The Dark Moon:
The hypnotic dance music pulsed through my veins as I entered the underground club and a grin spread across my lips as all my senses were overpowered by my surroundings. The club smelt of sweat, stale beer, tequila and sex, the lights were flashing overhead and I could taste every person's emotions on the tip of my tongue. My blood felt electric as I moved into the centre of the dancefloor, my body moving along with the crowd and I enjoyed myself because in that moment I was as human as everyone else in the room. I was dancing was some unknown guy when a familiar scent hit me and I instantly froze in the middle of the dancefloor in distress because that scent was supposed to be 1600 miles away in California.
"Scott…" I whispered to myself as I started pushing my way through the crowd of dancers in the direction that the scent was coming from. I wasn't sure how my brother had tracked me to Mexico when he thought I was in Australia but if he went to the effort something must have been wrong. And if something wasn't wrong back in Beacon Hills, it was about to be here because he had unintentionally stumbled into Calaveras territory and they didn't take to kindly to supernatural strangers.
I pushed my way to the edge of the dancefloor using my elbows to nudge people out of my way and looked around wildly for any sign of my brother. A relieved sigh escaped my lips when I saw him standing in an alcove off to the side of the club and immediately headed in that direction as discreetly as possible. He didn't see my approach because he was facing the opposite direction so I grabbed his shoulder and roughly shoved him into the adjacent corridor out of sight of the club. I spun him around so that his back hit the wall and pressed my forearm against his throat in warning as I growled in irritation.
"Sophie?" Scott asked in a shocked whisper as he frowned at me in confusion but I was too annoyed by his presence to realise that was just as perplexed by my appearance.
"What the hell are you doing here, Scott?" I asked him angrily as I applied a little bit of pressure to my hold on his throat before stepping back and crossing my arms over my chest.
"I thought you were in Australia?"
"I guess I got confused. They both have such lovely beaches. Now answer the question! If you weren't looking for me, why are you here?" I asked him in confusion as I glanced around nervously to see if anyone had noticed us leave the main floor.
"We're looking for the – "he started to explain in a calm voice but I immediately held up a hand to stop him and narrowed my eyes at him in suspicion.
"'We'? Who's 'we'?
"Me, Stiles, Lydia, Kira and Malia."
"Oh, two defenceless humans, an untrained kitsune and a werecoyote that's more coyote than human. Perfect. Just what you want in the middle of hunter territory." I spat sarcastically as I glared at him and he had the decency to look sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head. "Why didn't you bring Derek? At least he knows how to fight."
"That's kinda why we're here. Derek's missing. And we think the Calaveras' have him." he explained carefully like he wasn't sure how was going to take the news and I hated that he thought I was so weak that I was going to crumble to the ground. I wasn't like that before Allison or before Aiden and I wasn't about to dishonour their memory by turning into someone they didn't know. The thought of losing Derek sent a pain rippling through me but I didn't let it show. I took a deep breath to calm down my scattered nerves and repeated my new mantra over in my head: we protect those who cannot protect themselves.
"Calaveras' have already kidnapped him once. Who's to say they wouldn't do it again? They can't be happy that he escaped the first time. So, what's the plan?" I asked him firmly as I squared my shoulders and stood up straight as I was a solider in the army awaiting orders from my captain. Scott studied me with a reluctant expression but I just stared back at him defiantly until he sighed heavily in defeat.
"Fine. Come on. You know this place better than we do. Stiles and Lydia are meeting with their leader – "
"Araya."
"- Araya, right now. We heard that she can be brought so they have fifty thousand dollars to deal with her. But they've been in there a while and I'm getting concerned."
"There's a guard just around the corner. Maybe it's time to show Araya who the Alpha is…" I trailed off almost teasingly with a smirk as I gestured to the empty corridor and Scott grinned back at me as he started to walk passed. I turned the corner after him just in time to see him knocking the guard unconscious from behind and I couldn't help the proud smile that spread across my lips as he gently laid the hunter onto the ground.
"North?" a heavily accented voice asked through the radio and I easily recognised it as Araya's right-hand man Severo. "Norte?"
"Stiles. Take 10 off the table." Scott instructed into the radio with his voice coated in authority and I nodded in approval as he dropped the radio back onto the ground. We both ran back to the entrance to the club and slowed down to a walk as we entered the main dancefloor. It only took a moment for me to realise that it was Malia and Kira in the middle of a fight with two hunters. I groaned out loud as I exchanged a look with Scott before rushing out to join them.
Kira was attacking a female hunter with a pair of luminescent Nunchaku but the hunter was trained by the best so they were evenly matched. I quickly ran in front of the hunter as she was about to reach for her gun and slammed my fist into her face before pulling my knee up so that it connected with her nose. I flipped the hunter over my shoulder so that she landed on her back and I kicked her in the face as she fell into unconsciousness.
"Sophie?" Kira asked in confusion as she frowned at me in shock and I grinned at her in greeting before I looked around to make sure the other hunters were unconscious.
"Sophie, Kira, let's go." Scott ordered sharply as he looked over his shoulder at us and I nodded in acknowledgement as I started to follow him back into the hallway that lead to Araya's office. Malia gave me a suspicious look as we caught up with them and I narrowed my eyes back at her because I wasn't sure how I felt about the werecoyote. I knew from talking on the phone with Lydia that Malia had been acclimating back into the human world but it was hard to judge someone without knowing them.
"I remember you. You were there when I changed back." Malia stated bluntly as we all walked down the empty corridor and I nodded in agreement as I remembered that day in the woods of Beacon Hills.
"Is there a question in there?" I asked her curiously with a slight frown on my lips and she shrugged indifferently as she sauntered in front of me. I shook my head to myself as I let out a low whistle and turned my attention to the kitsune walking next to me. "How's it going, Kira?"
"I'm good. I- I thought you were in Australia or some place?" Kira asked in a confused tone as she glanced at me with a small frown on her lips and I scoffed out a laugh because I knew I was going to hear that same question a lot.
"I lied. I'm a liar."
Whatever reply Kira was about to spout was cut off when Scott stopped walking abruptly in the middle of the hallway and I frowned in confusion as I followed his gaze to the smoke that was rising from underneath a closed door. My forehead furrowed as the same white smoke began to pour out of the vents near the ceiling and my throat started to feel scratchy as I cleared my throat roughly. My eyes began to water as the hallway flooded with smoke and I coughed roughly into my hand as my knees started to feel weak.
"Wolfsbane. It's wolfsbane! Kira... Kira, get out of here!" Scott shouted at the kitsune in a strangled voice as he tried to stay upright and I fell back against the wall as I continuously coughed in an effort to get rid of the sting in my throat. Kira tried to run in the opposite direction but her path was blocked by a hunter and he coldcocked her with the butt of a shotgun. I watched helplessly as Malia collapsed against the wall opposite me and my brother fell to his knees in between the two of us as we all groaned in pain.
Footsteps sounded through the throbbing in my ears as I lifted my head and saw Araya smirking down at the three of us. I let out a pain filled grunt as I shifted my weight in an attempt to stand but my lungs were burning too much. The sound caught Araya's attention as she snapped her head around to look at me and a smirk crossed her lip as she cocked her head to the side.
"Sophia Delgado. I have a feeling that is not your true name." Araya stated knowingly as she stepped forward and I pursed my lips in defiance as she tapped the gun at her hip mockingly.
"You know my name. You knew my name the moment you saw me, you knew everything without me having to tell you." I said in a weak voice as I narrowed my eyes at her and her smirk widened as she turned to face my brother without saying a word.
"Someone who has been an Alpha only a few months should be more careful when facing a hunter of 40 years." She told him mockingly as she raised an eyebrow at him and I cringed in pain as my head lolled to the side weakly.
"All we want is Derek." Scott told her in a weak voice as he knelt in front of her with a frown and she shook her head in amusement as she smiled tightly down at him.
"My lobito, you're a long way from home."
"You don't know where he is either."
All the amusement drained from the hunter's expression as she narrowed her eyes at the Alpha and I let out a startled cry as she prodded him with an electrified baton. Scott immediately started seizing as his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed onto the ground unconscious. I struggled to get to my feet, using the wall behind me for support and two hunters restrained me by grabbing my arms as I thrashed to get free from their grasp. Malia weakly growled at the men that grabbed her but she was too weak to be any real threat. My body grew weak from wolfsbane exposure as I slumped into the arms of the hunters but I was still awake when they started guiding us down the hallway. My eyes fell closed but I could hear them unlocking a door before they were pushing me into a room and I was collapsing onto the hard ground. I let out a grunt as my eyes fluttered open and I tried to pushed myself up on my hands as I looked over my shoulder to see them dropping Malia, Kira and Scott down next to me. I was starting to get the feeling back in my limbs as they shut the door behind them and I heard it lock from the outside as I sat upright from my sprawled position. I looked around to see that we were locked in a dirty restroom and I frowned to myself as I turned to the person lying closest to me.
"Malia? Malia, are you okay?" I asked her in a strained voice as I crawled over to her side and brushed a strand of hair off of her face to check if she was awake. She mumbled something under her breath as her eyes flickered and I sighed heavily as I shoved her shoulder gently. "Come on, time to wake up."
"No." she muttered quietly as she cringed away from me and I pushed her shoulder a little harder as I pursed my lips in annoyance.
"Yo! Malia, wake up!" I snapped louder as I slapped at face a little to get her attention and she jerked upright with a surprised gasp as she looked around wildly. "Hey, hey, hey. Calm down."
"I am calm." She told me in a baffled tone of voice as she frowned deeply at me and I rolled my eyes as I nodded to myself slightly because she was definitely better.
I patted her shoulder comfortingly before turning around and crawling over to Kira's side as I used my powers to check to see if she was still breathing. I sighed in relief when I felt the air moving in and out of her lungs as I laid a hand on her cheek and slapped her slightly to wake her up. She eyes flew open in shock as she let out a gasp and she blinked for a moment as she regulated her breathing. Her eyes looked around the room before landing on me and I offered her a smile as I sat on my knees next to her.
"Hey, how you feeling?" I asked her in concern as I helped her sit upright and she nodded slowly in answer as she closed her eyes for a moment. "You sure?"
"Uh huh. I'm good." Kira assured me as she offered me a tired smile but before I could say anything else I heard the door footsteps from the outside and I snapped my head around. I shot up from my crouch as I held a hand out to stop either of the girls from doing anything and I quietly walked towards the closed door before laying my ear of the door to see if I could hear anything. When I couldn't hear anything going on outside the door, I placed my hands on the heavy metal and tried to push it open using my superior strength but it didn't budge.
"Malia, come give me a hand. I could use your werecoyote strength." I said with a sigh as I turned around to face her and she nodded silently as she moved over to stand next to me. We both braced our hands on the door before pushing as hard as we could with our supernatural strength but the door still wouldn't move.
"It won't move." Malia stated helpfully with a small frown as she stepped back from the door and I turned my head to give her a blank stare before rolling my eyes at her blunt nature.
"What do we do now?" Kira asked in a slightly panicked voice as she folded her arms over her stomach and I started to say something but then I heard footsteps approaching the bathroom. I motioned for the girls to move backwards and I positioned myself protectively in front of Kira, Malia and a defenceless Scott. The door opened with a loud clunk as I held back a growl and I nearly gasped when one of the hunters pushed Stiles inside the bathroom.
"Ow! Ow, ow, ow. Alright. Into the room, I get it." Stiles muttered sarcastically as he stumbled into the room but the hunter ignored him as he slammed the door in his face. I let out a relieved sigh as I rushed forward and grabbed Stiles' shoulder to spin him around before pulling him into a tight embrace. "Sophie? You're not in Australia."
"Valid observation, Stiles." I said in a voice muffled by his neck as he hugged me back and I felt tears prickle in my eyes as I sniffled slightly. It felt good to be in the presence of my family, it was like a heavy weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I heard a growling from behind me and I glanced over my shoulder in confusion to see Malia glaring at me with her eyes glowing bright blue. I frowned at her in confusion before remembering that Stiles had slept with her in Eichen House and I figured that she was jealous of our close contact.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Stiles asked in a hard tone of voice as he pulled back from the hug and placed his hands on my shoulders with a stern expression on his face. "You told everyone you were south of the equator. Mexico is not south of the equator."
"I was in Australia. For a while. And then I was in Argentina, Peru, Brazil. My plan was to eventually get all the way back to California."
"We were worried sick about you, and you decided to take a tequila tour around South America?" he asked in a sardonic tone as he placed his hands on his hips like a mother scolding their child and I would've been offended by his lack of sensitivity but I could tell his was only kidding around.
"Shut up. Where's Lydia? Scott said she was with you." I said in concern as I crossed my arms over my chest with my head tilted to the side and all the humour in his expression faded as he shot a worried glance at the door. "What? What is it?"
"They kept Lydia back there."
"Crap."
"Yeah."
"Alright. First thing first, we need to wake up Scott." I told him firmly as I clapped my hands together, taking charge of the situation because after Scott I was the next in line to lead the pack. Kira nodded jerkily in understanding as she easily accepted my role as leader but Malia crossed her arms over her chest in defiance as she eyes me with distrust.
I ignored her as I walked over to where Scott was lying and I knelt down by his side as I placed my hand on his pulse point before using my power to force air into his lungs. His eyes flew open as he sucked in a sharp breath and I smiled slightly as he tried to sit up but I pushed his shoulder gently to keep him down.
"He's awake. Guys, he's awake." I called over my shoulder as I kept a hand on Scott's shoulder and the three of them ran over to crowd around the Alpha as he pushed my hand away.
"Scott, you okay?" Stiles asked his best friend in concern as he watched Scott sit up and I rolled my eyes at his stubborn attitude as he regulated his breathing.
"Yeah. They don't have him. They don't have Derek." Scott explained breathlessly as he tried to stand up but I placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him and he gave me a look as I narrowed my eyes at him in warning.
"We know. But right now, they've got Lydia." Kira told him in a nervous voice as I finally let go of Scott's shoulder and allowed him to stand up now that his breathing was stabilised.
"Lydia? What do they want with Lydia?"
"What does Lydia have that none of the rest of us do?" I asked rhetorically with a quirked eyebrow as I stood up from my crouch and we all looked at each other knowing the answer was about the strawberry blonde's banshee powers.
Scott turned his attention to the heavy door blocking our exit and he strode towards it with a determined expression on his face. I watched in mild amusement as he tried to push it open with his Alpha werewolf strength and his eyes flashed bright red with effort as he strained to open the door.
"We already looked for a way out. I think a lot of people have." Kira told him pointedly as she looked at the deep scratch marks on the wall besides the door and I nodded in agreement as I slowly made my way to stand next to the kitsune.
"I say when that door opens again, we take out whoever's standing in the way and run for it." Malia suggested easily as she leaned back against one of the concrete pillars with her arms crossed over her chest.
"What about Lydia?"
"What about her?"
"We're not leaving without her." Scott stated as though it was completely obvious as he turned around to face her and I pursed my lips to stop from yelling at her for even thinking about leaving Lydia at the mercy of the Calaveras'.
"Why not?" she asked in a clueless voice as her forehead furrowed in confusion and I scoffed loudly in disbelief as I turned away from her while shaking my head.
"Because we don't leave without people. Remember, we talked about this? Rules of the wild kingdom don't apply to friends." Stiles reminded her soothingly as he rubbed her shoulder with a raised eyebrow and she looked down at the ground sheepishly as she nodded slightly in understanding.
"Is that what you would do as a coyote, leave her for dead?" Kira asked her curiously with a hint of unease in her voice as she shifted instinctively towards Scott and I ran a hand through my hair as Malia shrugged her shoulders dismissively.
"If she was weak and injured, yeah. If hunting had been bad that season, I would eat her. Then I'd leave."
"Mmm. Believe it or not, that's progress." Stiles told us with a shrug of his shoulders as he nervously scratched his chin and I gritted my teeth in annoyance as I looked up at the ceiling for a moment before spinning around to face the werecoyote.
"Let me clear something up for you! The hierarchy of the pack goes Scott, then me, then Derek. After that it's Stiles and Lydia. Then Kira. No offence, Kira. And last but least, you. If we are leaving anyone in Mexico at the mercy of supernatural hunters it's you. But we're not going to do that. Because that's not who we are. That's not what we do. This pack isn't every person for themselves. We protect each other! We're meant to protect each other!" I snapped angrily as I glared at her through narrowed eyes and everyone was staring at me with wide eyes when I finished my rant. My breathing was laboured as it came out in short pants and I avoided everyone's eyes as I shifted uneasily on my feet.
Tears prickled at my eyes as I turned my back to the rest of group and took a deep breath to steady my frayed nerves as I ran a hand through my hair. It occurred to me in that moment that maybe I wasn't as over Allison and Aiden's death as I liked to think I was. Subconsciously I was still blaming myself for not being able to protect them when they needed me and that guilt was starting to overflow at the most inconvenient times.
"I'm not leaving without Lydia." I told them firmly as I lifted my head defiantly without turning around and I cleared my throat gently as I wiped a hand underneath my eye to make sure that no tears had leaked out.
"All right, guys, we're not dead yet. And that means Araya wants something." Scott said softly as though he was trying not to startle me and I rolled my eyes at him but I appreciated his concern for me.
"But if the Calaveras don't know where Derek is, that means they didn't take him from the loft. Right?" Kira asked him in a knowing voice as she shifted anxiously on her feet and I turned back around to face the group as I took an interest in the conversation.
"Maybe he left on his own." Stiles suggested in a hopeful tone as he made a slight face and I shook my head in answer when he and Scott looked at me for an answer since I was the one who knew Derek best.
"Maybe someone else got to him." Scott countered in a sage tone of voice as he looked over at me like he was afraid of how I would react and I bit down on my lower lip to stop from pointing out that I was a big girl that didn't need to be handled with kiddie gloves.
I was so distracted by my own thoughts that I completely missed the footsteps approaching the door until the door was being thrown open and I spun around in shock to see Servero standing there with a group of hunters surrounding him. I regarded him warily as he narrowed his eyes menacingly at our group and he stalked forward with an electrified baton in his hand as I pushed Kira behind me protectively.
"Servero, nice to see you." I said in a shaky voice as I kept an arm out to block the others from his view and he grinned wickedly at me without a word as he extended the arm holding the baton. I let out a startled cry as the electrified end made contact with my stomach and all my muscles contracted painfully as my knees crumbled out from under me. I could vaguely hear the voices of my pack members protesting but their words were muffled by the pounding in my ears and I groaned under my breath I felt someone grab my upper arms.
"Come with us, niñita." Servero whispered harshly in my ear as I cringed away from him and I pried open my eyes when I heard my brother cry out in pain as another hunter electrocuted him with a baton.
"No, no, no, no. Leave him alone." I slurred weakly as I tried to get out of their grasp but I was not up to my usual strength and could extract myself from their hold.
I was forced to walk out of the room as the hunters practically dragged me forward and I lolled my head to the side as my eyes fell closed with soft moan escaping my lips. I could hear footsteps behind us but I couldn't focus on any of my senses and I tried to pay attention to what was happening around me. My vision was blurry but I could tell that they were leading me into a large empty room and my gaze lingered on the three metal chairs in the middle of the room as dread filled my stomach. A quiet whimper escaped my lips as I was pushed onto one of the backwards facing chairs so that I was straddling it and I grunted in pain when one of the hunters roughly removed my kimono so that I was only in my halter neck crop top and ripped denim mini shorts. I struggled in their hold as they locked my wrists to the back of the chair with a pair of metal manacles and I tried to pull myself free but it was no use. I noticed that there was a cord connected to the manacles with a frown and I followed the connection with my eyes as trepidation filled my stomach. I gasped escaped my lips as my gaze landed on two separate batteries and I immediately started to stand up but someone pushed me back down as they wrapped a chain around my waist. I shot a glare at the hunter over my shoulder as he locked the thick chain to the chair and he smirked at me slightly as he tightened the chain roughly on purpose.
I heard a moan coming from next to me and instantly snapped my head around to see Scott in the same position on the chair next to me. His dark brown eyes flickered around the room before widening when they landed on me and I tried to offer him a reassuring smile as I made myself relax into the seat.
Footsteps could be heard approaching the room and I tensed in anticipation as the door opened to reveal a hunter with a rifle in his hands. A familiar head of strawberry blonde hair entered the room behind him as she looked around warily and her green eyes widened in shock when they locked on me and my brother.
"Oh, god. Sophie? What are you doing here?" Lydia asked me in a panicked voice as she tried to approach me but Servero grabbed her arm to stop her and I immediately growled in warning as I strained against the chains holding me in place.
"Let her go." I demanded harshly as I tried to wiggle my wrists free from the manacles but they all ignored me and started pushing Lydia towards the last remaining chair.
"Look... you've got us. Just let the others go." Scott tried to persuade them pleadingly as we watched Lydia get strapped into the metal chair and I felt tears in my eyes at the thought of not being able to protect my best friend from whatever was going to happen.
"Déjalos ir! Por qué necesita Lydia?" I asked in shout as I struggled against the metal without taking my eyes off of my friend but everyone ignored me and continued to connect the manacles around Lydia's wrists to the battery. "Basta! Basta, por favor!"
I was so distracted watching Lydia's terrified expressions that I completely missed the door opening until I heard the furious beating of a heart and I turned my head in confusion. A gasp left my lips when I saw Kira being dragged into the room by a hunter and I watched in horror as they guided her towards the electricity control panel.
"Your hand goes here." Servero told Kira sternly as he forced her hand onto the dial and I narrowed my eyes at him as he strolled over to stand beside the other control panel while turning to look over at all of us. "So, let me explain what's about to happen. This one, the fox, has an immunity to electricity. So she's going to turn the dial on the Alpha and the bruja. If she doesn't, I turn the dial on the Banshee."
"No. I'm not doing this." Kira protested vehemently as she shook her head furiously while removing her hand from the dial and he looked over at her in mild amusement.
"I see. Are you sure? Two of your friends have the power to heal. The other? Not so much."
"What are you doing? Is this a game to you?" Scott asked Araya incredulously as he shook his head slightly with a scowl on his lips and the veteran hunter smirked at him knowingly as she walked forward with her hands behind her back.
"This is a test, lobito. Let's see if you both pass. We're going to ask some questions. You answer them, nobody gets hurt. You don't answer, we turn on the dial." Araya told us firmly as she gestured towards the control panels with her hand and I frowned in confusion as I swallowed back my fear in front of the hunters. Scott turned his head to look at me with frightened dark brown eyes and I stared back at him with a blank expression on my face as I gripped the back of the chair until my knuckles were white under the pressure. I knew that he was asking my opinion on how to handle our current situation but I had never been in a predicament like this one and the only thing I knew with absolute certainty was that I would go through any amount of pain if it meant Lydia was safe. I licked my dry lips nervously as my eyes quickly flickered around the room, lingering on the stricken faces of Kira and Lydia before landing on my brother and I gave one almost indecipherable nod of my head.
Scott studied my face for any signs of doubt before turning to look at Kira with an earnest expression and his voice was completely determined as he practically pleaded with her, "Do what they say. Okay. Whatever they want."
"We can take it." I told her in the same tone of voice as I squared my shoulders back and avoided looking at any of my friends because I didn't want them to see the fear in my eyes.
"So... We don't know where Derek is. We want to find him as well. You know who took him." Araya announced in an authoritative tone as she stood proudly in front of all of us and I stared back at her blankly as I tried not to appear as nervous as I felt.
"What? How would I know that?" Scott asked incredulously as he frowned at her as though she was crazy and she looked like she expecting that answer as she turned her attention to me with an expectant expression.
"Sorry. I've been on vacation." I told her drily with a tight smile on my lips and she chuckled under her breath as she glanced at her right hand man before turning back to us.
"That doesn't sound like an answer to me." She said in an almost happy tone of voice like she was looking forward to torturing us with we didn't give her a good enough answer.
"We don't know. Why do you think we came here?" Lydia asked her in a panicked tone as she looked at the hunter with wide green eyes and I felt my heart clench painfully at the fear clearly displayed on her face.
"Kira, turn the dial." Araya ordered pleasantly as she stepped backwards with a polite smile and Kira gaped at her as she shook her head in protest. The kitsune shrunk in on herself, trying to get as far from the control panel as possible and I could see the horror in her eyes from where I was sitting. Araya must have seen the look on her face because the smile faded from her lips and she narrowed her eyes threateningly at the kitsune. "Should we turn the dial on Lydia instead?"
"No, no! Kira, turn the dial! Turn the dial!" I shouted instantly as I kept my eyes locked on the raven haired girl, not even thinking about consequences to me because I needed Lydia to remain unharmed. Then I remembered that what happened to me would happen to Scott and I turned my head to look at my brother at the same time he glanced over at me. I could see the pain in his dark brown eyes but there was also a determination in them that I hoped was mirrored in my own identical ones.
"Do it, Kira. Do it." Scott ordered in a firm voice also the moment we made eye contact and I licked my dry lips as I nodded once agreement when I looked over at Kira.
"Let's start at one." Araya said to Kira as she nodded towards the control panel and Kira hesitated a moment longer as she glanced nervously towards us before slowly turning the knob.
Pain instantly invaded my body as my veins felt like they were vibrating and I gritted my teeth to stop from calling out as my chest clenched in an agonisingly sequence. I squeezed my eyes closed so that I wouldn't have to see my brother in the same amount of pain that I was experiencing.
"Tell me! Who actually has Derek? Who had a reason, a vendetta particular to the Hales?" Araya asked in a raised voice as I opened my eyes to glare at her and she looked between me and my brother with her eyebrows raised questioningly.
"I said I don't know." Scott repeated through clenched teeth as he panted breathlessly and I thought about who would have a vendetta against the Hales but the only people I could of were already dead.
"Oh, you don't know because you haven't figured it out yet. So think! Who could've taken him?"
"Tres." I heard Servero mumble through the pounding in my ears and I turned my head slightly to look at Kira as I breathed heavily while trying not to show my pain. The kitsune was practically shaking where she was standing and I attempted to offer her a smile that came out more like a grimace.
"It's okay." Scott told her quietly as he slouched in the chair and she pulled a face as she unenthusiastically turned the dial up another notch.
I couldn't help the exclamation of pain that escaped my lips as I threw my head back unconsciously and my body jerked automatically as anguish filled my every nerve. It was an interesting sensation to rapture your insides with electricity and heal simultaneously. I clammed my mouth shut as I leaned forward to place some of my weight on the back of the chair and I mentally told myself that the pain was only temporary, that I was strong enough to handle whatever they put me through.
"Who had the power? The power of a shapeshifter?" I vaguely heard Araya ask in a barking voice as I closed my eyes to block out the blurry shapes and I could hear Scott groaning in pain next to me but I refused to look at him because seeing him pain would be more painful to me then the electricity.
"I don't know."
"Oh! Someone who could have turned without you knowing. Turned, but not by a bite!"
"I don't know!"
"Diez! Diez!" Araya shouted loudly as my eyes snapped open in horror and tears leaked from my eyes as I watched the leaders of the Calaveras push Kira out of the way so that she could turn up the voltage.
Scott shouted out in pain next to me as I locked my jaw closed to stop from having the same reaction and everything faded from around me so that the only thing I could concentrate on was the pain infiltrating my body.
I had to find some way to stop the hurt, not just the physical pain but the agony of hearing Lydia and Kira shouting in protest, of listening to Scott's pain filled cries. Araya was trying to lead us to an answer, all I had to do was put the puzzles pieces together in order to see the whole picture. Someone who had a vendetta against the Hales, someone who had the power of a shapeshifter, someone who was turned without us knowing, someone who wasn't turned by a bite.
A distant memory pulled at the back of my mind as I remembered one of the most eventful nights of my sophomore year. The night of the Winter Formal, the night Lydia was bitten, the night Allison discovered the truth, the night I was turned, the night Peter died, the night Derek became Alpha. The night Peter clawed Kate Argent's throat out in front of me and Allison.
"Oh, my god." I muttered under my breath in realisation as my gaze lifted from the ground and I locked eyes with Scott in time to see the same look of horror reflected in his expression.
I watched as his dark brown eyes morphed into scarlet Alpha red and he let out a loud roar that echoed around the room as he used a burst of extreme strength to break the manacles holding him in place. He instantly rushed over to the control panel as he tried to regulate his breathing and I cried out in relief when he smashed his fist down on the battery to break the electric current. I immediately slumped forward on the chair because my entire body felt like it was made of jelly and I closed my eyes as I whimpered slightly to myself.
"Say the name, Scott." I heard Araya demand sternly from somewhere in the room and I slowly lifted my head with heavily lidded eyes as I started to gather my strength from deep inside of myself.
"Kate." I whispered in a harsh tone as I looked over at Araya with a blank expression on my face and she turned her head to look at me with an eyebrow lifted in expectation as my brother made his way behind me. He unlocked the chain wrapped around my waist before undoing the manacles and I stood up on shaky legs as Scott helped steady me so that I didn't fall over. "It's Kate."
"That's right, mija." Araya told me sagely as she tilted her head towards us in approval and I glared at her heatedly as I pushed myself out of my brother's embrace.
I quickly rushed to Lydia's side as my gaze swept over her terrified expression and I crouched down beside her with a comforting smile on my lips as I unlocked the chains tying her to the chair. "Hi, honey. You okay?"
"You told me you were in Australia." Lydia stated accusingly as she turned her head to glare at me in irritation and I bit my lower lip in guilt over lying to her as I dropped the metal to the ground next to the chair.
"You told me Derek was fine."
"Even?"
"Even."
"Let's get the hell out of here." She snapped impatiently as she stood up from the seat like she hadn't just been threatened and I grinned slightly at the sight of her strong exterior because I knew underneath she was trying not to breakdown. I linked my fingers through hers as we strolled towards the door where Scott and Kira were waiting with the hunters. I didn't want Lydia out of my sight so I kept her close enough that our arms brushed when we walked and I kept glancing at her from the corner of my eye just to check she was still there. The sunlight broke through the entrance as we followed Araya out of the Calaveras' headquarters and I tucked my hair behind my ear as soaked in the vitamin D with a soft smile on my lips.
"So... you're just letting us go?" Scott asked Araya in disbelief as we followed her out into a nearly empty courtyard and we came to a stop just passed the exit of the building as I regarded the hunter sceptically.
"I sent four men out to where Kate was rumoured to have been seen. None of them came back. Let's see if you can do better." Araya told him nonchalantly as she shrugged her shoulder dismissively, as though she didn't care whether or not he actually succeeded.
"You could've just told us she was alive."
"You wouldn't have believed me. Now I know what kind of Alpha you are. And where your next step lies."
"What next step?"
"When you take the bite of an innocent, when you make a wolf of your own, when you do that, then, I will cross your border and come knocking at your door."
"And the point of torturing me?" I asked her in annoyance as I crossed my arms across my chest with a scowl and she turned her attention towards me with a smirk on her lips.
"You are second-in-command. I needed to know you were capable of leading in your brother's place. As a True Alpha and a True Druid, the two of you are destined to lead the strongest pack in existence." She explained patiently with a knowing glint in her eyes and I pursed my lips in irritation but didn't disagree with her. "Plus, I do not like being lied to, Sophia Delgado. Recordar que en el futuro, niñita ".
"Understood." I said quietly as I nodded respectfully to the veteran hunter with a small smirk on my lips and she nodded back in the same manner as she began making her way back inside the headquarters. I shook my head to myself as I linked my arm back through Lydia's and we followed after Scott and Kira as they made their way further into the courtyard where Stiles and Malia were waiting with the jeep.
"So what now?" Stiles asked in confusion when he noticed us approaching them and I rolled my eyes at him as he pushed himself off of the side of the jeep.
"Yes, Stiles, we're fine. Thanks for asking." I stated sarcastically with a tight smile pulling on my lips as I stopped in front of him and he pulled a face at me as Lydia chuckled by my side. "She thinks she knows where we can find Derek."
"She gonna tell us where?" Malia asked us with a scrunched nose as she tilted her head to the side and kicked at the dirt with the toe of her boot as she looked between us.
"Uh, actually, she's giving us a guide." Scott answered unsurely with a small frown as the sound of a motor approached and my forehead furrowed as I turned to watch a black motorcycle advancing towards us from the dirt road leading into the courtyard.
"Yeah, that makes more sense." I muttered to myself under my breath a smile spread across my lips and the motorcycle came to a stop in front of us as the others looked on in confusion. I chuckle escaped me as Braeden pulled her helmet off of her head and her inky black hair fell around her shoulders as she looked over at us with a smirk on her lips.
"You know her?" Stiles asked when he saw the look of realisation on Scott and Lydia's faces and my brother nodded numbly with his mouth parted in shock as Lydia pursed her lips without answering him.
"Braeden!" I exclaimed happily in greeting as I rushed forward with a grin stretching across my lips and she smiled slightly as I wrapped my arms around her in an embrace quickly, knows that she didn't like showing affection in front of people.
"Who's Braeden?" Malia asked cluelessly from behind me as I took a step back from my friend and she smirked at me which told me she could hear the conversation going on as well.
"She's a mercenary." Lydia supplied drily as I turned back to face the pack and I noticed they were all looking at me like I was crazy before I realised that they didn't know I was friends with Braeden.
"Right now, I'm the only one who's gonna take you to La Iglesia." Braeden informed them all pointedly as she placed a hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side with a smirk on her lips.
"The Church?"
"What's The Church?" Stiles asked in confusion as he crossed his arms over his chest with a deep frown and I shared a smirk with Braeden as I started walking towards the jeep.
"It's not a place you'll find God." I quipped knowingly with a raised eyebrow as I opened the door of the jeep and holding onto the top as I turned around to look at them all expectantly. "So, let's go."
"God, I have not missed your bossiness." Stiles muttered loudly as he pushed me out of the way and I scowled at him as Kira, Malia and Lydia climbed into the back seat of the jeep. I poked him in the stomach hard enough to make him wince as I climbed into the back and sat on Lydia's lap like I had done many time before when we went out with friends. Stiles jumped into the driver's seat while Scott got into the passenger seat in front of Kira and I kicked the back of Stiles' seat as he turned the engine on. Lydia wrapped her arm around waist as I leaned back against the window and I kept one of my hands intertwined with mine on my bare thigh as we drove out of the town behind Braeden's motorcycle.
"Okay, I'll ask. Who's Kate Argent?" Malia asked bluntly in an inquisitive tone as she leaned forward in between the two front seats and I felt my best friend tense underneath me as I scowled at the werecoyote's back.
"Uh, I'd like to know, too." Kira stated unsurely as she raised her hand to her shoulder with an apologetic smile and I glanced away from them as I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from sniping at them.
"Well, we were at her funeral. So, I'd like to know how she got out of a casket that was buried six feet underground." Stiles said sardonically as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel and I shook my head at his words as I turned my head to look at them.
"She was never in it." I supplied knowledgeably as I squeezed Lydia hand a little for comfort and glanced over at my brother with solemn expression on my face.
"She was Allison's aunt. And a total sociopath." Lydia added drily with a curl of her lip as she turned her attention out the window and I smirked slightly in agreement as everyone fell silent at the mention of our fallen friend.
"You don't have to talk about it now if you don't want to." Kira offered sincerely with a knowing expression as she leaned forward to touch Scott's shoulder with the tips of her fingers and my opinion of her double solely based on that that caring gesture.
"Um, yes, he does." Malia argued candidly with a frown as she looked towards the kitsune in confusion and I felt my blood boil with anger as I leaned forward to tug roughly on her caramel coloured hair. "Ah!"
"Sophie!" Scott and Stiles both scolded me as they looked over to see what had happened and I smiled tightly in annoyance as I leaned back into Lydia, who was shaking with silent laughter. I shook my head as I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at the desert passing out the window as we drove.
"Malia's right. You guys should know. You need to know." Scott said in a dejected tone as he slumped in the passenger seat and I bit the corner of my lower lip as I avoided looking at anyone because I knew this story wouldn't end happily.
"All right. Kate was the one who set the fire that killed most of Derek's family." Stiles told them reluctantly as he rocked his head back and forth with a grimace on his lips like he didn't want to be discussing this anymore than I did.
"Some of them survived, like Cora, and Peter."
"A very angry Peter." I commented wryly as I lolled my head around to look at Scott with a smirk painted on my lips and my best friend nodded her head in agreement.
"Yeah, he's the one who bit and turned me."
"And me. And sparked Lyds banshee-ness."
"And the one who finally caught up to Kate and killed her." Lydia remarked idly as she tapped her finger absently on my thigh and I hummed in agreement as the images of that night flashed in my mind.
"Slashed her throat wide open." I muttered in an absent voice as I subconsciously flinched at the memory and Lydia tightened her hold on my waist because she was the only one who noticed.
"And we saw her buried." Stiles said in a dumbfounded voice as he looked over at my brother for answers because he was the one that spoke to Araya about their discovery.
"No. We saw a casket, remember? She wasn't in it. The Calaveras heard that Kate had been killed by an Alpha's claws. They wanted to make sure she was really dead. Her body was healing. More and more, as she got closer to a full moon. She was coming back. So they switched out the bodies." Scott informed us as he glanced over his shoulder at us with a small frown and I nodded slightly in agreement as I rested on elbow on the window frame.
"If a hunter is bit, they have to take their own life before they change. The Calaveras, they treat the code like law. They make it their responsibility to enforce it." I told them informatively as though I was reciting it out of a textbook instead of pulling it from my head and they all looked at me for a moment in awed silence before I quirked an eyebrow at them in annoyance.
"Good for her. I wouldn't do it either." Malia stated in an almost proud tone of voice as she nodded once to herself and I scowled at the side of her head as Lydia rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Would you kill half a dozen people to get out? Because that's what she did."
"So Kate's a werewolf now?" Kira asked cautiously as she glanced at me from the corner of her eyes, probably afraid that I would snap at her like I did to Malia.
"I don't know. You know, there's a saying, sometimes the shape you take reflects the person you are." Scott answered her in a thoughtful voice as he stared out the windshield pensively and
"What kind of shape is sociopathic bitch?" Lydia asked rhetorically with a slight curl of her lips as she glanced out the window and I smirked in amusement as I ducked my head.
"True Druid if our current sociopathic bitch is anything to go by." Stiles muttered under his breath with a smirk on his lips, probably forgetting that I had supernatural hearing. I lunged forward with a scowl and Lydia caught me around the waist to stop me but my hand had already made contact with the back of his head. The jeep served on the dirt road for a second before he righted the car and he twisted around to glare at me heatedly. "Ow! I'm trying to drive here!"
"Then shut up and drive." I snapped at him in irritation as I settled back on my best friend's lap and turned my glare out the window as Lydia rested her chin on my shoulder.
We all settled into a restful silence until the only thing you could hear was the tyres moving along the dirt road and the heart beats of the six occupants of the jeep. I let out a startled gasp as I grasped onto the handle above the door when something rammed into the side of the jeep and the car swerved uncontrollably for a moment before we came to a complete stop in the middle of the road.
"You okay?" I asked Lydia in concern when I felt her nails digging into my thigh and her green eyes were wide in fright as her breaths came out in short pants.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." She whispered in reassurance as she let go of my leg and tried to regulate her breathing as she offered me a small smile. It wasn't very convincing but I admired her attempt as climbed out of the jeep after everyone else and I offered a hand to help Lydia jump out to the driver's side door.
"What happened?" Braeden called out to us in confusion as she stopped her motorbike ahead of us and I glanced over her before turning my attention back to the people gathered around the passenger side of the jeep.
"I don't know. It felt like we hit something." Stiles shouted back at her in a frustrated tone as he crouched down next to the car with a forlorn expression and I heard Braeden sighed to herself as I leaned back against the hood of the jeep.
"Sophie, Scott, we need to get there by night. It's too dangerous otherwise." She cautioned us with a hint of annoyance in her tone as she shielded her eyes from the fading sun and I nodded at her in understanding before turning back to the pack.
"Go." Stiles told us with a sigh as he stood up from his crouch and ran a hand through his hair in annoyance as he turned to face us with a frown.
"Not without you." Scott protested instantly with a shake of his head, his voice completely serious and I nodded in agreement with both of my eyebrows raised as I crossed my arms over my chest.
"Dude, someone needs to find Derek. We'll figure something out. We always do. Just go."
"Okay. But, Sophie, you stay here. I don't want to leave them unprotected and only one of us needs to go with Braeden."
"Consider it done, captain." I replied with a mock salute as I stood up straight and he grinned at me in amusement as he leaned over to kiss my cheek. "Stay safe. Find Derek. Look out for Braeden. Avoid Kate."
"Got it. Protect the others. Protect yourself." He warned me pointedly as he gripped my upper arms and I nodded in understanding with a small smile on my lips as he pressed another kiss to my forehead. I felt Lydia grab my hand in an attempt to comfort me as I watched my brother's retreating figure and I watched curiously as Kira ran over to catch his arm before he could get on Braeden's motorbike.
"Scott... I can't think of anything else to say except for be careful. And... and I know 'Be careful' sounds kind of lame and I'm totally sure the second you're gone I'm gonna think of something much better, but I..." the kitsune rambled unsurely in an amusing manner and I ducked my head to hide my smile as tried not to look like I was watching them. It didn't make sense to me why they weren't officially dating because I knew they were slowly getting to that point before I left and it was obvious that they had chemistry.
"Uh, 'Be careful' works for me." He told her softly as he smiled at her awkward statement and she shifted on her feet hesitantly for moment before throwing her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. Lydia and I both looked at each other knowingly as we mouthed the word 'aw' unison and I found myself actually being glad that my brother was moving on from Allison because he deserved to be happy again.
"Scott, the sun's going down." Braeden interrupted their moment as she glanced towards the setting sun with a serious expression and Scott broke away from the embrace with a small smile on his lips before he started to head towards the motorbike.
"Scott and Kira sitting in a tree…" I sang teasingly as I pushed myself off of the jeep with a smirk on my lips and the kitsune blushed profusely as she walked towards us shyly with a small upturn of her lips.
"Stiles." Malia called to gain our attention from the side of the jeep and we all turned to look at her in expectation as she held up a large bony claw embedded that had been in the wheel well. "I don't think we hit something. I think something hit us."
"Awesome." I remarked drily with a nod of my head as I examined the bone from afar and I turned my head to look at Lydia and Stiles with a stern expression. "Neither of you go anywhere. You are both chained to this jeep. You understand me?"
"We got it. I gotta fix the jeep anyway." Stiles told me as he strolled towards the back of the car and opened it to grab the toolbox he kept for situation like this one. "Sophie, you're basically a walking, talking encyclopaedia of useless and useful facts. What exactly is La Iglesia?"
I rolled my eyes at his description of me with a small smile on my lips but didn't argue his point as he moved to the front of the car and lifted the hood of the car to reveal the engine that was covered in duct tape. "Years ago there was an earthquake that levelled the entire town but not the church. The locals believe it was because the church was built on top of an Aztec temple which was once home to the Nagual."
"What's a 'Nagual'?"
"They're a race of shapeshifters. Werejaguars, to be precise."
"Could that be what Kate turned into?" Lydia asked in intrigue as she held a flashlight into the engine so that Stiles could see now that the sun down nearly completely set.
"Maybe. It kind of fits." I said with a shrug of my shoulders as I glanced around the darkened desert for any sign of whatever attacked us and I made note of where all the members of the pack were. Lydia and Stiles were working on the engine, Kira was standing by the driver's side door and Malia was patrolling the back of the jeep while I handled the front.
"Maybe we should just walk." Lydia suggested mildly with a shrug as she pursed her lips while she angling the flashlight into the engine so that Stiles could see the inner workings of the machine.
"Hey, I will never abandon this jeep. You understand me? Ever. Ever. Ever." Stiles snapped at her as he looked up from the mechanics and narrowed his eyes at her warningly as he pointed a wrench in her direction.
"Work faster, Stiles. There's something out here with us." Malia told him solemnly as she slowly made her way to the front of the jeep where I was standing guard and I nodded in agreement because I could feel the presence of something lurking in the darkness.
"Lydia, could you please hold the light still for a second? It's really hard to see anything if you keep shaking it like that."
"I'm shaking it like this because we're in the middle of nowhere with your broken down jeep and we're being attacked by yet another razor-clawed monster. And I'm terrified." The banshee retorted snappishly as she levelled him with a glare that could melt someone in place if they weren't used to being on the receiving end of it.
"Well, just be slightly less terrified. And hold this." He told her as he handed her a metal contraption from inside the hood and she accepted the object with her free hand as she regarded it dubiously.
"What's this?"
"I don't know. I'm hoping it's not important."
"Oh, God."
"Guys, the bickering is adorable. As usual. But can you please focus on fixing the jeep?" I asked them with forced politeness because it was actually really great to have that sense of normality after being gone for a while.
"Anything?" Kira asked nervously as she drew her katana from its sheath and slowly walked around the jeep to stand next to me as I shook my head in answer to her question.
"It's too hard to see. We should've brought another flashlight. Malia? You got anything?"
"I don't know for sure." Malia answered in a frustrated tone as she stood next to me with her hands on her hips and I bit my lower lip as I flashed my werewolf eyes so that it enhanced my night vision. Kira moved her sword to the side slightly so that the light illuminating from the jeep's headlights reflected off of the metal and the light shined onto the surrounding landscape. One of the shadows in the distance moved instantly when the light hit where it was hiding and I instantly tensed every muscle in my body as I tried to follow its movements with my eyes.
"Did you see that?" Kira asked us in a rushed tone moments before Malia let out a loud roar and took off into the darkness before I could reach out to catch her arm. "Malia, wait!"
"Hey, Malia!" Stiles called out angrily as he started to climb down off of the jeep but I immediately held up a hand to stop him and I straightened my shoulder to appear more authoritative then I felt because I didn't want to first act as deputy pack leader to be losing Malia in the desert.
"No. Kira, go! Be careful." I ordered sternly as I nodded towards the kitsune with an impassive expression and she nodded seriously as she rushed out into the darkness with her sword at the ready. I took a deep breath to push away the feeling that I had just sent the girl my brother liked to her death and I turned to face Stiles and Lydia with a slightly scared look on my face because I knew that I could be honest in front of them. "Fix the jeep, Stiles."
"Why'd you do that? They could get hurt!"
"I know that! And if they do that's on me! But Malia made the decision to go out there, and Kira has supernaturally enhanced martial arts abilities. I couldn't leave you two here unprotected. If you have a better alternative, I'm all ears…"
"No, no, you're right. I'm sorry, Soph. I'm just worried, that's all." He apologised with a small upturn of his lips as he stretched his hand out towards me and I immediately placed my hand in his with a slight smile of my own. "You are a True Druid, and Druid does mean 'wise oak'. Aren't you supposed to be all-powerful or something?"
"Shut up and fix the jeep." I said in a light voice as I squeezed his fingers affectionately before letting go and leaning my stomach against the side of the hood next to Lydia.
"Oh, so you don't know basic mechanics?" he asked me mockingly as he turned back to the engine with a smirk pulling at his lips and I laughed sarcastically as I rolled my eyes at him.
"Shut up and fix the jeep, Stiles." I repeated in an annoyed tone as I shook my head at him and Lydia smirked at out exchange in amusement as she shifted on her feet anxiously because I could tell she was concerned about the others.
Leadership was a hard thing for me accept because my whole life I had been selfish and only had to worry about myself. To be in charge of other peoples life was a responsibility I hadn't angled towards. I knew that Scott was the Alpha of our pack, that everything had to run through him and I was happy to be one of his subordinates because I knew he imposed everything that an Alpha should be. That was why he was a True Alpha. But in times like this when Scott hasn't here to make a decision, the duty fell onto me and I knew that leadership was about taking responsibility for your acts and not making excuses. It was something that I was learning to do, something that I was happy to learn how to do.
"Ah ha! Yes!" Stiles exclaimed happily with a grin as he threw his hands in the air and I raised both my eyebrows at him in question. "Sophie, go turn the jeep on! See if it's going."
"And you say I'm bossy." I mumbled to myself as I strolled around to the driver's side of the jeep and climbed onto the front seat as I turned the key in ignition. The jeep immediately grumbled to life as Stiles started laughing hysterically and Lydia grinned widely as she bounced on her toes a little. I clapped my hands enthusiastically with a smile on my lips until I noticed Kira helping Malia limp onto the road. I jumped out of the car when I caught sight of them as I exhaled sharply and I started walking towards them as Stiles jumped down from the hood of the jeep. Kira looked at me with scared eyes, silently telling me that something was indeed out there and I offered her a small smile in understanding as I stopped in front of them.
I glanced over at Malia with a stern expression on my face as I placed my hands on my hips and tried my best to not look like a scolding mother. "What the hell, Malia? You could've gotten seriously hurt there. We didn't know what we were facing, or how dangerous it was. There's a reason there's a hierarchy. It's so that they can protect the members of the pack against the unknown. When Scott's not here, I'm in charge. I know you don't know me, so you probably don't trust me, but trust your pack mates. Understand?"
"I understand." Malia murmured quietly as she looked down shamefully and I nodded once in acceptance as I felt my body relax for the first time since the jeep broke down. I didn't know when I turned into such a 'mom' but if I was going to be second-in-command, I was going to do it to the best of my ability and that meant taking responsibility for my pack mates.
"Good. What happened? What's out there?"
"I don't know, but it is big and fast. And it cuts deep." She told me seriously as she glanced down at the deep slash wound on the side of her abdomen and I frowned at the blood marred area as I gingerly lifted her shirt to inspect the cut. "It will heal."
"Yeah. You're lucky that's all it did. Go hop in the jeep. You too, Kira." I told them as I nodded towards the jeep before heading in that direction and Malia ran forward to wrap her arms around Stiles tightly as Kira walked besides me quietly. I noticed Lydia glaring at the uniting couple from her place next to the jeep and I frowned slightly in confusion as I delicately sniffed to get a read of her chemo-signals. The scent of jealousy hit me full force as I approached her and I almost gasped out loud in realisation as I stared at her with wide eyes.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Lydia asked me in confusion as she turned her attention away from Stiles and I pressed my lips together to stop from grinning like an idiot because I absolutely thought they would be perfect together.
"It's nothing."
"Really? Because your face is definitely saying something."
"I just realised something. That's all."
"Whatever. Can we go now?" she asked tightly as she held the door open for me to get in and I grinned at her as I climbed over into the backseat. Lydia followed me as I sat down in the middle of the bench seat next to Kira and she sat down by the window behind Stiles while Malia climbed into the passenger seat.
Stiles started driving down the dirt road as I felt Lydia intertwine our fingers and I sent her a smile as I leaned into her slightly. Being in the presence of my best friend was most therapeutic thing that I could ask for and I felt more at ease sitting beside Lydia then I had since I left Beacon Hills. Everything was better when I was with her like the sun was warmer, colours were brighter and she made me laugh when I felt like I was about to cry.
"You... you please don't do that ever again!" Stiles snapped angrily at the werecoyote in the passenger seat as he looked over at her and I tilted my head to the side in intrigue because this looked like it might turn into something interesting.
"Do what?" Malia asked in confusion as she looked at him with confusion written all over her face and I rolled my eyes at her subtly as I told myself that she wasn't responsible for her naivety.
"I... I thought you just took off. I thought you were running."
"I was running."
"No, I mean, like, I thought you were leaving."
"I wouldn't leave without you." She countered seriously with a shake of her head and Stiles snapped her head around so fast I thought he might give himself whiplash with the sudden movement.
"Really?" he asked in a touched voice as his eyes widened slightly and I couldn't help the small smile that touched my lips at the genuine disbelief in his voice because I really wanted my 'brother' to be happy.
"I would never leave without you." She told him firm with her eyebrows furrowed as she tilted her head to the side and Lydia tensed besides me as she tried to look like she wasn't listening to their conversation. I squeezed her hand gently in comfort, letting her know that I was here for her without words and Malia glanced over her shoulder at us for a moment before turning back at Stiles. "Them I would leave."
"Yeah. Uh, it's progress." Stiles told us sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck and I made an offended face because although I didn't particularly like Malia, I knew that I wouldn't leave her behind. I shook my head in disbelief as I rubbed my thumb over Lydia's knuckles and she squeezed my hand gratefully as she offered me a small smile.
"That doesn't look good." Lydia commented as she nodded towards the wound that was visible on Malia's side and I followed her gaze the injury as I leaned forward to get a better look, shuffling forward on the bench to get more comfortable.
"It's okay. I can feel it healing." Malia said nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders and I carefully pulled her shirt up so that I could inspect her wound with a clearer view.
"You didn't see anything?"
"Barely. It had a strong scent, though."
"Like what?" Stiles asked in a careful tone like he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer and I ripped the bloody material of her shirt to give me better access to the site.
"Like death." Malia answered seriously as she looked down at me in confusion but I ignored her as I grabbed a water bottle from the floor of the jeep. I took off my cardigan before I opened the plastic bottle and I pour some water onto the cardigan as I tried onto spill any because I didn't want another lecture from Stiles about proper jeep etiquette. I carefully swabbed the wound to clean the nearly dried blood from her skin and then repeated the same action to remove the dirt from the open cut until it was completely clean.
"There we go." I murmured quietly as I tossed my cardigan onto the floor of the jeep and leaned back against the seat as Malia looked down at her cut curiously like she didn't understand why I cleaned the wound.
The jeep came to a jerky stop at the front of La Iglesia and I noticed all of the Spanish style buildings as we all climbed out of the car. I looked around the deserted town with a fascinated look as I closed the car door behind me and my gaze locked on the entrance of the church as Scott and Braeden approached with someone being carried between them.
"Is that him? Is that Derek?" Malia asked curiously as she walked forward to stand next to Stiles and I strolled forward with my hands in the back pockets of my jean shirts as I tilted my head to the side.
"Uh, sort of." Stiles stated in a confused tone of voice when he caught sight person in the middle and I frowned in bewilderment as I pushed past him to see what he was looking at.
"Oh, my god." I whispered to myself with wide eyes when I caught sight of the dark haired teenage and I covered my mouth with hand to stifle the onslaught of questions that threatened to burst forth.