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The sheer terror that was clawing at Derek was nearly unbearable as he watched Scott drag the woman he loved from the depths of the pool. The Alpha still didn't have full control of his body and it was killing him to not be able to go to her. To not be able to reach out and touch her. To help her.

He had failed Alex. Just like he had failed his family and that guilt would forever eat at him. Derek only wished that he hadn't spent so much time distancing himself from her. Everything he had done had been to protect her. He needed to be a stronger Alpha to keep whatever was coming for them at bay.

This was something he hadn't seen coming.

Alex Moore was everything to him and it hurt him to think that he would never be able to tell her that. To tell her how much he lo…cared for her. Not love. The Alpha internally shook his head. It can't be love. Not yet at least. But Derek knew better. In his heart, he knew exactly how he felt about her, it was his guilt-ridden mind that hadn't caught up yet.

"Alex," Scott shook the limp body of his best friend. "Wake up. You gotta wake up." Stiles was on his knees on her other side, silent tears mixing with the pool water on his face. "Please…" The Beta nearly howled before a thought hit him. Something his mother had drilled into him growing up.

Scott knelt over her body, pushing his hands into her chest as he fought back tears. He'd been trained in CPR for years at his mother's insistence. He'd never had to use it before, and he hated that he had to now.

"Come on, Lex," Stiles sobbed as Scott pushed air into her lungs. "Breathe." Scott continued compression after compression. Breath after breath, but there was nothing. Nothing was working. Stiles couldn't take it. This was the woman he called family, his sister. She had always been there for him, through everything. When Greg Markson had stolen his crayons in the third grade, she had been there pushing him down on the playground to get them back. She had been there when his mother had died, never saying anything. Just being there. A solid and silent supporter. Alex rolled with the punches, no matter what trouble they got in with Scott.

Alex was their lynchpin.

The redhead, though older, had always been there. Their third musketeer. They couldn't lose her.

"Call her name," Stiles' voice was nearly a whisper.

Scott furrowed his brow. "We have been."

Stiles shook his head, his dark eyes sliding over to meet Derek's.

"No, he needs to call her name." Derek didn't see how that was going to help and he told the teenager this. She was dead. End of story. Stiles sighed. "You're her anchor, Derek. The one she thinks of when she's out of control. Your history is longer than ours. And stronger. If anyone can bring her back, it's you. So, call her damn name."

"Alex," Derek called hoarsely. "Alex."

"Louder," Stiles commanded. "Make her feel that connection. Just like you would with your pack." 9

"Alexandra!" The roar filled the gym, shaking the tiles beneath them, sending ripples through the pool.

It was the Hale house again. Why is it that everything seemed to be centered there? Like some kind of cosmic pull. It's empty like it usually is in her dreams. Nothing but bare white walls and leaf-covered tiled floors. The air was different this time. Lighter. A hint of fresh spring.

"Hello, little Sipsi." Alex turned to find her standing in the middle of the entry hall at the edge of the staircase. Her long sunburnt hair flowed freely around her face, curls wild, gently shifting in the breeze.

"Mom," Alex whispered, taking a small step forward before hesitating. Katherine Moore smiled at her daughter as she held open her arms in invitation. The Gypsy took no time in wrapping her mother in a warm embrace, the scent of spring and sandalwood washing over her in familiar comfort. "I miss you."

Katherine smiled sadly. Even if she could, she wouldn't change the sands of time. She had known her fate since the moment Alex was born. It's a burden, knowing about one's own demise, but the lives her little Sipsi would change, made all the pain and struggles worth it.

"I miss you too," She whispered sadly, running a hand through her daughter's hair. They were wild and untamed, just like hers. The same rich red that every Moore woman was born with a copper tinge that was all her father. She had his eyes too. A startling emerald that drew you in like a moth to a flame. "But you need to go."

Alexandra shook her head, burrowing deeper into her mother's embrace. "No. I want to stay." Katherine sighed.

"You can't stay here, my love," She whispered. "This isn't your time."

"Says who?" Alex looked up into her mother's face. "Some prophecy? Fuck that. I'm done with everyone telling me what my life is supposed to be. I don't want it. What has the world ever done for me but take and take and take."

Katherine stared down at her daughter in disbelief. When had her little girl looked so bitterly on the world? She'd always been full of hope and laughter and promise. But Katherine could see that life was wearing on her daughter. The soft tells of heartbreak were written on her face like a neon sign, but this was expected.

Trials had to happen before a solid bond could be formed.

"Everything will work out as it should."

"Bullshit," Alex spat as she pulled away. "I've lost everything. Everything! And I'm tired of it. I'm tired of the secrets and the lies and…"

Then she heard it.

Her name.

The call.

It was heartbroken. Filled with pain and sorrow.

Derek. It was Derek.

"Go." Her mother whispered. "And be ready, little Sipsi. There is more to come."

"Wait…" But there wasn't any more time.

"Alexandra!" The roar filled the gym, shaking the tiles beneath them, sending ripples through the pool. There was a beat as they all waited with bated breath to see if she would respond to the call. To see if there was a chance.

Alex's eyes shot open, her body lurching to the side, hands clawing at her throat as she spewed water from her mouth, choking and coughing at the sudden upheaval. Derek breathed a sigh of relief as he watched her two best friends support her.

She was alive.

She was breathing.

That is all he could ever ask for.

Both boys enveloped her in a strong hug as soon as she finished choking up the water that had settled in her lungs, large grins on both of their faces. Alex's heart was pounding in her chest, tears streaking down her face, melding with the water from the pool. Stiles clung to her like a lifeline as she cried in his arms.

"It's okay, Lex," He cooed at her as he stroked her damp hair. "You okay. We've got you." His hands rubbed down her back against the soaking wet shirt clinging to her. They sat like that for a beat, taking in the miracle. Finally, the boys pulled away, wiping at their tears =, chuckling.

"You are a master at cheating death," Stiles laughed darkly as he shook his head. Alex gave him a small smile, her eyes drifting to Derek. Her face fell when she saw him. He looked exhausted and he still didn't have full command of his body yet.

"I saw my mom," she whispered. Derek's eyes turned sad as he looked at her.

"What did she say?" He was curious what Katherine Moore had to tell her daughter.

Alex barked a laugh. "That she missed me. That this is all for a reason. Every pain, every heartache. It's all meant to lead us somewhere. And that I need to be ready."

"For what?" Scott asked. Alex shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Is that even a language?" Stiles huffed as Scott clicked through the Bestiary on his laptop. Apparently, it was digital. Not some old worn leather book like they had suspected. Alex sat on the hood of her car, wrapped up in one of Scott's hoodies as she studied the language.

"It's archaic Latin," Alex told them with utter surety. The boys exchanged a look before turning them on her.

"How do you know that?" Alex shrugged, unsure herself. But when she looked at the handwriting, that is what she saw. Like it was somehow intuitive.

"Just do." Stiles shook his head as he turned his gaze back to the laptop.

"How are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?" Scott clicked on the mouse frustrated. They needed to find it before it killed more people.

"It's called a Kanima." Alex's gaze shifted from the laptop to Derek as he strode up to them, his eyes hard, Erica latched to his side. Damn, Alex kind of wished she'd be out longer.

"You knew the whole time?" Stiles accused.

"No," Derek assured him quickly, his eyes on Alex. "Only when it became confused by its own reflection." Unable to hold his gaze without the sudden urge to cry, Alex looked away, blinking back the wetness gathering at the corner of her eyes.

"It doesn't know what it is." Scott shook his head in disbelief.

"Or who."

"What else do you know?" Stiles asked.

"Stories," Derek mused. "Rumors mostly." Alex could still feel his gaze occasionally landing on her, but she refused to look up. She couldn't. Not with Erica standing next to him. It was still too raw.

"Is it a shifter?" Alex questioned, still not looking up. The small scratch on the surface of Scott's laptop was too fascinating.

"Yes, it's a shapeshifter," Derek nodded. "But it's – not right. It's like an…" Derek paused as he searched for the right word.

"Abomination." Stiles sighed as he lowered his eyes for a moment before looking back at the Alpha. Derek nodded reluctantly; guilt strewn across his face.

The two wolves turned to leave, but Scott stopped them.

"We need to work together," Scott began. "Maybe even tell Argent." Alex broke her gaze with the laptop to look up at her friend in disbelief. Sure, she trusted Chris, to a degree, but with his father in town—she wasn't sure how smart that was.

Derek scoffed. "You trust them?"

"Nobody trusts anyone, that's the problem," Scott's voice raised, for him, that was practically yelling. "While we're arguing about who's on what side, there's something scarier, stronger, and faster than any of us, and it's killing people. And we still don't know anything about it." By the end, he was practically screaming at the Alpha. The beta was fed up with Derek's reluctance. Fed up with his mightier than thou attitude. He was done.

"I know one thing," Derek hissed. "When I find it, I'm going to kill it."

Alex still felt like she was drowning. She could feel the pressure of the water-bearing down on her body as she sank to the bottom of the pool. She's nearly had a panic attack just getting into the shower, but she'd managed it. The warm water had soothed her weary and chilled bones, but even the scalding hot water wasn't enough to wash away the hollowness she felt.

She slid into a pair of black yoga pants and one of Derek's T-shirts he had leftover at one point. The only problem: It didn't smell like him anymore. She missed the smell of pine and leather. Stiles had refused to leave her alone most of the night and neither had Scott. The trio had snuggled up on the couch for a movie but less than twenty minutes in, the two boys were out like a light.

Sighing, Alex stepped into her room, her arms wrapped around her middle. She hadn't been paying much attention. A small gasp left her lips when she realized she wasn't alone. Derek was standing in front of her open window, a hard look on his face as his hazel eyes took her in. He didn't move. Didn't speak. It was like he was afraid to spook her.

"Hey," She gave him a small smile as she stepped forward. He didn't say anything, just continued to stare at her. Well, this wasn't awkward or anything. "Looks like you dried off."

Her attempt at levity fell flat. Still, he was silent.

"Okay then." Alex wasn't even going to try and figure out what was going on in that Alpha head of his. Instead, she started moving around the room to get ready for bed.

"Are you stupid?"

"Excuse me?" Alex narrowed her eyes at him. The first time they've really had a chance to talk, and this is what he says? The nerve of this guy.

"I asked if you are stupid?" He repeated slowly, jaw clenched. He took a step towards her. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you are."

"What the hell, Derek?"

"What did you think you were going to accomplish?" He hissed. "Why the hell would you give me your air? Are you insane? You're lucky you didn't die. Hell, you were dead, Alex. What the hell were you thinking?"

Okay, that was a lot. Alex blinked up at him stupidly for a moment as her brain tried to process everything he was accusing her of.

"Did you really think I would let you die, Derek?" She asked quietly, eyes tearing up. "One of us needed to live."

"And you thought that should be me?" The Alpha nearly roared. A tense silence followed when she nodded her head. Of course, it should be him. She loved him. More than anything and it was easier to give him a chance than to admit that. Or to admit the fact that she was tired. Tired of fighting and running. Of the yelling. Of the always wondering what comes next.

She was tired of people telling her what her future was going to be.

Derek's eyes softened as he took her in. He could smell the salt of the tears she was trying to hold back. The smell of magic thickening the air. He loved her. Without a shadow of a doubt, but was that enough? If today proved anything, it was that he wasn't strong enough to protect her.

Maybe that wasn't the problem though. Maybe the problem was that he was trying too hard. He had pushed her away without meaning to. All in the name of protection and look where that got them. Growling, Derek shook his head to clear his thoughts.

The next thing he knew his lips were on hers.

OOO what happens next! thank you to everyone who has been following and keeping up! I am so sorry for the long long long wait! Between my concussion and writing my novel (Which comes out in November on KU), I have been so busy. So thank you to everyone who is holding in there. I hope you like this chapter.

Till next time

Sidenote: My novel Shattered Pieces: An Dark Enemies to Lovers Mafia Romance comes out on KU in November. Check out my author profile on Insta: JoMccallauthor for sneak peeks. You can also join Jo's Wicked Readers on Facebook!