To NinjaFang1331: Thank you!
To Phoenix Crest: :) Parrish is a cutie. That's all I'll say. XD
To Guest: I'm glad you love them together as much as I do!
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Wolf
Deaton rushed into the boys' locker room, taking stock of the situation quickly. He looked from the three boys on the ground to the three girls standing in front of them. He nodded once, quickly assuming a business-like manner.
"Help me." Loki quickly moved, assisting the Druid in dragging the three werewolves to the showers. The man started the water, forcing Aiden under it first. He looked at Loki. "Hold him, please." The dark-skinned girl nodded, gripping Aiden's arms to restrain his movement. Deaton pressed down on Aiden's jaw, forcing his mouth open. As Loki watched in disgust, he reached his hand down the boy's throat.
Aiden gagged around Deaton's fist, struggling. Loki grunted, bracing her feet and tightening her grasp on his arms. Deaton pulled his fist out, letting a small, dead fly drop to the ground. Aiden sagged in Loki's hold, and she let him go.
Without waiting for Deaton's instruction, Loki grabbed Ethan and Deaton repeated the process. Isaac watched, eyes wide with horror. As Ethan retched down the drain, the veterinarian turned towards the last werewolf.
"Isaac. You're next." Isaac's eyes glowed golden, and he shook his head.
"I'm aware," he insisted. Loki shook her head, grabbing him and holding him in the same position as she had the twins. He was slightly more aware of what was happening than Aiden and Ethan had been, and that made things harder. Loki had to strain harder to hold him in place.
"Don't fight it," Deaton warned the Beta. "Almost there…got it." Loki relaxed her grip and stepped back. Isaac stood up freely, coughing and rubbing his throat.
"Are they okay now?" Allison asked, watching Isaac with concern.
"I hope so," Deaton replied, which wasn't exactly reassuring. "The part that's worrisome is that this was most likely just a distraction for what was happening with Stiles."
"There's really two of them now?" Kira asked. "How is that even possible?"
"And how did the other one just take Lydia?" Allison demanded. Deaton shook his head.
"We turned around and they were gone," he told them. "So was her car."
"So no one notices him kidnapping her right out of the house?" Aiden snapped. His anger was slightly dulled by his exhaustion and pain.
"Most of us were concentrated on the bizarre sight of a creature materializing out of the floor," Deaton replied drily, which was probably the closest to annoyed he got. Aiden sighed, slumping against the shower wall in defeat.
"Hold on," Loki said, drawing everyone's attention to her. "I hate to say this, but how are we so sure which Stiles is which? How are we sure that one of them is even Stiles at all?"
"That's what they're trying to figure out now," Deaton replied. Loki's phone buzzed with a text, and she tugged her phone out of her pocket, wiping the water droplets on the screen away on the thigh of her jeans.
Scott: Come to my house asap. Bring Kira.
Loki tilted her phone in the other girl's direction. Kira read the text and nodded, and Loki beckoned her away.
"Are you leaving?" Loki turned towards Ethan, who was still draped against the wall, his head leaned back like it was too heavy to hold up. She held up her phone in explanation.
"Scott needs us," she replied. He nodded, and opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it as though he thought better of what he was about to say. "What?"
"Don't worry about it," Ethan said. He glanced at Aiden before reaching out and taking Loki's phone in his hands. He switched the ringer on and handed it back. "Just keep your phone on, okay?" Loki frowned.
"Yeah, fine."
"Oh, no," Kira muttered as Loki pulled her motorcycle to a stop outside Scott's house. "That's my mom's car." Loki kicked the kickstand down, and the two girls ran into the house. Noshiko was already there, facing Scott, Melissa, and Stiles. The latter was being supported by his friend and Melissa, like he couldn't walk on his own.
"Stop!" Kira said. Stiles carefully extracted himself from the two McCall's, and walked forward in a slow limp.
"It's okay," he said. "I'm the one who asked her to come."
"You're the one who's going to be stabbed with swords," Kira corrected him. "Mom, don't do this to him."
"It's already done," Yoshiko insisted cryptically. As she spoke, the Oni materialized in the living room. It performed the now-familiar ritual on Stiles, who fell to the ground. The Oni disappeared immediately, no swordplay at all. "Look behind his ear," the elder Kitsune ordered her daughter. Kira and the others rushed over to their friend's prone body. Loki gently bent his earlobe back, and traced the faint figure with her hand. She nodded.
"It worked." Scott sounded relieved.
"So, I'm actually me?" Stiles checked, carefully getting up. Loki supported his back, helping him steady himself.
"More you than the Nogitsune," Noshiko responded. She still hadn't moved from her spot across the room, like she was afraid to get closer. Stiles nodded.
"Can the Oni find him?"
"Tomorrow night. It's too close to dawn now." Stiles scowled, shaking his head.
"Can they kill him?"
"It depends on how strong he is," Noshiko told the teenager calmly. Her voice was calm, nearly clinical, even as she spoke of a relatively dire situation that directly effected her.
"What about Lydia?" Loki asked. "Why would he take her?"
"He would only take her for an advantage," Noshiko said. "The power of a Banshee."
Loki stood in the McCall's living room. Stiles was asleep on the couch. Scott glanced over at the girl. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and just lose himself in Loki. He felt like he hadn't been with her in a long time, even if it had only been a few days. Maybe it was because in those few days, Scott had spent a lot of time with Kira, something that he felt guilty about. He watched as Loki checked her phone again, refreshing her texts.
"Hey." Loki looked up. Scott was in front of her. He reached out, tracing a hand down her face gently. "What's wrong? You keep checking your phone." Loki shook her head, looking away. She looked nervous.
"Just – Ethan told me to keep my phone of last night." Scott raised his eyebrows, confused, and Loki continued to explain. "For as long as I can remember, the only time the twins or I would ever turn the ringer on our phones on is if we're waiting for a specific message." Loki swallowed hard. "Like when Ennis died." She looked down at her phone again. Her last text from Aiden had been the night before, telling her to come to the school. Her latest from Ethan was from two nights previous, asking what she wanted for dinner. "I'm just…I'm worried." Scott nodded.
"You can go if you need to," he told her. His voice was soft, his eyes full of concern. Loki hesitated, but not for long. Before she left, she pulled Scott down and kissed him.
"I'll be back. Promise."
"Loki!" The Alpha turned to see Derek. She waited, instantly suspicious.
"What?" she asked, scowling at the other werewolf instinctively. She knew that Derek didn't like her, and she wasn't exactly his biggest fan.
"What are you doing here?" His tone wasn't quite hostile, but it was guarded carefully.
"Looking for the twins," Loki responded. "I have a bad feeling." Derek nodded.
"So do I. I heard gunshots." Loki's eyes widened. "You can find them, right?" Loki nodded. Tracking was easy for her, and she knew the twins better than anyone else. Derek followed her through the woods, watching quietly as Loki followed nearly invisible tracks, scents, and used her hearing. The entire Alpha Pack had been taught for as long as they could remember to conceal their paths to the best of their ability, and to anyone but Loki, the twins trail would have been cold. Derek couldn't help being impressed.
"Smell that?" She asked, suddenly. Derek inhaled, and curled his lip. He nodded.
"Blood," she said, voice taught with concern. As usual, her eyes were de-void of emotion, but her voice betrayed her worry. "And wolfsbane. We need to find them, quickly." Derek placed a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped slightly.
"We'll find them," he promised her. She didn't relax, and Derek couldn't blame her. He hadn't exactly been warm and fuzzy towards her.
"What makes you not like me?" Loki asked, conversationally. Derek looked over at her, but she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were focused in the distance, looking for any sign of the twins. "When the Oni were at Scott's house? What made you want to warn him?"
"Just whispers and rumors," Derek admitted. "But enough to make me wary." He cast a look at her. "You were a prisoner at Eichen. That's enough to set any sane person on edge." Loki pursed her lips, and Derek sensed that he'd hit a sore spot. "What?"
"Not everyone at Eichen – " She stilled, breaking off from whatever she had been about to say. "I hear them." Without waiting for a response from Derek, Loki took off. She sprinted through the forest, Derek close behind her. As they got closer to the twins, Derek could hear the pained grunts of the teenage werewolves.
Ethan was supporting Aiden, dragging his brother through the woods. Both of them were covered with black blood. Ethan stumbled and fell, dropping his brother in the process. Loki and Derek burst out after them. Loki hauled Ethan to his feet, supporting him and pulling him along. Derek grabbed Aiden, slinging the other werewolf over his shoulder.
"Run!" He shouted, as more gunshots burst behind them. Derek led the group, holding Aiden. Ethan limped after them, stumbling every now and then. Loki brought up the rear, and every time Ethan fell, she nudged him back to his feet.
As Derek ran through the woods, Loki started to recognize where they were. Near Malia's den. Derek ducked into the cave, and set Aiden on the ground. Ethan collapsed next to his brother.
"Where are we?" He gasped, breathing labored with pain.
"It's a coyote's den," Derek said. "Stay quiet." Loki was kneeling next to Aiden, her eyes full of concern. Ethan, although obviously in pain, was well enough to talk. Aiden, on the other hand, was lying on his back with his eyes closed. Black blood oozed from his lips and he gagged on it, spitting it up.
"Lo," Ethan gasped out. She turned towards him. "You see the shooter? You know who it is?" She shook her head, and he leaned his head back against the wall, eyes slipping shut as he sighed.
"Who else did the three of you piss off?" Derek snapped. Loki glared at him.
"Would you like the list or the PowerPoint format?" She muttered, bending over Aiden gently.
"We pissed off everyone," Aiden clarified. "It was only a matter of time before someone caught up to us." His head thudded back again, and he closed his eyes.
"Well, the bullets had wolfsbane in them," Derek stated unnecessarily. "If I don't get you two out of here soon, the poison is going to spread. Stay quiet."
"What do you think?" she snapped.
"Don't Scott and the others need your help?"
"Scott and the others will be fine," Loki responded. Even as she spoke, a twinge of guilt crawled up her spine. But her attention was still focused on the twins. "You go do whatever you need to do, get whoever you need to get. I'll stay with them."
Night was falling when Derek returned with Argent. Together, they dragged the twins and Loki back to Derek's loft. By the time the twins got back to the loft, they were in bad shape. Aiden was unconscious, and Ethan's breath had become shallow and raspy. Derek beckoned Argent and Loki over, and Loki left her friends' sides reluctantly. He held out a bullet shell.
"I found this on the ground," he said.
"This wasn't Araya, was it?" Argent asked.
"I don't think so," Derek replied, turning it over in his hand. "They don't look like her shells." He held it out to Loki. "Recognize it?" Taking it in her hand, Loki studied it closely. She shook her head.
"Nothing stands out," she replied. She offered it to Argent. The hunter took it, glancing it over. His eyes widened, and he gripped it tightly in his hand.
"That's not possible," he muttered to himself. Loki cocked an eyebrow. Before she could voice her question, Argent's phone rang. He dug his hand into his pocket and answered the call.
"Allison?" Loki could hear the huntresses voice speaking rapidly on the other end.
"They found her. Scott found her, Dad, they found Lydia. I'm on my way."
"Allison, hold on," Argent said. "You have to wait."
"I can't, Dad."
"Allison, wait for me." He was begging his daughter, as though he had some sort of extra reason to worry all of the sudden. But Allison was adamant on leaving immediately.
"There's no time! It's already night, there's no time, Dad."
"Wait, Allison, wait!" The line buzzed, indicating that she'd hung up. Argent grimaced, lowering the phone from his ear. He glanced back at Derek and Loki. The female werewolf nodded at him.
"Go. And thank you."
Loki was sitting on the couch, watching as Derek cauterized the last of Ethan's wounds with a lighter. He was wincing, eyes crinkled at the corners like it hurt. Aiden was standing near Loki. He looked better than he had last night, but his clothes and face were still covered with black blood.
"You should be fine in a couple of hours," Derek said, snapping the lighter closed. "Unless whoever shot you manages to find you again." Aiden shook his head, crossing the room briskly.
"Lydia's with Scott, we need to go." Loki rolled her eyes.
"You're going to try to convince her to go with you?" Derek sounded amused. Aiden turned around, glaring at Derek defensively.
"I'm gonna try to convince her to run and hide," he responded. "Like any sane person would do." Derek raised his eyebrows and turned towards Ethan.
"And Danny?" he inquired conversationally.
"Allison's dead," Ethan snapped back. "Stiles is dying. What do you think?"
"I think Danny won't believe you," Derek replied coldly. "And Lydia would never run and hide."
"Because of Stiles?" Aiden's voice was hard with jealousy, bitterness edging every word. Loki still hadn't moved from her seat on the couch, but she watched their exchange with exhausted interest.
"Because of Scott," Derek snapped. He glanced at Loki. "You've been trying to find a way into his pack. Trying to earn his trust, trying to fight for him. You've had it wrong the whole time. You don't fight for a leader. You fight for a leader's cause." Aiden shook his head.
"What cause?"
"Scott's always been about one thing. Saving his friends. He will do anything and everything to save the people he cares about. When there's no chance of winning, he keeps fighting. When all hope is lost, he finds another way. And when he's beaten down, he stands up again! You want to find a place in his pack? You want redemption? Find another way to stand and fight." The twins exchanged a look. Then, simultaneously, they looked to Loki. She met their gaze calmly. But it was Derek who voiced the question. "Loki, what are you doing?" The Alpha considered her last words to Scott. She also remembered, guiltily, what she'd told Derek earlier that day - "Scott and the others will be fine."
"I told Scott – I promised Scott that I was coming back," Loki replied. "And I can't leave him. I can't break that promise. Not now." Loki looked at the ground. She shook her head. "Maybe not ever." The Alpha stood up to face her oldest friends in the world. Her green eyes were cool and steely, hiding any sign of her remorse neatly. "If you want to leave, leave. I'm not going to tell you guys to stay. But I'm not going to tell you I'm coming with you, either."
Loki walked beside Derek. The other werewolf clutched the triskele box in his hand. The Nogitsune was sitting on the steps of the school, flanked by an Oni on either side. The Nogitsune looked even unhealthier than Stiles had the last time she'd seen him – skin as pale as a corpse, with purple circles the color of a fresh bruise under his eyes. Even so, he looked enough like the sarcastic, happy human that when he smirked sadistically at the two werewolves approaching him, it sent chills down Loki's spin.
"Aw…did you bring us a present?" He asked sarcastically. Loki snarled. The twins responded to her growl, approaching Derek and Loki.
"We brought two," Derek responded.
"I've heard of an Alpha Pack, Derek, but not a pack of former Alphas," the Nogitsune sneered. "It's a little sad, isn't it?" Loki grinned, and her eyes glowed red as her fangs dropped and her nails extended into claws.
"I," she said primly. "Am an Alpha." The Nogitsune shook his head, lips tilted up in an annoying, know-it-all smile. Two more Oni appeared beside him.
"Not for too much longer, Loki."
The female Alpha ducked a sword swipe from one of the Oni. Even if the demon had a weapon and she didn't, years of fighting gave her enough of an edge to keep up with her opponent. She flipped backwards, dodging another swing and kicked out, hitting the Oni in a ribcage.
"Where the hell are they?" Aiden shouted, as he looked around the empty courtyard. Ethan kicked the Oni he was fighting down, and turned to answer his brother.
"The Jeep's here, they have to be somewhere!" Loki swiped at the Oni, sinking her claws in deep into a chink of the demon's armor. It didn't show any sign up pain, but it did slow it down slightly.
"In the school!" Derek shouted to the twins. His brief moment of distraction allowed the Oni he was fighting to gain the upper hand. It slammed him down into the stairs, and he coughed as the wind was knocked out of him. He put his arm up to protect himself as he breathlessly shouted orders to the others. "You have to get to the box! Someone get the box!"
Loki turned towards where the cylindrical wooden box was left sitting on the floor. She kicked the Oni she was fighting back as hard as she could, and sprinted towards it. Just before she reached it, two more Oni appeared out of nowhere. They caught her by surprise, and a sword whistled through the air, the tip slicing a shallow cut across her stomach. She gasped in surprise, pressing a hand over her wound.
Anger flashed through her veins, and the adrenaline gave her enough energy to fight back. She grabbed the arm of the Oni who had cut her, cracking it over her shoulder and wrenching the socket out of place. She slung it back into the other demon, and the two monsters fell over one another and onto the ground.
"We can't do this!" She shouted to Derek. "We can't fight them." She was looking at the twins, both of whom were sporting wounds similar to her own. Ethan was pressing down on his upper arm. Her heart leaped into her throat as an Oni launched itself at the werewolf. To her surprise, Derek threw himself between the demon and Ethan, throwing the Oni to the ground.
To her greater surprise, before the Oni could make another move, an arrow sprouted out of its chest, and neon, golden light began to seep from the wound. For a second, forgetting Allison was dead, Loki turned to yell the huntresses' name. But it wasn't Allison. It was her father. And Isaac.
The wounded Oni pulled the arrow out of its chest, but clearly it had already done its damage. The demon exploded into black dust, disappearing as though it had never been there.
"What was that?" Ethan asked in shock, turning towards the seasoned hunter. He lowered his crossbow.
"Silver."
"Isaac!" Derek shouted to his former Beta. "The box! Get the triskele box to Scott!" The teenager nodded, sprinting forward and snatching up the box. He headed for the front doors of the school before any of the Oni could stop him.
As if to remind the Alpha that they were still in the middle of a battle, an Oni raised its sword at her. It would have cut her head off, but she managed to catch the blade with her forearm instead. She winced as the sharpened edge bore its way into her skin, but she grabbed the Oni, pulling the demon into a half-nelson and turning it towards Argent for a direct shot. There was only one more Oni left.
Argent took aim at it, but the demon was predicting the shot. It cut the arrow in two, sending it clattering to the ground in a harmless trajectory.
"Get the arrow!" Argent commanded. "It's the last one." Aiden was the closest. He ran for the broken arrow, sliding to avoid the Oni's blade as he snatched up the useful end. Loki watched, still pressing an arm over her stomach to staunch the flow of blood, as Aiden shoved the arrow deep into the Oni's chest, bloody mouth open in a snarl.
Aiden didn't move. When the Oni dissipated, Loki immediately saw why. The cobalt blue of his eyes flickered and fresh blood dripped down his chin. And sticking out of his stomach was the Oni's sword.
"Aiden!" she shrieked. As if from a distance, she heard Ethan yelling to his brother as well. But neither of them could move, and it was Derek who caught Aiden as he fell.
Derek cradled Aiden in his arms gently. He never would have thought that he'd watch this werewolf in his dying moments, this werewolf who'd helped kill two of his Betas, and feel any emotion. But he did.
Loki knelt next to Aiden, Ethan close beside her. He was choking up blood, gagging on the black fluid. Both of the twins were crying, but Loki felt like she couldn't cry. She couldn't speak or move. Ethan was shushing his brother gently, comforting him. She could see their lips moving, but she couldn't hear their words.
She was, however, faintly aware of Derek calling her name, and she turned to look at him. Her eyes were wide and glassy, for once so transparent of her pain that Derek found it difficult to make eye contact with her.
"You can save him," Derek whispered. The moment he said it, he wished he could take it back. Loki was injured from the fight, her wounds already sapping her strength. But it was too late. She blinked, and her eyes hardened again, sealing all her secretive emotions up in a second. She placed a hand on Aiden's forearm, gripping it closely, and bent her head into his shoulder.
The second Loki touched Aiden, she almost passed out. The pain was so intense, so agonizing, that she wanted to scream, she wanted to pull away. But she didn't.
Her lips thinned with stubbornness, and she began to pull Aiden's pain away, into her. She felt his body jerk against hers weakly in response, but his eyes were closing. Loki could feel in pain fading, but she wasn't sure if it was because her powers were working or if it was because he was dying. And then, suddenly, everything was dark.
It took Ethan a moment to realize what was happening. He and Aiden had long since learned that they couldn't take one another's pain, as they already felt it was their own and he hadn't heard Derek speak, so at first he assumed at Loki was just trying to make Aiden's final moments slightly more bearable. It was when she didn't stop when he realized what was happening. And he began to panic.
"Loki," he tried to tug her arm away, dread rising in him. "Loki, don't." It wasn't that he wanted Aiden to die – of course he wanted his brother alive. But in that terrifying moment, he was sure that he was about to lose both of them. He choked back a sob. "Loki, please."
She didn't listen to him – when had she ever? Her eyes were squeezed shut, lips parted as she whimpered in pain. Ethan wasn't sure if she was aware of the sounds she was making, but they were awful. He'd never heard Loki show that much physical pain.
Suddenly, she gasped throwing her head back. Her eyes flew open, shining brilliant crimson overtaking her hazel-y green irises. As Ethan watched, the dazzling red color faded to the cold blue of Loki's nightmares. Her hands slacked around Aiden's wrist, and she fell, her head cracking against the ground.
Lydia raced outside, a now familiar feeling of dread rising inside of her. She looked down the stairs, and the scene took her a moment to comprehend. Ethan was sitting back on his heels; his hands over his face and his shoulders slumped. Derek and Argent were kneeling next to him, talking to one another. And Loki and Aiden were sprawled across the ground, both covered in blood. Hysteria rose in Lydia.
"Scott!" She shrieked, racing down the stairs. "Scott!" The Alpha had already seen what was happening, and he was running after her. Scott fell to his knees next to Loki, reaching his arm out. At the last minute, he couldn't bring himself to touch her still body. Scott closed his eyes, wondering how his life had gotten to the point where he'd held two dying girls that he loved in his arms in as many days. He was so distraught that he didn't realize what Lydia quickly had – that her panic had been human, not supernatural.
Lydia placed her hand on Aiden's chest, tears streaming down her face.
"Don't touch them," Ethan whispered. He was rocking back and forth. Lydia stared at him for a moment, wanting to comfort him, but a sudden, slight movement against her hand pulled her attention back to the other twin. Aiden was breathing.
"He's – they're – alive!" Lydia gasped out, relief making her dizzy. Ethan took his hands away from his face, and raised his head. His eyes were dazed with the whirlwind of action that had just happened. His voice cracked with emotion when he spoke.
"I know."
When Loki awoke, the first thing she noticed was Ethan. He was asleep at the foot of the couch she was on, his chin leaning on his chest. His position didn't look the least bit comfortable, but he didn't even stir when Loki sat up. She reached out to him, but before her fingertips made contact with his arm, someone grabbed her wrist and pulled it back.
"Careful – I think we should let him rest." Loki rose so fast she barely registered the movement. She took two wobbly steps before her body caught up to her and her legs buckled. Aiden grabbed her around the waist, pulling her up and into a hug. Loki clung to him, gripping his jacket so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
"Aiden," she choked out. He shushed her, kissing her forehead and hugging her tightly to him.
"I know," he whispered back. He stroked her hair. "Thank you."
Her wolf eyes were blue now. She let them glow again, watching as the reflection in the mirror mimicked the action. This was no nightmare – this was real life. But, when Loki tore her eyes from her reflection and looked back at Aiden, who was slowly coaxing Ethan into a real bed, she knew without a doubt – it was worth it.
"Scott, Scott!" Stiles ran up to his best friend. The True Alpha turned to his best friend. The human caught his breath. "Scott, they're leaving. The twins and Loki – they're leaving." Scott blinked, and his mind caught up, registering what Stiles had said.
"What?" He gasped out. Stiles nodded rapidly.
"Lydia just told me – Aiden was saying goodbye to her." Scott shook his head slowly, heart thudding in his chest. He scanned the hallways desperately, and saw – yes! – Ethan walking out the doors. Scott slammed his locker shut and ran after the other werewolf.
Loki was leaning against Ethan's bike, her face tipped up towards the sun. She heard his footsteps and opened her eyes, grinning at him.
"Hey." He grinned back, and her eyes narrowed playfully. "You look weirdly happy for someone who just broke up with their boyfriend." Aiden came flouncing down the steps of the school towards the parking lot. His lips were turned down at the corners and his eyes shadowed. Loki pointed at him. "That's a more appropriate reaction." Aiden flipped her off and Loki laughed. So did Ethan.
"Danny knew." It took Loki a moment to realize what he was saying, but when she did, she laughed again.
"Well, how about that." Before she could say more, someone grabbed her arm. Scott. She turned towards him. His eyes were dark with hurt and thinly veiled anger.
"You're leaving?" Loki pressed her lips together. She glanced at the twins.
"Give me a minute," She requested, jogging away and calling for Scott to join her. He followed her silently, and once they were a short distance away, Loki paused and turned towards him. He opened his mouth and she reached up to press her hand over it.
"Don't talk. Let me." She removed her hand. "So, yes, the twins are leaving – "
"And you didn't say good-bye?" Scott snapped. Loki glared at him.
"Listen to me. The twins are leaving, Scott. I didn't say good-bye because I'm not intending to go."
Loki walked out of the bathroom in her bra, still toweling water droplets off her skin. She had two scars on her body now – one across her stomach and one on her forearm. They were barely a day old but they looked white with age. She was guessing she'd have them for life – a minor side effect of healing Aiden and losing her power while she was weakened. It was a small price to pay.
"We're leaving," Ethan said as she stepped into the kitchen. Loki paused, pulling her shirt on over her head. She poured herself a mug of coffee.
"I know," she replied. "I'll catch up." The twins exchanged a look.
"You're coming too," Aiden said firmly. Loki raised an eyebrow at him and he glared at her. "Loki, this is non-negotiable – "
"You're right," Loki cut him off. Her jaw was set firmly with determination, and her eyes were hard and flinty. "It is. You two are leaving, because Aiden almost died and Beacon Hills isn't safe. I'm staying because I promised Scott I would." Her face and voice softened when she saw their expressions. "It's only until graduation. A year and a half. I'll catch up."
Scott stared at Loki in utter shock. He had not expected this whatsoever. As he processed this change, Loki pulled away to say a last goodbye to her best friends. Scott and the rest of the pack gave the three former Alphas their distance.
Loki stepped away from the twins, and Scott walked up them. He wasn't exactly sure what to tell them, but he knew something needed to be said. Luckily, the twins understood his meaning through his bumbling words.
As he watched them drive away, Scott glanced back to Loki. She beckoned him over, and began to speak very quickly.
"Scott," she said. He looked at her and she bit her lip, unsure of how to proceed. "I – I'm sorry about this. I'm staying, but I don't know if it's a good idea if. You and I. Are – together. Anymore." Loki spit the words out clumsily, for once her speech not coming easy to her. Scott stared at her, but Loki couldn't meet his gaze. "I – I know this is sudden, and weird and unexpected. But with everything that has happened, I think the last thing that you need is a relationship with me. And now that I'm completely alone – I mean, you know what I mean – I think it would be better if I really was – well, alone." It was a bullshit reason, really. She stared at him. "I'm sorry." Scott nodded.
In a weird way, it was as though he expected this. So he was disappointed, yes, but not surprised. He found a dry, ironic humor in the situation, seeing as Loki had finally picked him over the twins, but not in the way he'd expected.
"Loki," he said, simply. When he kissed him, she responded eagerly, her lips moving against his softly one last time. Neither of them spoke beyond his whisper of her name, and neither of them said what they both wanted to say – I love you. But their silence spoke volumes.
yeahhhhhhh okayyy...sorry about all this damn cheese at the end lol. i really liked the way this played out in my head but it was a lot harder to write. i hope it's not terrible
also i know, i know, i know, i know
aiden died because it showed that the twins finally understood sacrifice and friendship and the dynamic of a scott's mentality and pack blah blah blah
but i couldn't bring myself to kill aiden. i really couldn't. i love his character too much. sorry if u think it ruins the story or something
or maybe no one cares lol
anyways. see u soon for season 4 (i'm rly excited for this season, love it so much)
please leave a review and tell me what u think! thank you!
(also if i think i'm gonna start the side story thing soon. the first chapter will be a prequel to this story - when loki met the twins. idk when it will be up, but maybe look out for it and give a read?)