Cole arrived home to find the escalade still gone from the driveway. She parked her truck behind Peter's mustang, before making her way up the stone path.

She stomped her way up the porch to the door. Her bag fell from her shoulder to her arm as she fiddled with the lock and key. Finally it clicked, and the door swung open. She released a sigh as she stepped inside.

She let her bag fall to the floor as Cerberus came flying down the stairs facing her, barking like mad. He stopped as he reached her, slamming himself in a major drift against her legs, attempting to lick and bite at her hands. She reached out to hug him and give him a pet.

She kicked her shoes off, and kicked her bag into the closet with them. She started for the stairs, scowling when she heard her name called. She spun back the other way, stalking towards the living room.

"Cole, I do hate to be a bother, I know teenagers require their privacy and all of that, but would you indulge me, and explain the blood?"

She followed where Peter was pointing to, as he gave her a face.

Shit, Isaac must have caught her. Just barely grazed her when he shot past.

It was already healed, but the tear along her waist surrounded by now brown fabric was an eyesore. And she liked that shirt. Another one for Lei to butcher. She groaned again, making a face right back.

"Where's Mara cuz I'm not gonna repeat myself. Today was ridiculous and I'm exhausted." She moaned, dragging her steps over to the loveseat next to the couch, and falling into it.

"She'll be back soon." He replied, raising the book he had in his lap back to eye level. Cole turned towards him with a curious look.

"Where is she?" She asked again with a cocked brow.

"I don't know."

"How long has she been gone?"

"I don't know."

"Why'd she go out all day instead of making you leave like usual if she's mad?"

Finally he lowered his book again, fixing her with a glare.

"Maybe you should call her and ask? If you couldn't tell, I have no clue what she's doing." He offered in an annoyed tone, before returning to reading. Cole grinned with satisfaction. Whatever he did, the least she could do was annoy him about it. It was her sisterly duty.

She pulled her phone out planning to do just that, to find a few messages from Lydia, and a few from another unknown number.

The music teacher is gone.

Taken. There's blood.

Cole flinched, grabbing Peter's attention for a moment as she stared down at the phone.

She responded apologizing as the texts had come while she was still at school, but had left her phone off from detention. Lydia answered saying she had talked to Lei anyways, thankfully.

The other messages were easy to pinpoint. Lydia must have given Stiles her number. He was rambling on, still sending messages as she tried to read.

All these symbols and things... the triskeles, the bank logo, the Mountain ash... all of it is from the Celtic druids. The druids had a pretty big hard-on when it came to giving one up to the gods.

I'm thinking that the murders maybe come in threes. Ancient people love things in threes, right?

Maybe first it's three virgins, and then, I don't know, maybe it's three people who own little dogs.

You ever hear of the lindow man? 2,000-year-old body found in England? He was found strangled, head bashed in, throat cut. Threefold death. They also found pollen grains in his stomach. Guess what favorite druid plant that was.

Mistletoe.

Once she made it through, she gave a short response.

Ye

You already knew!?

Well it wasn't for sure

Also each grouping of three would have its own purpose, its own type of power. Virgins, healers, philosophers, warriors...

Why wouldn't you share that?

I just told you.

Ok well why aren't you sure

The Celtic druids were close to nature. They believed they kept it in balance. They were philosophers and scholars. They weren't serial killers.

Yeah, well, this one is.

Cole rolled her eyes at that. She turned her ringer back on, before finally getting to call her sister.

But of course she wouldn't actually pick up.

She squinted, annoyed as the phone buzzed in her hand with another message from Stiles. Her heart had clearly fluttered, because Peter was looking at her once again. She looked up at him this time repeating what she had read.

"Adrian Harris was taken. It was a military connection. He left a message behind. Darach."

His brow raised as her eyes returned to the screen.

"A dark druid?"

Cole shrugged. She looked back up at him, as he was suddenly up and heading towards the stairs. He turned back to her for just a moment.

"Call Mara, and don't stop until she picks up."

"Make it quick."

Mara put the phone up to her ear with one hand with the other on the wheel. Her truck was speeding down the residential streets. She had turned into the neighbourhoods to cut through faster.

"Peter told me to get a hold of you. We know what else is here."

"I have to go but I'll be home soon. Is anyone at the school right now?"

"Lydia and Stiles for sure. Probably more."

Mara hung up as she tore into the parking lot. She tossed her phone onto the passenger seat. She pulled straight though the empty space, parking her escalade right next to the back doors. She stalked into the school, unsure what she was walking into, but certain it wasn't going to be good.

She could hear slight activity throughout the painted brick building. Quiet voices, shuffling papers, and… footsteps. Thundering footsteps. She changed course, heading right at the first crossroad of halls.

The steps got louder and louder, and she moved faster. Mara tore left around the corner to find Scott and Isaac tearing towards her from the other side of the hall. They looked TERRIFIED and she realized why.

Mara could not describe the beast she was looking at if she tried. Peter definitely didn't have the most visually appealing transformation, but this was…

Honestly it looked like a failed frankenwolf. Although it wasn't too failed if the bright red eyes looking back at her were any indication.

Scott and Isaac started to slow down at the sight of her. Her eyes went wide when the monster came around the corner, stalking towards them fiercely.

"Move!" She commanded towards the teen boys, prompting them to regain their speed. They came to a hard stop, skidding behind her into the hard brick. Mara turned her focus back to the problem headed straight for her. She got low, preparing herself.

He was already most of the way down the hallway, only 10 metres away when he came to a stop, a cocky smirk on his face. She held his glare, cracking her neck both ways without blinking.

"I'm going to give you a chance to rethink this. We're in a school with a bunch of civilians. Nobody wants this to get ugly."

Her head tilted as she flashed her eyes at him, the deep, flaring purple standing strong against her pale skin.

The red in his eyes faltered, for a moment. Then the monster separated itself into two twin boys, in a disgusting division. Mara let out a breath before she realized she was hearing footsteps coming towards them. It had taken them longer than she imagined. She hoped that meant he hadn't made the order to attack.

Mara held her defensive stance as he continued to approach, his walking stick tapping rhythmically against the shiny linoleum tiles. He made his way around the oversized twins before turning to face them. They looked as scared as Scott and Isaac had. Deucalion took the end off his cane, revealing a miniscule spearhead shaped blade, to her surprise. In a motion so fluid she barely caught it, he whipped his cane catching both boys across their left cheeks. Mara tensed as the older man turned towards her, capping his cane once more.

"I apologize for how the twins behaved. I assure you it won't happen again."

FLASHBACK

"I apologize for how Ennis behaved. I assure you it won't happen again. I am Deucalion."

Mara blushed, giving a shy smile as the older man offered his hand out to her. She sat up to accept it as he returned a polite smile.

"I'm Mara." She offered, and gave a small laugh. "I've known men a lot more determined than that. I'm not too worried"

He moved to sit beside her on the cushy bench against the wall. Across the room through the many adult wolves Mara could see Cole with all the other children, sitting around in a circle. They were all cheering the youngest, Leila, as they baited her with different things around the circle to choose. Cole was simply laughing and watching, clapping her small hands together with Cora to try and bring the two year old towards Laura, who they sat behind. She smiled absentmindedly. Deucalion followed her gaze.

"Talia told me about you. That must be your little sister." He commented, nodding in their direction. She looked at him and nodded.

"Colette. She's turning five this may." There was a touch of bittersweetness to her tone. Her eyes drifted away with her thoughts.

She snapped back into it when her eyes landed on Peter. Somehow he had made his way from where Talia sat with some of the other alphas in the main sitting area, to right behind Deucalion. He had his back against the other side or the corner they were in, perched on his stool, staring at her. Before she could scowl at him, Deucalion cut through her thoughts again.

"She's quite adorable, and very smart I hear." He replied, taking a drink from someone passing by them with a smile of thanks. Mara nodded, looking back towards the children with a small smile of her own returning.

"Too smart for her own good." She commented blankly, watching Leila crawl her way towards her sisters over the other children and Derek. He watched her attention stray once more, her eyes shifting focus as she stared forward. He stood with a grin on his face. She jumped when he spoke again, turning and looking up.

"It was nice to finally meet you Mara. If you have any trouble with Ennis, please let me know." He gave her a small nod, before heading back in Talia's direction. She gave him a small wave, before sitting back against the wall.

END OF FLASHBACK-

Mara had heard a lot over the years. Deucalion had been the beginning of many attacks on the wolves in Beacon Hills, but his had always been one of the most brutal. Peter told her it had broken him past fixing, something he understood well she supposed.

The things he had done were sick, and so were his plans for the future. He had turned into one of the most dangerous beings she would ever encounter, and yet he spoke to her just the same as the day she met him.

He was calm and collected. His tone was as polite as ever. He even looked all the same, aside from his eyes. She might have doubted the warnings had she not been following him here.

She relaxed her stance, since he clearly didn't intend to fight where they were. Her head tilted as she squinted towards him.

"I might have taken that to heart if you didn't allow your rabid bitch to stab my nephew today. We have leash laws for dogs here, you know?" Mara snarked back.

He tilted his head, probably trying to figure out where she had been hiding earlier that day when they had attacked Derek and Cora.

She turned back towards the teen boys still cowering behind her, and motioned them right. They scrambled over each other to take off down the hall, and she strode after them.

Mara made sure both boys left, before she took off back home.

Thanks for reading 3 I personally think the beginning of stories is the hardest, but i feel like ive past that. I'm really enjoying writing this the further i get and it's becoming much more interesting. Let me know what you thin or any suggestions you have with a review :)