Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf or any of it's characters. There are some OCs in here and I do, however, claim them. This is purely a work of boredom and devotion to the enthralling show that is Teen Wolf. Did you see the preview for season 2? Sick!
I'm apologizing in advance for any grammatical or spelling errors. It's easier to write than it is to edit because I dislike everything I write. C'est la vie.
I hope you enjoy this chapter, I had a fun time writing it.
Stiles just nodded and flipped his phone open and hit call on Jackson's number in his contacts. It rang twice before Jackson picked up and Stiles could swear he heard him stifle a burp.
"What do you want, Stiles," there was the ever present disdain in Jackson's voice.
"Amara's got Scott, and you need to get over to my house now," Stiles heard the phone click off and he looked at the screen.
"What's wrong," Danny asked looking back at Stiles as they walked in his room.
"Jackson hung up on me," Stiles was still looking at his phone with raised eyebrows.
"Okay fine, call Morgan and Allison now," Danny said as he booted up Stiles' computer.
"There's no need to call Morgan."
They both jumped when they heard the voice and looked over to see Morgan looking grim in the doorway. Danny and Stiles exchanged glances but it was Stiles who said what they were both thinking, "how did you...how?"
"As long as you've known me when have I ever not been able to get into anywhere, and when have I ever not known anything about what's going on with you guys," Morgan crossed her arms over her chest but it was evident that her haughty attitude had almost left her.
"Well, however you got here, good. We need everyone now more than ever because apparently your mother doesn't care for weekends," Stiles said as he pressed call to get Allison on the phone.
"Yeah," Danny exhaled, "and I was hoping for one day where I wouldn't have the ever present worry of danger dangling over my head. But I guess that went out the door when I decided that normal was too boring for me," he said the last part turning in Stiles' desk chair to look at the boy and then over to Morgan.
"Well I'm glad you decided that normal was boring," Morgan glanced at Stiles and then back to Danny. "Besides, it's way to much fun to be worrying over werewolves and witches...and demons." They all noticed the hesitation in Morgan's voice before she added the last bit. "Plus I like having you around, you've got a really good energy about you, and we could always use more positive energy around here." And as if on cue Jackson stumbled through the front door and up the stairs.
"What are we gonna do," Jackson said as he started to look less like a teen wolf and more like a teen. "Where's Allison, and why are you all standing around like a bunch of deer caught in a headlight?"
"Well, Jackson," Stiles said bringing a hand to his face and coughing to cover his laugh. Danny ducked his head and turned to start trying to find Scott's phone and Morgan just sat there stonefaced looking at Jackson. "Jackson," Stiles started again but he just walked over and took a hand mirror out of the drawer by Danny and held it up to Jackson.
The look on Jackson's face was comical to say the least; he went from shock to horror, then to anger and finally he settled on embarrassment; he was covered in sauce from what his mother had cooked and he still had a napkin tucked in his shirt. In a flash the napkin was in his hand and his face was wiped clean before Stiles could get his camera out.
Jackson cleared his throat and tried to make a slick recovery. "Anyway," he said not making eye contact with anyone in the room, "we have to find Scott because, if we find Scott then we'll find Derek and Amara. And the sooner we find Amara the sooner we can get all of this over."
"But you forgot about Lydia," Allison said as she walked into the room. "What are we going to do about Lydia and her little condition?"
"Little condition," Morgan scoffed. "I don't think we'll have to worry about Lydia once we take care of my mother. I can almost guarantee that the demon in Lydia is not there by choice, very rarely do they delight in possession when it has little to no personal gain."
"What's that supposed to mean," Danny asked never looking back from the computer screen as he opened and closed several different programs.
"It means that they'll usually go after someone weak, someone whose soul they'd delight in having tortured in Hell. Usually it's someone who's devout or pure of heart, someone with..." and then it clicked in Morgan's mind. Everything that had lead up to this moment made complete sense; Peter's return and Laura's death, Derek coming back and Scott being turned, even Peter's death and Derek becoming the alpha, it had all been planned out. She intened for Peter to attack Lydia and for her to survive the attack, she was important. Lydia was important. Her mother needed for everything to happen the way it did so that Morgan would get sent over here and her spell would work. She planned it all out and gave just the slightest nudge with getting the nurse to mention in passing about Peter's neice being in San Francisco. All of it, leading up until Lydia's turning and the resulting hailstorm that followed, and now here they were, standing on the edge of what could either be a success or a terrible, life threatening, mistake. "Lydia was supposed to get bitten," Morgan whispered to herself and walked over to the window.
"Wait. What," Jackson asked squinting his eyes at what he had just heard.
"My mother planned on Lydia getting bitten," Morgan clarified her head hanging.
"How could your mother have planned any of that, it all seemed so random." Stiles looked up at Morgan because, according to him, everything that happened was just too by chance for it to have been planned out. "I don't see how she could have planned it, everything happened in one long series of unfortunate events," he blinked hard and tried not to notice that he was thinking of the Lemony Snicket series.
"That's how she wanted it to be," Morgan said closing her eyes tight, "she wanted it to seem like everything happened by accident. If she had done anything directly then my priestess would have seen it, and I wouldn't have gotten sent here so the rest of her devious plan could be followed through. She played the whole thing like a master puppeteer." Morgan hadn't known when she had made a fist or when she had punched the windowsill so hard that her fingers throbbed with pain.
Danny looked over his shoulder when he heard Morgan's fist make contact with the wood, and Stiles and Jackson exchanged concerned looks while Allison bit her lip and turned away.
"So she's the reason my aunt's dead," Allison asked through her fingers.
"Yeah," Morgan closed her eyes again as she spoke in a whisper. "She knew that your aunt would come, I should have known something was up when she started taking an interest in werewolves and the people who hunt them. I was so blind; she was so obvious with the whole thing that I didn't notice anything weird about it. You know, when my priestess told me that I would have to come to Beacon Hills I wondered why the name sounded so familiar, but now I remember that I had seen it in some of my mother's notes...the one's she had thrown away. I remember the name Argent too, which was why I was so quick to befriend you Allison, it was something familiar in a new place. I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner, and I'm sorry about everything that's happened to you guys. I don't know why I'm such a screw up, if I had seen the clues earlier none of this would have had to happen; Scott would still be human, Allison, you'd never have had to know about any of this, Stiles would still..."
"I'd still be the quiet and doting best friend," he walked over and grabbed Morgan's hands off the windowsill, unfisting them as he did so. "Look at me," he said turning Morgan to face him and he didn't continue until she was looking him in the eyes. "None of this is your fault, this was just a woman's sick and twisted dream that became too much of a reality. You can't blame yourself for your mother's madness, no more than I can blame Scott for being so...no, that's in bad taste given that he's not here," he sighed and let his shoulders drop a little along with the temperature of the room. "You're perfect, Morgan, and you've done so much for us that I can't let you continue thinking that you're anything less." He lifted a hand to her chin so that she was looking him in the eyes again, and he placed a kiss on her lips soft enough so that she could pull away but sure enough to let her know that there is nothing wrong with her. Eyes around the room looked away; some in discomfort, some in shock, and others in pain. Morgan bought a hand up in hesitation to hold him closer but thought against it and pushed him away, blush flaring on her cheeks. "Why would you do that," she asked tears swelling in her eyes.
"Because there's nothing wrong with you," he said as sure as if he was telling someone the sky is blue.
"Well it's good to see that you've gotten over me so soon."
They looked up as Lydia stood in the doorway; her hair and rouged lips standing out agaist her startlingly pale skin, her frame was leaner now, proof that she hadn't been able to eat but, her eyes still bore the tell-tale orange gleam that Allison remembered from that night. The room froze as she crossed the threshold and walked to the middle of the room, all eyes on her and her enigmatic glare.
"I have to say that I'm a little surprised that you'd get over me by going for something like this," she gestured lazily towards Morgan. "But I guess you can't help it when something so broken and beaten stumbles onto your porch," she shrugged dramatically. "Que sera sera."
"Last time I checked, demons weren't allowed to cross the threshold," Morgan said straightening her back a little.
"Last time you checked there wasn't anything about a demon possessing an omega, things change," Lydia gave with a quirk of her eyebrow. "I want to apologize though, to Allison." Allison's breathing caught for only a moment, but she was just like her mother in that she's learned to put up a mask. "I'm sorry about that pretty car of yours, I'm sure you had a hard time explaining that to your daddy," Lydia's voice was present but tainted with the low growl of that of the demon's own voice. "Oh and Jackson, I'd still be worried about Lydia. Funny thing about an omega teenage girl, her fury knows no bounds and she is still pissed off at you." The color drained from Jackson's face but it went unnoticed because Lydia had something to say to Danny who was just sitting awkwardly by the computer. "But Danny, I have to say that I am disappointed in you most of all. I never once thought that you'd end up becoming part of this ragtag team of failure, and for what, a boy? My God Danny," Stiles noticed how she hesitated over the name god and looked at Morgan who seemed to have noticed it as well. "I can't believe you'd become that typical. For shame."
Danny cleared his throat, "I know this isn't you Lydia. You're mean but not like this, there's ice in your voice. We're you're friends and you're talking to us like we're dogs..."
"You said it, not me," Lydia cut him off.
"What's wrong with you," Danny finished.
"There's nothing wrong with me." Lydia's voice started to take a turn for the more sinister. "You're the ones with something wrong with them, I'm still me...just better."
"What happened to you Lydia," Stiles said from where he had been standing next to Morgan.
"Oh Stiles honey," the demon's voice took on a sickly sweet tone that put a bitter taste in Stiles' mouth. "There is so much that's happened to me that I don't even know where to begin," she clapped her hands together as her eyes flashed a bright orange before Lydia's gree-brown eyes came through and the harshness of her voice smoothed itself. "You have to help me," she clutched Danny's hands who was now sitting wide eyed and shocked. "I can't take anymore of this! Someone, Morgan, you have to help me!" She turned wild eyed to Morgan and Stiles who both to a small step back. "I can't take this anymore," but before she could reach them in her desperation there was a change in her and just as she made contact with Stiles' skin there was a ping and a flash of light that sent her sprawling to the floor.
Everyone was caught off guard, because honestly even Stiles had forgot about the necklace even though he remembered to never take it off, but when he looked up through the spots in his eyesight he saw Lydia crouched down on the floor with a snarl on her lips. They ducked just in time as Lydia lunged at them, flew over their heads, and crashed through the window disappearing into the woods behind Stiles' house. Danny looked over his arm and Jackson from where he had pulled his jacket up to block the shards blinked his eyes, still blurry from the flash, looking at the mess that was on the floor and the blood that trailed out Stiles' window.
"What just happened," Allison said turning from where she had covered herself against the wall.
"Stiles' necklace, it's supposed to protect him from evil," Morgan said standing up and carefully dusting herself off.
"Yeah," Stiles said standing up slowly, "but doesn't Danny have one just like it? Lydia touched him and nothing happened." Danny reached in his shirt and pulled it out to show everyone.
"Yeah," Danny said standing up to walk over and help Stiles and Morgan clean themselves off. "She grabbed my hands and nothing, and I made sure not to take it off because, well, I like it." He started to pick small shards of glass off of Stiles' jacket but stopped when he saw that Stiles was picking glass out of Morgan's hair.
"Maybe something changed," Jackson said over the awkwardness that tried to settle in the room.
"What, between when she was holding on to Danny and when she turned to Stiles? That was almost a two second window." Allison added as she started to kick some of the bigger shards of glass into a pile.
"Wait," Morgan said looking up at Stiles. "Her eyes. Her eyes changed. It was really quick but it looked like the demon had taken over again."
"That would make sense," Stiles said looking back to where Lydia had landed. "She landed on her feet, and then the way she was so ready to attack us...the demon must've taken over again."
"So that would mean that when Lydia has actual control of herself then she's not evil..." Jackson trailed off.
"And that means that she can be helped," Allison said looking up.
"And that means that she can help us," Morgan added with finality.
"Scott," Derek said in the hush of the dark room. Amara and her hunters had gone; apparently Amara isn't evil enough to disregard someone's birthday. "Scott," he said again with a bit more body in his raspy voice. He had lost a lot of water but his body kept sweating and he couldn't remember the last time they had fed him anything that wasn't enough to keep him just from dying and the water had become even scarcer. His body was weak but his wolf genes refused to let his body fail on him. "Scott," he called again and rattled the schackles that held him.
Scott looked up through his daze, Amara had been generous to the munkshood and even though he was fed more than Derek he was still kept just from the moment of dying. "What," his voice was harsh and his throat was arid. He too had been sweating, his body was hot as if he were on fire and the halogen lights that Amara kept on them didn't help at all. His eyes were heavy and his body tired from the lack of sleep and the demand to perform even through the glaring conditions.
"You told Amara," Derek's breathing was labored and his words slow, "that people are coming for us. Do you believe that Stiles and the rest of them can get to us?"
Scott couldn't believe what he was hearing, there was doubt in Derek's voice proof that he had been here too long. "Yes," Scott said forcing his voice to sound sure, "yes I do. Stiles and the guys are going to be here any moment. Stiles is smart, he'll figure something out and he has Danny with him and you know how good he is with a computer. And I'm sure by now Allison is there with her bow and she won't give up until she's found us. Jackson I'm sure will be helpful, he was so intent on finding you that he dragged me out of bed to help look for you; and Morgan's there I'm sure, and she was sent here to protect us and she won't give up...I'm almost sure of it." Scott hoped that Derek couldn't hear the doubt that he was feeling. He knew they were looking for him, but he wasn't too confident in anything they could do to deal with Amara.
"You know, for someone who's trying to reassure me you don't sound too sure yourself," Derek added tiredly. "Remind me once we get out of here to teach you how to lie."
"I wasn't lying," Scott said a bit too loudly and lowered his voice when his echo returned to him. "I wasn't lying, I know they're coming for us. I know that you don't really care for them but, my friends...they're some of the most resiliant people I know. By them knowing me I've put them all through so much; Allison finding out about her family and her aunt, Jackson driving himself to run to you for the bite so he could be better than me, Lydia getting dragged into this by the teeth of Peter, Stiles and having to deal with me and all the crap I put him through, and now Danny is dragged into it because he has to be kept safe; and Morgan getting sent here because of a terrible future that probably just started because of me. So I can promise you that I'm not lying when I say that they're coming for us."
Derek looked over at Scott and couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You know, as long as I've known you I've never once heard you talk about your friends like that, it's almost refreshing. But we have to be real about this, we have to try to think of a way to get out of here and deal with Amara if no one comes for us." Scott opened his mouth to protest, his dry lips looking angry chapped from dehydration, but he closed it when Derek kept going. "I heard what you said about your friends, and that's fine, but I'm saying that we have to be prepared to take care of things ourselves just as a precaution."
"Derek, now it's time for you to get real about this; we're strapped to a wall of wires that is sending an electric current through of bodies in waves, there are armed guards with wolfsbane bullets and poisoned darts as a 'just is case,' there's a psycho witch who's holding us as pets for some weird voodoo thing she has planned, and we're both weak, now how are we supposed to get out of here," Scott did his best to turn to look at Derek but the best he could do was give a side glare that was less effective than anything Derek could have came up with.
"Scott, I'm not saying that it's going to be easy but I am saying that it's better to have a backup than to just sit around and hope that something will happen," there was a sterness in Derek's voice that not even hunger and dehydration could take away from him. Derek was definite with everything he said and now he was covering up the doubt that had slipped through earlier with a cold sureness that even Scott had to respect. "We're going to get out of here, Scott, and you're going to help me do it."
Scott closed his eyes exhaling a shallow breath that cooled the sweat on his bare chest. He didn't know how they were going to do it, and Derek didn't know all that had went on while he was here. It was his fault that he didn't keep Derek as informed as he should have and now here they were, strapped to a wall staring at sure death and Derek was carrying on with blid hope that they'd get out on their own. "Derek," Scott could feel the words heavy on his tongue already, "there are some things that you should know about since you've been captured..."
"You can't keep doing this to me," Lydia screamed into the dark of the woods, tears falling down her face as she clutched at her arm. "You have to go away, you have to stop this!"
"I don't have to stop anything," the demon spoke from within her. "I have the power to do what ever it is I want and I don't plan on going anywhere for a while."
"Oh but you will."
Lydia turned to see where the new voice had come from but saw no one. " Who was that," she asked turning to look for wherever this voice could have come from.
"And who do you think you are telling me what I'll do," the gravelly voice of the demon came from the girl's lips.
"I am merely the herald of your doom, and the bringer of hope for that poor girl you've possessed. Your future has been set in stone, you and yours will reap the consequences of your actions and pay with the ultimate price. I have spoken."
"'I have spoken,'" the demon's voice came mockingly. "No one speaks like that except for..." and there was a pause as if the demon within Lydia had been drawing to a conclusion of what it is that had just been said. "If you think I'm going to die you are sadly mistaken, I can not be killed or dealt with, I will linger within this girl until her will has died and all that's left is a reusable husk."
"I have spoken," was all the other voice said before it faded away into the still of the night.
"Don't listen to that damned thing, you are stuck with me forever," the demon said to Lydia who had been pushed back once the other voice had made itself present.
"No, you're not. You heard it, you're getting out of here and I'm going to be done with you for good," Lydia said looking at her arm that now looked as if there was never a cut. "And I have friends who are going to help ke get rid of you."
The demon scoffed and walked around in a rough circle on the edge of the clearing, "those pathetic little friends of you're can't do anything about me. I'm here with a mission and I'll see it through even if it leads to the death of you." Lydia's body lurched forward and there was the sickening crack as bone broke and muscle tore. She screamed as her legs broke and bent back forcing her to crouch onto the floor. Her back snapped and elongated, and the burn of stretching skin as she looked back to see a tail growing from the tip of her spine. Her brow became pronounced on her forehead as her nose and mouth pulled into the form of a snout and muzzle. Her teeth sharped and her tongue hang from her jowls just as the last fleck of green left her eyes and was replaced by a black rimmed orange iris.
The hot breath of the beast clouded in the cool night air, and a howl escaped from between the jaws of the wolf piercing to still of the Beacon County night. It tore off into the woods that led across town and over to the downtown district of Beacon Hills.
Jackson's blood ran cold as the inhuman keen found it's way into his ears, a cold sweat dotting his forehead as he looked around the room at everyone else once they heard the wolven yowl. "Did...um, did you guys hear that," he stammered out, his body shaking involountarily.
"It was Lydia," Morgan nodded her head but it was Allison who said the one thing they had all noticed but not want to mention.
"That wasn't any kind of wolf howl I've ever heard before, something about it just sounded darker," she crossed her arms over her chest and hunched her shoulders against the breeze that came in through the broken window.
"There wasn't any Lydia in that howl," Jackson said from where he had stepped out of the moonlight that shone through the window. "There was just the tell-tale evil that you'd expect to come from a demon."
"You got all of that from a howl," Danny asked from where he had been standing nervously by a now quiet Stiles.
"There's marker with each wolf," Jackson started. "Each wolf has it's own distinct voice just like every human, and I couldn't hear Lydia at all. There was just rage and jealousy and pain, but most of all there was this ache...this ache to just watch the world burn. And that thing that's inside of Lydia won't stop until everyone around her is dead and gone."
They were all in a stunned silence that made the creaking of the house all the more present; the wind blowing outside and the leaves that skittered over the porch all seemed to be too loud tonight. Danny glanced around nervously but decided to look at the floor, Allison and Stiles shared worried looks over Lydia and what could happen to her, and Morgan just sat there consumed in her own thoughts.
"Danny, did you find out where Scott ad Derek were," Jackson said untimately breaking the silence. He looks at Danny who, up until now, has been standing there looking slightly sweaty.
"Umm, yeah," he walked over and sat at the computer again. "I found them but you're not going to believe me when I tell you wehere they are."
"Well," Morgan said prompting Danny to go on.
"Well," Danny said dragging out the word, "do you guys remember that old cemetary over on the other end of town...the one that nobody goes to anymore?"
"Oh God," Jackson sighed and brought a hand up to rub his temple, he was agitated to say the least and Allison caught on to it.
"Wait, what's so bad about that? Is there something I should know about this place?" She looked around the room from face to face wanting an answer as to why everyone seemed more concerned now that they knew where they were.
"There's a story that most of the kids in town were told as kids about an old man who went insane one night and started to dig up graves and set the bodies on fire, he said he was protecting the town from the evil that swarmed there but mostly he was just crazy. It was said that he dug up and set a total of two dozen graves on fire before he slipped and fell to his death in one of the burning pires." Stiles cleared his throat as he continued, while Danny and Jackson just stood around trying not to remember what it was like to hear that story as kids, "It's been said that sometimes you can smell burning flesh downtown when a strong breeze blows between the charred tombstones and kicks up some of the still barren soil. There was a rumor a few years back that one of the older kids went into the graveyard one night on a dare to impress a girl but he never came out, all that they found of him was a fingernail and some singed hair."
Once Stiles had finished a new silence had settled over the room and eyes were downcast in either fear or shock, but Allison spoke up because she refused to not have anything answered.
"And you guys actually believe this, it sounds like something out of a bad horror movie. It sounds..."
"Impossible?" Morgan cut in, "just like werewolves and witches are impossible? Or as impossible as a whole family that's dedicated their lives to hunting said werewolves?" Allison shut her mouth but Morgan continued, more to the group than to anyone in particular. "Graveyards are a hotbed for the energy of the dead to linger and fester in it's sadness. If someone could tap into this energy -like a witch- and focus it, they would have enough power to destroy a town around the size of Beacon Hills."
"Umm Stiles," Jackson spoke up from where he had been leaning against the wall by Stiles' door. "You're dad's coming in the house."
Before Stiles could register what Jackson had just said his father walked through his door and looked almost disapprovingly at the kids in his room before he saw the glass and broken window. His eyes settled on Stiles as he demanded an explaination.
"Okay dad," Stiles stammered wide eyed. "I know how this looks but I promise this isn't what it looks like," he paused, "what does it look like?"
"It looks like there's bunch of teenagers in my house while I have a missing person on my hand, and the window is busted." He crossed his arm and leaned against the doorframe, "why are you guys here?"
Looks were exchanged across the room but all eyes landed on Stiles who stammered under the attention. "Umm, well, we're going to look for Scott."
Sheriff Stilinski shook his head, "No you're not. I'm not going to have you kids running around town. I want all of you to go back home now and let me handle this."
"No," Stiles said seriously his jaw set tight. Heads around the room snapped up at the tone of Stiles' voice.
Sheriff Stilinski paused for a moment, "'No?' Did you just say no to me?"
Stiles swallowed hard but nodded his head. "No, we're not going to go home and let you handle this. Scott's my friend, dad, he's our friend and I don't think you can tell us to go home and not do anything."
"Stiles, I think you need to think about this. There's no telling where Scott is or if you'll find him, you should really just leave this to me." Sheriff Stilinski looked at his son with a furrowed vrow because he knew that no matter how much he tried to talk Stiles out of this, he couldn't stop him.
Stiles fixed his father with the determined look of a defiant son, almost challenging him to stop him. "We're going to find him, and we're going to bring him home, and no matter how much you don't want me to leave, I'm going out there to look for my best friend."
Mr. Stilinski stood down and put his hands up in surrender. He could deal with criminals and the occasional disorderly drunkard but one thing he couldn't handle was his son once he set his mind to something. "Fine," he said looking at his son with a look akin to admiration, "but I want you to contact me if anything happens. Do you hear me?"
Stiles exhaled and having successfully convinced his father that he can't be stopped, "Of course, dad. I'll call you if something happens that you should know about."
Sheriff Stilinski looked at the faces of the kids in front of him and sighed, "you guys have to let your parents know where you're going. I'm not going to have a whole bunch of disgruntled parents calling me because they think you've gone missing." He turned to walk out of the room but stopped at the door, "and don't tell them I okayed this, I've got enough to deal with already." He left the room and the kids, he left the house and decided it would be best for him to pretend that he didn't just okay a bunch of minors to go out and search for a missing friend.
Once his father had left Stiles turned to the rest of the group with a relieved look. "So Danny," he clapped his hands together, "any coordinates or are we just gonna go in there guns blazing and hope we stumble upon them?"
Danny just blinked his eyes wide shaking his head he exhaled and turned back to the computer screen, "I can get you the coordinates but I don't think we'll need them once we get there."
"Why would you say that," Allison said walking over to lean on the back of the computer chair.
"Because once we get there Jackson can just -and I'm sorry to use the term, Jackson- sniff them out." Morgan looked over to a less than amused Jackson who was getting poked by an obviously amused Stiles. "Plus," she continued on, "the sooner we get over there the sooner we can get to Scott and Derek."
They split up between Stiles' Jeep and Allison's Mazda; Jackson opting to drive up front with Stiles and Morgan while Danny decided he'd like to keep Allison company. They drove down the block and out of the Stiles and Danny's cul-de-sac and onto the road that would lead them way across town.
"Stiles," Morgan said breaking the silence that filled the Jeep. "Why did you kiss me back there?" Jackson choked a little at Morgan's bluntness but secretly he wanted to asking the same question.
"Well, um...um," Stiles sputtered a little at being hit so broadside from the backseat. "I...wanted to let you know that you're not worthless."
"But you didn't have to kiss me," she said leaning up so that she was right between Jackson and Stiles. "And anyone could see that it hurt Danny a little."
Stiles eyes widened as he looked across the front seat at Jackson, meeting his eyes through the dark hair of the girl who was turned looking at him. "I...I didn't mean it like that," Stiles stuttered a little. "I didn't want to hurt anyone, honestly."
"We know that," Jackson spoke up now. "But come on, even I can tell that Danny likes you. He's just a little to chicken to tell you about it."
"He did," Stiles added quickly. "I mean, he didn't."
"Well which is it," Jackson asked almost impatiently. "Did he tell you that he likes you, or didn't he?"
"What I mean is, he didn't tell me right out." Stiles sighed before he continued on, "I overheard him in the bathroom talking with Scott when he asked Danny what he felt for me. I don't know how Scott could figure it out, but he did. And when Danny told him that he felt something for me but he didn't know what it was, I got a little excited because up until then I thought he was just tolerating me hanging around him. So I approached him, a few minutes ago actually, about what I heard and he didn't say anything to me...not outright. But I wanted him to feel something for me, I don't know why I did...do. I don't know why I want him to have feelings for me, and when he didn't answer me I assumed I had overstepped a boundary and left before I could make anything worse. But I don't know, it hurt a little when he didn't say anything back, and he just looked at me with those eyes of his, and it was like something heavy had just fallen on me. And all I remember thinking at that moment was that I had to get away from him before I say something else, or worse, he says something that sounds like rejection and I just..."
He trailed off, running out of words to express what it was that was going on in his head. He knew this wasn't the time to be worrying about any of this stuff but he was, and he had been for a while even if he didn't want to admit it to himself. He flashed back to Danny standing there looking at him with those sad and almost strangled eyes, and the heaviness that was between them even in the still of the night air. He remembered all of the rushing and the hoping for something he wanted, something he wanted to hear, but he couldn't bring himself to listen if it was anything other than what he silently hoped for. He could take everyone else denying him anything; attention from Scott, love from Lydia, frienship from Allison and tolerance from Jackson; he could deal with having all of that denied from him, but he couldn't take it from Danny. It would have undone him and he knew it, not like how he fell apart when his mother died, but something new and completely alien to him. He breathed deeply and brought himself back to focusing on the road. He needed to focus on anything that wasn't Danny and the thumping in his chest as he thought about the boy.
"Stiles," Jackson asked tentatively, his wolf sensing the tention coming off Stiles in waves.
"I don't know, Jackson, okay? I don't know and I'm really confused right now, is that what you want to hear? I just...I don't know and I really don't need this right now." Stiles shoulders slouched in the chair and Morgan slid back into the seat and left Stiles alone for the rest of the car ride.
"Are you okay, Danny?" Allison asked as she followed behind Stiles' blue Jeep as they made their way over to what might be a big fight for them.
"I'm fine." Danny looked out the car window and into the blackness that sped by.
"I don't want to pry," Allison said turning to look at the taller teen who seemed so small in the front seat of her car. "But, you know you can talk to me. I'm really good at listening and you don't really have to worry about me talking to anyone about whatever you say."
"I know, Allison." Danny didn't look over from where his eyes were looking for something familiar in the blackness of the night.
"I'm just...I'm..." Danny started and before he know what was happening it was all spilling out of him. Stiles came to me wanting to know if I felt anything for "I never intended on telling him anything but that boy is just so sneaky. He overheard me and Scott in the bathroom talking about it and then not even an hour ago he comes to me, looking as boyishly innocent as ever, and asks me if I could feel anything for him. No, wants me to feel something for him. He knew I did but he wanted me to be sure about it. He wanted me to know that I liked him, and I do, but I just...I don't know. I keep thinking about everything that's going on and, somehow, it seems like my emotions don't really matter when we're running head first into a fray of wolves, witches, and demons. And I can't help but remember how he looked at me with those brown eyes of his wanting an answer. Something to justify why he came to me the way he did and all I did was stand there, with a lump in my throat and not say anything. I want to be brave like Stiles is, and talk to him about this just as sure as he came to me, but I can't. And I watched him walk away from me, thinking that he was the one in the wrong when it was me who was wrong because I was a coward about how I felt. I can't help but think that maybe something will go wrong, or that what I'm feeling isn't worth it at all. I don't even know why I like him the way I do and it's driving me mad because, when I go to sleep he's the last thing on my mind. And when I wake up and go to school he's there, and then I see him outside of school and even then I want to see more of him, I want to spend more time around him. I want to be there for him and with him, and I want to make sure that he never has to know the pain of loss again and I just want everything to be okay for him. He's an amazing person and the thought that he's not told this on the daily basis bothers me so much, because someone like him should be reminded daily of what a treasure he is and I just..."
Danny took in a deep breath and felt the weight on his chest lift a little bit at having said this to someone who actually understands what he means. "I just want him."
Allison had been listening carefully as Danny spilled everything he had been feeling out and into the conditioned air of the car. She looked over at the boy who was now sitting up in the seat but was still slouched under whatever it was he hadn't said.
"I think you should tell Stiles what you just told me," she looked from Danny back to the street. "And I think you owe it to yourself and to Stiles to give him an answer, the answer you just gave me. Now I know this isn't the ideal time to talk about something like this but I think it's worth the risk anyway." Allison reached over and patted Danny's thigh, a soft smile on her lips as she looked over at the teen in the seat next to her. "Just give it a shot, what do you have to lose?"
Allison turned her attention back to the road and began to change her mindset into preparing for the battle at hand. She didn't hear it, but the boy next to her said something as he pressed his forehead to the cool glass and let the words slip out on the breath of something lighter than a whisper.
"A friend."
Lydia's heart thudded in her chest as her paws pounded against the earth, and her breath came to her in swift easy breaths. She knew she was running and she knew where she was going, and she knew what was going to happen once she got there, but she had no control over her form. For her it was like that time her family took a trip to Hawaii for vacation -back when her family wasn't broken and her father hadn't been sleeping with his assistant- and her parents thought it would be a good idea for her to learn how to surf. She had been really excited about it at first because, she had seen enough moives to see how cool all the guys and girls looked as they flew over the crashing blue waves. So when her parents decided to take her down to the beach one morning for lessons with a private teacher, she was boucing on the balls of her feet as the guy told her about the safety procedures. Now normally you aren't supposed to get put in the water on the first day, but her mother had been incessant that she at least get on the water for a few pictures. Begrugingly, her instructor took her out on the water and her mother had gotten a few pictures when suddenly there was a big wave that crashed into her and the tutor.
She remembered the rush of water as it fell on top of her and pushed her down into the steel blue water that was suddenly colder than before. She remembered the unrelenting pressure as wave after wave fell on top of her and she was bumped and pushed around under water. She remembered what it felt like to have no control over anything and to just want to get back to safety, she remembered the fear that clogged her throat that strangled out any of the air she had in her lungs. She remembered the fear as her eyes went wide and her lungs betrayed her as they pulled water in hoping for air. This is what that felt like, she had no control and all she could feel was fear and the pressure of the demon forcing her to move forward.
Her breathing wasn't her own, it felt sick and perverted as it filled her lungs and pushed through her veins. She hated the feel as muscle flexed and contracted catapulting her forward. She screamed, somewhere inside the jail that was her body. She screamed but it wasn't her voice, it was the howl of the wolf that came from her lungs. She felt violated and raw, she curled up into herself, the demon taking control and pushing her body deeper into the woods that would lead them across town and away from her home and her friends, and into what might be her death.
Amara walked into the dark, dank of the crypt that housed the bodies of what was once an affluent family; the mausoleum above ground held murals depicting some of the family's charitable, but undoubtably underhanded, achievements. A long line of headstones lined one side of the wall with dates starting as far back as 1802, this was without a doubt one of the founding families of Beacon County. She placed her goodie bag on the desk that she had two of the male hunters bring down; it was a large wooden desk made of thick oak that was mixed with cherry wood and had elder wood finishings. Leaning on the desk she turned to look at her two captives who hung with their heads low under the blistering light of the halogen lamp.
"Boys," she said clearing her throat and taking off her long lamb skin coat to drape over her chair. When neither one of them looked up she snapped her fingers making both boys look up in a howl of pain.
Both Derek and Scott looked up; Derek with his ever fixated glare no matter how deflated it had become, and Scott with his hooded eyes and heavy brow making it hard for him to see much of anything.
"Good," she said walking over to them. "Now that I have your attention I'd like to share a few things with you. As you both know I was out celebrating the birthday of one of our beloved hunters," she held her hand out splaying her fingers in the direction of one of the hunters who stood by one of the small vents in the wall of the crypt. "And I'd like to extend my generosity to you both. Do you understand me?"
Derek and Scott lifted their heads as best they could to look into the face of the woman who was dealing them their torture waiting for her to make her point.
"Good," she began to pace back and forth in front of them. "I've been informed that my daughter and her ragtag group of misfits are on their way here. And I've also been told that one of your, let's say, feral, friends is on her way as well. Now I know that you both have been divising some sort of escape plan, and I think it's admirable that you would even consider that, but I feel like I should warn you of the danger that you both are in. You see, this has all been leading up to what's about to happen in say," she looked at her watch, "about fourty-five minutes, and I can promise you that one of you are not going to make it out alive. However, I will not have you here with anything less than a fighting chance because, let's be real, who doesn't like a challenge? So I've ordered a few of my hunters to fix you somewhat of a last meal. Oh boys!"
At Amara's call two men entered with dog bowls full of kibble and water on two silver trays and stood at either side of the tall impending woman.
"See, I'm really not such a bad person after all, am I? Now I'll let you both down so you can eat in peace, but I will chain you both to the floor in a manner befitting the dogs you are."
The two hunters who walked in carrying the trays placed them on the table that held the control for the electric wires and walked over to undo the shackles that held the boys' hands in place. Both hunters took their time and undid Scott's shackles first before they chained him to the floor and placed the bowls of food and water in front of him.
He looked up into the eyes of Derek as they started to undo his shackles but, as if in the blink of an eye, Derek lashed out as soon as his hand was free and slashed at the chest of one of the hunters causing blood to soak through the gash in his shirt. The other hunter, being smaller that the one who now laid on the floor, flinched as claws made contact with the side of his face and sent him sprawling to the floor.
Amara, outraged at what she saw, raised a hand that caused Derek to freeze in his spot, glowing red eyes and fangs still barred. "How dare you? How dare you soil my hospitality?" Scott looked as the shackles around Derek's ankles undid themselves and Derek was lifted into the air. "Your defiance, just like my daughter, will be the end of you!" A strangled sound escaped Derek's lips and he was thrown into the wall and then brought back in front of Amara. "You have no idea who you're dealing with or what you've just done!" She looked down at Scott who had eyes wide and full of fear and held her other hand out at him.
He felt his body seize and begin to lift off the floor. The chains around his wrists and the shackles around his ankles undid themselves and fell to the ground in a metallic clatter. He brought his hands to his neck, reaching at nothing but he felt the pressure of hands around his neck. Scott looked over at Derek who started to speak in a strangled voice.
"I know who I'm dealing with. I'm dealing with a low down, conniving and muniplulative, insecure person who's a disgrace to witches everywhere!" Derek's eyes still glowed bright red at his willingness to not let Amara think she has the upper hand. Now that he was free his plan was already halfway complete. "And the only person who's not going to leave here alive is you!"
The cars pulled up and parked in front of the gate that led into the old graveyard. Getting out of the cars they were instantly assaulted by the smell of old death and ash. Looking around in the dark and the fog that creeped through the charred headstones Jackson felt a chill run down his back.
"So I guess it's now or never," Jackson said looking over the hood of Stiles' Jeep at the rest of the group that all stood staring into the cemetary.
"Yup," Stiles said shoving his hands in his pockets. "So if anyone wants to back out now I don't think anyone would blame them." He looked around but was met with glances that asked if he really just said that. "What, I've wanted to say that since forever. Morgan, are you ready to do what it is you have to do?"
"Yeah, I think so." Morgan pulled the bag she had brought with her up onto her shoulder.
"You think so," Jackson asked raising an eyebrow at Morgan.
"No, I know so." Morgan was trying to placate herself more than she was Jackson because, in all honesty, she didn't feel like she was ready. She'd been practicing on her own whenever she could but no matter how much you prepare you don't know what's going to happen until it's do or die. Part of her now wished that she had called her priestess for help but another part of her knew that no matter how much help she asked for it would still be her in the end. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's just get through this."
There they were, all standing in a row prepared to go into battle, prepared to fight for their friends, their families, and their homes. Some about to give more than others, and others about to get more than they put in, but they were ready and tired, and willing to go on.
From a black SUV that pulled up just after them, headlights off and at a silent crawl, three pairs of eyes watched the five young adults step pass the threshold and into the thick fog that swallowed them up.
"Well Aidyn, I'll give you this, it was a good idea to follow the girl."
"I told you Joanna," Aidyn said as he pulled on black leather gloves. "Following the girl would lead us to something interesting." Rebecca looked at the two from her seat behind the wheel. "Now let's get out there and follow them before they disappear. Oh, and Rebecca, tell Amanda that we know where Victoria's daughter is. And tell her to let Victoria know that it would be in her best interest to get here."
Victoria and Chris looked over from where they had been putting guns into the back of the SUV as Amanda walked up to them with a small squeak.
"Yes, Amanda?" Chris turned to the girl giving her his full attention.
"I've just received word from the Counsel that they've followed your daughter and found her at the old graveyard across town." Amanda shrank under the scrutiny of Victoria's glare but continued on. "And they thought it would be best for you to show up before they decided to take action against her as punishment for your family's indiscretions." Victoria's nostrils flared and Amanda took a step back when she saw Chris place a hand on his wife's arm. "They wanted to give you a warning before they did anything, they're just watching her now."
"So you're the one who's the spy." Victoria pulled her arm away from Chris as she took a step toward Amanda. "There's always one but I never thought it would be you. I always thought of as like a second daughter, but you can't be trusted just like the rest of them."
"Victoria," Chris warned from where he was still by the SUV.
"No, I'm not going to hurt her Chris." Victoria took another step forward towards the still shrinking girl. "But she is not welcomed in this home," she ticked each one off on her fingers, exentuating them with steps closer to the girl, "she is not welcomed among my hunters, she is not to be spoken to and I'll let it be known amongst any of the other Masters and Madams that I can that she is not to be allowed into any of their families." Amanda looked at the woman who was now her ex-madam with watery eyes. "She can go now, but I never want to hear of her again."
Amanda bowed one last time to her ex-Madam and Master before turning and walking away, wiping a tear from her eye as she went to her car.
"Victoria," Chris said once Amanda had gone.
"Don't Victoria me, Chris." She turned to her husband, fury still on her face. "She betrayed me and my family by working with the Counsel. I did her a justice by just letting her leave, she'll understand how she went wrong and she'll have to live without her family."
"But she's just a girl," Chris looked at his wife with pleading eyes but she wouldn't have it.
"That doesn't matter. She made the choice to betray me and therefore she took on the responsibilities of a woman who doesn't need her family." Victoria walked around to get in the car.
"Where are you going," Chris asked following her.
"I'm going to get my daughter and have a word or two with Aidyn." She opened the car door but was stopped when Chris put his arm across to keep her from getting in. "Move your hand Chris," she fixed her husband with one of her ice cold glares but to no avail.
"Victoria," he said evenly. "I think you need to think this out before you go and do something you'll regret."
"The only thing I'm going to regret is you not coming with me for our daughter and the beatdown I'll have to lay on you."
Chris laughed at that, "Do you hear what you just said? 'Beatdown?' Since when do you use words like beatdown?"
"Since I just got upset and I want my husband to come with me to get our daughter before she gets into any trouble. That's since when."
"Fine," Chris moved his arm to let his wife in. "Just let me get one thing before we go."
"This is the one." Jackson said as the group of wayward fighters for good stood in front of the open door of one of the biggest mausoleums in the graveyard. It stood on a hill in the middle of the cemetary and Stiles looked over his shoulder as a chill ran down his back.
"So guys." Allison said getting the groups' attention. "Do we still not have a plan for this, or are we all comfortable with just going in their guns blazing?" They all exchanged looks because they hadn't really thought of a plan but then the attention turned to Stiles because he was usually the idea guy.
"Nope," he said shaking his head. "I don't have a plan this time, which sucks because I feel like I would've had a really good one."
"I think Allison and Jackson should go for Derek and Scott." They looked at Danny who was the first to have any sort of idea as to where to start this rescue mission. "They'll be the quickest on their feet anyway, and I think we should make sure that Scott and Derek are safe before we do anything else."
"Okay, but what are Morgan and I suppose to do then?" Stiles looked from Morgan over to Danny.
"I'm going to start setting everything up for my spell." Morgan added quietly to the conversation. "It'll take some time for me to get everything set up so we'll need a distraction.
"Then that's where Stiles and I come in. We can distract Amara while Allison and Jackson are getting Derek and Scott and while you set up your stuff. Then, once we're sure that we have Derek and Scott, we can start with our attack on Amara." Danny looked at the group offereing up what could be the second part of their plan.
"So wait," Jackson said cutting in. "What kind of attack are we talking about because, all we have is one inexperienced werewolf, a hunter, a witch, and you two." He gestured to Danny and Stiles who inturn glanced at each other before fixing Jackson with twin offended glares. "I'm not saying that you guys won't be helpful, I'm just saying that maybe you guys should be a bit more conscientious about the gravity of your situation. You both don't have any skills that could be helpful in battle, and you could probably end up being more of a hinderance than a help."
"Well tell us how you really feel, Jackson." Stiles said thrusting his hands in his pocket shivering. "Did it just get colder," he asked the group who just nodded their heads but didn't say much of anything to answer. "Besides, Danny and I would be wonderful distractions! I don't know about him but I've annoyed you enough, Jackson, almost to the point of bodily harm. And who do you think was responsible for most of Derek's intense stares of disapproval and -wait for it- annoyance? I think you guys wouldn't be able to do this without me."
"He has to be there," Morgan said darkly. "It was in my Priestess' vision and he was the main reason why I got sent here. Stiles needs to be here and Danny should be too, we never know what kind of help we'll need." Just then a howl pierced the night air and the blood in Jackson's veins ran cold.
"Do I want to know what that is," Danny asked with dread dripping from his words.
"I...I don't think so." Stiles laid a hand on Danny's back in what he hoped was reassurance but he himself was scared of what it was.
Jackson swallowed hard turning to face where the howl had came from, sweat dotting his forehead even in the chill of the night. "It's Lydia."
"Lydia?" Allison said looking though wide eyes. "Lydia's not a wolf, she doesn't howl."
"She does now," Morgan said as a big hunched figure stepped out of the shadow of the trees that lined where the graveyard met the forest. They all looked in fear as a wolf that would put Peter to shame stepped into the moonlight. Hulking shoulders that slid down a long back that ended at powerful hindquarters and strong jutting legs with clawed feet that dug into the ground. The head of the beast was large and it's fur was a thick dark red, orange pupils in a pool of black stared at them over the snapping jowls of the monster. A tongue lashed out as if tasting the air and saliva dripped from it's fangs and caught the light from the moon.
Carefully they took a step back as the beast started to move toward them in slow, managed steps as if it were gauging just how afraid of it they were. The demonic force that drove the wolf became impatient and craved blood. The wolf bolted forward, long claws tearing up earth and soot as it ran. Jumping over headstones it made it's way to the kids, hunger showing on it's face.
"Run!" Morgan yelled as the kids forced themselves into the door of the mausoleum at once. The beast was close, closer than Morgan had thought. She reacted fast and threw a hand up at the beast feeling power surge through her arm and knocking the wolf back into the ground where it was running up the hill. She ran into the mausoleum and helped Allison wedge a heavy piece of stone in front of the door. No sooner had they got the stone in place did they hear the gnashing of the beast's jaws and the tear of it's claws against the cool stone of the mausoleum door.
Stepping back, Jackson, Danny and Stiles looked at the door with Allison and Morgan backing up next to them. "Do you think it'll hold," Allison asked breathless.
"Not for long." Jackson added thanking the wolf for his control over his breathing. "I think we should just get going and try to get as much as we can done before this door gives way."
"But why is she a werewolf?" Allison still wanted an answer.
"Yeah," Danny said agreeing with Allison. "From what Stiles told me, she was supposed to be something called a hybrid or whatever. She wasn't supposed to fully turn, right?"
"The only thing I can think of is that the demon inside her forced the change on her." Morgan picked up her from where it had fell to the floor. "I think that's why she's so big, her body had rejected the bit at first and then when he change was forced her body swell. She's running on pain and sadness." Danny and Allison looked at each other both sharing concern for their friend and the hell that she must be in.
"There's stairs back here." Stiles was in the back of the stately tomb bent over looking at a stairway that was tucked behind one of it's many paint chipped pillars. They all walked to where Stiles was and looked down at a daunting staircase.
"I can smell them down there," Jackson said from where he was standing to the side of the hole in the floor. "And I don't think they're doing good, they smell sick, I don't think they be much help to us at all."
"I anticipated that." They all looked over at Morgan who was holding a vial of dark green liquid that she pulled from her bag. "Give them this," she handed it over to Jackson who took it and looked at it questioningly.
"What is this," Allison asked taking the vial from Jackson to look at it closer.
"It's better if you didn't know. Just get them to drink it and they should be in a condition to actually walk away with you guys instead of having to be carried."Morgan was still digging in her bag for something when Stiles began to walk downstairs.
"Hey wait!" Jackson grabbed him by the arm and held him from going down the stairs. "Where do you think you're going? You can't just run down there like that?"
"I can't?" Stiles pulled his arm away from Jackson. "We've got a plan, and we have people down there who are sick or worse and we need to get them."
"Yeah, let's just get them." Morgan started to walk down the stairs. "Just make sure you guys take care of yourselves, I'm gonna be busy for a while and I won't be able to help you."
"Pssh, we got this." Stiles started walking down the stairs again. "Besides, what's one witch compared to all of us?"
Jackson was the last to go down the stairs, but before he did he looked over at the barricaded door where the beast still ferociously pounded against the door.
"Victoria's on her way." Rebecca closed her phone and looked over to Aidyn from where they were crouched behind a statue watching where the wolf now clawed at the crumbling door of the mausoleum where the kids had just entered.
"I don't see why we can't just kill that thing right now." Joanna said excitedly from where she had been watching the beast.
"I have a feeling that this is just the beginning on a long night, and I want to see exactly what happens before we go killing one of the players." Joanna looked at Aidyn who now had a sinister look in his eyes. "Plus there's still a human in that, I guess, and I think they deserve a fighting chance, don't you?"
"No, I don't. Look at that, you can't try to tell me that there's anything human about that. It's a monster sent here to kill and if there is a human in there they're already damned. I'd be doing it and the world a service be getting rid of it." There was an intensity behind Joanna's words that woke something up in Rebecca who, with questioning and worried eyes, looked over at Aidyn who didn't break his stare with Joanna.
"Joanna, the last time someone spoke like that they were killed by the same beast they targeted." Rebecca gave Joanna a warning look but Joanna still held Aidyn eye's captive. "I think you should reevaluate some of the things you just said."
"Why should I?" Joanna looked at Rebecca with a silent fury burning behind her eyes. "One of those abominations killed my mother! They shouldn't be allowed to walk the earth as if they have some place here!"
"Calm down Joanna." Aidyn said with finality at the woman who was becoming louder and louder, the threat of the beast that was just a few yards beoming ever more present in the silence of the night. "Do you hear that?"
Joanna threw her hands up over her head. "No, I don't hear anything."
"Exactly." Aidyn walked over to look around the statue that they were behind over at the the mausoleum door. "Where did the wolf go?"
A growl came from a few feet away from them and they turned to see the giant animal leering at them from between two blackened gravestones. A swirl of soot hung in the fog that shrouded the beast, it's eyes and the vague outline of it's massive form only showing through the thick mists. The sound of snapping jowls and claws pawing at the earth reached their ears as the beast watched them.
Joanna in a flurry of hands grabbed a knife from her belt and thre it at the beast, making contact almost instantly. A howl came from the jaws of the creature and a thick stream of dark liquid oozed from it's size steam rising from it as it hit the cold ground. In a flash the beast was running towards them on all fours, making their escape Aidyn launched an arrow at the beast landing a clear shot into the left bulging shoulder as the beast. Another howl came from the beast which then lurched back and brought one clawed hand up to rip the arrow out snapping it in half. Aidyn fell back at never seeing a wolf rip an arrow made of pure silver out without so much as a flinch.
Scrambling to his feet Aidyn ran to where Rebecca and Joanna were standing; Rebecca lauching aconite tipped arrows that did nothing where they landed in the beast, and Joanna shooting throwing stars at the beast with practiced precision. The beast continued it's rampage towards the three member of the Counsel and all seemed lost for the so called masterful werewolf hunters when, out of the blue, a lone fiery arrow pierced the night air and found purchase in the side of the fierce brute. Sprawling to the side the beast ran into cover of the woods whimpering as the arrow still burned in it's side.
"And you though it was gonna be a waste of time."
"Whatever Chris, we still have something to deal with here."
Rebecca looked up at hearing Victoria's voice and a hint of a smile fell across her lips at seeing her friend after such a long time.
They all watched from the little alcove that the stairwell emptied into, if they leaned a bit to the left they could see just past a dividing wall to where a body lay bloodied on the floor. "They're being choked," Jackson said as he and the group kept leaning trying to get a better look. Morgan, knowing clearly what was happening brought a hand up to her throat and swallowed subconsciously.
"There's another body on the floor by the wall." Danny and Jackson had a clearer view of what was going on. "I can see them, they're floating in the air and Scott's clutching at his neck."
"Yeah, and there are a lot of hunters with rifles around." Jackson told the group who couldn't see much of what was happening. "There are two big guys and, well, your mother Morgan."
"Okay let's do this." Stiles made a move to walk out into the room but was held back by Danny.
"Wait, we weren't accounting for her hunters. How are we supposed to get pass them?" He hissed a whisper at Stiles who was still trying to make his way free. Then, almost on cue, there was a lound crash that came from somewhere behind them and Amara ordered her hunters to go handle what ever that was. The group barely had enough time to squeeze into the small space under the stairs as the hunters ran up the stairs causing dirt to fall on them. One particularly heavy hunter ran up the stairs causing a lot of dust to fall on Allison who started to sneeze but Jackson put a hand over her nose stopping her just in time.
"Well that answers that question." Stiles looked up a Danny with a smirk on his face.
"Do you guys remember what you have to do?" Danny whisperes to the group as what sounded like fighting and yelling came from upstairs.
"Yeah." Stiles gestured loosely to him and Danny, "we're the decoys, Allison and Jackson are going to free Derek and Scott, and Morgan's gonna do her witch thing. So let's go." Allison and Jackson got in position to run out to get Derek and Scott, Morgan ran off to start setting up her stuff. Stiles put a hand on Danny's arm and held him back from going over to distract Amara. "I think you should wait here."
"What?" Danny looked at Stiles not comprehending how it would make sense for him stay back. " No, I'm going to help you guys."
"Danny, I really think you should just stay back in case anything happens." Stiles fixed Danny with pleading eyes.
"What do you mean in case anything happens?" Danny whispered so as to not catch the attention of a now increasingly agitated Amara at the absense of her hunters. "Of course something is going to happen we're dealing with witches and werewolves right now."
"I know," Stiles still hand his hand on Danny's arm. "I've dealt with stuff like this before and I know how bad it can get, and I just don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm not going to get hurt, Stiles." Danny turned to fully face the other boy, hoping to placate him with his words. "I'm not going to get hurt. I'm pretty sure I can deal with whatever gets thrown my way."
"You think you can but you won't know until after it's happened and by then it might be too late." Danny saw a quoet desperation in Stiles eyes when he looked at the boy. "Fine, I'll stay," Danny exasperatedly. "I'll just wait right here, and I don't know, knit."
"Do you knit," Stiles asked tilting his head to the side.
"No." Danny deadpanned, but Stiles squeezed his arm and made his way over to start distracting Amara.
"So do you see what we've been dealing with?" Rebecca looked at Victoria wiping blood from her lip where the beast had clipped her as it ran back at them.
"But I shot it with a flaming arrow. It ran away!" Chris' eyes were wide as he saw the wolf do away with one of the big hunters that had come streaming out of the door of the mausoleum.
"Yeah, and I shot it with an arrow made of pure silver and it snapped it in half." Aidyn ran over to help Rebecca to her feet. "This thing is different from anything I've seen before."
"Joanna!" Victoria yelled for the woman who was running at the beast with a machete at her side. "She's going to get herself killed. She's never been this reckless. What happened to her?"
"Rebecca thought it would be a good idea to tell her that her mother had been killed by a wolf." Rebecca shot Aidyn a look that screamed that he wasn't suppose to say anything about that. "Ever since then she's just been on a rampage at anything that even remotely looks like a werewolf."
"I thought we weren't going to lie to the girl anymore, Rebecca." Victoria looked at her friend with eyes that were tired of lies. "You can't get ddoing this to her, she has to know about..."
"I don't want her knowing! Not yet at least, I need more time." Rebecca pulled her bow back and fired a shot at the beast the arrow landing in it's thigh, but it went unnoticed as it tore into another one of the hunters.
"God dammit! We're not doing anything to it!" Chris was fed up and reaching his last arrow. "What the hell is that thing?"
"I don't know, Chris." Aidyn pulled his handgun from it's hoister and started firing shots at the monster. "But whatever the hell it is we have to kill it, there are kids down there and it was trying to get in."
"Kids?" Victoria's eyes widened. "Is my daughter down there."
"We wouldn't be here if she wasn't." Rebecca took two arrows from their sheath and fired them simultaneaouly at the ferocious creature that was thrashing at any of the hunters who got too close for their own good. "We followed her to get you to come to us and when we got here this thing was after them. They managed to get in but this thing was still going after them, it was halfway through the door when it turned on us and if you guys hadn't gotten here when you did we'd probably be dead by now."
"Don't thank us just yet." Chris straightened his back and brought a hand up to wipe at his nose. "We've still got to get rid of this thing and right now we're not doing such a bang up job."
"Would you guys like to stop talking and actually help us?" Joanna ran up to them breathless, 'If you haven't noticed, they're kind of getting their asses kicked."
"They?" Rebecca quirked an eyebrow up at Joanna.
"Well, I'm not the one who's trying to get in close with the beast."
"Yeah you are. If you weren't you wouldn't have ran over there with that machete." Aidyn gestured to the bloodied knife in her hand. "Looks like you did some damage."
"Barely, that things like a juggernaut." Joanna wiped at the sweat off her brow and and bent over and put her hands on her knees. "It's like it doesn't feel anything, and all the ammo we've wasted on it it should be down by now."
"Our goal is not to kill it, we think there's ahuman in there." Aidyn fired another shot at the monster.
"Is the Counsel really talking about not killing a wolf because they fear a human might be in there?" Victoria looked at the members of the Counsel one-by-one. "Sincve when did the Counsel become a bunch of humanitarians?"
"Since Kate decided to go all rebel and kill innocent people." Joanna spate the words out without aiming at Chris even though the words were directed at him.
"I don't appreciate you talking about my sister like that." Chris let his crossbow fall to his side.
"Sister? I find that laughable. She was a pscho, and the only reason why we didn't come do anything about her was because all we had to work with were rumors passed around at night." Joanna's glare now matched the one that Chris was giving her, and she stepped forward when he took a step towards her. "If I had it my way," she said the words slowly and into Chris' face, "she'd have been dead long before that alpha decided to come back and take his revenge." There was a sickening smack as Victoria's hand made contact with Joanna's face.
"I will not have you talking about my family like that." Joanna stepped in front of Chris and fixed Joanna with a glare so sharp it would crack ice. "Now my hisban is a gentleman and he won't hit a woman, but I have no problem with hitting a bitch!"
"A bitch?" Joanna choked out over a laugh. "You're calling me a bitch? Let's talk about how you shunned poor Amanda because she was working with us, let's talk about how you knowingly let your daughter date a wolf, let's talk about how much of a heartless bitch you were to me as a child!"
"I was never heartless to you! I was following orders from the Counsel, and I was warned against treating you as anything other that the protege you didn't turn out to be." Victoria sqaured her shoulders and looked deep into Joanna's eyes. "You were a mistake, I shouldn't have taken you under my wing, you've done nothing but proven yourself as an embarrassment."
"Following orders? Following orders?" Joanna was raising her voice now, any thought of the monster that battled poor under equipped hunters behind them. "I was a motherless child, Victoria, all I wanted was for someone to show me some kind of compassion and all you did was hold me at the edge of a blade. I just wanted you to love me and you never did that! That was all I wanted!"
"I couldn't do that!" Victoria's fury broke and a tear fell from her eye. "You weren't mine to love." Chris looked around lost because this was his firest time hearing anything about this, but he looked up when Rebecca started to speak.
"You were mine." Her voice was small and broken, her eyes filled with tears as she watched the exchange between Victoria and Joanna. "Aidyn and I had started to becme close back when I was just a young protege; he was getting taught by one of the older Masters and me and elder Madam. We fell in love fast, and we fell in love recklessly like most people at that age do. I got pregnant, and was sent away to one of the families on the east coast. When I had the child I refused to give it up for adoption like Aidyn had wanted and I wouldn't let the Elders take it away from me. I met Victoria one evening while I sat on a park bench with you clutched in my arms. I had seen her around before while I was training and she wanted to know what was wrong. I told her my story and she got the Counsel to agree to let her raise you as a protege even though she was still pretty young. I'm sorry I never told you before, Joanna, but Aidyn and I agreed that it would be best if you didn't know. I'm sorry, Joanna, I really am."
"Screw you." Joanna's words were soft and her voice harsh. "Screw you and the Counsel! You let me believe that my mother was killed. That the only person I imagined to want me was killed by a wolf, and now you tell me this? After all these years you and him lied to me, and treated me as an equal when all you were doing were trying to compensate for all over the crap you put me through. Well I'm sorry, I don't forgive you. You don't get to feel better about lying to me and ruining my life." She ran off with tears streaming down her face over to where the wolf was still on it's unrelenting rampage and sank her machete into the side of the beast.
"Joanna!" Rebecca, Aidyn, and Victoria called when the beast knocked her to the side sending her flying into the cold marble of the large tomb, and crashing to the floor in an unconscious heap.
"Is this what you do?" Chris asked the two members of the Counsel. "Do you just come around and ruin everything? We were fine until you got here, we had everything under control and now what? You've broken an already damaged girl and no matter what you try to do to make this better you can't. I knew it was a mistake the moment the Counsel was agreed upon, it was just a way for a few men to feel like they had more power than the rest of us."
"Chris, you had better watch your tongue." Aidyn warned.
"No, he doesn't have to." Victoria spoke up now, her cool authoritative tone returning as the tears she had over Joanna shown in her eyes. "He's right, that was a wonderful girl and it killed me every day when I had to look her in the eye and not tell her just how much she meant to me. The Counsel is a poison on everything the Argent name stood for, and it's become more of a farce than a force to be reckoned with. If we survive this night the Argents are taking back control of the hunters, the way our ancestors would have wanted it to be."
Morgan looked from around the pillar that she had decided to use as cover and saw Stiles saunter into the large room and tap her mother on the shoulder.
"Excuse me madam, but I believe you have a few things that belong to me."
She watched as her mother looked over her shoulder, face distorted with sick pleasure at watching Scott and Derek squirm. "Who are you?"
"I'm Stiles, Morgan's friend." She was astonished at how calm he was under the scrutinizing eye of her mother. "And I'm here to tall Scott and Derek that we're here to save them and maybe get rid of you."
Morgan cussed under her breath at how long it was taking her to step up; her hand flew as she set up the small altar and her mouth a blur as she mumbled the prayers and chants required to call the forces needed to elp her with her spell. There was a crash and she looked up to see Scott laying on the floor and Stiles now strung up in the air clutching at his throat.
"You know, you're not that bad to look at." Stiles croaked as he never lost eye contact with Amara. "Maybe if you weren't so crazy killer witch you'd be able to get a date." Morgan looked over at Scott who was now getting some of the elixir she had mixed from Allison.
"I have a husband you idiot." Her mother said, giving her attention to the boy as Derek began to lower to ground. Her mother was good, Morgan had to give her that, but she alwas sucked when it came to concentration. In a flurry of tan skin Scott crashed into Amara effectively killing her concentration and letting Derek fall to the floor. The vial flew over the mess of bodies on the floor and landed in the hand of Jackson.
"Derek!" Jackson said as he pulled his alpha to him resting his head on his lap. "You need to drink this." He went to pour it in Derek's mouth, but in his confusion Derek fussed with him. "Derek,"" Jackson said a bit more forcefully. "If you want to get better and cut off that bitch's head you're going to need this." He brought the vial to Derek's lips and the liquid poured almost agonizingly slowly into his mouth. Jackson held his head in his lap and waited for the elixer to take hold and cussed under his breath, it hadn't taken this long for Scott.
"Jackson!" Allison ran over and slid on her knees landing beside the two boys. "What's happening? Why isn't he getting up?"
"I don't know," there was a desperation behind Jackson's words. "I think it's because he was here longer, I mean who knows what she must have done to him? He doesn't look to good, and he's burning up."
"But he's a wolf, isn't he always hot?" Allison hoped her words didn't sound as insensitive as she thought but Jackson took them offensively.
"That doesn't mean anything. He's still a human and this would probably lead to some kind of..." Jackson looked down and Derek started to move a bit.
"You guys realy need to stop talking so much." Derek quipped and Jackson sort of sighed at how he sounded a bit more like himself. "Help me sit up."
Jackson and Allison moved Derek into a sitting position and he saw Scott and Stiles tangled up with the woman who had been the warden or his hell for what felt like a week.
"What do you think you guys are doing?" He turned to look at Jackson and Allison who both looked like lost children in over their heads.
"We're saving you life. last time I checked." Jackson answered annoyance at not being welcomed showing on his face.
"Is that what you call this?" Derek sighed and stood up. "Who else is here beside you guys?"
"Well, just Morgan and Danny but, Stiles told Danny to stay out of this and Morgan working on a spell to take care of her mother." Jackson answered as he and Allison stood by his side watching as Scott was thrown against a wall and Amara stood up with Stiles still suspended in the air.
"Allison, I want to you give Morgan some backup, what ever she's doing I'm sure she'll need it, and as long as Danny stays out of this we won't have to worry about him. Jackson, I want you to go help Scott, he needs it." Allison ran off to go be with Morgan.
"And what are you going to do?" Jackson asked as he began his shift.
"I'm going to tak care of this." A crash came from where the stairs were and Danny was thrown into the room landing with a heavy thud on the floor next to Amara's feet. The large creature that was Lydia ran into the room and began to go after Jackson. Derek intercepted yelling for Jackson to go help with Amara as he bagen to change into his alpha form.
"Danny!" Stiles yelled with strangled words.
He looked up at Stiles and then into the eyes of Amara, the cold green-grey eyes of the woman who was responsible for everything that had happened recently in Beacon Hills. He swallowed hard and looked back to the warm brown eyes of Stiles that were now becoming red from lack of oxygen. Sensing something between the two Amara let Stiles fall to the floor coughing for air, and picked up Danny instead.
Scott ran for Amara but was thrown aside with a wave of her hand because now she had something that really interested her. "You're the two boys from when I had taken over that pathetic beta's eyes. Oh this is too good! Look at how he's looking at you, look!" Amara turned Danny so that he was facing Stiles, breathing hard and eyes starting to water he looked down into the terrified eyes of the boy he cared about. "Do you see that look? That's the look of fear and desperation; that's the look you have when you think you might lose someone you care about, isn't it powerful?"
Jackson tried to run at Amara from behind but she deflected him without turning from where she was watching the two boys having their silent conversation.
"Stiles is your name, right? What would you do if I ended him right now, what if I decided to crush his windpipe and scratch him off the face of the earth? What would you do then? Hmm? Anser me!"
Stiles choked as his eyes darted from Danny to Amara. "I...I...I..."
"I...I...I think I hear the sound of someone who doesn't know what he wants. I think I hear a scared little boy who doesn't know how to prioritize his time. How much time have you spen on yourself, Stiles? How much time have you devoted to Scott and Allison, to Derek and the idiot Jackson? You even let my daughter take up some of your time! You're as pathetic as she is!"
Lydia crashed through one of the pillars and the beast snarled as Derek sank his fangs into her neck. In a flurry of fangs, fur and claws they scrambled on the floor snapping and tearing at each other. Slashing at Derek's stomach Lydia slid back on the floor, her nails leaving gashes in the floor, and she stood watching Derek broad shoulders heaving up and down with each breath. Black rimmed eyes watching burning red eyes.
"Get out of her!" Derek snapped his jowls at the towering beast.
"There is no her! There is only me!" The garbled voice of the demon seeped from behind the red glistening fangs of the wolf.
"Lydia! I know you can hear me! You have to fight this!" Derek hoped he could reach the girl that was somewhere inside the gargantuan monstrosity. "You have people here who are fighting for you! People here who love you and want you back!"
Something inside Lydia stirred in the darkness of her wolven cell. "Derek," she whispered, voice harsh from crying in her throat.
"Hahahahahaha! Who do you think you're calling? She can't here you, she can't do anything. She is mine!" The jaws of the beast snapped and it's tongue lashed as it spoke to Derek. "That's the problem with you humans, you have hope. It's a disgusting thing, hope, and there's no need for it when all life is despair and darkness. No wonder so many of you give up, they see the truth that is the lie of a happy life."
"No! No! NO!" Stiles' eyes filled with dread as he saw Danny's body seize up and his hands fall limply to his side. "Danny!"
"Oops." Amara let Danny's limp form fall unceremoniously to the floor. "Looks like you should have made up your mind a little bit quicker. Pity actually, he was kind of cute...you know, if you're into the lost forlorn puppy in love look." Stiles rocketed to his feet and tackled Amara who was laughing to herself. Scott seeing Danny on the floor tackled Amara along with Stiles and they both managed to get her on the floor.
Jackson jumped in to help them. "Morgan! It would be really good if you were done with what ever it is you're doing!"
"Allison, I'm not done, can you go help them? I need a bit more time." Morgan looked up from where she was still trying to get the help she was promised.
"Fine." Allison got up and nocked an arrow on her bow. "Just hurry up."
"Yeah, I'll be right there. I just need a little more time."
"Well then let's get you some." Allison fired a shot at Amara that landed in her forearm, a howl of pain came from where the woman was still being held under the pile of boys.
"She's still alive." Victoria looked up from where she had crouched next to Joanna once the beast had left. "I think you should take her and leave, let us handle that monster."
"You aren't equipped well enough to handle that thing." Aidyn was still standing but Rebecca had kneeled down beside Victoria and was trying to get Joanna to wake up.
"I don't think that matters at this point." Chris fixed Aidyn with a determined glare. "Our daughter is down there with that monster, and I don't think a few knives and a couple bullets is going to stop us from fighting for her. But then again, I wouldn't expect you to understand seeing as how you gave up your daughter under the orders of the Counsel you now run." Aidyn clamped his mouth shut and a sour expression came across his face because he knew that Chris was right. He had fought for everything in his life except for the one thing that really mattered.
Aidyn looked at Chris and squared his shoulders. "Good luck then, and don't get killed."
"We won't." Victoria stood and swung her sawed-off shotgun up on her shoulder. "We've got someone worht fight for." She stepped into the dank air of the mausoleum with Chris behind her and coughed at the dust that was falling from when the beast barged through the too small door. She called over her shoulder one last time before walking into the dark and down the stairs ready for what ever it was they were going have to face."You had better get her and go, she's not going to be any help here."
Victoria and Chris walked down the narrow stairway that led to the underground crypt, the sounds of scuffling, yelling, and claws on stone reverberated off the walls. They tried to discern the voices but the every present shrieking of the witch and the growling of the wolves overpowered every other sound.
"Scott!" Allison's voice carried through the air and met her parents ears as they landed at the final step standing in the small alcove where debris now lay from where the beast had crashed down the stairs. They stepped into the large room and looked at the scene that lay before them; the beast that had nearly claimed the life of Joanna and a smaller wolf with dark fur were rolling on the floor in a ball of gnashing teeth, Amara -the woman Victoria shot- now stood over Stiles and another tan skinned boy with her arm bloodied, Scott was in a battered heap in the corner with Allison leaning over him, and Jackson crouched on the floor readying himself for another attack at Amara. Victoria raised her gun and aimed at Derek determined to cut the population of wolves in this room down to at least half.
"Mrs. Argent?" A small voice came from somewhere to her side.
Victoria and Chris turned to look at a small girl with curly dark hair wearing a long dark coat and boots that are too big for her, Chris' brow wrinkled at the girl.
"Who are you?" His tone was a little intense but he really didn't mean it to sound so aggravated, the girl flinched anyway under his glare.
"That's not what's important right now. I know that you both are werewolf hunters but you can't shoot either one of them."
"Why is that?" Victoria didn't lower her gun but.
"Because one of them is your daughter's friend, Lydia, the other one is Derek Hale and he's trying to help us. I'm working on a way to get rid of the demon that's in Lydia, and I'm going to try and take down my mother." Morgan looked up at the two hunters determined to hold their twin glares.
"You're not going to stop us from saving our daughter." Chris' glare was intense and his words filled with his willful intent to do whatever he needed for his daughter.
"And I'm not asking you to," Morgan put her hand up in a show of no harm. "I just want you to not kill anyway, it would defeat the purpose of almost everything we've done so far."
"Fine, I won't kill them, but that won't stop me from fatally harming them." Victoria aimed her gun at the thing that was Lydia and fired, the impact of the bullet causing the beast to fall to one side. "Well it's getting weaker, I guess we should let this Derek live for a little bit longer."
The monster turned it's attention from Derek to look at who had shot it, it's eyes locked on to the gun in Victoria's hand that was still aimed at it. Derek noticing the break in the creature's focus lunged forward and sank his teeth into the neck of the monster drawing thick dark blood that coated the floor at their feet. Flailing the creature tried to get it's claws into Derek's chest but Derek's hold was too strong and he easily evaded any of the strikes the monster tried to land.
"You!" Amara yelled when she set eyes on Victoria. "I've been after you since you thought it was a good idea to shoot me!" She swiped away at Jackson and stepping over Stiles who was trying to wake an unconscious Danny gestured to Chris. "Is this your husband? Congratulations, you snagged yourself a looker! I never would have pegged you as one for the strong silent type but I can't say I'm surprised."
"Mom?" Allison looked at her mother and father who were standing next to Morgan with Amara making her way over to them.
"And that's your daughter?" Amara turned to look back at Victoria. "Well don't we have a little family reunion going on here. I have to say that this is just all kinds of exciting, don't you think? I mean look at this wonderful setup we have here; wolves, the torn affections of two teens, your daughter and her Baskerville boyfriend, and her." Amara shot a cold look at Morgan who was standing next to Chris. "Honestly I don't think we could've asked for a better one even if I hadn't set it up." Just then Joanna stumbled down the stairs with Aidyn and Rebecca following her. "And what do we have here?"
"What the hell are you guys still doing here?" Victoria hissed at Aidyn as Joanna stumbled to the floor in front of Amara.
"Joanna!" Rebecca yelled raising her gun up at Amara who looked down at the mess of a woman at her feet. Jackson looked up as that familiar scent wafted to him again and he looked over to where the woman with the ponytail was now at the feet of Amara and something surged within him.
"What's going on here? What's with this new development, and why are you pointing a gun at me?" Amara looked between the two women and didn't see where Jackson was now running at her fangs barred and claws extended ready to draw blood. He sank his claws into Amara just below where her collarbone showed under her dress. Morgan watched as some of her mother's blood fell to the floor and she ran back to her makeshift altar, this was the last bit she needed.
Morgan finished her incantation; there was a blast of wind that washed over her and then enveloped her mother, sweeping her off her feet. Amara held up her hand trying to knock Jackson off of her but it was to no avail. "Now! She can't use her powers!"
Derek didn't need to be told twice, he flung Lydia into the wall and charged at the still suspended Amara. Leaping into the air, clear over Jackson, he sunk his jaws into the soft flesh at the nape of Amara's neck closing over the puncture marks of Jackson's claws. He bite down, the crunch of bone echoed in the dim of the crypt, and drew blood that ran down the front of her dress causing the thin fabric to stick to her skin. Amara's eyes were wide as the pain of the bite set in and she felt Derek's fangs go deeper into her body. Her breathing became labored and she gasped for air like a fish out of water; lungs collapsing and filling she coughed up blood that began to run down her chin and splatter on the floor in pitiful drops.
Morgan looked with wide eyes as she watched her mother die in the jaws of an alpha wolf. Her mother was dying and here she ws not trying to help her, in fact, she could say that her mother was dying because of her. She had cast the spell that blocked her mother's powers just enough so that the final blow could be struck and now here she was watching silent tears fall down her mother's eyes and she felt nothing; not remorse or anything that could signify some sadness as the living bond between her and her mother faded with her mother's life. Her eyes flitted across the room and it was like seeing a scene from a movie that was slowed down; Stiles held Danny's head in his lap as he looked up Amara, Jackson stood staring at the sight of Derek's jaws wrapped around the woman, Scott and Allison with hands clasped watched as the woman who was responsible for everything slowly died, and there was even something akin to reverance on the faces of Victoria and Chris as they saw Derek shudder with trying not to snap her in half. Everyone was silent, except for the monstrosity that now dragged itself to it's feet and started it's run at Derek.
"No!" Morgan's eyes flew wide and she threw a hand up at the laboring beast feeling a power stonger than before flow through her arm. She felt a hand on her wrist as she looked to her side to see the face of her Priestess at her side, lips drawn tight and eyes focused on the charging beast. Morgan, feeling validated at her Priestess' help poushed harder and the beast was knocked into the air, teeth gnashing and nails clawing at the air it continued it's not futile charge at Derek. Hearing Morgan yell Derek released his hold on Amara who then fell to the floor in a pool of her own blood. He turned to look at the beast who's orange and black eyes blazed with fury as it still pawed the air trying to get to Derek.
"Allison!" Morgan called over the rush that now filled the room. "Get me that leaf with writing on it from my bag! Hurry!" Allison dropped Scott's hand and ran behind the pillar where Morgan had set up her small altar and dug through the girl's purse, finding the large green leaf that had strange writing on it. She unfurled it and ran over to Morgan holding it up so she could read it. Morgan looked at Allison with thanks in her eyes and began to recite the spell, the voice of her Priestess sounding along with hers.
By the creativity of the Maiden this spell was written,
Sustained by the unending energy of the Mother,
The Crone of great power dissolves your unwanted form
And banish you from this place forever more! As I will it!
So mote it be!
Morgan looked into the eyes of the beast and saw the eyes of the demented spirit that housed itself inside of Lydia and smiled as she repeated the spell again. Her voice and the voice of her Priestess were as one and every syllable was accented by the sound of scythes cutting the air that the beast was now trapped in. Everyone in the room covered their ears as a hellish screeching came from within the beast along with the sound a girl's scream. Allison's eyes went wide and she took her hands from her hears and looked at Morgan.
"Stop! You're hurting Lydia! Can't you hear her screaming." Allison took a step back when Morgan turned to look at her. She was shocked at what she saw, Morgan's eyes now shown bright in the dark of the stifling tomb.
"Get back!" Morgan's voice came out as if she had said the words a thousand times at once. A powerful pulse sliced through the air of the room and everyone was forced back to the wall. Eyes burning bright Morgan turned back to the beast and began to say the spell again, a thousand voices all coming from the small girl.
Scott made his way next to Stiles who held a still unconscious Danny. "What's going on with Morgan? Should we be worried? I mean, I've never seen anything like this."
Stiles looked at his friend and then back to Morgan, "Well she did say she was a legacy witch, maybe this is her legacy?" Scott looked back at Morgan and was silent, speechless at what Stiles had said and what he was now watching.
The howling of the beast and the screams of Lydia got more and more intense the more Morgan reapeated the spell. There was the sound of ripping, of tearing flesh, and they all watched as the beast that was now in the funnel of twisting air began to lurch and bend in unnatural ways. Morgan was bathed in a white light and she turned her attention from the monster to Stiles.
"Genim."
Stiles looked up at Morgan, the unfamiliar voice that called his name coming from her lips. He swallowed as he voice continued on.
"Call her to you. Call her to you so that she might be saved." Morgan's eyes blazed as she looked at Stiles, her expression blank and unwavering.
"I...I don't know what I'm supposed to do? How..What am I supposed to say?" There was a frantic look in Stiles' eyes at having been put on the spot at a moment like this. He rememberd Morgan saying something about him being important but he didn't think she would mean now.
"She needs to hear the voice of someone with a selfless heart, just call her name so that she'll have a way out of the darkness. She's lost, Genim, and you are the only person hear who can reach her." Morgan's eyes were unchanges as she looked at Stiles.
"But...but I'm not selfless." Stiles shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about, I'm a selfish person; I was so upset when Scott started spending more time Allison, and I was annoyed when I had to give up one of the first and only times I would've gotten to play becase I was stuck with Derek, and I hated Jackson for having Lydia. I'm not a selfless person..." Stiles exhaled and his shoulders fell with it. "I'm not."
"But you are. A selfish person wouldn't be able to admit it to themselves. You have a brutal honesty about you; when Scott was turned you were there to keep him grounded by telling him the truth, you helped Derek when he was sick from that bullet Kate shot him with, or should I talk about how you help me even though I'm a mess? Stiles, you're about as selfless as they come and right now Lydia needs you." Some semblance of Morgan returned to her voice, her face lost some of it's rigidity and Stiles was sure he saw some of Morgan show through.
"Lydia." Stiles looked away from Morgan, his face set tight as he called the hellish creature that had consumed the small redhead girl he's been in love with for so long. "Lydia." He looked to Scoot and gestured for him to take Danny as he stood to his feet. "Lydia look at me!" The best snapped it's neck back and looked at Stiles with a grin tht made his blood run cold.
"I'm sorry, Lydia's not in at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep." The beast was now toying with Stiles, letting the voice of the girl come through it's black poisonous lips.
"Lydia you have to fight this!" Stiles was yelling now, furious that this monster could take the life of one of his frineds with a grain of salt. "We want you here, we need you here! You're a part of this family and even though things haven't been good lately we all still love you." Danny stirred in Scott's lap, he looked down just as the tan boy opened his eyes blinking as he tried to remember where he was. "We need you here, Lydia! There are people here who've...who've watched you for so long and saw what an amazing person you are, and there are people here who want to see you go places with you life. You can't give up like this, you have to fight against this thing and come back to us. We love you, Lydia...I love you." Stiles let his shoulders fall, and Danny closed his eyes as the words that still hung in the air sank into him. "So you have to come back, because I want you here. Because I need you hear, and honestly every day that I've had to go without being able to see you shine like I know you can has been hell for me. And...and I don't want to live in a world where you don't smile and it reach your eyes."
The rush of air in the room shifted, everyone looked around as the air became somewhat breathable again and the dank of the room didn't seem so daunting. Danny pulled himself up, air reaching his lungs more easily now, and leaned heavily against the wall catching every breath he missed; his eyes never left Stiles though, not even when everyone looked at Lydia. There was the smell of burning flesh, the pull of fabric and dirt as the funnel touched ground. A chasm, circular and dark as pitch, opened where the funnel and floor met and the screams of the tortured and damned tainted the air. Danny never looked away from Stiles who held an arm up to protect his face. The creature flailed as it was ripped, torn, from the body of Lydia. Hair as bright as fire swirling out of fur as dark as blood, pale soft skin showing under the tacky gray/brown of thick hide, eyes turning from a black rimmed orange into a glowing green.
"Stiles?" The girls' voice chimed through as a stillness settled on the air. Stiles looked up into the wonderful green eyes that have been the reason for so much of his pain and his longing.
"Lydia?" A smile, small at first, hinted at the side of his lips but then stretched to his ears as Lydia's feet -not paws- touched the cold stone floor of the tomb. He ran to hold her up from where she had started to tremble on weak ankles, body still wracked from feeling every blow that was dealt to the beast that held her captive within her body.
"I heard your voice, you...you pulled me through the darkness." She looked up into his eyes, green meeting brown and seeing each other for the first time. "I was so scared, and no matter how much I screamed it was like no one heard me. When I was ready to give up, and let it have me, I heard you calling my name and it was like a ray of sun in a hundred years of dark days." Stiles looked into Lydia's eyes, holding her close to his chest, looking for anything that shouldn't belong but finding nothing but Lydia. "You saved me, Stiles." Lydia leaned up tentatively, hesitating but not for long. Stiles pressed his lips against the lipgloss free pillowed lips of the only girl he's ever had his eyes on and breathed her in; she smelled of jasmine and autumn air, her lips tasting of citrus and soft lavender. Her skin was soft, almost like the petal of rose plucked too soon. Eyes closed, eyelash brushed against cheek and tongue ventured bravely where it hadn't before. Lip over tongue and tongue over lip they breathed each other in, feeling whole in that moment.
Jackson looked away uncomfortably; Derek shifted back to his human form, the threat of Amara, the demon and Lydia gone, and the left corner of his lips twitched ever so slightly; Scott looked across the hall, his brown eyes finding Allison, and the flash of a white smile when the look was returned. But Danny never took his eyes off Stiles; not when he told Lydia he loved her, not when she fell into his arms, and not when they kissed. There was a pang in his chest and Danny clenched his eyes forcing the feeling away. He knew that he wouldn't be able to have Stiles and he was upset that ever thought he could. He had gotten used to pushing away this feeling, when you end up dating guys that are everything you don't want you have to. He leaned off of the wall and squared his shoulders as Lydia and Stiles pulled away from each other to look each other in the eyes.
"Well I think it's safe to say that we don't have anything left to worry about." Morgan sid but slumped against the wall, spent. Alliosn kneeled down to help her but was shooed away as Morgan.
"Are you okay, Morgan? What's wrong?" Allison's eyes searched over Lydia but she was stopped before she could lay a hand on her.
"I'm fine. You should be hugging that sweet boyfriend of yours, I'm sure you two are just as relieved as everyone else." Morgan waved her on when Allison began to hesitate. "I'm fine, I promise." She had never used that much power and now she was tired, her breathing was hard but she maintained that she would be fine even when the Argents offered her help.
To be continued...
a/n: Someone had mentioned to me one time about who they thought would deal the death blow to Amara, and I honestly thought it would've been Morgan, but I'm happy it was Derek. And I won't feel bad if anyone hates me after this chapter because I did not -I promise you I did NOT- plan on that happening between Lydia and Stiles. I feel like I lost the chapter somewhere through the middle. I know I noticed that my writing style changed during the story.
I want to thank everyone who has read this mess up until now and I apologize again for the long chapter, I just didn't want to have to break it up and end up with 13 chapters. Chapter 12 is going to be shorter, or rather...I plan to make Chapter 12 short. I haven't written it yet. But like I said, many thanks to all who's read and reviewed, and I don't know what I'm going to do after this but we'll see.
Reviews are always loved and I do like talking to my readers. So you know, review and I'll leave something sexy for ya. *wink* Jk. Thanks.