It had been a few weeks since getting rid of the Nogitsune; Allison, Isaac and Chris were in France and they planned on staying there which I couldn't say I blamed them after what had happened. Malia and Kira had joined up with us. I spared with Kira pretty often to improve her sword skills and Scott helped Malia gain control of herself though she still struggled on the full moon. Malia and Stiles had taken their relationship to one of romantic proportions.
And right now, well, we were in Mexico. Derek had been missing and the people who had been hunting him were our only lead for now. I tracked them to this spot using a map and crystals. My tracking skills had become harder to do once again. A lot of things were harder to do now but the magic still helped. Something had been bugging me though for the past few weeks, Lydia and Kira spoke to me one night during a sleep over with Allison and Malia before Allison left. When I was in the white room which I guess was a type of limbo with my mother's when I had brought Allison back, they said how when my wings had come out they weren't how they typically looked which was similar to a dragonfly but instead were larger and shimmery and white. How my entire body was encased in a golden glow and my eyes shifted over white and my hair turned white from my roots down.
I didn't know what it was, maybe it was my power being drained from me. I'd never seen anything like that happen before. I was currently sitting in a club across the room from Scott. Kira sat between us near the DJ and Malia was on the floor bumping to the music. I watched Lydia and Stiles being escorted in to a back room. A few minutes later, I saw the security in the room moving rapidly and with their walkies pressed to their mouths. I stood up, making my way to Malia. Kira was already there.
"Somethings happening." Kira said.
"I know." I replied.
"What do we do?" Kira asked.
"Blend in." Malia replied.
Kira looked confused. I took her hand, pulling her closer to me and Malia and began dancing. Kira awkwardly swayed to the music, Malia was trying not to laugh.
"Mind if I cut in?" Malia asked.
"Not a problem." I replied, stepping to the other side of Kira and continuing dancing.
A circle of other's formed around us and Kira began to dance more freely. I felt Kira freeze slightly and I glanced up, seeing two women walking towards us.
"Ready?" Malia asked.
"Are you?" I asked.
I didn't have to turn around to know she nodded. I heard her flip someone down on to the ground. The two women split off, approaching us. Kira pulled out a set of nun chucks and wacked one of the women down. I held my palm up to my mouth as if to blow a kiss but what I blew was a sleeping spell, the other women dropping to the ground. I made eye contact with Scott.
"Let's move." I stated.
Kira and Malia followed behind me and we met up with Scott, pressing through the same door I'd seen Lydia and Stiles go through. We crept carefully down the hall when the vents started to leak a smoke. Scott held out an arm, looking at us then approaching it. That's when it started to come down heavy from direct spouts on the ceiling and walls.
"Wolfsbane!" Scott yelled.
"Everyone get out, keep your mouth covered!" I yelled.
I pushed on Scott, I saw Kira get something brought down on her head as she fell to the ground. Malia was already on the ground. I felt Scott fall next to me and I grabbed the metal pole the man had hit them with, shoving him from me. Then I felt a jolting sensation on my back as I was tazed. I fell to the ground, everything becoming hazier and hazier until it was all black.
I woke up, Malia calling my name. I sat up, dazed. Everything was cold.
"Varick's awake." Malia exclaimed.
"Scott's still not." Kira replied.
"Bring Scott over here." I said.
I heard a dragging sort of noise. I saw Kira and Stiles pull him over to me. I put a hand on his chest and smacked it once. His eyes flying open.
"He's awake." Kira said.
"Scott, you okay?" Stiles asked.
"Varick?" Scott asked, looking to the side and up at me.
"Help us get up." I said.
Stiles grabbed my elbow, hoisted me up while Kira and Malia grabbed Scott.
"They don't have Derek." Scott stated.
"We know but right now they have Lydia." Kira replied.
"They what?" I practically spat.
"What do they want with Lydia?" Scott asked.
"We don't know." Stiles replied.
Scott walked over to the door, trying to pull it open.
"We already looked for a way out." Kira said.
"They're werewolf hunters, maybe they don't have any magic wards put up." I said.
"I say whenever that door opens again, we take out whoever is behind it and run for it." Malia said.
"What about Lydia?" Kira asked.
"What about her?" Malia asked.
"We aren't leaving without her." Scott replied.
"Why not?" Malia asked.
"Because this is a supernatural pack not a coyote pack." I replied, readying my hands to cast a spell.
"Is that what coyotes do? Leave them for dead?" Kira asked.
"If she was weak and injured, yeah. If hunting had been bad that season, I would eat her." Malia replied.
"Guys we aren't dead yet, that means they want something." Scott said.
"Let's see if I can get through this door." I said.
I placed my hands against the door and then it slid open but it wasn't because of me. Another tazer was held against me and I dropped to the ground and saw them go for Scott. It was hazy but I wasn't totally out. They grabbed Scott.
"No." I tried to say and then the tazer was brought on me again and I was out.
When I woke up everything was hazy again, I really hated tazers. I went to push my hair back but my arms were chained down to the ground and my legs to the chair I was in. I looked over, Scott was in the same position as I was. Then I heard a gasp, looking up I saw Lydia.
"Let them go, you have me so just let the others go." Scott said.
I glanced to the side as I heard footsteps, the man who had escorted Lydia and Stiles now had a grip on Kira and her hand was on some sort of dial. I concentrated for a moment before realizing that it was electricity and it was hooked up to all of us.
"Let me explain what is about to happen: this one, the fox, has an immunity to electricity so she's going to turn the dial on the Alpha and the Protector. If she doesn't, I turn the dial on the Banshee." He stated.
"She's not the Protector anymore. It'll kill her." Scott replied.
"I'm not doing this." Kira struggled.
"Guys, do it. I'll be fine." I replied.
"What are doing? What is this, a game to you?" Scott asked.
"This is a test, we'll see if you pass." Araya stated. "We're going to ask some questions, you answer them and nobody gets hurt. You don't answer, we turn on the dial."
Scott looked at me and I nodded, he took a deep breath before looking at Kira.
"Listen to Varick. Do whatever they say, whatever they want." Scott said, trying to assure her.
"So we don't know where Derek is, we want to find him as well. You know who took him." Araya said.
"What? How would I know that?" Scott asked.
"That doesn't sound like an answer to me." Araya replied.
"We thought you had him, it's why we are here." I stated.
Araya let out a sigh.
"Kira, turn the dial." She said.
"No, no." Kira whimpered.
"Should we turn the dial on Lydia instead?" Araya asked.
"No! No, Kira, do what they want." I said.
"Let's start at one." Araya said.
I heard a click as Kira began to turn the dial. I took a deep breath and then I felt it. The electricity running through me, my muscles contracted and I let out a gasp while Scott gritted his teeth with a groan.
"Who actually had Derek? Who has a vendetta against the Hales?" Araya asked.
"I don't know." Scott replied.
"Gerard is the only one and he can't do anything." I said, voice almost vibrating.
"You haven't figured it out yet." Araya stated.
I heard Kira gasp slightly as she was jerked, Araya looked at them.
"Turn it to tres." Araya said.
Kira clicked the dial up and Scott tried to control the yell that escaped his mouth and I could feel myself fading in and out of consciousness.
"Who had the power? The power of a shape shifter? Someone who could have turned without knowing, not turned by a bite!" Araya asked.
"I don't know." Scott grunted.
"Diez." Araya demanded.
Kira shook her head no, the man pushed her to the side and cranked the dial up. I let out a scream this time, one that echoed through the room and the machine exploded. Scott let out a roar, ripping from his restraints. He rolled out of the chair, on the ground next to me and started to pull at mine.
"Kate. It's Kate." I said, looking at Araya.
I felt everything fade out, Scott yelling my name and screaming at the hunters that I wasn't the Protector anymore. I came to with my head against Scott's chest as he carried me. I looked up. The sun, it was hot and blinding.
"Everyone okay?" I asked.
"You're awake." Scott beamed at me. "Everyone is fine. Araya is giving us a guide to get Derek."
"A guide? Who?" I asked.
I heard the rev of an engine and made Scott let me stand, he put an arm around me so I wouldn't fall. I looked up, someone on a motorcycle coming towards us. Stiles took a step back out of the way. She took off her helmet.
"Braeden!" I exclaimed.
"Who is Braden?" Malia asked.
I pushed off Scott to walk towards her when I almost fell. Scott grabbing me by the waist.
"Varick, good to see you." She smiled.
"Braeden is a mercenary." Lydia replied.
"How does Varick know her?" Malia asked.
"I've done a few jobs with her." I replied.
"Let's get going. I'm the one taking you to La Iglesia." Braeden stated.
"The Church?" Lydia asked.
"What's the Church?" Stiles asked.
"Not a place you'll find god." Braeden replied.
"Let's get a move on." I said. We piled in to the Jeep.
I sat between Scott and Stiles up front. Malia, Kira and Lydia in the back. We all sat in silence for a while, a few us probably still trying to process the fact that Kate was still alive.
"Okay, so, who is Kate?" Malia asked, leaning forwards.
"I'd like to know too." Kira pipped up.
"I'd like to know how she got out of a casket that was buried six feet underground." Stiles muttered.
"Because she was never in it." I replied. "Kate was Allison's aunt."
"Like our Allison?" Kira asked.
"The one you gave up being the Protector for?" Malia asked.
"Yes, that Allison." I replied.
"She was a total sociopath." Lydia stated with a dry laugh.
"What do you mean?" Malia asked, looking at Lydia.
"Kate is the one who killed me in my last life. She's also the one who murdered almost the entire Hale family then came back to finish the job and tried to kill me and Scott in the process." I stated.
"Derek, Cora and Peter survived the Hale fire." Scott stated.
"A very angry Peter." Lydia stated. "Who caught up to Kate and killed her."
"And we saw her get buried." Stiles said.
"No, we saw her casket." Scott replied.
"One she wasn't inside of." I stated.
"The Calaveras heard that Kate had been killed by an Alpha's claws and wanted to make sure she was really dead, her body was healing more and more the closer it got to the full moon." Scott explained.
"She was coming back to life." Stiles stated.
"They switched out the bodies, they took her." Scott continued. "The hunter's debt, they have to take their own life before they change. The Calaveras treat the code like law, they make sure to enforce it."
"I wouldn't have done it either." Malia said.
"Would you kill half a dozen people to get out? Because that's what she did." Scott replied.
"You should text Allison." I brought up.
"So Kate's a werewolf?" Kira asked.
"I don't know." Scott replied. "There's a saying, sometimes the shape you take reflects the person you are."
"What kind of shape is a sociopathic bitch?" Lydia asked.
I was about to reply when we went over something in the middle of the road and the Jeep came to a halt.
"Get out, everyone out." I commanded.
Everyone piled out of the Jeep. Braeden circling back around to us.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I don't know, it felt like we hit something." Stiles replied.
"Scott, we need to get there by night, it's too dangerous otherwise." Braeden said.
Scott hesitated, looking at me.
"Go." I said. "We'll be right behind you after I fix the Jeep."
Scott hesitated then leaned forward, pressing his lips against mine and ran towards Braeden. I watched them head off on the bike. Malia jerked something out from under the wheel.
"I don't think we hit something, I think something hit us." Malia stated.
I glanced at what was in her hand, a large sort of bone.
"Stiles, get over here and grab your tools." I said. "Lydia, can you hold my sword for me?"
I popped the hood of the Jeep, Lydia leaned up against it with my sword in her hands. Malia and Kira standing guard. I started to look through the lines and tried to see what was wrong but it was just such a mess inside this thing that it was hard to do.
"Maybe we should just walk." Lydia said.
"I will never abandon this Jeep." Stiles replied.
"Can't Varick just do that teleport thing?" Malia asked.
"Only for short distances now and I don't know where we are going and I don't have a map to track Scott." I explained.
"Guys, work faster. I don't think we're alone out here." Malia said.
"Malia, Kira keep your eyes open." I stated. "We'll go as fast as we can."
They both nodded. The sun started to fall gradually. Stiles holding a flashlight and kept putting his hands in my way. My hair falling in my face and the air becoming crisp and cool. Lydia took the flashlight as Stiles moved to the other side of me to help.
"Lydia, can you please hold the flash light still, it's hard to see with you shaking it like that?" Stiles asked.
I nudged him.
"I know the situation but chill." I said.
Stiles pouted and I rolled my eyes. He proceeded to tear a small fan from his Jeep.
"Stiles!" I almost yelped.
"Hold this." He said, handing it to Lydia.
"What about the sword?" Lydia asked.
"Give me that." I motioned for the fan.
"The sword?" Lydia asked.
"No, the fan." I replied.
She plopped it in my hand and I reattached it.
"It's probably not that important." Stiles shrugged.
"Yeah so super not important, not a processor fan or anything." I replied, sarcasm full force in my tone.
"I don't think I've ever seen you this flustered." Lydia replied.
"Oh, no, she was always like this before she started dating Scott." Stiles laughed.
"Oh yeah, I remember that." Lydia laughed.
"Ha ha ha." I mocked them. "Malia, can you see anything out there?"
"It's too dark." She replied.
"I have an idea." Kira stated.
Kira used her katana to bounce the light from the headlights off in to the desert.
"Did you see that?" Kira asked.
Without hesitation, Malia let out a roar and charged in to the desert. Kira running after her.
"Malia!" Stiles yelled.
"You, stay here, fix the Jeep. Lydia, sword." I said, jumping down off the Jeep and holding out my hand.
Lydia placed the sheath in my hand and I ran after them. Blinking was harder now but I could do small distances and since I could still see them, it wasn't hard to follow them. I got behind Kira and she swung her blade at me, I held up my own to counter it.
"Whoa, it's just me." I said.
She nodded, panting. Suddenly I felt a blow from the side and I felt my body slam against the wall of rock next to me. I groaned and Kira was next to me in moments.
"What was that?" I panted out.
"I don't know. I didn't see it." Kira replied.
Malia appeared out of nowhere, sporting a wound on her side. When I went to stand and felt the pain as I did. I put a hand on my waist, blood covering my hand.
"Let's get back to the others and get the hell out of here." I said.
I healed Kira and they helped me back to the Jeep.
"What the hell happened?" Stiles asked, grabbing me from them and helping me in to the Jeep.
"We didn't see it, let's get out of here." I replied.
"The Jeep is fine. Can you heal?" Stiles asked.
"Not right now. My magic isn't as strong as it used to be and if I healed myself right now, I'd pass out." I replied.
I pulled my shirt off over my head. Stiles yelping and covering his eyes.
"Malia, Kira, Lydia; get in the Jeep now." I commanded.
They all piled in the back through Stiles' side and then Lydia started to rummage through the first aid kit she'd grabbed from the trunk area of the Jeep.
"Give me bandages, I can't put an antiseptic on a wound this big." I said.
She fumbled, placing them in my hand and I began to wrap them around my waist. Blood seeping through them. Malia sniffed sharply, directing us where to go while I tried to keep the blood smell to a minimum.
"So you didn't see anything?" Lydia asked.
"I didn't, just felt it." I replied.
"I didn't either but it had a strong scent." Malia said.
"Like what?" Stiles asked.
"Like death." Malia replied.
"Whatever it was, it doesn't seem to be after us." I replied.
"Stop here." Malia said.
Stiles brought the Jeep to a halt and we all climbed out. Scott and Braeden had someone with their arms draped around their shoulders. That's when he looked up. I could feel the gasp in my throat.
"Is that him? Is that Derek?" Malia asked.
"Sort of." Stiles replied.
Derek looked between all of us and then his eyes fell on me. I froze and that's when he said it.
"Varick?" He asked, voice cracking.
