No-one should underestimate the harm that fingernails can do, especially if the target is unprepared.
—Katniss Everdeen, Catching Fire, p.387.
Cora waits on my reaction. I narrow my eyes at her and then point to my room. This isn't a conversation I want the others to hear. Turning up the radio, I round on her.
"I'm going to kill Isaac." I growl, running my hands across my face to keep myself from breaking anything.
"I...I don't know if Isaac's the father."
"You've been sleeping around?"
"No, dumbass!" My little sister slaps my upper arm roughly, "Emily was taking my place the day Aiden raped her. He did it to me before they caught her. And before me, Erica. He's a sick son of a bitch, Derek. He takes what he wants when he wants it. When she said no, they kicked the crap out of Boyd. The last time, she fought back, and Kali killed her."
"It's my fault." I mumble as I sit down beside her, "Cora, that doesn't explain why Isaac could be the father, then. If you're far enough along for it to be Aiden's, it would've been when Isaac was in the vault with you."
"That's because Isaac and I had sex in the vault." She says, bluntly, "Look, if you promise not to go all batshitprotective big brother on me, I'll explain it. I was a virgin the first time Aiden raped me in the bank. It was after Isaac got taken. I tried to say no, and they...they kicked the crap out of him until I agreed to give them what they wanted. I love Isaac, Derek. I fell in love with him right after he came into the vault. Erica was already gone, and they'd taken Boyd out. Whenever he was gone, it was for over two hours every time. I didn't want to have that as my only memory of sex. I wanted to be with Isaac, and we just...we did. It was a month before you came and found us. I haven't had a period yet. I took a couple of tests this week. I'm twenty weeks. I want this baby, even if it's his."
"Why?"
"It's one of us. Yes, it's half of someone else, but it's a Hale, too."
"It's been 3 months since you got out of the vault, Cora!" I shout, "It's not healthy for the baby to go that long without prenatal vitamins."
"Since when do you know so much about babies?"
"Since Laura got pregnant and miscarried!" I blurt out, clapping my hand over my mouth. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone that. Ever.
"L-Laura was going to have a baby?"
"Yeah. She was. And then the Hunters came for us, kicked her in the stomach, and killed her mate. Right in front of us. It's why she was so determined to find the woman who killed our family here. There were three families of Hunters in Beacon Hills when it happened, so she wanted to prove it was the Argents. That's not the important thing. We need to get you to Deaton. He's a...vet...but he's something else, too. He'll be able to help you with this if you're determined to have this baby. I'll call him, see if he can come see you." I stand up, run my hand through her hair, and kiss the top of her head, "Go to sleep. You're taking the bed now. You and Sawyer. She'll be able to protect you if anything happens, and you can keep an eye on her. She's hiding something." She's snoring by the time I make it outside the door. The small form that had been sleeping beside the window was gone. Sawyer. She left. Daemon's still soundly asleep on the couch, and Preston's on the floor beside him. Everyone else is accounted for. Well, fuck. Emily's not going to forgive me if I lose her little sister.
Sawyer POV
"Do you know what time it is, Sawyer? What are you doing here?" Ethan grumbles sleepily as he opens the door.
"Aiden! Get your ass out here!" I shout as I push past him and make my way into their apartment. Deucalion is in the penthouse next to him, with Kali and Ennis on the other side. They won't come unless the boys signal.
Aiden comes out, shirtless, rubbing his face to get rid of the sleepiness and freezes when his brown eyes meet mine. I cross my arms over my chest and roll my shoulders back defensively.
"Babe, what are you doing here?"
"I came here to kill you, you son of a bitch!" I growl, throwing myself forward and tackling him to the ground. He cries out when I slash his cheek open with my claws. His long fingers close around my wrists to flip our positions and effortlessly pins me to the floor with his knees digging into my thighs.
I bite him.
I bite his left cheek hard enough to break the skin and blood flows down. His knees leave my legs and I slam one between his before I plant my fist firmly in his face. Strong arms wrap around my torso to haul me off of Aiden. I kick, clawing at Ethan's arms to get back to the other twin, screaming every foul name I can think of. Hurt fills up in his eyes. I shift all the way; claws, fangs, and my vision sharpens intensely.
"How could you do that to Emily?! To Cora?" I scream at the top of my lungs, "You raped them, and then started sleeping with me! What's wrong with you?"
"You can't believe that," He whispers, standing up and setting his hands on either side of my face, "Did Derek say that? Babe, you can't trust him. He'll say anything to turn you against me. Think about it. Have I ever forced you to do anything with me? I love you, Saw, I'd never do that to your sister. Tell me you don't believe that."
He pulls me against his chest and I wrap my arms around him.
"I'm sorry," I breathe, "I'm sorry I even thought for a second you'd do that. And Aiden?"
"Yes?"
"I love you, too."
EMPOV
"Sawyer's missing." Isaac says when I wake up, "Scott just called me. They think the Alphas have her, and Derek wants to kill Deucalion."
I don't hesitate, I start to pack my things at the same frantic pace as him, tossing him the keys to the Lotus, dialing my little sister's phone number. Of course, no answer. Shit! Then I dial Cora instantly, without hesitation.
"Emily! Thank God. Derek's pissed as hell. He thinks you're going to hate him for Sawyer going missing."
"Put him on the phone, Cora."
"I can't. Him, Preston, and Boyd left already. I tried to stop them."
"Why didn't they take you and Daemon with them?" I ask, putting the phone on speaker as I reach back to change my clothes into something I can fight in.
"I'm pregnant."
The car swerves slightly and I curse out loud.
"Cora...you're having a baby?" Isaac asks. I roll my eyes.
"We're having a baby, yes. I'm praying to any deity that will listen that it's yours."
"Cor, where did they go to find the Alphas?"
"The old Mall."
"Isaac, turn left at main street." I murmur, and then talk to Cora again, "Keep my brother safe, okay? We'll see you soon."
"I love you. Both of you." She says quietly before hanging up the phone.
"Let's give 'em hell." Is all I have to say as we both climb out of my car at the mall.
Emily takes Isaac's hand in her own as she ducks around a corner before shoving him up against the wall, flattening her body against his and pinning him up against the wall.
"Slow your heartbeat completely. We need to make sure they can't hear us until it's the right moment." She whispers almost inaudibly. Isaac nods in response, brushing his thumb against her jaw affectionately. Emily, to him, is his family without a doubt. She called it a Pack Mother when they were in Oregon. He takes a deep breath, closed those big blue eyes, and breathes deeply until his heartbeat is nearly inaudible. Emily smiles at him when he opens his eyes again, backing up and taking his hand in her own, leading him down the hallway and waiting at the end as her gray eyes trace the others. Preston stands on her mate's left, Boyd on Derek's right, with Scott slightly behind. He's given Derek control as Alpha.
"Do you really think a blind man could find a place like this on his own?" Deucalion smirks, "I'm not alone. I'm never alone.
"You're not the only one with reinforcements." Emily speaks, moving forward into view, her hand clasped with her beta's at her side. All the breath leaves Derek's lungs at the sight of her. She's gained the slightest amount of weight, giving her more adult body deeper curves. She's let the dark dye drain out of her hair, now faded back to the caramel color that gained his attention when they were young. Her fingers fist at her sides as she feels his gaze moving over her. The way he makes her feel when he does that makes her blood boil. It makes her want to take off all his clothes, and she can't focus on that right now.
"Emily. You're back." Deucalion turns over his shoulder, "Why don't you come say hello to our guests, Little One?"
Emily's stomach plummets when Sawyer comes down the escalator to stand beside him, letting the blind man rest his hand on her shoulder. "Hi, Em." She mumbles, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"What the fuck are you doing, Sawyer?" She blurts out, starting forward until Isaac closes his fingers around her upper-arm to stop her. She reflexively rolls back her shoulders and relax. What happened while they were gone? Derek wonders to himself as his eyes follow the motion.
"Il pourrait être un piège, Emily." He whispers into her ear. She nods, leaning against him heavily.
"This is my family now," The rail-thin brunette says from the stairwell. She glances down and then back up with glowing red eyes. Sawyer; an Alpha, now.
EMPOV
What the hell? I think as I stare at my little sister in horror. Before I can question her a second time, Kali slides down a cement beam, Ennis comes up from a lower level, and the twins flip down to land gracefully side-by-side. Her heart beats faster as she runs across the room and tucks herself into Aiden's side.
"You sick fuck!" I scream, starting for him, "How dare you!"
"Emily, stop! Don't ruin this for me." Sawyer replies, stepping defensively in front of her attacker, "I'm in love with him!"
My heart stops. I'm going to rip his fucking head off.
"Aiden," I growl in my Alpha voice, "You piece of shit. She thinks she's in love with you. I'm going to rip your throat out and bash your fucking brains in with it!" And I lunge. Before I can reach them, Sawyer's small body collides with mine and we crash to the floor. I slam my elbow against her jaw, thinking of how Talia taught me to fight. It's not working, with her. Then I focus on trying to remember how my sister taught me to fight. The only good thing Kate did for me. Growling, I elbow her in the chest and spring to my feet, backhanding her harshly across the face. Sawyer's eyes are the same tone as Kate's.
It makes kicking her ass a whole lot easier. It's the anger release I've been waiting ten years for. She cries out when I grasp her by the hair and slam her head against my knee. My little sister goes slack, and I drop her to the floor.
Isaac and Scott are taking on the giant mix of the twins, Preston and Boyd are taking on the bulging-muscled monstrously large alpha called Ennis. And Derek's alone against Kali. She swings her body around and narrowly misses his abdomen. I throw myself onto her back and tug her back to the ground, sliding out from under her and slamming my elbow against the woman's nose. Kali winces as blood flows down her face. Warm, muscular arms snake around my hips to haul me backward and swing me around. My foot slams against Ennis' temple and he grunts in pain. Derek sets me back to my feet and swoops in to press his lips against mine for a brief moment before he tugs away and swings back to fight Kali. Defending me again.
"Get the hell out of here, Cora!" I hear him shout, and I step in front of her with my back to her chest. Everyone ceases movement when they hear it. A second heartbeat. From the bump low in Cora's stomach. Reaching back, I set my hand flat across her stomach to protect my niece or nephew from the Alphas.
Kali knocks me to the ground and grasps Cora by the upper-arms and throws her to the ground, her foot over the Hale's throat. I turn my head to find Isaac underneath Ennis's.
"Choose, Emily. Pack or Family." Deucalion says, "Considering one of them is pregnant..."
I drop to my stomach at the sound of a bow being released. It sails through the air and knocks Aiden and Ethan onto the ground: splitting in two.
"Cover your eyes!" I scream, pulling Cora under me to defend her. Blood trickles out of the corner of Isaac's mouth with the force of which he was stepped on. When the arrows stop, I let the auburn-haired beta up and she immediately kneels beside Isaac, drawing his arm around her shoulders and helps him limp out of the mall after I toss her the keys. When I face the others again, Derek is taking on Ennis. Scott cuts through the flesh at the back of Ennis's calf. The desired effect doesn't work.
Derek and Ennis tumble over the edge. There's screaming, and it takes a moment to realize it's my own. My mate's lifeless body lies in the escalator below.
I volunteer to chaperon for the cross-country meet the next morning. I sit in the middle of a seat in the middle of the bus, Preston beside the window, and Isaac on my other side. I tug Isaac's head to my shoulder as I wrap my arm around his broad shoulders, rubbing his upper-arm to comfort him. Preston's palm rubs up and down my back for the same reason. Ethan, Danny, and Sawyer sit across from us. It's driving me insane. I want to tear her apart for betraying me. Just like our older sister.
I feel hollow, as if my chest has been torn open. Derek's gone. He's gone and he's never going to come back.