Chapter 4
"Dad," she called out into the office, supporting a still injured Scott into the vet's office.
She nearly dropped him when she saw Bennett's body, his slashed chest exposed, lying on the examination table.
"Evangeline you weren't supposed to-" her father said, rounding a corner.
"Help him," she said, handing Scott over to her father and going over to Bennett.
All her other senses dulled as she looked over his dead body. She'd seen a dead body before. Peter Hale's had been much more gruesome, but the fact that it was Bennett, made it much worse.
She'd drowned out what they were saying until she heard Scott ask," Okay, how do you know all this? Actually, how do you know anything?"
"How do you know all this, Dad?" she asked her father," I never got an answer either."
"It's a longer story. What I can tell you, is that I know about your kind. Your kind? I can help. This. This is something different," he said, gesturing to Bennett's body.
"Something tore into his chest," she whispered, looking at the claw marks. She could tell they weren't left by a werewolf. This was something entirely different.
"Well, do you know what did it?" Scott asked.
"No. But the Argents will. And this is the crucial part, they'll have a record or book. It'll have descriptions, histories, notations, of all the things that they've discovered," her father explained.
"All the things? How many different things are there?"
"It's called a bestiary," she said aloud," I've heard them talking about it."
"Have you seen it?" Deaton asked.
"No," she said with a sigh.
"You need to hide," her father said to Scott as the slams of car doors were hear and Scott was out of sight in no time. He turned to Ev," You should leave."
"No," she said sternly," I want to know why I wasn't informed of this as soon as they knew. They're keeping from secrets from me and I don't like it."
"Ev maybe-"
"Dad this is my friend," she said and for a moment her calm facade crumbled," I want to know why and then I want to know how to take it down."
The door chimed and she let the façade slip back into place. She wasn't going to allow Gerard the satisfaction of seeing her upset.
"I'm starting to think we need to buy a more prominent closed sign," her father said as Gerard, Chris, and a few more hunters entered the examination room.
"Hello, Alan. It's been a while. The last I heard, you had retired," Gerard said with a mocking inquiry.
"Last I heard you followed a code of conduct," he replied.
"If you hadn't noticed, this body is one of ours," Chris said, taking a defensive position.
"A close friend of your daughter might I add," Gerard and she stared him down.
"So why wasn't I informed when his body was found?" she asked, showing no traces of emotion.
"We thought because of the more personal nature it might be too much for you to handle," he replied and she gave no reaction to his blatant insult.
"The only thing I can't handle is when I don't know what's going on within our ranks," she said, bracing her hands on the table but careful not to touch his body," Bennett was a friend, but now he's a victim and we need to figure out what did this. Plain and simple. It's a tragic loss but if you're questioning my ability to cope…don't."
Gerard chuckled and looked back to her father," So much of Juliana in her."
He ignored the comment," I also noticed the gunpowder residue on his finger tips. So don't assume I will be swayed by your philosophy just because I'll answer a few questions."
"He was only twenty four," Chris said.
"Killers come in all ages," her father countered, making her uneasy. So this is what he thought about the hunters and what she did.
"All ages, sizes, shapes. It's the last one that concerns us," Gerard said, steering the conversation as he and her father squared off in a silent battle of wills.
"How about you tell us what you found?" Chris asked, defusing some of the attention.
Gently, he rolled Bennet's body to the side and pointed to a small, precise cut at the base of his neck," See this cut? Precise. Almost surgical. This isn't the wound that killed him. This had a more interesting purpose."
"Spine related," Ev said aloud.
"Whatever made this cut, it's laced with a paralytic toxin, potent enough to disable all motor functions," he put his body back in its original position and gestured to the gashes in his chest," These are the cause of death. Notice the patterns on each side."
"Five for each finger," Chris observed.
"Claw," Gerard corrected, a disgust in his tone.
"As you can see, it dug in, slashed upward, eviscerating the lungs and slicing through the bone of the rib cage with ease," he said, making the gesture with his hand. Ev cringed inwardly, picturing Bennett's horrible last moments.
"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" Chris asked.
"No," her father replied wearily.
"Any ideas?" she asked him.
"No," he said, sending her a comforting gaze and then turned back to the Argents," But I can tell you it's fast, remarkably strong, and has the capacity to render its victims essentially helpless within seconds."
"If you're saying we should be cautious we get it," Chris said, staring at Bennett's body.
"That's not what he's saying," Ev said, reading her father's mind," He's warning us to have a healthy fear of whatever this thing is."
"And why is that?" Gerard asked her with the same mocking tone.
She looked him in the eye," In nature, when a predator has a natural ability to create toxins that paralyze they're used so they can easily subdue their prey so they can eat them. Bennett wasn't eaten."
"So what does that mean?" Chris asked.
She didn't take her eyes of Gerard," It means whatever this thing is…it only wanted to kill him. In fact, killing might be the only thing it knows."
"So we kill it," Gerard said with a faint hint of amusement," After all it took one of our own."
"We'll be taking his body now," Chris said, gesturing to some of his men.
"What are you going to do with it?" Ev asked, careful to keep her voice steady.
"It's going back in the forest," Chris answered.
"Another victim fall prey to Beacon Hill's violent animals," Gerard added with a smirk," Tell me, Evangeline. How close were you to our late fallen comrade?"
She narrowed her eyes at him without answering.
Gerard chuckled, "Juliana used to give me that same look. Has Alan ever told you how remarkable your mother was? I see the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree."
"Unless you can tell me right here and now what happened to her," she began, clutching the side of the table to keep from latching out," I don't want to hear anything else about her from you. Is that clear?"
"I respect that," he said with a nod," No one likes to speak ill of the dead."
"The sign says closed," her father said," I suggest you take the hint and get out of our office."
With a final look that suggested he knew more than they did, he turned and left. The feeling of unease and hatred left with him.
"Go to Scott," he father whispered once both Argents left the room," I'll make sure the body is properly taken care of."
She gave her father a tight hug," I'm so sorry I brought this back into your life."
"It's not your fault," he said and gave her a kiss on the cheek," Now go. You need some sleep."
She gave him one last sad look before leaving and finding Scott already gone.
TEEN WOLF
The drive home was long and tedious. Thoughts swirled in her head making it impossible to form a decent coherent thought.
As usual, her bed beckoned her. It was barely nine when she opened her bedroom door and shut it behind her. She sat on the edge of the foot of her bed and pulled off her shoes.
"I thought I made sure that window was locked," she said, feeling the familiar presence behind her.
"You really think a window would keep me away from you," Derek answered and she felt the dip in the bed as Derek sat beside her. She didn't look at him, just stared straight ahead.
"No," she answered.
"I'm sorry," he said, regret in his voice.
"Sorry you beat and bloodied Scott for no reason or sorry I was there to see it? she whispered.
"I don't except you to understand-" he started.
"The alpha and omega dynamic," she said matter of factly, cutting in," A werewolf without a pack is an omega. Any wolf with a higher ranking beats them into submission until their will is broken. That's what you were doing to Scott."
"It's more complicated than that."
She scoffed, "No, it's not. You were hurting Scott! If I had shown up I'm not even sure what you would have done, Derek. This isn't you. Don't you see being alpha is changing you?"
"Don't treat me like this, Ev," he begged.
"You mean like an out of control alpha?" she asked without hesitation.
They sat in silence for a long time, neither of them able to say what was needed.
"You know I love you," he whispered.
"And you know I love you," she said quietly and took a deep shaky breath before adding," but that doesn't mean we're right for each other."
"Don't say that,' he begged," Please."
"It's not like I want this to end, Derek," she said, her voice cracking in emotion," but we're too different."
"Ev stop," he begged, grabbing her face and making her look at him," You can't quit on me."
"I don't want to," she said, tears spilling over even as he wiped them away," I'm supposed to be protecting people in general…and I'm protecting the people I care about most from…from you."
"Ev, you don't understand," he said, his hands shaking on her skin," I have to be strong. I have to be able to protect you."
"Not like this," she whispered," Not by hurting people, Derek. I can't do this. If this is how you plan on being an alpha I can't be with you anymore."
"You can't leave me," he repeated and smashed his lips to hers, holding her in place.
She tried to push him away, but he kept a tight grip on her. She shoved at him as he tilted her head to the side and sent hard, almost painful kisses down her neck.
"What are you doing?" she asked, slowly giving in to him.
"Reminding you," he said simply and with one fluid motion, swung her so she was straddling him and pulled off her cardigan to expose the skin of her arms. He continued kissing her neck and she gave in like she always did.
She pulled off his leather jacket and threw it aside. She pulled off her shirt as he did the same. With more urgency than usual, she unbuckled his belt and leaned down to kiss him as she helped him out of them.
Derek began pulling her skirt up her legs so it was bunched at her mid thighs. His hand ended up on her heat, just a gentle touch, but she moaned into his mouth and grinded against him. He growled and stood up, her legs wrapped around him.
"We shouldn't be doing this," she whispered as he kissed the edge of her bra.
"Yes, we should," he whispered, holding her with one hand and unbuckling her bra with the other.
"You can't be with me," she whispered as he yanked it off, her breast tumbling free.
"Try me," he challenged, his eyes glowing red as his eyes traveled from her chest to her face.
She kissed him and then he pulled away," You need to decide what you want. I'm going to help you do it."
Before she knew what was happening, he put her down and turned her so her back was to him. He bent her over the bed so she had to support herself on her hands and tore off her underwear. She heard the familiar sound of his pants dropping to the ground.
"I love you, Ev and I can't lose you," with that he thrust into her and it took all she and not to scream out," So I have to make sure you don't want to leave."
With his hand firmly on her hips, her pulled out and drove back in. She bit her lip as hard as she could. Her father wasn't home, but she wasn't a screamer either. Every part of her body was alive as Derek drilled into her. She fisted the covers in her hand and let out a long, deep moan. That wasn't enough for him. One of his hands traveled from her hip to her sensitive nub where he pressed down with a tender pressure.
Each thrust he made sent an intense wave of pleasure through her body. A mix between carnal, animalistic need and a primal lust drove them.
"I love you," he growled into her ear," So much. Don't leave me."
She tilted her head back and called his name. He buried his head in the crook of her neck.
"I'm close," she whimpered and he sped up his actions.
"Let it go," he ordered and with his words she came screaming around him. He shot into her, his thrust becoming slower and lazier until he pulled out and collapsed next to her. They stared up at the ceiling, ragged breaths escaping their lips.
"Please don't leave me," he said again, turning to look at her.
"We should sleep," she said and he stood up and picked her up in his arms. In not time, they were under the covers, holding each other.
TEEN WOLF
Ev's alarm went off and she reached over to turn it off. When she rolled to the other side, Derek was already out of bed, pulling on his shirt.
"I didn't want to wake you," he said," I have to go. Pack's waiting for me."
She sat up and held the covers to her chest as he rounded to her side of the bed. He leaned down to kiss her lips, but she turned away from him.
"Ev, don't tell me you're still mad," he said sadly.
"That didn't solve anything," she said without looking at him.
He grabbed her face gently," Ev, you're all I have left."
"Derek, don't make this harder than this has to be," she whispered, pulling away from him and he let her," This isn't going to work."
"Are you breaking up with me?" he asked in disbelief.
She nodded, "We can't do this. I became a hunter so people that I love, Scott specifically, would be safe and you threatened that knowing how important he is to me. I don't know what's going on with you, but if this is the person you are now…I can't be with you."
His face went stone hard," Fine, Ev, but know that this isn't it for us."
"Yes, Derek," she said, her voice filled with pain," It is."
Without another word, he turned and went to the window. He looked back at her one last time, but she still wouldn't look at him.
"I love you," he said and she let him leave without saying it back.
As soon as she was sure he was gone, she got up and went over to the window, securing it shut and closing the curtains. She took a shower, got dressed and ready for work, all without showing any signs of emotion. She made her way downstairs and saw her father in the kitchen, making breakfast.
He turned when he heard her come in. He looked like he was about to say his usual good morning when he saw her face and his expression immediately changed," Sweetheart, what's wrong?"
That's when she broke down," We broke up."
A strangled sob left her lips and her father embraced her in a tight hug in no time.
"It's alright," he said, rubbing her back like he used to when she was a child," Everything's alright."
She wasn't so sure.
TEEN WOLF
Even after incisting she was okay, which was a lie, her father had made her stay home from work. It was a good thing too. She was a mess, her eyes were red and puffy. After her father has reluctantly left, she'd changed out of her work clothes and into a pair of pajamas, taken off all her makeup, and curled up on the couch with the remote and a tub of ice cream.
Any other day she'd be ashamed of her stereotypical break up behavior but now she didn't care. She knew she needed to do something to get her mind off of…him, but she was too damn depressed to.
The doorbell rang and with a sigh she got up and opened the door to see Scott and Stiles.
"Wow, Ev are you-" Stiles began, but she stopped him.
"I broke up with Derek and it's been a long morning," she said simply.
The two exchanged a look.
"Please don't fake being sympathetic about it. I know you two didn't like me with him," she said and stepped aside so they could come in.
"Okay we won't," Scott said sincerely," but we can still be worried about you. Are you alright?"
"I will be," she said with a sigh," Why aren't you two at school?"
"Because something happened last night," Stiles said," That thing that killed Isaac's father and that hunter got someone else last night...and I saw it."
"Oh my God are you okay?" she asked, all traces of self pity gone, "Where were you that you even saw it?"
"I was getting my jeep fixed at the auto shop," he said," and it went after this mechanic. Crushed him with my friggin car."
"The mechanic," she said with wide eyes," Did you know his name?"
"I think it was Tucker or something," he said with a shrug and her heart plummeted," Why?"
"I knew him," she whispered.
"Oh my God I'm so sorry," Scott said.
She shook her head," We weren't close. Did you see it?"
"Like I told Scott," Stiles said," It's not like a werewolf. I mean, its eyes were almost like, reptilian. But there was something about them."
"What?" she asked.
"It's eyes were familiar," he explained with difficulty," Like a friend in a mask."
"You think you know this thing?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"I don't know," Stiles said and she could tell he was scared.
She gently rubbed his arm," It's gonna be okay. We'll get it."
"We?" Scott questioned.
She gave him a look, but didn't answer.
"You two should get to school,' she said instead.
"We have a lacrosse game," Stiles said, trying to lighten the mood.
She gave him a small smile," I'll be there."
As they started walking out, Scott paused and turned in the doorway to look at her," You don't have to answer, but what happened between you and Derek?"
"Scott what he did to you last night…" she trailed off," I realized if I want to protect the people that need protecting, what I have-had- with him was going to keep from doing that. We're a hunter and a werewolf. It won't work."
She didn't realized what she'd said until Scott's expression changed," I didn't mean it like that, Scott. You and Allison are different."
"Yeah, you're right," he said, not sounding convinced and she gave him a small smile as he turned and left.
When she closed the door behind him she took a deep breath," Time to do this right."
TEEN WOLF
Derek easily blocked Erica's latest attack and threw her to the ground," Does anyone wanna try not being completely predictable?"
Before he knew what was happening Erica jumped up and wrapped herself around him, connecting their lips in a heated kiss. With ease, he threw her off and wiped his lips of her sickeningly sweet taste.
"That's the last time you do that," he ordered.
"Why? Because I'm a beta?" she asked, looking hurt.
"No, because I have someone," he said, hoping if he said it enough times it would come true," and I have someone else in mind for you."
"Are we done? I got about a hundred bones that need a few hours to heal," Isaac said, picking himself up.
"Come here," he ordered him and he did as he was told. He grabbed the beta's arm and squeezed until heard the crack. He fell to his knees with a pained scream, but Derek didn't let up" A hundred and one. You think I'm teaching you how to fight? Huh? Look at me! I'm teaching you how to survive!"
"If they wanted us dead why aren't they coming for us now? What are they waiting for?" Isaac asked, clutching his limp arm.
"I don't know. But they're planning something. And that's not our only problem. Whatever that thing is that killed Isaac's father, I think it killed someone else last night. Until I find out what it is, you all need to learn everything that I know. As fast as I can teach you," he said and faded off in thought.
"So we can protect ourselves against that girl from the ice rink too?" Erica asked with a mocking raise of her brow.
"She said she was a hunter," Boyd said, speaking up for the first time," but she helped Scott. Which side is she even on?"
Derek noticed Isaac was very quiet.
"She's on our side," Derek said with no hesitation.
"Is that why she threatened you?" Erica asked, a hint of a seductive tone.
"She was protecting Scott," Isaac said, defending her," She protects people who need it. That's who she is. Don't act like you know her."
"Oh great she's got you whipped too," she said, rolling her eyes," If she's a hunter than shouldn't we be staying clear of her? What happens if she attacks one of us? Are we just supposed to stand there and take it?"
"Let me make something very clear," Derek said, towering over the now timid girl," If you ever get in a fight with Ev you won't be able to defend yourself. She's one of the best. And if you hurt her in any way I will personally make sure that's rectified. Is that understood?"
"Yes," Erica whispered in fear.
"Good," he replied," Now start the drill again."
TEEN WOLF
Ev stood beside Chris, leaning over the table in the Argent's garage.
"So far we have three known victims," she said, pointing at the different spots on the map," Isaac's father. Bennett. And Tucker."
"All of them with no known connection," Chris said as she looked back up to him," Except how did you know that mechanic's name."
"I went to school with him," she said simply.
"I think I see a connection," he said.
She looked to him with a frown," You think this thing is going after people who know me. I hadn't seen Mr. Lahey in years. I'd just started talking to Bennett again. And Tucker wasn't even a friend. I just ran into him and he happened to recognize me."
"It's the best lead we've got," he said with a shrug," I need you to think. Is there anyone who'd want to hurt you like this?"
She shook her head," No."
"Do you this could have something to do with Derek?"he asked.
She shook her head again," If it is than they'd have to start going after other people."
He shot her a look.
"We're over," she said simply.
"Are you alright?" he asked awkwardly.
She gave him a look," I can do my job correctly now, Chris. Please don't pretend like you care."
"The well being of the people I work with is important to me, Ev," he said sincerely," Physically or otherwise."
She gave him a grateful look," Thank you, but trust me I'm fine. Better actually. No more distractions."
"Good to hear."
She didn't have to turn to know it was Gerard beside her.
"You shouldn't linger," she said without turning to him," We were just speculating about our newest threat."
"Including your former lover," he said, walking to the other side of the table to see their progress.
"He's not a threat," she said with ease," He's on the defensive right now. He won't make a move against us unless we make one against him."
"And are we planning this preemptive strike?" he asked.
"I was hoping you could tell me that since you seem so inclined to forget to inform me when we're going to attack teenagers," she said with no hint of anger. If he was going to try to mess with her, than she was going to prove herself professional.
"Ah yes the Lahey boy," Gerard said," Still a fugitive."
She rolled her eyes," He's not even remotely a threat right now. We've got a killing machine running around Beacon Hills."
"Any theories on that?" he asked.
"None," Chris said, taking her by surprise. Looks like she did have someone on her side.
"Shame," Gerard said," Well I'm off."
"I thought we had work to do," Chris said, confused.
"I'm going to a lacrosse game with my granddaughter," he said with an almost taunting smile and disappeared.
"I don't like him around Allison," he said angrily.
"I'm going to the game," she offered," I could keep an eye on them."
"Thank you," he said with a nod," You should get going."
She stared to leave but he stopped her," Ev, don't let this job consume you. It's taken far too many down already. I actually like you. I'd hate for you to go down too."
TEEN WOLF
Ev searched the stands on the lacrosse field for familiar faces.
She checked her phone. The last text she'd gotten was from Allison telling her about the plan to get the bestiary from Gerard. She spotted them and Allison gave her a slight nod before Gerard could spot her and she saw Melissa McCall among the patrons. Relief flooded through her as she made her way over to her.
"Ev," she said with a smile and stood up to hug her," How are you?"
"Good," she said with a smile," I'm sorry I haven't talked to you lately."
"It's just fine," she said as she scoot over to make room for her," Your father tells me how hard you've been working."
She couldn't help but think how true that was and it was just at the vet's office.
Ev started actually paying attention to the game and cringed when a particularly large player knocked over one of their players," Is that one even in high school?"
"I swear I missed the days when he sat on the bench," Melissa said thoughtfully," but I'm lucky he never gets too beat up. He's a fast healer."
"They call that kid The Abomination."
The two women turned to see a young man with a camera pointed at the field.
"Well that's appropriate," Melissa said with a chuckle as the player who had been beat down was being carried off the field on a stretcher.
"Oh no I hope he's okay," Ev said out loud.
"I'd ask if he was yours but you look way too young to be a mom," the kid with the camera said.
"You'd be very correct," she said with a smile.
"That'd be me," Melissa said.
"I'm just a friend of some of the players," Ev explained," Are you a yearbook photographer?"
"No," he said," I just take pictures of anything that catches my eye."
He turned the camera towards them," Mind if I take your picture?"
"Oh I'm not sure," Melissa said with a nervous look.
"Oh come on," he said with a kind smile," You're both very beautiful."
"And they say your generation is going downhill," Melissa said with a laugh.
Both of them smiled at the camera and he took the shot.
Melissa turned back to the game, but Ev kept her eyes on the boy," You look familiar."
"Matt," he said, extending his hand.
"Ev," she said, taking it and giving it a short shake," I'm sorry it's just I could have sworn I've seen you before."
She glanced back at the field to see another player being knocked down. The crowd gave a collective noise of shared pain.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she saw it was Allison. She'd given Stiles the key to Gerard's office and he was going for the book.
Out of the corner of her eye, she turned to see Boyd getting up from the stands and going down to the field.
"Son of a bitch," she mumbled under her breath and turned back to Matt," I'm sorry, but I have to go."
"See you around," he said as she said goodbye to Melissa and ran down to where Boyd was. She stopped in front of him," If you lose control here you'll expose yourself to everyone. There's another hunter in the stands and if he sees you he will hunt you down."
"Than I won't lose control," he said and pushed past her.
She turned to the stands to look for Erica where she'd seen the blonde moments ago, but she was gone.
"Damn it," she said, growing frustrated and Gerard's gaze on her caught her eye. She stared him down for another few seconds before running in the direction of the school. She had to call Derek and tell him to control his pack.
TEEN WOLF
She started walking in the parking lot, trying to get some quiet so she could talk to Derek when she spotted Lydia crying in her car. She'd only talked to her a handful of times.
She looked from her phone to the obviously distressed girl and walked over to the car. She softly knocked on the window and she rolled it down, quickly wiping tears from her eyes.
"Are you alright?" she asked kindly.
She looked like she wanted to tell her to go away, but she just shook her head as more tears fell.
"Lydia, is this about what happened to you?" she asked softly.
"I don't know," she answered truthfully, wiping her eyes.
"Why don't you come out here?" she asked and Lydia stepped out of the car," Tell me what's wrong."
"I think I'm…going crazy," she said through tears," I'm seeing things."
"What things?" she asked.
"Scary things," she said and she could tell she didn't want to elaborate.
"Give me your phone," she said gently and she obeyed," I'm putting my number in here. I know you can't exactly talk to anyone about this and I'm no psychiatrist but I can listen."
She handed the girl back her phone," Thank you. Stiles was supposed to come back but he never did."
Her eyes widened, "Lydia, how long ago was that?"
"About half an hour," she said and picked up on her worry," Do you think he's okay?"
"I don't know," she said, growing worried," I should go check on him."
"I'll be okay," Lydia said and she ran off.
TEEN WOLF
She'd already been to Gerard's office and called Stiles multiple times. It wasn't until she heard the distant ring of a phone when she passed the pool that she stopped and saw Derek and Stiles treading water through the glass.
She barged in," What the hell you two?"
"Ev run!" Derek called out and she heard a hiss behind her. She stood rigidly still.
"Shit," she mumbled and slowly moved her hand to her side where she had her knife set hidden. She pulled out the two set of daggers and turned just as the thing was about to lunge for her, tale extended. She swiped and the tip of its tale fell to the ground with a spurt of black blood.
It hissed in pain and she took the opportunity to run. She could hear it following after her.
"Ev get out of here!" Derek called.
"What the fuck do you think I'm trying to do?" she called, running for the door, but it leapt in front of her and she came to a stop. It began advancing towards her slowly and she backed away, matching its pace.
"What are you two doing in the pool?" she asked as quietly as she could.
"It won't come in the pool," Stiles called back," Watch out for its claws."
Slowly, she went for her cell phone, but the thing lunged and she shielded herself with her arm. It delivered a short cut to her wrist with its claw. With more urgency, she tried to text Allison, but she lost feeling in her fingers first and the phone dropped. She fell onto her back as the toxin took over her body.
"Ev!" Derek called as the creature lingered over her, hissing in her face.
She could only move her head so she turned her head towards Derek and they met eyes. She closed hers shut, expecting the fatal blow but when none was delivered she turned back to see the creature was gone. It was again pacing the length of the pool every so often it would pass her without so much as a glance.
She lay on her back, her head turned towards Stiles, holding up a paralyzed Derek.
"Are you okay?" Stiles called out.
"It's not hurting me," she said," I don't know why."
"It doesn't want you," Derek called out.
"Than what does it want?" she asked, turning her head as far as she could to look for it and seeing it try to step into the water, but it pulled back as if it had been burned.
"Are you two okay?" she asked.
"I don't think I can do this much longer," Stiles said.
"Don't even think about it," Derek said, reading his mind.
"Stiles if you drop him he'll drown," she said as the creature paced near her again and she cringed.
"Would you just trust me this once?" Stiles argued," I need to go for my phone."
"Stiles be quick," Ev ordered and he let Derek go and swam frantically for his phone. She hoped werewolves were better at holding their breath.
He managed to get his phone and called Scott, Derek still underwater," Scott! Scott! Damn it!"
"Did you get him?" she called.
"No, he hung up," he said in frustration and went for Derek, his phone going underwater with him and any chance of getting help with it. He pulled Derek back up and they both took a long breath of air.
"Tell me you got him," Derek said, coughing up water.
"He hung up before I could tell him," Stiles said and Ev sighed in frustration.
"I still can't move," she called out and they waited, hoping either her or Derek would regain their feeling.
The creature came back over to her and hovered above her. She held her breath.
"What are you?" she whispered and she could have sworn for a second it's eyes changed.
"I can't stay up any longer, I need something to hold on to," she heard Stiles say and water thrashed as he went for the pool ladder. She couldn't see him, but before she knew it they were being pulled out of the pool and Derek was thrown near her.
She looked to see Scott on the diving board about to square off with the creature and he let out a long roar at it and they started fighting. She couldn't see most of it until the creature leapt up and propelled itself though the glass ceiling, shattering it as it escaped.
"Are you okay?" Scott said, standing over her.
"It's starting to wear off but I still can't move my legs," she said, sitting up and he bent down and pulled her up, holding her by her arm over his shoulder.
"I've got her," Derek said," The toxin wore off."
He picked her up in his arms and she glared at him as they walked out of the pool room.
"What?" Derek asked innocently.
"Scott could've carried me," she said without looking at him.
"You can't move," he said and then added with a small smirk," and I wanted to."
"That's why I'm glaring at you," she mumbled.
He chuckled as they made their way outside.
"You can put me down now," she said without looking at him.
With a sigh, he set her on her feet. She swayed a bit and he instantly had his arm around her waist.
"I got it," she said, pushing him away and standing on her own feet. She began walking away from him, but he grabbed her gently by the arm.
"Let me go, Derek," she said, pulling her arm away," Go find your pack."
She walked away to Scott and Stiles who had set up a laptop.
"I got the bestiary," Scott said and plugged the USB in. A document was pulled up and she sighed, seeing it was in Latin.
"Is that even a language?" Stiles asked.
"It's Latin," Ev answered.
"How are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?" Scott asked.
"It's a kanima."
They turned to see Derek with Erica in tow.
"You knew the whole time?" Stiles asked, his tone showing his annoyance.
"No. Only when it was confused by its own reflection," he explained.
"It doesn't know what it is," Scott said.
"It doesn't know who it is," Ev added," I could see it in its eyes. What else do you know?"
"Just stories, rumors."
"But it's like us?" Scott asked.
"A shape–shifter, yes, but it's not right. It's like a–"
"An abomination," Stiles finished and Derek nodded.
"Derek? We need to work together on this. Maybe even tell the Argents," he said.
"She's got that covered," Erica said, nodding to Ev.
"Erica I would hate for an arrow to go through that pretty blonde head of yours," Ev said with a raised brow.
She glared at her and Ev turned back to them," I'll get the hunters on it."
"You trust them?" Derek asked.
"Nobody trusts anyone! That's the problem. While we're here, arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, stronger and faster than any of us, and it's killing people and we still don't even know anything about it," Scott said, making the best point heard all day.
"I know one thing, when I find it…I'm gonna kill it," Derek said, his jaw tight and with one last longing look at Ev he walked away. She watched him go off, her arms crossed.
She shook her head with a sigh.
"What're you thinking?" Scott asked.
"That he's playing a game he won't be able to win," she said sadly.
"Are you saying the hunters have an upper hand?" Scott asked.
"We do," she said and looked to Scott," Derek's not the only one who needs to be careful. It doesn't matter that you have the right intentions. Gerard doesn't care and I don't know how much longer I can make sure he doesn't do anything."
TEEN WOLF
She got into her house late at night, hoping her father hadn't gotten home yet but sure enough he was sitting on the couch waiting for her.
"Why do I feel like I broke curfew?" she asked with a nervous chuckle and he waved her over. Slowly, she closed and locked the door behind her and went to sit on the couch next to her.
"I want you to leave Beacon Hills," he said suddenly," I have friend in New York with multiple job openings at his veterinary clinic. I'm sure you and Marry Ann could find a place to live together and-"
"No," she said without hesitation," I'm not walking away from this. Not when I'm needed. Not when I'm leading people. Not when this town is in danger."
"Your mother said the same to me once," he said, looking at a spot on the carpet," She had such a big heart and that's what got her killed. She had an inability to walk away from people in need. It's why I fell in love with her…and it's why I love you, but I'm afraid you'll end up just like her."
"You're right," she said, unable to look at him," I can't walk away, but I don't care. If I die…I'll die for the right cause."
"Evangeline I'm begging you," he pleaded," As your father I'm begging you to let this go. I did. I'll never know what took Juliana from us and I've come to terms with it. Let it go. It was so long ago."
She took a deep breath," It's not just about Mom anymore."
"What?" he asked in confusion," I thought the whole reason you were doing this was because of her."
"It is," she admitted," But now it's about Bennett and Tucker and Scott and Stiles and you and anyone else this thing hurt or could hurt. It's about finding it and stopping it. It's about any other threats to this town and the people I care about. I lost Mom and I lost Cam. I just lost Bennett. I'm tired of losing people and not being able to do something about it. Now I have a chance. Now I finally have a purpose. I was running away from my home when I should have been protecting it."
He got up from the couch and she knew he had nothing else to say. He stopped halfway up the stairs," I will always love and support you, but I've already buried my wife. I'm not burying my daughter."
With that, he went upstairs.