Chapter 41: The Art of War

Derek opened his eyes in a panic as soon as he was able to move. "Daria."

"Relax, you're fine now." Cora patted his forehead with a damp cloth.

He'd passed out several times and wasn't sure how many hours had gone by. "How long?"

"A little more than a day."

He tried to stand up, but fatigue washed over him.

"Don't even think about moving until you've slept."

He ignored his sister, tiredly struggling to sit up. "Daria needs me."

"Or maybe she's fine now, and after you recover you should stick to your plan of destroying the yellow wolfsbane."

He fell back down. "No. I need… to get to Daria."

Cora frowned. "Don't make me punch you, Derek."

That sobered him slightly. He felt weak. Weaker than he'd felt in years. Daria had felt dread and terror greater than anything he'd ever felt in his life. And if he as an evolved wolf couldn't handle it, he could only imagine how Daria was faring.

"We'll hear from her if she needs you. Now get some sleep."

His eyes felt heavy from the weight of stress caused by the unrelenting fear, but he couldn't banish his doubt. Something had happened. Something big. "Daria," he mumbled.

"I love you, brother. Now shut up, and sleep."

She crossed her arms and glared, and all that Derek could do was hope he'd feel better in the morning.

–

Parrish stood at the clearing where the Nemeton should have been early the next morning, holding clothes he knew would fit Daria. She'd been abducted in her hospital gown by a hellhound he'd never seen before. A hellhound that was searching desperately for something.

But Daria was his best friend, and he'd be damned if some other supernatural creature could just take her away for his own purposes.

Using his hellhound senses, he focused on the clearing until the roots of the Nemeton emerged. Then, tracing his way up the roots he found them atop its trunk.

Daria and the other hellhound were asleep, and he felt his blood boil. Her shoulders were blistered and burned, and the fabric from her hospital gown had completely smoldered away. The hellhound on the other hand wore only a pair of singed shorts. He had his arm wrapped around the empath in a protective, intimate way, and the Deputy growled involuntarily.

This woke the empath and her captor, who growled immediately upon seeing the Deputy.

"No, don't!" Daria placed a hand on the other hellhound. "He's a friend. My best friend." She beamed at Parrish, causing his heart to warm slightly, but why was she acting so friendly toward her captor?

"He needs our help, Parrish."

"He's going to need a lot more than help when I'm through with him." Parrish gazed at her with a pained expression. "He hurt you… and he injured one of our deputies."

She glared in frustration at the other hellhound. "You can't hurt innocent people anymore."

He growled as if to argue, but Daria stood up and pressed her palms to his face. "Please."

The hellhound's face became subdued and he bowed toward her. "If you promise to help, I will."

"Okay." She smiled softly and let go. Then she ran to Parrish and threw her arms around him, before pulling back and wincing from her burns.

"Easy," Parrish laughed, but sobered quickly. "Why don't you channel someone to heal?"

"Because I can't." Daria's eyes fell.

The other hellhound rose and approached them. "If she borrows anyone's powers the Anuk ite will have control. The fear will consume her."

"Fear…" Parrish frowned. "That's what's causing everything, isn't it."

He nodded. "And it's going to get worse."

He blinked and then held out the clothes to Daria. "I had a feeling you might need something to change into."

"You always know what I need." Her eyes crinkled. Then she turned to the other hellhound. "Halwyn will need something to wear too."

"I can find my own clothes." He glowered pridefully.

"You can steal clothes," she pursed her lips. "Or you could let us get you some."

"I'm not buying clothes for the man who injured a fellow officer." Parrish didn't like Halwyn, and maybe it was petty, but at the moment he didn't care.

She grabbed the clothes with one hand and took Halwyn by the other. "Then I can do it myself."

They were nearly out of the clearing when Parrish relented. "Wait! At least put your own clothes on first." And he ran after the pair.

–

Gerard stared at his phone with bewilderment. His contact at Beacon Hills Memorial hospital had just informed him of the mysterious disappearance of Daria Stilinkski from her hospital room. But that made no sense, because - as he'd recently discovered - Daria Stilinski was none other than the elusive chameleon wolf trained and taken in by Deucalion.

Not only that, but his hunters in Brazil had all been taken in by Interpol after an unfortunate encounter with Derek Hale.

He realized that Derek must have been onto them all along. That was the only way the chameleon wolf could have survived a wolfsbane bullet so close to the heart. They'd been prepared.

The wizened hunter clenched his fist. It changed little of his ultimate goal, but Daria being alive could potentially throw a wrench in his plans.

He needed a protégé. Kate was all but dead to him, and his son was a sympathizer - a black mark on their family name. There was a woman at the high school who had potential. A survivor. But she had to be tested. He'd find a way to put her on the right path. He only need wait until one of the many monsters sprawled throughout Beacon Hills made a mistake. And oh so many mistakes were made by them as of late.

He could feel it in the air. Fear. The town was rife with it. And Gerard fully intended to take advantage, starting with a visit to the Beacon Hills High School counseling office.

–

Slowly plugging away at this! Thanks so much for reading, and please review! -V