Authors Note:
Italics – Flashback/Hallucination
Required Reading Part Two:
"This your fault, Sophie!" Stiles exclaimed pointedly with a dramatic wave of his arm but I just rolled my eyes at him dismissively and pushed past him as we walked down the empty school hallway with an amused Kira and Scott following after us.
"It's not my fault you drive like a little old lady, Stiles." I countered sarcastically as I threw a smirk over my shoulder at him and he gaped at me in shock for a moment before shaking himself out of it as he hurried to catch up to me.
"I do not! First, you took forever getting ready, and then you forced us to stop for coffee – "
"And muffins."
"- and muffins. Do you know how long that took? I could've been driving a V8 engine and we still would've been late to class."
"Stiles, I don't understand why you're complaining. I look pretty, we got delicious coffee and muffins, and we're not even running late to class, so why the babbling?" I asked him in complete befuddlement as I came to a stop in the middle of the corridor, a confused frown on my lips as I spun around to look at him with my head tilted to the side in question. His mouth open and closed a few times as he tried to form an argument in his favour while I waited impatiently with my arms crossed over my chest.
"Okay, guys, no more arguing. Everything worked out and fighting is just going to make us late for class." Scott mediated soothingly as he took a step towards us, his hands raised in mock surrender and an amused grin on his lips. He was far too used to intervening when Stiles and I started to bicker about absolutely nothing, it normally started out as a friendly debate but evolved into an all-out fight that consisted of me throwing things at him until he gave in.
"I wasn't even doing anything!" I protested in frustration as I stamped my foot like a child with a pout on my lips and Scott sent me a pointed look as Kira held back a giggle at my indignant expression. "Fine. Maybe, I provoked him. A little, tiny bit."
"Maybe, I overreacted. A little, tiny bit." Stiles admitted sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck with a lopsided grin and I returned the smile with a chuckle as I reached over to embrace him tightly. "Alright, alright, get off me, weirdo."
I pulled back from the hug with a giggle but kept my arm linked through his as we turned our attention back to our friends and lent my head on his shoulder with a serious expression as I asked them, "Has anyone suffered any side-effects from the book?"
"No, but what if we need some kind of trigger? Wasn't Malia driving when she remembered the crash?" Scott asked for clarification as he bit his lower lip in confusion and I nodded in acknowledgement as I remembered Malia recollection of events.
"Yeah, but how are we supposed to trigger a memory that we don't remember?" Stiles asked incredulously with a frown as we started walking down the corridor and his eyebrows drew together thoughtfully as he murmured, "Maybe it's a delayed thing. Maybe you have to wait a couple of hours to see what happens."
The florescent lights overhead suddenly flickered on and off again as we came to a complete stop in the middle of the hallway, causing the boys and I to turn our attention to the only one capable of influencing electricity.
Kira's eyes went wide as she glanced up at the ceiling in shock before realising that we were all staring at her accusingly and she immediately started shaking her head profusely as she defended herself pleadingly, "That wasn't me. I swear."
"We keep an eye on each other today, okay?" Scott ordered politely as he wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and she snuggled into his side with a soft smile on her lips.
"Yes, and keep an eye out for eight other potentially homicidal Chimeras." Stiles pointed out sarcastically with a hint of sincerity in his voice as he spread his free arm out to the side and I tightened my hold on his arm as I nodded in agreement.
"And keep an eye out for the Dread Doctors." I added to the conversation in an attempt to be helpful with a quirked of my eyebrow and Scott shot me a smile as he started to steer Kira down the hallway in the direction of our first class.
"Starting to see the appeal of a third eye." Stiles muttered under his breath with an overdramatic huff and I chuckled at him as I leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. He offered me a lopsided grin as I detangled arm from his and waved over my shoulder as headed in the same direction my brother and his girlfriend had gone.
My high heels clacked loudly on the ground as I hurried down the corridor towards AP Biology, my leather satchel hitting my leg rhythmically and I was glad that my hair was tied up so that it didn't get stuck to my lip-gloss. I risked a glance at one of the clocks on the wall of the hallway and I internally swore to myself as I slipped into the classroom, ignoring everyone's stares as I closed the door behind me. I smiled sheepishly as Mrs Finch rolled her eyes fondly at me and I quickly hurried over to take the empty seat next to Theo, since my regular seat next to Lydia was taken.
"Back to our discussion…So while introducing the African Cane Toad, sounded like a good way to deal with Australia's infestation of the Grey-backed beetle, unfortunately, the toad also decided to eat everything else in sight. And everything that tried to eat the toad, from crocodiles to household pets, quickly died from the poison they secreted." Mrs Finch lectured from the front of the room as she slowly paced the length of the room and I sent a small smile of greeting to the guy beside me as I pulled out my biology textbook.
My eyes travelled idly over the classroom, lingering momentarily on the brunette sitting next to Lydia and I discreetly took out my cell phone as I bit down on my lower lip thoughtfully. I blindly typed out a message in the notes section and then set it on the desk in between Theo and me, tilting it in his direction so he could read what I had written: 'Chimera?'
Theo glanced down at the screen with a small frown as he read the message and his eyes flickered from me to the girl in question before he discreetly typed another note for me to read: 'Look at her hair.'
The direction caused my frown to deepen but I followed his gaze towards Sydney and my eyes widened as she ran a hand through her hair, a handful of brunette strands falling out in between her fingers.
"A perfect example of an invasive species. One-hundred and two toads introduced in 1935 became 1.5 billion by 2010. Once an invasive species is introduced, everything changes." Mrs Finch droned on in the background of my mind as I watched Sydney stare down at her hand in horror and she suddenly stood up from her seat, collecting her books in the process. I watched curiously as she hurried to the front of the classroom, interrupting the lecture and placed a course drop form on the teacher's desk.
"Wise decision, Sydney." Mrs Finch remarked in a firm tone as Sydney fled from the classroom and Lydia quickly got up with the intention of following her, collecting her things as she rushed towards the door. "Lydia, you know it's for the best."
"Not a chimera." I whispered to the boy next to me as I took my phone off of the desk and he chuckled softly as he nodded in agreement with my assessment. The school bell that signalled the end of the lesson echoed throughout the classroom and I quickly slipped my textbook into my satchel as I stood up from my seat.
Scott was waiting by the door for the two of us and I sent him a grateful smile as the three of us hurried down the hallway in the direction of Lydia's signature perfume. I noticed Sydney rushing out of the guidance office with a panicked expression on her face and I immediately quickened my pace as fear shot through me. The door to the guidance office was halfway open as my brother pushed it the rest of the way and panic surged through me at the sight of strawberry blonde hair sprawl across the floor.
"Lydia!" I cried in horror as I dropped to my knees at her side with wide eyes and I immediately pressed my fingers to her neck, checking her pulse even though I could hear her heart beating. I breathed out a sigh of relief when I felt the familiar thump of her carotid artery underneath my fingertips and I sat back on my knees as my brother placed a calming hand on my shoulder, squeezing it compassionately without a word.
After a drawn out moment of silence, Lydia's eyelids fluttered open to reveal her familiar green eyes and I instinctively smiled in relief as she looked around in confusion. I reached out to squeeze her hand, drawing her attention as I offered her a comforting look and she released a slow exhale as she relaxed slightly now that she knew she was safe.
"Lydia. Are you okay?" Scott asked in genuine concern as he crouched down next to me and I carefully helped her sitting up with her back against the cabinet behind her for support.
"I'm okay. I'm fine." The strawberry blonde murmured quietly as she tried to hide her shaking hand under her thigh and I quickly in enclosed both of her hands in between mine so that no one would notice. She shot me a grateful look as I rubbed my thumb over her knuckle and she looked up at my brother in confusion when we noticed him studying the banshee with a worried expression.
"You remembered something."
"Not about the Dread Doctors. Nothing about them or the surgery."
"What was it?" Theo asked from where he was standing by the door, speaking for the first since we entered the room and it occurred to me that he was giving us space to recover.
"My grandmother. At Eichen House." She admitted in a haunted whisper as she met my eyes with a heartbroken glint and I sighed knowingly, remembering the incident as she tightened her hold on my hands.
"Lydia? Lydia?" Natalie called in a nearly hysteric tone as she raced into the guidance office with a panicked expression and Scott hurried out of the way as she dropped to her next where he was previously. "Oh, my God, what happened? Are you all right?"
"Mom, I'm fine. It was nothing."
"Was it a blackout? Did you faint?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I fainted. Mom, I'm fine. I promise."
I gently extracted my hand from my best friend's as she faced her mother's inquisition and she shot me a discreet look of mock hatred as I stood up from my position beside her. I stole a quick glance at the clock hanging on the wall and cringed slightly when I realised I was running late to meet Liam on the lacrosse field. Lydia glanced my way with a questioning look, silently asking what was going on while her mother fussed over her and I nodded my head towards the open door as I started to step backwards. She nodded in understanding with a small smile before turning her attention back to answer her mother's question and I nodded in parting to the boys who stood next to the door.
People dodged out of my way as I ran down the crowded hallway, shooting me looks of either reprimand or amusement as I passed them on my way to the back of the school. I pushed open the double doors that lead to the lacrosse field and I noticed that the girls' soccer team were practicing on one half of the field as I hurried over to the metal bleachers.
Mason was sitting on the middle row of seats with Brett next to him and I quickly made my way over to them with a grin on my lips as I called out to them in greeting, "Hey, boys!"
"Soph, hey." Brett greeted me with a smirk on his lips as I bent down to kiss his cheek and then I did the same to Mason as he grinned at me brightly. I dropped my satchel on the bench next to the sophomore before quickly slipped my shirt off over my head to reveal my sports bra, ignoring the lingering stares I was receiving as I shimmied out of my tights and then sat down on the bench to pull on the yoga pants that were in my satchel.
"Watch my stuff?" I asked them in a rush as I stood up from the bench and reached up to straighten my ponytail as I looked down at them with a quirked eyebrow.
"Sure." Mason answered in a daze, clearly shocked by my clavier striptease and I grinned happily as I jumped down the remaining seats. I noticed Liam standing with a few other sophomore's, all of them with lacrosse sticks in hand and one of them noticed me approaching them as his eyes went wide in shock. Whispers broke out amongst the group as I slowed down to a walk and Liam turned around with a confused expression but a grin spread across his face when he saw me.
"Hey, sweetie." I greeted him warmly as he walked over to meet me, a smug grin on his lips as he revelled in the envious stares and I wrapped my arms around him with a knowing smirk as I whispered pointedly, "I know what you're doing."
"I'm not doing anything. Shut up." He whispered in return as he pulled back from the embrace with a blush on his cheeks and I chuckled in amusement as I playfully slapped his arm, playing along with the ruse for him. "Thank you."
"Whatever. Are we going to practice or not?"
"Yeah. Simon, get in the goal?" he called over to one of the sophomore's lingering off to the side and the young blonde guy jumped in surprise when he was addressed, his attention drifting from my exposed stomach. "Don't look at her! Go get in the goal!"
Simon hurried over to the stand in the between the goals with a frightened look, pulling on a protective mask in the process and I couldn't help laughing at the protective side of the Beta as I patted him on the back to calm him down so he didn't go on a rampage.
"It's very sweet, but I don't need you threatening people for me. I can handle some hormonal teenage boys all on my own." I remarked drily with a hint of amusement as I quirked an eyebrow at him and picked up one of the abandoned lacrosse sticks from the ground.
"It's fun though, gives me a reason to threaten people without everyone thinking I'm certifiable." Liam countered with a shameless grin on his lips as he scooped up the ball in the net and I couldn't help laughing at his outlook as he aimed for the goal, arched the stick back before sending the ball flying past the goalie. "Yes! Your turn."
I scooped up a ball in the net at the end of the stick and expertly sent it straight into the goal, remembering the training sessions with Jackson. I cheered loudly as everyone looked at me in surprise, shocked that one of the most popular girls in school could play lacrosse and Liam shook his head with an amused smile on his lips.
Liam got into position as I stepped back out of the way so that I wouldn't get hit with the lacrosse stick and he bit his lower lip in concentration as he aimed but the shot went high, hitting the post instead of the net. He groaned under his breath with a small frown as his gaze drifted over towards the girls' soccer practice and I followed his stare to see Hayden smirking smugly in his direction. I watched curiously as she meet his gaze evenly and then kicked the soccer ball expertly so that she scored a goal.
I laughed in amusement as I clapped at her accomplishment and Liam shot me a glare as he gritted his teeth in determination before turning back to the task at hand. He tightened his hold on the lacrosse stick as he narrowed his eyes and expertly arched the stick back before releasing the ball, this time landing it in the net.
Hayden witnessed the event as her expression dropped, her arrogant grin morphing into a scowl and she proceeded to aim another soccer ball directly into the goal. Liam tensed angrily as he threw another shot towards the goalie but it struck the goalie in the stomach and knocked him to the ground with a pained groan.
"Oh, my god!" I cried in shock as I covered my mouth with both hands and Liam's attention was immediately drawn from his rivalry with Hayden as his mouth dropped open in shock.
"Sorry." He called out sheepishly with a grimace as he dropped the lacrosse stick to the ground and I placed a hand on his arm as I tried not to laugh out loud by pressing my lips into a straight line. "I can't believe I did that."
"Please, you've done much worse in the past. And by the way, that was some hard-core flirting going on just now. And Hayden was totally into it." I told him honestly with a smirk on my lips as I started walking backwards out of his reach and a blush spread across his cheeks as he scoffed at me in retaliation. "I'm serious!"
"Shut up!" he snapped half-heartedly with a scowl as he bent down to pick up the lacrosse stick he dropped and I laughed in delight at the expression on his face as he playfully hit me with the end of the stick.
"Help! Does anyone here have asthma? Anyone got an inhaler?" Someone shouted frantically from the sidelines of the field, drawing everyone in the vicinity's attention and I pushed down the wave of panic that flooded through me as I internally scolded myself for the instantaneous reaction. My thoughts immediately drifted to my twin brother, but I reminded myself that he no longer suffered from asthma. Another thought tumbled over that one as I remembered that we were waiting for something to happen and an asthma attack might be a side effect of the flashback, like Lydia fainting.
"Scott." Liam breathed out in realisation as I started racing towards the bleachers and he immediately ran after me with panic secreting from his pores, his chemo-signals nearly overwhelming.
"Brett, my bag! Now!" I called up to the werewolf in the stands as I came to a stop at the bottom of the bleachers and he didn't question my panicked tone as he throw me my satchel. I didn't wait around to thank him as I took off towards the school with Liam behind me and students moved out of the way as we shoved passed them, following the familiar scent of my brother so we knew where to go.
A crowd of students were surrounding the Biology classroom door and I felt my heart racing inside my chest as I pushed them aside so that I could pass them. My blood ran cold at the sight of my brother slumped against the teachers desk, gasping for breath and Mrs Finch kneeling beside him with a concerned expression on her face.
"Scott!" Liam exclaimed in worry as he ran to his Alpha's side, kneeling down next to him while Mrs Finch moved away to call for help now that someone else was there. I dropped to my knees on my brothers other side, frantically searching through my satchel for the spare asthma puffer I kept there in case of emergencies.
"Scott, here. Here, take this. Come on." I urged him firmly as I placed it in his hand, curling his fingers around the device but his dark brown eyes remained clouded and unresponsive as I gently slapped his cheek to get his attention.
"Come on, Scott." The beta whispered in a panicked tone as he bit down on his lower lip and he shot a look over his shoulder at the growing crowd before turning his attention back to his alpha. He looked at me for a moment in consideration, a thoughtful frown on his lips and then he took a deep breath before transforming his eyes to molten gold as he growled lowly so no one would hear, "Scott."
The act of a Beta searching out their Alpha snapped Scott alert as he sucked in a shaky breath, his eyes clearing as he looked around him in confusion and I helped him lift the inhaler to his lips as he breathed in the medicine. I sighed in relief as I listened to his breathing regulate back to normal and I leaned my forehead on his shoulder as I closed my eyes.
It had been a while since I had to worry about my brother having an asthma attack but it was just as nerve-wracking as it was back then, it was one of the perks of having the supernatural ability to heal.
"Are you okay?" I asked Scott in concern as I placed a hand on the side of his neck, subtly checking his pulse as my gaze searched his expression for any sign of deceit. His warm hand encompassed mine as he tried to smile reassuringly but it faltered slightly as he nodded and I locked eyes with him as I offered him a shaky smile in response.
"I think it was just the memory hitting me. Psychosomatic thing." He told me softly as he sat up straighter against the side of the desk and I shared a look with Liam over his head as I bit the inside of my cheek. "Has anything happened to you yet?"
"No. No, I'm fine."
"Don't go anywhere alone, okay? We don't know what your memory will be or how it will affect you."
"That's three down, three to go." Liam remarked warily from his other side as he rested a hand on Scott's shoulder and my lips pulled down at the corners as
"You're right. I need to go check on Theo and Stiles." Scott announced solemnly as he tried to climb to his feet but Liam and I immediately made noises of protest as we pushed him back down to the ground. "Guys, stop. Get off of me."
"Okay, Liam is going to find Stiles, and I'm going to go talk to Theo. You are going to go eat something and relax for at least an hour. Okay?" I asked him pointedly in a stern voice as I squeezed his shoulder tightly, levelling him with a glare until he nodded his ascent with a slightly frightened expression. I grinned happily as I let go of his shoulder, climbed to my feet easily and extended my hand to help him to his feet as he smiled back at me. I glanced down at the inhaler in his hand as he tried to hand it back to me but I pushed it back towards him and quirked an eyebrow at him with a smirk on my lips. "Why don't you keep that in case you have another asthma attack?"
"Thanks. Let me know when you find them, let me know they're okay?" he instructed me and Liam with an almost pleading expression as he raised an eyebrow and I smiled reassuringly at him as I stretched up to press a kiss onto his cheek. "Be careful."
"Whatever. I'm always careful." I said indignantly with a pout on my lips as I slung my bag over my shoulder and both boys erupted in incredulous laughter at my expense as I scowled at them in annoyance. "Shut up!"
I huffed with a roll my eyes as I spun around on my heel and strode out of the classroom, pushing past some of the lingering students who stood out the door. Liam quickly caught up to me, still chuckling slightly under his breath and I shot him a glare but didn't say anything as we exited the school through the double doors. A few guys literally froze when I walked past in nothing but a sports bra and yoga pants and a couple of others turned around when Liam glared at them heatedly.
"Liam, I'm half naked. People are going to stare. It's flattering, calm down." I urged him under my breath when I noticed his hands curled into fists at his side and a rage pheromones seeping out of his pores. It was kind of nice to have someone acting overprotective again, I hadn't had someone threaten to beat someone up for me since Jackson moved to London. Scott and Stiles were my brothers but it was obvious to all of us that, while I appreciated their opinion, they'd never felt the need to protect me from the opposite sex. Apparently, my pseudo little brother was more overprotective than my pseudo older brother and biological twin brother.
"Sorry." He mumbled as he took a deep breath to calm down and his tense muscles relaxed as he exhaled slowly. I smiled at him sympathetically because I knew how hard he worked to control his anger it the best of times but it was especially difficult when he was stressed out.
"Go on ahead, I'll catch up in a second." I told him kindly as I stopped in the middle of the pathway and he looked confused for a moment but continued walking without a word.
I searched through my satchel with a frown on my lips and then hummed in accomplishment when I found my shirt before slipping it on over my head. I straightened my shirt with a sigh as I tossed my hair over my shoulder and then continued down the concrete pathway in the direction Liam had disappeared.
"Do I have to remind you, one bottle costs $200?" I heard a familiar voice ask around the corner and I groaned softly in annoyance as I gritted my teeth to stop myself from turning around. My grip tightened on the strap of my bag as I rounded the corner and saw Valerie Clarke in her beige deputy's uniform with Hayden standing next to her. I noticed Liam leaning against the railing waiting for me with his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze flickering towards Hayden every few seconds and both girls were subtly glancing at him appreciatively. "Was that Liam Dunbar? He got cute."
"Sophie! There you are." Liam called out to me with a grin when he caught sight of me approaching, drawing the attention away from him as both girls immediately looked in my direction and my lips twitched when both of their faces dropped into scowls.
"Valerie, nice to see you again." I greeted the older brunette with a fake smile, my voice dripping with insincerity as I came to a stop in front of her and she crossed her arms over her chest with a tight false smile. My smile became more genuine as I turned my attention to the younger girl, who was looking between me and Valerie in confusion. "Hi, Hayden."
"Sophie." Valerie said in a tone full of distain as she pursed her lips in obvious dislike but it didn't faze me as I struggled to contain my eye roll and instead went to walk past her without another word. "How is it you know my sister exactly?"
My eyebrows drew together in confusion as I turned back attention to face them and I tilted my head to the side as I settled a hand on my hip with a quirked eyebrow. "'Sister'?"
"Yeah, Hayden's my sister, and I'm not sure you're the best influence to be around. We did meet at the police station."
"Relax, we only know each other in passing. And for the record, I'm an excellent influence. Right, Liam?"
"Well, I'm getting straight A's, I haven't had an outburst since I met you, you're teaching me to drive, and my mom loves you more than me." Liam replied easily with a shrug of his shoulders as he came to stand beside me and I couldn't help chuckling at the last statement as I patted his arm comfortingly.
"Well, there you have it. Thanks for the insulting conversation, but we've got to go. Nice seeing you again, Valerie. Tell Jordan I said 'hi'." I said mockingly with a fake smile, knowing that part of the reason she hated me was because of my relationship with her fellow officer. The scowl on her lips deepened at the mention of her partner but she didn't say anything as I waved my fingers mockingly while walking backwards.
I tightened my grip on Liam's bicep as I turned us both around to face away from the sisters and I felt my blood boiling with anger as I gritted my teeth to stop from screaming in frustration. There was just something about her that irritated me to no end but it seemed to be a mutual and that made me feel less awful for feeling that way for no discernible reason.
"Um, why does she hate you?" the Beta asked reluctantly with a hesitant expression as though waiting for me to lash out at him in response and I sighed heavily as I ran a hand through my brunette hair in annoyance.
"No reason that will affect your relationship with Hayden. I'm sorry I brought you into it. That wasn't fair of me." I said apologetically with a small smile as I forced myself to loosen my grip on his arm and he raised both of his eyebrows at me as he levelled me with a look, silently imploring me to continue. "Right, you're not going to let this go, are you? Fine, if you must know, I believe that she might be a little jealous of my relationship with Parrish. I don't have an discernible proof, but she always get extra bitchy when he's brought up in conversation but acts extra sweet when he's present. It's like she has dual personalities, so either she's schizophrenic or she likes him as more than a partner, more than a friend. All of which is not my fault, so she's the pity bitch here, not me."
Silence followed my rant as I came to a stop in front of the closed doors that lead to the school's gym and I exhaled sharply as I turned to face the younger boy with an expectant expression. Liam gaped at me for a moment before blinking rapidly and shaking his head in disbelief as he scratched the back of his neck.
"You didn't really want to know, did you?" I asked rhetorically with a smirk on my lips as I shook my head at him in amusement and he grimaced guiltily without saying a word but that was answer enough. "Men always say they want to know, but they really don't."
"I wanted to know!" he tried to protest weakly with an offended frown on his lips and I shot him a disbelieving look over my shoulder as I opened the gym door behind me. "I did! Soph!"
I laughed outright as I strolled into the hallway, closing the door in his face as he continued to argue and I shook my head as I headed towards the door marked 'boys'. I could hear the sound of gym equipment in use behind the door as I took my hair out of its messy ponytail, unwilling to be see dishevelled by someone I wasn't entirely comfortable with.
I plastered an impassive expression on my face as I pushed open the door to the gym and I felt my pulse race when I caught sight of a shirtless Theo across the room from me. My eyes travelled down his chiselled torso, captivated by the sweat drops trailing down his pectoral muscles and I forced myself not to moan out loud in appreciation. The sound of the butterfly press moving, metal grinding against metal, knocked me out of my thoughts and I blinked back to reality as I internally scolded myself, using the excuse that it had been too long since I'd had sex.
"Sophie." The werewolf greeted me in a smug tone of voice as he looked over at me with a smirk and I tried not to let my embarrassment in getting caught out be seen on my face as I straightened up.
"Theo." I greeted him confidently as I clasped my hands behind my back to stop myself from reaching out to touch him and slowly strolled towards him as he stopped working out while we spoke. "Scott wanted me to see if you'd had any side effects from reading the The Dread Doctors. So?"
"None. As you can see, I'm perfectly fine." He remarked idly in a smug tone of voice, waving a hand towards his perfectly sculpted torso and I hummed in agreement with a smirk on my lips as I wandered over to the side of the room without taking my eyes off of him.
There was something about the werewolf in front of me that bothered me, something I couldn't put a name to, and it irritated me that I didn't know what was going on inside me own head. Whenever I was around him I felt a tugging sensation in my stomach, propelling me towards him even when my brain was telling me that it was wrong. The only time I had felt something similar was in the presence of Tracy and Lucas, but I didn't feel it as strongly around Theo, and there was no overprotective need to keep him safe.
"Hm. Matter of opinion, I guess." I countered casually as I trailed my finger over one of the weights and he chuckled in amusement like he didn't believe me, which made sense because I didn't believe me either. "You know, there is one thing that's bothering me. I don't like not knowing things. And there's something about you, something familiar, that I just can't put my finger on."
"Well, we went to elementary school together, Sophie. We sat next to each other in Ms Schapiro's first grade class."
I levelled him with an annoyed glare as I fought the urge to roll my eyes, the look on his face making me think he knew exactly what I was talking about but he was purposely making it difficult for me. I strolled towards where he was sitting at the butterfly press with a smirk on his lips while he watched me intently and I forced an innocent smile on my lips as I tilted my head to the side, "I don't think that's it."
Theo stood up from the bench he was sitting on while still maintaining eye contact and slowly approached where he was standing until I couldn't practically taste his sweat on the tip of my tongue. His close proximity caused my heart to race in my chest but I didn't let the non-existent distance bother me as I kept my expression blank of anything except for annoyance.
"Maybe it's a chemical thing. Maybe it's nothing but simple, unadulterated attraction." He proposed softly in a husky voice as he crossed his arms over his chest, his muscles rippling with the movement.
"Maybe." I relented in a whisper as I took a small step forward so that my chest brushed his forearms and he lifted an eyebrow with a smirk, obviously surprised that I had given in so easily. For a moment I considered what it would be like it keep going, to give in to my attraction to him and release the sexual frustration that was eating away me from the inside out. Two years ago I wouldn't even hesitate to pounce on him but now I knew there was something different out there, and the thought of kissing Theo made me feel guilty because I knew I had the chance for that something different with Jordan.
I flashed him a seductive smile as I tilted my head to the side, exposing the expanse of my neck to him and his eyes flicked down to my collarbone but then quickly back to my eyes as I continued softly, "Or maybe it's nothing more than childhood recollection. You did stare at me in class every day for a year. Follow me around the playground. Giving me your chocolate milk at recess."
"You were the prettiest girl on the playground." He stated with a shrug of his shoulders, his smug smirk not faltering in the slightest and I rolled my eyes at him in amusement as a genuine smile passed across my lips fleetingly.
"But, alas, playtime is over, but it's time to move on from childhood fantasies." I told him firmly as I reached up to pat his cheek condescendingly with a fake look of sympathy and his eyes narrowed slightly without a word as I started to walk around him with a smile.
I was feel slightly vindicated after finishing the conversation with the upper hand and I let a victorious grin play on my lips when my back was towards him. I heard him chuckle to himself as he moved over to the butterfly press and the sound of metal grinding echoed throughout the gym as he resumed his work out.
"Moving on, huh? Is that why you've been visiting Peter Hale at Eichen House once a week?"
My veins run ice cold at the question, my body freezing in the doorway of the gym and my hands shot out to grip the doorframe on either side of me. Horror coursed through me at the thought of him knowing something about me no one else did, because to my knowledge, no one was aware of my trips to visit Peter once a week. I was frightened about everyone would think about it after everything he did to our pack, I was afraid they would hate me, after all I kind of hated myself for being so weak. Peter had been a part of my life for so long that I couldn't let him go, not him as a person, but the memory of who he used to be, the inspiration that he could be redeemed.
I closed my eyes tightly as my fingers tightened on the woodened doorframe until it cracked under the pressure and I took a deep breath as I composed myself, steeling my nerves, hardening my exterior.
I plastered an impassive expression on my face as I forced my fingers to loosen their on the doorframe, ignoring the sting of splinters as I slowly turned around to face the other werewolf in the room with a quirked eyebrow. It didn't want him to know that his words had rattled me, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of having the upper hand or the advantage over me in this battle of wit and wills.
"Maybe that's why you seem so familiar to me…" I murmured quietly with a smirk on my lips as I wandered towards him slowly and he raised an eyebrow at me without stopping the movement of his arms. "You collected as much information as possible on those around you. You don't like being out of the loop. You like having the upper hand, the advantage. You're just like me."
"You're a lot more than a pretty face, Sophie McCall." Theo complimented me charmingly with a grin on his lips as he looked up at me, admiration clear on his features and that sent a pang of validation through me for no reason I could fathom.
"It's been assumed that I'm soft or irrelevant because I refuse to downplay my intelligence." I agreed casually with a shrug of one of my shoulders, a smirk playing on my lips as I basked in the encouragement. His hazel eyes twinkled mysteriously as he returned the smirk arrogantly and my temper flared at the sight of his egotism, anger flooded through my veins.
My hands shot out to grab the sides of the butterfly press, holding them apart so that he couldn't move them and a faint amused smile spread across his lips as he looked up at me expectantly. I took a step closer to him so that I was standing over him, the heat of his naked chest on my skin and I quirked an eyebrow at him questioningly as I leaned down slightly to whisper, "The question is: what are you going to do with the information? You think you're doing me a favour? Like I'm going to owe you now?"
"I don't need any favours."
"Then what do you want?"
"I want in the pack."
"That's not up to me."
"If you want to tell Scott your opinion, tell him. If you've got something else in mind, I'm okay with that, too." He whispered huskily without breaking eye contact, the intensity sending a wave of desire through me and I bit the inside of my cheek harshly to keep myself grounded, a reminder not to give in to the lust building inside of me.
I abruptly released the arms of the butterfly press as I stumbled backwards, the machinery clanging as the weight snapped back into neutral position and he grimaced in pain as his arms were released. My breath was coming out in short pants I reached up to touch my lips with the tips of my fingers and he rubbed his shoulder where his muscles were strained with a chuckle as he lifted his head to meet my eyes. I bit down on my lower lip as he slowly stood up from the bench and I held my breath as he approached me like a lion stalking a gazelle, intent and deadly.
Anticipation surged through me as I slowly walked backwards until my back hit the wall behind me and I felt my heart racing in the confines of my chest as he came to a stop only inches away from me. The heat of his naked body radiated against me as he reached out to capture my wrists in his hands, lifting my arms over my head as he pinned them to the wall behind me and I allowed him to have control over the situation.
The pressure of his body against mine, the feel of him pressed so close, it was intoxicating in the most frustrating way and I wanted nothing more than to kiss him and slap him in equal measure.
I felt the warm of his breath on the side of my neck as he leaned down to brush his lips teasingly against my pulse point and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from moaning in protest when he didn't do anything further. I arched my back slightly, wanting to feel more of him against me and his grip on my wrists tightened a fraction as his teeth grazed my skin teasingly. His lips traced a burning path underneath me jawline, pausing momentarily at the corner of my mouth and he pulled back slightly to meet my eyes with an intense look of desire.
"What are you waiting for? Permission?" I asked him breathless, my voice dripping with sarcasm as I rose an eyebrow challengingly and a faint smirk crossed his lips as his hazel eyes twinkled with mirth. A moment later his lips came crashing down on mine, bruising and aggressive, commanding compliance as he pressed me against the wall roughly.
I could feel the hard planes of his stomach tensing against my body as I arched into him and pain radiated from my wrists as his hold on them tightened until I might have been concerned about fractures if my mind wasn't so clouded with lust. His teeth bit down harshly on my lower lip until he drew blood, the metallic taste adding to the desire between us and I gasped in pain, allowing his tongue evaded my mouth without warning. One of his legs settled in between mine so that I was basically straddling his thigh, the friction causing a familiar stirring in my stomach and I leaned into him eagerly as I writhed against him.
A chuckle vibrated through him at my obvious desperation as he pulled back enough to look at me and I was panting slightly as I looked at him through hooded eyes, memorised by the blood staining his lips. His hazel eyes were burning with lust as he hastily glided his hands down my arms, a path of fire left in the wake of his fingers but I kept my arms raised as his hands found the hem of my shirt and he quickly lifted it over my head before dropping it on the floor.
The next moment his lips were back on mine, demanding entrance to my mouth as he roughly grabbed my chin with one hand and possessively settled the other on my hip as he pulled my body against his. Every fibre of my bring was burning with desire, and even if I wanted to stop, I didn't think my body would allow me to as it basically melted against him, complying with his demands instinctively.
The hand on my hip slipped around to rest on my ass, squeezing firmly as he drew my closer to his body until I could feel every inch of him and my arms wrapped around his shoulders as I allowed him to take charge. My fingernails dug into his shoulder blades as he hissed in pain against my mouth and he pulled back from the bruising kiss as he placed a series of harsh nips down the column of my throat. I moaned out loud in a mixture of pleasure and pain as he broke the skin with his teeth, throwing my head back against the wall behind me as his hands roamed provocatively over my body.
I gasped aloud when he suddenly slipped his hands down to my thigh and lifting me up, my legs wrapping around his waist instinctively as he pressed my back roughly against the wall. Pain radiated through me as my head hit the wall but I just laughed in delight and arched into him in an effort to feel as much of him as possible.
Theo latched his lips onto my collarbone, sucking harshly until an uneven bruise formed and I whimpered at the contact as he left a trail of hickeys down my chest to the top of my sports bra. He practically snarled in frustration as he ripped the straight off my body, the material falling to the ground and he immediately continued his exploration of my chest as I closed my eyes in pleasure at the feel of his mouth on me.
The sound of my cell phone ringing broke the frantic moans escaping both of us and reality came crashing down around me as my eyes flew open. I groaned in frustration as he reluctantly pulled back from his ministrations and both of our breaths were coming out in breathless pants as our eyes met, the lust between us fading with the interruption. I detangled my legs from around his waist as I tried to regulate my breathing and he took a step backwards as he rubbed a hand over his mouth, trying to wipe off the blood stain on his lips.
I avoided his eyes as I hurried over to where I dropped my satchel earlier but by the time I got there my cell phone had stopped ringing so instead I grabbed my abandoned shirt from the ground. I slipped it on over my head, foregoing the bra since it was ripped to pieces and I picked up my satchel from the floor as I tossed my messy hair over my shoulder.
"Hm. So, I think its best we never ever speak of this again. Agreed?" I asked him firmly even though it wasn't actually a question as I turned to face him with a fake tight smile and he raised an eyebrow at me with a smirk on his lips as he picked up his own shirt from the other side of the room.
"There are some thoughts you can't avoid, and some feelings you can't deny." He argued smugly as he pulled his shirt on over his head and I let out an incredulous scoff as I quirked an eyebrow at him with my head tilted to the side.
"Okay, let's get one thing straight here. I, under no circumstance, have feelings for you. I can't even describe how little feelings I actually have for you. Maybe annoyance, or irritation, or frustration, or – "My rant was abruptly cut off as he crossed the room in a few strides and pressed his lips roughly against mine, swallowing the harsh words that were escaping me. I gasped in surprise as he took the opening to evade my mouth with his tongue as he roughly gripped my hips and backed me up against the closest piece of gym equipment, the cold metal sending a shiver through my body.
Even though my mind protested vehemently, it seemed like my body had a mind of its own as I gripped his shirt tightly and eagerly returned the violent kiss as he body pressed against mine. Pain shot through me as he harshly bit down on my lower lip, the metallic taste of blood entering my mouth and one of his hands grasped my ass roughly as the other slipped under my shirt to rest on my lower back.
I pulled back from him abruptly, my swollen lips parted as my breaths came out frantic and I raised my hand to slap him hard across the face, the sound echoing around the empty gym as his head turned to the side with a red imprint. His hazel eyes burned with an intensity I'd never seen as he lifted his head and I made a pathetic whimpering sound in the back of my throat as I pulled him back into a heated kiss by the material of his shirt.
One of his hands tangled in the tresses of my hair as he forcibly tilted my head to the side and the other sensually ran down my side, roughly caressing my stomach, ass and thigh before retracing the path. My body easily melded into the touch of his skilful hands, bending to his will without question and all my thoughts became muddled with lust as he slipped his hand under my shirt. I moaned against his lips in pleasure as my back arched instinctively into his touch and I felt his chest vibrate as he chuckled huskily in response.
Reality hit me like a freight train as I realised who it was exactly that was making out with and my eyes flew open as I used my supernatural strength to push him away from me, the loss of his touch leaving me cold. Theo stumbled back from me breathlessly as he licked some of the blood off of his lip, a heated look in his hazel eyes as he shifted uncomfortably.
"Oh, my god. What is wrong with me?" I moaned to myself in reprimand as I covered my face with both of my hands and whimpered softly as I dropped my hands to my sides with a pout. Theo watched me intently as I grabbed my satchel from the ground before heading towards the door but I paused on the threshold and turned around to point at him warning with narrowed eyes. "This? This never happened."
"Whatever you say." Theo remarked in a slight sarcastic tone of voice as he looked at me with a smirk on his lips and I scoffed at him in annoyance at his attitude as I opened the door to the gym. I threw one more look over my shoulder as I exited the room and I groaned under my breath as I redid my messed up ponytail while hurrying outside.
Guilt was eating away at me, gnawing at my stomach as I rushed down the stairs that lead to the courtyard and all I could about was the fact that I made just made out with the guy Stiles thought was evil, that I had just fallen back into old patterns even though I had a good man interested in me. The phrase 'old habits die hard' flashed through my mind and I was internally grateful that class was back in session so that no one would see my tortured expression.
The courtyard was empty as I came to a stop at the bottom of the staircase and the warmth of the sun was beating down on me as I shielded my eyes from the blinding rays with my hand. The strap of my satchel slipped off of my shoulder as I tilted my head back to look at the shining ball of fire in the sky and I felt myself getting lightheaded as it abruptly became hard for me to breathe, my lungs burned from the inside out.
My eyelids slowly drifted shut before springing open again, my vision becoming blurry around the edges and my breathing was laboured as I bent over at waist, trying to intake as much oxygen as possible.
Darkness overtook me as numbness spread through my limbs, taking away all of the pain in my chest and I vaguely felt my body floating down towards the ground before everything was gone…
…
"Help!"
"Help! Anyone?!"
"Please! Please, help us!"
Voices meddled together in a frantic symphony of pleas, desperate calls for help and I looked around the surprisingly familiar home surrounding me in confusion. Smoke filled the air around me as I instinctively dropped to the ground like you were supposed to do in a fire and I tried to see which direction the door was through the thick cloud of smoke.
"Sophie! Sophie, sweetheart!" a painfully familiar voice called out in panicked tone of voice and I turned towards it as my eyes widened in shock, my previous escaped attempt abandoned. Standing at the entrance of the living room was a tall woman in her mid-thirties, long jet black hair in a ponytail as her agonisingly painful eyes searched frantically around the room.
My breath caught in my throat at the sight of her as an embarrassing whimper escaped me but she didn't seem to notice as her gaze flicked right over my huddled form and I slowly stood up on shaky legs, catching her attention as her eyes passed over me once more.
"Oh, Sophie! Thank God!" Talia exclaimed in relief as she scooped me into her arms with a sigh and I gasped in shock at how real the embrace felt, how familiar and safe her arms made me feel. Tears stung my eyes as I hugged her back tightly, knowing I would never have another chance and she pulled back with a shaky smile as she grabbed my hand in her own. "Come on, sweetheart, we have to get out of here."
Talia quickly pulled me out of the living room, heading away from the mass amount of smoke and I stumbled slightly before righting myself as we followed the familiar path through the Hale House. Framed pictures on the wall that I hadn't seen in years were clear as day to me now and I tried to memorise each of them as we rushed pass, ingraining the images in my mind so that I could recollect them later.
"Peter!" Talia called out over the sound of fire crackling, of people's desperate cries for help, and I immediately snapped my head around towards the foyer. A younger version of Peter Hale came running from the direction I knew led towards the kitchen and I felt my heart constrict at the fear clear on his expression.
Talia practically dragged me in the direction of her brother as he hurried towards with relief washing across his features and he cupped before sides of my face almost immediately, his eyes searching for something as he asked frantically, "Are you okay? You're not hurt? Are you okay?"
I nodded my head rapidly as I let the warmth of his hands calm me down and he sighed in relief, his eyes closing momentarily as he pulled me into a tight embrace.
"Get her out of here! Now!" Talia demanded with the authority of an Alpha as she ran her fingers through my hair and he nodded his head with a solemn expression as they shared an intense stare, one that spoke a thousand different words at once. Peter grabbed my hands in his as he started dragging me out of the foyer and I glanced over my shoulder at Talia's retreating back with tears in my eyes, knowing it was the last I would ever see her, or interact with her, or hear her voice.
Peter led me down a hallway that I had never seen before but he kept glancing back over his shoulder with an indecisive frown and I bit down on my lower lip as he abruptly turned the corner, entering a darkened alcove that led to a stairwell. The air in the basement was damp, the only light came from the small window high on the far wall as the sunlight broke through the glass. Peter let out a sigh as he dropped his tight hold on my hand and walked over to the window as I quietly followed after him. I felt myself jump in surprise as he suddenly raised his fist to the glass and grunted slightly as he punched his hand through, shattering the glass as it rained down to the ground.
"Sophie, come here, sweetheart." He ordered me softly as though he was concerned about frightening me and I shuffled closer as he crouched down in front of me with a reassuring smile on his lips. "Here's what going to happen, I'm going to help you out of here and you're going to run. Okay? Just run as fast as you can. Can you do that for me?"
I felt myself nodding in understanding as he squeezed both of my hands in response and he pressed a lingering kiss to my forehead before standing up with a sad smile on his lips. He knocked the remaining glass shards out of the windowpane with a determined expression and I walked closer when he beckoned me forward as I looked up at the window warily.
"Come on, honey. Time to go. Remember, you run, okay?" he clarified firmly as he settled his hands on my shoulders and I nodded my head once before he placed his hands on my waist, lifting me up towards the glassless window. The remaining glass shards scrapped my palms as I crawled through the small space and I shifted my body onto the grass outside as I started coughing. My lungs burned as though there was a fire inside of my body and I rolled onto my side with tears in my eyes as I continued to cough violently, trying to expel the smoke in my lungs.
"Sophie!" a familiar voice called out to me urgently as someone started shaking my shoulder roughly and I had the vague recollection that Scott wasn't meant to be there at the Hale House fire….
…
"Sophie!" Scott shouted in a sharp tone of voice, the authority of an Alpha echoed through my mind as I tried to gasp for breath and I was beginning to get the feeling back in my limbs as I felt someone rolling me onto my side. Violent coughs wracked my body as tears stung my eyes and a mangled sob escaped me as the pain in my lungs started to subside. I felt someone rubbing soothing circles on my back as my coughing fit eased into strangled wheezes and tears streamed down my cheeks unapologetically as reality settled over me.
The school courtyard was virtually empty as I tried to regulate my breathing, aware of the presence of my brother in front of me and two other unidentified individuals standing behind me.
Concern was etched on my brother's face as he stared down at me, his eyebrows drawn together as a frown pulled at his lips and he continued to rub circles on my back. I tried to smile reassuringly as I weakly pushed myself up into upright and he practically leaped forward to help me with a worried expression etched on his face.
"I was there, Scott." I told him in a hoarse voice as I reached out to squeeze his arm with tears in my eyes and he searched my face for any sign of distress before he pulled me into a tight embrace. "I was there, Scott. I was there."
I knew he had no idea what I was mumbling about in such a broken tone but he held me tighter to his chest as I cried into his shoulder, the tears unapologetically spilling down my cheeks. It was a combination of aspects that contributed to my emotional upheaval: experiencing a hallucination, seeing Talia alive, having Peter act like a person with humanity, the pain from the smoke inhalation, the embarrassment of having a people witness my panic act.
"Is she okay?" I heard Malia asked bluntly in a worried tone behind me and I immediately pulled back from the embrace as my tears seemed to evaporate. I wiped my cheeks from the back of my hand as I sniffled gently with embarrassment spreading through my chest and Scott tucked my brunette hair behind my ear as he studied my face intently for any sign that I was going to have another breakdown.
"I'm okay. Really, I'm fine." I told them as I internally collected myself to face whoever was standing behind me and I used my hold on Scott's arm to lift myself to my feet, groaning at the stiffness of my muscles. "Thanks for bringing me back to the present, Scott. It kinda sucked in my memory."
"You're welcome." My brother replied easily as he caught me around the waist when I wobbled on my shaky knees and I offered him a grateful smile as I got my balance back. I kept a hold of his arm as I turned around to face Malia and whoever else had witnessed one of my most vulnerable moments.
Embarrassment flooded through me when I caught sight of Theo standing next to the werecoyote with a concerned frown on his face, his arms crossed over his chest as his gaze swept over me for signs of injuries. His hazel eyes met my dark brown ones as I read the silent question in their depths and I nodded almost imperceptibly with the slight upturn of my lips to let him know I was alright.
"There's blood on your lip." Malia pointed out in what I'm sure she thought was a helpful tone as she pointed to my face and my eyes met Theo's unconsciously as I started rubbing the affected area with my thumb.
"I must have bit my lip when I was – whatever that was." I lied easily as I worked on controlling my heartbeat so that no one would pick up on the lie and she nodded with a frown but didn't look suspicious. Theo's gaze burned into the side of my head until I lifted my head and saw the smug smirk on his lips as he ducked his head to hide it from the others.
"So, um, where's Kira?" I asked abruptly as I turned to face my brother in a desperate attempt to change the subject and he blinked rapidly like he was just waking up as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the school building.
"Still at the library. And Stiles and Lydia are at the hospital." Scott answered as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and started guiding me towards the parking lot, slinging my satchel over his shoulder. Theo and Malia followed after us, obviously already aware of what was happening because they didn't appear to be surprised by the conversation taking place.
"Doing what?"
"Lydia's trying to figure out what happened to her during the surgery."
"That's where we're going? Why?" I asked in confusion as Scott opened the driver's door to my car and gently pushed me into the seat while Malia climbed in the back and Theo took the passenger seat without waiting for an invitation. My brother closed the door without answering my question and I scowled at his retreating back as he headed towards his motorbike. I scoffed to myself as I turned the ignition on and reversed out of the parking lot as I followed my brother down the familiar route to the hospital.
"We found some wires on the basement that were chewed on. We think it was another Chimera." Theo told me softly as he leaned towards me over the console, his sharp gaze scorching the side of my head and I spared him a fleeting look but didn't say anything because I could sense Malia's curious gaze on the two of us.
I parked the car out of the front of the hospital besides Scott's motorcycle and we all jumped out as we caught up with him near the automatic sliding door that lead to the lobby. People glanced at us suspiciously when we ran through the hallways but enough of the staff recognised us from times we been in to visit our mother or patients that they didn't stop us.
"You guys try to find Stiles and Lydia. We're gonna find our mom." Scott instructed the others pointedly as he glanced at them over his shoulder and Malia nodded automatically as she accepted the directive from her Alpha but Theo hesitated a moment, glancing in my direction searchingly before following after the werecoyote.
"I'll go left, you go right?" I suggested knowingly as I pointed a thumb over my shoulder and he nodded in understanding as he headed down the right hallway. I quickly spun around on my heel as I hurried down the corridor, my gaze searching for a familiar head of curls as I went by each room. After a few minutes of searching, I saw my mother leaving one of the patient bedrooms and I rushed towards her with a relieved sigh escaping me when I saw she wasn't harmed.
"Baby? What are you doing here?" mom asked in concern as I skidded to a stop in front of her and she grasped my upper arms with a worried frown on her lips as I checked over her body for any sign of injuries.
"We think there might be a Chimera around here somewhere, which means that the Dread Doctors are on the way to kill them." I explained to her in a rushed voice as I gripped her hand tightly and started leading her back down the corridor, intent on getting her to safety before anything could happen. Panic and confusion chemo signals wafted off of her as she ran with me without complaint, used to the spontaneous life and death situations that we found ourselves in.
A loud crash echoed from the fourth floor, causing me to pause momentarily as I glanced up at the roof with a frown and I swore under my breath as took off towards the nearest stairwell.
"Oh, thank God for all those spin classes, right?" mom huffed out sarcastically as she managed to keep up with my fast pace and I chuckled slightly as I pushed open the door to the fourth floor. I headed in the direction that the crash had come from at a brisk run and I skidded to a stop at the end of the corridor when I saw one of the Dread Doctors battling it out with Malia while Scott was sprawled on the floor panting for breath. My mind was thinking a million thoughts at once as it took in the scene but the frivolous part of my mind registered that the markings on this Dread Doctor were the same as the one called 'The Pathologist' in the novel.
"Oh, my God. Scott." Mom whispered under her breath as she covered her mouth with one hand and then blinked out of her shocked state as she rushed towards the nearest supply closest.
Rage flooded through my veins at the sight of my fellow pack member being assaulted and I immediately raced forward as my werewolf visage emerged with a loud growl escaping my lips. I grabbed The Pathologist's arm, stopping him from landing a punch to Malia's face and proceeded to knee him in the stomach at the same time I pushed him backwards. A thump came from behind me as the werecoyote fell to the ground but kept my concentration on blocking the attempts of violence coming from the creature in front of me.
Each punch landed on my body sent a physical pain searing through me but I ignored it as I used my training to block out the pain, to control the anger into strength and the mantra 'mind over matter' echoed through my head.
The Pathologist slammed his metal gloved hand into my stomach, causing me to let out a cry as I slouched over in agony and he took the opportunity to grab me around the throat with the opposite hand. My lungs started to burn from lack of oxygen as I reached up to grasp at his wrist, attempting to claw him loose and a wheezing noise escaped me as I choked on nothing with tears stinging my eyes.
I almost cried in relief when I spied Malia creeping up behind him and I slammed my knee into his stomach at the same time the werecoyote launched herself at his back, wrapping her arms around his throat. The Pathologist stumbled backwards as he let go of my throat and I slumped against the wall as I took a deep breath even though it hurt like hell, the burning from lack of air fading slightly.
"Sophie, Malia, come on... Run!" my mother shouted from down the end of the corridor and I risked a glance in her direction as she held the elevator doors open for us. I noticed my brother sprawled on the floor of the elevator, watching us with a worried frown on his features and panic flared inside of me, wondering why he wasn't healed enough to contribute to the fight.
Determination coursed through my body as I grabbed Malia's wrist tightly and we quickly dashed towards the elevator as my mother let go of the automatic doors. The werecoyote ran into the lift, hitting the back wall as she panted breathlessly and I skidded into the elevator just as the doors slid shut behind me.
A loud thud hit the closed door, shaking the elevator car like an earthquake and I gripped onto the railing with a startled gasp as everyone shared a horrified look.
"We never should have read that book." Scott muttered in a frustrated tone of voice as he leaned his head back against the wall of the elevator with a sigh and I took a shaky breath as I slowly slipped down the wall, bringing my knees up to my chest. I couldn't say I disagreed with him in that moment as the motion of the elevator rising caused my stomach to flip and suddenly the 'dread' in Dread Doctor made complete sense.