"Are we really bringing them?" Derek's gruff voice, full of skepticism, carried through the warehouse the pack had agreed to meet at. He nodded his head towards where Genevieve, Ariana and Liam were hovering behind Stiles. He'd pulled a face as soon as he'd climbed out of his car, arms folded across his chest as his gaze moved across the group.
Ariana furrowed her brow slightly, glancing over towards Braeden who had just pulled the prison transport van she'd somehow acquired into park and was now leaning against it with a vaguely impatient expression. Braeden locked eyes with Ariana for a moment, shaking her head as if to dismiss Derek's attitude.
"Are we really bringing him?" Stiles quipped right back at Derek as he nodded his head towards Peter who was hovering just behind Derek.
"Peter can help us. He knows about Berserkers," Derek said firmly. "You've got two new wolves and an unstable druid." His words were sharp and blunt as he came to a halt, standing across from the others with a vaguely irritated expression.
"I'm not staying behind," Ariana spoke up, folding her arms across her chest tightly as she stared cooly up at Derek. "Don't forget I was an assassin before I was a druid. You might need me more than you realise." She cocked her head to the side, silently daring him to challenge her.
Derek glanced over at Braeden almost as if seeking some support in his doubt, but Braeden was watching Ariana with a mildly impressed expression. Clearly realising that Ariana wasn't going anywhere, Derek let out a reluctant sigh, pulling his gaze to where Genevieve was hovering just behind Ariana, hands clasped carefully in front of her body anxiously.
"Does Satomi even know you're here, Genevieve?" Derek asked, raising one eyebrow as he stared down at her with his arms folded across his chest.
Genevieve hesitated, biting her lip as she recalled the conversation she'd had with Brett earlier. "She knows," she said simply, choosing not to add the fact that both Satomi and Brett had strongly recommended that she stay in Beacon Hills with them until the full moon had passed. She hated the idea of disappointing Satomi, someone she already looked up to, but she knew she was making the right decision.
Even more than that, she didn't like leaving Brett with the look of disappoint lingering in his eyes. Brett had warned her to be careful but there had something else, something at the tip of his tongue that he'd held back. Whatever it was, she just hoped he'd follow through when she returned. For now, she needed to focus on staying calm. Not exactly an easy task when she was only feet from Ariana right now, but she had to push aside the bad blood between them until Kira was safe.
"We'll need everyone that we can get," Peter interrupted the conversation smoothly as he stepped forward. "And considering Scott and Kira were taken the night before a full moon, we should probably get going."
"What does that mean?" Malia asked, folding her arms across her chest as she jutted her chin forward suspiciously.
"If Kate took Scott back to the same temple that she took Derek, how do we know she's not planning to do the same thing to him?" Peter elaborated.
"What, she wants to make him younger?" Liam asked in confusion. Ariana turned to him, raising a curious eyebrow but he quickly shook his head to deflect her questions. Ariana definitely hadn't realised that was even a possibility but then again her version of reality was getting more warped very day so she couldn't say she was surprised. Still, it definitely showed how dangerous Kate really could be.
"Or take him back to when he wasn't a werewolf." Derek added, the dark frown deepening on his forehead.
"A werewolf can't steal a true Alpha's power. But maybe a Nagual jaguar, with the power of Tezcatlipoca behind her... Maybe she can. So, if everyone is sufficiently freaked out, I say we get going. La Iglesia is not exactly a short trip away." Peter finished with a small flourish, indicating towards the cars behind them all.
Ariana watched him, eyes narrowed as she tried to follow along with whatever he was talking about. She knew Kate was dangerous, but there was the growing fear inside that she may have suddenly thrown herself over her head.
Stiles let out a sigh as he shook his head. "We can't. Not without Lydia."
Derek frowned. "What's she doing at the school anyway?" he asked, his eyes gazing around the group as he seemed to notice Lydia's absence.
"We got Kira's sword, but we need something with a stronger scent. Lydia went to get a jacket out of her locker," Stiles explained as he pulled his phone out to call Lydia. He'd already called her several times on the way to the warehouse with no answer so Ariana doubted anything had changed, and sure enough after a moment Stiles let out a huff as he dropped his phone back into his pocket.
"If she has a car, she can catch up to us." Braeden said firmly as she moved to pull the back seat door to the van open, a subtle indication that they all needed to get moving.
"That's a good point. We'll call her from the road." Peter agreed.
Stiles shook his head, folding his arms as he stood his ground. "Nope. What if she's in trouble?"
"Fine. You stay, you find her. We're gonna go on without you." Peter said with an air of irritation, turning towards Derek's car. Ariana glanced at Liam, one eyebrow raised in question. It felt like there was a lot of tension in the room right now, even more so than the awkwardness still lingering between herself and Genevieve. But Liam seemed less concerned with any of that, his own brow furrowed slightly as he stared at a point on the ground, clearly distracted.
Ariana watched him for a moment, wondering whether she needed to be worried for him too. Still, there was no way Liam would let himself get left behind. That was one of the reasons Ariana liked him so much, his determination to help others was unrelenting even when he was terrified. Ariana finally pulled her gaze away from him, her mind whirling as she watched everyone around her arguing about Lydia. Then suddenly it clicked.
"Hang on, I'll call Mason," Ariana said suddenly, reaching awkwardly over her back and digging her phone out of her backpack. "He's got a study group at school. Maybe he can find her."
"All right. Fine!" Stiles declared reluctantly, tipping his head back in frustration. "Fine, let's go then."
Peter stepped forward as everyone prepared to leave, his movement automatically getting Ariana's attention. "Remember what we're dealing with. It's not just Kate, it's Berserkers. You might see human eyes behind those skulls. Do not assume that there's any humanity left."
Ariana narrowed her eyes a little as Liam shuffled half a step back beside her, clearly uncomfortable with the reminder of the Berserkers. Reaching a hand back, Ariana felt Liam slide his hand into hers and she squeezed it, the edges of her lips quirking up slightly as she heard him inhaling and exhaling slowly.
Unfortunately Peter seemed to notice Liam's fear and he tilted his head slightly as he sized Liam up. "Oh. This little one is terrified of them, aren't you? Don't worry, my friend. It is that fear that will keep you alive. A reminder to everyone. You do not fight Berserkers to survive, you fight to kill."
Genevieve took a quiet but sharp inhale of breath from the other side of Ariana, hugging her arms to her chest tightly but her eyes stayed calm and ready as she nodded quickly before anyone could question her confidence.
"I need to call Mason," Ariana said finally, pulling her hand from Liam's and moving away from the group as she scrolled through her contacts until she found Mason's name and dialled.
"Hey Ari, what's up?" Mason's voice was light and cheery, and Ariana couldn't help the sense of relief in her chest at the lack of hostility in his tone. It was good to be back on speaking terms with him and she'd forgotten how much she'd missed their friendship.
"Hey, um are you at school right now?" Ariana closed her eyes briefly, blocking out the sight of all of the were-creatures currently standing several feet away from her as she focused on keeping her tone calm and casual.
"Yeah, I just pulled up. Why?" Mason asked.
Ariana clenched her fist "I'm just trying to get a hold of Lydia Martin. I'm um…I'm just going through some of the notes she lent me for AP Bio and I have some questions but she's not answering her phone."
Mason was quiet for a moment and Ariana bit her lip impatiently as she waited for him to look. Finally Mason let out a low hum. "Yeah, her car's here," he said after another moment, probably double checking the car to make sure it was hers. "You want me to look around the school and see if I can find her?" he asked.
Ariana smiled, glancing up to give Stiles a thumbs up as he watched her anxiously. He threw his hands back up with a mild look of relief before turning back to talk to Malia, letting Ariana pull her focus back to Mason over the phone. "Yeah, thanks. And just call me when you find her. Or tell her to call me."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Mason was hesitant, a hint of suspicion seeping into his tone. He had a terrible poker face and an even worse poker voice.
"I'm fine." Another lie falling too easily from her lips.
"Ari…" Mason paused, trailing off a little and Ariana felt herself tensing up slightly. "Ari, I'm not an idiot. I know something's up. Can you just tell me what's going on? Please?"
Ariana hesitated, twisting her mouth in frustration as she stared up at the ceiling. She hated being back at the same place, lying to Mason again. She'd spent the last year lying through her teeth and the knowledge that she was protecting him didn't make her feel any less guilty. Mason was smart. And he was good. He deserved honesty. She couldn't tell him everything of course, but she hated leaving him in the dark.
Collecting her thoughts, Ariaana inhaled slowly, nodding to herself. "I will later. I promise. Just find Lydia for me. I've gotta go," she said, barely letting Mason agree before she hung up the phone.
"Okay, Mason will call us if he finds Lydia," Ariana announced to everyone else as she tucked her phone away again.
Peter clapped his hands together with a smirk. "Great! Any more excuses now or can we get moving?"
Braeden rolled her eyes as she thumped one hand on the van beside her. "Come on Ari, you're in the front with me. Wolves in the back," she declared, not waiting for anyone to respond as she moved to climb into the driver's seat.
Genevieve leaned back tightly in her seat as the car rumbled along, jolting slightly over the bumps in the road as Braeden drove. Ariana was sitting in the front passenger seat although Genevieve could barely see her head over the seat. The only sign of her presence was her ponytail bobbing into Genevieve's line of vision every now and then.
Beside Genevieve, Liam sat tensely while Derek leaned forward to tighten the handcuffs around his wrists. Genevieve's cuffs were locked tightly around her small wrists already, definitely secure thanks to Stiles redoing them four times to be satisfied.
"All good?" Derek was stern as he watched Liam. There wasn't really any room for chaos in the small back section of the van.
Liam was nodding hurriedly beside Genevieve as he tugged on the cuffs. "Yep."
"Gen? How are you going?" Derek turned to Genevieve, his tone softening slightly.
Genevieve offered a small smile and nod as she tugged against her handcuffs to demonstrate her inability to move. "I'm good," she said softly. Derek nodded back, his eyes gazing over her frame for any sign of problem. Genevieve watched him as she took a slow inhale, and after a moment he nodded again and pulled his gaze back to where Liam's knee was bouncing up and down anxiously.
"Okay. I brought something to help." Derek pulled a small object out of his pocket, holding it out to Liam with a vague air of importance. "This is a triskelion. It has been with my family for centuries," he said. Genevieve eyed it from her side of the car, but didn't pay too much attention to it, instead closing her eyes and focusing on everything Satomi had told her before she'd left. She barely heard a word of Derek's instructions for Liam, instead focusing on three things. She let the words wash through her mind, one at a time. The sun. The moon. The truth.
Beside her, Liam continued to struggle as he followed Derek's advice. "Alpha, Beta... Omega," he managed to choke out as his eyes flashed yellow. He tugged against his cuffs viciously, his claws scraping against the metal, clearly on the brink of losing all sense of control.
"Say it again." Derek said, his voice coming out in a low growl as he watched Liam closely.
"Derek, I don't think the powerful talisman of self-control is working." Stiles said, his voice a little too raised to seem calm and he jumped slightly as Liam let out a roar at him.
"Derek?" Braeden asked loudly from over her shoulder as she drove. "We good?"
"I think we're gonna need to go a little faster," Stiles called back loudly, twisting his body around to the front of the car. "Like a lot faster!"
"Liam? Liam are you okay?" Ariana called out from the front seat, her eyes wide with panic and frustration as she clung to the separator that was currently keeping her apart from Liam, forcing her watch him struggle.
"Derek, I don't think Alpha, Beta, Omega is resonating with him," Stiles yelled frantically as he pressed himself against the side of the car, keeping his distance from Liam as much as he could as he watched the young beta slowly spiralling out of control. Liam let out a roar as his handcuffs snapped off, freeing him to lunge towards Derek.
"You know any other mantras?" Derek snapped back, a growl slipping out of his throat as he struggled against Liam.
Genevieve took another slow inhale. Her breath was steady, a miracle right now, but her stillness within the chaos caught Stiles's attention. He shuffled an inch forward, learning closer to her with a frown.
"Gen, how are you so calm?" Stiles wasn't accusing, clearly more curious than suspicious. "Isn't this your first full moon?"
Genevieve nodded slowly, avoiding any sudden movements despite the fact that Liam was currently trying to attack Derek inches away from her. "Satomi's mantra," she said simply. She knew it was probably more than that though. She was the daughter of two alphas, whoever and wherever they were now. Satomi hadn't needed to spell it out for her. It was very likely that Genevieve's control had come from the wolf DNA that had been in her since birth. Still, whatever it was, she was calm and that was all that mattered.
Stiles stared back, his eyebrows crinkling. "Okay, what's the mantra?" he asked finally, nodding a little to encourage Genevieve.
"What three things cannot long be hidden?" Genevieve asked aloud, her voice slow and surprisingly steady as she kept her eyes trained on one tiny spot above Stiles's head. "The sun. The moon. The truth." She inhaled again, nodding to herself as she repeated the mantra in her mind.
"The sun…" Liam growled even as he pushed against Derek's firm grip. "The moon…The truth."
"Again. The Sun…" Genevieve began again, her breath steady even as she glanced over at Liam. She could see Ariana staring at them from the front seat, her eyes full of concern for Liam.
"Sun…" Liam repeated, his grip loosening slightly as his eyes flashed between gold and blue.
"The moon…" Genevieve continued.
"The moon." Liam repeated again through his growl.
"The truth." They finished the mantra together, Liam's wolf growl slipping out only briefly. Genevieve nodded at Liam, the hint of a smile tilting upwards on her lips as they locked eyes for a moment.
"That's it. Say it again," Derek said, his arms still restraining Liam although Liam was barely resisting any longer.
"Sun, the moon... The truth." Liam slumped against the back of the van with a sigh as Genevieve sunk back into the corner of the van again, tugging her knees up to her chest with her own little sigh of relief.
"Derek?" Braeden called out from the front, tilting her head back briefly to raise an eyebrow.
Derek waited a moment, eyeing Liam and Genevieve before he nodded his head slowly, folding his arms across his chest. "We're okay," he called back.
"Thanks. For a minute there, I thought I was gonna tear you all apart," Liam said quietly to Genevieve, ducking his head to glance at her with half a smile.
"Yeah. That would've made for an awkward ride home," Stiles quipped loudly. "Think you can bring the same level of control and strength inside La Iglesia?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at Liam. Liam nodded, flicking his claws out briefly before letting them retract as he inhaled slowly.
"All right. We might actually be able to do this," Stiles declared, bobbing his head with a relived smile, throwing Genevieve a wink as he settled back into his seat.
Ariana locked eyes with Liam through the bars separating the front seat from the wolves in the backseat, smiling slightly as he nodded his head back to assure her he was okay. She hated being separated from him in the van, forced to watch him struggle alone, but at the same time, hearing Liam's roar had given her an uncomfortable flashback to the first time she'd seen him in his wolf form, claws swiping across her face as he raged against her. The memory made Ariana squirm a little, even though she knew that Liam had valid reasons for lashing out at her. Even more so she hated remembering her own harsh words towards him. She'd called him a monster but she knew he was far from that.
"Hey, you okay?" Braeden asked Ariana quietly, not that it mattered when there were three werewolves with exceptional hearing sitting right behind them.
Ariana nodded quickly, sinking a little in her seat as the car rumbled forwards. "Fine," she said softly. "Just really hoping we get there soon," she added as she drew her knees up to her chest, glancing through the review mirror at Liam with a sigh.
There was a calm silence for a while as Braeden steered the car around the windy roads of Mexico. Liam seemed to have control for now. Derek was watching Liam closely anyway, while Stiles gazed out of the window, probably thinking about the fate of his best friend. Braeden and Ariana were murmuring quietly in the front seat, but Genevieve couldn't make out what they were saying. She was too busy slowly realising that the mantra was losing its effect on her, calmness replaced by a tightening in her chest.
Genevieve clenched her fists tightly, vaguely aware of the warm blood trickling down her wrists as her claws dug in deep but she was too overwhelmed to acknowledge the pain. In fact, she felt nothing. Nothing at all. It was like her hands had suddenly detached themselves from her body entirely. The realisation washed over her, a tidal wave sweeping any other thoughts out of her brain as the panic began to sink in instead.
"Uh, Genevieve? You alright?" Stiles asked cautiously, raising an eyebrow as he looked pointedly at her hands.
Genevieve tried to take a breath in but shook her head instead as her chest clenched up. "Can't breathe. Can't feel- My hands- I can't feel them-" she managed to choke out, her fists clenching even tighter as she curled up on the seat, her breaths coming out in short desperate bursts. "I can't feel my hands!"
"Uh…Derek what's going on? Is this some of full moon reaction that Scott somehow missed…" Stiles frowned at Genevieve, awareness slowly dawning on him. "She's having a-"
"-Panic attack," Arianas voice cut through from the front seat as she spun around, eyes watching Genevieve closely. "She used to have them all the time," she explained quickly, keeping her voice calm as she ran her eyes over Genevieve, assessing her.
By now Genevieve's breaths were getting further apart as she struggled to inhale, her eyes still glued to the claws poking out at the end of her fingers. The blood was trickling down slowly, almost taunting her as she stared at her hands, unable to connect them to her own body in her mind.
"I need to get back there," Ariana said suddenly, tapping her fingers frantically on the frame separator in the middle of the car. "Braeden? Braeden, stop the car!"
Braeden let out a huff of minor inconvenience as she swerved the car to the side of the road, slamming on the brakes as she did so. "Go! I can't stop for long," she said curtly, nodding to the passenger door. Ariana didn't hesitate, barely tugging her seatbelt off in time as she tumbled out of the car.
Derek was quick to react, flinging the back door open to let Ariana in. Before Ariana had even got both feet in, Braeden was already pulling the car back into gear, letting the car roar away again. She hadn't been kidding.
As soon as Ariana swung the car door shut, she threw herself in between Liam and Genevieve, turning to face Genevieve. She took in the werewolf's curled up position as her brain tracked back the last time she'd seen Genevieve in this state. "Okay Gen, you gotta focus okay? Just focus on what I say," Ariana said, struggling to keep her voice calm as Stiles spluttered in confusion across from her.
Genevieve took in a gulp of air, shaking her head pitifully as she stared at her hands, eyes taking in the claws and blood, all so unfamiliar and unlike herself. "I can't feel them," she burst out again, eyes welling with tears ready to fall. "I can't- I can't-"
Ariana shook her head right back at the small redhead, her own dark hair falling into her eyes as she reached out and gripped Genevieve's hands in her own. "Hey, Genny you know the drill. You ready?" She didn't wait for an answer, moving her hands up to cup Genevieve's cheeks. "Can you feel my hands? Can you feel them on your face?"
Genevieve hesitated before finally nodding. "Yes," she choked out in between gasps of breath.
"Great! You can feel your face!" Ariana moved her hands down to Genevieve's shoulders, giving them a tight squeeze. "Can you feel your shoulders? My hands there?"
Another nod.
"Cool, cool. You're doing great." Ariana moved her hands down to Genevieve's elbows. "Can you feel your elbows?"
Genevieve's breaths were slightly less shallow now, and she licked her lips before nodding again. "Yes," she muttered out, letting her eyes drift shut and clenching them tight as she honed her focus in on Ariana's voice.
"Okay great," Ariana continued as she brushed her hands down Genevieve's arm until she reached her small wrists. "Now where are my hands?"
Genevieve took another shaky breath in, red hair falling in tips in front of her face as she rocked forwards slightly. "My wrists," she pushed out.
"Amazing. Keep breathing. Focus on me," Ariana kept talking, her voice calm as she gave Genevieve's wrists a light squeeze before moving her hands down to clutch Genevieve's hands, holding them tightly. "Now what can you feel?"
Genevieve inhaled before letting out a slow exhale as she squeezed Ariana's hands back. "Hands," she said softly as she opened her eyes, letting her gaze drift down to where their hands were clasped tightly together, no werewolf claws in sight.
There was a pause as the two girls stared back at each other, eyes searching as the memories flooded back between them. The weight of everything between them sat heavy in the air as everyone else watched them.
Then, just as suddenly as the moment had begun, Genevieve tugged her hands away, folding them into her lap as she stared back down at the floor of the van. "I'm fine now," she said softly, trying not to notice the way Ariana's breath had huffed out at her sharp movement.
By the time Braeden yanked the van into park just outside La Iglesia, it was already getting dark outside. Ariana squinted slightly as she reluctantly followed Liam out of the van, letting her eyes adjust to the dim and dusty surroundings of the church. Before they could fully adjust their vision though, a berserker lunged out from the darkness, taking a vicious swipe at Derek and throwing him a few feet from them.
Ariana watched in horror as Derek was thrown backwards only for the berserker to follow him, its sharply speared hands piercing deep into his torso. The image gave her a vivid and crushing flashback to Garrett's violet death, but there was no time to let her brain slip into grief as Liam bared his claws out beside her.
"Just go! Find Scott!" Derek yelled as Braeden pulled her shotgun out, firing rapidly at the berserker as it ran back towards the church.
Liam looked at Derek for a moment before nodding as he went to follow the berserker, determination in his eyes. He reached out for Ariana, ready to tug her along behind him but she faltered, pulling against his grip until he let go of her hand with a frown.
"Come on, we need to find Scott and Kira," Liam said urgently, turning to face Ariana. Genevieve lingered between the church and Ariana uncertainly.
Ariana shook her head firmly, her eyes scanning the open area for any sign of Kate. Her eyes narrowed as she caught a flash of blonde hair moving towards the dark tunnels in the distance. "You guys go. I need to get to Kate first."
"Ari-" Genevieve reached out for Ariana, a pleading look flashing through her eyes.
"I need to do this," Ariana said as she took a step towards the tunnels. "You all go find Scott and Kira. I'll catch up," she insisted, taking another step away as she looked back at Genevieve and Liam with a nod.
"Guys, come on!" Stiles let out a yell from a few feet away, his arms stretched out impatiently as he glared at the small group. "Friends to save? The reason we're all here? Ring a bell?" he yelled out, wincing slightly at the sound of Braeden's gun firing viciously in the near distance.
Liam's brow wrinkled slightly, his blue eyes imploring Ariana to follow but she shook her head slightly. Finally he dropped his head for a moment, letting out a reluctant huff. "I get it," he said, moving closer to her. "Just be careful," he added as he grabbed her hand, tugging Ariana close so he could press a kiss to her lips.
Ariana let her eyes drift shut momentarily, taking in the brief moment as she let the kiss linger, one hand brushing against Liam's cheek before she pulled away. "Go!" she insisted, stepping away. Genevieve was still hovering awkwardly between Stiles and Ariana, and for a moment the two girls locked eyes, several years of unsaid words lingering in the air between them. But there was no time to say anything else as the berserker let out a terrifying roar from the church, the ground shuddering slightly from the vibrations.
Biting her lip, Ariana watched Liam and Genevieve sprint towards the church where Stiles and Malia were waiting anxiously with Peter. She watched as they disappeared into the darkness of the building, before finally turning back to the tunnels across the dirt, ready to face Kate once and for all.
"I think Kira is this way," Genevieve said, her nose lifting slightly into the air to inhale deeply while Stiles trailed impatiently behind her. He hadn't seemed thrilled to be stuck with the new werewolf as they searched for their friends, and Genevieve didn't exactly feel at ease around the boy she barely knew, but they had a common goal and that was all that mattered for now.
She could smell the dust and mould lingering in the tunnels, but there was something else. Something vaguely familiar, something that reminded Genevieve of safety and comfort. Stiles waited a moment, narrowing his eyes as he stared down the tunnel. Finally he moved forwards, his fists clenching and unclenching anxiously.
"Scott? Kira?" Stiles shouted as he moved ahead of Genevieve, one hand held out behind him, presumably to protect her even though she was the supernatural creature, as the other hand held up Kira's sword.
"Kira, can you hear us?" Genevieve called out, wincing as her senses overloaded briefly as they rounded the corner. She inhaled slowly, focusing on the scents surrounding her. "Hang on…She's close…" Genevieve trailed off as she tilted her head upwards again, trying to latch onto the faint scent of Kira lingering in the air. "Kira?" she called out again, closing her eyes as she allowed her wolf senses to perk up, her ears twitching slightly.
"Genevieve?"
Following the sound, Genevieve rounded the corner and her eyes lit up with relief as she spotted Kira's thin frame on her knees leaning against a set of bars, trapped inside the darkened cell.
"Kira! We found you," Genevieve breathed as she dropped to her knees to be level with Kira. "Stiles, she's here!" She hadn't realised how much she'd needed to see Kira alive until she was facing her, her own heart pounding with relief at the sight of the older girl.
Stiles came to a skidding halt a few steps behind Genevieve, Kira's sword waving around in his hand a little too wildly, his eyes wide with relief. "Kira! Are you okay?" he asked as he examined the bars currently keeping Kira captive. "Gen, can you break these?"
"I can try," Genevieve said quickly, standing up again and inhaling slowly. Her eyes glowed a bright yellow for a moment as she yanked one bar sideways, letting it bend awkwardly until there was enough room for Kira to climb out.
"It's Scott. Stiles, it's Scott," Kira said as she twisted her body to slip through the bars now, stumbling slightly as she got her balance again. "The Berserker. It's him. Kate did it. She made him one of them," Kira rambled frantically.
"What are you talking about?" Genevieve asked, frowning as she tried to understand Kira. The older girl seemed desperate, her eyes wide and panicked as she stared between Stiles and Genevieve.
"She made him into one of them. A berserker. I don't know how, but it's him." Kira turned away from Genevieve, giving an urgent look to Stiles, but she kept one hand resting on Genevieve's arm for support.
Stiles's eyes widened with realisation as he spoke, "That's why Lydia's not here. They won't know they're killing Scott."
Ariana felt her breath quickening as she dodged past berserkers and hunters who had seemingly arrived out of nowhere, ducking behind vehicles until she arrived at an opening to the string of tunnels she'd seen Kate's blonde hair disappear down. Without waiting to collect her thoughts, without waiting for any doubt to slip into her mind, she powered on, determination driving her forwards and deeper into the darkness. Finally she came to a halt as she spotted Kate up ahead, her eyes darkening as the frustration inside her flared up again at the sight of the older woman.
"KATE!" She called out, watching in satisfaction as Kate slowly turned to face her. Her hair was slightly matted with dust and sand and she looked a little worse for wear, but the smug expression sat on her face as usual.
"Well hello, fancy running into you here," Kate replied, her voice light with an air of amusement.
With a small intake of breath to steady herself, Ariana walked closer to Kate. "Stop with the small talk. You need to give me some answers. Now."
"Oh Ariana. Poor Little Orphan Ari. I can't believe you still haven't worked it out." Kate said, leaning against the wall of the tunnel with a raised eyebrow.
Ariana stayed where she was, eyes hardened on Kate. "Just tell me what you know about me. Unless you want to be buried alive in here."
Kate raised an eyebrow, momentarily impressed. The threat seemed to amuse her more than anything, but she cocked her head as she watched Ariana. "You must know. You just don't want to hear it said aloud. We both know who really triggered your abilities."
"Violet." Ariana said her friend's name quietly, her eyes dropping to the floor momentarily as her heart thudded in her chest a little harder. "You said…You said that you left her for me. A blood sacrifice to unlock whatever happened to me. You said it was my task. But who told you that? Who was behind all of this?"
"Oh honey, don't look at me," Kate said, holding her hands up in mock defence. "I was just in this to get my revenge on Scott. It shouldn't be hard to trace back though. Who do you think brought Violet to the Nemeton, the place the last druid of Beacon Hills died, to ensure your little bloody sacrifice worked? Someone who knew exactly what you could be?"
Ariana paused, fists clenching as the desperation rose up in her throat. "Stop stalling. Just tell me who," she pleaded, all sense of dignity washed away.
Kate was barely paying affected by Ariana's tone, folding her arms casually across her chest. "All I know is that an old friend reached out to me with grand plans to cause some chaos. I just had to bring my Berserkers along, go after you and your friends and make sure you finished the job."
"Why? Who was it? Who are you working for?" Ariana asked again, stepping closer to Kate, her eyes wide with open desperation.
Kate let a small smirk slip onto her lips as she looked down at Ariana, one eyebrow raised slightly. "Someone who is very interested in you and your power. Who has been for a long time. Ever since your parents were drained of blood, all those years ago."
The mention of Ariana's parents made her heart thud a little harder, freezing her brain momentarily. "You're working with the person who killed my parents?" She almost stumbled over the words as she tried to comprehend what she was hearing. "Who?"
"Think, Ariana. Surely it isn't that hard to make the connection." Kate pursed her lips, waiting for Ariana to figure it out.
Before Ariana could open her mouth to spit out another impatient retort, a loud roar echoed through the air like a war cry, bouncing off the stone walls of the cave and distorting itself until it faded away, leaving Kate and Ariana in silence again.
"Sounds like Scott and your friends might need some help," Kate said with a raised eyebrow. "What'll it be, Ariana? Are you going to stand here demanding answers you should already know, or are you going to help your little wolf friends?"
Ariana stared at Kate, unmoving as her mind whirled away silently. This was her chance, her one moment to push for answers she'd spent so long craving. But something else itched in the back of her mind. Worry for her friends. For Liam. For Genevieve. Even for Scott. As much as Ariana had told everyone she only came along to Mexico for Kate, she knew deep down that part of her wanted to come to help Scott. Her anger towards him had faded before she was even fully aware, and she knew now that he wasn't the one to blame. Scott had only done his best to help her. Now she needed to help him.
Throwing Kate a wrathful glare, Ariana turned on her heels, sprinting away from Kate and the answers she'd been so close to grasping, instead running towards Scott and the pack.
It wasn't hard to find the rest of the group with the echo of Scott's roar still echoing faintly through the walls. A moment of stumbling through the darkened corridors finally led Ariana to where Scott and Peter were currently in the middle of a standoff.
"You," Scott said, his voice low with unfamiliar fury as he stared right at Peter. "The only one that knew as much as Argent about berserkers. About the Nagual. You taught Kate. You helped her. All for power."
Peter was standing across the other side of the dusty room, his eyes focused on Scott as his face began to distort, fangs sharpening in his mouth as he began to transform. "For my family's power. To be rightfully inherited by me," he spat out. "Not usurped by some idiot teenage boy, so incorruptible he wouldn't shed the blood of his enemies even when justified."
Ariana stood behind Scott, slightly hidden in the doorway as she locked her focus onto Peter, cogs suddenly turning in her brain as she silently replayed Kate's words. An old friend had brought Kate into town. Someone who knew about Berserkers. Someone who had something to gain. Someone who knew about Ariana. About what she would be. Ariana had grown up believing her parents had been killed by werewolves. Or maybe just one. Maybe just one werewolf, hungry for power.
Suddenly everything seemed to be clicking into place as Ariana's stomach dropped.
"You want to defeat me? You're going to have to kill me!" Peter roared at Scott as everyone else edged away slightly, all on edge and ready for war.
"No, he won't." Ariana spoke up as she stepped forward, directly into Peter's line of vision. She vaguely noticed the movements of everyone else in the dark dusty room, their heads all turning in sync at the sound of her voice. But she didn't pay the pack any attention, keeping them in her peripheral vision. Instead, her eyes remained cold and hard on Peter.
Peter seemed unsurprised to see Ariana standing there, his lip curling a little as he straightened up.
"You were behind this all along," Ariana said slowly as she edged forward, doing her best to keep her rage contained. "You killed Jennifer Blake on the Nemeton. The same place Violet was taken. You knew. All along. You made this all happen. Why?"
"What are you talking about?" Stiles asked from behind Ariana, confusion and irritation at being in the dark seeping into his voice. Ariana shook her head though, holding a hand back to keep him away as she explained.
"Kate said an old friend brought her into Beacon Hills. It was Peter. He recruited me and Violet and Garrett. He told Kate to- to kill them. He moved Violet's body to the Nemeton. He knew how to trigger what happened to me. He was behind it all. This whole time."
"You're giving me a lot of credit there, Ariana," Peter said calmly, although he didn't defend himself against any of her accusations.
Scott hovered between Peter and Ariana, his hands held out slightly in front of him to try and deflect Ariana's white rage. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice a little rough as he spoke, raw from his own roar only moments beforehand.
"You…you ruined our lives. You ruined my life," Ariana spat out at Peter, ignoring Scott. "You created the deadpool, you lied and then pretended you knew nothing about it. You dragged my friends into your mess. You're the reason everyone I love is dead. My parents were drained of blood by someone who wanted power. It was you." She raised one hand up, pointing directly at him as she inhaled, a little shudder slipping through her body as Violet's death flashed back into her mind again.
Peter gazed back at Ariana, studying her calmly, taking in the way her hand trembled slightly, with rage or with the hint of an earthquake no one could be sure. "Are you going to kill me, Ariana?" he asked slyly, his voice lilting as he tilted his head a little to watch her.
"I could." Ariana's hand trembled as she held it outstretched towards Peter, fingers splayed out now at the ready, the other fist clenched tightly by her side. The energy inside her was threatening to spill out of control any minute as she held his gaze, dark eyes glaring down at his cold blue ones.
"I have no doubt. You've killed plenty of people before." Peter's words were slow and carefully crafted as he watched her, eyes fixated on her hands specifically. Taking in the way her fingers twitched ever so slightly at his words.
"That was with poison though. She hasn't killed people directly," Liam quickly defended Ariana, hovering a few steps behind her. "She's not a cold blooded killer. Not like you. Ariana, you're better than that," Liam turned to Ariana, almost pleading with her.
Peter nodded slowly, a taunting look in his eyes as he focused on Ariana. "You're right, Liam. Ariana liked to kill with her lethal poisons once upon a time. Kept her hands clean but her wallet full. Smart. But she likes to bend the rules too, don't you Ari? Poison isn't your only method."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Liam said, his voice wavering in brief uncertainty although he tried to hide it. He was trying so hard to stand his ground, to defend her, but he had no idea what he was defending. He had no idea what she had done.
"Oh, they really don't know?" Peter's gaze was steady on Ariana. "They don't know the blood you carry on your hands?"
Ariana took a shaky breath, clenching her fists tightly. A hint of a smirk flickered on her lips as she saw the ground below Peter shake a little.
"Come on, surely you told them," Peter said, eyes widening with mock surprise. Ariana didn't respond, staring back at him as she ignored the way the dust was slowly rising around her small frame.
"That's quite a burden to carry" Peter continued, "See you can blame me for your pain all you like, but I'm not the one with the body count here. Killing your own best friend can't be an easy thing to live with. Especially not when it was Garrett's dagger you drove through Violet's heart."
The world seemed to stop for a moment as Ariana froze, her heart dropping in her chest so quickly she thought she might collapse with it.
A wave of silence washed across the room as each member of the pack slowly turned to stare at the small girl with an array of expressions. Ariana lifted her gaze from Peter to look at everyone else, already terrified of what she would see.
There as Malia with pure surprise in her eyes, and Kira's soft wide eyes full of an undeserved level of compassion. Scott was looking at her with a mixture of understanding and shock. Maybe now he understood the fury bubbling inside her. He could finally see that the fury was just cloaking an overwhelming feeling of guilt. Beside him, Stiles had an odd expression on his face, as if he suddenly understood Ariana for the first time. Had he hurt others before? Hurt the people closest to him knowing he had no choice? Hurt them under circumstances far beyond his control?
And then there was Liam. Ariana struggled to meet his gaze, but she forced her eyes to him, tears already blurring her view. Blinking them away, she could make out no real expression on his face. Liam stared back at her, his face suddenly completely unreadable as he tried to comprehend what he had just heard. Ariana didn't linger on his face though, her eyes quickly pulling themselves towards Genevieve.
Genevieve. Pure hearted, kind eyed Genevieve standing there as if her own world had just shattered into tiny pieces around her. The reality that the small brunette she'd grown up with really was a killer. The slow realisation as her brain started to tie the connections to each other. Genevieve was a smart girl. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together. The pieces that created a violent realisation of truth. That Ariana's violent act had thrown them both into a world of chaos. That Ariana was the real one to blame.
Ariana pulled her gaze back to Peter, her brain suddenly foggy with a white rage. She'd clung onto that dark secret for so long, terrified of revealing what she was really capable of. But Peter had just thrown it out into the open with no hesitation. She couldn't go back now. There was no erasing it. She had killed her best friend and now everyone knew. Now they could see the darkness in her heart. "You shouldn't have told them that," she said coldly, her voice suddenly dropping in pitch. She flexed her hands a little, taking in the way the tremors flickered on the edge of her fingertips. Her eyes narrowed towards Peter as she took a sharp breath in.
The earthquake started before Ariana even had to think about it. But once it started, she could feel the icy burn in her fingertips, the tremors pushing themselves out of her body and into the ground below them, causing the dust to fly up around her, whirling around like the beginning of a tornado, the ground rumbling loudly below. The vibrations shifted through the ground, growing stronger as Ariana's eyes narrowed.
"Uh…Ariana?" Scott called out uncertainly, reaching out a hand from where he hovered a few steps away. "You need to focus. You need to calm down, okay?" His voice was calm, protective, but his words went over the small druid's head, her eyes full of rage as they stayed locked on Peter.
"You wanted power, Peter? I'll show you power." Ariana's voice was cool as she spoke over the roaring chaos, remnants of her old assassin self slipping into her voice. She'd spent so long hiding the guilt and pain of what she had done, and Peter had exposed her without even flinching. Peter hadn't seemed to feel any sense of guilt at all. He had ruined her life over and over again. He had taken away the people she loved. He had probably ruined her chances of ever being trusted again.
The earthquake was still growing, rumbling and crackling as the beams around them all starting to shake under the pressure of the moment until several poles began to crumble from the bottom upwards. Dust was flying through the air like a mini sandstorm within the building itself as it began to shudder under the pressure. The entire building was unstable enough already, but this was probably all it needed to come crashing down.
The tremors flowed out of Ariana easier than they had in the past, and her hands were steady, eyes darkening as she let her body tug energy from the earth, sending it straight back out towards Peter.
"We need to get out of here! NOW!" Scott roared, jolting the rest of the pack out of their stunned stillness. The rest of the pack remained frozen for a beat, half still in shock from Peter's revelation, but it only took a moment before they broke into a loud chaotic jumble of bodies, all determined to protect themselves from the earthquake that seemed to be growing in size.
"ARIANA!" Liam let out a desperate shout, reaching out a hand towards her, but Ariana ignored him, both hands now stretched out in front of her, sending the centre of the earthquake directly beneath Peter, dust flying directly at him as he gazed back at her, a dark smug expression still on his lips.
The chaos was only growing, and as Ariana maintained eye contact with Peter, she let a tiny twitch escape out of her body, her fingers flickering as she aimed them to Peter's feet. Almost on cue, the ground below Peter suddenly caved in below him, causing him to lose his balance, pieces of stone and rubble all flying around him as he fell to the ground with a shout, an uncharacteristic look of fear flickering on his face before he disappeared under the rubble. Ariana's lips curled into half of a smirk as she let the earthquake grow below her, the energy flowing through her in a way she'd never quite felt before.
Then, just as suddenly as the tremors had begun, they came to an abrupt halt, the entire world coming to a jarring stillness. Ariana swayed slightly for half a moment before collapsed to the ground, her eyes drifting shut as she slipped out of consciousness.
"Ari? NO!" Genevieve let out a loud cry, the hint of a roar slipping from her lungs, sprinted towards Ariana, ignoring Kira's warning. The older girl lunged for Genevieve but the tiny redhead was already skidding to a halt in front of Ariana's now unmoving body. Genevieve sank to her knees, hands fluttering around Ariana, her brain too frantic and erratic and unable to register the faint heartbeat coming from below.
There was a tense silence, the sound of beams a few rooms away still creaking in the aftermath, as everyone watched Ariana. Liam stood a few steps away, his blue eyes wide with terror as he watched Ariana's chest rising ever so slightly. The rest of the pack stood in a poorly formed circle behind, all waiting with bated breath.
Finally after a moment Ariana's eyes fluttered open as she pushed herself onto her elbows with a gasp, brow still furrowed as her brain caught up with her body and woke itself up.
"I- I don't understand…" Ariana trailed off as her eyelids fluttered in confusion, frowning as she looked around her at the damage she'd caused. She hadn't meant to create this kind of chaos. But how had she stopped it?
"You stopped it!" Liam breathed out, a relieved smile slipping up his face as he moved towards Ariana, his hair sticking out at all kinds of odd angles but still somehow looking incredibly endearing. There was still hesitance in his eyes as he looked at her, like he was suddenly aware of the terrible actions she was capable of. But he reached for her hand all the same.
Ariana shook her head though, pulling her hand away as her brow furrowed. "I- I didn't- I didn't stop it…." she stammered as she pulled herself back up to stand, clutching her hands to body, holding herself together, her mind racing as she tried to understand what had just happened. She'd felt this sensation before, the sudden freeze washing over her body, blocking the earthquake before she could even think about gaining control, the confusion clouding her brain suddenly.
"I did."
Ariana snapped her head up to the doorway, eyes widening. "Lucas?" she breathed, staring up in disbelief.
Sure enough, there he was standing there with his arms folded across his chest. Lucas's dark hair was mused up and he looked slightly disheveled but there was an oddly calm expression on his face, like he was totally unaffected by the fact that Ariana had just created an earthquake in front of his eyes.
"Lucas? Wha-what are you doing here? How did you get here- wait…What do you mean you did?" Ariana asked, blinking as she tried to comprehend what was happening.
"You were out of control, Ari. Someone had to step in before you brought Mexico into ruins," Lucas said. His tone was steady and matter-of-fact as he clasped his hands in front of him, offering half a smile as he glanced around the room.
"Someone- You- but how?" Ariana's brain was whirling too quickly to lock onto any solid thought, confusion overtaking any other emotion right now.
Lucas raised a somewhat amused eyebrow at her, waiting for her brain to click, but she was too confused and exhausted from her earthquake to comprehend anything.
"You're a druid too," Ariana said quietly, suddenly frozen as a mixture of horror and devastated realisation flickered across her face.
Lucas inhaled slowly, his gaze flickering between Ariana and Genevieve who had moved to hover behind Ariana, arms folded tightly across her chest as she watched Lucas suspiciously. "I'm not the bad guy here, Ari. I've been looking out for you. Just like I've always done," he said calmly, holding his hands out in defence. "How do you think you stopped all of those earthquakes? You were out of control. You didn't understand your power, so I stepped in and cut you off before you could send Beacon Hills into the ground. You're lucky I got here when I did before you took down half of Mexico too."
Ariana narrowed her eyes as she studied Lucas, her brain sifting through all of her memories of Lucas, all of the moments he had conveniently shown up. He'd appeared at her house the very first time her powers revealed themselves, and she hadn't even thought to question it. Suddenly her own stupidity felt overwhelming. She was so used to having everything figured out and now she was completely thrown off guard.
Lucas hadn't finished though, taking a cautious step closer to her. "Not to mention, if it wasn't for me, you would've been arrested ages ago. I got to the police and the FBI before they started hunting you down along with Violet and Garrett. I convinced them all that you were innocent before they could bring you in too."
Ariana felt herself stumble half a step backwards, her head shaking back and forth as she felt her entire world shifting slightly. Genevieve brushed a hand against her arm and Ariana moved on instinct, reaching down to clasp Genevieve's hand in her own as they stood across from the one person they'd both spent their entire lives trusting.
"And Gen. You think it was a coincidence you ended up in the woods right near Satomi?" Lucas asked, turning to Genevieve with a raised eyebrow. "I led you there. Persuaded you to take the darker path deep into the woods, right into Satomi's line of sight that night."
"Why?" Genevieve asked, desperation slipping into her voice as she edged forward, resisting Ariana's effort to tug her back.
"Because I knew Satomi could help you." Lucas explained. "I knew you'd need her."
Genevieve shook her head, bright red waves brushing over her shoulder and into her eyes. She pushed her hair away in frustration as she did her best to understand what was happening.
"But why? Why did you do all of that?" Ariana interrupted. "You knew what we were going through this whole time, and you never said anything. Did you know what Peter was doing too? Peter created the deadpool with our names on it. My parents were killed by a werewolf and then a werewolf puts me on his hit list. I'm not an idiot. I can put two and two together."
"Peter didn't kill your parents," Lucas said quickly, his head turning to Ariana, although his gaze flickered towards Genevieve briefly.
Ariana stared at Lucas, a frown sinking itself onto her face. "But you know who did… You're the one who told me about werewolves. You-" Ariana cut herself off, stepping back as her body swayed slightly, realisation sinking in.
Lucas stared back at her, waiting.
"You gave the order," Ariana said suddenly as it clicked into place, her eyes darkening as her stomach twisted in on itself. "That's what Kate meant. You were her old friend. She was working for you." Ariana waited for Lucas to defend himself, for him to deny her accusations, but instead he just kept his gaze steady on hers, his head tilting forwards into the slightest nod.
Ariana stepped back slightly, her shoulder bumping against Genevieve's as she shook her head in disbelief as the weight of her own realisation sunk in. "You ordered Kate to kill Garrett. And to leave Violet so I'd be left to 'finish the job'. You moved Violet's body to the Nemeton. You made this all happen. Why?" Ariana glared at Lucas, ignoring the way Genevieve stiffened slightly beside her at the mention of Violet and Garrett.
"I'm just trying to help all of you." Lucas looked down at Ariana, his brow furrowed slightly as if he was trying to get her to understand something, like there was some kind of hidden message in his words but Ariana's brain was too overwhelmed to process anything else.
"Help us?" Ariana stared at Lucas, her eyes widening. There was no way he was serious. "Really? So when I watched Garrett bleeding out in the middle of the road, you were helping me? And when I got to the Argent warehouse and found Violet bleeding out on the floor, was that your idea of helping?" Ariana stepped closer to Lucas, her words vicious as she glared up at him. Behind her, she could hear Scott inhaling sharply, perhaps recollecting that night, finally understanding the weight she'd been carrying.
"When I had to push Garrett's dagger into her chest, were you helping?" Ariana continued, the memories flooding back in full as she fought back tears, her voice edging into hysteria. "While I was watching the light die in my best friend's eyes, holding her in my arms as she died because of me, were you just helping?"
Luca was unaffected by her wrath though. Instead he just nodded, clasping his hands in front of himself calmly. "You'll understand eventually, Ari. You might even thank me one day."
"Why though?" Genevieve asked, any sense of timidness gone as she stepped in front of Ariana, almost protectively. "Why do all of this?"
Lucas tilted his chin up slightly as he looked down at the girls, but before he could answer, there was a thundering of footsteps as several unfamiliar faces all clutching weapons burst into the wreckage, all clearly hunters judging by their suspicious expressions as they scanned the room. Lucas took a step backwards, dropping his head with a sigh as the tension snapped within the room, all possibilities of further confrontation now seeping away as the pack all shifted out of their frozen horror.
Ariana clutched Genevieve's hand in her own as she took in a shuddering breath, the two girls watching Lucas silently as he moved closer to the hunters, pointing out Peter's body under the mess of rubble Ariana had caused.
Peter regained consciousness far quicker than anyone in the room would have liked, although the mass of hunters all aiming guns at him made him willing enough to follow them out as Ariana stood against the wall, watching the rest of the pack checking each other over. Everyone seemed to be okay, no major injuries thank goodness. Emotionally, that was a different story though. Liam was clearly shaken by Peter's revelation about Violet since he had barely said a word to Ariana. He'd glanced over at her a few times but every time she locked eyes with him he dropped his gaze, clearly uneasy, or maybe just a little afraid of the power she'd demonstrated earlier.
Ariana hadn't even known she could create an earthquake like that, and part of her couldn't help feeling terrified of what else she could have done if Lucas hadn't stepped in. For all she knew, she could have killed everyone in her white rage.
"Careful Ariana. I saw the way you looked at me, ready to kill. Jennifer Blake had the same look in her eyes." Peter gave Ariana a knowing look as he suddenly stumbled up beside her, a sly smirk slipping up his lips as he stepped closer, ignoring the young hunter attempting to push him forwards. "It's only a matter of time until everyone else sees that darkness inside you too."
His voice was low enough to be missed by anyone else nearby, but Ariana tensed up all the same. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a syllable out, Lucas was standing behind her.
"Alright Peter, that's enough." Lucas's voice was terse even as Ariana stepped away uneasily. Lucas didn't seem to pay her any attention though, his manner cool as he gazed at Peter. He was almost like a completely different person to the boy she'd grown up with, suddenly so cold and unfamiliar.
Peter raised an eyebrow back at Lucas. "Enough? We had a deal. I deliver the girls, I get Scott."
"Yes, and you broke your end of the deal," Lucas said as he folded his arms across his chest. "I told you, the girls remain unharmed."
"I don't know if you saw, but I think Ariana was the one causing the harm," Peter said dryly. "You think I'm the big bad villain here?" he continued, turning his gaze back to Ariana with a sly look. "I'm just getting justice for my family. I'm not the one with the big evil plan here. Lucas can tell you all about that though,"
"That's enough," Lucas said bluntly, stepping closer to Peter. Without warning, he tugged a small vile of what appeared to be wolfsbane out of his pocket, neatly injecting the contents into Peter's neck before Peter could even begin to protest. A moment later, Peter was slumping to the ground again. Lucas glanced down disdainfully as several hunters moved to lift Peter and carried him carefully out of the room.
Finally Lucas turned back to Ariana with a slow inhale. "Okay, look Ariana-"
"I don't want to hear it," Ariana cut him off, hugging her arms to her chest tightly as she shook her head. "Whatever it is, I don't care."
"But there's still so much you need to know. So much you need to understand," Lucas said quietly, insisting as he looked down at her but everything that had once seemed comforting and brotherly now just felt false.
Ariana was already stepping away though, shaking her head frantically. "No, I can't do this. You just stood by while my entire world fell apart. In fact, you were the the whole cause behind it. I just…I can't do this."
Without letting Lucas defend himself any further, Ariana turned on her heels, marching out after the hunters, ignoring the rest of the pack as they began to file out uneasily behind her.
Genevieve's eyes widened as she gazed across at a few groups of hunters standing nearby the tunnels as everyone filed out. The largest group surrounding all of the big black vehicles were the Calaveras, a big family of hunters, according to Kira who was hovering beside Genevieve protectively now despite her own exhaustion.
A few feet away, Genevieve could see Ariana standing alone near Braeden's van as a few hunters loaded up a wolfsbane-coma induced Peter while Lucas talked to the Deputy Sheriff nearby. Lucas had glanced over at Genevieve and Ariana a few times but they'd both made it incredibly clear that they weren't ready to talk to him any time soon. He had answers they probably needed of course, but right now the betrayal was too raw. Instead, Genevieve pulled her gaze back to the rest of the movement happening around the church grounds.
There were several hunters still roaming the area with weapons out in defensive mode, all different ages, including two teenagers who looked roughly the same age as Kira, although the hardened expressions on their faces gave Genevieve a feeling they were probably a lot less kind. The boy clutched a large rifle as his eyes scanned the area while the girl, possibly his sister, twirled a knife in one hand as she eyed Scott where he stood talking to Derek.
A woman, older than the rest of the hunters, stepped closer to Genevieve, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied her for a moment. "You're a Carey wolf." The woman's tone was matter of fact, a slight edge of hostility barely masked underneath, her hunting instincts clearly still active as she faced the young werewolf.
Genevieve froze, her eyes widening more than usual at the mention of her parents. This was the second time someone had recognised her based on them after years of oblivion and it was a little jarring to say the least. "You- you know my parents?" she stammered out, hugging her arms around her body uneasily.
The lady shook her head briefly, the sharp turn of her head cutting off Genevieve before she could ask any more questions. "Knew of them. My name is Araya Calavera," she said and it was clear her name was obviously well known. A name to be wary of. To be feared. "My hunters spent many years chasing down your family's pack."
The words cut into Genevieve like a dagger, her body swaying slightly at the past tense.
"We tracked the Careys for years but they always put up a good fight," Araya continued, hands clasped in front of her body as she spoke. "And the Careys had a pair of very powerful emissaries to guide them. They were smart. Strategic. Enduring."
"What happened to my parents? Did you kill them?" Genevieve asked, stepping closer to the hunter despite her fear. She'd heard most of this already from Chris Argent not long ago, but something about the way Araya was looking at her told Genevieve that she had more information. She knew something, and after years of pushing away any conversations of her parents, suddenly Genevieve couldn't turn away.
"No, the Carey alphas vanished fourteen years ago. We caught one of their betas not long afterwards down in Southern California. It seems your parents simply vanished over night without any warning." The woman's voice was cool and detached, as though she had no idea of the weight of her words.
"Fourteen years ago….When exactly? Do you remember?" Ariana had joined Genevieve now although she still kept her distance, clearly still shaken from what had happened in the church. She jutting her chin forward to stare calmly up at the hunter, giving off an air of confidence that made it impossible to forget her assassin past.
"Well I don't usually keep track of dates but we'd been chasing this pack for a while…" Araya trailed off for a moment, her eyes glazing off into the distance as she thought back through the years and endless hunting trips. Finally she pursed her lips with a nod, the memory finally resurfacing. "Oh yes of course. We found the beta in early November."
Genevieve drew in a sharp breath, her heart constricting in her chest suddenly as Ariana stumbled into her, their shoulders knocking against each other. The girls hadn't talked for almost five years but that didn't mean all of their shared memories had disappeared.
"What? What's wrong?" Kira asked, turning to face Genevieve as the redhead's face paled slightly.
Ariana's arms were wrapped around her small frame now, fists clenched tightly. She was staring straight at Genevieve, her eyes wide and unblinking. "My parents were killed on the first of November. Fourteen years ago."
A/N: Hey friends thanks for getting through this monster of a chapter! What did you think? I hope you enjoyed the pack's trip to Mexico. We're slowly starting to get some answers although Lucas is definitely keeping something to himself…But fear not! The final chapter isn't far away! Feel free to leave a review and tell me your thoughts/questions/cries of rage and prepare yourselves for the final chapter as Ariana finally gets the answers she's been waiting for! Your support and reviews all mean the world to me and I'm so excited to share the end of this fic with you all soon :)