Frayed:
"Am I getting too close? I'm getting way too close, aren't I?" Allison asked frantically from the driver's seat of her car as she nervously bit her lower lip and I rolled my eyes at her as I went back to filing my nails absently in the backseat. I didn't have much time this morning to get dressed because Allison had showed up at my house early in the morning to demand that I come with her and Lydia to follow the bus to the cross-country meet Scott, Stiles, Isaac and boys were going to so I quickly got dressed into my LIJA Cinergy Scoop Neck Tank Top, NAKED AND FAMOUS ultra-soft stretch jean and Black plain synthetic reslee fold over top military boots with my brunette hair in a ponytail.
"That depends. Are you just following the bus, or are you planning on mounting it at some point?" Lydia asked her mockingly from the passenger seat of the car and I smirked in amusement as I shared a small smile with the strawberry blonde.
"Yeah, I should back off."
"Well, that also depends. Oh, do you mean the bus or the ex-boyfriend you're currently stalking?" I asked her in mock confusion as I tapped my lip with my nail file with a frown and Lydia chuckled at me as Allison shot me a reproachful look over her shoulder before turning back to the road with a sigh.
"Well, after it happened, I'm not letting him out of my sight. And by the way, this all started when he came knocking at my door." Allie defended herself as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel and Lydia turned in her seat to quirk an eyebrow at her in question.
"For what?" the strawberry blonde asked her friend with a small purse of her lips as she reached over to pick up her to-go coffee cup from the cup holder and I hummed in agreement with her question as I continued to file my nails.
"Scott found an arrowhead of mine. I accidently left it there the other night when we were dealing with Boyd and Cora. Apparently, military grade armour-piercing titanium arrowheads aren't exactly standard around here. He warned me not to get involved the Alpha pack mess."
"Yeah, well, thank god you didn't listen to him. If you had, more of us might be dead." I murmured quietly as I turned my head to look out the window at the passing scenery and my hand shook slightly as I folded my hands on my lap. The atmosphere in the car instantly became darker as I blinked away the tears that filled my eyes and Lydia cleared her throat gently as she glanced down at her lap.
"When was the last time you actually spoke to Derek?" Allison asked me softly as she looked at me through the rear view mirror sadly and I let out a watery chuckle as I leaned my head back against the seat rest as I thought about the answer to that question.
I walked up to Derek's loft with a stern expression on my face as I pushed open the sliding door and I sauntered in the room to see Peter sitting on a chair watching Derek and Cora sparring in the middle of the room.
"Yo, Hale!" I called out loudly as I stopped at the edge of the room and all the other werewolves immediately turned to face me. I quirked an eyebrow at them as I crossed my arms over my chest and I slowly walked down the two small steps into the main room. Derek sighed heavily with a guilty expression on his handsome face like he knew what was coming and Cora stared at me as though she was seeing a ghost while Peter smirked at me over his shoulder. "I have to talk to you. Both of you. Which one would like to go first?" I asked Derek and Cora with a tight smile on my lips as I tilted my head in question and they exchanged a look both turning back to me without a word. I nodded to myself with a small smirk on my lips as I glanced over at Peter and he winked at me as he leaned back in his chair in anticipation for what he knew was coming. "Peter, opinion?"
"Oh, I think you'll want to do more than talk to one of them." Peter answered me easily as he placed his hands behind his head with a smirk on his lips and I hummed in agreement with him as I narrowed my eyes at the Alpha in the room.
"Congratulations, Derek! You get to go first." I told him with mock cheer in my voice as I took a few stepped forward and ignored Cora's stares as Derek crossed his arms over his chest with a sigh. "You kicked out Isaac?! Why? I know that you wouldn't do it without a good reason. I saw how heartbroken you were when Erica died, when Boyd and Cora were rabid, when Isaac was attacked, when Jackson was the kanima. Play it off as much as you like but I know you, Derek Hale, and you would never turn your back on a pack member. So, I can only assume that kicking Isaac out is in his best interest. Oh, in case you were wondering, he's safe. He's stayed at my house now that he has absolutely nowhere to live. You know, since he's mother died, he's brother died, he's father died. Speaking of his father, you threw a glass at his head!? What the hell is wrong with you? You know exactly what went on in that house. You know exactly what he went through. It was the reason why he agreed to the Bite in the first place. Next time you see him, you are going to apologise. Got it?"
"Got it." Derek mumbled guilty as he looked down at the ground and I smirked victoriously as I nodded once in satisfaction.
"Excellent."
"I don't think that was very heartfelt, Derek." Peter commented drily with a smirk as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and the Alpha shot him a glare as I rolled my eyes at him.
"Shut up, Peter. Do you want to be on my list?" I asked him pointedly with a point of my finger as I raised an eyebrow at him and he held his hands up in surrender as he leaned back in his chair with a roll of his eyes. I smiled at him sweetly as I tilted my head to the side and then turned back to face the remaining members of the Hale family standing in the middle of the loft. Cora shifted slightly on her feet as she met my gaze with a blank expression on her face and I narrowed my eyes at her as I slipped out of my jacket before blindly throwing it over to Peter.
"Sophie…" Cora trailed off quietly as she stepped forward slightly and I shook my head at her with a purse of my lips as I stalked forward. I felt anger flood through my veins as I approached her determinedly with my fists clenched and I let my fist slam into her face as hard as I could. Cora grunted me pain as she stumbled onto the floor with a growl escaping her lips and I smirked in satisfaction as she turned her head to look at me with her eyes flashing amber.
"She packs a good punch, doesn't she?" Peter asked his niece sarcastically as he reached up to gently touch his lip where I had punched him before and I turned my head to glare at him through narrowed eyes.
"You deserved that." I reminded him pointedly as flashed him a tight smile and he rolled his eyes at me against as I turned back to looked at Cora. "And so did you."
"And what exactly did I do?" Cora asked me in a hiss as she sat up on the mat with a scowl on her lips and I scoffed at her in disbelief as I pursed my lips before turning away from her. I heard a low growl from behind me as I started walking towards the door and then I felt someone grab my shoulder roughly as they forcibly turned me around to face them. Cora snarled at me as I pushed her hand off of me with a scowl and I twisted her wrist until I heard a small crack as she hissed in pain. I shoved her away from me by the shoulder as I let go of her wrist and she aimed a punched at my stomach with her other hand as I groaned slightly. "What did I do?" she asked me again in a snarl as her eyes flashed amber in anger and she grabbed my arm before twisting behind my back as I cried out in pain.
"You died, you bitch!" I shouted in fury as I wrenched my arm around so that it popped out of the socket with an audible crack and I screamed in pain as she let go of my arm in shock with a gasp. I spun around to face her with tears in my eyes as Peter stood up from his seat with his mouth slightly open and Derek stepped forward as though to stop us as Cora stared at me with wide eyes. I grabbed my arm with a frown as I closed my eyes tightly and I took a deep breath to steady myself before I popped my arm back into its socket with a click. I opened my eyes as I breathed heavily in pain with a frown on my lips and stared at my old best friend blankly as she blinked back tears so that they didn't fall. "I thought you'd died, Cora. I mourned you. For six years, I mourned you."
"I thought my whole family had died. I had to leave. What else did I have?"
"You had me!" I cried in outrage as a single stray tear fell down my cheek and I roughly brushed it away with my hand as I sniffled slightly. "Why didn't you come to me? Why did you let me think my best friend was dead?"
"I don't know." she whispered sadly as she looked down at the ground with a frown and I took a shaky breath as I stepped closer to her hesitantly. She lifted her head back up from the floor as I approached her with a determined expression and I wrapped my arms around her tightly as I let the fact that my childhood best friend was literally back from the dead. Cora hesitated slightly as she slowly relaxed into the embrace and wrapped her arms around my waist tightly as she buried her face into my shoulder with a quiet sniff.
"You're such a bitch for letting me think you were dead."
"I know."
"I hate you."
"No, you don't."
"I do." I lied childishly with a pout of my lips as I pulled back to look at her face and she chuckled softly as a small smile graced her lips.
"Are they always like this?" I heard Derek ask his uncle quietly off to the side of the room as I smiled into my friend's hair and I knew that Cora and I had both changed over the last six years but I couldn't wait to get to know the new her.
"So is that whole 'not let them out of your sight' thing literal or more like a general rule?" Lydia asked the young huntress an hour later as she tilted her head to the side and I looked up from painting my nails in the backseat as I quirked an eyebrow at her in intrigue.
"Why?" Allison asked cautiously as she glanced over at the strawberry with a frown on her lips and I screwed the lid back on the nail polish bottle as I leaned forward curiously to see what they were talking about.
"You're running on fumes." She replied knowingly with a small smirk on her lips as she nodded her head towards the fuel gage and I followed her gaze down to see the red indicator resting on the empty sigh as Allison groaned loudly in frustration. "Yeah. And I'm pretty sure that bus holds a lot more gas than this Toyota."
"What if we stop?"
"Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, so we lose them. We know where they're headed." I reminded her calmly with a roll of my eyes as I blew on my wet nails to dry them and Lydia nodded in agreement as she glanced out of the window in boredom.
"You were there. You saw what happened." Allie said quietly as she looked over her shoulder at me with a raised eyebrow and I pursed my lips together as I avoided her knowing dark brown eyes.
"I also know who started it." I murmured under my breath as I placed my nail polish bottle in my bag with a quirked eyebrow and Allison chuckled drily as she shook her head at me with a small smile on her lips.
"Is that what Aiden's been saying?"
"Aiden? Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a second. Is that why you invited me on this whole little road trip thing? Oh, my gosh. You're keeping an eye on them and me." I said in realisation with a small scoff as looked over at her with wide eyes and Allison blushed slightly with a grin as Lydia laughed loudly from the passenger seat.
"So there's nothing going on between you two?" she asked me teasingly as she looked at me over her shoulder with a coy smile and Lydia glanced over at me with a quirked eyebrow as she smirked knowingly.
"I'm appalled by the insinuation."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Oh, please. You could cut the sexual tension between you two with a spork." Lydia said pointedly with a roll of her light green eyes as she waved a hand in the air and I laughed softly as I leaned forward in between the two front seats with a smile on my lips.
"A spork?" I asked her in amusement as I quirked an eyebrow at her and Allison chuckled in the driver's seat as Lydia nodded her head with a smirk.
"Mm-hmm. A spork. So, can you please spill already? I mean, Sophie, we are your friends. Okay? You are supposed to share the smut. There has been no sloppy kisses or touchy feely of any kind?" Lydia asked me with a coy smile on her lips as she turned her head to look at me and I chuckled lightly in amusement as Allison giggled like a school girl. It felt nice to be talking to my friends about a hot guy at school instead of supernatural crap and I bit my lower lip to stop the smile from stretching across my lips.
I was alone in coach's office after lunch during my study period getting a set of permission slips for him when I heard the door slowly open behind me and I immediately stiffened when a familiar scent caught my attention as I stilled with my back to the door. I heard the lock on the door click shut as someone closed the blinds over the window so that no one could see inside the office and I pursed my lips together as anger, fear and irritation made my heart race with adrenaline.
"You should be more careful. A girl could get the wrong idea." I commented teasingly without turning around as I stood up straight with a blank expression and their footsteps approached me from behind as my heart quickened.
"I guess that depends on what you're thinking." Aiden replied quietly with a slightly menacingly undertone as I slowly turned around to face him and I lifted my chin up defiantly as I met his chocolate brown eyes.
"I'm thinking you're suspended from school so you must have a reason for being here."
"Maybe I wanted to see you."
"Maybe I'm not that stupid." I said with a small sarcastic laugh at the end as I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back against the desk with my eyes narrowed at him as he stepped towards me with a blank look on his face. "What are you doing here, Aiden?"
"You and your friends are really starting to piss me off." He told me threateningly as he clenched his hands into fists at his sides angrily and his eyes narrowed in on me as a small smirk played on my lips.
"Well, that was kind of the idea." I said innocently as I tilted my head to the side in mock naivety and his eyes flashed scarlet red in anger as I pushed myself off of the desk in preparation for a fight. Aiden's hand shot out to grab my elbow but I hissed angrily as I used my opposite hand to land a punch to his jaw and he snarled slightly as he twisted my arm around until the bone cracked audibly. I cried in pain as I brought my knee up to hit his stomach and he grunted a little as he stepped backwards making him let go of my elbow. I growled in pain as my bone healed instantly while he glowered at me and I looked up at him with a scowl on my lips as his eyes turned back to their normal chocolate brown. "That was mean."
"Well, that was kind of the idea." He mocked me quietly as he tilted his head to the side with a tight sarcastic smile and I laughed a little despite myself as I stood up straighter with a small smile on my lips. Aiden's expression turned to confusion as he shook his head slightly with a frown and I quirked an eyebrow at him in question as I leaned my hands back on the desk with a smirk on my lips. "How can you be laughing at something I said after I just threatened you and fractured your arm?"
"What you said was funny so I laughed." I said easily as I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly with a smile and he ducked his head slightly to hide the small genuine smile on his lips. "You don't need to overthink everything, Aiden."
"Don't overthink everything, huh?" he asked quietly with a seductive smirk on his lips as he stepped forward to place his hands on the table next to mine so that I was trapped in between his body and the desk behind me. My gaze immediately drifted down to his lips as his fingers grazed against mine on the table and I suppressed a shudder as his warm breath brushed my skin with a small grin on my lips. I reached rest my hands on his chest as I pressed my lips against his passionately with a small moan in the back of my throat and he melded his lips with mine instantly as his hands moved to my waist roughly. I cupped his neck with my hands without breaking the kiss as Aiden swiftly pulled me against his body and he swiped his tongue across my bottom lip as he silently asked permission to enter. I eagerly opened my mouth to allow him entrance as my tongue tangled with his in a fight for dominance and he growled lowly in the back of his throat as I dug my nails gently into the skin at his neck. He tightened his hold on my waist as he pulled me closer to his body so that I was pressed up against his chest and I moaned slight in the back of my throat at the absence of his lips as I pulled back from him slightly.
"What do you think you're doing?" I asked him in bewilderment as I quirked an eyebrow at him in question and he leaned back slightly as he looked at me in confusion with a frown on his lips.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean your hands."
"They're on your waist." He stated in confusion as he glanced down at where his hands rested on my waist gently and I pursed my lips in annoyance as I narrowed my eyes at him.
"I know." I said slowly in a soft voice as though he was being purposefully stupid and he drew his eyebrows together in confusion as I rolled my eyes at him. "What am I, a nun? Put them somewhere useful." I ordered him with a seductive smirk on my lips as I tilted my head to the side and he grinned coyly at me as he slipped his hands down to rest on my ass before lifting me up so that my legs were wrapped around his waist.
"Is that better?" Aiden asked me quietly as he squeezed my ass gently with a smirk and I draped my arms around his shoulders as I hummed to myself in satisfaction.
"Moderately." I told him softly with a shrug of my shoulders as I shifted my hips to get closer to him and my whole body ignited with heat as the friction between our bodies made my stomach tighten.
"I told you I could be a gentleman." He murmured quietly as he nearly brushed his lips against mine without actually touching them and I chuckled drily as I leaned down to graze my lips against his ear with a small smile.
"I thought we decided you were no gentleman."
"I can be."
"I don't want you to be." I replied huskily as I moved my lips down to his jawline with them gently scraping against his skin and he shivered slightly as I pressed an opened mouth kiss just under his jaw. Aiden grabbed my chin roughly as I gasped slightly in surprise with a chuckle and he grinned at me with heat in his chocolate brown eyes before smashing his lips against mine. Aiden growled lowly in the back of his throat as his swiped his tongue across my bottom lip to ask permission and I opened my mouth eagerly to connect our tongues together in a battle for dominance as I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck. My entire body felt like it was on fire as my fingers tangled themselves in his light brown hair and he walked us forward to sit me down on the edge of the teacher's desk without disconnecting our mouth from the heated kiss. His hands slipped down to rest on my hips as he dug his fingers into my skin roughly and I moaned in the back of my throat as he pulled away from my lips to place a line of wet opened mouth kisses down my jawline. I was breathing heavily as I titled my head to the side give him better access to my skin and he gently bit the sensitive skin under my jaw as I gasped in pleasure. I reached down to the hem of Aiden's grey t-shirt blindly as I moaned in pleasure and he slowly eased away from my throat to lean back as he easily ripped the shirt off over his head. My hands instantly ran up his muscular chest as he smirked at me seductively before lowering his lips back down to skin and he grinned against my skin as his teeth grazed the base of my neck. I shivered in bliss as his teeth gently pressed into my skin without breaking it and I felt my whole body shutter underneath him as he sucked a little on the skin above my collarbone. I pushed him back from my slightly with a smirk on my lips as he frowned at me in confusion and I chuckled lowly as I turned my body around to sweep my arm over the desk so that the papers went flying onto the floor. Aiden laughed out loud with a grin as he leaned back down to kiss my roughly and his fingers found the edge of my dress as his touch made my skin erupt with tiny sparks of electricity. I kicked my shoes off absently as he lifted my off of the desk slightly to pull the skirt of my dress up and then I raised my arms in the air as he slowly removed my dress from over my head before throwing it behind him blindly. Aiden laid me down on the desk as he grinned seductively and climbed on top of me as I wrapped my arms around his neck with a smile of my own. One of Aiden's hands moved upwards a little too cup my breast in one hand as he started kissing me passionately and I moaned into his mouth as his tongue wrapped around mine in a fight for dominance. His thumb soothingly brushed against skin over my black lace bra as he tenderly kneaded my breast one hand while reaching up to cup my cheek with the other and continuing his attack on my lips with as much passion as he could put into one gesture. I wrapped my legs around his hips as my hands greedily roamed his muscular bare back and I seductively grazed my perfectly manicured finger nails down his as he shuddered slightly on top of me. I bit his lower lip softly in between my teeth as he's fingers tangled into my long brunette hair and then I moved my mouth away from his lips as left a trail of opened mouth kisses down his throat.
"Hey, according to the internet, there's a jack-knifed tractor a few miles ahead." I told the girls twenty minutes later as we sat in a roadblock a few cars behind the school bus and I sighed heavily in annoyance as I placed my cell phone back into my bag. Allison groaned loudly as she hit the steering wheel with her hand and Lydia looked up from her textbook to frown at her as she tucked a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. I glanced out of the window with a frown on my lips as I tucked my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them as I tilted my head to the side. My eyes drifted shut slowly as I yawned tiredly because I hadn't been able to get any sleep the night before and I was slightly afraid to face the nightmares I knew would come with sleep. I couldn't help feeling slightly guilty for Derek's death even though I knew realistically it wasn't my fault and that I hadn't been a part of his plan to go up against the Alpha pack but I couldn't help thinking that maybe that was why he'd been killed.
"Sophie!?" I heard Scott call out to me from the front of the animal clinic as I worked out of the kennel and I frowned in confusion because I knew that he wasn't meant to be working today. I walked out into the examination room with my hands in the pockets of my white vet coat and Scott turned to look at me with wide relieved eyes as I quirked an eyebrow at him in question. "Thank god. I need to talk to you."
"I figured when you called my name. Unless… is there someone else in the room, Scott?" I asked in mock-seriousness as I frowned to myself and glanced around the room as though someone would appear out of thin air. I looked back at my brother with a small smile on my lips as he stared at me blankly and I chuckled a little as I strolled over to stand next to the metal examination table. "What's up?"
"I was just at Derek's loft. Did you know that they're plan a pre-emptive strike against the Alpha pack tomorrow night?"
"No." I said in confusion with a frown on my lips as I took my hands out of my pockets and leaned my elbows on the table as Scott sighed in frustration. "Who's in on this plan?"
"Derek, Peter, Cora and Boyd." Scott answered me as he crossed his arms over his chest and I quirked an eyebrow at him as I pursed my lips together. "Cora and Boyd followed the twins to the same apartment building that the Argents are living in."
"They can't take on an Alpha pack. What the hell are they thinking?"
"That's why they're just going after Deucalion. They think that if you cut off the head of the snake the body will die with it. Only this isn't a snake, it's a hydra. You know what happened when Hercules cut off one of the heads of the hydra? Two more grew back in its place." Scott said tiredly as he lent his elbows on the opposite side of the metal examination table with a sigh and I looked at him sympathetically as I walked around the table to stand next to him. I placed my hand on his arm gently as he looked up at me with sad dark brown eyes and I smiled at him slightly as I leaned my hip against the table. "I don't know what else to do. Do I keep trying to get them to listen to me? Do I tell Derek that he's gonna get them all killed? How do you save someone who doesn't wanna be saved? How do I stop them?"
"Don't stop them. Lead them." I told him softly as I reached up to cup his cheek gently with my hand and he looked at me in confusion as he tilted his head to the side slightly. "For some reason, Deucalion has decided that you are the one who he wants to play this game with, Scott. You always try to do the best thing for everyone and I know that whatever you decide will be the right choice. Just do what you do best, Scott. Protect your pack."
The sound of someone's cell phone ringing knocked me out of my memories as I jumped slightly in surprise and I turned my head to look at Lydia in the front seat as she grimaced at her cell phone screen. Allison smiled sympathetically at her as Lydia lifted the phone to her ear hesitantly and I leaned forward in my seat even though I could hear perfectly from where I was because of my werewolf hearing.
"Hey, Stiles. Yeah, we're just about to walk into a movie, uh, you know, the popcorn and..." Lydia trailed off unsurely as she twirled a lock of her strawberry blonde hair around her finger and I chuckled silently as I ducked my head to hide the smile on my lips.
"I know you guys are right behind us. Put me on speaker." Stiles ordered her in annoyance as he sighed at her and I could easily picture him rolling his eyes while he spoke. Lydia hummed under her breath as she clicked the speaker phone on with a frown and held the phone in the middle of the car so that we could all hear. "Okay, look, Scott's still hurt."
"What do you mean still? He's not healing?" I asked in shock as I frowned in concern for my brother and Allie's dark brown eyes widened in panic as she shifted slightly in her seat.
"No, he's not healing. I think he's actually getting worse. The blood's turning, like, a black colour."
"What's wrong with him?" Lydia asked him with a horrified look on her face as she looked at the phone with wide eyes and I quickly reached over to grab my bag from the floor of the backseat. I bit my lower lip nervously as I searched frantically for my iPad and I pulled it out with a small smile as I placed it on my lap before turning it on.
"What's wrong with him? I don't... do I have a PhD in lycanthropy? How am I supposed to know that?" Stiles exclaimed wildly in frustration as Lydia bit her lip guiltily and I pursed my lips as I clicked onto the bestiary that I had complied based on both the Argent's and the Hale's bestiaries.
"We need to get him off the bus." Allison said firmly as she nodded her head once with a frown and I tried to block them out as I concentrated on finding the section on werewolves in the bestiary.
"And take him where, a hospital?" Lydia asked incredulously as she looked at the young huntress with a frown and Allison nodded her head in answer as she glanced at the strawberry blonde in the passenger seat.
"If he's dying, yeah. Stiles, there's a rest area about a mile up. Tell the coach to pull over."
"Yeah, I've been trying." Stiles told us in exhaustion as he sighed at the end of the sentence and I sighed in in relief when I reached the section on werewolves as I started reading to see if I could find something I didn't already know that could help Scott.
"Well, reason with him."
"Reason? Have you met this guy?"
"Just try something."
"Stiles! I have my bestiary here on my iPad and I'm trying to find something to help but I need more time. You need to stall, Stiles. Please." I begged my friend loudly as I turned my attention to face the cell phone in the middle of the phone and I heard Stiles sighed through the phone line as Allison and Lydia both looked over at me in sympathy.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll try again." He told me softly as I turned back to the iPad on my lap with a small thankful smile and Lydia hung up with phone with a sigh as I bit my lip hard in between my teeth. Part of me was feeling immensely gratefully that Isaac and I had insisted that Scott take back up with him the night before because I didn't want to even imagine what would have happened if he'd been there alone like he had planned.
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." Isaac complained once again as he leaned back against my pillow with his eyes closed and I rolled my e
yes at him playfully as I pinched his foot gently in reprimand. I bit my lower lip in between my teeth to stifle a laugh as I looked down at his foot on my lap where I was sitting crossed legged on the end of my bed.
"Shut up, Isaac. I'm giving you free room and board the least you can do is let me paint your toenails when I'm bored." I scolded him lightly as I pointed the nail file at him with a quirked eyebrow and he sighed heavily as he opened his steel blue eyes with a frown on his lips.
"I think the price is too high. I'm going to go live on the streets." He joked as he tried to pull his foot out of my grasp with a smirk on his lips and I giggled lightly as I grabbed his foot to stop him from moving. "Let go of me. I need to leave. If I don't get out now, the next thing you know I'm agreeing to watch '80's movies and eating ice-cream out of the carton while doing a Cosmo quiz."
"Oh, my god! If you know that you're already halfway there! Stop wriggling, Isaac Lahey." I ordered him with mock-sternness as I tried to suppress my laughter and tightened my grip on his ankle as he squirmed to get off of the bed.
"Urgh, fine." he said with a small groan as he threw himself back on the bed and I grinned in triumphant as I patted his foot gently.
"Good boy. Now, which colour do you want? Cherries In The Snow or Plum Seduction?" I asked him excitedly with a smile as I leaned down over the edge of the bed to pick up the nail polish from the floor.
"Neither."
"Oh, come on. It's not like anyone's going to see it. You're going to be wearing shoes."
"Neither."
"Please."
"Neither."
"What if I do it without my shirt on?" I asked him curiously as I leaned forward with a smirk on my lips and he froze in the middle of shaking his head as he stared at me with wide eyes.
"Are you serious?" Isaac asked me in shock as his lips quirked up in a sly smirk and I bit my lower lip seductively as I tilted my head to the side before bursting out in laughter.
"Of course I'm not serious." I said with a laugh as I sat back on the bed and he rolled his eyes at me as he crossed his arms over his chest with a slight pout on his lips. I laughed at his expression as I grabbed his foot in my hand and quickly undid the lid to the Plum Seduction nail polish before starting to paint his nails. "So, you worried about this virgin killer?"
"Why would I be worried about that?" he asked me dismissively without looking at me as he pretended to study the ceiling and I stopped painting his nails to give him a pointed look as he glanced at me. "What?"
"It's a virgin killer."
"So…?" he trailed off questioningly as he quirked an eyebrow at me with a frown and I stared at him blankly as I tilted my head to the side knowingly. Isaac stared back at me for a second before sighing in resign as he threw his head backwards and I chuckled softly as I continued to paint his nails knowing that he was going to crack. "Fine. I'm a virgin. Happy?"
"Indifferent." I stated with a shrug of my shoulders as I glanced up at him with a small smile and he chuckled lightly as he jerked his foot slightly to kick my hand.
"Shut up, alright? Before Derek gave me the Bite I wasn't exactly the most popular guy in the world and then after, I was kinda busy being a fugitive and dealing with the kanima."
"I wasn't judging. Just observing." I defended myself lightly as I held my hands up in surrender and he rolled his eyes at me as he leant up on his elbows with a small smile. I flashed him a grin as I finished his painting his feet with a flourish of my hand and I screwed the lid back onto the nail polish as I lifted his foot up to blow on his toes.
"Is it weird that that's turning me on?" Isaac asked me curiously as he tilted his head to the side and I scoffed in amusement as I pushed his foot away from me making him laugh. I heard footsteps coming from Scott's bedroom as I tilted my head to the side and I held a finger to my lips to tell Isaac to be silent.
"Come on." I urged him as I stood up from the bed gracefully with a frown and he nodded in agreement as he jumped off of the bed. I walked over to grab my jacket as he slipped on his shoes to hide his new pedicure and I grasped his hand as I pulled him from my bedroom towards Scott's down the hall.
"Where are you going?" Isaac asked Scott curiously as he leaned on the doorframe with a frown and my brother spun around in surprise as I quirked an eyebrow at him in question.
"Uh, I was gonna go get some food to eat." Scott lied to us with a straight face as he paused in putting on his jacket and I shared a knowing look with Isaac before turning back to my brother.
"Oh, cool. We'll come with you." I said brightly as I nodded my head with a smile on my lips and crossed my arms over my chest as I leaned my shoulder against Isaac's.
"Nah, guys, it's okay. I can eat alone."
"What are you getting?"
"Uh, Mexican."
"Dude, I love Mexican...Soph?" Isaac asked me with a quirked eyebrow as he turned to face me and I ignored Scott's annoyed expression as I tilted my head to the side in consideration.
"I could go for a taco." I agreed with a nod of my head as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and Scott sighed noisily as he stepped forward with his hands held up in front of him.
"Sophie, Isaac. I can eat alone, it's okay." Scott told us sternly as he looked at us almost pleadingly and I shook my head at him with a small smile on my lips.
"You're not going alone. Come on." Isaac said softly with a smirk as he nodded his head out into the hallway and Scott stared at us for a second as though judging whether or not we were serious before smiling slightly. I held my hand out for him to take with a smile as I stepped out from under Isaac's arm and he took it with a rolled of his eyes as we started walking out of the room with the Beta behind us.
"Does something smell like nail polish?"
"Urgh! I can't find anything!" I cried in frustration as I shoved the iPad off of my lap with a small scream and I buried my head in my hands as I blinked away the tears that had filled my tears.
"Hey, hey! It's going to be fine. Scott's going to be fine." Lydia said softly in reassurance as she turned around in her seat with a concerned frown and I sighed heavily as I looked up at her with a small smile.
"I can't find anything."
"We'll figure it out." She told me firmly as she reached over to grab my hand in hers and I squeezed it gratefully as I nodded in agreement even though I was still feeling doubtful.
"I'm going to call Deaton. Maybe he knows something I don't. Okay, he definitely knows something I don't." I mumbled to myself as I reached for my phone from my handbag and Lydia pulled her hand back with a small smile as she turned back around to face the front. I dialled his number from memory as I held the phone to my ear with a frown and crossed my fingers hopefully as it rang in my ear.
"Hello?" Deaton's familiar voice greeted me calmly as I sighed in relief and wrapped an arm around my stomach as I sunk down in my seat.
"Alan? I need help."
"Sophie? What's wrong?" he asked me in concern as I heard him walking on the other side of the phone and I ran a hand through my ponytail as I crossed my legs underneath me.
"Stiles just called me and told me that Scott's not healing. The scratch marks on his side are still bleeding. I've looked through the bestiary I complied from ransacking the Argent and Hale family bestiaries but there's nothing in there to help me. I was hoping you'd know something." I admitted quietly as I looked out the window at the paddock and he sighed heavily on the other side of the phone line as I came to the conclusion he didn't have the answer I was hoping for. "And I'm guessing you don't know something."
"I'm sorry, Sophie, but I don't know anything more than you. Scott's been calling me all morning but I've been a little busy here at the clinic to answer."
"You've been too busy to answer Scott's call? Not to sound conceited but you always answer our calls. Is everything okay?" I asked him in concern with a small frown as I leaned my head back against the headrest and hoped like hell there was nothing else wrong back at home because I didn't know if I could handle anymore drama for a while.
"Aiden, Kali and Marin showed up at the clinic earlier with an unconscious Ennis. I've been doing what I can to stabilise him. Under protest, of course." He informed me in his usual calm voice as I sat up straight in shock with my mouth open slightly and the sudden movement caught the attention of Lydia and Allison in the front seat but I waved a hand dismissively at them as I turned away from them. "I'm surprisingly optimistic. He's gonna make it."
"Okay, well, keep me updated?"
"I will. Good luck, Sophie. Call if you need anything else." Alan told me firmly as I hung up the phone with a sigh and tucked the phone in my bag as I closed my eyes in exhaustion.
I climbed out of the driver's seat of my car as Scott jumped out of the passenger side and Isaac climbed out of the backseat as we all glanced around the abandoned mall with cautiously. I tucked my hands into my jacket pockets as I frowned in concern and I sighed as I glanced over at my brother with a quirked eyebrow in question.
"We're just gonna talk to him, try to reason with him. That's it, all right?" Scott asked us as Isaac walked over to stand next to him and I nodded in understanding as my brother glanced over at the Beta's pursed lip in confusion. "What?"
"Nothing. It's just that, uh, I'm actually kind of hungry now." Isaac admitted slowly in an apologetic voice as he shrugged slightly and I looked over at him with an amused grin on my lips as Scott pressed his lips together to stop from laughing.
"So am I."
"If we survive, we'll get tacos after." I promised them both with a chuckle as I turned around to face them and Scott nodded in agreement as he took a deep breath to ready himself for what was about to happen. "You ready, little brother?"
"As I'll ever be." He murmured quietly as he stared determinedly at the abandoned mall in front of him and I silently held my hand out towards him with a small smile on my lips. He glanced down at my hand for a second in surprise before he smiled slightly and he placed his hand in mine with a grateful glint in his dark brown eyes.
"Let's do it together then."
"Together."
"Come on, Isaac." I said to the Beta who was shifted slightly on his feet behind us as he glanced around awkwardly to avoid our sibling moment and he snapped his gaze over to us with wide steely blue eyes. I offered him a slight smile as I held out my free hand for him to take and he glanced at Scott for a second before placing his hand in mine. I tightened my hold on both of their hands on either side of me as I stared up at the deserted mall in front of us and I took a deep breath as we started walking forward together. As we sauntered into the main floor on the mall, Scott let go of my hand to walk in protectively in front of us and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from telling him not to but I knew that he was the who Deucalion wanted to speak with. I tightened my hold on Isaac's hand as Deucalion came into view perched on a broken down escalator with his cane in his hand and I stiffened slightly as we came to a stop just behind Scott.
"You didn't come alone." Deucalion said in greeting with a blank expression as he folded his hands over the top of his cane and Scott glanced back at us nervously as I narrowed my eyes at the Alpha.
"Yeah. This is Isaac and you already know Sophie." my brother introduced us politely as he gestured with his hand over to us and I supress the urge to roll my eyes at him because he was talking to a blind man.
"I'm not talking about Isaac and Sophia."
"Then…" Scott trailed off in confusion as the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the abandoned mall and we all turned to the entrance in shock as Derek, Cora and Boyd all came rushing into the building with their werewolf features prominent. They came to a stop across from us as they all snarled dangerously at the Alpha on the stairs with Derek at the front and Scott looked at him in shock as he stepped forwards slightly. "You knew I would do this? Derek, don't. You can't do this so no one gets hurt. If someone else dies..."
"Him. Just him." Derek said with a growl as he pointed a finger at the blind werewolf on the broken elevator and Isaac squeezed my hand in warning when I tried to step forward to help Scott with whatever he was going to do.
"Just me? Now, how's a blind man find his way into a place like this all on his own?" Deucalion asked mockingly as he tilted his head to the side in question and I felt my eyes widened as the sound of scratching filled the room. I spun my head around with a frown on my lips as I watched a female werewolf in her later twenties come sliding down a concrete column leaving claw marks from her feet all the way down until she hit the floor and I vaguely remembered someone telling me her name was Kali. Another male werewolf I assumed was Ennis walked up another escalator from the floor below and the Alpha Twins walked out shirtless to standing on a ledge one floor above overlooking the crowed below.
"Well, this just got a lot more interesting." I commented softly as I looked around at all of the werewolves in the room with a small smile on my lips and Isaac scoffed out a small laugh as he glanced around the room as well with a smirk.
Lydia, Allison and I all hurried out of the Toyota at a rest stop on the side of the road as the school bus parked on the other side of the car park and all of the students rushed off of the bus quickly as though someone had set it on fire.
"Jared, you suck! Hey, somebody grab some towels or a mop or a new bus." I heard coach call out as he stuck his head out one of the small windows of the bus and I saw Stiles with his arm wrapped around Scott's waist as he held him upright. I sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of my brother's pale skin drenched with sweat as he stumbled towards the bathroom and I started running towards them instantly as Allison and Lydia hurried after me.
"Oh, thank god you're here!" Stiles exclaimed in relief as he caught sight of me rushing towards them and I wrapped an arm around Scott's waist to help support his weight as I sent Stiles a tight smile. We all walked into the bathroom as I set Scott down on the floor against the wall and Lydia checked all the stalls to make sure they were empty as I sunk to my knees next to my brother.
"Oh, my God." I breathed in horror as I lifted up the edge of his shirt to look at the three bloodied gash marks on his side and
Allison covered her mouth with her hand as she sat down in front of him. Scott blinked his eyes slowly as his laboured breathing evened out slightly and his dark brown eyes met mine as I brushed his hair back from his forehead. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Sorry." Scott muttered tiredly as he flashed a quick smile at me and I let out a small sob as I nodded at him with a smile.
"Okay. Just give us a second, okay?" I said quietly as I took his hand in mine with a small sniff and he nodded slightly as he closed his head with his head lolled to the side. I pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead as I patted his hand and I turned my head back to the look at the other with a serious expression. "This shouldn't be happening. I've seen him heal from worse than this."
"Okay, what do we do then? Do we just call an ambulance?" Stiles asked helplessly as he flung his arms out to his sides with a terrified frown and Allison shook her head at him as she stood up from in front of Scott.
"What if it's too late? What if they can't help?" Allison asked in a broken voice as she ran a hand through her hair and I stood up from my crouch next to my brother as I pursed my lips together.
"We gotta do something."
"You know, it could be psychological." Lydia suggested in a knowing voice as she crossed her arms over her chest and we all looked at her in surprise as I started to smile at her slowly.
"What do you mean, like, psychosomatic?" Stiles asked her curiously as he took a step closer to her and she looked at him with a quirked eyebrow as she pursed her lips together.
"Somatoformic." I corrected him slowly with a bright smile as I went back to kneeling next to my brother and I reached for Allison handbag as everyone looked at me in question. "A physical illness from a psychogenic cause. It's all in his head."
"All in his head? Because of Derek. He's not letting himself heal because Derek died. So what do we do?" Allison asked in a small voice as she knelt down on Scott's other side with a frown and I took out the small sewing kit from her handbag with a small smile on my lips.
"Stitch him up. I'm serious. Maybe all he needs to do is just believe it's healing."
"Here. Let me." Allie said firmly as she took the sew kit off of me when my hands shook slightly and I looked up at her with a frown as she met my eyes in understanding. I nodded once as I let her take the sewing kit off of me and she reached into her handbag to grab a lighter. "He's gonna need another shirt. Where's his bag?"
"Um, I'm gonna get it. I hate needles anyway, so... uh, do you know what you're doing?" Stiles asked her nervously as he eyed her cautiously and she nodded firmly as she opened the sewing cut to grab a needle from inside.
"Yeah, my father taught me."
"I mean, how fast are you gonna... I mean, the bus, like, the bus could leave."
"Well, we just make sure it doesn't leave." I stated calmly as I stood up from besides Scott with a small smile on my lips and Stiles nodded jerkily as he held his out from me to take.
"I can help." Lydia said quickly as she grabbed my other hand in hers with a small smile and I glanced over my shoulder at my brother in concern as Stiles and Lydia practically dragged me out of the bathroom.
I gave Isaac's hand a reassuring squeeze as Derek roared loudly and started rushing forwards towards where Deucalion was standing on the elevators but Kali rushed forward at the same time with a snarl. The female Alpha's eyes flashed scarlet red as she stopped him with a swift kick to the head and Derek tumbled to the floor as he rolled into a crouch with a growl. Isaac pulled me closer to his side protectively as I glanced over at the upper level where the Alpha twins stood and I saw that Ethan was watching the fight but Aiden's dark brown gaze was narrowed in on Isaac's arm around my waist. I scoffed under my breath as I rolled my eyes at him and his eyes snapped up to meet mine as he smirked menacingly at me before he and Ethan both somersaulted from the upper floor as they land on the bottom floor merged into one. I glanced over at to the other side of the room where Boyd was fighting Ennis and I grimaced in sympathy as the Alpha landed on the Beta's face.
"Oh, crap." I mumbled under my breath as I turned to press a kiss to Isaac's cheek quickly and then I jogged over to Scott's side before I pressed a kiss to his cheek with a small smile. Scott looked at me in confusion as I ran past him towards where Boyd was still fighting Ennis and I let my werewolf features emerge as Boyd was thrown to the ground. Boyd hissed angrily as he tried to stand up but he fell back to the ground and I stepped in front of him as Ennis went to swipe his claws across his throat. I cried out in pain as his claws cut into my arm deeply and I used my other clenched fist to land a punch to his jaw as he stumbled back in surprise with a growl. I felt my arm already healing slowly as I motioned for Boyd to move backwards out of the way with my hand without taking my eyes off of the Alpha in front of me.
"You should stay out of the way, little girl." Ennis told me in a low dangerous voice as he looked me up and down almost in a measuring sort of way and I chuckled darkly with a smirk as I shook my head at him.
"I've never been very good at doing what I'm told." I told him mockingly as I flung my leg out to kick him in the stomach and he stumbled back slightly as he grinned manically at me. He growled in the back of his throat as he tried to punch me but I ducked under his arm and twisted out of his reach when he went to grab for my arm. I slammed my knee up in to his face when he stumbled forward as I immediately threw my elbow down on the back of his neck and he hissed angrily as he spun around to wrap an arm around my waist. I cried out in pain as he squeezed my waist tightly with my back against his chest and I threw my head back into his nose as he stumbled back a little. Ennis growled in my ear as he crushed my ribs and I hissed in pain as he dropped me to the floor with a dark chuckle. I glared up at the Alpha as he smirked down at me for a second and he reached down to grab my throat in his large hand as he lifted me into the air. I choked slightly as I gasped for breath desperately and I grabbed his wrists ineffectively as tears filled my eyes unintentionally. He spun me around so that my back was pressed up against his chest as he placed his claws at the base of my throat and I looked around the room hopelessly to see Boyd lying on the ground with blood covering his shirt, Kali with her foot on Cora's neck, Scott and Isaac on their knees in front of the morphed Alpha and Derek standing helplessly in the middle of the area covered in blood.
"Kill him. The others can go. You're beaten. Do it, Derek. Take the first step." Deucalion urged Derek calmly as he stood serenely on the damaged escalator listening to the fight and I looked over at Boyd helplessly as I squirmed desperately in Ennis' grasp.
"Are we serious with this kid? Look at him. He's an Alpha? To what? A couple of useless teenagers?" Kali asked tauntingly as she sneered at Derek with her scarlet red eyes glowing menacingly and I glared at her heatedly as Ennis lowered me to the ground but kept his hand to my throat.
"Some have more promise than others." He murmured quietly as he turned his head in my brother's direction for a second and then his head turned towards me as I creased my forehead in confusion.
"Let him rise to the occasion then. What'll it be, Derek? Pack or family?" Kali asked menacingly as she pressed her repulsively long toenails in to Cora's throat threateningly and Derek stared at his sister in horror before turning his head to look at the Beta lying beaten on the ground.
Once we were outside the bathroom, I sent Lydia and Stiles to get Scott's backpack off of the bus because I wanted to have a moment to myself and I walked over to a tree on the other side of the parking lot. I leaned my back against the tree trunk as I covered my face with my hands and I felt my cell phone ringing in the pocket of my jeans as I blindly reached for it before holding it to my ear without checking who it was.
"Hello?" I greeted them with a tired sigh as I leaned my head against the rough bark and I wrapped an arm around my waist because I felt like I was falling apart from the inside out.
"Sophie. I have some bad news." Alan said sadly through the phone line as I stood up straighter at attention and glanced around to make sure no werewolves were within hearing distance. "Ennis didn't make it, Sophie. I'm pretty sure Derek's still alive. But he killed one of theirs. That means one of two things can happen. Either he joins theirs pack..."
"Or Kali goes after him, and they kill him." I finished for him with a sigh as I ran a through my hair in frustration and I noticed Lydia walking over to me with a frown on her lips. I offered her a small smile as she came to a stop next to me and I froze with a thought as I licked my lip nervously. "Hang on a second, Alan." I said quietly as I pulled the phone away from my ear with a concerned frown and I covered the receiving end as I turned to look at Lydia with narrowed eyes. She glanced back at me with questioning expressions as I pointed a finger at her warningly and I quirked an eyebrow at her as I pursed my lips. "If you ever breathe a word to anyone about what I say next, I will kill you. I will brutally rip your throat out with my claws and not think twice about it. Got it?"
"I got it." Lydia said sharply as she narrowed her green eyes at me with intrigue and I nodded at her with a grateful smile as I put the phone back to my ear.
"How's Aiden?"
"I only saw him for a moment when I told him the new. He seemed more concerned for the female Alpha, Kali." Deaton told me softly as Lydia stared at me with a quirked eyebrow and I tried to ignore her knowing smirk as I picked absently at the bark of the tree. I heard shutting coming from the other side of the parking lot where the other students were and my head snapped up in surprise with a frown as I pushed myself off of the tree.
"And I think Ethan just got the news. Got to go. Bye." I said quickly to Alan as I hung up the phone with a snap and grabbed Lydia's hand as I rushed towards the growing crowd. "Lydia, go get Scott!"
"Sophie!" Stiles called out to me as I approached him standing near the outside of the crowd and Lydia ran towards the bathroom's to get Scott because I had a feeling we would need him. "They went after him. I told 'em what was happening with you and they just went after him. It's Isaac."
"Crap. Go get Scott. Now!" I yelled at him as I pushed him towards the bathrooms with a frown and I quickly hurried past the gathering students who were watching as Isaac repeated punched Ethan in the face. I growled in annoyance under my breath as I ran over to them at the same time as Scott got there and the Alpha grinned almost manically as Isaac continued to punch him.
"Isaac!" Scott shouted loudly with an unmistakable sense of authority in his voice and I watched as Isaac froze instantly at the sound of his name. The Beta slowly let go of the collar of Ethan's jacket without taking his eyes off of Scott and I pushed my friend out of the way as I hurried over to crouch down next to Ethan who had blood covering his face with a concerned frown. Ethan looked up at me in suspicion with a shocked expression as I sent a small smile to Danny and I grabbed the Alpha's arm tightly as I helped him to his feet carefully. I looked over at my brother as he practically dragged the two Beta's away from the scene and he glanced over at me with an approving nod as I smiled tightly at him.
"Come on. Before someone realises you're healing." I hissed into Ethan's ear as I wrapped an arm around his waist and started leading him away from the crowd so that he could heal properly without everyone around.
The hissing sound of an arrow echoed throughout the abandoned mall as an arrow flew over Derek's head and stroked the merged twins who immediately separated into two people again. I glanced up in the direction where the arrow had come from and saw Allison standing there with her bow in her hands as she continued firing flash bang arrows. Ennis dropped me onto the ground in surprise as he stumbled away from one of the arrows that landed in front of us and I shielded my eyes with my hand as I turned around.
"Aah! Aah! Your eyes... cover your eyes!" Deucalion shouted loudly over the sound of small bursts of explosives and I hurried to my feet as I rushed towards where Cora was lying on the ground unmoving. I skidded to a stop on my knees next to her as she blinked tiredly and I grabbed her hand in mine tightly as I started pulling her towards the side of the room. Cora stumbled slightly as she got to her feet and I wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her upright as we ran to the edge of the abandoned mall to get out of the way. We crouched down next to each other with wide eyes as I glanced around the room to see Scott rushing at Ennis and I gasped when the two hit each other with equal forced as they merely slid away from each other without causing injury. Scott growled loudly as he crouched down facing the Alpha and I swore that his eyes started to glow scarlet red like an Alpha and then he shook his head as they returned back to their normal amber colour. Derek moved to attack Ennis from behind in a surprise attack and the two struggled as they got closer to the ledge over a three floor drop. Scott jumps forward to help as he slashed at the tendons in Ennis' leg and Ennis spun in surprise as he begun to fall over. He grasped onto Derek's arm as he fell backwards and I screamed out his name as I held Cora back from running out there. There was a loud crash as the two crashed down on another escalator far below and I gasped in shock as Cora screamed out her brother's name in horror.
I sat down on the seat behind Stiles and Lydia with a sigh as I smiled tightly at my friends and placed my legs up on the seat so that no one could sit down next to me. I leaned my head back on the window as Scott and Allison took the seat behind me and I closed my eyes in exhaustion as I tried to get comfortable enough to get some sleep.
"All right. Let's go over this one more time. So it's the sacrifices, right? Everything has to do with them and someone who thinks he's, like, a dark druid of some kind." Stiles said quietly to Lydia as he shifted in his seat and Lydia hummed under her breath in understanding but I could tell that she had no idea what he was talking about.
"Or actually is a dark druid. A Darach. You know... Some ancient cultures sacrificed people in preparation for battle." I told him softly as I opened my eyes stared out the window at the passing scenery and they turned to look at me in shock as I brought my knees up to my chest.
"So we got Alpha werewolves against a dark druid."
"Yeah."
Please Review!