Not even Riley's soothing caresses could shake Stiles from his almost panic attack. His eyes blurred with tears, his cries getting stuck in his throat at the realization that Jennifer had taken his father. Where? He didn't know. Why? To probably be sacrificed. The solution to their problem came slowly as they brainstormed ideas. Going to a trusted advisor for a way to save John before he was murdered. Deaton was honest and strategic as he tapped his chin quietly, his eyes scanning a tray of herbs and spices with curious eyes. "I have a feeling Jennifer will go to Derek for help." Riley spoke up, holding the ice pack Deaton had given her to her cheek. "She trusts him."
"Then I guess the only way to lure her in is to set a trap." Deaton acknowledged. "Get Derek on the phone. Tell him to meet you at his loft. Tell him it's urgent." It took a solid four minutes of pure begging over Riley's cell as she pleaded for him to leave his sisters side. She wouldn't tell him why over the phone, and that alone suggested to him that something was wrong. "I've noticed a pattern with the sacrifices." Deaton said, his fingers skimming the lids of the jars before him. Scott paced the vet's backroom with tension, while Riley held Stiles in a comforting grasp. "Each victim had mistletoe in their system. . . Wich makes me think that Jennifer uses it as a weapon. A sign that she was there." He plucked a mason jar out from the others, sliding it across the table to Scott. "She can use it," Deaton suggested. "But it can also be used against her."
"It's basically a poison." Riley collected, and Deaton nodded to her. She bit her lip, eying the mistletoe that had been ground up into a powder. "What would happen if a werewolf were to digest it?" She asked curiously.
"Nothing good." Deaton murmured. "It would eventually shut down their body and cause them to suffocate. . . But that's if they are given a mild dosage."
"And what about a small dosage?" She asked, her eyes focused and stern.
"It wouldn't be enough to kill them because their bodies would fight off the sickness. A wolf would rid it's body of the substance before it could do any serious harm."
"They'd throw it up." Riley whispered to herself, her mind calculating.
"That's correct." Deaton assured her. "Before doing so the werewolf would most likely run into some symptoms." Riley and Scott looked to Deaton with questioning eyes. "Think of it as a high." He prompted. "If a human took a few Vicodin they'd be numb, their vision wouldn't be clear. Essentially," Deaton shrugged. "It would be as if they were drugged. They would have no sense of themselves, minds or bodies."
Riley thought about Deaton's comment as they piled back into the car. She had only asked out of curiousity when she had seen Derek throw up just the night before. She knew he had been poisoned with mistletoe, and the fact that it had been Jennifer made perfect sense. She had drugged and seduced him for no other reason than her own indulgence. She knew she had gained his trust, and Riley bit back her own bile at the idea of her using him. It was her fault in the end for pushing Derek on her. Scott drove the Jeep as they headed for the loft. Stiles wasn't in any state to drive with his nerves fraying each cell that adorned his body. His shoulders shook violently, his whimper silencing as he wiped a cold hand down his face.
"We'll find him." Riley assured, sitting on the middle console. Her comment only brought a fresh wave of tears as he shook his head.
"And what if we don't?" His voice cracked.
Watching her best friend cry only added to the weight in guilt. The idea of having the man she had considered a father figure end up missing was overwhelming and frightening, but Riley swallowed back the negative thoughts. She knew she had to be strong for her friend. She knew she couldn't let him believe his father was already dead. Her numb legs carried her up the fifteen flights of stairs. Her hand grasping the guard railing to steady herself as he knees buckled with each step she took. She wiped her own tears on the sleeve of her cardigan, swallowing back the lodge in her throat as they approached Derek's door.
"There better be a good reason for this?" He demanded, his tone laced with acid as he watched the teenagers pile into his loft. His arms cross over his chest, squaring his jaw as he narrowed his eyes. A stroke of lightning lit up the room, a roll of the thunder rumbling in the distance as a storm centered itself in Beacon Hills. Derek's eyes softened when Riley approached him, her hand holding Stiles' as he took in their blood shot eyes. He skimmed Riley's cheek, taking in the slight tint of purple as a bruise settled beneath the skin of her nose, crossing just under her left eye. "What happened?" He breathed, taking a step towards her. His hand reached out, but he promptly dropped it.
"Jennifer happened." Riley admitted.
"She did this to you?" His brows knitted together, his eyes confused and angry as he shook his head in disbelief. He knew Jennifer. He knew the frigid brunette wasn't capable of such resentment. "I don't-I don't under-"
"She's the Darach, Derek." Scott assured him. "She's the one that's been killing people."
"She can't be," he defended. "I've been keeping tabs on her."
"She has Stiles' father." Scott hurled the information at him. Derek frowned, looking to the normally sarcastic boy as he stood before him. His eyes were still laced with wetness as his lips quivered with anxiety. "We need to set a trap to catch her."
"No." Derek shook his head. "She couldn't-"
Riley silenced him. "Derek," she spat. Her voice rose, claiming his attention as the room fell silent. Her hand captured his wrist, placing his palm on the right side of her chest. She held it there, steady and secure as she looked to him the honesty. "I. Am. Not. Lying." She enunciated, pressing his hand harder over her skin. He could feel the rhythmic pulse as her steady heart beat beneath his fingers. He frowned, looking at her swollen cheek with distaste for the woman he thought he had wrapped around his finger. A weight gathered in his core for not believing Riley all along about her feelings for the English teacher. "I saw her with my own eyes." Riley continued, never breaking eye contact. "Jennifer is the Darach. She tied me and Lydia up and was about to slit our throats when John showed up. She took him instead." She released his hand, backing away from the warmth of his touch. "We need your help catching her."
"How am I suppose to know where she is?" Derek whispered, his voice guilt ridden. "I've been with Cora since noon. I don't-I don't know where-"
"Sssh." Scott suddenly whispered, his ears straining as he heard the rushed click of heels on the stairwell. His eyes met Derek's as he took a step back. "She's already on her way up."
The three of them hid behind the torn down wall off to the side of the center of the loft. Riley placed soothing hands on Stiles, shushing his crying hiccoughs as they awaited Jennifer's arrival. "Derek?" A quiet, rushed voice plead. "Derek?"
"I'm right here." He assured her.
Riley listened intently as she went into detail about the incident at the school. Her lips pulled back into a heated snarl as she begged him not to believe anything anyone said about her. She continued to explain how Derek couldn't trust anyone but her. Playing the sob story, pretending to be the delicate woman without a clue. A silence passed by, the only sound being the slight downpour that had begun. "They're already here, aren't they?" Jennifer's tone was dark, her voice accusing. Scott wrapped his hand around Riley's wrist as they revealed themselves. Jennifer's eyes narrowed at the teens, backing away towards Derek as she continued playing innocent. "They told you it was me?" Jennifer asked, her eyes doe-like as she sweetened her voice into a scared tone. "They told you I'm the one taking people?"
"We told him," Scott sneered. "You're the one killing people."
"Oh," Jennifer raised a brow. "That's right. Committing human sacrifices? Slitting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour!" She lied. "That way I can get back to teaching High School English the rest of the day. That makes perfect sense!" Riley had to admit she played the innocent teacher card very well. Her eyes met Derek's as she shook her head, instructing him not to believe her.
"Where's my dad?" A hoarse voice cracked. Stiles squared his jaw, his muscles tensing with anger and frustration as he looked to the woman who had stolen his father away in the eyes. She shrugged with confusion.
"How should I know?" She quietly commanded. "Derek," Jennifer turned to face him. "Tell me you don't believe this?"
He looked into the ice blue orbs of her eyes, penetrating the deepest windows to her soul as he studied her. He listened to the beat of her heart, the steady rise it took as she pleaded with him silently. "Do you know where Stiles' father is?" He asked, his tone steady and stern.
She shook her head, pursing her lips as her blue eyes widened in fear and manipulation. "Ask her why she almost killed Lydia and Riley." Scott urged Derek.
"Lydia Martin?" Jennifer hissed. "I don't know anything about that!" She argued, looking to Riley. "I never touched her. I never touched either of them."
"You lying, bitch!" Riley spat, hurling herself forward as her anger bubbled. She looked into the eyes of the woman who had almost killed her and her friend, the air tainted with her lies. Scott wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her back as Jennifer smirked at her.
"Derek," Jennifer seduced him quietly. "You can't believe them. They are filling your head with a ubsurd story." She pressed, turning back to glare at the teens. "One they can't prove by-the-way!"
"What if we can?" Scott's voice was threatening, taking a step forward as he held the glass jar Deaton had given them between his hands.
"What is that?" Jennifer paused, her lips curving in slight fear as she eyed the bottle. She took a step back once Scott popped the lid.
"My boss said it's a poison and a cure." Scott stated, twirling the jar as the powder swirled on the inside. "Which means you can use it. . . and it can be used against you."
"Mistletoe." Jennifer sneered, bringing her hands up to shield her face as Scott flung the powder onto her. A grated scream escaped Jennifer's lips as the substance consumed her. Her beautiful features seemed to shift as her skin withered away, exposing the thin bone of her skull as the open wounds adorned her cheeks.
Her real face shown through as she fought the transformation. She squirmed in the cloud of mistletoe that had gathered around her, shifting back and forth without control. Derek watched, his lips pulling back into a snarl as he witnessed the truth. He'd been fooled, yet again, by a pretty face. A heated fury seeped into his bloodstream as the brown haze faded. Jennifer side glanced him, catching her breath as her features returned back to normal. She knew he knew the truth, and she knew he wouldn't help her as she suddenly hailed for an escape. Derek's palm wrapped around her throat, a growl escaping his lips as he raised her body from the ground. Jennifer choked, her eyes pleading.
"Derek! Wait!" She coughed, an iced fear running down her spine. Derek's free hand sprung claws, poised and ready to tear the lying bitch apart. "You need me!" Jennifer cracked, trying desperately to save her own life. "I'm the only one who can save your sister!" She cried, gaining Derek's attention. His tightened grasp loosened, eying her with anger. He tried to listen to her heart, to see if she was telling the truth.
"She's lying." Riley stated.
"No." Jennifer struggled, the air in her lungs cut off. "I'm not! Call Peter!" She instructed. "Call him!"
Derek pulled his lips back, baring his teeth as he reached into his back pocket. He'd left Peter with Cora so she wouldn't be alone. He dialed his number, putting it on speaker phone. He continued holding Jennifer by her throat as his uncle answered. "How's Cora doing?" Derek asked in a rushed whisper.
"Not good." Peter sighed over the receiver. "She's in and out of conciousness. She's vomiting black blood along with one other alarming substance."
"Mistletoe." Derek sneered, hanging up the phone.
He glared up at the teacher in his hand, his fingers tightening on their own accord at the reminder that Jennifer had poisoned not only him, but his sister as well. Stiles watched for a distance, noticing Derek's grip tighten. He knew he was going to kill her. Stiles took a step forward. "Derek." He pressed. "Derek wait!" He would have enjoyed the fact the she was suffocating if his father wasn't still missing because of her.
"Your baby sisters life is in my hands!" Jennifer warned, choking as his grip grew firmer. Stiles begged Derek to stop as she looked to him. "You'll never find your father, Stilinski!" She taunted. Her threatens only fueled the fire that raged in the pleasure of killing her. His nostrils flared, a growl rumbling in his chest as he prepared himself.
"Derek," Riley's voice brought him back. "Stop." Her tone was thick and commanding as Derek dropped Jennifer. She fell to her knee's, a soft chuckle escaping her throat.
"That's right." She spat. "You need me." She looked from Derek, back to the teens. "You all need me."
Riley sat on the middle console between Stiles and Scott. Squinting out of the windshield as a hectic storm raged on. They followed closely behind Derek and Jennifer in the Toyota, their destination just a few miles ahead. "Once Derek gets Jennifer to heal Cora," Riley stated. "He'll force her to give back your dad." She reminded Stiles smoothly, her voice strong and sure. "And after that we'll kill her." She declared.
"I don't know," Stiles sighed, his eyes had finally cleared up from his tears. "Something still feels wrong about all of this." He shook his head as he swerved his car to miss the broken tree laying the road. The storm was only getting worse.
"We proved it to Derek." Scott hinted. "He's on our side now."
"That doesn't matter." Stiles murmured. "Her face-she looked like her plan was still coming along. "You saw it, didn't you?" He glanced to Scott and Riley.
"I didn't see it." Riley noted, squaring her jaw as she looked to her friends. "I didn't need to see it because I feel it." She confessed. The pit of her stomach stretched in uncomfortable tethers along her chest. The truth may be out, but the bad feeling still lingered.
Stiles dodged the pedestrians of the Hospital parking lot as they darted for their cars. The storm had caused a power outtage, along with flash flood warnings. Ambulance after ambulance circled the emergency room doors as they carried patients to a new destination. Through the foggy haze she could see Derek park his car as he and Jennifer headed inside the Hospital doors. Riley, Scott, and Stiles followed closely behind through the thick downpour of rain. "What's that?" Scott called over the thunder, eying the hunk of metal in Stiles' hands.
"You got claws!" Stiles reminded, holding up his defense weapon. "I've got a bat!"
Riley frowned, knowing that she hadn't come as prepared. Jennifer had taken her dagger when she'd taken John. She balled her hands into fists, hoping the training Derek had given her over the summer wouldn't have been all for nothing. The Hospital lobby was in a frenzied state as doctors, nurses, patients, and families scurried in a fearful rush. Evacuating the Hospital had been more than what the staff had bargained for.
They caught up with Derek and Jennifer, winding around turning halls as they headed for the elevators up to Cora's room. Derek's fist tightly wrapped around Jennifer's arm, keeping her close just in case she decided to flee. "Scott!" A curious voice called. "Scott! Where are you guys going?" They turned at the sound, watching as Melissa McCall chased after them. Her eyes wide and worried. "Why does Stiles have my bat?" She wondered, eying the five people before her.
"Mom," Scott assured. "Trust me on this. . . you need to get out of here."
She frowned at her sons tone, her skin breaking into goose bumps as she realized what was happening. Melissa looked past her son, eying the heated glare of Derek as he grasped the English teacher in his hands. "The building is suppose to be clear in less than thirty minutes." Melissa warned in a rushed voice. "Two ambulances are coming back. One in ten minutes, the other in twenty." Melissa looked to Derek with hopeful eyes. "Cora needs to be on one of those. They'll be picking up in the basement's garage." She nodded to them, her eyes landing on Riley, Scott, and Stiles in a gentle way, pleading with them silently to keep safe. She turned then, heading back to the frenzied lobby to continue transporting patients.
Riley got into the elevator beside Scott, her eyes glaring into the back of Jennifer Blake's head. "You don't have to keep me on a leash, Derek." She sighed. "I said I'd help you." Derek's nostrils flared as he pressed the button for the sixth floor. You better help me, Derek growled internally. He peaked behind his shoulder, watching Riley and Stiles with protective eyes. You better help all of us.
Riley and Derek lead the way as they headed for Cora's Hospital room. She eyed the passing doors that held red x's on them, signaling that the patient inside had already been evacuated. Cora's Hospital room door was open and bare as they paused suddenly. Her bed was empty. Riley took a step forward, her eyes skimming the room but came up empty. A pile of blackened vomit splattered itself across the tiled floor beneath her bed. Small droplets of the bile left a path that lead to the other side of the ER doors a few feet down the hall. "In here." Riley pointed, heading for the door. Derek's hand shot out to stop her, his ears straining as he heard a muffled crash sound just on the other side.
He flinched back suddenly, pushing Riley behind him as the doors flung open, and his uncle Peter crashed onto the floor beneath their feet. "We've got a problem." Peter heaved. "A big problem." A growl echoed off the Hospital walls as the doors opened again. Riley watched as the morphed Alpha of Ethan and Aiden stepped forward, teeth bared and claws ready. Her eyes found Cora's stilled frame sprawled across the floor just behind the raging werewolves.
A snarl erupted from Derek's lips, angry that they had taken his sister. He bared his own fangs, his nails sharpening into claws as he charged at them. "Derek!" Riley called after him, wanting to follow but Peter's hand caught her ankle. She watched with heated eyes as the morphed Alpha easily took him down.
Scott moved forward, phasing while a protective hiss escaped his lips. He charged the Alpha's as they hovered above Derek's weakened form. He was able to distract them, gulping as they held him up by his throat. The truth was that Ethan and Aiden didn't want to hurt them, they just wanted the teacher. They would destroy anything in their way in order to get to her. "Get up." Stiles grasped Peter's shirt, heaving him from the floor as he pointed to Cora. They dodged the fighting wolves, getting ahold of Cora just on the other side.
Riley took a measured step forward, her eyes scanning for blood as Derek rose to his feet. She felt the body beside her shift, taking a step backwards as Jennifer slowly crept out of sight. Riley turned, eyeing the teacher as she made her way back into the elevators. Her eyes were unapologetic as she pressed the button for the floor lobby, continuing on with her escape route. "Oh, hell no." Riley spat, her feet rapidly stomping on the tile floors as she reached the elevators. Riley's hand shot out between the inches of space left between the automatic doors. She clawed at the space, her fingers prying against the metal as she tried to open it.
Jennifer watched her with curious eyes, wondering how Riley had gathered enough strength to begin to pull the doors back open. She decided then she didn't have time to care, glaring at the girl before her with anxious eyes. Riley glared back, her muscles aching as she held the doors from shutting. She watched as Jennifer peaked at her through her lashes, her ice blue eyes splitting at her Cornia as a white haze formed over them. Her lips parted with confusion and fear as Jennifer raised her hands up, palm forward as she slammed them viciously against the elevator doors. They shook, a forcefield-like bubble erupting through the crack as it rammed itself into Riley's chest.
The power behind the force of Jennifer thrusted Riley back, no control over her body as she skimmed across the tiled floor a few feet back. An angry pulse ruptured in her chest as she watched the elevator doors close as Jennifer made her escape. Riley sat in silent awe, her mind unable to comprehend the amount of power that wedged itself inside of Jennifer Blake. A sudden hand caught her shoulder, looking up to see Derek prying her off of the ground. "We need to go." He breathed, pulling her to her feet.
Peter held Cora in his arms, carrying her as he passed them by. She peeked over her shoulder, watching as Ethan and Aiden took a step in their direction. Eyes angry and mouths hungry. Derek pushed her into a run, his feet continuously stepping on her heels to keep her moving. Stiles and Scott were not too far behind, their breathless gasps ringing in her ears. "Don't stop!" Derek instructed as they headed through the ER. He could hear the Alpha's footsteps as they followed not too far behind. "Don't stop!"
He pushed Riley through a set of double doors, looking over his shoulder as he waited for Scott and Stiles. He watched with confused eyes as the sarcastic one suddenly stopped. "Stiles!" Derek growled, urging him to hurry. The boy looked down at the bat in his hands, side stepping to the hidden view of the door behind him as he awaited the Alpha's to find them. Derek growled, heading for him when the morphed Alpha poised himself at the entrance, a growl erupting from his lips.
Stiles stayed hidden, revealing himself as he mustered all the strength he could build up into the swing of his bat. He slammed it into the back of the Alpha's head, taking a step back in fear when the bat broke in half, disintegrating into tiny wood chips as Ethan and Aiden loomed over him unharmed. Stiles backed away as the Alpha headed for Derek once more. The fight didn't last long as Scott was able to distract them once again. Riley followed behind Peter as he headed into an enclosed surgical room. He layed Cora along the stretcher, his palm hovering over her forehead as he checked her temperature.
"The fevers only getting worse." Peter commented to Riley.
They were only alone momentarily as the boys found the room they had hidden themselves in. Stiles bent to his knees, catching his breath as Derek and Scott searched for another way out. They came up empty, a defeated sigh escaping their lips. "Where's the big guy?" Riley asked, wondering why Ethan and Aiden hadn't found them yet. Derek closed his eyes, his nostrils flaring as he strained his ears.
"He's close." He noted.
"What are we going to do about Jennifer?" She asked, her eyes worried and frantic as she ran a hand across Cora's pale neck.
"What do you mean?" Stiles quirked. His eyes skimmed the room, noticing for the first time that they were missing someone. "What!" He bellowed. "Where is she?"
"I tried to stop her." Riley whispered, her eyes apologetic.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Stiles voice rose, his tone acussing as he glared at Riley. "You let her get away!"
"I'm sorr-" She tried, but Scott's voice overlapped her's.
"It's not her fault." He defended, his eyes glancing to Riley apologetically.
"Not her fault?" Stiles demanded. "She just let a serial killer walk free!"
"Keep quite!" Derek warned, his voice a low whisper. His anger bubbled as he narrowed his eyes at Stiles. He knew the Alphas were lurking, and he'd be damned if they got caught because of him.
"Me keep quiet?" Stiles barked back. "You're telling me what to do now?" He stood up tall against Derek, defending himself. "You're psychotic girlfriend, you know," Stiles spat. "The second one you've dated? The one you cheated on Riley with?" He let his anger tumble out. "She's got my dad out there waiting to be ritually sacrificed! The Alpha's want her, right?" He growled, unapologetic for the tone he spoke in. "That means we don't have her either! Now my dad and Cora are both dead!"
Derek glared at the seventeen year old boy, unsure if he felt threaten or betrayed by his outburst. "Not yet." Scott tried to calm his best friend. "We still have time to help your dad." He soothed. He looked to Peter as he checked over Cora. "Is she really dying?" He asked.
"She's not getting any better." Peter answered honestly.
"There has to be something we can do." Riley murmured, pulling away from Cora's side as she looked to Derek. "We have to find an alternative to help her."
"You can't." A voice chimed from the entry doors. They turned, watching as Jennifer Blake took a measured step inside the room. Her eyes went to Derek's. "Only I can." She took another step forward, weaving her way into a deal. "I can save her," she assured. "And I can also tell you where Sheriff Stilinski is, but there is a pack of Alpha's in this Hospital that want me dead. . . So I'll help you," she bargained. "Only when I'm out of here and safe." She smirked. "Only then."
Riley felt a forceful shove as Derek knocked her to the side, tipping over a tool desk as he cleared a way for him to get to Jennifer. His skin burned with hatred as he saw past the innocent act she had always held with him. He knew she was toying with him. She had been the one to poison his own sister so that she could gain a favor in return. Scott stopped him, holding him back before Derek tore her apart. "She's lying." Riley sneered as she righted herself.
"I was trying to keep from getting killed." Jennifer defended. "You can't blame me for wanting to stay alive."
"So you're the good guy then, huh?" Riley spat. "You're little act isn't cutting it." She fumed. "You wanna prove you're worth saving?" She asked. "Then heal her." Riley gestured to Cora, her brows cast down in a demanding way.
Jennifer shook her head. "Not until I'm safe." She repeated, not backing down.
"I'd like to volunteer a different way of persuasion." Peter spoke up. "I say we torture her."
"Works for me." Derek growled.
He poised his claws, ready to enjoy making her pay when a sudden crackle echoed off the Hospital loud speaker. "Um," a shuffled voice murmured. "Can I have everybody's attention?" Riley looked to Scott with pained eyes, knowing damn well whose voice was over the intercom. "Deucalion request's that you bring the woman calling herself Jennifer Blake to the E.R. reception room. Do this," Melissa McCall breathed, her voice shaking and terrified. "And everyone else can leave. You have ten minutes."
The buzz of the intercom was cut as Scott frowned at Jennifer, debating if he should bring her down there himself. "Deucalion has my mom." Scott noted.
"He's not going to hurt her." Jennifer assured, trying to save her own ass.
"I'm getting real tired of your manipulative games." Riley huffed, glaring at her through her lashes. Jennifer shook her head, looking to Scott with tested eyes.
"I'm not lying!" She argued. "Scott, you know why he won't. Tell them." She pressed. "Tell them it's true."
Riley looked to Scott, wincing under the pressure of everyone's stare. "What does she mean?" Stiles asked, eyeing his best friend.
"Derek's not the only one Deucalion want's in his pack." Jennifer confessed. "He doesn't just want an Alpha pack, he want's perfection." She stepped forward, her eyes bound on Scott's face. "That mean's he'll do anything to add the rarest of Alpha's to his ranks."
"But Scott's not an Alpha-" Riley noted, trailing off when Scott didn't defend himself.
"A True Alpha." Peter suddenly grasped, his eyes widening to the boy before him. He smiled, feeling perplexed that the werewolf he had created had so much potential.
"What's that?" Stiles asked, frowning at the fact his best friend had hidden something so important from him.
"The kind that doesn't have to steal the power away from another wolf." Peter described. "One that can rise by the force of his own will. . . Our little Scott"
"It doesn't matter," Scott shook of the questioning eyes of his friends. "We need to get her out of here." He nodded to Cora. "My mom said there would be another ambulance in twenty minutes. If we can get down to the garage before then we can get out of here."
"I doubt the twins will let all of us just waltz out of here." Riley reminded. "Not when they know we've got her." She pointed to the mass murdering brunette.
"I'll distract them." Scott added.
"You mean fight them?" Stiles hissed. "Are you trying to set yourself up for suicide again?" He cried. "Because I'm not down for that!"
"I'll help you." Derek ignored Stiles wine, nodding to Scott with authority.
"Sorry to interrupt," Jennifer said sternly. Her gaze was locked on Derek, her lips curved with authority. "But I'm not going anywhere without you, Derek."
Riley ignored her comment, knowing it was Jennifer's manipulative tactic to get under her skin. Through the dim light of the backup generated lights, she could see the calculative movements of Jennifer as she tallied up her ways of living. "Then I'll do it." Peter volunteered. His snarky voice was flat as his lips curved over his teeth. "But I prefer to be out there with an advantage."
"An advantage?" Stiles asked, his expression confused and interested. "Like what?"
"Like something," Peter chuckled, "better than a baseball bat." He turned away from Cora's side, his hands reaching into cabinets as he searched for anything. "Since returning from the death, by strength as dwindled . . . If I can find something to spark it back to wolf fighting power I can fight off those steroid-jacked double-mint twins."
Derek nodded, his own hands fumbling through drawers as Scott did the same. Stiles stood off to the side with Jennifer, ensuring she didn't make an escape this time. Riley found herself reaching for a cabinet, her hands shuffling through medical records and paperwork. "Hey!" Stiles called out, his hands picking up a defibrillator. "What about these?" He held them up for everyone to see. "We can-like, I don't know. . . shock them?"
"Do you know how to use those?" Derek asked, his hands still searching through shelves. He eyed Stiles as he shook his head, pursing his lips as he searched for an instruction manual. "Put them down." He instructed. All though watching Stiles electrocute himself would have been the highlight of his year, Derek didn't need another person to watch out for.
"What's Epinephrine?" Scott asked. His nimble hands held the syringe to his eye level, squinting to read what the clear liquid was for.
"That will only make him stronger." Derek shrugged.
"How strong?" Peter paused, eyeing the small bottle with curiosity. He grasped it from Scott's hands, inspecting the needle with interest.
"It's like a medical induced adrenaline rush." Riley remembered. She'd learned about it what felt like years ago when she had still lived in San Diego. She watched Peter raise a brow, his lips pulling back into a smirk.
"I think I just found my weapon of choice." He grinned, pulling the cap from the syringe with excitement. He could feel an electric surge pass through his body at the idea of indulging in a werewolf brawl. It had always been a favorite pastime of his. "Which one of you lucky kids wants to stab me with this?" His tone was sarcastic as he held the bottle out on his palm.
"You don't have to ask me twice." Riley volunteered, snatching it from him. She held it firmly in her fist, as she took a step back.
Peter took a steady breath, sticking his chest out as he nodded to Riley. "Get me right in the heart." He teased. "Don't hold yourself back, Ri-" He was cut off as she lunged at him, stabbing the needle as hard and deep as she could. The force she had gathered was enough to knock the wind out of the man before her as he stumbled back a foot. "Ow." He hissed, watching as she found amusement in releasing the clear liquid into his body. "I get the feeling you've wanted to do that for a long time. " He exhaled, a dewy mist clinging to his skin.
Riley yanked it back out, not bothering to be gentle as she grinned up at him innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Her lips pulled back over her teeth. The apples of her cheeks raising to the crease of her eyes. The room fell quiet as Peter's body twitched with each passing cell the liquid seeped into. His breathing became unbearably heavy, letting air out in quick spurts. His polished skin became slick as his body over-heated, his eyes shifting from gray to blue as he shut his eyes.
"Is it working?" Scott asked, nodding with realisation as Peter's hands shot out to his side, his nails pointed into rigid claws. "Yep-it's working."
Peter's lips pulled back, exposing his sharpened teeth. "You ready to rumble?"
The elevator was silent as Derek carried his little sister in his arms. The weight of her not burdening him in the slightest as Stiles hit the button for the garage. If his calculations were correct, then they only had about four minutes until the last ambulance left for the night. Once the doors opened Riley and Stiles headed for the parking lot, their eyes scanning the empty lot until they found the last ambulance stationed in the center. "It's still here!" Stiles called to Derek. Riley opened the back of the doors, cradling Cora's head as Derek shifted her onto the stretcher. She took a step back as Stiles stepped onto the bumper, taking a seat inside beside Cora. "I'll make sure she gets there safely." Stiles assured Derek. He nodded, promptly releasing his baby sister into the care of the seventeen year old.
"D-Derek?" Jennifer's voice stammered.
Riley and Derek turned to the sound of her voice, taking a step towards her as she stood near the opposite side of the transportation van. Her gaze followed Jennifer's, finding the EMT driver splayed in a bloody puddle beneath the driver side door. A chilled fear crept slowly across Riley's skin, a tremor rolling down her spine at the sound of approaching footsteps. Derek took a step forward, his body defensively shielding the women behind him.
Riley watched Kali step from the shadows, twirling the key to the Ambulance van on her index finger. "You know," Kali grinned, her tone mocking. "I'd say it's nice to see you Jennifer. . . But I know now that isn't even your real name." Kali took a step forward again, the nails on her fingertips elongating as her eyes turned blood red.
"Stop." Riley met her steps, putting herself between Derek and her sister. "If you kill her, Kali," She warned. "She's going to kill people I care about."
"And if I don't kill her," Kali growled. "How many more sacrifices do you think she'll make?" Another step towards her sister. "I should have killed her when I had the chance."
"You can't fight her on your own." Jennifer whispered to Derek, using his body to shield herself. "And Riley's not much help."
"That's why were going to run." Derek whispered back.
His hand shot out, catching Riley's wrist as he yanked her back into a dead sprint. A growl erupted from her sister's lips, echoing off the cement walls as they headed back inside the building. She peeked over her shoulder, worried for Stiles and Cora as she watched her best friend shut the ambulance doors, locking both of them inside. "The elevator!" Jennifer suggested as they headed down the narrow hallway. Derek's hands were tight, gripping her with such fear and ferocity that she felt her skin bruise beneath the surface.
She found shelter inside the elevator, her finger repeatedly pressing the button to close the doors. She peaked through the enclosing gap, watching as Kali lunged for the doors, missing her opportunity by a fraction of a second. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she felt the elevator shift beneath her feet. "Your sister's a bitch." Derek commented, catching his breath.
The elevator rose higher and higher, her anxiety getting the best of her as she imagined what would be waiting for them once the doors opened again. She leaned her head against the elevator wall, taking slow and steady breaths as she calmed herself.
She felt the floor beneath her feet shake, the quiet echo of the gears in the shaft outside grinding together as they came to a sudden stop. Her eyes widened to Derek, her fingers continuing to press the button for the top level. "Why'd we stop?" She asked, her nerves displayed within her features. She continued pressing the button, releasing her anger when the elevator ceased to continue. "Why the fuck aren't we moving?"
"Someone must have shut the backup generator off." Derek weighed his options, tilting his head up to look at the ceiling as he eyed the tiles above.
"If you're thinking service hatch," Jennifer caught on to his plan. "They bolt from the outside, so you'd have to break it. All you'd end up doing is creating a lot of noise, letting them know exactly where we are."
"Kali already knows." Riley hinted.
"Not exactly," Jennifer pressed. "She knows we got on it, but she doesn't know we didn't get off."
"If I can get through it then we can get to another floor." Derek chimed, his arm extending to the ceiling tiles above as he searched for a weak spot.
"Or you'd end up fighting them alone inside an elevator shaft." Jennifer hissed. "They'd rip my head before you could even land a punch."
"Then we need to get the backup generator running again." Riley suggested. She searched for her phone in her pockets, remembering she had left it in the Jeep. She looked to Derek expectantly as he used his own to text Scott. "Hopefully they get it back on." Riley moved from her position beside Derek, her hands running along the sleek, cold metal doors. Her fingers slipped between the seam were the doors normally separated, straining her shoulders as she pried them apart.
She frowned, realizing that the elevator had stopped before reaching the floor above. A small sliver of a gap was present between the top of the elevator and the floor they had barely reached. "I bet I can fit through that," Riley turned, looking to Derek with assured eyes. "Give me a boost." She demanded. She figured that if she could squeeze through that gap, that maybe she could make it to the back up generator herself. Derek took a step forward, guessing her plan as she nodded him forward. Riley turned at the sound of Jennifer's light chuckle, the teacher rolling her eyes with taunting enthusiasm.
"I hope you get through before the generator's turned back on." Jennifer mocked, her eyes invested in her nail beds as she act as if Riley's life was unimportant. "I'd hate to see you cut in half."
"Shut up." Riley warned, nodding to Derek to lift her. He hesitated, taking Jennifer's words seriously as he shook his head lightly. "Are you kidding?" Riley whispered to him, her eyes searching his. "She's just fucking around, Derek. It's what she does."
"We can't risk it." Derek informed her, his eyes pleading. He weighed his options, knowing Riley's safety would always be his main priority.
She sighed heavily, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the metal doors. "So, we're just suppose to sit here until someone fixes it?" She groaned, and Derek shrugged. His posture mimicked hers as he turned his back to Jennifer. He positioned himself into a relaxed pose, knowing they were destined to wait for a while. The elevator became silent. The metal frame of the doors collected an immense cold, filling the air as Riley rubbed the palms of her hands over her arms.
"I know what you're thinking, Derek." Jennifer's voice was low and accusing. Riley glared at her through her lashes, watching as the teacher took a measured step forward. "That I'm using you." She stated. "That everything that has happened between us was a lie. That I'm a bitch."
"Well," Riley growled. "You did poison him. Don't act so surprised."
Jennifer looked down at her feet, shuffling her weight from one leg to the other as she ignored her. "But I hope you're not thinking the most superficial thought, Is that her real face? The slashed, mutilated face revealed by the mistletoe. . . Is that what she really looks like?" Derek didn't answer her. He scowled at the wall above Riley's head. He had, in fact been wondering those exact things. Jennifer became disappointed when he didn't answer her, turning her attention back to Riley. "What do you think?" Jennifer asked, raising a questioning brow to her. "Look at me," she ordered to Riley. "Look at me long and hard."
Riley studied the curve of Jennifer's lips. Watching the smirk that etched into a wicked twist on her dimpled cheek. She skimmed the arch of her brows, frowning at the unfamiliarity of the girl before her. But the eyes. The eyes screamed recognition as she watched the gleam gather in the ice blue orbs. She calculated the etch that stretched across the hood of her lids, shaking her head with uncertainty as she narrowed her eyes deeper and harsher at the pale-faced brunette. Riley racked her brain, scanning quickly through each lasting memory as she tried to find a face to match those eyes. Riley's mind paused. . . squinting as she compared the memory to the reality. Her lips parted, her eyes widening in curiosity and fear. "JuJu?" Riley whispered, her joints loosening as her arms fell to her side with final recognition.
Derek eyed her, confusion laced in the silent furrow of his brow. "You know her?"
"I knew her." Riley clarified. Her jaw squared at the distant memory. "She was my babysitter."
"My name was Julia," Jennifer smirked. "Julia Baccari."
Riley looked to Derek with perplexity. "She was my sister's best friend."
"Friend," Jennifer chuckled. "Emissary. . . Enemy." Her shoulders rose with a thick sigh. "It's all the same now." Riley frowned at her, nostrils flaring as she remembered the dream she'd had at the beginning of the school year. She should have made the connections when she dreamt about her old babysitter. "Kali and I were a lot like Scott and Stiles." She compared. "Best friends until Kali was changed. . . That's when she needed me the most. She needed guidance and advice and I wasn't the type of friend to let another friend struggle." Jennifer's smirk turned sour as she eyed Riley. "But your sister was."
"So that's it, huh?" Riley hinted. "That's why you're killing people? Because you want revenge?"
"You don't know the whole story." Jennifer sneered. "I was Kali's emissary. . . and I was the one she couldn't kill." Riley remembered hearing that the Alpha's had to kill their packs in order to join Deucalion's. "She sliced my face apart, leaving me for dead. It's a funny story, actually," Jennifer let a small chuckle line her lips. "How I managed to survive." Her gaze fell to Derek. "I have him to thank for that."
"I didn't save your life." Derek growled, still confused as he listened to the history Riley and Jennifer had shared.
"But you did," Jennifer's eyes were wide and pleasant as she smiled lightly to him. "Once Kali left me I was able to crawl-I tried to get myself to safety. I lost all strength to move on. . . cowering in the roots of a cut down tree as I waited for death." Jennifer was thoughtful as she smiled sweetly at the memory. "That wasn't just any tree," she noted. "It's called a Nemeton. A sacred tree were few would gather to sacrifice bodies to a higher power. The Nemeton absorbed the blood that spilled, making it a beacon for the supernatural. It's power had dimmed over time, but the day I was able to reach for it in my dying hour was the moment I absorbed what it had left. I was able to hang on long enough to be found."
"I don't-I don't understand how that has anything to do with Derek." Riley stammered, her cheeks tinged with a slight aggression.
"A few months before that," Jennifer hinted. "Derek ignited the power in it again. He sacrificed the blood of a virgin." Her eyes turned soft as she glanced to him. "I know Paige wasn't a sacrifice, but the Nemeton takes what it can get."
Riley looked to Derek, her eyes studied him as he glared down at the tiled floors. His body was rigid, his jaw squared as he balled his hands into fists. He shook his head over and over again. His chest crippled with the reminder of the girl he'd killed just a few years before. His chest tightening as the memories he'd hid away came weaving out, taunting him as he winced at the sound of Paige's voice. Her accusing tone as she blamed Derek for creating the power hungry killer before him. "Because of you I was able to survive." Jennifer thanked him. "I was able to live on so that I could destroy the pack that had targeted me and all the others who had suffered because of them." Riley winced under the harsh glare of Jennifer. "And I knew that when I became strong enough I'd get my revenge. It all comes back to Kali."
"You've had all this time to get her back," Riley argued. Her voice was hot and fueled as she defended her sister. "Why wait all these years?"
"Because," Jennifer pressed. "I didn't want to just kill her, Riley. I wanted to torture her." She growled. "I wanted her to suffer like I had." Her sneer twisted up as she remembered the distant memories out loud. "I started my revenge years ago," she noted. She peeked up at Riley through amused eyes. "And it all started with a man named Bruce Haven."
Riley perked at the name, taking a step forward with curiosity. Derek stepped between her and Jennifer, his hand capturing hers as he eyed her. "Whose that?" He asked.
"That's my dad." Riley spoke through a hushed whisper. She stepped out from behind Derek as she looked to Jennifer with wide and curious eyes. "What did you do?"
"Not what I did." Jennifer smirked. "What I've done." She found amusement in the soft wetness that seemed to collect in Riley's eyes. "A few years after Kali had left me for dead, I caught wind of her parents divorce. and that's when I unleashed hell." Her tone was unapologetic as she relived the memory as if it were the only one she'd ever enjoyed. "I wanted to leave Kali a message. I wanted her to know that I hadn't died. I slashed your fathers face apart like she had done to mine. I wanted her to see him and know who had done it."
Derek's grasp grew tighter as he felt the cold chill surpass the girl he held. Riley couldn't suppress the glaze of her eyes and the quiver of her lips as she connected the dots as to why her father hadn't been in touch with her over the years. "I overdid it just a bit," Jennifer taunted Riley with a small shrug. "I hadn't meant to kill him but in the midst of doing so I found out quite an enchanting detail. Killing your father, Riley, gave me an extra spark of power. I could feel it in my bones as I walked away from him like she had done to me."
"You're lying." Riley chanted, her nails digging into Derek's arms as he held her back. "You're lying! This is all a part of your manipulative games!"
"Oh, I wish it were." Jennifer mocked. "But I tore him a part so much that they couldn't even ID the body." She smiled innocently to her. "Your father is sitting in a morgue somewhere under the name of John Doe."
"Stop it." Derek growled, his eyes laced with venom as Riley's tremor rolled through the palms of his hands. He easily held her back, wincing at the sight of her wet lashes. He could physically feel the loss that coiled within her. It reminded him of his own lost family as he soothed her. "Shut up." He warned.
"I did it in revenge and it backfired!" Jennifer continued. "Kali had no idea about her father so I moved on to the next person." Her lips grew tight over her lips as she suppressed a smile. "Your mother."
"No," Riley shook her head. Blinking harshly as she tried to wipe away the few tears that had fallen. Derek's grip wound tightly around her wrist's as she desperately tried to pull away from him. "No. No. No-you're lying." She spat.
"Would I lie about the night of December-seventh?" Jennifer rose a brow. Riley froze as the date rang true in her mind. The things that had happened that night were memories she'd stored away in a safe in the corner of her mind, throwing the key away. Hearing the date spoken out loud pried at the safe doors, opening it without much effort. "I knew I had to be careful this time," Jennifer continued. "I knew I couldn't mess this up like I had before. I'd done my research that time around. I knew then that sacrificing people was only going to add to my strength, but your mother wasn't a sacrifice." Jennifer noted. "She was just a pawn in my game of revenge."
"Stop." Riley's voice was hoarse, her throat rubbed raw by the cry lodged inside.
"There's something called a three-fold death," Jennifer reminded. "I read somewhere that is was a ritual used to bring on the power of who you sacrificed onto yourself. I was this close," Jennifer held up her thumb and index finger, "to slitting her throat when our time together was cut short." Jennifer squared her jaw, raising her chin as she glared to Riley. "You remember why, don't you?" She asked, chuckling when Riley's response was nothing but a trembled cry. "You came home." She reminded. "I knew I couldn't risk having you walk in on me so I bolted. I hid in the shadows as you came up the stairs." Riley hid her face into Derek's chest as Jennifer relayed the memory. "You found your mothers body." Jennifer ignored her cry. "I watched with sick satisfaction knowing your mother was going to die-and then it hit me." Jennifer laughed. "Why didn't I just kill two birds with one stone?" She asked. "Why couldn't I take the one thing away from Kali that she treasured the most?" She inched closer to Riley, only to have Derek glare at her in warning. "You were her baby sister. The one thing she had always tried to protect." Jennifer looked to Riley with confused and accusing eyes. "I slit your throat that night."
Riley pulled away from Derek, using his shirt to dry her eyes as she looked to her with her own form of confusion. "Wh-what?" Riley croaked.
"I. Slit. Your. Throat." Jennifer enunciated. "Your mother was slowly bleeding out before I left. You-You were dead." She threw her head back in a confused chuckle. "All along I thought you'd died. . . Imagine my surprise when this bratty little teenager shows up in my English class as my student aide." Riley gulped pack a bubble of bile that had risen in her throat. She shook her head violently against Jennifer's words, knowing she hadn't died. She retraced her memory of that night. . . remembering stumbling up stairs from a party she'd left early. She remembered finding her mother, still breathing, lying on the floor of her bedroom. . . She remembered calling the police as they rushed her mother to the Hospital.
"No. . ." Riley murmured. "No. No. No."
"Yes, Riley." Jennifer hissed. "I was so pleased with myself." She sighed. "Knowing I'd killed not only Kali's mother and father. . . but the one person she loved the most."
"Shut up." Riley hissed, her vision blurred with a tear induced haze.
"No, you shut up!" Jennifer's voice gathered into a gutted and defensive tone. "Because I could still use you." She sneered. "I don't know how you managed to survive but that is one powerful factor that would make you the ultimate sacrifice. You're a healer." She continued, the threat clear in her tone. "You healed yourself and that's good enough for me."
A snarl erupted from Derek's lips as he released Riley. He lunged at her, his eyes twisting into a crimson red as he glared with anger fueled furiosity. His hand snaked around her throat, lifting her from her feet as he prepared, once and for all to rip her apart. Jennifer chuckled at his attempts, her dainty hands wrapped around his wrist as she collected the power that traveled through her veins. She let it seep from her palm as a force field-like bubble enclosed around herself. The force of the energy traveled through Derek's arm, releasing her as the power that burst from her hands flung him back. The metal doors breaking his fall as he slammed his head against cold wall.
Riley dried her eyes as she watched him slip to the ground, unconscious from the blast she'd used on her earlier that night. She gulped, taking a step back as Jennifer smiled to her. This could be her moment to gather another sacrifice, but Jennifer willfully gave her a second chance. Jennifer raised her hand up to the ceiling tile above, straining her wrist as she forcefully bent the metal service hatch out. Riley watched as Jennifer bent at her knees, preparing to make her escape through the elevator shaft. "No!" Riley growled, throwing herself at her before she could flee. She shoved the teacher back as they both fell against the opposite wall. Riley rose to her feet, her hands steadily fisted onto Jennifer Blake's shirt.
She mustered up what strength she found in herself, holding her back but it was no use. Jennifer's hands gathered at Riley's chest, shoving against her hold as Riley stumbled back. Her head snapped back, grinding against the metal door frame as she looked up to Jennifer with disoriented eyes. "Everything's come full circle." Jennifer murmured, her lips traced into a devious grin. Riley was powerless as Jennifer slipped herself through the service hatch, escaping into the darkness of the elevator shaft above. The bubbled cry that had lodged in her throat finally escaped, gripping the roots of her hair as she bent to her knees.
Her own voice echoed off the walls, collecting in her own ears as the high pitched frequency rang viciously. Riley crawled to Derek's stilled frame, her hands grasping his cheeks as she pled with him to wake up. His body shook from the vibration of her own trembling form. Her thumbs ran over his eyelids as her nails raked across his stubbled cheeks. She pressed firmly, using her body to add pressure to his, hoping it would add an uncomfortable weight to which he'd wake up to.
He didn't. His body lay still and motionless beneath hers as the elevator began to move again.
AN: Did anyone see this coming? I know Kali being her sister was a surprise, but did anyone theorize that her own parents had been sacrifices?
I hope you guys liked the big reveal because her families backstory is definitely something I will be writing into in the future! Please review with any questions, comments or concerns about this chapter. I appreciate all feedback and would love to hear your own theories for upcoming chapters. As always, I post daily teasers about upcoming chapters on Tumblr at HavenBoundInBeaconHills
See you next week!