Authors Note: HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think; I would love to know XD I own nothing and no one, apart from the following: Harlequin (Harley),Sam Campbell, Charlie Jones, Zane, Chase, Gabriel, Ben, Mia, Stiles' fox = Melrakki (Rak), Stiles' wolf = Okami (Oki), Derek's wolf = Cana, Diego, Serena, Deputy Shane Harding, Deputy Jason Curtis, Mo, Job, Asa, Cleo, Ezra, Alric, Lina, Quintin (Q, Curly Q, Quin), Galiana (Gali, Lia, Ana, Liana), Rudolph (Rudi), Durin, Emery, Kai, Wesley (Wes), Reiner, Henry, Carleigh, Isa, Myna, Nyx, Zelda, Carl Patrick Genesis.
JUST SO YOU KNOW: like everyone else, I have no idea what Stiles' real name is, so I'm going along with what everyone else puts :) and I've made his middle name up XD
You guys are all so amazing and I love you all! In a non-creepy non-psycho kind of way XD
Please, please review XD
P.S. I know it's been a while, but I've been having a lot of issues with family, University, my anxiety, etc. It's kind of knocked me off of my writing. Trust me when I say I'm trying to write for my fics as fast as I can.
To the guest that left this comment: "This has been going on for too long, it got boring waaaaay past its expiration date. and too many ocs." This won't make me stop writing this story. If you don't like it, please stop reading. I don't need your negative comments bringing my mood down.
Chapter 50 – Part 2
Stiles
I felt my heart skip a beat. I felt my stomach drop. Everything seemed to slow down, as my mind sped up. Surely, he was just sitting next to Steven the Sassy Tree. Surely, he was outside, just wanting to be away from Wesley.
But I couldn't hear him.
I couldn't hear his heartbeat or even a sniffle. I was hoping it was just my emotions clouding my senses, stopping me from accurately finding him. I was praying to anything and everything that that was the case, and not any of the endless possibilities running through my head. Forgetting Wesley, I ran out of the house, shouting for Harley, hoping for some kind of sign that he was out there.
Nothing.
No sound.
No sight.
Only a faint scent.
I ran around like a mad man, searching around the house, trying to find a scent to follow. No matter where I went, there was no sign of Harley anywhere. I screamed as loud as I could for the kid, my throat straining to keep up.
I ignored the branches of trees scratching me as I ran past. I ignored the sting in my hands as knees when I tripped over rocks and roots. I ignored the trickles of blood running down my fingers. I ignored everything, only focusing on finding Harley. I just kept running, calling out the boy's name, hoping for even just a small sound that could help me find him.
As if I would be that lucky.
The next time I fell over a log, onto my hands and knees, my vision blurred. The salty beads of water ran down my cheeks, nothing I could do would stop them. My hand fisted in the dirt, small twigs breaking and spearing my palms. Okami and Melrakki were causing a storm in my head, clouding everything that was keeping me in my current human state. Their heckles were raised, their eyes deadly and bright, both of them practically foaming at the mouths. They paced around in circles, snapping at nothing and everything, their basic instincts taking over.
I couldn't stop the feral howl of anguish that erupted from my chest.
Derek
It was ten minutes before Stiles came charging back through the door, his eyes red and purple, his lithe frame shaking with anger and fear. He was right of the edge, close to losing it completely. He looked just about ready to kill. The smell of dirt and dried blood filled my senses, mixed with the scent of tears. That could only mean one thing.
Harley was missing.
Before anyone could say anything or move, Stiles had stormed up to Wesley. No one saw his fist flying through the air. None of us realised, until we heard the sickening crack of Wesley's nose breaking. By the time any of us could react, Stiles had gotten in a few good swings, Wesley's blood trickling down his face, Stiles' knuckles starting to bruise slightly. Rudolph and Reiner grabbed Wesley by either arm, moving him back slightly, whilst I grabbed Stiles around the waist, lifting him up and moving him into the living room. Not that Stiles went quietly. He kicked and yelled and clawed, growling deep in his throat, like a rabid animal.
"Let me go!" Stiles screamed, struggling as much as he could. "Let me at him!"
"No." I told him, calmly.
"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!"
"No."
Stiles went on like that for five minutes straight. He kept fighting and yelling. He wouldn't stop for nobody. So, I just held him close to me, keeping my arms wrapped tight around me. It didn't take long for Stiles to break down crying, his entire body going limp. I fell to the ground with him, letting him get everything out of his system. It would do no one any good if he stayed hysterical. Our entire Pack surrounded us, none of them knowing whether or not to come any closer. We were all feeling the affects of Stiles' emotions, of the fact that Harley was missing, just not as strongly as Stiles. It was well known to us all that Stiles and Harley had a strong connection. Most of the time, they were like Father and Son, rather than the brothers they had said to be. Not that anyone had said that. One by one, each of them knelt down on the floor. The first one to reach out was Isaac, placing his hand on Stiles' arm. Slowly, the others followed.
It only made Stiles cry harder.
I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to do, what I was supposed to say. I hadn't been in that situation before. The closest I had been was the fire, but I was in Stiles' position, with Laura being in mine. Laura always knew what to do, she always had the answer. Looking up at Peter, I could see he was struggling too. I suppose, with Mom being the Alpha, he never had to worry. Mom was the one with the cool head, the one that could make everything right. The two of us were floundering.
Before I could even attempt, and fail, to say anything to help, I was beaten to it.
"We'll find him." Isaac whispered. "We won't stop until we find Harley. No matter what."
Stiles had his arms around Isaac in seconds.
When Stiles finally calmed down, the walls were up. All emotion was gone, I wasn't getting anything from him. His jaw was locked, his face was set, his shoulders were tight. He changed into a completely different person. The minute he stood up, Stiles stalked into the kitchen, where Alric and his Pack were.
We followed close behind, just in case anything blew up. Again. Only, Stiles didn't get all that close to Wesley. Stiles stood next to the backdoor, Wesley on the other side of the room. Stiles' entire body language was standoffish, his arms folded over his chest, his muscles coiled and ready to spring at a moment's notice.
Stiles just stared at Wesley. He didn't say anything. He didn't move. He just stared. I supposed glared was the correct word….
"What?" Wesley muttered after a minute or two, his words slightly muffled by the tissues pressed to his nose.
"Don't you 'what'me." Stiles growled. "You are the reason this has happened."
Stiles stepped forward, only stopping when he reached the table, his hands clamping down on the back of his chair.
"I don't know what your problem is, but you're acting like a brat. We didn't have to take you into our home, last minute, but we did. Yet you act intitled to everything, disregarding any and all manners, human decency." Stiles hissed. "I could deal with you being a dick to me, but you put your name on my shit list the second you started on my kid. If I find even a single hair on his head out of place, when I find him, then I will come for you. And no one will be able to protect you."
That was when the wood splintered.
"Do you understand me?" Stiles whispered.
Wesley nodded faster than I would have ever expected him capable of. Stiles just replied with a low, 'Good', before turning to us.
"I couldn't find anything out there, but I refuse to give up. We need to split up and take different directions of the Preserve." Stiles said. "There has to be something out there."
"You will also have our assistance." Alric told us. "The more eyes out there, the better."
"Thank you, I appreciate it. I'm gonna call Sam and Charlie, give them a heads up. Just in case."
With that, Stiles just walked out of the room.
I watched as he walked away, frowning. I preferred it when he was breaking down, at least then I knew how he was feeling, what he was thinking. At that moment, I was getting nothing. And it worried me.
Stiles
Standing on the porch, scanning over what I could see, I dialled Sam and Charlie's home number. I couldn't stand still. I just had to move.
"Sti! What's up, buttercup?" Sam's cheery voice came. "Charlie and I might be a bit late today, that ok?"
"There's been a change of plans." I told her. "Put me on speaker?"
"…. Yeah, sure. Babe, can you come here!"
For a moment, all I heard was shuffling. A short exchanging of words that I couldn't make out, before I was spoken to.
"Everything alright, Stiles?" Charlie asked, frown evident in her voice.
"No. Harley's missing." I chocked.
"WHAT?"
Taking a deep breath, I managed to force myself to sit down on the porch swing, my elbows on my knees.
"He's gone, we can't find him." I whispered. "I need you two to keep a look out."
"I'll be there in five." Sam said.
"No, I need you to stay there. He might be on his way to you."
"But –"
"Please, Sam. If he's on his way to your place, I need both of you to be there. Please."
"…. If he doesn't turn up by tomorrow, we coming to you two."
"Exactly what I was thinking. Thanks."
"We'll be in touch."
And that was it. I could tell they wanted to ask more, wanted to be more involved. I also knew they didn't want to push. Charlie, more than Sam, probably knew what I was going through, knew what my instincts were going through. Charlie knew, because she had gone through something similar with Sam. For example, the whole ordeal with Veronica and Xavier.
All I could do after I hung up was stare at my phone. Danny had shown me how to change the background, when I first got it. On my birthday, I had managed to get a picture of Derek, Harley and me. Well, I said I, I meant Erica had stolen my phone, refusing to give it back to me until she could take a picture of the three of us. I had loved it too much to not put as my background picture. So, I sat there and just….stared.
I didn't know what I would do if I lost him.
Harley hadn't been around long, but he had left a lasting impression. The kid was family. I would have to die before I stopped looking for him. Closing my eyes, I pocketed my phone, trying to level my breathing. I needed to keep my head on as straight as I could, needed to keep calm. Being emotional wouldn't help Harley.
Sighing, I stood up, walking over to Steven the tree. I thought that, maybe, it would help me cool off a little, help me get my head together.
I never expected to find Phantasia, Harley's elephant toy, half hidden in the leaves. Bending down, I picked up the blue toy, hugging it to my chest.
It was a start.
We split up into four groups, three sevens and a six. We started off from where I found Phantasia and went from there.
We found nothing.
Almost five hours of searching and we found nothing.
How was that even possible?! How was it possible that we found absolutely nothing?! Surely, there should have been something? Some sort of evidence. Footprints. A scent. Anything. But we didn't. I couldn't even begin to describe the unbelievable rage that filled my entire being. It took all of my willpower not to rip Wesley apart for sending Harley running. Don't get me wrong, I knew people could be assholes, I knew it was unlikely they'd know Fairies could read minds, but still! How could you think that, about a child?! It set my insides on fire; it was nothing I had ever felt before.
All I wanted was Harley back home and safe. All I wanted was my boy back in my sights.
I didn't know what else to do. There was no trace of Harley anywhere, Sam and Charlie hadn't seen him…. He wouldn't just wonder off. Which left only one thing: Harley had been taken. By who, or what, I didn't know. But I was going to find him. One way or another, I was going to find him and rip apart whoever took him.
Nothing and no one was safe.
"Why would anyone take our cub?" Okami growled. "What has our cub ever done?"
"If we knew, then he would be home already." Melrakki snarled. "How much of an idiot are you?"
"Don't call me an idiot, you overgrown squirrel!"
"What did you call me, mutt!"
It was hard to tune them out, obviously, since they were in my head. Their arguing wasn't helping, giving me a headache that I did not need. Throwing myself down into my chair, grabbing my laptop that I had left down beside it a few nights before, I brought up the electronic version of my families Bestiary. Well, I call it that, it was just a word document I had started making, of all the Supernaturals the books my Mom left me told me about. Not that I had anything to go on. I just needed something to do. With one hand I searched, with the other I clutched Phantasia, rubbing at my left temple. Like I said, Okami and Melrakki arguing was not helpful.
It wasn't long before fingers were rubbing at my temples, massaging them softly. The initial touch made me jump, but the scent that invaded my senses told me who it was.
"We will find him." Derek whispered. "None of us are abandoning Harley. Not now, not ever."
"I just wish we had something." I sighed. "Where do we start?"
"We'll find something. And Sam and Charlie will be helping us tomorrow, so we'll have more ideas, more avenues to search."
"I just want him back…."
The massaging stopped, as did the arguing in my head. Derek moved around until he could kneel in front of me, moving my laptop off of my lap, taking my hands in his. Just like he did the day before. He brought the backs of my hands up to his face, gently pressing his lips to them, rubbing my knuckles with the pads of his thumbs.
"I promise you, we will get him back." Derek told me. "We will get him back and he will be safe. Harley is Pack, family. He won't be left."
"I hope he knows that." I mumbled.
"He does. He knows that we, that you, would never abandon him. Not like his own kind did. He knows we love him, he knows we care. He knows."
Letting go of Derek's hands, I moved myself forward so I could hug him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"We can't lose him, Derek." I sniffled.
"We won't. I won't let that happen. Don't care what I have to do, but he will come home safe and unharmed." Derek swore.
"You can't promise that, Derek."
"I can and I just did. Trust me, Gen."
"You know I do."
Derek's arms wrapped firmly around me, squeezing me lightly as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
"Come on." Derek said. "Let's find our boy."
The only people that slept that night was the twins. The rest of us stayed up, swapping ideas, compiling a list of Supernaturals, if it was a Supernatural, that could have done it. The list was too big to even know where to start.
Sam and Charlie were at the house at exactly seven in the morning, bringing breakfast from a bakery nearby. As soon as the two walked into the house, they dropped the food on the table before pulling me against them both. It took a low of willpower to keep myself together. We had to introduce everyone quickly, the girls immediately noticing the rift between Wesley and our Pack but said nothing. That was something to be explained another time.
Harley was more important.
"Have you seen the news this morning?" Charlie asked, frowning.
"No. Been a bit busy." I sighed.
"Right, obviously. Sorry. It's just…. The Sheriff's Department got a new case. A couple of missing kids have turned up dead…. They kind of remind me of Harley."
That had everyone's attention.
"Tell us everything." I said.
All the missing kids were around the age of ten, the age Harley looked. All had light hair and dark eyes, pale skin and slim. All boys. They had gone missing five days before they were found by the Sheriff's Department. All of them were half eaten, almost teeth shaped marks littering their bodies. All of them raped.
I had to excuse myself to throw up.
When I came back, my entire Pack were looking unsettled. They were whispering as quietly as they could, all I heard were mumbles, not actual words. It put me on edge, instantly.
"What's going on?" I asked, hesitantly, walking towards my seat. "Why are you whispering?"
They all looked at each other, uncomfortably. None of them made eye contact with me.
"We think we know what took Harley." Peter muttered.
"Really?" I gasped, hope swelling inside of me. "What? What is it?!"
"Wendigo."
And then my hope was ripped away.
Wendigos were known to be able to defeat an Alpha Werewolf in a fight. Their strength could increase, if they consumed enough flesh, which this one would have. Harley was with a freshly fed Wendigo, which could probably crush him with a flick of its wrist. And we had three days before the Sheriff's Department would find Harley.
"We need to hurry up and find this thing, because I am not letting this thing do anything to Harley." I seethed. "We know what we're looking for now."
"It's not that simple." Derek sighed.
"Yes, it is."
"No, it's not. We've face a Wendigo before."
Looking around at my Pack, I took in their faces, watched as some winced at the memory.
"It was a couple of years ago." Derek explained. "We almost didn't make it, Stiles. We need to be careful, otherwise Harley will be in more danger than he is now."
I didn't realise I had blacked out until I woke up. Apparently, lack of sleep, lack of food and stress was no good on the body. Who'd have known? I had been laid out on the couch, only one person left in the room with me.
Derek.
I felt so pathetic. How could I help Harley if I was passing out? What good was I? As I tried to sit up, I was pushed back down by a strong hand on my chest. I didn't try and fight, my head still too wibbly wobbly. Instead, I turned my head to the side. Derek was on his knees next to me, his fingers gently brushing my hair out of my face. Worry covered his face, his eyebrows brought together in a frown.
"The others are in the kitchen." Derek told me. "Looking more into Wendigos, coming up with ideas as to where our one might be hiding. They didn't want to be too loud."
"Well I'm up now, it's fine." I nodded. "We should get back to it."
"No, Stiles. You're staying right there, even if it's only for five minutes."
"Lying here won't help us find Harley."
"You won't be able to help Harley, if you're half asleep and stressing!"
For a moment we just stared at each other, Derek's shoulders tense and shaking slightly.
"You can't forget about yourself, when trying to help someone else. Even if that someone else is Harley." Derek sighed. "He wouldn't want you to do this, Gen."
"I just want to find him." I whispered.
"I know. But pushing yourself way past your limit won't make it go any faster."
Shifting slightly, I managed to move myself on the couch, until there was enough space for Derek to lie down next to me. Instead of doing that, Derek scooped me up into his arms, laying on the couch before placing me on top of him, holding me gently.
"Please don't make me worry about you too." Derek muttered, quietly.
"I'm sorry." I mumbled.
"I'll forgive you if you sleep and eat."
"I'll try."
"That's all I ask."
We spent the entire day researching. The entire night. Now it was the early hours of Friday morning and we still couldn't find anything. We knew no one in town that was a Wendigo, we didn't even know if there was anyone new in town! We were a step closer, but we still had no idea where to even start.
Whilst the others were searching websites and books, looking for more information on Wendigos, I sat in my room, looking through certain, special books. My Mom had books from ancestors of ours, from both the wolf and the fox sides of the family. They were kind of like journals, detailing everyone and every thing that our predecessors had encountered. It talked about everything from what they were to certain families known to be that kind of Supernatural. It was a shot worth taking. In both books, there were many entries on Wendigos, those before me adding everything new they had discovered.
I was most focused on the names of families.
I had no idea what I was looking for. I didn't know if I was looking for anything. I was just hoping I knew what I was looking for when I found it.
I had tried to sleep, it was the entire reason I was in my room. But I just couldn't stop my mind from wondering what was happening to Harley. Hence why I was looking through the books.
I looked at every name on the page, some of them taking longer to read than others, thanks to the cursive hand writing.
Which was when I saw a certain family name.
Genesis.
I had heard it before. I just couldn't put my finger on where. But I knew someone that could help me. So, grabbing my book, I jumped down the stairs, sprinting into the living room. I ignored Derek's sighs, going straight to Danny.
"How good are your hacking skills?" I asked him.
"You're kidding right?" he asked.
Rolling my eyes, I suppressed the urge to hit him upside the head.
"I need you to do your thing." I continued. "I need you to hack into some sort of Criminal Database, thing."
"What?" he huffed.
"Just – please?"
"Fine. Just know it's illegal and I'll not take the fall for this."
"Can you just hack, please? I promise you will be fine."
It took Danny, literally, only a handful of minutes to hack into what I asked him to, fingers poised over the keys of his laptop, ready to continue.
"You are a great friend." I grinned. "Look for anyone with the last name Genesis."
"Anything I can use to narrow down the search?" Danny asked.
"Paedophilia? Cannibalism? I don't know! Besides, how common is the name Genesis?"
"…. Point taken."
As Danny typed, I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I mean, not only was I surprisingly awake for it being three in the morning, but I all of a sudden, to them, seemed to have some insight.
"Where are you going with this, Sti?" Sam asked, slowly.
"It's just a hunch." I replied. "I could be wrong, but it's worth a shot."
"Care to elaborate?"
"When I know the results, yeah."
Not that it took long.
The only name to come up was Carl Patrick Genesis, forty-five years old. He had spent time in prison for molesting children, placed on the sex offenders register. If we had any worries if it was him, there just so happened to be a slight glare on his mug shot. Any normal person would think nothing of it, however, we knew what it meant. Genesis had dark, greying hair, glasses, and dead looking brown eyes. He was six feet five, weighing somewhere around a buck ninety, with a scar cutting through his right eyebrow and over the bridge of his nose.
Shit.
"Can you find a money trail, leading him here?" I asked Danny, my back straightening.
"Yeah, you just need to give me a minute." Danny nodded.
"Go as fast as you can."
Rubbing a hand over my face, I could feel everything inside me clench with fear. I never knew Genesis was a Wendigo, but he more than likely knew what I was. It all made so much sense!
"Stiles? Do you know him, or something?" Sam frowned.
"Unfortunately." I sighed. "Dallas. One of the times Dad threw me in a cell."
"What?!"
FLASHBACK – Saturday, July 9th 2011 – 16-year-old Stiles
It was bullshit! I had done nothing! Not that anyone cared. They didn't care if I was the one that vandalised the library or not, they were going to pin it one me anyway. So, now, I was in a cell, for God knows how long, with a couple of real criminals.
One guy, the scrawny one they kept calling Phillips, was in for embezzlement. The other, they guy they called Genesis…. Well, I didn't even know. But I didn't like the way he was looking at me.
I kept as far away as possible from the two of them, keeping my back to the wall and my head down. It was the easiest way for me to get through it. It was the safest way. I knew from experience. I tried to keep myself as small as possible, not that it stopped Genesis from watching me. Phillips didn't seem to care. To be honest, he seemed scared of this Genesis guy. Phillips would flinch if Genesis got too close to him, would press himself into a corner of the cell.
If that wasn't enough to set me on edge, I didn't know what was.
"So, what's a little thing like you doing in a place like this?" Genesis chuckled, slowly looking over me. "Shouldn't you be at home?"
"Shouldn't you mind your own business?" I growled. "Perv."
"Big words for such a little boy."
"Bite me."
"Don't tempt me."
The guy was creepy as hell. His body language, the look in his eyes, the way he spoke…. Everything about him was off. His entire scent was off, a strange mix of smoke, whiskey, candy and sawdust. It kind of made me want to gag.
"Perv." I muttered, turning my head away.
I didn't expect the strong hand clamping around my chin. My head was forced to move to the side, looking back at Genesis. He had knelt down so he was in front of me, his face only a hair away from mine. His mouth was pulled into a sickening smirk, and I swear I saw sharp fang like teeth, multiple rows of them, and I could have sworn his eyes were glowing white. But that couldn't have been right. It must had been because I was practically staring at him cross-eyed.
"You better watch your mouth, Sweet." Genesis sneered. "It could get you into trouble someday."
END OF FLASHBACK – BACK TO: Friday, September 19th 2014
"I didn't know who, or what, he was at that point." I said. "But it all fits."
"And he's definitely here in Beacon Hills." Danny added. "Didn't even try to cover his tracks, he used card payments for every purchase."
"Can we find him?"
"He hasn't got a cell phone registered to him, owns nothing here…. He's got no connection to Beacon Hills, nowhere to go."
Of course….
Kicking the wall, hard enough to leave a mark but not to put a hole in it, I tried to think of where this guy would go. There had to be something that could lead us to him. Something, anything! We couldn't hit a dead end now!
What are we missing?
Derek sent everybody to sleep. They hadn't wanted to, considering they were still awake when I had come downstairs, but they listened that time. But I couldn't. We were so close to finding Harley, to getting our boy back…. How could I sleep, when he was probably too scared to?
Derek was the only one that stayed awake with me.
I had told Derek I would be fine, that I would try finding somewhere that Genesis could be hiding. He refused. He said if I was staying up, then so was he. But he wouldn't let me look into anything. He knew that I would most likely break mine or Danny's laptop, in a fit of rage from not finding anything. He was probably right. Instead, Derek took me to sit outside, sitting on the porch swing. Just like the first night of Alric and his Pack being in our home, Derek had made and handed me a cup of hot chocolate, nursing his own one as well. I leant against the Alpha's side, my legs folded next to me, whilst Derek used his to gently rock the swing back and forth.
"I should have known." I muttered after a while. "I saw the signs, but it's like I refused to see it."
"You were young, Gen." Derek hushed. "You had no way of knowing for sure. And you probably would have gotten yourself killed."
I knew he was right. I may have had a bit of raw strength back then, but it was nothing compared to what I had now. But that didn't take away from the feelings bubbling around inside of me. If I had managed to have gotten rid of Genesis, however slime a chance I may have had, then Harley wouldn't have been taken by him. Sure, I probably would have still been in jail, but Harley would have been safe and none of those kids would have been raped, or dead.
I couldn't help but feel responsible.
"Derek, what if Genesis…. What if he…." I tried. "I don't think I'd be able to handle it if he's done anything to Harley."
"He hasn't." Derek assured me.
"There's no way you could possibly know that."
"No, but that's what I'm choosing to believe."
It made sense, I suppose. Choosing to think positive kept your head clear, otherwise you'd end up making mistakes. But I couldn't help the thoughts invading my mind. All the 'What Ifs'. We had no idea what kind of state we'd find Harley in. We had no idea what was even happening to him.
The possibilities were driving me insane.
It was as my pulse started to spike that I felt Derek's hand in my hair, his fingers carding through it gently. There was something about the motion of his hand that was just so soothing, calming. It didn't take away the stress and the worry, but it helped my thoughts settle slightly.
"We'll find him soon." Derek promised. "I can feel it. We're so close."
"I hope so…." I sighed. "I just want him home."
"And he will be, I promise.
When it got to a reasonable hour Friday morning, it was back to searching. Danny was looking for any secluded buildings Genesis may have taken a liking to in town, whilst Charlie looked up possible places in the Preserve, in the direction we had looked.
We weren't having much luck. There were too many possibilities. There were too many places, not enough information. If we had any idea where Genesis himself liked to go, then we'd have something to narrow down the search, but we had nothing. Nada. Zilch. How were we supposed to save Harley when we had no idea where to go?!
I felt like I was going crazy.
I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I didn't know if I was supposed to sit or stand. I just didn't know. There was nothing I could do that would help. If I did nothing, I wasn't helping. If I tried to help research, I would work myself up, thus not helping. So, what was I supposed to do?
I couldn't stay inside. It was as if the walls were closing in on me. I practically sprinted outside, this weight on my chest making it difficult to breathe. It was like something was squeezing at my lungs, holding them loose enough that I didn't pass out. The longer it took for us to find something, the less time Harley had. I mean, he was already on his third day! God knows what this guy could have done to my boy….
"Please be ok." I whispered to myself. "Please."
Walking to the railing of the porch, I leant against the wood, dropping my head onto my arms. There had to be something we weren't thinking of. Or even something we had missed. We couldn't hit a wall now! Running a hand through my hair, grabbing the back of my neck, I tried to think of something, anything, that could possibly help. I went through everything I could remember, I tried to think of anything I originally dismissed as nothing.
I could think of nothing.
So, I decided to take another look around.
Pushing myself off of the railing, I went straight over to Steven the tree, located at the far corner of the edge of the Preserve, due North-West from where I had been standing on the porch. I looked all around the tree, as well as those surrounding it. Nothing. No disturbance, to anything, apart from when we had all gone looking on Wednesday. There was nothing to suggest Harley had been taken that way, especially since we found nothing.
It made no sense. If Harley had been taken that way, there should have been something. Shouldn't there?
I turned my back on the tree.
What am I missing?!
That was when I saw it. Something on the opposite side of the border surrounding the house, right near the middle, glinting in the bit of sun that worked its way through the leaves. I jogged over to the shine as quickly as I could, dropping to my knees to find it.
The necklace Peter gave Harley, during the treasure hunt.
Not far from that, the thin jacket Harley had been wearing the morning he disappeared.
Grabbing the two, I ran as fast as I could, back inside.
"We're looking in the wrong direction!" I called, as I skidded into the living room. "We need to be looking due East!"
"Are you sure?" Kai asked.
"Positive. It's why we haven't been finding anything. That's where I found these!"
Thrusting the necklace and the necklace out in front of me, Peter was on his feet in seconds.
"Is there anything in that direction where Genesis could have taken Harley?" I asked. "Somewhere remote? A cabin, or a cave, or…. Something?!"
"There's a cave about six miles from here." Derek pipped up. "Laura, Cora and I used to sneak up there all the time to play hide and seek. We could, probably, make it in an hour?"
"We need to go, now!"
"We'll be right behind you." Alric nodded, standing up. "Q, Gali, I need you two to stay here."
"I'll stay with them." Allison said. "I'll just slow you all down, anyway."
We were out the door in seconds.
Derek
We managed to reach the cave in forty-five minutes, Charlie carrying Sam the entire way. The smell of blood and semen were overwhelming, but I could find Harley's scent underneath it all, his heartbeat coming strong from inside.
Before I could say anything, Stiles was racing up the cave side, a feral growl rumbling in his chest. We were just a step behind him, knowing nothing good could come from him storming in there, all guns blazing. If we all wanted to get out of the situation alive, we had to stay and fight together.
We were face to face with our guy, the minute we stepped through the cave's entrance.
Carl Genesis was holding on tight to Harley, the boy covering his front. One of Genesis' arms were wrapped around Harley's neck, the other locking Harley's arms tight to his sides. His face was pulled into a sick smirk, every row of his teeth on show, his eyes glowing a sickly, bright white. Stiles, obviously, was facing the Wendigo off, fangs and claws on show, his eyes most likely shinning their own special red and purple. He hunched himself low, never taking his eyes off of Genesis.
"Harley, Sweetheart – you ok?" Stiles asked, quietly.
"Get him off of me, Sti!" Harley blubbered. "Please!"
"Don't worry, I will."
Genesis just chuckled, his voice crackly and rough.
"Big promise, Sweet." Genesis said. "You sure you can deliver?"
"You'd do well to keep quiet." Stiles hissed. "Perv."
Genesis just laughed. He swayed slightly, side to side, leaning down to rest his chin on the top of Harley's head. He didn't even flinch when Stiles growled in warning. Genesis just seemed to get off on it.
"Nice to see you again, too, Sweet." Genesis leered. "Now, tell your dogs to back up, or I claw the kid's throat out."
Stiles got us to move back, without hesitation. None of us wanted to, but we didn't want to risk it.
"Sti…." Harley whimpered, softly.
For a moment, it looked like Stiles didn't know what to do. He shifted his weight a little, balling his hands into fists. I couldn't read him, couldn't figure out what he was thinking or going to do.
"Harley, Sweetheart?" Stiles called to the kid. "I need you to close your eyes for me."
"Sti?" the kid sniffled.
"It's ok. Just trust me."
There was only a second's delay, before Harley closed his eyes. It spoke volumes of the trust Harley had in Stiles, and I could tell Alric and his Pack noticed. I could see Harley shaking, his entire body convulsing as he stood there. His entire little body held tight and stiff. What I wouldn't give to rip that guy apart….
"And what now, Sweet?" Genesis sneered. "I still got your boy."
"Not for long." Stiles hissed.
"Then I better make most of what time I have left."
The arm Genesis had been around Harley's neck moved. He placed his hand on Harley's chest, slowly, deliberately moving it down. His eyes stayed glued to Stiles', almost daring him to do something.
Wrong move.
The heat that came off of Stiles was extraordinary. It was something I had never felt before. I felt like I was on fire, having to back up just so I didn't burn myself, because that was what it felt like would happen. And I wasn't the only one. Everyone behind me did the same. A low rumble came from Stiles as he shook violently, the sound nothing like I had ever heard before, a strange faint orange-red hue fluttering around him every few seconds. I had seen nothing like it in my almost twenty-six years.
But I said nothing. Just one word could distract him. And that could be bad for Harley.
"You better let go of him." Stiles growled, his voice distorted and deep.
"Or what?" Genesis smirked. "No, I don't think so. I quite like this one."
That was when Stiles yelled, and everything was consumed by fire.
Stiles
I remembered nothing between Genesis touching Harley, and this fire disappearing from around me. As soon as the fire was gone, I saw Genesis dead, burnt, and Harley standing where he had been before, eyes still closed and almost screaming as he cried. I moved before I could even think, running towards Harley as quick as I could, scooping him up into my arms. He fought until he realised it was me, every move lethargic and weak. He was freezing to the touch, even with how warm it had been outside. It was like he was locked inside a walk-in freezer and had been there for a week. Without letting him go, or putting him down, I took off my jacket, wrapping him in it as tight as I could. As soon as I had him swaddled, I turned around and walked him right out of that cave.
I practically ran into Derek, not looking where I was going. Derek's arms were around me as soon as I made contact with him, one of his hands resting on Harley's head. I could barely hear anything over Harley's sobbing, the sound getting to me more than anything Zane or my Dad had ever done. I tried to keep myself together, tried to stay strong for the boy in my arms…. But the relief got the best of me. My own tears racked my entire body. Just knowing I had my boy back in my arms…. It was too much for me to keep in. If it wasn't for Derek, I would have dropped right there.
I wanted to say something to the kid. I wanted to tell him everything was going to be ok now, that he was safe. But I couldn't speak. I couldn't form words. I just hoped my thoughts were strong enough for him to hear. The slight tightening of his arms around me, made me think he did.
"Come on, let's get home." Derek whispered. "Get you warm and fed."
Harley could do no more than nod.
"Hey, I've got someone here that's missed you." I tried to whisper to Harley, reaching into my jacket pocket. "I think you dropped him."
Harley barely lifted his head up, but it was enough for him to see the elephant toy I had in my hand. He reached out slowly, taking Phantasia gently. The second the toy was in his hands, he crushed it against his chest.
"Thought you'd be happy to see him." I croaked.
Everyone was quiet when we got home. Harley had finally stopped crying, but he didn't stop sniffling or shaking. I took him straight upstairs. He was too weak to even stand up by himself. I had to help him bathe. I had to help him dress. I had to help him eat and drink. I pilled as many blankets on top of the kid as I could, keeping him tight against me. He was practically asleep on me by the time we got into the living room.
To be honest, everybody was asleep. We had been going hard and strong, everybody completely wiped out. But I couldn't sleep. I felt like, if I closed my eyes, he wouldn't be there when I opened them again. I didn't want to wake up to that, I didn't want to feel that again.
I thought Derek was a sleep too, considering I was laying against him, Harley snuggled up to us both. I thought again when I felt Derek running his hand up and down my arm. I turned my head slightly to look at him. He was watching me as intently as I was watching Harley.
"He told me he knows what killed his parents now." I mused after a few seconds. "A Wendigo. Not Genesis, but a Wendigo all the same."
Looking back at the boy sleeping against me, I moved a lock of hair out of his face.
"Can you imagine what that felt like?" I whispered.
"No, I can't." Derek muttered.
"Neither can I."
The fact that Harley was taken was bad enough. The fact that it was by someone of the same species as the one that killed his parents? That made it so much worse.
"Main thing is, he's back home." Derek told me. "Just like I promised."
"I know." I whispered.
"I think we should just focus on that."
And I wanted to. Lord knew I wanted to. But I couldn't stop replaying it in my head – what I remembered, anyway. I couldn't stop from thinking how easy it had been, for Genesis to sneak onto our property and take Harley. What the hell was wrong with us? How could we not have noticed?
How could we have let it happen?
Friday was spent with everyone sleeping or eating. It was the only two states anyone was in. So, it didn't give us much time to talk when Saturday morning came around, when Alric and his Pack had to leave.
Wesley didn't bother saying goodbye to any of us, just walking to one of the SUVs with his tail between his legs. The rest, however, gladly said their farewells, even mentioning how they hoped to really meet Sam and Charlie properly, when they were able to visit again. Each of them even made especially sure to hug Harley, telling him just how brave he was. Isa even mentioned how she actually used to be a he, transitioning when she was eighteen years old, telling him not to let the haters get to him. It seemed to give Harley just a little bit of his spark back.
"You have yourself a good Pack, Derek." Alric grinned, shaking hands with the Alpha. "You should be proud."
"Thank you, Alric." Derek nodded. "And thank you for your help these last few days."
"You would have done the same for us."
I was too focused on their conversation, that I didn't realise anybody was standing next to me. Not until they tapped me on the shoulder.
Lina.
"You are quite the force to be reckoned with." she laughed. "In a good way, I assure you."
"Uh, thanks." I smiled.
"You know, the way you look at Harley, reminds me of how Alric looks at our children. Such love, such compassion. I know you're not the boy's father, but it seems you have taken to the role easily."
I wasn't sure what to say. Through the whole ordeal, I didn't get much of a change to speak with Alric or any member of his Pack. I only knew a little more about them than before they arrived. What was I supposed to say?
"You take good care of yourself." Lina whispered, kindly. "And those boys of yours."
Before I could say anything, Lina had walked away, taking Alric's hand and walking towards the cars. But I let it go, in favour of lifting Harley up, moving closer to my Pack, as we watched the cars pull away.
The only thing left on the agenda for the day? Sleep.
To the guest that left this comment: "This has been going on for too long, it got boring waaaaay past its expiration date. and too many ocs." This won't make me stop writing this story. If you don't like it, please stop reading. I don't need your negative comments bringing my mood down.
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