Torn
Calla pulled her mustang into the driveway of the Argent home, killing the engine and stepping out, grabbing her satchel then slamming her door, locking the car. She walked through the front door, ignoring Gerard and Holly as they stood across the dining room table, her mind focused on just crawling into bed and forgetting what just happened.
"Where were you Calla?" Holly asked, catching the senior as she was halfway up the stairs.
"Study group ran late." Calla lied, continuing up the stairs. Once she hit her room, she tossed her satchel by her desk and plopped down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The past few hours replaying in her head. She opened her nightstand drawer, pulling out her own leather-bound journal, the choker that Derek gave her for her birthday marked the next blank pages for her newest entry.
"Journal, just when I thought things were actually going well and that Derek and I were in a good place, I learn that he had kept things from me. Turns out, I guess he didn't trust me as much as I trusted him. With the Kanima out there, we needed to be on the same page when fighting against it. He told me that he kept me in the dark to protect me. I think we-"
There was a knock on Calla's bedroom door, "Calla?" Gerard said calmly on the other side. "May I come in?"
Calla set the choker in her journal and shoved it back in her nightstand drawer, "Yeah, gramps." she cleared her throat and sat up, criss-crossing her legs on her bed. Gerard opened the door and smiled at his oldest granddaughter. "What's up?" Calla asked, brushing her bangs from her face.
"Time for you to go into the field with me." Gerard answered. "Come on, get up and get dressed."
Calla looked down at her clothes, "What's wrong with what I've got on?" she raised an eyebrow.
A female cleared her throat from the doorway. Gerard stepped aside to reveal Holly, who was holding a clothing box. "I got this Gerard." she gave the elder hunter a smile. "We'll be down in a bit."
"Thank you Holly." Gerard dipped his head before turning back to Calla, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Don't look so nervous, you'll be fine." he assured, kissing the top of her head before leaving the two girls alone.
Holly took the lid off the box revealing a form-fitting black, long sleeved shirt with a fleur-de-lis sewn into the center in silver thread, and a pair of dark denim skinny jeans. "This is better suited for what we're about to do."
"Which is what exactly?" Calla asked, sliding off her bed.
Holly wrapped her arm around the young huntress' shoulders, "Gerard got a lead on the creature that killed Bennett." she answered. "We're going to track it down."
Calla nodded her head, taking the clothes into her bathroom to change. She brushed out her hair and pulled it up, making sure there were no loose hairs. She overlooked her reflection in the mirror, smoothing out her top. With a heavy exhale, she stepped out, sliding into a pair of black combat boots. Holly gave a whistle of approval before the girls walked downstairs and met Gerard by a dark SUV. He tossed the keys to Calla, who climbed into the driver's seat without argument.
"Mind telling me exactly where we're going?" she glanced at Gerard in the passenger seat.
"Just follow my instructions." Gerard answered vaguely. Calla sighed and pulled out of the driveway.
The instructions Gerard gave led Calla to the industrial section of Beacon Hills, where the faint sounds of growls and hisses could be heard. Calla stopped the car and cut the engine but kept the headlights on, focusing more on the non-human sounds. She hesitantly glanced to her grandfather, who handed her a standard-sized handgun, fully loaded. "Show me what you've learned so far."
Calla took the gun and jumped out of the car, clicking the safety off and made her way to the fight, holding the gun ready when the sounds grew louder. She ducked behind a stone pillar and saw Derek, in full werewolf transformation, fighting the Kanima, who appeared to be on the offensive. The Kanima knocked Derek off balance and he was sent flying towards the alleyway.
The blonde jumped into action at that second, jumping onto the reptilian creature's back, firing four rounds into it's lower back, making it yowl and toss her a few feet. Calla hit the ground with a thud, her gun sliding from her hands. She jumped to her feet, dodging the lashing claws of the Kanima. She ducked, spun, jumped, and even backflipped to avoid getting the tiniest knick from the creature's paralytic claws. Calla ducked under the Kanima's arms and stabbed it with her ring daggers, making it yell again. Using that distraction, she grabbed her gun and started firing off rounds.
Derek shook off the latest blow from the Kanima, the sound of gunfire catching his ears. He got to his feet, eyes blazing red and ran back to the fight, only to catch Calla fighting the large lizard one-on-one. From the way she carried herself in the fight, Derek could tell her training was paying off. She found an opening and stabbed the Kanima above where the kidneys would be located on a human, using it's temporary injury to grab her gun and continued to fire.
Calla manged to fire the rest of her rounds into the Kanima's chest and abdominal area before it used it's tail to grab her arm and threw her into the side of a dumpster in the side alley. Her ears rung from the impact, and a thin line of blood trickled from a small scratch near her hairline. Calla winced as she wiped the blood away with her sleeve, oblivious to the headlights approaching her. Right when she noticed the truck heading her way, she was whisked from the road just as the truck passed.
She blinked away the haze and looked up to see a fully transformed Derek cradling her. "Derek?" she panted, her head throbbing.
"That was a close call." Derek noted, gently setting the huntress on her feet, but still kept his arm around her lower back.
Headlights shone back where the fight with the Kanima took place, both Derek and Calla peeked around the wall of the warehouse to get a look. What they saw shocked them. Gerard stood in the glow of the headlights of the SUV, staring down the Kanima as it stared back. Calla blinked away the haze of dizziness, gripping the fabric of Derek's jacket as the two stepped back into the wall's shadow. "Derek, you shouldn't be here." she told him, looking up to meet his eyes.
The corner of Derek's lips formed a smile, relieved that she still cared about him. "I told you that I would always be around to watch over you." he reminded, moving his hand from her lower back to her cheek. Calla reflexively turned her face into his palm, closing her eyes. "Whether you want me or not, I'll always be watching over you." Derek kissed her forehead, his lips lingering on her skin as he inhaled her scent. The faint sound of the Kanima darting above the rooftops reminded him exactly what the true danger was.
When Calla opened her eyes, Derek was gone. She reached up to touch her cheek, still feeling the warmth of Derek's hand on her face and the feel of his lips on her forehead. "I want you." she muttered, taking a shuddering breath.
"Calla!" Holly called from the end of the alley. She took off running for the younger huntress. "You okay?" She looked her over, checking for any serious injuries. "Did you see him? The Alpha?"
"Derek." Calla corrected, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Uh, no. I didn't see him."
Holly caught her breath, holstering her gun. "Well, he took off after that other thing. Gerard wants us to tail it."
"Yeah, what was that giant lizard anyway?" Calla asked, playing dumb. "Or does my grandfather want us to keep calling it the 'Giant Lizard'?"
Holly shrugged her shoulders. "If Gerard knows what it is, he hasn't told us yet." she answered. "Now come on, we don't wanna lose it." she walked a few paces ahead, glancing over her shoulder. "C'mon Cal, we've got a job to do."
Calla sighed and followed Holly, the two keeping close and staying out of view of anyone in the surrounding areas. The two girls came upon a club where music was blaring. Holly grinned as she started to remove her crimson leather jacket.
"Wait." Calla halted, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. "What are you doing?"
"That's a club, right?" Holly raised an eyebrow. "I was gonna sneak in to see if our scaly friend went inside."
Calla rolled her eyes and caught sight of a familiar boy in the line, "Sorry to burst your bubble H, but uh, it's not our type of club." she informed.
"Why?" Holly huffed.
Calla motioned to Danny, who was showing his ID, albeit a fake one, to the bouncer and was let inside. "I know him, he goes to Beacon Hills High." she told the older huntress. "His name's Danny."
"So, you know the guy." Holly deducted.
"He's gay." Calla bluntly stated. "And since the only females I see in that line are obviously drag queens, you and I are shit out of luck."
"Damn." Holly sighed. "So much for that plan."
"We'll just have to wait that scaly thing out." Calla noted, leaning against the brick wall. "It'll have to come out eventually."
"Someone could be dead by then." Holly reminded, handing Calla her purse she had left in the SUV. "It's been buzzing for the past half hour."
Calla pulled out her cellphone, seeing three missed calls from Allison which included three voicemails, and about six or seven text messages. She quickly deleted the voicemails and called her cousin back.
"Finally, I was getting worried." Allison breathed a sigh of relief, pacing back and forth in her room. "Uncle Gabriel said Gerard took you and Holly out on a field exercise."
Calla sighed on the other line, "Something like that." she confirmed. "We tracked the lizard to the warehouse district. Derek beat us to it."
Allison plopped down on her bed. "Figures." she muttered. "Lydia is totally freaked out, and I think she knows we're keeping something from her."
Calla nodded her head, her ponytail draped over her shoulder. "Wouldn't surprise me." Screams came from the club, Jungle, making both Holly and Calla turn their heads in that direction. "Ally, I gotta go. I'll see ya at home, love you." she hung up her cell and the two girls inched closer.
A few ambulances showed up minutes later, as well as a few deputy cars. "Great, now what?" Holly asked in a hushed whisper.
Calla rummaged through her purse, pulling out her ID badge from Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital. "I've got an idea. Follow me." she snuck ahead, grabbing an EMT windbreaker from the back of an empty ambulance. "I'll handle the police officers, you try to talk to anyone coming out of the club."
Holly smiled, "Clever." she smoothed out her hair. The two girls blended with their respective crowds, getting information they needed.
Gerard waited in the passenger seat of the SUV, smiling proudly when he saw Holly and Calla walking back. His granddaughter slid behind the wheel, folding her arms on the rim, resting her chin on her forearm. "What's the news?" he asked.
"Seven paralyzed." Calla answered, leaning back in the seat.
"The rumor is drugs, probably hallucinogens." Holly added. "Since witnesses say they saw a demonic monster on the dance floor."
"Now, who would believe something like that?" Gerard chuckled.
Holly leaned forward from the back, "Gerard, why were just standing there while that lizard-thing circled you, and do nothing?" she asked.
Calla probed her forehead, no doubt she would find a bruise in the morning. "I saw that too, wanna explain that?"
"Intuition." Gerard answered.
"Then you know what it is." Calla prided.
"I have a suspicion." the elderly man replied. "And if I'm right, it plays by certain rules. Rules that don't bend easily." he took out a small metal tin and swallowed all the pills inside.
"Do we need to put a hold on Derek to figure this thing out?" Holly asked.
Gerard shook his head. "Not necessarily." he looked over at Calla. "Tonight's the first time you had a glimpse of Derek since Kate died, am I right?"
Calla nodded, that night flashing through her mind. "Yeah." she answered in a low voice. She heard her grandfather say something about Isaac, which snapped her back to the present. "What are you thinking gramps?"
Gerard chuckled. "That if this thing bothers Derek enough to bring him out of his little hole, then we might have an opportunity." he answered, patting his eldest granddaughter's shoulder, "This is something I've taught your father, uncle, and your aunt. The best way to eliminate a threat, is to get someone to do it for you."
Calla sighed, biting her lip, "So you're hoping that Derek and whatever this new creature is are going to take eachother out?" she pondered. "That lizard is pretty tough, I mean it took fourteen rounds and still managed to throw me into the alley." Calla set her empty gun in her purse, tossing it in the backseat.
"I watched you fight it, your training is paying off." Gerard praised, patting Calla's cheek. "You'll be running the family in no time at all." Calla smiled softly, starting the car. Gerard leaned back in his seat, "I see a lot of your aunt Kate in you."
Calla froze for a moment, before pulling the SUV away from the warehouses and made her way home. She was silent the whole drive and when she returned home, Calla went straight to her room and crawled into bed, Gerard's last comment echoing in her mind.
The next day, school went by as usual, except Jackson nor Stiles were present. Their absence all but solidified to Calla that Jackson was indeed the Kanima, which spelt more bad news. She kept her composure as she walked the halls, fully aware that Erica, Boyd, and Isaac kept their eyes on her. All was going well, until she walked into her third period AP History class.
"Dad?" Calla's eyes widened as she saw her father sitting behind Mr. Westover's desk. She walked up and stood opposite him, "What are you doing here?" she snapped in a whisper.
Gabriel smiled, "The school needed a substitute for the History classes, so here I am." he answered, stacking the papers on the desk.
"You're qualified for this?" Calla raised an eyebrow.
"Very much so." Gabriel confirmed. The bell rang as the rest of the students took their seats. "We'll talk about this later."
Calla sighed and took her seat, smoothing out her white sundress and crossed her legs, showing off her black flower wedges. Unbeknownst to her, Derek was watching her from across the parking lot, hidden amongst the bushes and trees.
"Hello everyone." Gabriel greeted the seniors. "Sadly Mr. Westover wasn't feeling too well this morning so," he leaned against the desk, "I'm your substitute for the day. My name's Gabriel Argent." He cleared his throat as he leaned off the desk. "According to the lesson plans, you guys are on the U.S Entry into World War Two."
Calla leaned back in her chair, tapping her pen rhythmically on her desk as her father continued the lecture.
When the dismissle bell rang, she was the last one out the door. Calla stood opposite her father, "Gerard has an ulterior reason for you subbing for Mr. Westover, doesn't he?" she accused. "Mind cluing me in?" she held her books loosely in front of her chest.
"Yes." Gabriel answered. "I'm acting as a second set of eyes-"
"-keeping tabs on Isaac." Calla finished.
"Exactly." Gabriel sighed. "See who else he hangs out with." he took a seat, looking up at his daughter. "There's no way Isaac is the only one Derek turned. There's got to be at least two more."
Calla nodded, biting her lip. "Okay well, good luck with that." she patted her dad's arm.
Gabriel took his daughter's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, "I know this must still be hard for you." he sympathized. "I can tell you're still not over him."
Calla took her hand back, clutching her books to her chest. No matter how hard she'd try, she just couldn't completely push Derek from her mind. She didn't know where they stood, or even if they were still together. Every time she thought about him, her heart constricted. "Yeah, well, it's done." she tapped the toe of her shoe on the floor. "Nothing we can do about it now." She flipped her hair back off her shoulder, "I know Gerard wants me to be the one to-" Calla took a deep breath, "-to take out Derek." she bit her lip, the very mention made her want to break down. She regained her composure, "Pass this on to gramps if you want; if I'm going to be the one to take Derek down, I'm going to need one hell of a better reason than because he's an Alpha werewolf." she spun on her heels and walked out of the classroom, her head held high with an expression that was the opposite of how she was feeling inside.
After cheerleading practice, Calla changed into a pair of light blue scrubs and went to work, checking on the boys who were attacked at Jungle the previous night. She jotted down their vitals and set the charts in the outside bins for the attending doctor. As she walked out of Danny's room, Scott practically ran into her.
"Oh, Calla, I'm sorry." Scott apologized, helping the senior to her feet.
"No, Scott it's fine." Calla brushed it off with a smile. "My head's been up in the clouds today, what with my dad subbing History and aunt Victoria subbing English, it's suffocating." she cleared her throat, holding the files against her chest. "What's up?"
"Oh, ya know, just checking on Danny." Scott answered.
Calla nodded, "Well, the toxin's out of his system, I was just going to get his discharge papers." she gave him a smile and patted his shoulder as she walked towards the front desk.
"You okay sweetie?" Melissa asked, rubbing Calla's shoulder as she leaned into the desk, waiting for papers to be printed. "You look a little pale."
Calla gave her superior a warm smile, "I'm fine Melissa." she assured. "It's just been a long day, with midterms coming up and scholarship deadlines. Then there's the championship game in a few weeks."
Melissa nodded, "Well, how you're managing to keep up your grades while working a tedious job like this, I commend your strength."
"Thanks." Calla's smile widened as she took the papers she needed from the receptionist. She gave Melissa a one armed hug before heading back down the hall.
Towards the end of her shift, Calla sat in the break room, sipping a cup of warm vanilla tea. Melissa came in, taking the chair beside the young medical assistant and running her fingers through her curly hair. "I swear, sometimes I don't understand him." she muttered.
"Care to share?" Calla inquired, getting the older nurse's attention. Seeing the tired look in her eyes, Calla had a good guess. "Let me guess, Scott?"
Melissa nodded. "It's like school is the last thing on his list of priorities." she sighed. "Ever since him and Allison broke up, it's almost like Scott's a different person."
Calla shrugged, "Or maybe he's just trying to do the whole 'teenage rebellion thing'." she threw out, earning a shocked/scared look from Melissa. "Hey, believe it or not, I'm actually coming out of my rebellion phase." Calla chuckled.
Melissa raised an eyebrow, "What sort of rebellious things did you do exactly?" she asked tentatively.
Calla brushed her ponytail to the side, and showed Melissa the butterfly tattoo on her neck. "I forged my dad's signature on a consent form to get this when I turned sixteen." she didn't bother hiding her smile. "I also snuck out and went to parties where I drank until I couldn't see straight."
"And now you're in the running for valedictorian." Melissa shook her head. "Talk about a one-eighty."
Calla nodded, taking another sip of her tea. "Tell me about it." she agreed. "I don't even know how it happened." She lied. She knew exactly how her one-eighty happened. Since she met Derek, Calla actually found herself being actually happy, which gave her a reason to want to stay in Beacon Hills.
After her shift, it was late when Calla returned home. She dropped her school bag and duffle by her bedroom door and turned on her desk lamp, startled when she caught Lydia's reflection in her desk mirror. "What the hell, Lydia?" she gasped, facing the young redhead.
"Finally, someone's home." Lydia sighed, getting off of Calla's bed. "I've been sitting here for almost two hours."
"In my room?" Calla pointed out.
Lydia shrugged, "Your's was cleaner than Allison's." she defended.
Calla sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Look, I know you and I are sort of friends, but I can't really hang out. It's been a long day and I'm exhausted."
"I don't need anyone to hang out with." Lydia replied, "I need someone to talk to."
"So, why not just call Allison?" Calla questioned.
"Because I think she's not telling me the whole truth." Lydia answered. "I figured you might."
Calla's shoulders sank as she sighed heavily, "Look, I understand that you're probably confused about last night, but if it can just wait-"
"-why is everyone always telling me to wait?" Lydia cut her off, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why can't anyone have 'right now' available?"
"Because you can't have everything right now." Calla snapped. "You know what I need? I need someone to translate five pages of Archaic Latin." she tossed her jacket over her desk chair and kicked her sneakers off by her closet doors. "Obviously, that's not gonna happen anytime soon."
"I know Archaic Latin." Lydia informed.
Calla's eyes widened and her eyebrows arched, "You know Archaic Latin?"
"I got bored with classical Latin." Lydia replied.
"Just how smart are you?" the senior prided.
Lydia held her hand out, "Just show me the pages."
Calla rolled her eyes and logged into her laptop, plugging in the Bestiary flash-drive and scrolled until she found the section on the Kanima, "Knock yourself out." she offered, pulling her chair out for Lydia.
The huntress paced back and forth as Lydia mumbled to herself, writing down various Latin phrases and the English translations. When she got to the last sentence, she spoke it louder, giving a different answer than what Ms. Morell gave Allison the other day.
"Where the wolf seeks a pack, the Kanima seeks a master." Lydia read.
"Are you sure?" Calla asked, leaning over Lydia's shoulder. She looked at the written translations, "Ms. Morrell told Allison that word means 'friend'. The Kanima seeks a friend."
"She was wrong." Lydia stated. "It means 'master'."
"The Kanima seeks a master." Calla repeated, stepping out of Lydia's way.
"Is that important?" the redhead questioned, grabbing her purse.
Calla nodded, "Thanks Lydia, I'll have Ally call ya." she waved as the teenage girl left her room, letting the new information sink in. "Someone's not protecting him." It all came together in her mind. "Someone's controlling him."
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful, amazing sister DemonGirl123. Happy Birthday sis, love you lots and thanks for being my number one fan for this story!
