Welcome to Season 4A of The Haven Series!
Synopsis: After the unsettling death of her fellow friend Allison, Riley Haven finds that more trouble is brewing. There is no time to mourn when people are being brutally murdered left and right. It is up to her and her friends to discover the real reasoning for these assassination's, and try and stop them before they're next. But a dead-pool isn't her only problem. A sudden burden from her father seems to weigh her down, and she can't help but wonder what five million dollars could do for her, and her friends financial situation. And once greed is in-bedded into her veins, she may find that there is no going back.
There was a certain sense of chaos. A trembling notion that something wasn't right. That feeling spread thickly between the three of them, ghosting from one troubled teenager to the other. They all crowded around the table, eyes frantic and nerves wracked. They weren't sure what was happening, but something within the chilled tremors of their spine reminded them it wasn't good. "It's been four days." Scott sighed, his brows furring with impatience. His firm hand splayed a half-a-dozen bullet casing's across the clinic table. The sound clanged viciously, echoing numbly within Lydia's ears. "No word from either of them."
"In their defense," Stiles rose a hand encouragingly, "Derek does dissapear from time to time without telling us." He hadn't thought much about it like Scott had. His worrying over her wasn't as prominent due to knowing wherever she was, she was with Derek.
"But Riley doesn't." Lydia reminded, her voice full of ferocity and anger. Her statement was true. Their friend had always been good about letting them know her whereabouts, and it had struck her as odd that she hadn't spoken a word to her in days. "No texts. No calls." She frowned, her forehead creasing against her worried brows.
"From either of them." Scott squared his jaw, his eyes tracing a small indentation on one of the bullets before him. Stiles nodded, pursing his lips as he looked to Scott pointedly.
"Has Derek ever returned your calls?" His tone was sarcastic, and one look from Lydia made him clamp his lips together tightly. Now was not the time for jokes.
"Once." Scott squinted harshly at his hands, trying hard to remember if Derek had ever done so recently. "Definitely once, but hey-" he changed the subject quickly, "that's not the point. Derek and Riley are missing and it can't be a coincidence." His lean fingers toyed with another metal shell, his eyes worried. "Not when we found these all over the loft." The three of them glowered down at the bullet shells, trying to envision the possible reasoning's for a gun fight to have broken out.
"They're more than just missing," Lydia finally gathered. "They're kidnapped."
"By who?" Stiles asked, his voice harsh and unreasonable.
"That's why you're here." Scott pointed out, looking to Lydia sheepishly. "You can sense when people are about to die, right?" Lydia nodded nervously, the inner workings of her mind craving the commitment of finding her friend. But being a Banshee wasn't something that came easy to her, especially in desperate times. Scott grasped the metal bullet shells, holding them out to Lydia as he placed them within the palm of her hand.
They had a theory about Lydia, and had high hopes that this would lead them one step closer. "What are these markings?" Lydia asked, turning the bullet over between her fingers. Scott hesitated, wondering if maybe the news was something he should share.
"Deaton said it's a family crest," he answered honestly. "It belongs to a family of hunters that reside in Mexico." He bit his tongue then, his hands shaking with uncertainty. "Can you get any feel for Derek through them?"
Lydia bit her lip, closing her eyes as she shuffled the bullets from one hand to the other. They left a chilled notion within her palms, concentrating on something she wasn't even sure existed. But a feeling deep within her stomach quivered, tightening and coiling as it rose up into the clustered junction of her lungs. A small tether tugged at the tips of her fingers, her mind concentrating on the vision of Derek Hale as a round of gunfire echoed within her mind. There was darkness and pain. Anger and solitude. Frustration and guilt. All the emotions that clung to the missing man. Her eyes shot open, the bullets becoming a numb weight within her hand. Scott and Stiles gave her a wide-eyed and hopeful glance, but her head shook nervously. "Is he-Is he dead?" Scott asked slowly, calculating her troubled expression.
"No." She murmured, her eyes laced with confusion. "But I am not so sure he's alive either." Lydia set the casings back onto the table, becoming flustered with the vague hint of what had happened. "I-I don't know." She stammered. "Somethings not right."
She gulped back the thickness residing within her throat, her eyes glazing in frustration as the boys looked to her expectantly. "How about Riley?" Stiles urged, waving a hand to the bullets. "Can you get a feel for her? You're much closer to her than Derek, that's got to help, right?" His hopeful expression made her frown, nodding slowly so she wouldn't have to let him down.
Lydia tried to concentrate, but her shaking palms gripped the table tiredly, her lip trembling. "Nothing." She shook her head, feeling the voidness that was her best friend. "I feel nothing."
"What about this?" Scott asked suddenly, reaching into his back pocket. "Would this help you at all?" He opened his palm to them, a delicate ring splayed within the center. The golden band twinkled beneath the light above them. The milky pearl finely settled in the center.
"That's Riley's," Stiles noted. "That's her pearl ring! She only takes it off when she's sleeping!" His firm fingers reached for it, inspecting it with curious eyes. "That means that whoever took them came unexpectedly." He noted, his nerves finally beginning to catch up with the others.
"Let me see it." Lydia reached for it, remembering the item that had always sat upon the index finger of her best friend. Lydia's fingertip grazed the pearl, her body jerking suddenly as a involuntary vision claimed her mind. The feeling of anger and desperation filling her senses, finding the aura that belonged to her best friend. Her vision blanked, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. It was like Riley had been calling for her, not having to concentrate as her Banshee power took advantage of the small ring within her hands.
And from her vision, she saw three silhouette's step forward. The outlines of their bodies basked in a lavender glow. The ring dropped from her hand, clattering to the metal table as a gasp of air escaped Lydia's lungs. "What the hell was that?" Stiles reached a hand out to steady her, his fingers squeezing her's gently. "What is it? Did you see her?"
"Do you know where she is?" Scott asked.
Lydia took a moment to fill her lungs, calming herself as she tried to make sense of what she'd just encountered. It was something she'd never felt before. Something she had no control over as she eyed the ring speculatively from a distance. "I didn't see her." She panted with honesty. "But I know she's alive."
"Good!" Stiles bellowed. "That's great! Chances are that if she's alive, so is Derek."
"You didn't see where they were, did you?" Scott asked, sorrow lining his lips. Lydia shook her head, feeling a guilt-ridden weight collect on her shoulders. "Alright," Scott sighed deeply, straightening out his shoulders. "I guess we start with our only clue" He picked up the stray bullet before him, his eyes continuing to travel along the carved lines across the sleek metal. A family crest that belonged to the Calaveras. "Mexico."
It felt like days had passed, when in all honesty it had only been hours. Her mind was dazed, her vision cloudy as she began to come to. The smell of rusted metal and burnt wood filled her lungs, her nostrils flaring with each withered breath she took. A migraine had settled violently between her temples, pulsing rapidly against her wounded skin. Her hands were bound, flexing her wrists as she winced against the sharp tugging. Her legs were numbly sprawled out before her, trembling slightly to encourage them to regain feeling. Riley's skin was slick with sweat, the t-shirt that belonged to Derek soaked through to her shoulders. She wanted to open her eyes, but an uneasy tremor told her to do otherwise.
But her curiosity had gotten the best of her, squinting slowly against a harsh light that weaved through the stain-glassed windows above. The light that filtered in reflected off the colors that tainted the glass. Her eyes adjusted cautiously, still unsure of her surroundings as she allowed herself to mindlessly wander with hazy eyes. She sat on a wooden floor, covered in dirt and debris from the building that entrapped them. The walls were crumbled, still somehow upholding the fixture that sheltered them from the tempered heat. Their were paintings withered away with age and weather, unable to see what the fine paint had depicted at some point. But her eyes continued to roam, her brows furrowing with uncertainty at seeing a wrought iron cross still standing across from her.
Why were they in a church? And more importantly, why had it been destroyed? "You okay?" The voice made her skin break into bumps, her head snapping towards the sound. Her eyes began to glaze, her lips trembling as she caught sight of him. His lean body was stretched across a wooden beam, his arms bound above him. His cheeks were sunken in, his skin pale and his eyes ghostly. She couldn't find her words, and so she nodded quickly, her own eyes raking over his own body. "I'm fine." He wheezed, barely able to cover up his shortness of breath.
She could see the dried blood smeared across his cotton shirt. The fabric torn just above his belly button as his wound still sat unhealed. And that's when she remembered the gunfire. The Calavera's threatening them for information about the Loba. The fighting and the Wolfs bane bombs, until all the chaos had seemed to double. She remembered the face of the woman she'd seen brutally murdered just a year before. Riley remembered the silky blonde hair and the bright blue eyes. The curvy lips pulled back over glistening white teeth. She remembered the purple hue that had covered her skin, her eyes shifting as her fangs protruded. A panic attack settled within the cavity of her chest, sitting up straighter as her hands continued to violently tug at the zipties around her wrists.
"You need to stop doing that." Derek instructed, his eyes worried and assuring. "If you keep pulling you'll hurt yourself again."
His voice was low, his eyes on his feet. It was as if he was too ashamed to look at her. "What do you mean?" Riley's breath was heavy, her anger fueling her flight or fight instinct. Derek's eyes didn't meet hers, but he gave a pointed look to the ties that captured her soft skin. Only then did she look down at her own hands to see the wounds. The clear plastic had dug into her skin, bruised lacerations covering the delicate area over her arms. She looked at them with confusion, her eyes watering as a stinging sensation collected in her hands. "You've been tugging at them all night." He reminded, another cough lining his lips.
She bit her lip to neutralize the pain, cradling her wrists to her chest as she rose herself to her knees. "Where is she?" She breathed, her voice a low whisper. "Where's Kate?"
"I don't know." He answered truthfully.
He'd been in and out of it on his own, only waking for mere seconds to see Kate hovering above him. To see her pout lips spread across her full cheeks. A whole year he had gotten to live in fullness that his families murderer had died, and yet, she hadn't been dead at all. "Where are we?"
The hairs on the back of her neck stood prominent, her eyes widening and her fingers curling with anticipation. The sound of boots against the hardwood floors caught their attention, eyes turning towards a gaping entryway as a figure emerged. "It's not the where that you need to worry about," a soft voice purred. Kate slipped from the confines of the darkened hall, revealing herself in the brightly lit glow from the rising sun. "It's the why that we need to focus on."
Her eyes were insistent and hard, looking from Derek to Riley with impatience. "You're dead." Derek hissed, his voice guttural. "How are you-You shouldn't even be alive."
"First of all," Kate rolled her eyes, taking a step towards him. "Rude. It's not polite to simply state the obvious here, Derek." Her sarcasm was high, almost taunting as she crossed her arms over her chest, smiling to him deviously.
"Then I'll state it," Riley snapped from her position on the floor. Kate turned to glare at her, looming over her with polished bravery. "Why the hell aren't you dead?"
A small grin laced across Kate's lips, shaking her head as she clicked her tongue at her. "God," she breathed heavily. "I've missed your little temper tantrums, Riley." Kate bent to her knees before her, pushing a stray hair from Riley's eyes. "Some things just don't change." She sighed then, her eyes glittering with excitement. "But I leave town for a few months and suddenly there are coyote's, foxes and demons hell-bent on causing chaos. Let's not forget to mention the Deity that's been killed off how many times?" She rose a brow to Riley curiously. "I think the real question here is, why aren't you dead?"
Riley ground her teeth together, glaring up at the woman before her. How had Kate known about her if she'd faked her death? If she'd left town for the past year, how did she know everything that had happened during her absence? Kate looked to Derek then, still pleasantly in control as he glowered at her. "Why aren't you dead?" He breathed.
"Why aren't you healing?" She changed the subject quickly, reaching out a hand to his bloodied torso. "Oh, that's right." She grinned. "Because the bullet I shot you with was laced with Wolfs bane." Her eyes became glassy, her fingers brushing against his chest. "How many times have I shot you now, Derek? Four? Five?"
"Cut the crap, Kate." Riley's voice was venomous as she watched her touch him silently. "Why are we here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" She rose a questioning brow, her angelic face twisted deviously.
"Is this some kind of hostage situation?" Derek spat, his pale features turning down.
"You could think of it like that," she noted. "But personally, I like to think of this as a reunion of sorts. Almost like a recipe for disaster." She propped herself against a worn out desk, crossing one leg over the other as she made herself comfortable. "In all honesty," she shrugged. "I could use a little help."
"Ha!" Riley scoffed, twisting her hands uncomfortably against the constricting plastic. "You honestly think we'd help you?" She barked. "After all you've done?" Riley glared up at her from beneath thick lashes. "You didn't really think this through, did you?" Riley looked to Derek, already knowing what his decision would be as well. From the glare within his eyes, she knew they were both on the same side.
"Actually," Kate sighed, fidgeting for something within the pocket of her leather jacket. "I did. I had a feeling you'd both say no," she opened her hand to reveal a golden bullet splayed within her palm. "I'm sure you're familiar with these," Kate taunted Riley. "A bullet with powdered Wolfs bane inside. A weapon used to hunt werewolves," she tisked. "But it's also a cure." She hinted, waving the bullet back and forth with innocence. "The powder inside acts as a neutralizer from an already progressive wound. Derek here," she chuckled. "Has about an hour left until the wolfs bane laced bullet that is inside him, kills him." She stood then, pacing back and forth between the both of them carefully. "Either you two can agree to help me, or I can walk right out of here and leave you both for dead." She eyed Riley then, her lips turning upwards. "You might survive, but Derek," she shrugged, "he's only going to get sicker until it kills him."
"Don't," Derek wheezed, a cough getting stuck within his throat. "Don't trust her."
Riley glared at her, eyes threatening in every way she could fathom. Her lips curled, her pulsed raced. An anger so deep began to thrive within her veins, spreading like wildfire until it consumed her. She looked to Derek, his sunken cheeks only getting hollower. His pale skin turning more lifeless by the second. "I'm not agreeing to anything," Riley noted. "But what kind of help do you need from us?" She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
Kate chuckled, a sigh lining her lips as she dropped the bullet to her feet. "You'll see." She smiled slyly, reaching into the back pocket of her jeans as she retrieved a pocket knife. She bent to her knees, placing the knife within a safe, but reachable distance from Riley's bound hands. "The clocks ticking." She murmured, her breath fanning across Riley's cheek. She left then, disappearing into the darkness of the church walls that dived deeper below the surface. Turning her back on Riley, already knowing she was willing to help her. Already knowing that Riley was smart enough to weasel her way out of those restraints, because if there was anything Kate knew best, it was that Riley would have done anything if it meant protecting Derek.
She waited impatiently, listening intently until she could no longer hear the clunking of Kate's boots. Her eyes traveled to Derek, an angry riptide collecting in her veins as she strained her hands out for the blade. The zip ties only dug deeper into her skin, stinging the soft flesh as a deep bruise wound around her wrist. But even still, Riley curled her outstretched fingers just enough, holding her breath in concentration until she felt as if her head would combust. The pocket knife was sleek and silver, delicately engraved with fine details as her nimble and cracked fingers pried open the razored edge. She slid the blade between her skin and ties, forcefully cutting away at the very thing that bound her. "You-you shouldn't have done that." Derek's voice was a gutted whisper, his tone easily noted how much he was hurting.
She ignored his comment, remembering the time Derek had given up the triskelion box to the Nogitsune in order to save her. It wasn't a problem to him when it came to saving others, but once the saving was turned in his favor, only then did he neglect the decision that his own life was worth saving. Her hands were tender, rubbing them gently before rising to her feet on stiff legs. Her first instinct was to look over her shoulder, to ensure herself that Kate wasn't looking. And once she figured the coast to be clear, she bolted. Riley lunged straight for Derek, her hands capturing his cheeks as she steadied his bowed head. "Don't," he whispered, his sickened breath grazing her cheek as her hands rose up to the wire wound around his wrists. She grasped it firmly, hell bent on releasing him, tugging harshly only to take a step back once an electric shock burned her palm. "It's. Electrified." He said between low breaths. "The current. Is running. Through my. Body." Riley tried to capture his eyes with hers, but his own weight was beiginning to slacken due to the current weakening him. "The bullet."
His voice came out more as a plea than an instruction. Derek's head tilted the slightest bit, motioning over her shoulder to the piece of metal that still layed upon the floor. Riley could barely make out the words on his tongue, her hands resting on his chest as she barely felt the gentle rise and fall with each withered breath he strained to breathe. But she obeyed him, bending down to pick it up as she studied it carefully. "What do I do?" She asked, her eyes glazed and curious. "How do I make you better?" Kate had said that the powdered Wolfs bane within the bullet was what would cure him, her fingers furiously pulling the metal from both ends without luck. Riley side glanced him, chained up and defenseless as he got progressively sicker.
Her eyes welled, fighting the sting behind her lids as the build up of frustration seemed to burden her. "Use," Derek coughed, his lungs constricting. "Your teeth."
She looked to the golden bullet that still glimmered within her palm, grinding her teeth together in anticipation before urging the tip through her lips. She clamped down on it, wincing as her teeth violently bent the smooth casing into a dented manner. She concentrated, ignoring the ache of her molers as she heard the grinding of the metal. An ashy substance leaked from the bite marks, collecting in the back of her throat as she coughed vigorously. She pulled the bullet from her lips, dumping the remaining powder into her palm. The purple substance flaked into tiny pigments that swirled aimlessly with her heavy breaths.
"What next?" She pled, her eyes looking back to Derek. His eyes were closed now, his lips parted as he silently tried to inhale the pleasantry of air. His tongue darted across his lips, his stubble a dark contrast to his milky skin. The slightest movement of his mouth indicated he was trying to guide her, but from her distance she could not hear a thing. She ghosted to his side, her palm caressing his jawline as she urged him to whisper. "What do I do next?" She asked, her thumb skimming a prominent blue vein across his cheek. "Derek?"
"Lighter." His voice melted into a whisper that barely left this lips. "Burn."
His shoulders slumped then, his head bowing until his chin rested lazily against his chest. A tortured chill ran along Riley's spine, her hand lifting his cheek as it lolled to one side. "Der?" She whispered, her voice cracking. "Derek?" Her hand ran along his throat, ghosting over the spot of where his pulse should have thrived beneath his skin. It did not. "Wait-" she begged, inclining her head to press her ear to his chest. "Derek, wait!" Her cry was muffled by his cotton shirt, her free hand clawing at his waist. "Just tell me what to do!" Her vision became black, her lashes thick with tears. "Don't! Don't do this to me." She poised herself on her toes, her lips grazing his ear as she begged him. "I don't-I don't know what to do!"
A white haze seemed to engulf the inner workings of her mind. She found herself on her knees, her head lowered to the cement floor. Her wounded fists clawed at her hair, her tears soaking into the fabric of her pants. A cold swell tore through her, raising the hairs on the back of her neck as she looked up finally. Becoming aware of her surroundings, knowing this was a place she'd seen a few times before.
Bardo was a place that always carried her to and from reality. It was a blurred line between life and death, and a moment in her mind that had no indication of time. Bardo was the meeting grounds for those who thrived with blood in their veins, and for those who had been drained of that necessity. Bardo was a homeland to the treasured memories of those they had lost over a years time. 'I don't know what to do,' she whispered to herself. 'How do I do this?' The words weren't meant for anyone in particular, but she couldn't help but voice them.
"It's simple, really." A kind voice hinted.
It echoed numbly off the stark white walls, bleeding through the sound barrier that divided the line between the living and the lost. Riley perked at the sound, her eyes traveling through the thick light that scattered across the room in brightly lit beams. And through the haze, a colorful contrast against the brightness emerged a darkened figure. "You use a lighter to burn the ash," his smile was adorned with a dimpled cheek. His full lips were pulled back, his wide eyes playful and happy. "And then you merge it with the infected wound." He took a step towards Riley, bending down to her eye level with tender movements. "Derek taught me it once," Riley breathed in his sweet breath. "You know? Just in case the Hunter's ever got to us."
She couldn't help but to throw herself at him, winding her arms around his thick neck in appreciation. "Boyd." She whispered lovingly, her arms constricting tighter. His touch was cold, an aching reminder that this wasn't real. "You're here." She breathed heavily.
"And you shouldn't be," he pulled back, his eyes stern. "You should be there helping him." His hand grazed her shoulder, pushing back slightly. "You need to go back." He could see the hesitance in her eyes, his other hand rising to gently push her into reality. "I told you what to do," he murmured. "Now go back before it's too late."
A tightened coil sprung from her lungs, her body jerking back from Derek's stilled frame as she caught her breath. Her eyes adjusted to the church that entrapped her, her eyes still glazed from seeing a friend she'd missed since his departure. And through her time of self doubt and struggle, Boyd had called out to her, guiding her through the moment like a brightly lit torch in a violently dark space. He was looking out for them, even from his pearch on death's row. "Use a lighter to burn the ash . . ." She whispered to herself, her heart pounding and her pulse racing. "Use a lighter to burn the ash . . ." Her eyes swept across the room, her body moving on it's own accord as she held the Wolfsbane in a tightly held fist. Her free hand roamed through the rummage, her eyes searching for the fire that she'd need.
And on the same desk that Kate had been sitting, a silver square sat upright and gleaming. She'd left it there. Kate had planned this whole thing, knowing what needed to be done in order to get what she needed out of the both of them. A schemer whose scheme was far more advanced than Riley could fathom. She let the purple powder slip from the confines of her fist, watching as it settled ontop of the worn down table. Her hands shook, her fingers stiff as she flipped the cap ontop of the lighter, her thumb pressing harshly against the gear as she rolled it back. Her eyes widened at the flame that sprung, her breathing haggard and tense as she tilted the flame down, setting the specks of ash on fire swiftly.
It sparked. Hungrily ebbing the flame over each individual grain until they all caught the heat separately. The fire burned out on it's own accord, leaving the powder smoking and red hot like a branding iron. Riley gulped back the anxiety, brushing the Wolfs bane back into her palm as it settled like an ember within her hand. She bit her tongue against the heat, her skin burning beneath the substance as she turned back to Derek. "Merge it with the infected wound . . ." She replayed his voice within her mind, raising Derek's cotton t-shirt over his chest as her eyes caught sight of the bloodied laceration. The surrounding veins around it were protruding a royal blue color, the bullet hole leaking black blood as the infection spread thickly and quick.
Her hand rose up to cradle his neck, stabilizing his head as she pressed her Wolfs bane covered palm against the gash. Riley could hear it sizzle beneath her touch, her skin burning as the heat mingled with blood. A gasp sounded from Derek's lips, echoing within her ears as she tried to soothe him. His hips bucked, his chest constricted, his lungs taking in a satisfactory amount of air than before. His eyes shot open, frantically trying to zero in on the one face he wanted to see. She was blurry, but he could feel her hands on his neck. He could hear her soft cooing in his ears. Her breath on his tongue as he felt the bullet wound begin to heal. It closed in on itself, evening out the blood and the scar tissue as if the tear hadn't even exsisted. "You're okay," Riley stuttered, a soft smile creasing her lips.
And for those first few moments, she had honestly thought she was on the trail to losing him. She'd thought she'd have to relive another gut-wrenching death that would certainly bring her back to the depression that ate away at her. Riley had looked at him and hadn't seen a fraction of liveliness thriving within him. She'd thought, just like all the others, she'd lost him as well. "I'm okay," he cleared his throat. His eyes were softly appraising her, silently thanking her for what she had done. But he knew his gratitude didn't need to be voiced, because he knew how willing she was to suffer her chances, just like he always had with her. Derek was well aware of how far he was willing to go to save her life, yet, it somehow scared him to see her begin to do the same for him. Time after time.
"We have to get you out of here," Riley whispered then. "Before she comes back."
"We can't-," he hinted, his eyes narrowing to insinuate the truth. "You don't realize how strong she is."
"I don't care." She took a step back, watching him with insistent eyes. "I don't care what she is, or how strong she is. You and I are stronger together." And she meant it, knowing that standing side by side with him, they made a pretty lethal combo.
"Are you sure about that?" A demanding voice spat. Riley tensed, not having to look to know who had returned. "That almost sounds like a challenge," Kate commented, a small chuckle passing through her pink pout. "As much as I'd like to go one on one with you Riley, I have other plans."
"Like what?" Riley taunted, squaring her jaw against the woman before her. "Keeping us locked up in a church in the middle of no where?"
"Mexico." Kate winked to her, a defiant smile laced across her lips. "We're in Mexico."
"Stop stalling, Kate." Derek spat from behind Riley. "You needed our help. Either get to the point or shut the hell up."
"Jeeze," Kate rose a sarcastic brow. "I almost forgot how grouchy you were." She took a step forward, only to be met by Riley taking a protective step before him. "It's a good thing you're so handsome," she smirked. "Because an attitude like that is not attractive to the ladies." Riley continued to glare at her, keeping her stance before Derek with no indication of backing down. "Fine." Kate huffed, taking a seat atop of the desk before them. "You wanna talk? Let's talk." She leaned back then, making herself comfortable for what she assumed to be an equal interrogation. "You wanna know how I'm still alive, I get it . . . But it's kind of a long story-"
"Then stop blabbering and get to the point." Riley insisted, her eyes heated and glaring.
And Kate glared right back, biting her tongue to keep her mouth shut. As much as she wanted to put that bratty teenager in her place, she knew Derek would never help her if she did so. This was about gaining involuntary trust by weaseling her way onto their good sides. This was a special tactic of hers, and she wouldn't allow herself to fail. "I've had a theory for many years now," she began. Her eyes were distant and glassy as she thought back to her past memories. "There have been different ways of going about the change," she reminded. "Being bitten, obviously. Drinking rainwater from a wolf print. And lastly," she sighed, glaring down at her hands as her nails seemed to elongate into claws effortlessly. "Being turned by a scratch." She looked to Derek then, her eyes curious. "I'm still surprised you haven't figured it out," she commented. "It was Peter, after-all that triggered my shift."
"When he slit your throat." Riley gathered, her brows furrowing in surprise.
"Bingo!" She applauded, looking to them both expectantly. "I've got to admit," she sighed, looking down at her hands with deep concentration. "I thought you guys would be smart enough to piece it together by now." Riley looked over her shoulder then, glancing to Derek as Kate chuckled silently to herself. His eyes were questioning, his brows angrily angled towards the woman who had caused so much havoc in his life. He truly looked at her, studying the curvature of her features and then fantasizing about how the crunch of her bones breaking beneath his hands would sound. How he wouldn't show her mercy. How even though he had evolved as a human being, he was still a predator that held grudges. His mother always told him he didn't need to be a killer, but something inside him reminded him that maybe his mother would allow this one acception. How she'd agree with his decision and cheer him on wherever she was.
Kate was the only thing in life that had truly scared him. He was terrified that such hostility could be hidden behind false lies and loving eyes. She horrified him because he had so easily fallen into her trap all those years ago. Because he allowed himself to be vulnerable just that one time, and then seeing the repercussions of what she was capable of. Kate Argent was a full on hurricane, raging forward bravely while he was the helpless civilian that couldn't ride out the waves. She'd psychologically manipulated him, and so he wondered how it would feel to someday manipulate her. How it would feel to not be so afraid of her. Of what she'd do to him, or innocents . . . Or Riley.
"I don't remember much of the change," Kate admitted, shrugging her leather clad shoulder. "I remember waking up in a basement that belonged to this family of hunters that had caught wind of what was happening. The Calevaras." She gulped, a frown lining her lips. "They starved me. Belittled me." Her lips curved upward into a snarl. "They gave me an ultimatum. . . Either I kill myself," she breathed. "Or they'd kill me."
"That's right," Riley noted, pointing an accusing finger at Kate. "Your family has that little honor code, huh? If you're bitten then you have to kill yourself." And just like that, the gear shifts within her mind began to spin, piecing together the most important part of this puzzle. "You were never one to follow tradition, were you?"
"I faked my suicide." She hummed, her eyes wild and distant. "I waited for them to remove my body from that basement . . . And then I killed them." Her fingers curled, her eyes still heavily set on her claws. "And maybe I didn't mean to kill them," she hinted. "Maybe I got carried away and I couldn't help myself."
Derek's brows furrowed as he heard her story, not pitying her in the slightest. But he understood then why she'd come to him. Why she needed his help. "You can't control the change." He noted, and Kate nodded silently.
"You told me once, Derek," Kate squared her jaw, her eyes falling on him. "That your family had this heirloom to help with the shift on a full moon."
"And you want it?" Riley gathered, her eyes becoming increasingly dark and tempered. "I'm sure his family wouldn't want you anywhere near it." She snarked, her nostrils flaring. "You should have just done everyone a favor," she murmured bravely, "and killed yourself when you had the chance."
"Maybe you're right," Kate nodded, standing up then as she took a deliberate step towards Riley. "Or maybe," she taunted, "I have an alternative motive. The bad guys always do, don't they? Maybe all of this is tiny fraction leading up to a diabolic plan that I've spent the last year assembling." She clicked her tongue then, her eyes steadily appraising Riley. "And maybe," she toyed tenderly. "If you shut your mouth, you'll live long enough to see that plan unfold."
"Go to Hell." Riley spat, standing toe to toe with the woman she feared. She bravely allowed herself to remain in control, to seem tougher than she truly was in order to protect Derek.
"I've already got my name on the throne," Kate whispered, her breath fanning across Riley's cheek. "At this point," she stepped back then, creating a small distance between them. "It's really go big or go home."
"If you needed my help," Derek growled from behind them, sensing the tension their bodies created. "You could have just asked." Derek played this part well, already knowing he wouldn't help her unless she put people's lives at stake.
"You wouldn't have agreed," she caught on quickly. "You still haven't agreed." She acknowledged. "And while I could sit here and threaten to kill everyone you love again, Derek . . . I-I don't want to be the bad guy." And Riley could clearly see just how manipulative she was over him.
"You don't want to be the bad guy?" Derek repeated, raising a brow her. "Then let her go."
His eyes traveled to Riley, his voice demanding and brave as he faced his families murderer. If what she wanted was control, why would he need to bring her into this? "I thought about it," Kate shuffled from foot to foot. "She would have been useless to me if you had just agreed like my original plan." She turned her back then, heading for the door once more before pausing to look at them over her shoulder. "But you both know I came prepared with a plan B."
AN: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back! This was one of the most excruciatingly long hiatuses I have ever endured. I wish that I could have just posted this sooner, but then I wouldn't have had any material to post until a month or two after Season 5 of Teen Wolf airs. I am super excited to share this new season with you guys, because in all honesty you're in for a treat. But I've missed posting, and I hope you guys have as well! How has everyone's summer gone so far? How pumped is everyone for Season 5 to air next Monday!? So many questionsssssssss!
If you aren't already, follow me on Tumblr for the latest teasers about upcoming chapters! I have a whole slew of fun things posted already, like gif-sets, AU's, and fic trailers! And please, please, please don't forget to review and let me know how excited you guys are for this season of Finding Haven. What's the one thing you guys have missed about Riley since you've last heard of her!? Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and are looking forward to next Sunday. Things may get a little . . . Messy. ;)
I hope you all have a fabulous week, and I'll see you lovelies soon!
-Ashley