve turned to Charlie, his red eyes staring at Charlie's blue. "You're dead," Steve thought. Fiona turned towards him when she heard his voice in her head.
"He made it up," Blake told the alpha.
"He could trick me by showing me the face and voice of someone I've never met, but he can't fabricate something using real people."
"He used the link's simulation powers."
"The what?" Steve thought.
"No August, no simulation," Charlie told Blake. The older alpha fell silent. "I'm going to find you. And I'm going to kill you, again," Charlie growled. Steve nodded at the beta.
Blake's growl filled the minds of the pack before they felt his connection close.