Black Sun

Courage is knowing what not to fear.

- Plato

Chapter Twenty-One

Evil In A Closet

Being alone with Lydia Martin was like being held at gun point.

Except instead of brandishing the business end of a pistol, she thrust piles of clothes and shopping bags in my arms as she strode through the endless aisles in the many stores of the local mall. Some clothes she pulled off the hangars without even looking at it and flung right over her shoulder at me. I had to peer around the mountain of skirts and dresses in my hands just to see where I was going and a couple times I almost smacked right into another clothing rack. It came to the point where I felt like dropping the clothes at her feet in protest and leaving her there to do her own shopping. But she was my ride home.

So I was stuck.

I waited on a bench outside the changing rooms for her as she tried everything on. She picked out over a dozen pairs of skirt, blouses and dresses for her party that night and judging by how big the pile was by her feet from the space of the changing room door, there wasn't a lot she liked. That meant more shopping. Maybe I should have made a break for it then. It wasn't like she was going to chase after me in her wedge heels. But after a couple minutes, she came out with a few dresses draped over her arm and I stood up to follow. I thought that was the end of her shopping excursion, but then she stopped at another rack of clothes.

"Lydia," I began carefully. "We've been in here for a couple hours now. Shouldn't we look at other stores before the mall closes?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was your birthday today too," she quipped, studying a long floral printed dress on a mannequin.

"It isn't," I said sheepishly and ducked my head. She sure knew how to make people feel guilty.

"Exactly."

I took a deep breath and trailed after her when she headed for the shoe department. She spend a whole hour over there but ended up walking out with nothing, which was a little frustrating. She was basically wasting my time, but I reminded myself that it was her birthday and I had an obligation to be nice to her. After we were done and she finally paid for her stuff, I carried most of the bags out to her car and waited as she popped the trunk.

"These will be perfect for tonight," Lydia hummed happily as we loaded the treasure in the back. At least one of us was getting enjoyment out of it.

My arms felt better once freed of the load of purchases so I buckled myself in the passenger seat as Lydia started the car. Allison was supposed to come on the shopping trip too, but she had to stay home to finish up some school assignments. At least that was what Mrs. Argent said over the phone. I was right. She was scarier than her husband.

We pulled up to the Argent's family driveway fifteen minutes later. I got out and hauled two bags into my arms as Lydia retrieved her purse and took another pair of bags from the trunk. The sacks were so heavy. I had trouble raising them past my hips. I was pretty sure the kanima weighed less than that.

Lydia rung the door bell and it swung open to reveal a serious faced Mrs. Argent. She smiled at us, but it didn't touch her eyes and it made me feel uneasy.

"Hello, girls," she greeted civilly.

"Hey, Mrs. Argent," Lydia chirped. "Mind if we talk to Allison? Concerning important birthday party details."

Mrs. Argent's eyes flicked over to me, slowly, like a snake stalking a helpless cub in the wild. Her irises locked with mine and all I could think about was her trying to kill Scott. Murder him. I hoped it didn't show on my face.

I forced a smile to hide the images that flashed in my head. It was like she could read my mind, knowing what I knew of and didn't know.

"Of course," Mrs. Argent said after a moment and stepped to the side. "She's upstairs in her room."

"Thanks, Mrs. A," Lydia chimed and skipped past her toward the stairs. I inched by slowly, walking faster than necessary once I was out of her proximity. I didn't want to be left alone with her, even for a split second.

Allison was sitting at her desk when we came in and her eyes widened when she saw the all the bags.

"Clear your schedule," Lydia announced cheerfully, holding up the two Macy's bag. "This could take awhile." She gave them a little shake and smirked.

Allison took in my tortured expression and fought back a smile. She set down her pencil and followed us to her bed where Lydia laid everything out like it was a million dollars.

"How many outfits do you plan on wearing tonight?" Allison asked her, watching her trifle though the selection.

"It's my birthday party," Lydia answered, like it should've been obvious. She took out a grey and light tan dress. "I'm thinking host dress." She reached in one of the bags. "Evening dress, then...mmm, after hours casual. Look, this one's from Hollister. I got it for Alessandra." Pulling out the light purple frock, she held it up under my chin and smiled. "Doesn't it look nice with her complexion?"

Allison and I stared at each other, as if a martian had swooped down and possessed her body, then slowly shifted our gaze to her. Lydia flicked her eyes between us, confused. "What?" She said in a confused voice.

"You just said something nice," I deadpanned. Was I hallucinating? It felt like I was. Maybe I should've slapped myself to make sure.

"Don't get used to it," she said curtly, tossing the dress back in the bag. I sighed. And there it was again. That winning personality.

Allison smiled and looked at her nails. "I noticed that you didn't send any invites."

Lydia laid out another dress on the bed. "It's the biggest part of the year, Allison. Everyone knows."

"I was wondering if maybe...this year.. things, you know, might be different."

Lydia's eyes sharpened. "Why would anything be different?"

"Just cause' things have been off lately," Allison went on, but Lydia acted like she wasn't listening. "Things and people. Like Jackson..."

The look Lydia gave her was almost startling. "Why do you care about Jackson?" She asked, eerily calm.

Allison shook her head, smiling apprehensively. "Do you know if he's coming tonight?"

"Everyone's coming," Lydia clipped.

"Are you sure? You didn't send invites, so..." I pried, wondering if her breakup with Jackson was just messing with her head. Or maybe she was always like this during her big day.

"Yes, I'm sure," she bit, eying me like I was an imbecile. "Why wouldn't they?"

I shrugged one shoulder, sharing a mutually weird glance with Allison. She appeared taken aback too.

"This one's American Rag," Lydia chimed, personality pulling a 180 and held up a taupe colored dress to her chest, smiling widely. "I love it," she sang. "For me. Not you. This one's..." She reached across the mattress for another outfit. "Material Girl. That's for you." Allison took the gift like she was accepting food from a dog with rabies.

Then a knock came at the wall. It was Mrs. Argent.

My heart lurched in my throat and I quickly turned away before we could make eye contact. I couldn't look her without my gut churning with sickness. She was more than the wife of Mr. Argent, intimidating dad and mother to one of my closest friends. She tried to murder an innocent teenager. Did she kill people before? Like Allison's now deceased Aunt?

It wasn't something you could just forget.

"Mrs. Argent," Lydia hummed, clutching a blue strapless dress. "What do you think of this one?"

"It's lovely," Mrs. Argent said. "Allison, uh, can I grab you for a moment to talk? Just the two of us?"

Allison glanced at Lydia and I. "Um... can we do it later?"

"Actually, uh, to be honest, sooner would be... would be better." I watched as she rubbed at a spot on her shoulder, but I quickly looked away. She looked sad and I couldn't help but imagine what must have been going through her head when Derek bit her. All this time she was trying to fight werewolves and now one of them infected her. She was bound to turn into the very thing she lived to kill.

"Party's at ten!" Lydia chimed over her shoulder.

"You'll be around before then?" Mrs. Argent pressed, looking at her daughter.

"I think so," Allison said, peering down at the heap of dresses, preoccupied. She didn't seem to care what her Mom had to say. They never struck me as the type to be close, but it was weird how cold Allison was acting toward her. I remembered having a rocky patch with my mother once too during my pre-teen years, but it was nothing on this sort of level.

"You think so?" Mrs. Argent prodded.

Allison sighed. "I don't know," she said sharply and glanced at us again as if to say she wanted to be left alone with her friends. Mrs. Argent's features crumbled and she slowly backed into the shadow of the hallway until she wasn't seen anymore. Kind of creepy how she just popped in and out like that, but I tried not to think about it too much. It already gave me goosebumps being in the Argent household as it was.

I sat on Allison's bed as Lydia tried on the week's worth of clothes, fretting over what to choose even though her party would probably be over before midnight. Was she planning on changing every half hour? Allison giggled when Lydia threw her a flowery skirt and matching top to put on and laughed even harder when I tossed back an outfit Lydia all but shoved in my face. I refused to put on the tiny little romper at first, but gave in toward the end when that steely eyed look came back to her. Despite her insisting to pick out what we were gonna wear later, it was nice to have time like that with them. It was growing rarer and rarer these days and I wasn't sure when things would just be fun again.

Mom came to pick me up around six and she waited in the car instead of coming up to the door. I didn't think Mrs. Argent would do anything, but it would have been awkward to the extreme to have the mothers of two separate families who hated each other stand there and stare at each other while I got my stuff ready to leave. They'd probably fake smile and compliment each other's decorating skills like all older women did when they didn't like someone. Being old was weird, I guess.

My dad was still at work when we pulled up, but the kitchen and living room lights were on. Ellis must've been in one of them, either rummaging through the fridge for leftover Carbonara or sleeping on the sofa. Yawning, I followed my mom though the front door and glanced at the kitchen archway. Every seat at the island was empty, so I wandered into the living room. There, on the couch, lied my cousin. Sprawled out like a lazy eagle, his much too long legs dangling over the end arm rest. He somehow always fell asleep with an arm draped over his eyes. At least the times I saw him napping he did, so seeing an opportunity, I sneaked a pillow out from his shoe and smacked it over his head.

His free hand shot up and grabbed it before it could make contact though. I saw his lips pull into a grin as he lifted his arm from his eyes and turned to look at me.

"Still weak," he said and I threw the pillow at him again, but he just knocked it away with his hand.

I giggled and flopped down on the recliner as he sat upright and stretched his arms behind his head. "Are you feeling any better?"

Ellis rolled his eyes. "You know, you can stop asking me that every hour. It's not like I needed surgery."

"I know," I said, frowning at the image of his bleeding shin the night of the rave. He claimed not to feel any pain from it but I saw him walking with a slight limp since then. "Excuse me for caring about your health."

"You shouldn't have, mother."

I almost chucked the other pillow at him for that, but he raised his arms up to his face so I knew I wouldn't have a shot at hitting him. "Do you always get hurt like this?"

"Isn't the worst pain I've felt," he replied. "But yeah, it comes with the territory. If you thought this was bad, I probably shouldn't tell you about what I had to dig out my shoulder with my Swiss Army knife last winter." He patted the area for reference.

My eyes widened. "What?"

Ellis smirked a bit and just shrugged his wide shoulders, but then his lips smoothed into a serious line. "I should be asking about you. How are you holding up? You did just see your first dead body."

"And I was doing fine until you brought it up."

"Ah, my bad."

"How old were you when you first saw a dead body?"

"Sixteen," Ellis replied. "Summer of 2006. I was in Agoura Hills with my Dad. He had some a lead on a case, something about tracking a spirit. Or a thing... I don't what it was or what he called it, but it was supposed to be a spirit that still lived in a physical body. Anyway... we go into this forest and man, let me tell you, the place was dense. Biggest trees I've seen in my life. I guess that's why it took so long for us to find him. There was this kid, lying in the brush and he..." He paused for second, as if unsure how to describe the next part. "You take Anatomy class?"

I shook my head.

"Okay, well, you know those models they use to show all the muscles? The skinless ones?" My lips parted at the sudden mental picture and a knowing look passed over Ellis' face. "It was like that."

"Oh my god," I mumbled, staring at the floor.

"I know. Death doesn't really have an effect unless you're there to see it happen. Makes you feel alive. And it reminds you that there's nothing stopping life from marking you next."

"Was this supposed to comfort me?"

"Sorry. Just seemed like an appropriate time for a morally ambiguous story."

"You're an idiot."

Ellis grinned as I glanced at the grandfather clock on the mantle and realized I had to go up to my room and get ready for Lydia's party. I slung my bag over my shoulder and stood up, seeing Ellis do the same and stretch his arms again.

"Where you goin'?" He all but demanded when I began walking to the stairs.

I stopped and looked back at him. "I have to go to Lydia's party later, remember?" I sure hoped he didn't. He was supposed to be my ride.

"I'm gonna assume my invite got lost in the mail?" Ellis said, pretending like he was insulted at being excluded.

"Who'd want to take you out?" I joked back and ran toward the stairs when he made a quick jerk forward, as if to chase after me.

The sound of his boots stomping in pursuit made Mom look up sharply from the stack of mail, so I froze at the top of the stairs and Ellis did the same in the foyer. If we accidentally crashed into something and broke one of her vases, Dad would come home to our battered corpses. I shot her an apologetic glance before glaring over at my cousin. He just stood there stupidly, grinning, hands in his pockets. He always brought out the kid in me when he was around. I guess that was why he was so annoying sometimes. Moron.

I trudged up to my room to get myself ready for that night. I didn't think I owned anything that would earn the signed seal of Lydia's Stamp of Approval, but then I recalled the dress she bought for me to wear. I pretty much had no choice. If I showed up with something else on, she'd just slam the door in my face. That would definitely saved me from an awkward time.

I dressed on time, bringing a jacket with me because of the breeze outside and skipped downstairs to Ellis' waiting car. I kind of liked being driven everywhere by him. Sure, he talked too much and sometimes didn't know when too much information was enough information, but it was a bonding experience for us. Or at least to me. He never let me touch the radio station, which was another downside, but I put up with it because he was my cousin and I missed him. Even if he was an idiot.

By the time we pulled up to the Martin home, I expected the street to be lined with cars, people pounding at the door to get into Lydia's ever awaited birthday bash. But there wasn't. Not one person. I seemed to be the first arrival. That was really weird. Oh, well. At least, I'd get the snacks and party favors before anyone else did. I got out of the car and said a quick 'see you later' to Ellis, but he was busy scrolling on the screen of his phone and didn't hear me. I rolled my eyes and went up to ring the door bell.

There was a few seconds delay before it swung open, revealing a beaming Lydia. The smile faded when she saw that it was me. "Oh, it's you," she sighed.

I smiled thought, despite her surliness. "Yup... Happy Birthday, Lydia," I said and walked in when she held the door open wider for me. She was holding a tray of beverages in one hand and offered me one. I shook my head. "Maybe later."

She smiled rather oddly, then set the drink back on the carrier. "Later." It sounded like a promise.

Standing idle, I gazed around the quiet house, realizing that I really was the only one there at the moment. "So, where is everybody?" I said.

"They're coming," Lydia clipped, but she didn't sound sure herself.

I just nodded like a psychiatrist would to their patient, looking around warily. Party streamers were hung up, random pop music playing softly in the foreground, and the refreshment table was organized with the same drinks she offered to me earlier. Except there was no one around to enjoy them. It was a graveyard. So much for everybody coming.

"Oh, I almost forgot," I blurted out all of a sudden and reached in my jacket pocket for her present. I handed it to her. "I hope you like it."

She regarded it like it was an ant in her palm, gold bow reflecting off the ceiling lights. The look in her eyes were close to disgust, but then she smiled. I couldn't tell if it was sincere or not. "Thank you. I'll open it later," she told me.

Talk about weird mood swings.

Still, I nodded. "Okay." Maybe buying those turquoise earrings for her wasn't such a good choice. She could always exchange them, I guess. Good thing I left the gift receipt inside.

"Could you take these out to the patio?" Lydia asked, thrusting the silver platter in my face.

"Oh, sure," I said and carried it out to the back where the other tables were. The doorbell rang again just as I was setting the rest of them on the tables with the other, hearing Allison's voice echo from the foyer. Relief flooded in my chest. Finally, someone I knew. And liked.

It wasn't long until her footsteps padded out to the patio. Lydia must've shooed her away too.

Allison smiled as soon as she saw me. "Hey," she greeted, long dark hair neatly pulled over one shoulder. She was also wearing the outfit Lydia picked out for her except it looked a lot more flattering on her. "I thought I was the only one here."

"Me too," I said. "It's kind of weird, right? I mean, Lydia is popular and all but-" I glanced around us at the emptiness. "No one's around."

Allison checked over her shoulder for any sign of the moody redhead before responding. "Maybe we're just early?"

"It's ten thirty," I answered, looking at the time on my phone.

"Okay... maybe not," Allison said just as the the doorbell rang again. I had high hopes it would be actual guests, but it turned out to be just Scott and Stiles. They stopped at the threshold of the patio door, a humongous present balanced in the Stiles' arms. How'd he fit that thing through the door?

Scott and Allison made awkward eye contact before the two boys shuffled out of sight. It was bizarre, but I told myself not to worry about it too much. What mattered was making sure this party went off like Lydia planned. The almost unstable glint in her eyes implied she was on the brink of some kind of breakdown. Which was really concerning, to say the least. The girl was guilty of saying and doing some pretty terrible things, but seeing her looking so bummed at her flop of a birthday bash made my heart stone heavy.

And apparently there was a certain guest Lydia was looking forward to seeing the most.

Jackson.

But he wasn't here yet. I wasn't sure if he'd be coming at all. Allison and I decided to talk to the boys about it, after strolling aimlessly around the entire Martin household. We approached them near the side patio doors.

"Uh, Jackson's not here," Allison stated.

"Yeah, no one's here," Stiles pointed out.

Scott tried to see the brighter side. "Maybe it's just early." The time on my phone proved otherwise though.

"Or maybe nobody's coming because Lydia's turned into the town whack job," Stiles remarked. We all glanced back at our fiery companion. She was standing alone by a table, like a lost deer.

"Well, we have to do something, because we've completely ignored her for the past two weeks," Allison murmured.

"She's completely ignored Stiles the past ten years," Scott retorted like none of us already knew.

His best friend thought differently. "I prefer to think of it as me not having been on her radar yet."

"We don't owe her a party."

"What about the chance to get back to normal?" Allison suggested.

"Normal?"

"She wouldn't be the town whack job if it wasn't for us."

"We did drag her into this mess," I said, looking back at the lonely red head. The way she stood there rearranging the drinks on the platter for the hundredth time was pretty sad. "It's the least we could do."

"I guess I could use my co-captain status to get the lacrosse team here," Scott said.

Stiles took out his phone. "Yeah, I also know some people who can get this thing going. Like, really going."

"Who?"

"I met them the other night. Let's just say they know how to party."

Stiles had a posse? I thought to myself. Wonder of wonders. Allison and I quietly waited around as the boys pulled their connections. I had no idea how we were going to solicit willing attendees to this shindig. There were some pretty high requirements if one wanted to pull off an explosive party. The kind that people continued to talk about into the next semester. Old Lydia would certainly be capable of dealing with the pressure, but new Lydia? I didn't have much faith. I couldn't go shopping with her without her zoning out for a few seconds at a time.

How would she operate in a two story house full of strange people?

[O]

- DEREK -

Derek wasn't someone who was used to worry; it didn't fit right on him now and it felt old. Stale, like it was like a pair of new boots that had yet to be effectively broken in, but whichever way he tried to make sense of it, he was worried about his ability to control his betas and that made him very annoyed with himself. There were several levels to it. And it stemmed from a disastrous chase that didn't seem to have an end, much less a solution.

Now there was the latest task of keeping his pack secluded from civilization for the night.

It didn't happen the way he expected it, but that hardly fazed him anymore as his plans regarding his newest betas very rarely went as he wanted; less than twenty minutes after they were chained up, the hasps were beginning to chip, but Derek didn't really think much of it at the time. His attention was narrowed and focused onto his first beta on the chair in front on him, regarding his Alpha with hollow eyes.

"How do you not feel this?" Isaac inquired evenly, fighting the animalistic nature pulsing in his veins.

"I feel every second of it," Derek corrected, ice in his voice.

"And how do you control it?"

"Find an anchor. Something meaningful to you. Bind yourself to it, keep the human side in control."

"What's it for you?"

He almost didn't want to say it. He could already feel the watery soft tendrils of her hair on his fingertips, smell her fresh, clean scent, taste the wholesomeness of her lips on his tongue. And she wasn't even there. But he carried her with him wherever he went, whatever he did. She was burned into his memory. If he'd known, when he'd first saw her, the effects she'd have on him, he wouldn't have pressed contact. He was doubting, questioning, and yearning and it was all pointless. All of a waste of whatever time they had left. It was an inconvenient time to ponder her future and safety with him, but he couldn't stop thinking about how better off she'd be having a normal life, graduating high school and moving away to college. Being happy.

It was all pointless. He was a werewolf by birthright and she chose to be with him willingly, whether it was right or wrong. There was no point in scrubbing his conscience clean, not now. It would only be false.

The young blue-eyed beta broke his thoughts, acknowledging his Alpha's silence. "Is...is it Alessandra?"

Derek nodded stiffly.

The knowledge came upon him quickly. He did love her; he was never going to escape from that. From that first night, when he decided to invite her into his car, he was never going to escape from her presence. The temptation that he tried and tested was still there, stronger than ever, and it was glowing. She stayed by his side when she had countless reasons to leave him. In made no sense to him, but in the back of his mind, but there was something about it. Something that felt like truth that wanted to make itself known.

It was strange, Derek remembered thinking and he thought it was never happen to him. But now that it, he couldn't shake the feeling it gave him. It was like the world had cracked open and the glowing light that poured forth illuminated everything he'd seen in darkness and obscured it, all at once; ideas would make sense for a second before becoming tangled once again and he couldn't begin to unravel his own thoughts. There were a few things that were clear, so he focused on those and they sank into him like warm embraces, locking down the most important revelations of his life, scratched and fragmentary.

Isaac's voice sounded apprehensive. "Is it always someone you love?"

"Not always," Derek answered. "It doesn't have to be that for everybody."

"You mean Scott?"

There was a beat and Derek nodded again. "Yeah." He tied off the young beta's chains around the leg of the seat. "Alright, that should do it." He leaned forward to check the other leg, but jolted back at the last second when the metal tore completely off it's bolts.

A deep snarl reverberated from the end of the train and Derek turned his head to stare into the eyes of his bloodthirsty betas.

[O]

After about twenty minutes of lounging around, people started flooding through the front door. Unique people. Most I didn't recognize. Was this Stiles' crew? He sure ran with an odd bunch. A lot looked like regular high school students, maybe even college kids. But others were rather... different, dressed in bright colors with lots of makeup, like pageant queens. It made me feel a little self conscious. But Stiles was right. The party really got started then.

The music blared, people horded around the pool, drinks were passed around, and not so subtle displays of affection were showcased. It turned R rated from PG very fast. Slightly uncomfortable, I ambled along through the crowd, intending to go inside for a quiet safe zone where I could actually hear myself think. Somehow, like most social gatherings I've been to, I ended up in the kitchen. I guess they inhibited the most solace out of every cramped party room. And there was food, so at least I wouldn't starve.

I kept an eye out for Allison, knowing her predicament with Scott, but there was no glimpse of her. Maybe she was still out back in the patio. When I reached the counter of the kitchen, Lydia ambushed me from the left, beverage in hand.

She daintily handed it to me. "It's later."

I smiled and took the glass. It smelled fruity with a splash of alcohol. "Thanks." She smiled back, a very creepy glint in her eyes, then turned and sashayed out toward the living room. More strange behavior.

Shrugging, I brought the drink to my lips and took a sip, pausing when a bitter taste trickled down my throat. The sour flavor stuck to the roof of my mouth and I had trouble identifying what it was. Maybe a new brand of vodka someone spiked the punch with? It made my stomach bubble, but stupidly, I didn't think anything of it and simply went on my way. People danced in a way that I was sure I'd never scrub out of my brain for years to come.

When I wandered out to the patio again, I found Allison standing by the pool. She was alone, a drink also in her hands and she stared blankly at the pool water.

"I think I think liked it better when it was just us here," I said and she smiled.

"Me too." Her eyes studied the other people crowding around the other side of the pool and I didn't miss the wistful look she shot Scott.

"Just go talk to him," I told her.

"I don't know what to say," she replied. "We never fought like that before."

"Say what's on your mind. Trust me, if he misses you just as much as you miss him, it'll be okay. You know he's always been crazy about you."

Allison bit her lower lip and took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders a bit. For a second, I thought she was going to march right over there and get her boyfriend back, but then someone else stepped between us.

"Hey," Matt the Camera guy greeted nicely, glancing between us.

"Oh, hi, Matt," I said back.

"Can I talk to Allison for a minute?"

"Sure, if it's okay with her..." I didn't want to leave if she was uncomfortable with it, but her expression didn't reveal if she was either happy or bummed about his presence.

She tucked back a fallen strand of hair. "Uh, yeah. Sure." Matt looked pumped at that and led the way inside the house. She glanced reluctantly at me, but I just waved back. She could always talk to Scott later. It was only Matt. Sure, he was always around at the least opportune times, but he seemed nice enough.

I took another sip from my drink. The flavor seemed to be getting more bitter each swig I took and I was about to set the glass down at the nearest table when something swayed me off balance. A dull buzz went off in my head.

Was I drunk? That couldn't be possible. I hadn't even finished half of the drink yet I couldn't prevent myself from tripping and staggering as I retreated back in the house. My eyes felt watery and I rubbed them away but when I pulled my hands back... black dots adorned my vision. Every where I looked, black shapes hovered around me, foggy like diluted black paint and when I stared too long they disappeared into the adjoining rooms. Like somebody hiding.

Curious and half delirious from the spiked drink, I wandered down the empty hallway. Everyone was outside or in the living room, so the hall leading to the bedrooms and bathroom were all dark and vacant. The lights were left on, but that didn't stop a chill from raking my back as I passed. It felt unreasonably cold, which was weird since I remembered it being warm outside by the pool and I still had my jacket on... but there I stood, shivering a little like someone or something was blowing their undead breath in my ear.

Someone whispered.

I spun around, my heart hammering as I faced the air. Nobody there.

Relax, I told myself. You just had a little too much too drink.

What was the drink anyway? Lydia never told me and I didn't bother to ask. It didn't seem important at the time. I still doubted if that was the thing that was messing with me. Something felt off about Lydia's house and I couldn't figure out why or what. It just gave me a sense that I wasn't alone. That something was watching me. Talking to me.

I heard the whisper again.

Shutting my eyes, I tried blocking it out, turning back around like it whatever was happening would walk away and find somebody else to toy with, but it didn't. The voices, a mix of deep and high, sounded like they were in my head, in front of me and all around me, mumbling and screaming. I didn't know what they were saying and I was too scared to listen. All I knew was that I felt trapped and tormented. And I needed to get out.

I pulled open the nearest door and slammed it shut behind me, dusty coats hanging off the rack brushing against my shoulders. I could still hear them so I sank down in a ball, forehead pressed to my knees and just prayed it would stop. That someone would come looking for me or Lydia would call off the party early because she was getting bored. I prayed so hard. But no one came. Nothing happened and I was stuck with these demons scratching to get at me. And the scariest part was... they didn't feel like my own. They felt like someone else's.

"Leave me alone," I mumbled to the thin air, arms around my legs. "Get out of my head and leave me alone."

They wouldn't though.

They kept yelling, screaming, whispering and insulting me. I didn't know how much longer I could stand it. It seemed like the doorknob melted away and I'd be stuck there forever.

"Alessandra?"

I lifted my head at the all too familiar voice and my chest nearly burst with relief. "Dad? Dad, I'm in here!"

It didn't hit me then to think what the hell he was doing at Lydia's birthday party and in all my terror I didn't think to ask. I just wanted to see a friendly face and feel like things were normal again. My Dad's presence was more than enough to chase away the bad energy.

The door slid open after a moment and Dad knelt down to my level. I tried standing up, but he kept me still by placing his hands on my arms.

He frowned when he looked at my face, like he was disappointed. "You did this to yourself, didn't you?"

"What?" I muttered, confused. "No, I don't know what happened. I started hearing things and-"

Dad sighed then, letting his arms fall back. "This has got to stop, Alessandra. You're not a child anymore."

I stared at him, his words hitting me like bricks.

"You know your mother and I won't be with you forever. And once we're gone, we're not coming back. You understand? It's time to grow up, Alessandra." He reached out then and brushed a strand of hair away from my face. "Grow up."

I blinked and suddenly he wasn't there. He was standing further in the hallway and when I stood up he turned and his blurry figure slipped through the crowd. Leaving me alone.

Grow up, Alessandra.

Grow up.

They felt like parting words and with warm cheeks, I hurried after him. I didn't know where he walked off to and I stumbled into the patio, gazing all around at the clusters of dancers and figures that looked weirdly distorted under the bright string lights. Where did he go? How did he even know where Lydia lived? Did Ellis tell him? I thought he was still at work. My head in a jumble, I shuffled uneasily back inside, debating whether or not the visit from my Dad actually happened. Did I imagine it? It sure felt real and when I reached up to touch the spot on my cheek where his hand was, it felt cold. My Dad was always warm.

It didn't make sense. Why would he come there? Why would he leave me there? I didn't know what was going on and it freaked me out. More than I already was.

Shaken, I ventured to the kitchen where a couple made out by the sink. Maybe some water would have helped clear my head a little and as I went over to grab a cup, a half empty glass of Lydia's drink mix sat on the counter. Lip prints stuck to the rim but that wasn't what made me stare.

A blue leaf floated inside.

I checked the coast to make sure no one was watching before reaching inside and fishing the soaked leaf out. It didn't look like something Mrs. Martin planted in her backyard or the fake flowers people sometimes put on the window sill above their kitchen sinks. This one looked familiar... like I'd seen it too many times to count.

"You guys seen Lydia? You know where Lydia is?" Scott's voice rang out from somewhere in the house. "Have you seen Lydia? Lydia? Where's Lydia?"

The leaf still in my hand, I followed the source of his voice to the pool area, calling out for him too and nearly tripped when my forehead smacked against a broad back. Scott.

My cell phone started vibrating in my jacket pocket then. Probably Ellis calling to ask if he could come and hang out there despite not knowing Lydia or virtually anyone else there, but I ignored it. I'd call him back later.

"Where'd everyone go?" Scott said, looking relieved to see me but still bewildered on where his best friend went. I hadn't seen Allison or Lydia around either.

"I don't know," I said with a shrug. "I.. uh, I was in the kitchen for a little while and I started feeling funny." I left out the part where I might of hallucinated talking to my Dad. That would have just creeped him out.

"Yeah, so did I. Something's happening and I think Lydia has something to do with it."

My heart lurched in my throat. He knew too.

Silently, I opened my palm and showed him the wet wrinkled leaf. A look of horror passed over his face and his brown eyes scanned the patio for answers. "Look, over there!" He pointed to something on the pillar and pulled me along with him to check it out.

I didn't see it right away but Stiles' unconscious figure was slumped against the brick wall. Only he would fall asleep in the middle of a party, hosted by his life long crush.

Scott and I knelt at his side and he was so out off it, he didn't stir when we nudged him from side to side. "This looks bad, Scott," I murmured to the lycan.

Scott frowned and retrieved a bottle of water from another unconscious girl's hand. "Stiles, look at me. Drink the water." He poked and prodded at his best friend, who began to slowly blink his eyes open. "Stiles, drink it. Something's happening, and I need you to sober up right now. Come on, Stiles."

"Should I hold his mouth open?" I asked. Stiles didn't look fit to do anything except lie there like a ragdoll.

"What do you think you are doing?" A random girl popped her head around the wall then. "You want to sober him up fast, that's not the way to do it."

"You can do better?" Scott shot back.

"I can do best. Boy..." The girl sassed back, seeming offended at Scott's apprehension. She seized a lolling Stiles by his shirt collar and dunked him face first in the cold pool water. He jerked wide awake. "Whoo!" She cheered happily. "How do you feel?"

"Like I might have to revisit my policy on hitting a girl." Well, at least now we knew Stiles was the violent type when he was inebriated.

"He's sober," the girl quipped before leaving just as quick as she came.

Stiles shook the water from his dripping face before letting Scott and I help him stand. His legs were a little shaky but he was okay enough to walk without face-planting. Scott filled him in on what was going on since he lost consciousness, what he saw and he shot me a pointed look when he brought up my drink discovery.

I laid out my palm for Stiles to see too and his eyes widened instantly. "That's... that's wolfsbane. Which means, oh god-" he started rambling then, covering his mouth with one hand.

"We have to find Lydia," I said. "If she didn't do it, then somebody else did."

The boys nodded and we all split to search for her. I started in the kitchen and worked my way through the living room and dining area, awkwardly squeezing past couples who were dancing a little too close. I didn't want to check the hall. It still made my stomach ache when I thought about it and I was afraid I might see something again if I walked down it. Maybe my Mom.

But after minutes of scouring the Martin residence, inside and out, I came up short. I met Scott and Stiles by the pool again and from the looks of befuddlement on their faces, they didn't have such luck either.

"Hey, I can't find her. And, dude, anyone who drank that crap, they're freaking out."

"I can see that," Scott replied dismally.

Stiles glanced between us. "What are we gonna do?"

"I don't know, but we gotta-"

"I can't swim!-" A male voice exclaimed from the poolside. Our heads snapped over to see two muscular guys hauling another boy toward the pool, but his protests went unheard. "No, no, no, no, stop, guys! I can't swim! I can't swim!"

Then they pushed him in. His body made an echoing roar, arms flailing as he struggled to stay above water. I gasped, recognizing the guy's face as it bobbed up and down.

"That's Matt," I breathed, looking at Scott and Stiles.

Everyone stood by as Matt struggled to keep himself from sinking to the bottom, either too taken aback or uncaring to step forward and pull him out. From my peripheral vision, I saw Scott shift his weight as if to walk over there, but then another pair of footsteps stormed over to the pool. Wait, Jackson's here? I thought to myself as I watched him help a sopping Matt from the water, his jaw tense and tight like he was bothered by the whole thing.

I didn't know what was more of a revelation bomb. The fact that Jackson just willingly helped another guy who at first I assumed he didn't like that much or that he was here at his ex-girlfriend's birthday party.

Matt fumbled angrily from the pool, looking up at the eyes of peers who did nothing except gawk back. "What are you looking at?" He snapped.

Everyone turned away then, the air growing thick with tension as he led a dripping trail toward the house. But when he caught sight of Scott blocking the way, he froze and stared almost vehemently through him. I didn't think either of them had an issue with each other. Sure, one was trying to cozy up to the other's ex and if that was enough to send some girls off, then I could only imagine what that did to the male ego. The dating scene was a mess sometimes.

Matt stiffly strode past us then and disappeared somewhere in the house.

"The cops are here!" A voice called from the crowd. "Party's over! Run!"

And just like that, mayhem ensued.

People scrambled to collect their stuff and race out the door, some even running with their drinks still in hand or without their shoes. It was something I probably would have laughed at on a different night if it wasn't for the fact that we still couldn't find Lydia or Allison and something really bizarre went on with Matt.

Patting my pockets for my house key, I followed the herd out to the lawn, hoping my cousin remembered the time I told him to pick me up. Since the police decided to drop it, it wasn't like I'd be welcome to sit and wait by the curb. I held my key in my hand but paused when I realized I missed a call earlier. It might have been one of my parents so I thought it was a good idea to listen to their message now instead of getting an earful of a lecture when I came home.

But when the screen lit up and showed the name, alarm washed over me. I pressed the 'play' button on the voicemail and listened.

"Alessandra, I need you to call me back. Or call Scott for me. He's not picking up." Something growled in the background. "The betas are about to break free. I don't how much longer I can hold them-" One of them must have escape then because an earsplitting crash echoed from the message, followed by a muted clunk. Derek must have dropped the phone and that was when the call cut off.

My heart skidded. If Derek left that message over an hour ago, who knew what happened since then. The betas could have broke free and ran from the warehouse. Derek could have been seriously hurt. I should have answered the phone... I should have helped him.

Panicking, I rushed through the crowd, scanning the retreating heads for Scott but he wasn't there anymore. Neither was Stiles.

"Hey, punk," a voice greeted me from the curb and I turned to see my cousin standing there by the passenger side door. His arms were crossed and something in his features told me that he didn't need me to explain the gist of my night. He already knew. "We have problems."

A/N: I had so much fun writing this. Party Guessed is one of my favorite episodes and I can't wait to start on the next episode since it's pretty intense.

To my guest reviewer Stephanie: Jennifer will be manipulating Derek and Alessandra's relationship, and the Dennifer thing will still be in the story, but I'm gonna water it down. Season 3 will all together be a rough season for Alessandra, so things can't stay happy forever, you know? A lot of factors working to ruin everything and everyone.

Thanks for reading! Have I told you guys that you're amazing? I did? Well, I'm gonna say it again. You're amazing.