Orphaned:
Brett Talbot convulsed violently on the metal exam table of the Beacon Hills Animal Clinic and I struggled to pin his arms down to his side because of his own werewolf strength being exhibited. Stiles had explained that Garrett had gone after Brett with a sharpened knife at the end of a lacrosse stick and his girlfriend Violet attempted to behead him with a thermal-cut wire while he was weakened.
Yellow foam spewed out from in between Brett's lips as he seized uncontrollably and I glanced over at Stiles and Derek on the other side of the table but they seemed to be having as much trouble as I was.
"What the hell is happening to this kid?" Stiles asked frantically as he tried to keep Brett from moving and Deaton approached us with a scalpel in his hand.
"He's been poisoned by a rare wolfsbane. I need to make an incision and you need to hold him as still as possible." Deaton explained warily as he stopped next to me with a small frown and I tried to focus my Druid powers on thickening the air but it was too hard to concentrate when Brett was lashing out at me.
"Hey, Derek, how about a little werewolf strength?" Stiles asked sarcastically with a scowl as he tried to catch Brett's flailing limbs and I lifted my head to glare at him in annoyance.
"Yeah, I'm not the only one here with werewolf strength." Derek snapped back at him as he glared heatedly at the human and I cry out slightly in pain when Brett's claws scratched my cheek accidently.
"If you can't hold him still, the incision might kill him." Deaton warned us pointedly as he positioned the point of the scalpel on Brett's bare sternum and Brett's eyes snapped open with a loud gasp. The Beta lurched over the side of the table with a growl escaping his lips and he jumped off of the table on the side further away from me as his clawed hands swept around wildly. I jumped back in surprise with wide eyes as he sprinted towards the exit and I started after him but someone stepped into his path.
Peter threw a punch straight into Brett's face, causing the Beta to fall unconscious onto the ground and my mouth parted in shock as I stared at him with cautious awe. Derek walked up next to me without removing his eyes from his uncle and Peter looked over at us with glowing icy blue eyes. "I guess I still have a little werewolf strength myself."
"Yeah, maybe more than a little." I retorted warily with a small frown as he smirked arrogantly and I noticed that Derek was staring down at the claw marks scratched on his forearm but wasn't overly concerned because I knew it would heal.
"Hey, Doc, I don't think he's breathing." Stiles commented in concern as he knelt down next to Brett with a frown and I watched as the vet hurried over to the werewolf's side with a scalpel in his hand. Deaton pushed the scalpel deep into Brett's breast bone as he sliced down and the boy gasped as a thick yellow smoke flew up from the open wound before dissipating into nothing. "Is he okay?"
"I think he'll be fine, but probably out for a while." Deaton explained simply as he looked up at us with a small frown and I heard vaguely heard someone muttering under their breath.
"Guys, can you hear that? I think he's saying something." I told the others in bewilderment as I knelt down next to Brett's body and I angled my head slightly to focus my hearing on deciphering his words.
"The sun... The moon... The truth... The sun... The moon... The truth..." Brett whispered through laboured breaths as I sat back up straight with a confused frown and everyone looked at me for an explanation as I tilted my head to the side.
"Three things cannot long be hidden. The sun, the moon, and the truth. It's Buddhist."
"Satomi." Peter said in realisation as he traded a knowing look with his nephew and I quirked an eyebrow at them questioningly as I climbed to my feet.
"Who now?" I asked cluelessly as I turned to face them with my hands on my hips and Derek sighed slightly as he tore his gaze away his uncle to look at me.
"Satomi Ito. She's a bitten werewolf turned Alpha and she maintains a pack of her own somewhere in the forest surrounding Beacon Hills." Derek explained casually as he crossed his arms over his chest and I nodded in understanding as I looked down at the unconscious werewolf at my feet.
"Someone want to help me get him off of the floor?"
"Should we be doing this? Can you really just walk up to someone and change their life like this?" I asked sceptically with a small frown on my lips and Lydia nodded silently in agreement as she hurried to keep up with Stiles' long strides.
"It's for his own good. He needs to know." Stiles repeated in exasperation as his arms flailed out to the side and Lydia made a sarcastic face at his back as I hissed viciously before pouting.
"Why can't we wait in the car?" I asked desperately as I came to a sudden stop in the middle of the carpark and Lydia stopped next to me as she nodded rapidly with a hopeful expression. Stiles sighed loudly in frustration as he spun around to face us with a hard look and we both wore matching innocent smiles.
"Lydia, you're here because we need you to speak with Meredith. Sophie, you're here because, for some reason, Meredith seemed to be in love with you. So, no, you can't wait in the car."
"But that's at Eichen House. This isn't Eichen house." Lydia insisted pointedly with a quirked eyebrow as she gestured to the building in front of us and Stiles threw his head back as he closed his eyes momentarily before letting his head drop back down.
"Listen, we're doing this, so get on broad. It's not like we're telling him everything." He reminded us placating as he held his hands up in surrender and Lydia rolled her light green eyes dramatically.
"No, just enough freak him out." I muttered sarcastically as I crossed my arms over my chest and tilted my head to the side with my lips pursed in annoyance.
"Just come on!" he exclaimed as he grabbed my elbow and placed a hand on the small of Lydia's back before he started to guide us across the carpark. I exchanged a look of annoyance and amusement with Lydia but didn't argue anymore as we approached the Sheriff's station.
Almost no one was inside the station when we entered and I figured that they were out looking for Garrett since he was on the run from the police. A few deputies lingered in the main section of the office where all the desks were set up and my gaze found the man we were looking for almost immediately. I hit the back of Stiles' head gently to get his attention and when he turned to look at me with an affronted expression, I pointed towards our intended target.
"Hey, Parrish!" Stiles called out as he started towards the deputy and Jordan looked over at us in surprise as we approached his desk.
"Sophie, hi. Stiles, Lydia." Jordan greeted us, adding the others names like an afterthought and Stiles' face scrunched up in offence as Lydia smirked at me smugly in amusement. "Your dad should be back within the hour. You want to wait in his office?"
"Actually, we want to talk to you. Privately." I told him casually as I leaned one hand on the top of his desk and he raised an eyebrow at me in intrigue with a slight smirk as he nodded towards the Sheriff's office. I offered Stiles a tight smile in achievement as I followed and he grimaced back at me sarcastically as he guided an amused Lydia into the office with him.
Stiles shut the door behind us as Lydia pulled a folded copy of the Dead Pool out of the handbag and Jordan watched us in confusion as he leaned back against the desk with his arms crossed over his chest. Lydia stepped forward with her hand holding the list extended and he tentatively took the paper from her with a frown before reading over the names from the first two thirds of the list.
"This is a hit list?" he asked in shock as he looked up from the paper with a frown and I nodded slowly, unsure how to explain what was going on without actually explaining what was going on.
"We call it a Dead Pool. Recognize any of the names?" I asked him carefully as I tapped the paper with my manicured finger and he was silent for a moment before he nodded as he directed his words towards me.
"Yeah. The Sheriff had me run a bunch of these through the system last night. But we couldn't find any of them."
"Show him the other thing." Stiles ordered gently as he rubbed the back of his head and I reached over to flip the folded piece of paper over so that Jordan's name at the bottom of the list could be seen.
"Okay. That's kind of terrifying. What's the number?" Jordan asked as he wandered towards the side of the room and then turned back at look at us with a questioning expression.
"That's how much you're worth." Lydia explained hesitantly as she pursed her lips and Jordan's eyes widened in shock as he looked between us with a slightly offended expression.
"I'm worth five dollars!?"
"Five million." Stiles corrected with both his eyebrows raised and he held his hand up with his fingers spread out in demonstration.
"I only make 40,000 a year. Maybe I should kill myself." Jordan murmured under his breath as he looked down at the list and I smiled in amusement as he shook his head to himself before turning back to us. "I don't get it. Why... Why am I on this?"
"Honestly, that might be a question for another day. Right now, there's still another third of the list we gotta crack. To do that, we need the third cipher key. But we need help getting it." I informed him cautiously as I shifted on my feet nervously and he narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously as he took a step towards us.
"From who?"
Lydia exchanged an anxious glance with Stiles as she folded an arm around her stomach and turned her attention back to the deputy with an innocent smile on her lips. "Meredith."
"The girl from Eichen? The last time you saw her, you almost gave her a nervous breakdown." Jordan admonished incredulously as he headed towards the door but stopped to shoot us a disbelieving look.
"Uh... Almost." I echoed haughtily as I emphasised the word pointedly and he rolled his eyes at me as a small smile tugged at the edge of his lips. "Come on, Jordan. This is important. Meredith could be the only one who can help us get the third cipher key."
"Really? Only Meredith?"
"Only Meredith."
"Fine. But if Sheriff Stilinski founds out, I'm blaming you." He warned me jokingly as he pointed his finger at me and I held up my hands in surrender with a smirk on my lips.
"Fine. I'll just blame Stiles. It won't be that big of a stretch for John to believe." I said with a shrug of my shoulders as I followed Jordan out of the room and I heard Stiles' indignant squawk behind me. Jordan grabbed his gun from the drawer in his desk as I perched on the corner and watched him clip his badge onto his belt before sliding his gun into his holster.
"Let's go." Jordan said with a defeated sigh as he wave a hand for us to follow him and I grinned happily as I intertwined fingers with Lydia before trailing after him. Stiles ran to catch up to us as we exited the station and Jordan led us towards his patrol car that was parked near the front of the parking lot.
Jordan climbed into the driver's seat while I hopped into the passenger side and Lydia practically shoved Stiles into the backseat of the police car with her. The four of us drove in silence for a while as Lydia and Stiles a heated discussion in whispers that I ignored in favour of staring out the window.
The sound of my cell phone ringing broke my concentration and I reached into my handbag for my phone as the arguing couple in the back fell silent. My brother's name flashed on the caller ID and I held the phone up to my ear as I leaned back against my seat. "Hello."
"Hey, Soph." Scott greeted me through the phone and I could hear a slight tinge of nervousness in his voice as my lips turned down in concern. "Do you know where Liam is?"
"What am I? His mother?"
"Come on, Sophie. I know you know where every member of the pack is at any given time. Now, where is Liam?"
"Lydia and Kira text me everything that happens to them every minute of every day. Stiles texts me when he moves from one location to another. You text me every hour on the hour. Malia doesn't know how to text. And Derek and I have code words – "
"Ew! Gross, Sophie. I don't want to know about your weird sex life." Scott complained on the other side of the phone as Stiles groaned loudly from the backseat and I scoffed in annoyance as I rolled my eyes at them both. I glanced at Jordan from the corner of my eyes as he tightened his hold on the steering wheel and I turned my attention out the window so that I didn't have to see that tight expression he was wearing.
"We don't – That's not the code words I meant. Because Derek's been nearly killed and kidnapped a billion times, we have code words so that I know that he hasn't been killed or kidnapped. But Liam is new so we don't have a routine yet. He called me last night after the game. And he texted me this morning saying he was going to miss our work out because he was going for a run with Mason. He invited me to tag along, but Mason freaks me out."
"Alright. Well, text me if you hear from him?"
"Yeah. But what's going on? What do you think happened to Liam? Do you need me to come back? What if an assassin got him?"
"Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Everything is fine. Liam's fine. Just stay working on getting the third cipher key. I'm the Alpha, I can handle this."
"Fine, but call me if you need back up. I mean it!" I warned him firmly with a slight frown on my lips and he hummed through the phone distractedly before hanging up on me as I scowled at the phone in my hand. I twisted around in my seat to face my friends in the backseat and I gave them a pointedly look as I dropped my phone onto my lap. "Boys are stupid."
"That is an unfair declaration. Not all guys are stupid." Stiles insisted in an offended voice as he leaned forward in his seat and Lydia gave him a disbelieving look as she pulled him back by the shoulder. "Besides, women are crazy. How is that better than being stupid?"
"Women can be crazy, because men are stupid." I replied with a roll of my eyes as though the answer was obvious and I offered him a tight smile before I turned back around to face the road out the windshield. "Speaking of stupid men, I should call Derek."
Stiles' snorted in amusement as I dialled my boyfriend's number on my phone and held it up to my ear as I turned my attention out my window to stimulate some form of privacy. I was worried about how he was handling being around Malia, his newly found cousin who didn't know she was adopted let alone a Hale by birth. The phone line rang in my ear twice before someone picked up and I rested my elbow on the window frame as a small smile spread over my lips, "Hey."
"Hey, Soph. Have you killed Stiles yet? Do you need me to help you hide the body?" Derek asked me jokingly in greeting through the phone and I laughed in amusement as I discreetly glanced at the human in the backseat.
"No, no, nothing like that. I was just checking how it was going with Malia? It's got to be kind of awkward for you."
"Yeah, especially, since she's sitting right next to me." He told me with an edge to in his voice and I knew that he was warning me not to mention anything about her being Peter's daughter. "But we're managing to get along."
"It's so cute that you're bonding." I cooed teasingly with a smirk on my lips as I looked out the window and he laughed sarcastically through the phone as I giggled along with him. "How's the search going?"
"Well, they're hiding in the woods. They don't want to be found, then we're not going to find them. I'm pretty sure that Satomi's taught them mastery over their bodies where they can actually inhibit their scent. Malia suggested that we start thinking like Stiles."
"Like a hyperactive spaz?" I asked sceptically in amusement as I cast a discreet glance into the backseat and quickly turned back when the bickering pair looked over at me.
"It's never been more apparent that we're perfect together. That's exactly what I said." Derek explained in a serious tone of voice and I chuckled lowly as I ducked my head to hide the grin that spread across my lips at his words. "But Malia meant like a detective. Hey, what do you know about Buddhists? Because we were thinking, if they're really Buddhists, then maybe instead of asking where werewolves hide, we should be asking where Buddhists would hide."
"Well, when Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree, he looked to the east for enlightenment. The most eastern point in Beacon Hills is Lookout Point. Maybe try there?"
"Sounds good. Listen, do you maybe want to have dinner later? We haven't had a dinner date yet."
"Yeah, yeah, that sounds fun. You know you're not the only one who can cook? I make incredible chicken Alfredo." I told him smugly with a smirk on my lips as I heard Lydia groan from the backseat and I twisted around to give her a wink because I knew that she loved my chicken Alfredo. "I'll meet you at the loft when I'm done visiting Meredith."
"Alright. See you then." He said happily with a hint of seductive promise in his voice and I blushed slightly as I hung up with phone with a small smile on my lips. It still amazed me that Derek had the power to back butterflies erupt in my stomach just from hearing his voice over the phone.
I slipped my phone back into my handbag at my feet and swapped it out for my laptop as I opened it up while setting it on my lap. I turned it on as I waited patiently for it to start up and then started logging on to the police departments interface that I had hacked my way onto one day when I was bored. "Hey, Stiles. What was the name of that head orderly that you told me was a complete ass?"
"Uh, Brunski. Why?" Stiles asked curiously as he leaned in between the two front seats and I glanced at him over my shoulder as I typed the name into the database search engine.
"I'm doing a search on him. Seeing if I can dig up any leverage."
"I don't think you'll find anything on the internet." Lydia piped up doubtfully as she pushed Stiles over so that they could share the space in between the seats and I shot her a frown before turning back to the screen.
"What do you take me for? I'm using the police department database." I explained to them nonchalantly as I loaded the information and I tapped my fingers on the keyboard as I waited impatiently for it to download.
"You hacked the police department database? You do realise I'm a deputy, right? And I'm sitting here, watching you commit a crime." Jordan stated in a worried voice as he shook his head to himself and I shot him a small smirk as I angled the computer screen away from him.
"If you can't see me doing it, then it's not happening. And if you think it over, I never once mentioned the word 'hacking'. It's such an ugly word. Just watch the road. Be a responsible driver."
"Are you always this bossy?"
"Yes." Lydia and Stiles both chimed in from the backseat, speaking in unison as I scowled at them and they smiled back innocently as Jordan chuckled at our banter. I rolled my eyes at them as I turned back around in my seat and looked down at the freshly uploaded profile for Aaron Brunski. A small smile spread across my lips when I read the information that was on the screen and I looked up in surprise as the car came to a stop outside the high iron gates of Eichen House.
"Hold on a second." I murmured quietly as I reached into my handbag and I pulled out the photo ID card on a lanyard that I had been given when I started working at the mental facility.
Eichen House had an additional underground ward that housed the supernatural when they went crazy under the pressure of secrecy or became delusional. Deaton had brought me to the ward when I turned fifteen as part of my training so that I could learn to identify the several different types of shapeshifters and other species of supernatural creatures that were incarcerated there.
"Where did you get that? Why do you have that?" Stiles asked me rapidly in shock as he stared at the ID card with wide eyes and I tightened my hold around the lanyard as I met his gaze evenly.
"I work here." I informed him bluntly before I leaned across so that I could lower the driver's side window and Jordan grunted in surprise as he pressed his back against the seat as far as he could. I held the ID card out the window so that it could be read by the automatic card reader and the red light changed to green as the iron gates started to slowly open.
"If you could do that, why did we need Parrish? No offence." Lydia piped up from the backseat as I fell back against the passenger seat and I placed my lanyard around my neck because I knew that I would need it when we got inside.
"Because I only have limited access, and Meredith's ward isn't part of it."
"I can't believe you work here." Stiles muttered under his breath as he shook his head and I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as I avoided looking at the betrayed expression on his face.
"How do you think you got in here without having a psychotic break? You think you just ask, and ye shall receive? You dad told me you wanted to be put under observation, so I called in a favour with the head psychologist."
"You did that for me?" he asked softly as he leaned forward to look at me from in between the seats and I lolled my head over to look at him with a gentle smile on my lips.
"I'd do anything for you. I love you, Stiles." I told him honestly as I reached up to pinch his cheek playfully and he wrinkled his nose at me in mock annoyance but I could see the happiness in his eyes. He pecked my cheek shortly before sitting back in his seat and I turned back to face out the windshield as we came to a stop in the circular driveway out the front of Eichen House.
The four of us climbed out of the car as I glanced around at the overcast weather above and couldn't help thinking how appropriate it felt with the darkened clouds rolling overhead.
I noticed Stiles hesitating at the base of the steps with an uneasy expression on his face and I was about to approach him but Lydia held up a hand to stop me as she strolled over to his side. I watched as she slowly slipped her hand into his while whispering comforting words and he nodded slowly without taking his eyes off of the building in front of him.
"Is he going to be okay in there?" Jordan asked in a whisper with concern coating his voice and I offered him a small smile as I nodded but I wasn't completely sure.
"Yeah, he'll be fine." I reassured him as I started heading up the steps to the front door and the others followed after me as I swiped my key card through the electronic reader at the front door. There was a loud beep as the door unlocked and I pushed it open as I held it so that the others could pass by me into the lobby.
"Jesus, I hate this place." Stiles whispered as he looked around the dimly lit entrance hall and I patted his arm sympathetically as I walked towards the receptionist's desk where the administrative assistant was sitting.
"Holly, hey." I greeted the receptionist with a slight smile as I leaned my folded arms on the counter and the redhead look up at me from her Sudoku puzzle as she took notice of the people behind me.
"Sophie. I didn't think you were working today. And I definitely didn't think you were bringing unauthorised guests." Holly replied with a superior smirk on her lips as she leaned forward like she was going to get a decent amount of torment out of this encounter.
"We need to speak to Meredith Walker." Jordan intervened in a firm voice as he stepped up next to me with his badge on display and Holly's gaze swept over his figure admiringly with a smirk as she sat up straighter.
"Right this way… officer." She said huskily as she slid off of her stool without taking her eyes off of Jordan and I rolled my eyes at her obvious flirtation as she led us towards the double doors to the locked ward. She swiped her key card through the electronic reader and waited for the buzz before opening the door for us to pass through. The keys hanging off of Holly's waist jangled when she sauntered down the hallway and she keep sneaking glances at Jordan as we approached one of the closed doors near the end of the hall. She took the key chain off of her waist as we stopped in front of the door and I leaned against the wall next to the door as I waited for her to unlock the patient room.
"Oh, no, not this guy." Stiles muttered under his breath as he looked away in frustration and I turned my head with a confused frown to look down the hallway where a middle aged guy I recognised as Aaron Brunski was approaching us.
"What the hell are we running here? A bed and breakfast? We do not just open the door for anyone with a badge." Brunski snapped angrily at Holly as he snatched the keys out of her hand and she immediately looked down as she backed away from him with a frightened expression. I offered her a small smile as she passed me and her lips turned up at the edges as she scurried away from us.
"We need to talk to Meredith Walker. It involves a murder investigation." Jordan told him firmly as he met the head orderly's gaze without flinching and Brunski smirked darkly as he looked between the four of us, his gaze lingering on Stiles before turning to the deputy.
"Well, you can talk to her all you want, but these three, especially that one... They're outta here."
"I have clearance." I said nonchalantly as I held up my photo ID for him to see and he narrowed his eyes as he read the fine print of the card that verified I was allowed to be nearly anywhere in the facility.
"They're crucial witnesses in an ongoing investigation. I wouldn't have brought them here if it wasn't absolutely... Crucial." Jordan insisted in a stern voice that faltered slightly at the end and I tried to suppress a smile at his hesitation as I plastered an indifferent expression on my face.
"Okay, Deputy. How about you come back with a court order, then I'll listen. As for you, Mr. Stilinski, how about you come back with payment in full. That's right. Daddy may be the Sheriff, but he's late on the bills. I guess those government jobs aren't as reliable as they used to be, huh?" Brunski mocked the human boy tauntingly as he crossed his arms over his chest and Stiles clenched his jaw shut angrily before he knew that he couldn't really saying anything.
"But they do help when you need a favour. Like, how a month ago, Canaan P.D. helped you get home after blowing 0.1 on a breathalyzer." I remarked innocently with a shrug of my shoulders as he turned his attention to me and I smiled sweetly at him as he glowered in irritation.
"No..." Stiles whispered in a thrilled voice as he covered his mouth with his hand and Brunski smiled tightly as he glanced between the four of us before coming to rest on Jordan.
"All right. I'm not against a little quid pro quo. Not at all. Not at all." The orderly said cheerfully as he forcefully placed the keys into Stiles' hand and I waved mockingly as Lydia discreetly gave him the middle finger with both hands.
"You. You, I love you. I'm gonna keep you." Stiles gushed adoringly as he placed a sloppy kiss to my cheek and I giggled in delight as he walked towards the locked door. He used the keys to unlock the patient room as we waited for him to open the door and I saw Meredith sitting on one of the two bedrooms in the small room as I walked passed into the room.
"Sophie…" Meredith whispered in greeting as she stared at me with wide eyes and I smiled back at her as Stiles, Lydia and I went to sit on the vacant bed while Jordan positioned himself in front of the closed door.
"Meredith, we need your help." Lydia told the other banshee politely as she clasped her hands on her lap with a tight smile and I tilted my head to the side as I waited patiently for her to give us some form of an answer.
"I can't tell you."
"Meredith, what you mean you can't tell us?"
"We just need the third key. You can give it to us in numbers, letters, hieroglyphs. Whatever you want." Stiles told her with a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he waved his hand in the air and I shot him an annoyed look as I slapped his arm gently in reprimand.
"I can't." Meredith repeated apologetically with a frown as she shook her head and I offered her a comforting smile as I nodded in understanding when she glanced at me.
"Then why did you give us the second key?" Lydia asked in a tight voice as she struggled to hold back her exasperation and I placed a hand on her knee to calm her down because I knew that she was having a hard time under the circumstances. The Dead Pool had been uncovered by her banshee powers and not being able to control her abilities was causing her to doubt herself as she grew frustrated with the situation.
"I wanted to help. That's what I want to do. I want to help."
"Great. So help us now. Okay? Give us the third cipher key."
"Things have changed. I –I can't."
"Why not?" Stiles asked her in exasperation as he rubbed a hand over his head and Lydia leaned forward eagerly as she curled her hands into fists at her side.
"Guys, go easy on her." I warned both of my friends as I stood up from the edge of the bed and Meredith looked up at me with wide eyes as an apologetic frown on her lips.
"I'm sorry. I can't. He... He doesn't want me to." The banshee explained hesitantly with an almost pleading glint in her eyes and I nodded my head as I slowly sat down on the edge of the bed next to her.
"He? Who's he?" Stiles asked eagerly as he leaned forward with an excited look and I shot him a look to calm down because I didn't want to overwhelm her like we did the other day at the station.
"Meredith, who doesn't want you to tell us the third cipher key?" Lydia asked quickly with the same level of enthusiasm as she leaned forward and I shook my head at them both as I placed a calming hand on Meredith's shoulder.
"The Benefactor." Meredith whispered in a terrified voice as she glanced around at all of us and my eyes widened in surprise as I rubbed her back soothingly because she was practically shaking with fear.
"What's his name? You could just tell us his name." the strawberry blonde banshee insisted pointedly with wide light green eyes as she bit her lower lip and Meredith shook her head rapidly in refutation with a horrified expression.
"Okay, you're shaking your head. What's that mean? Does that mean you don't know? Or you don't want to help us?" Stiles asked in a slightly confused tone of voice as he squinted his eyes and tilted his head forward with a thoughtful frown on his lips.
"I can't... I can't help anymore." Meredith told them softly as she shook her head back and forth in refusal with a remorseful frown on her lips.
"How do you know about him? Meredith, a lot of people are going to die if you don't tell us." Lydia told her in a tight voice as she tried to hold back her frustration and Meredith whimpered slightly with tears in her eyes as she shook her head in agitation.
"I don't... I don't know. I don't know."
"Please... Meredith, it's okay. You're gonna be all right. Please."
"I don't... I don't... I don't know."
"Meredith." I murmured soothingly as I rubbed her shoulder in an effort to calm her down but she jerked away from my touch as though I had burned her and I immediately stood up from the edge of the bed so that I didn't overwhelm her further.
"I said, I don't know!" Meredith screeched in a high-pitched voice as she backed away from me so that her back was against the wall and I let out a cry as pain instantly when agony invaded my eardrums. My hands clamped down over my ears in an effort to block out the noise as I stumbled backwards and I whimpered in pain as I gritted my teeth so that I didn't scream out loud.
I noticed Lydia was wincing in pain as she clung to Stiles for comfort and I closed my eyes tightly as Meredith's scream faded into soft whimpers. I felt someone wrap an arm around my waist to hold me up when I almost collapsed and I panted for breath as I rested my head in the nook of Jordan's shoulder.
"Sophie…Your ear is bleeding." Jordan told me in concern as he helped me stand up on my own and I gingerly touched my ear before bringing my fingers down to find them coated in scarlet red blood.
"I'm fine. Just a ruptured tympanic membrane." I explained quietly as I tried to wipe the blood away from my ear and he quirked an eyebrow in question as I scowled down at my hands. "A burst eardrum. I'll be fine."
I regulated my breathing as I turned my attention to the brunette banshee on the bed and saw that she was shaking uncontrollably as she huddled against the wall with a glazed over look in her eyes. I couldn't help the pitying frown that crossed my lips as I watched her shrink away from something that wasn't even there.
I made a silent promise to myself to never let that happened to Lydia.
A soft glow washed over the loft as I lit one last pillar candle and set it on the counter behind the table that I had set up for two. Romance wasn't something that came easily to me but in that moment I was very thankful that Lydia had forced me to watch so many romantic comedies over the course of our friendship.
I couldn't help grinning proudly as I looked around at the dimly lit area and I hummed in satisfaction as carefully soothed down the skirt of my royal blue dress. It went against every fibre of my feminist heart and I wasn't willing to compromise my beliefs but there was something actually nice about cooking a meal, waiting for your partner to come home.
The sound of my cell phone ringing in the kitchen snapped my back into the moment and I hurried to grab it off of the counter before it stopped ringing. I checked the caller ID expecting it to be Derek but it was my brother and I answered it with a frown on my lips as I held it up to my ear. "Hey, Scott. Did everything work out with Liam?"
"Listen, Soph, about that… Something happened. You need to get down to the animal clinic." Scott told me sagely through the phone as I gripped the edge of the counter tightly and the frown on my lips deepened with worry as I immediately set about blowing out the candles.
"What happened, Scott?"
"Garrett, he um, he kidnapped Liam. He nicked him with a wolfsbane coated blade and left him in a well in the middle of the preserve. Don't worry! I found him. He's safe."
"What the hell, Scott?!" I snapped in anger as I paused in the middle of the room and I could imagine the wince on his face as I silently seethed while shaking my head. "I cannot believe you. I asked you! I asked you if anything had happened! This certainly sounds like something!"
"Well, when I spoke to you I didn't know that he had been kidnapped. And I worked it out. I found him and he's completely safe. I'm taking him to Deaton now." My brother told me sharply in a slightly offended tone like he thought I was doubting his abilities and I released a slow breath to clear my mind as I went about blowing out the candles.
"Sorry. I'm just worried. And I've had a bad day. And you're kind of ruining my night and I hate you."
"Am I? Why what are you doing?"
"I made dinner for Derek." I explained with forced nonchalance but some of the sadness leaked into my tone and Scott sighed on the other side of the phone as I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.
"Stay. Stay there and have dinner with Derek. I don't want to be the one that ruins your night. Plus, I know you only cook for special occasions." He said in an apologetic voice as I sat down on the seat at the table set for two and I smiled slightly as my chest warmed with gratitude.
"Really?" I asked meekly as I rested my elbow on the table and he hummed in positive agreement as my grin widened. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
There was a companionable silence as I looked around the room at the still lit candles and I carefully relit one of the candles that was sitting in the middle of the table. There was something pure about silence, something to be wasted. It drew the right people together because only those who were completely comfortable with one another could sit without speaking.
"Hey, Sophie…" Scott started in a soft tone as I frowned slightly and I hummed in acknowledgment when I heard the almost heart shattering sorrow in his voice. "I don't want to keep watching people die."
"I'm not sure you have much choice about that." I told him in a whisper as I looked down at my lap and I fidgeted with the chain around my neck as tears filled my eyes but I held them back because I didn't want to ruin my makeup.
"Maybe I do."
"That's a lot of burden to carry, Scott."
"I don't care. No one else dies. Everyone on that list. Everyone on that Dead Pool. It doesn't matter if they're wendigos, or werewolves, or whatever. I'm gonna save everyone."
"No. You're not." I told him firmly with a new sense of resolve and I looked up from my lap with a hard expression on my face as I curled my free hand into a fist. "We are."