Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter (Captain Boshtet, Piffthemagicdragon21, Momochan77, TomorrowGirl). I'm glad you're liking Scott and Sara together. Hope everyone is doing well and is having a good National Suicide Prevention Month!

"If you were here right now

I'll be telling you how

We'll turn it all around

If we were written in reverse

And the end was our beginning

Our love would be rehearsed

And the pain will turn to healing"

Written in Reverse by Tiesto & Hardwell

My brother was in a coma. And so was Boyd. But at least they were alive.

Derek went into hiding like werewolves were taught to do after a tragedy. Isaac was watching over Boyd at Derek's loft, telling him stories to pass the time. Mom and Dad had briefly wanted to bring Riichi to a hospital until I told them why he wasn't waking up. Mom said he simply needed time, but at least she wasn't blaming the werewolves that didn't deserve the blame. She knew it was Riichi's choice for trying to save Boyd from near death. But it was the Alpha Pack's fault for attempting to kill him in the first place.

Two days after Kali and the twins tried to kill Boyd, Scott stopped by to check in as I hadn't been talking at school. Dad let him in while Mom and I were in Riichi's room on either side of Riichi's bed where he had been laid to rest and heal. I looked up from my hands once Scott entered the room. His eyes were sad and downcast, but he pulled something out of his jacket pocket. He handed a small jar to my mom who took it hesitantly.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Something from Deaton," he answered, his voice low as he looked over Riichi's unconscious body. "He said it should help. Mix a spoon full with some juice or water and honey and funnel it slowly into his mouth. He said you'd be able to make sure it doesn't go into his lungs."

Mom studied the jar, looking at the mixture through the glass. "Did he say what's in it?"

"Oh, right, uh." Scott dug out a piece of paper from his pocket and read off the ingredients. "Cinnamon, vervain, primrose, and mugwort. He said they should help heal him and keep his strength up."

I looked back at my brother as my mom stood up. "Thank you. I'm going to-" She cut herself off, not finishing her statement as she left the room, leaving Scott and I.

A few tense moments passed before Scott slowly walked towards me, stopping by my side. I felt the weight of Scott's hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his thumb rubbing over the band of my tank top.

"It's not your fault," I croaked out. I hadn't really talked much since I found out what had happened at Derek's loft, so I cleared my throat. "I told them to call Riichi, and now. . ." I closed my eyes, resting my forehead on my folded hands.

"Whoa, hey, hey." Scott knelt beside me. "It's not your fault. Riichi wanted to help Boyd. And he's still alive. Both of them are."

Lowering my hands, my jaw tensed as I turned my hard gaze to Scott. "What do you know? They're both in supernatural comas which you know jack shit about. There's no guarantee."

"Sara. . ."

Turning away, I looked back to Riichi. "Leave me alone, Scott."

He continued to look at me with his sad puppy dog eyes. "Sara."

"Leave!" I snapped, my eyes flaring orange at him.

"No," Scott replied firmly. "Not until you say it's not your fault, because it's not. It's Kali's. It's the twins'. It's Deucalion's. And we are going to win. But we need you to help us do it." He set his hand gently on top of mine. "Please." My eyes faded back to brown as I stared into his. "It's not your fault."

I slowly nodded. Deep down I knew he was right. I just felt like it was mine. If I had been there, maybe I could have done something. If I had been there, maybe I could have stopped the alphas from trying to kill Boyd then they'd both be up and awake, and Derek wouldn't be in hiding. "It's Deucalion's."

"Deucalion?" Scott and I looked away from each other and at the door to Riichi's room where my mom stood with a bowl. "Deucalion's the one responsible for this?"

"More or less, yeah," Scott answered. "Do you know him?"

My mom nodded with a sigh. "Yes, I know him. I knew him well before Talia's death."

"Talia, as in Talia Hale?"

My mom nodded again. "Pull over that chair. Make yourself comfortable." She gestured to the other chair in the corner. Scott grabbed it and pulled it up next to the desk chair I had pulled in from my room. He sat down next to me. "Maybe what I know can help you." She leaned over her son, brushing back the hair off his face. "Has my daughter told you about kitsune?"

"Only a little. I'm still kinda confused, to be honest."

A small, rare smile graced my mom's face. "Many people are. Essentially, we are foxes. In nature, foxes and wolves tend not to get along. Do you know why?"

His eyebrows pinched together. "Their diets don't really overlap, but on occasion, a wolf will eat a fox, or a fox will eat a newborn wolf cub if given the chance."

"Wolves also don't like other canines encroaching on their territories," Mom told him. "I've been around a long time, Scott, and for most of my life, I have avoided werewolves since most of the ones I encountered tried to kill me. But when I moved to Beacon Hills, I met Talia Hale. She was different than most I had met. Kind, patient, diplomatic. We became close. Has Derek ever told you about his mother?" Scott shook his head. "I thought not. Talia, even when putting aside her personality traits, was already a different kind of werewolf altogether."

"What do you mean?" he asked, glancing between us confused.

"The shape you take reflects the type of person you are," I said. "Peter took the form of a giant monster. Jackson became the kanima."

Scott registered my words, bobbing his head slowly. "So, what shape did Talia take?"

"A wolf," my mom answered simply.

Scott frowned. "Like an actual-"

"Yes, an actual wolf. It's incredibly rare among werewolves. Those who can fully shift into the shape of a wolf are held in high esteem. Others go to them for wisdom and advice. Talia was a leader among leaders."

"Like Deucalion in the Alpha Pack."

"Yes," Mom quickly agreed. "But she was awarded her power by her peers. She didn't force it upon them. Other alphas idolized her. Werewolves and other creatures around the world knew about Talia Hale."

"But what does this have to do with Deucalion?" Scott asked.

My mom laughed lightly as she looked at the werewolf. "You're not very patient, are you?"

Scott sheepishly looked away. "Sorry." I reached over the short distance to pat his knee.

"As I was saying," Mom continued, "Talia was often sought out for advice. One of the times I met Deucalion, his pack and two other packs were in town seeking advice about a recent hunter problem from Talia and her emissary."

"What exactly is an emissary?" Scott wondered.

"Emissaries are pack advisors," I answered. Scott looked over at me while I explained. "Druids and werewolves have a long history. Ever since the supposed creation of werewolves way back in Ancient Greece, Druids have helped packs, giving them advice and aid with various problems. That's why Riichi and I were always told that if we needed help, we should go to Deaton."

"Deaton was Talia's emissary," Mom told him. "When I first came to town, Deaton was actually the one to seek me out. Something about omens or something, I don't know. I've never understood what Druids do. Anyway, Deaton brought me before Talia, and we became allies then friends. It's not unheard of for werewolf packs to have other creatures in them, but it was especially strange for a kitsune to join one."

I looked up at my mom, my expression pinching together. "Wait, you were actually in her pack?" I asked. "I thought you were only close, not actually, like, grouped together." I gaped at her. "That's why you took her and all their death's so hard. You weren't angry at her for getting Riichi killed, you were-"

"Angry at her for getting herself killed," my mom finished with a nod. "Yes. I didn't handle it well, I admit, and I'm sorry for that. . . Talia was an incredible person. She saw the best in others. Where some would take advantage of a kitsune's powers, she sought to befriend and help me instead. So, I rewarded her as any kitsune would."

"With knowledge and protection," I said. I turned to Scott to explain. "True kitsune gifts are intangible. If a kitsune gives you money or jewelry or something like that, it's inconsequential. It doesn't mean anything. It's worthless in the grand scheme of things. You might like it, but they don't actually care. Knowledge, protection, loyalty, love, advice: those are real gifts a kitsune would give to show they truly care and will only give those gifts when treated with respect."

A lightbulb went off in Scott's mind. "That's why you were so thrown when Isaac was lying to you. It wasn't just a lie; it was like a betrayal."

I nodded and replied, "Yeah, exactly." I didn't particularly like the reminder of the past summer, but there it was.

"Respect is incredibly important to kitsune," my mom told Scott. "Because Talia treated me as her equal, I offered my companionship in return. So, I used my powers to help her whenever I could."

"Do you control fire, too?" Scott asked.

"Oh, no, no." My mom shook her head. She looked at the bowl in her hand and made a twirling motion with her free hand. The water and herb mixture rose from the bowl and formed a ball in the air. "I control water." Scott watched in awe as the water stayed suspended in the air, and I chuckled, amused at his reaction.

Between him being a werewolf and us going up against a Dark Druid, one would think being able to control water would be on the lower spectrum of things to be amazed by. But then again, I didn't call him Wonder Pup for no reason.

My mom set the bowl on the end table beside Riichi's bed, and she leaned over her son again, opening his mouth with one hand as the other controlled the water, making it go into his mouth and down his throat. Because of his coma, Mom had to control any liquids she put into him since Riichi's swallow reflex wouldn't kick in.

Mom stood up straight again then sat in her chair. "I'm an ocean kitsune, so I brew rainstorms and hurricanes and control water. Riichi is a river kitsune. They control water, too, but mostly for healing. And you've seen Sara's fire. Being a kitsune may be hereditary, but we aren't always the same type. And with thirteen possibilities, there are plenty of options."

Scott nodded in understanding and silently decided not to ask about the other types. "So, how did you help Talia?"

"Kitsune, ah, pure kitsune are different than kitsune with a human parent," Mom explained, shifting in her seat. "Pure kitsune, like me, are born as foxes and once they reach a certain age can shift into humans. I used my shapeshifting ability to spy for Talia. I was faster, quieter, and more elusive than any werewolf. So when packs would come to town, I spied on them for her."

"That's when you met Deucalion," Scott realized.

"Yes, and no. One time, the packs were in Beacon Hills for a summit. At this point, I had already initially met him. While here, they sought Talia's advice because of a hunter problem that was initially started by a beta in a pack that belonged to an alpha named Ennis."

Scott and I sat forward in our seats, recognizing the name. "Ennis?" I repeated. "You're sure?"

Mom nodded. "Of course. Why? Did you meet him?"

"He was in the Alpha Pack," Scott revealed. "But Deucalion killed him after he almost died in a fight against Derek."

With a hum, Mom shifted in her seat again. "Can't say I'm sad to hear that. He was the problem. The other packs gave the hunters very little reason to go after them. One of Ennis's betas killed a hunter, so the hunters killed him. But they didn't just kill the beta. They shot him in the throat with an arrow, hung him in the abandoned distillery outside of town, removed his claws, then cut him in half with a sword." She made a motion with her hand for emphasis.

Scott scowled, recognizing the signature move. "Gerard."

Mom raised an eyebrow. "You know him, too?" Perhaps it did seem weird as to how we seemed to know all the bad people.

"Sara killed him."

My mom turned to look at me. I couldn't determine if she was disappointed or proud, so I explained myself. "He was the kanima master last semester, and after Scott tricked him, he was about to order the kanima to kill everyone, so I threw a kunai at his head before he could. It was a reflex."

A sly smile spread across her lips. "Smart girl. Gerard Argent was a psychopath. He needed to be put down. Even incarceration or incapacitation wouldn't stop that man. I guarantee he would have still found a way to manipulate others had he been kept alive. It's in his nature. Some hunters are tolerable, like his son Chris, because they go by a code, but Gerard and his daughter Kate had no semblance of honor. They killed werewolves for fun, not because the wolf needed to be put down."

"What happened after they killed the beta?" Scott asked, bringing the focus back to the story.

"Ennis was angry, of course," Mom stated simply. "Deucalion tried to talk him out of it, but Ennis carved the werewolf symbol for revenge into the side of the distillery, essentially declaring war with the hunters." She idly traced the spiral on the surface of the end table. "Deucalion, Talia, and I went to Deaton for advice on how to proceed. Deaton said to proceed with caution when Deucalion proposed meeting with the hunters for a ceasefire. Talia and Deaton knew better, but Deucalion was a man of vision. He wanted peace between the hunters and werewolves and couldn't be talked out of it. So when Deucalion and a few of his pack members went to meet with Gerard and a few hunters at the distillery, Talia sent me along as her eyes."

Mom paused and had a faraway look in her eyes as she recalled the day. "Gerard had set a trap. He put wolfsbane in the distillery system. And when the wolves went to meet him, he opened the valves, poisoning not only the wolves but also his own men. Gerard then used a spiked club to kill his men, making it look like they were mauled by werewolves. Deucalion was able to crawl out of there, but Gerard stood over him as he crawled away and imbedded two stun arrows into his eyes, disintegrating his eyes."

"That's how Deucalion became blind?" Scott questioned. "Gerard was the one who made the Demon Wolf?" Couldn't say I was surprised with that revelation considering Gerard had also made a monster out of his daughter and attempted to make one out of his granddaughter, almost succeeding.

Mom nodded solemnly. "Yes, but Deucalion isn't always blind."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"I brought Deucalion to Deaton at the clinic. Talia and Marco, Deucalion's right hand, arrived shortly after Deaton began tending to Deucalion's wounds. Deaton told him that his eyes would physically heal, but his sight wouldn't return. Deucalion told us to leave the room, so we did to give him time to process what had happened. Marco didn't listen. Marco tried to kill his alpha, but Deucalion shifted and killed him instead."

"Deucalion can see as a wolf," Scott realized.

"Deucalion isn't always blind," Mom repeated, nodding.

"And that's when he got his first taste of killing his own betas," I said, wringing my hands. "But with Talia around, he must've waited until after she had died before forming his Alpha Pack."

"I wish you were right. He didn't wait very long. He killed his own pack one by one then convinced Ennis to join him. Kali was next. It was only a few months after Deucalion became blind that he had his alpha pack. Talia was furious, but she couldn't do anything about it unless she wanted war. Deucalion didn't even try to convince her to join."

"Maybe we can use his sight against him," Scott said, tapping his foot as he thought it over. "There's gotta be a way to use it."

"For the Alpha Pack, did they kill every member, including the emissary?" Mom asked.

Scott and I glanced at each other. "I don't know," I replied. "Morrell, Deaton's sister, is working with them, but we haven't seen any others."

My mom nodded. "Marin is Deucalion's emissary. It would make sense to keep her alive, but not the others."

I frowned. "Do you know who Kali and Ennis's emissaries were?"

"I don't know Ennis's, but Kali's was a woman named Julia. I never met her, but Kali had mentioned her a few times. Seemed fond of her."

Scott noticed me biting my lip as I thought hard about the emissaries. "What are you thinking?"

I looked up at him. "Deucalion and the Alpha Pack, they're forces to be reckoned with, and only something of greater power can take them down, right?" He nodded. "What if, when the alpha's killed their packs and their Druid emissaries, one of the Druids survived? I mean, what turns something evil? Evil isn't usually born. It's made. So what if one of the Druids became twisted and dark, becoming a Darach, and that's why the Darach came to town shortly after the Alpha Pack?"

"The Darach is doing human sacrifices to gain enough power to take down the Alpha Pack."

"Exactly. It's here for revenge."

"If you're right," Mom said, bringing our attention back to her, "I think I know how the Druid initially survived."

"Wait, what?" I blurted. "How would you know that?"

"Because the skirmish with the hunters wasn't the only thing happening at the time," Mom explained, folding her hands in her lap. "Ennis lost a packmate. That's like losing a limb. And most alphas would immediately begin looking for another to fill the spot to keep the pack strong."

"Who did he turn?" Scott asked.

Mom shook her head, a sad look in her eyes, and her lips downturned. "He bit someone, but she didn't turn. Derek was, I believe, fifteen at the time? He was dating a girl. Completely smitten. They were adorable."

My eyes widened. "Talia had you spying on her own pack, not just other packs." I didn't need to phrase it as a question. That was exactly what Talia had my mother doing.

"Particularly her children, yes. Anyway, Ennis ended up biting Derek's girlfriend. I don't know why or how he got the idea, but he did. And the girl, the poor girl didn't take to the bite. She was dying. If the bite doesn't turn you, it kills you, slowly and painfully. Derek took her to a cellar in the woods, and, to put her out of her misery, he killed her. I remember telling Talia where he was. Unfortunately, if he had known what was in the cellar, he would not have done it there."

"What do you mean?" Scott asked.

"In the cellar was the roots of a Nemeton. A Nemeton is an oak tree used as a Druid place of ritual. The girl's blood was spilled there, and so. . ." Mom didn't finish the thought.

"It charged it with power," I finished then groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Because Derek had a heart, the Nemeton provided power to a weakened Druid. Enough to keep them alive."

After finishing story time with my mom, Dad entered the room to check on Riichi too, so Scott and I left them to give them time alone while watching over Riichi. Scott and I went to my room, and in sync, laid back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"My brain is exhausted," I muttered.

"Same. But hey, we figured it out."

I snorted, a small smile creeping up. "Yeah, just what I wanted to figure out. The Darach isn't just evil for being evil, it wants to destroy the Alpha Pack, but the only reason it's able to do that is because Derek killed his high school girlfriend. Fan-freaking-tastic." I paused. "At least we know what happened to change the color of his eyes."

Scott turned his head to look at me. "What do you mean?"

I furrowed my eyebrows as I turned to him. "His blue eyes from before he was an alpha? That didn't strike you as odd when yours are gold?"

Scott shrugged. "Stiles and I thought it was like a genetic thing or something."

I shook my head with a sigh. "At least you're pretty," I muttered. Before he could react to those unintentionally spoken aloud words, I moved on. "The beta gold changes to a cold blue when you take the life of an innocent. Even with Derek's good intentions of helping his girlfriend stop suffering, she was an innocent life. Hadn't killed anyone, wasn't a supernatural creature, just a human teenaged girl. So his eyes changed."

"We could've definitely used your help last semester before the kanima. Would've made things with Derek and Peter so much easier." Yeah, I'm sure me roasting Peter alive would've made it easier to take him down.

Shrugging, I replied, "You still did well. Not bad for a newly bitten wolf turned by a psychopathic alpha."

Scott laughed a little. "Thanks." The smile then slid off his face. He looked way better with a smile. "Do you really think Deucalion is here for me and not Derek?"

I thought over the question, a quick and easy answer coming to mind. "Sort of." Scott looked at me again. "I think he really wants both of you. You're not in Derek's pack, so Derek doesn't need to kill you which means it's possible for Deucalion to have both of you: the son of Talia Hale and a beta with the potential of becoming a True Alpha."

"Did you really know even before Deaton saw my eyes changed?" His voice was small, tentative, scared. He didn't want the weight of it on his shoulders.

But I still nodded. "I entertained the thought briefly. Isaac's first full moon, Derek, Stiles, and I went to break him out of jail, remember? Isaac was about to attack Stiles when Derek used his alpha voice, roaring and forcing Isaac to shift back into a human. It stunned Isaac briefly. Stiles asked how he did it. Derek replied, 'I'm the alpha.' Simple answer, but completely true. Alphas have power over their betas. It forces them to comply."

I set my hand on top of Scott's which was down at his side. "At the rest stop on the cross-country trip, Isaac stood down when you yelled his name. At school when Isaac wolfed out in the janitor's closet, Isaac shifted back when you yelled his name. No one else was able to get him to stop. You didn't hear your voice, Scott, but I did. It was like Derek's. It was louder, more powerful, the voice of an alpha. It makes your hair stand on end and is kind of scary. So, yeah, I'm not surprised that Deaton saw your eyes change. If anything, I'm proud."

His expression softened. "Really?"

"Yeah. It's rare. So rare that I'll probably die of old age before I get to see it in action again. You've gotta be a certain kind of someone to be an alpha on pure will alone. Now I'm wondering what you'll do to make them stay red." I then nudged his arm playfully. "Red's the best color anyway."

His body shook with laughter. "It is. It's probably my favorite."

"Me too, Scotty. Me too."

Scott was silent for a moment, something weighing on his mind. "So, if they do turn red, what else will change?"

I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Nothing, Scott. Packs don't abandon one of their own. You'll still be the same heroic puppy dog you've always been, and we'll still be right behind you."

He studied me for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing and the corner of his mouth twisting up. "We? You won't join Derek's pack, but you'll join mine?"

I nodded, part of me in disbelief but the other part fully for it. "You've always had everyone's best interests at heart. So, yeah, if there's a coming war, I'd follow you into battle. I trust you, Scott."