Outside of the crumbled walls of the Aztec Church, above the stained glass windows that began to wither over time, the desert sun settled on the horizon of rolling hills of sand. Darkness engulfed them, demanding silently to pay attention to the eerie filter that entrapped them. The rising moon seemed to weave through the cracks, slightly gracing them with a bitter glow. Riley kept her eyes on Derek, gulping down the frustration that threatened to bubble up. He still stood weakly, his arms bound to the wooden beam above him. It had been silent between them for the past few hours, keeping to herself as she waited for him to fully heal from the gunshot wound. But even hours after stopping the infection, he looked as if he continued to get progressively worse. This alone spiked an aggressive worry that ran wild through Riley, and that was because tonight happened to be a full moon.
His skin had returned to the peachy tan it was before, but an underlining sickness thrived just below the surface. Something was happening to him, and that something told her it wasn't going to end well. Maybe it was the slow electric current that Kate continued to urge through his body, but even that couldn't have made him look so withered. He looked as if he was on the last leg of his life as his head lolled to one side. His body was a dead weight, held up only by the strong restraints that bound his wrists. And as the moon seemed to settle higher in the sky, fully peaking through crumbled wood did her worry turn into full fledged fear. Derek's body twitched beneath the light, a groan echoing off his numb lips. His eyes crinkled shut, his brows knitting together to channel his pain. Riley rose to her feet, pausing before him as she tried to figure out how to help. Derek's eyes opened slightly, allowing her to see the small sliver of blue that illuminated his iris'.
His years of self control and power could do nothing for him now. The full moon's light had awoken that beast inside of him, manipulating his already weakened frame for control. "How can I help?" Riley begged, watching him twitch as his breathing became haggard. "What can I do?" He could hear her voice, but he could not focus enough to understand her words.
Another hiss escaped his lips, his eyes phasing back and forth between pearly gray and steel blue. His features seemed to elongate, outlining the animalistic muzzle of his werewolf side before settling back to his human skin. He had no control of the shifting, vulnerable to the wolf inside that continued to tear it's way out. She took a step forward, her eyes glassy and concerned. "Don't!" He gasped, his fingers curling into pointed claws. He dug his nails into the palm of his hand, feeling the warm liquid seep down his wrist's. Alpha. Beta. Omega. He silently chanted those words within his mind. Focusing on the meaning of them. Ignoring how the words sounded when they fell from his own mother's lips. How the mantra had been his anchor throughout his teenage years. How that mantra alone rehashed all of the healing his heart had made through the difficult years following the fire. Alpha! Beta! Omega! He tried to reason with himself, but his control was already slipping. His anger had escalated due to the inability to hide his vulnerability. "Go!"
His voice had a bit more roughness than she was use to in it. An underlining threat that maybe something bad would happen if she stayed. But even as he shifted back and forth viciously, she stood her ground defensively. "I'm not leaving you." She promised, her muscles tensing with each sickening crack his body seemed to make. His jaw seemed to unhinge then, his fangs protruding through the tight growl that sifted through his wounded lips. "Tell me how I can help you-"
"You can't." A voice chimed simply. Riley turned then, peeking over her shoulder as Kate seemed to emerge from the shadows. Her timing was always precise and rewarding as she stepped into the moonlight beside her. Kate's own features were distorted. The purple hue adorning the exposed flesh as her features elongated into a tempered muzzle. Her green eyes glowed, almost cat like as she basked in the power hungry surge of energy that weaved through her. "You can't help monsters like us." Her own breath was husky, almost tired and worn out. Riley could clearly see that control was just as hard for her as it was for Derek.
"The only monster here," Riley spat. "Is you." She kept her distance, shielding Derek's trembling body from Kate's eye line. She was defensive and falsely brave against the Were-Jaguar before her. A small chuckle seemed to escape her fanged lips, a look of sarcastic hatred laced within her eyes.
"Go!" She heard Derek growl from behind her. The sound rose the hairs on the back of her neck, tensing her body as a disheveled breath lined her lips.
"No one's going anywhere." Kate insisted, staggering slightly as her neck twitched tightly. "Not when I'm this close." She whispered, a small and seductive smile creeping across her full cheeks. Her clawed hand reached out to steady her, trying to fight off the inability to stay in control. The full moon was overpowering her in torturous ways.
"Close to what?" Riley rose a brow, her feet shuffling backwards instinctively.
"Plan B." Kate murmured. Though her stance was staggering, she took lithe and determined steps forward. Her sandy blonde hair hung over her bare and shifted shoulders. The animal inside of her continuing to claw it's way out. It was a feeling she didn't necessarily try an hold in, allowing it to take control of her instead. "I admit," she smiled playfully. "I was skeptical about all of this at first." Her hands splayed out as she pointed to both Riley and Derek. "But I came to realize that anything in this world is possible if you have people willing to bend and break in order to accomplish what you want."
"We already told you we aren't doing you any favors." Riley noted, squaring her jaw angrily.
"Not yet." She clarified clearly, looking to them from beneath her thick lashes. "But you will. And those favors don't have to be consensual, not when I have the force to back me up." Her words caught Riley off guard, her skin breaking into littered goosebumps. The threat within her tone made her cringe, hearing the whispered breathing of something approaching. Her eyes zoned past Kate, eying the shadows as a burly shillouette emerged. It was bulky and brainwashed by the woman standing before her. It's face was hidden beneath a thick layer of bone, scanning the features of a skeleton that accumulated over it's body. The ribcage of whatever animal they'd slughtered was attached to it's chest, almost like armor.
It's bones worn as a symbol of hostility. An armor of war. "Berzerkers." She heard Derek breathe, his voice raspy and worried.
She remembered the term, thinking back to when Chris Argent had mentioned that they were Germanic Warriors that wore the skin and bones of bears to channel their ferocity. Her knees locked as one of them began to approach. Her knees then buckled as two more followed after. Riley didn't know anything about these creatures, knowing that they were human beneath the carcasses, but just how ferocious could they have been? Riley should have taken it's growl as a warning, but still, she stood defiantly before Derek. Her hands balled into fists, her frame shaking from inexperience and anger. The Berzerker's steps were heavy, coming for her as she met it half way. She lunged her body forward, thrusting as much force as she could into the swing of her fist. It connected roughly with the hard casing of animal ribs that clung to it's skin. Her knuckle split, the smallest piece of bone splintering from the rest.
Her eyes widened in fear when she realized the creature would not go down easy. The Berzerker's arm rose, cloaked in sharpened shards of bone all the way to it's fingertips. It whipped it back, colliding with the soft swell of her cheek. It raked her skin, her knees buckling from the force as she tumbled to the ground below. A scoff escaped her lips, her hand traveling up to wipe away the blood that had accumulated from the corner of her mouth. "It's time." She heard Kate's delicate voice say then, flinching as the creature before her grabbed her by the roots of her hair roughly. It rose her to her feet, a migraine splitting down the side of the back of her head as she watched Kate step forward. The two other Berzerkers behind her by-passed her smug frame, her power hungry eyes laced on Derek.
"Time for what?" Riley panted, her breathing uneasy and panicked.
"I'm taking the body." She noted, snapping her fingers as the creatures took her command casually. They tore the binds from Derek's wrist's, each grabbing his arm as they began to carry him into the darkness where Riley's eyes could not adjust.
"No!" She begged, still fighting against the animal that held her at bay. It's fist constricted in her roots, tugging violently when Riley thrashed against him. His hand engulfed hers, pulling her arm behind her back and up as she gasped. "Kate!" She screeched. "Don't! Take me instead!" She bargained, her eyes insistent and powerful as she plead with her.
"Don't worry, gorgeous." Kate hummed, her hand reaching out to cup Riley's cheek. She memorized her features, the pout of her lips to the arch of her cheeks. "You're coming too." Her eyes couldn't adjust to anything, her vision tainted with tears and hesitation as the creature behind her forced her forward. They went deeper into the temple, hearing Kate's lithe footsteps up ahead. The hallways were narrow as they traveled further underground, below the church that had once sheltered them. The moonlight still guided them, a pale blue color slightly lighting their way. Her feet dragged against the dirt, stirring up the dust as she inhaled silently. The tunnels broke off into every direction, leading them this way and that. She tried to count the turns, trying to memorize the pattern of the halls incase they'd gotten the chance to flee. But everything was dark as she reached her free hand out to briefly touch the stone walls.
Cob webs seemed to accumulate in every corner of the temple, but her fear of spiders had nothing on the fear that settled unwell within her stomach. She couldn't even begin to fathom what lay ahead, and why Kate needed them both. But she gulped back that panging intensity that warned her of chaos, and begin to walk willingly now. Because wherever she was headed, she knew Derek would be waiting. The hall they had traveled through seemed to open suddenly, thrusting them into a wide room with glass windows up above. The moon shined brightly, illuminating the space with bitter uncertainty. Riley's eyes adjusted, her eyes finding Kate's back as she slowed her pace. Only when Kate began to circle round, did Riley catch sight of what she'd feared.
The secret agenda she knew the Argent would have planned out flawlessly. The Berzerker's rested Derek's weak body across a stone slab, the edges of the table carved with bones. Derek wheezed, finding it hard to breath as the moon beam above directly entrapped him. Riley's hips bucked, her fighting instinct kicking in as the Berzerker behind her kept her exceptionally close. "I've got to admit," Kate sighed, a smirk creeping across her cheeks. She'd phased back to her normal self, her porcelain skin glowing and bright. "I never imagined it would be this easy." She bent down to retrieve a pile of rope beside her foot, unraveling it slowly. "I've heard rumors that Deities are wrathful beings. That they take revenge too seriously and are protective of those they care about. But you, Riley," she taunted. "You don't seem to live up to your reputation." She cooed. Riley's eyes were already wet, eyeing Derek nervously as Kate wound it tightly around his body. Restricting his movements, as if he hadn't already been too weak to fight back. A purple object caught her attention then, seeing it weaved within the fraying ties as she gulped thickly.
The flowers were embedded into it, confining Derek with Wolfsbane to subdue any resistance.
At least, that's what she thought.
"Maybe it's because you lack control." Kate murmured, running her hands through Derek's hair. His eyes were closed, his brows knit. The only indication he was still breathing was the small curve of his chest rising gently. "You and I are more alike than you think." She assumed, shrugging her shoulder timidly. "What do you say, Riley?" Her pearly teeth glimmered. "How 'bout we both take advantage of what this plan entails?" She had to admit that her eager attempt at persuading Riley wasn't entirely thought through, but she hoped the girl before her was smart enough to weigh her options. She wondered if the girl would agree out of fear, hoping she could some how take advantage of the talent that was festering within Riley's undeserving body. Because to Kate, she didn't deserve that power. She thought Riley to be undeserving of such a gift, and assumed that along with gained control, she could somehow use her gift to her advantage.
Her words echoed inside Riley's mind, almost taunting her with what she was already aware she couldn't do. She knew that her own control hadn't amounted to anything when it came to her gift, but she could sense the hidden agenda behind what Kate had planned. "Fuck you." Riley sneered, her nostrils flaring and her teeth grinding.
Kate had to admit that her words gnawed at her. Anger bubbling as she shut her eyes to control herself. Of course the teenage girl would deny any sort of position in this. But she swallowed her temper, squinting up through the windows above as she glanced to the moon. It was now at it's peak, it's energy thriving as the hour settled numbly. "He's ready." She murmured, looking back to Derek's bound body. "All we need now is her."
The Berzerker behind Riley stepped forward, dragging her along as she became resistant. "Me?" She breathed. "Why do you need me?" It brought her forth until she stood beside Derek's trembling frame, looking down on him with bloodshot eyes.
"Because," Kate hinted, her eyes warm and blue. "I need the blood of a virgin." Riley's brows furrowed, knitting together in uncertainty and shock. "I'm just kidding!" Kate chuckled, knowing the girl was unimpressed with her sarcasm. Kate's laughter cut off suddenly, her tone serious. "I need the blood of a Deity." Riley watched as Kate grabbed a sharpened femur from the head of the table, her eyes appraising the fine point of the bone. She looked to Derek then, her concentration solidifying as she trailed her fingers along the collar of Derek's shirt. She pulled it down slightly, revealing the soft flesh of his skin that idled right above his heart.
Riley let out a gutted cry as she watched Kate glide the sharpened edge of the bone across his chest, digging into the flesh just below his collar bone. It sunk into the canvas of his lungs, a stream of red seeping from the wound. Doing this caused a panic in Riley, watching as the crimson liquid puddled at the base of his throat. And although Riley was still gaining control of her own shift, the fear of the uncertainty of what was going to happen triggered her gift. A wildfire seemed to set a blaze within her chest, settling within her veins as the embers traveled through her bloodstream. An aggression so vividly painful constricted her lungs as a sharp pang tugged at her eyes. She blinked back the tears, her eyesight becoming increasingly more detailed as a soft lavender encircled her pupil. "That's my girl." Kate hummed, a wicked smile laced within her lips. One of the Berzerkers to her left grabbed Riley's free hand, stretching it forward, across the table and above Derek.
She still stood confined and forced as Kate captured her hand, turning her palm up. Riley's fingers trembled, her breathing haggard as she tried to enforce and trigger a power she wasn't sure how to use. But the daggered bone sliced across her palm, her own blood seeping from the wound as Kate overturned her palm to face Derek's chest. "In order for this to work," Kate stated simply. "I needed to harvest the blood from a divine being." The blood dripped from her rough hand, landing on the fresh wound on Derek's chest.
"For what to work?" Riley gasped, pulling her arm back as soon as she released it.
Her eyes were wide and horrific, watering and fading from the purple tint they had taken on. "You'll see." Kate teased, snapping her fingers as she nodded to the two Berzerkers once more. The creature behind Riley grabbed her again, this time, lifting her from the ground as she kicked her legs out, silently demanding to be put back down. "You know what to do with her," she whispered to the Berzerker, her eyes then traveling to Riley. "Don't be afraid," Kate sympathized. "I'm sure your friends will come for you." Riley felt weightless as the creature began to drag her away, back into the darkened hall. "Eventually." Kate's voice trailed off, her senses becoming numb as they separated her from Derek.
The hardened bones of the creature bruised her body with the force of which it clutched her firmly. Her eyes became so glazed that her vision blurred, her skin becoming cold as they traveled further into the halls that turned this way and that. "Please." Her voice was a whisper, and she wasn't sure who the plea was aimed towards as the Berzerker released her suddenly. Her knee's buckled, landing on the dirt ground with a weak frame. She looked behind her, trying her best to focus on the animal, hoping it wouldn't come for her. And it didn't. Through the shallow moon light, she could see the silhouette of the skull as it paused in the doorway. It's thick and boned arms skimmed across the stone, pushing a thick slab of rock to block the entry way. She realized then what was happening, crawling towards the door just as the seal was shut.
Her eyes couldn't adjust, but the space was small. She spread her arms out, her elbows bent as she touched each side of the confined space. The tomb was narrow and claustrophobic. Her hands balling into fists as she pounded against the rock harshly. A cry lodged itself in her throat, her blood coating the rocky fixture before her. It entrapped her, keeping her hostage as Derek sat somewhere on the outside. The breath in her lungs constricted her silently, making it nearly difficult to breathe in a pleasant breath. She choked on the dust, her fingers weaving into cobwebs as she cried to herself silently. And for the first time in Riley's life, she hoped Kate Argent was right.
She hoped her friends would come for her. Eventually.
Time seemed to pass in excruciatingly long advances. There was no indication of seconds, minutes, hours or days. They all blurred together into a spiraling abyss that took advantage of the fact that time was still. Her eyes drooped heavily. Her stomach grumbled angrily. A reminder that it had been a while since she'd slept or ate. The human necessities, she felt, were what burdened her the most in the supernatural life she lead. And in the tomb in which she was hidden, there were no human necessities. No bed to lay upon. No food to feast on. No bathrooms to bathe in or anything. There was nothing.
There was nothing but the unmistakable sound of her own heart beating numbly against clustered lungs. The sound echoed off of stone walls, bleeding into the air that was tainted with dirt and prayers. Religion wasn't something Riley ever indulged in, but she couldn't help but pray to a God she wasn't even sure existed. Maybe it was the scenery that made her question it. Maybe being held captive in an Aztec Temple buried beneath a crumpled church in the middle of a town that was destroyed by an earthquake in Mexico was her breaking point. Her eyes seemed to zero in on the wall just three feet before her. The quick movement of something crawling made her squirm, trying to see what had entered the tomb with her. And through the small cracks of illuminated light, she could see the slight curve of an arched tail. Without much thought she slammed her boot against the scorpion, pressing as much force as she could into the toe of her boot.
It reminded her of predator and prey. Kill before being killed. If the insect had stung her, it was possible to die from the poison. Especially in the situation she'd been put in, with no antibiotic and panic settling unwell within her stomach. It was kill or be killed, and she couldn't help but think of those words in comparison to Kate. In the supernatural world, Kate was the predator while Riley was so clearly the prey. And she couldn't even begin to wander if the tables would ever turn in her favor. How the odds would always be against her when she allowed herself to be vulnerable over something so dear to her. Derek was the one who she'd bent over backwards for over and over. The one she always fought for in the end.
Just like how her friends had been her weak spot. The people she cared about had always made her vulnerable, and the villains in that town would always know how to maneuver her into a breaking point. They would always win. And it didn't matter that she was in Mexico, because somewhere within these same walls, Derek was being held captive as well. And yet here she sat, exhausted and angry for allowing herself to get into this position. So much anger built up within her suddenly, pulling her knee back until it nearly reached her chin. She slammed it then, straining the heel of her boot against the rock. The stone shook silently, but it did not budge. And so she tried it again, ensuring herself that it wasn't okay to simply give up because she was tired. Because she was hungry or scared.
By the eight time her boot connected with the tomb wall, she let out a frustrated cry. Because it all seemed to add up. Everything she'd endured seemed to lead up to this particular failure. Her foot ached, allowing tears to gather in her eyes because she felt ashamed. Ashamed of not being enough. For not being strong enough to save herself or him. The silence echoed numbly again, yet her ears picked up the slightest murmur from the outside walls. She strained feverishly against the small space that entrapped her, pressing the side of her head to the dusted rock. The murmurs seemed to grow closer, becoming louder and more anxious as time went by.
And her small fist rose, banging pathetically against the stone before her, but pathetic or not, it was enough. "Did you hear that?" The voice asked, unfamiliar to Riley's memory. Her throat had become sore, unable to call to whoever seemed to be on the other side. She clamped her fist once more, pounding the rock stiffly with weak hands.
"I definitely heard that." A second voice acknowledged. It was more familiar and kind. A voice she would have killed to hear after the day she'd had. But even with recognition screaming to her, she could not find her own voice. Her throat locked up, her breathing coming in short whispers. "I hear something else." The voice noted, definitely louder as it seemed to come toward her. It was so close now, nearly able to sense the body standing just on the other side of the wall.
"What?" It was a woman's voice. Velvet smooth but tough. Unrecognizable to any memory Riley had ever had within her life span. "What do you hear?"
A long silence seemed to cause tension, holding her breath to hear the response from the boy she could sense was near. "A heart beat." The voice whispered, surprise and hope laced within his tone. "It-it's barely there but it's strong." He stammered.
Her breathing came in haggard and shallow exhales. Focusing on the way the stone slab seemed to quiver as the boy on the other side began to heave it away from the door frame. The scent he'd picked up on burned his nostrils with familiarity, already knowing who resided on the other side. The stone slab was pushed aside as two figures hovered in the doorway. A woman held a flashlight in her palm, the beam of light aimed towards the tomb. Riley squinted harshly, covering her eyes with her bloody palm. "Thank God!" Scott McCall huffed, bending to his knees as he raked his hands across her cheeks. "You're okay." He appraised, eyeing her split lip, bruised skin and sliced palm as a victory of survival. His arm wound around her back while his hands gripped the undersides of her thighs. "Come on," he whispered, collecting her quivering frame to his chest. "Let's get you out of here."
"N-no." Riley's teeth chattered as Scott stood with her in his arms. "No." She said more defiantly, her hooded eyes becoming wide. "Not without Derek."
"Where is he?" The woman beside Scott asked. Riley looked to her then, her eyes studying her closely. The woman's olive complexion was hard to focus on as Riley eyed a marking across her cheek. The woman, Braeden could sense her eyes on the scar that traveled from the high ridge of her cheek bone and across the base of her throat. She became slightly self conscious, squaring her shoulders to keep confident. The scars were a permanent reminder of the mistake she paid for saving Isaac last summer. Deucalion had put the mercenary in her place after helping the teenager escape the clutches of the Alpha pack after stumbling across the bank vault. It seemed like years ago, but it had only been a few short months.
"He's here." Riley cleared her throat, her hands grasping at Scott's shirt. "He's here somewhere." She could see the conflict rising in Scott's eyes, noticing his deliberation about saving her and continuing to search for Derek. He knew it was wrong to save one and not the other, but holding her limp frame in his arms made it feel as if the decision was already made. But one look to Riley, her pleading eyes, and he knew that he was capable of saving them both. "Is she still here?" Riley asked after Scott and Braeden continued down a withered hall.
"Who?" Scott wondered, his eyes focusing through the haze ahead.
"Kate," she murmured. Riley looked to Braeden, watching as that word alone made her cock the rifle in her hands. "She's still-"
"Alive?" Scott rose a brow, "Yeah. We know." He looked down momentarily, and she didn't miss the way his eyes seemed to glaze over. For Scott to hear that Kate Argent was back was nearly a tragedy. To lose a beloved Argent, only to gain back one that didn't mind mass murdering people scared him. He wasn't sure how to feel about it, but he figured it was something he'd have to sort out at a later time. "We all know."
"She-she's not alone, Scott." She wheezed, her eyes insistent and terrified. Her words made him pause, looking to her with confusion and interest. "She has help-" Riley's words were cut off as a low and guttural snarl echoed off the stone walls. Braeden's gun aimed silently ahead, her eyes alert and her reflexes steady. "They're here." Her voice was a cracked whimper, her eyes beginning to well up as Scott's grip on her tightened.
"What the hell was that?" Braeden wondered, her full lips parting in confusion.
"You don't wanna know." Riley suggested.
Harsh footsteps then began to echo, the pounding viciously coming for them as the soft growl followed soon after. Scott gulped thickly, nudging Braeden as she turned on her heel, heading into a dead sprint. Riley burdened him only slightly, his legs moving quickly as he urged the woman before him not to stop running. The hairs on the back of his neck rose, feeling as if whoever was chasing them was closer than he wanted. Riley hid her face in Scott's neck, not daring to look over his shoulder. She already knew it was the Berzerker coming for them, and she didn't want to know when it caught up. Her ear was pressed to Scott's chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart beneath his panting lungs. She could tell by the palpitations that he was afraid, and if Scott mcCall was afraid of something, it meant damn well that it was okay to be scared too.
But being terrified only added to his burden, skidding to a halt as Braeden paused before him. Her hands were feverishly running along the Temple walls as they faced a dead end. Riley's feet touched the ground, leaning against the wall as Scott set her down. His own hurried hands searched for a way out. His nails raking against the solid surface as hope evaded him. "Get behind me." Braeden ordered, her eyes ghosting from Scott to Riley. She cocked the gun within her hands, aiming the barrel at the tunnel they had just came from. Riley watched with uncertainty as Scott proceeded to by-pass the girls order, taking a defensive step before both women as he allowed himself to shift silently. His red eyes glowed brilliantly through the darkened haze. His claws curling in preparation as his fanged teeth spread wide.
A gutted growl escaped his lungs, sending a shiver down Riley's spine. The noise nearly swallowed them whole, covering her ears as both her and Braeden tried to block out the sound. The ground beneath her feet seemed to rumble, dying down once Scott's hiss came to an end. It echoed down the tunnel, becoming lost in the Aztec stone walls as an eerie silence ghosted over the tension filled halls. "I think I scared it." Scott's lip tugged momentarily, turning over his shoulder to glance at the girls behind him. They were safe, and for him that was all that mattered.
"I think you scared everything." Braeden hissed, standing straighter as both she and Riley shook off the goosebumps.
Riley stumbled back then, trying her hardest to adjust her eyes to the darkness. Braeden flashed her light upon the solid wall before them, trying to find any breaks or weak spots in the stone. If whatever was chasing them was still behind them somewhere, they didn't want to take the chance of running into it again. As her light splayed on the wall, a detailed carving caught Riley's attention. "Wait-" her hand grasped the woman's wrist, pointing it back to hover over the design. "What is that?"
Both Scott and Braeden squinted at the marking, keeping the light stilled for a prolonged moment before she sighed. "Tezcatlipoca." She murmured, looking back and forth between the teenagers. "The Nagual Jaguar God."
A tense second passed between the three of them as their eyes studied that carving of the animal. Scott's hand landed on Riley's shoulder then, urging her back as he took a step forward. "I think," he hinted. "I think we just found Derek."
"Are you sure?" Riley straightened herself up, adding pressure to her worn down feet.
Scott nodded, his nostrils flaring as he cocked a curious brow. "His scent is strong here." He said, his hand raking over the smooth stone. "It-it's different," he noted timidly. "But it's definitely him." Braeden stepped back as well, allowing Scott space as his hand curled into a tight fist. His eagerness to break down the wall before him became his only concern. He pounded viciously against the wall, the rock crumbling slightly beneath his knuckles. And so he punched again, adding a little bit more force. And again. And again. And again. Riley's eyes were tired and dazed, her heart pounding thickly within her chest at the adrenaline. The stone crumbled easier, chunks of rock collecting at their feet. It wasn't until the hole became gaping that Scott was satisfied. His fingers split, but already began to heal by the time Riley stumbled forward.
Braeden shined her light into the tomb, her eyes widening in concern. "Is that him?" She asked, watching as a weak body twitched nervously. Her eyes skimmed across the black haired boy anxiously. "Is that Derek?" Riley's eyes burned as the light shined brightly against the darkened contrast. Her eyes adjusted swiftly, her hands reaching out to the boy within the tomb. But she stopped short, her hands freezing before she could make contact with him. The man she wasn't expecting wasn't necessarily. . . a man. The baby faced boy squinted to them helplessly. His grey eyes pleading and haunted as he reached a shaking hand out for their help.
The strong jaw line that belonged to Derek was covered by full cheeks and that same dimpled chin. His strong brows were tidier, his lips a bit thinner in comparison to his once older features. "Derek?" Riley rose a timid brow to him, her eyes glassy and unprepared. He nodded, but didn't speak. The green shirt he'd been wearing seemed to hang from his frame. His thick black hair shaggy and disheveled as Scott reached a hand out to help the boy up. "Kate did this." Riley whispered, her eyes finally leaving the baby faced teenager that had once been a strong featured adult. "She-she aged him backwards!"
"How old are you, kid?" Braeden asked, her eyes unsure and curious.
"Six-sixteen." His voice was young and damaged. Just like she'd expected a younger Derek to sound like. "I want to go home."
AN: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and can't wait for next week's update. It's kind of a tear-jerker, I'll tell you that much! Teen Wolf Season 5 starts tomorrow, and I am super excited to not only watch it, but begin planning the 5th season the The haven Series. Let me know how excited you guys are for it, and please review if you have a second, because it allows me to see what improvement I should make concerning my writing abilities. I'd also like to announce that I have Jurassic World OC Fanfic in the works, and you can stay up to date with teasers ad discussions on my TUMBLR HavenBoundInBeaconHills . That is where I also post alot of Teasers and fun stuff for This Series as well.
I'll see you guys next week!
-Ashley