Status Asthmaticus Part Two:
With every laboured breath of Hayden's, I winced to myself as though her pain was my own and I felt close to tears as I rhythmically soothed her brunette hair off of her forehead. My eyes were locked on her face, afraid to blink in case I missed any signs of distress, as she murmured incoherently in her unconscious state. A shot of pain went straight through my heart as she grimaced in pain and shifted uncomfortably on the metal examination table she was lying on.
"It's not working, is it?" Liam asked softly in a pained voice from his position next to me, keeping a tight grip on Hayden's hand and I lifted my head to look at my mother on the other side of the table as she checked the bag of fluid attached to the IV.
"She should be showing signs of improvement." I murmured in a worried tone as my lips pursed in frustration and I stilled my hand on the younger girls head when her eyelids started fluttering. She groaned in the back of her throat weakly as she looked around the unfamiliar room blankly until her gaze landed on me and her eyes began to regain focus as I offered her a small smile, "Hayden?"
"Call Val... My sister... Valerie." she uttered weakly under her breath as I made vague 'shhing' sounds, trying to keep her calm so it aggravate her exhaustion and I nodded absently in confirmation as I rubbed my thumb over her hairline repeatedly.
"She's a deputy." Liam explained in retaliation to my mother's confused expression and Hayden's eyes immediately sought him out when she heard his voice, a soft smile on her lips as he squeezed her hand in response.
"I think I might know where she is. Theo just texted me about the high school. He said there's cops everywhere. Might be another Chimera." Scott said from the doorway to the exam room, lingering awkwardly compared to how Liam and I were gathered around her bedside. I glanced at him over my shoulder with a frown on my lips, instinct telling me to shield Hayden from him, that he was a potential threat, and I didn't want him anywhere near her when he was the reason she was there in the first place.
"Um, my sister... I don't want to die without my sister." Hayden whispered determinedly as she looked up at me with a tears in her eyes but I could see an echo of the fierce glint so uniquely 'Hayden'.
"I'll get her." my brother told us in a firm voice as he nodded with resolute, a hard look in his dark brown eyes as he clenched his jaw and I recognised the determination in his stance as he started to leave the room.
"Uh, wait. What are you going to tell her?" Liam asked in concern with a frown, causing Scott to pause in the doorway and turn around to face us with a genuinely befuddled expression on his features.
"If I have to, I'll tell her everything." he informed us solemnly with a helpless shrug of his shoulders and I quirked an eyebrow in surprise, reluctantly impressed that he would risk telling someone the truth so that Hayden could see her sister one last time.
Resentment settled in my stomach as I stared at his retreating back until he was out of sight and I bit the inside of my cheek as I shook my head to myself in reprimand. As hurt as I was by my brother's reaction to my confession, I was angrier at myself for letting his reaction control my emotions. I didn't want to be reliant on someone's impression of me, I didn't want what someone thought to affect my behaviour and it annoyed me that I was letting that happen.
I didn't know how much of it was because he was my brother, my twin, the person who was supposed to support me through everything, and how much of it was because he was my Alpha, my leader, the person who was supposed to believe in me. Either way, I didn't want his opinion of me to dictate my actions or change my attitude.
"Soph, can you grab everything I need for a venepuncture?" mom asked me from the other side of the table as she offered Hayden a reassuring smile, radiating maternal affection as she brushed the young girls hair out of her eyes.
I immediately walked over to the counter where the duffel bag filled with medical supplies was sitting and collected all of the necessary equipment to conduct a blood test. I quickly handed them over to my mother, allowing her to take the lead since she was the one with an actual degree in nursing and retook my place next to Liam as I placed a hand on his back comfortingly.
I bit my lower lip nervous as I watched my mother draw blood from Hayden's elbow and the girl in question moaned a little at the sudden pain as she turned her head towards me. I crouched down next to her so that my head was level with hers as I soothed her hair back and offered her a comforting smile. She tried to return the gesture but it came off more like a grimace as she leaned into my touch and one lone tear leaked from the corner of her eye, causing me to reach out to wipe it away with my thumb. Her eyelids fluttered closed as her whole body relaxed, sleep overtaking her exhausted body and her head lolled further to the side, revealing her throat to me.
A frown crept onto my lips when I caught sight of the faded irregular spots that had appeared on her skin and I shifted her brunette hair out of the way for a better look at the random pattern.
"It's on her neck too. She's getting worse, isn't she?" Liam asked in horror as he looked between me and my mother with an anxious frown on his lips, unshed tears making his blue eyes glistening.
"Yeah. Which is why we're taking her to the hospital." I announced abruptly as I stood up from my crouched position at the head of the table, my lips pursed in determination as I looked between the pair of them.
"How's that going to help?"
"We're in an animal clinic and I need equipment designed for humans. I said that we're going to take her to the hospital. I didn't say we're going through the front door."
"That sounds like a good idea." My mom agreed with a thoughtful expression as she nodded her head slowly and I sent her a tense smile in gratitude as she went about hooking the IV so that it would be portable. Liam kept a tight hold on Hayden's hand as he watched mom and I collect all of the medical equipment necessary for the move to the hospital.
"Okay, Liam, pick her up. Be careful of the tubes." I instructed him in a distracted tone of voice as I placed everything in the black duffle bag on the counter. He nodded absently in acknowledgement as he lifted Hayden off the table, one arm under her knees and the other steadying her back as her head nuzzled into the crook of his neck.
I nodded in satisfaction as I slung the strap of the bag over my shoulder and gestured for the others to proceed out of the door in front of me. Mom held the IV bag in her hand as she walked beside Liam, keeping a close eye on the unconscious girl in his arms and I followed after him as they exited the clinic using the backdoor.
My car was sitting in the same parking spot out the back of the clinic and mom opened the door so that Liam could climb into the backseat, carefully handing him the IV bag once he was settled in comfortably. She silently sat down in the passenger seat as I hurried around to the driver's side and turned on the ignition, feeling a little unnerved with my mother in the seat next to me.
The drive to the hospital was spent in complete silence, all of us too encompassed in our own thoughts and worries to even think about making conversation. The uneven thump thump thu – thump of Hayden's heartbeat seemed to echoed louder and louder until it was all I could hear, taunting me, mocking me. Desperation and heartache exuded from Liam's chemo signals, almost suffocating me and causing the guilt I felt for not being able to help her to multiply.
I felt tears sting the back of my eyes as I bit down on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying, the physical pain distracting me from the emotional upheaval I was currently experiencing. I had already allowed myself two breakdowns too many in the face of such mayhem and I needed to be strong for Liam and Hayden, they needed to see that I wasn't panicking so that they wouldn't panic.
"You should park around back, near the delivery door." mom whispered quietly as she leaned towards me and I frowned in confusion as to why as I looked over at her but complied with her instructions. She gestured with her head into the backseat with a soft smile and I looked over my shoulder, smiling slightly at the sight of both sophomore's cuddled together as they slept peacefully while they had the chance.
Liam hadn't slept the entire night at the clinic, instead choosing to sit at Hayden's bedside so that he was there if she woke up and I could tell that he was exhausted, running mainly on adrenaline and sheer force of will. It left me feeling a mixture of concerned and proud of him but whenever I voiced my thoughts to him, he refused to move from the uncomfortable chair he'd found in the office.
I shook my head fondly as I turned back to face the front of the vehicle and drove around to the back entrance of the hospital where the loading dock was situated. I found a secluded spot around in the corner, away from the prying eyes of the public and parked the car in the shadows, close enough to see the entrance.
"Liam? Honey?" I called quietly as I leaned over the seat to shake his shoulder regretfully, not wanting to wake him when he was getting sleep but knowing he wouldn't want to miss a moment with Hayden.
The Beta slowly blinked his eyes open, glancing around tiredly with a frown like he was trying to remember where he was and then his gaze landed on Hayden's sleeping face, immediately softening at the sight. Despair almost immediately replaced glint of hope in his eyes, but I could still see the obvious adoration in his expression and my stomach churned guiltily as I climbed out of the car so I wouldn't have to watch.
"I'm going to go get a wheelchair." Mom announced as she walked past me, squeezing my arm with a sympathetic smile like she knew exactly where my mind had gone in the last few moments. I nodded in acknowledgement as I turned around to help Liam get out of the car and I supported Hayden's weight until he climbed out of the car, immediately taking her back into his arms without a word.
I kept a hand on Liam's shoulder, not sure if I was offering him comfort or an effort to gain some for myself, as we walked towards the emergency exit door and I was glad that mom was already there waiting for us with a manual wheelchair. Hayden's eyes fluttered open as I helped Liam lower her into the wheelchair and she offered us a tired smile as I pressed a kiss to her forehead before stepping back.
Liam kept a tight hold on one of her hands, trying to keep his anxiety from seeping into his brave exterior and I pressed a kiss to his temple as well when I experienced a surge of pride towards him. He had been so strong for her in the moments that she'd been awake, keeping a smile on his lips and a whispering sweet-nothings to keep her from panicking, and I was exceedingly proud of him.
"Come on. The fourth floor is being renovated. We'll have privacy there." mom explained to us as she led the way towards the service elevator, routinely looking around to make sure no one was around to spot us. I pushed the wheelchair behind her, also looking over my shoulder occasionally and we waited anxiously for the elevator to arrive as Liam crouch down next to Hayden with a small smile.
"You know, I don't have a lot of good memories in this hospital. Let's try not to add to that, okay?" he quipped jokingly with a smirk on his lips but all of us could hear the honesty behind his words and she tried to smile back at him as she squeezed his hand without saying anything in response.
The elevator doors slid open to reveal an empty lift, causing the Beta to stand up from his crouched position and I pushed the wheelchair inside as mom hit the button for the fourth floor of the building. The door slid shut silently, metaphorically locking us into the situation and I winced slightly with a grimace as I raked my fingers through Hayden's brunette hair absently to comfort myself, to remind her she wasn't alone.
Silence had never seemed quite so loud as mom and I shared a morose look while Liam discreetly stared at Hayden's profile. The young girl's posture was slumped in the wheelchair, her head lolled weakly to the side and her eyelids kept fluttering closed before abruptly snapping open like she was forcing herself to stay awake.
Hayden suddenly groaned in pain as she dropped her chin to her chest with a grimace and a small cloud of black liquid bubbled into the intravenous bag, causing my eyes to widen in fright as I froze completely.
"What's happening?" Liam asked in a panic as he tightened his hold on her hand, looking over at my mom for answers with a frown and I followed his gaze with a pleading expression as I threaded my fingers through Hayden's hair absently.
"I'm not sure. But it's definitely not good." Mom admitted in a frustrated tone of voice as she checked the connection expertly and I bit my lower lip nervously as I shifted on my feet anxiously.
"My sister..." Hayden whispered in a hoarse voice as she weakly lifted her head to look at us, tears brimming her eyes as her lower lip trembled but she tried to keep up a strong appearance.
"Scott's out looking for her right now." I told her softly in a compassionate tone as I crouched down next to her, reaching out to cup her face with one hand as I rubbed my thumb over her cheekbone. "He's going to bring her here as soon as he can, all right?"
My touch seemed to calm her down as her muscles relaxed, closing her eyes with a semi-peaceful expression and I pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead as I was standing up from my crouch. I ran my hand through her brunette hair as I turned to face my mother with a serious expression and I leaned towards her like I was going to reveal a secret as I lowered my voice until it was barely a whisper, "If Scott doesn't get here in time, I'm going to kill him."
Mom placed a comforting hand on my arm with a sympathetic expression and I gritted my teeth angrily as I turned away from her, unable to take the sight without feeling sick to my stomach. The elevator made a soft 'ping' sound as the doors slid open to reveal an empty corridor and mom led the way out as I followed behind with Liam and Hayden. The entire floor smelled of paint and drywall dust, a sure sign of renovations taking place but luckily for us, no one was working on the weekend. The overhead lights weren't connected to the electricity so only light illuminated from the dimly lit lamps on the wall.
"Come down here. This way." Mom told us quietly as she led us into an unused operating theatre where old equipment was being housed and Liam gently laid Hayden down on the gurney in the middle of the room. I pushed the empty wheelchair haphazardly off to the side of the room and mom quickly reattached the IV bag to the hook over the gurney so that it wasn't in the way.
Hayden groaned under her breath with a grimace twisting her features as she cringed away from Liam's touch and he flinched subconsciously at the rejection as she fell back into an uneasy sleep. The expression on his face, the utter and complete heartache, caused my anger at my brother to spike and I felt the overwhelming urge to punch him in the face the next time I saw him. It wasn't fair to make Liam watch his first love slowly die in front of him, and Scott, out of everyone, should have been more sympathetic to his dilemma.
A strangled cry escaped Liam as he propelled himself away from the table with a scowl on his lips and I could see the carotid artery in his neck throbbed angrily as the rage pheromones threatened to overwhelm me. He stalked to the opposite side of the room with his hands on his head as his breathing became laboured and he let out an animalistic roar as he slammed a fist into the closest wall, causing plaster to shower down around him.
I shared a look with my mother, a mixture of concern and wariness, as he folded his arms on the wall before collapsing his forehead against his forearms and I could hear the nearly silent sobs coming from that side of the room. My eyes burned with unshed tears as I buried my face in my hands, holding back a sob of my own and I felt mom rubbing soothing circles on my back as I struggled to pull myself together. I couldn't do this, not yet, not when Hayden and Liam needed me to be strong for them, when they needed the opportunity to fall apart with the knowledge that someone was there to catch them.
Pain pulsated through my body, a physical manifestation of my emotional turmoil and I stumbled backwards until I ran into the counter behind me because my knees were feeling too weak to stand on my own without support. I exhaled shakily as I squeezed my eyes closed for a moment, trying to regulate my breathing so that I didn't feel like I was suffocating and I bent down at the waist as I took a few deep breaths to steady myself before I collapsed onto the floor.
"I can't – I can't sit here and do nothing!" Liam shouted angrily from the other side of the room as he smashed the wall from his fist and abruptly spun around to face us, his eyes burning amber in his emotionally unstable state. "I can't just sit here and wait for her to die!"
Tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably as I watched him pace on the other side of the room, his eyes flashing between his normal blue and fierce amber as he snarled angrily at nothing in particular. I couldn't help Hayden, and now I couldn't help Liam, it was devastating to realise that there was nothing you could for the people you loved most in the world.
"Ahh!" Liam roared furiously as he repeatedly punched the closest wall to him, the plaster crumbling under the strength behind the throw and mom flinched at the sight in front of her as she took a step back.
"Then leave!" I shouted loudly over the sound of drywall collapsing and his incoherent snarls, causing him to freeze instantly with his back towards me. "If you can't be here right now, that's okay. If you need something to do right now, I'll give you something. If you need me to give you a hug, I'll give you hug. If you need me to give you a pep talk, I'll give you a pep talk. But Liam, I can't read your mind, and I don't have the patience right now to try, so talk to me. What. Do. You. Need? What do you need from me?!"
Liam didn't move a muscle, the only sound in the room was his laboured breathing and I wrapped an arm around my waist as though I was trying to physically keep myself together. My lower lip was trembling as tears streamed down my cheeks unapologetically and I choked on a sob while shaking my head solemnly as I pleaded softly in a broken voice, "Please, Liam. Please just tell me what I can do for you?"
"Give me an order. Give me something to do. Give me a purpose." he responded in an equally quiet voice without moving, without turning around and I closed my eyes for a moment at the shattered tone in his voice.
"Okay. I can do that. Go find Valerie. Go fulfil Hayden's wish. Go." I ordered him in the sternness voice I could muster as I pushed myself off of the counter with a blank expression on my features and he turned around to face me with unshed tears in his eyes. "Go. Mason's on his way to keep us company. I'll call you if anything changes. Go."
A fierce determination entered his eyes now that he had a clear directive to follow and he nodded once before stalking out of the room, glancing back towards Hayden on the way out. I stared blankly at the empty doorway, almost uncomprehendingly as I bit down on my lower lip until I experienced the familiar rustic taste of blood.
"We're going to need another bag of saline soon." Mom murmured behind me in a concerned voice, snapping me out of my unresponsive state and I turned around to face her as she fussed over Hayden's unconscious body fretfully.
"Mason's on his way. I texted him earlier when we were discussing moving to the hospital. He's bringing more supplies." I told her quietly as I moved to stand next to the gurney, taking the younger girl's hand in mine and lifted it to my lips as I pressed a kiss to her palm.
I could feel my mother's eyes burning into the top of my head and I knew she was concerned for my wellbeing, my mental state, but I refused to acknowledge that she might have a point to be worried. With everything that I had been through, I hadn't ever felt more vulnerable standing at Hayden's bedside, not knowing if she was going to survive through the day.
It was like there was a rubber band inside of me, slowly stretching with each passing minute, and if it got any tighter, it would snap, sending me into a downward spiral I didn't know if I could get myself out of. There was tunnel in front of me and instead of a light at the end of the line, there was only more darkness waiting for me.
I sniffled gently as I brushed the tears off of my cheek with the back of my free hand, unwilling to release the skin-on-skin contact I had established with Hayden in case she was aware of my presence. There were scientific studies that showed people in comas were aware of outside stimulus and who was I to argue with scientific evidence?
The sound of footsteps rushing towards the operating theatre alerted me to the presence of an intruder and I immediately released my hold on Hayden's hand as my eyes locked on the clear plastic curtaining the room from the corridor. I positioned myself in front of the gurney, blocking the unconscious girl and my very human mother from view as I held a defensive stance, ready to attack at a moment's notice.
Mason appeared in the entryway with an armful of clear saline bags and a worried expression on his face, causing the tension to ebb out of my body in relief as he stumbled over the debris on his way over to us.
"Over here, yeah." Mom directed him professionally as she accepted the medical supplies from the sophomore and she went about replacing the empty saline bag as I wrapped Mason in a tight embrace. He clung to me as though I was the only thing keeping him together and I felt another weight added to my shoulders, a weight I would gladly bare for those I cared about.
"Shouldn't we be talking to one of the doctors?" Mason asked warily as he pulled out of the embrace, discreetly wiping the tears from underneath his eyes and I kept a hand on the centre of his back in an effort to give him some comfort as he shifted nervously on his feet beside me.
"I've been wrestling with that for hours. Do we bring them in and watch them treat her as a normal patient, while we stand here knowing that's not going to work? Or do we keep trying everything medically possible to save her, while her body does things that shouldn't be medically possible?"
"Is she dying?"
Mason's innocent query was meet with complete silence as he looked in between mom and me with wide eyes, and bile rose in the back of my throat but I forced it down as I closed my eyes against the overwhelming urge to cry.
"With the amount of mercury in her body right now…she shouldn't even be alive." I admitted to him in a soft tone of voice as I rubbed his back soothingly and he looked down at his feet with a pained expression as his shoulders slumped in defeat. I instinctively wrapped an arm around the younger boy, pulling him into my side and he remained stiff for a moment before crumbling into my embrace as sobs wracked his body. I felt tears sting my eyes as I gently turned us away from the gurney so Hayden was out of sight and tightened my arms around him, squeezing my eyes closed as I tried to block out his heartbroken sobs.
This was exactly what I was hoping to avoid when Mason joined the pack: the loss of his innocence.
We'd all suffered through it at some point since being introduced to the supernatural. Scott, Stiles and Allison – when they'd sacrificed themselves for our parents. Lydia – when she'd been attacked by Peter at the winter formal. Isaac – when he was arrested for his father's murder. Derek – when he'd performed one last act of mercy for Paige. Malia – when she'd been transformed back into a human, only to realise her mother and sister were dead. Liam – when he was stabbed with a knife coated in wolfsbane and left at the bottom of a well. Kira – when she was kidnapped by Kate. Me – the moment I heard about the Hale House fire.
It wasn't something I wanted Mason to go through because I knew it only happened through miserable circumstances and I didn't want bright, happy Mason to go through anything bad. But that was life, and I couldn't protect him from this. All I could do was hold on him tightly, offer him my support and comfort at a time when he needed me.
The sudden sound of rapid beeping interrupted the moment, sending a spike of panic through my veins as I instantly released Mason and we both spun around to stare at the girl on the gurney. Hayden was paler than before as her head lolled to the side and the EKG machine she was hooked up to was echoing in the silent room, the line fluctuating as her vital signs dropped.
"Oh, no, no, no, no..." I murmured in denial as I rushed over to her side and I placed my hand over her heart as I urged my Druid healing powers to do what they could to prolong her life. I closed my eyes tightly as I envisioned the air entering her lungs, the oxygen mingling with her blood and her heart pulsating the life force through her entire body.
I sighed in relief when I heard the bittersweet song of her heart beating on its own accord and I stepped back from the gurney as the EKG stopped beeping, the line on the screen evening out. I placed my hands on top of my head as I exhaled slowly and I stumbled back a step when a wave of nausea hit me, the exertion from the magic almost knocking me over.
"I won't be able to do that again." I informed the others solemnly as I reached out to brush my fingers over Hayden's hairline affectionately and mom placed a hand on my back momentarily before going to checking the unconscious girl's vital signs. I licked my lips nervously as I turned my attention to the boy standing next to me and he shifted on his feet as he stared at his friend's features, looking at me when I placed a hand on his arm to get his attention, "I think you better get Liam."
"What about Scott?" Mason asked shakily as he rubbed a hand over his head, a nervous habit of his I'd noticed since he joined the pack and I looked away at the mention of my brother as anger pulsed through me.
Promises to me were worse than lies; they made you hope, they gave you expectations. Scott promised that he would bring Valerie, he promised that he would always be there for me, but now when Hayden needed him, when I needed him, he was nowhere to be found. That was the funny thing about being hurt, the ones who hurt you the most were the ones who swore they never would. My twin's contempt towards my confession had broken my heart, his disregard for his best friend's inner turmoil had confused me, his abandonment of Hayden, Liam and I in our time of need severely pissed me off.
"He's not answering. And if Liam wants to be with her, he needs to get here now. Because she's dying, and I don't know what else to do." Mom said hopelessly with a frown as she kept hers eyes on the screen monitoring Hayden's heartbeat and Mason's eyes widened as he pointed a finger towards his chest in question, causing her to nod her head in answer. "Go. I will text you if anything changes."
The dark-skinned boy hesitated unsurely as he glanced in my direction while biting his lower lip and I forced myself to smile slightly in reassurance that I was okay on my own as I rubbed his shoulder affectionately. "Just get him here, Mason. Go."
I pressed a kiss to his cheek before pushing him towards the exit and he stumbled his way out of the operating theatre, glancing continuously over his shoulder as though we would disappear into thin air.
I collapsed onto the side of the gurney, my forehead pressed against the cold metal and my fingers gripped the edge tightly until my knuckles were turning white from the pressure. The metal was bending under the strength of my hold, leaving finger imprints in their wake and I squeezed my eyes closed until I could see flashing intertwining with the darkness.
The emotional wall that stood tall inside of me, the metaphoric barrier that compartmentalised every situation we found ourselves in, it was starting to crack under the pressure. Every new heartache acted like a wrecking ball, attempting to create a hole in the wall and I was one hit away from imploding like it was scheduled for demolition.
My breaths came out in short pants, lungs constricting shallowly as I tried not to have a panic attack and sound was suddenly warped, becoming a gargled mess that I couldn't even begin to understand. I stumbled backwards until my back knocked against the counter behind me and I slipped down to the ground as I brought my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as I buried my face in my knees. I was subconsciously shaking my head in denial as tears flowed freely down my cheeks and a sharp pinching sensation in my chest was aggravating me as I sobbed without a care in the world. I was beyond caring how the world saw me, there was no one here to see except my mother anyway. There was no one to be strong for, no one to plaster a fake smile on for, no one to judge me, no one to witness my breakdown.
Sorrow and pain and hurt took residence in my heart as my shoulders shook with the force of my sobs and I hated every moment of it with every fibre of my being. It wasn't fair, none of it was fair. I didn't deserve to suffer, Hayden didn't deserve to die, Liam didn't deserve to endure such pain. None of us deserved it, but it was happening anyway. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.
A strangled cry escaped my lips as I threw my head back against the cabinet door behind me, relishing in the physical pain for a moment as I subconsciously rocked back and forth. I could vaguely hear the uneven, irregular heartbeat coming from the young girl on the gurney across the room and it echoed through my mind, taunting me with it sluggish pace. I bit down on my lower lip until I could taste the rustic tangy sensation of blood mixing with the saltiness of my tears.
It wasn't just Hayden's situation; it was everything.
There was a built up consortium of anger, and pain, and confusion, and every bad emotion that I had ever experienced. And the dam had chosen the most inconvenient time to break, allowing all of those feelings to come flooding through me. It was too overwhelming as I started gasping for air, my lungs burning for the oxygen they were deprived of and I closed my eyes as I tried to focus on one emotion, to latch onto one thing that made me feel steady.
"Ahhh!" I screamed loudly in anger as I climbed to my feet, trying to release the pain from inside of me and I spun around towards the counter behind me as I swept my arm out wildly. Abandoned glass beakers shattered onto the ground as blank sheets of paper went flying through the air but I ignored them as I stalked my way over to the other side of the room and let out an enraged snarl as I pushed an old school desktop computer monitor onto the ground. The screen smashed upon connection to the floor and I stood over it, breathing heavily as I glared at it like it was the one who had initiated my self-destruct sequence.
I covered my mouth with one hand as the other arm curled around my stomach protectively, my shoulders shaking from the force of my sobs and I hunched over slightly as though there was something weighing on me.
Someone stepped up behind me as they placed a hand on my shoulder and I sunk down to my knees, forcing them to follow my movements. My mother wrapped her arms around me, pulling me in to lean my head on her chest as I cried uncontrollably and she didn't say anything because no words were needed.
"Mommy!" I choked out through a sob as I curled the fabric of her shirt in my fists and she tightened her arms around me as she gently rocked us back and forth. I was basically curled up in her lap but I didn't feel any shame; I just needed my mum to hold me in her arms.
It didn't matter that I was an eighteen year old woman, it didn't matter that I was nearly in college, it didn't matter that I had blood on my hands, it didn't matter that I had had sex, it didn't matter that I had seen more death than most did in a lifetime, I didn't matter that I had been tortured, it didn't matter. Nothing seemed to matter at that moment; I just needed my mum to hold me in her arms.
Mom made incoherent soothing sounds as she ran her finger through my brunette hair, frequently pressing random kisses to the top of my head and I eventually calmed down to soft whimpers instead of blubbering sobs. I took a shuddering breath as I leaned heavily against her chest and she tightened the embrace as I felt the strangle-like hold on my heart loosen. Just having her support, her affection was enough to lighten the heavy burden that sat upon my shoulders and I loved her all the more for it.
A sharp piercing noise ripped through the operating theatre, a familiar sound that sent a wave of panic flooding through my veins and I scrambled to my feet with wide eyes as my gaze locked on the unconscious girl on the gurney.
"No, no, no. Hayden!" I cried in a broken voice as I grasped either side of her face, turning her head towards me and my gaze flickered up to the EKG machine screen as I suppressed a scream at the sight of the flat line indicating no heartbeat. "Come on, Sunshine! Wake up! Wake up! Come on!"
A singe silver tinted teardrop rolled down Hayden's cheek as her head went limp in my hands and I shook my head in denial as I whispered pleadingly through my tears, "Please…"
Silence filled the room; the EKG ended its constant beeping, I held my breath and Hayden's heart stopped beating. It was the kind of silence that weighed you down. It was the kind of silence that was so heavy with unsaid words that it caused you sagged under the weight. It was the kind of silence that no one dared to break.
Tears were streaming down my cheeks but I barely noticed them anymore as I clutched onto her hand so hard the bones cracked slightly under the pressure and I couldn't do anything but stare at her motionless features. My chest felt hollow, like some part of me was missing and I didn't even know it was a part of me until it was gone.
And all of a sudden I felt so incredibly tired, like the world had drained me any fight left inside of me.
I stumped against the gurney, resting my forehead on Hayden's chest as I gripped the material of her shirt in my fist and I thought for one mere second: what if it had been me lying there instead?
"Sophie…" my mother whispered mournfully as she placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and I was reminded of the fact that I had people counting on me, that I had people who needed me, who loved me. And I wasn't allowed to give up, I wasn't allowed to be selfish. What I needed to do was focus on them, to turn my attention to the people still alive that needed me so that I wouldn't think about the fact that I failed Allison, that I failed Aiden, that I failed all of the chimera's…that I failed Hayden.
"Liam. I have to go get Liam." I stated emotionlessly as I lifted my head from Hayden's body and mom looked at me with a saddened expression, causing me to shake my head to knock some sense into myself. I didn't want to worry her, I didn't want to cause her any stress, and so I plastered a small smile on my lips as I reached out squeeze her arm to let her know I was going to be fine. "I need to go get Liam. He needs to be here."
"I understand. I'll stay here with Hayden." she told me solemnly as she pressed a kiss to my forehead affectionately and I nodded in response as I headed towards the plastic covered entranceway.
I paused before exiting as I turned back around to face them with a sorrowful expression and I forced myself not to glance in Hayden's direction as I told mom gently, "Um, if Jordan comes to take the body, don't get in the way, okay? He's not in the right mind when he goes into body-collector mode, and I don't want you to get hurt."
"Got it. Stay away from the burning man." She quipped with a soft smile as she nodded her head in acknowledgement and my lips turned up at the corners as I returned the gesture before stepping out into the corridor.
Beacon Hills High School was one place I detested coming to at night. It was a place and time that bad things happened; a lesson that had been taught time and time again. The full moon cast an ominous glow on the building as I raced towards the front door with purposeful strides, the gravel of the parking lot digging into my bare feet since my shoes had been abandoned at the police station.
The empty corridors of the institution echoed with silence as I entered without leaving a trace that I was there at all, as masterful as a thief in the middle of a heist; skilled and undetected.
No inch of the hallway was left unobserved as my gaze flickered around for any sign of Liam or Scott, my pulse racing in anxious anticipation as I basically ran down the corridor. I froze momentarily when I heard footsteps racing towards my position and I tensed in case it was a threat, distancing my feet as I squared my shoulders at the ready to defend myself if necessary.
The familiar scent of Mason's cologne invaded my nose seconds before he rounded the corner at a run and he skidded to a stop in front of me with wide eyes as he tried to catch his breath. "So – Sophie. Checked – everywhere. Can't – find – Liam. Must be – in the – library."
"Hayden – she, uh, she – " I stuttered nervously in a small voice as I shifted on my feet, unsure how he was going to react to the news and he seemed to stop breathing entirely as he stared at me blankly. "I'm so sorry, Mason. I'm sorry."
"Um, uh, I don't – I don't know what to say."
"I know. I know, honey." I murmured quietly as I pulled him into a tight embrace, unshed tears stinging my eyes and he sniffled gently into the crook of my neck as he wrapped his arms around my waist. We stood wrapped in each other, clinging to each other in an effort to draw comfort from the other. No matter how strong I tried to be for everyone else, I had reached a breaking point and all I needed was a simple hug to remind me that someone was there.
"We have to tell Liam." he said with a desolate sigh escaping him as he pulled back from the embrace and I smiled sadly as I used my thumb to wipe away a few of the tears that had made their way down his cheek.
"Let's go check the library. Come on." I said in a calm tone of voice as I linked my arm through his with a small smile and he nodded in agreement as we started walking at a hurried pace down the corridor. The silence between us wasn't an awkward one; even though we hadn't known each other long and we had only ever hung out with Liam there to act as a buffer between us.
The double doors of the newly renovated library came into view as we rounded the corner and I heard the faint sound of flesh hitting flesh, a familiar noise from years of physical training sessions. My eyes widened as I let go of Mason's arm, flinging both the doors open roughly and running into the spacious room with wide eyes.
I froze in horror at the scene taking place in front of me; Scott sprawled haplessly at the base of the steps in the middle of the room, blood coating his face as he tried to use his forearm as a shield and Liam on top of him, fully transformed as he used to his sharpened claws to scratch at him in rapid fire.
The situation didn't even begin to compute in my mind; it was just unconceivable because no way was Liam attacking Scott. It just didn't make sense to me. I knew Liam was furious about Scott's decision regarding Hayden and I knew the Supermoon only fuelled his aggression, but there wasn't any way Liam was attacking Scott.
"Liam! Liam! Liam! Liam!" Mason shouted loudly as he ran past me, not seeming to have the same problem as me, and I sucked in a sharp breath as I was broken out of my shocked stupor by the volume of his exclamation.
"Liam, what are you doing?" he asked in a horrified tone as his eyes glistened with tears, his lips parted in disbelief and I slowly walked up beside him as I placed a comforting hand on his arm with tears slipping down my cheeks.
"Liam!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as my eyes locked at the sight of my twin brother's bloodied face and the Beta suddenly ceased all movement with his arms raised over his head, his claws shining with blood when the moonlight caught them at the right angle. "Please. Stop."
There was a desperate quality to my voice, a vulnerability I couldn't remember ever possessing. Never in my life had I begged someone for anything. I'd been taunted, and tortured, and pushed past the point of breaking, but I had never begged, never given anyone the benefit. But I was willing to do anything, anything, at that moment to save my brother. Both of my brothers. Because I didn't think Liam would survive knowing that he killed someone once he calmed down from his aggression fuelled haze.
"Liam…" I whispered softly, my voice cracking with pain as my hands shook for the first time in my life and I didn't know what to do in that moment, I didn't know how to help, how to…I just didn't know.
The Beta slowly lifted his head with his back still facing towards me and he carefully rose to his feet as he lowered his hand back down to his hand, clenching it into a fist. I adverted my gaze from Scott's injured face as Liam backed away from his Alpha's sprawled body and I fought the urge to rush over to his side to check on him, to make sure he was healing properly.
Liam's eyes glowed a frightening amber as he turned his head towards me, his canines elongated into fangs and his breaths coming out in angry huffs as he clenched and unclenched his hands. Blood dripped from his palms as he slowly morphed back into the handsome young man he was, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears as he steadily refused to meet my gaze.
"Hayden. She's gone. Hayden died a few minutes ago. She's gone." I managed to stutter out in the barest form of a whisper as I wrapped both my arms around my stomach, metaphorically keeping myself from coming apart at the seams.
The sophomore's head snapped up to meet my eyes with a horrified expression and I immediately diverted my gaze, unable to look him in the eye at the moment. There were just too many unknown emotions that I was experiencing at the moment, too many conflicting feelings and I didn't have time to process them, or maybe I didn't want to.
The scent of blood wafted through the air as I turned my attention back to my brother's nearly unconscious form and a pained groan escaped him, sending a sharp agonised pain straight to my heart. A whimper sounded through the room and I was surprised to find that the noise had come from me as I pressed my lips together in a tight line so that it wouldn't happen again. I vaguely heard someone leaving the library but I couldn't bring myself to care who it was and my legs were carrying me across the room until I was kneeling down next to my brother. My hands hovered over the deep scratches that marred his chest, not sure if touching them would help or hinder the healing process.
"So – Sophie…" Scott whispered weakly through panted breaths as his head lolled towards me, his eyelids drooping with exhaustion and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from crying as I brushed my fingertips over his forehead.
At that moment, it didn't matter how angry I was at him and it didn't matter how disappointed he was with me, all that mattered was that he needed me and I needed him to be okay.
I closed my eyes as I focused on pulling on the invisible thread of magic inside of me, unravelling it until the wounds started slowly healing. I blindly reached out to grab his hand in mine, wincing when I felt the excruciating pain he was experiencing and I tensed in anticipation as I transferred the pain into my body. I squeezed my eyes closed tighter as I bit down on my tongue until I tasted blood in my mouth and a muffled groan escaped me as Scott roughly pulled his hand out of mine, causing my eyes to fly open in shock.
"Stop. I'm okay." he whispered softly in a hoarse voice as he tried to pull himself into sitting positon and I immediately reached out to help him with a frown on my lips. My gaze lingered on his healing wounds in concern as he started to stand up with my help and he attempted a reassuring smile in my direction but the effect was ruined when he stumbled. I wrapped an arm around his waist to help stabilise him so he didn't tumble over and hurt himself worse, ignoring the slight flinch he gave at my touch. I told myself that it was just because of his injuries, and not because he couldn't stand being near me now that he knew the truth.
"Scott… What the hell happened?" I asked him in confusion as I glanced around quickly to find that Liam was no longer in the room and Mason ran over to assist me in helping my brother out of the library.
"It's the Supermoon. It was just..."
"Bad timing." A familiar voice hissed angrily from the entrance to the library and my head flew up in shock as I watched Theo stalk across the room with a menacing expression on his handsome face. His hazel eyes were blazing with rage, a deep scowl etched on his lips and when he spoke it came out in an annoyed tone, "I mean, seriously. You couldn't have waited five minutes?"
Confusion warred inside of me as I tried to process what the hell was happening in front of me, but there was a little voice in the back of my mind that sounded suspiciously like Stiles whispering, 'I knew it! I knew it! I was right! He is evil!'
My mouth parted as though I was about to say something but before I could formulate any words, Theo was approaching our huddled group with purposeful strides and a wicked glint in his eyes that frightened me enough into taking a step backwards. My heartbeat accelerated as I stepped in front of the others protectively, knowing that Mason was human and Scott was still recovering from his injuries.
My mind was so muddled, and confused, that I didn't have enough time to defend myself as Theo backhanded me across the face. I bit back a cry of pain as I landed sprawled on the carpeted floor, my cheek stinging from the harsh connection and a sharp pain radiating from my wrist where I landed on it at the wrong angle. I sucked in a painful inhale as I quickly snapped my radius back into place before it could heal incorrectly and then sighed in relief as the bone started to fuse back together.
A loud crash came from behind me and I snapped my head around in horror, furious at myself for momentarily forgetting that I wasn't the only one in danger. My eyes widened at the crumbled figure lying beside a desk on the other side of the room, and my heartrate accelerated in fear as I focused my hearing on Mason's chest, calming slightly when I heard the steady beat of his heart.
"I should've stayed. I should've made sure." Theo scolded himself with an exasperated shake of his head as he chuckled bitterly and he sauntered closer to where my brother was standing, holding his still healing abdomen.
"Because now you have to kill me yourself." Scott told him in a firm tone as he held his head high, a hard glint in his dark brown eyes and it had never been more obvious that he was an Alpha.
An enraged snarl escaped Theo's lips as he stepped closer so that he was directly in front of Scott and my eyes widened in horror as he sunk his elongated claws into my brother's abdomen. Scott gave a short cry of pain as he crumpled forward but Theo caught him, keeping him upright and my brother grimaced as blood seeped around the intruding claws so that it stained the fabric of his shirt.
I exclaimed wordlessly in surprise as I scrambled onto my feet, not even thinking of anything other than saving my brother and I didn't hesitate to launch myself in their direction. Theo's arm move faster than my eyes could process; one moment I was practically flying towards them and the next there was a hand curled tightly around my throat. The breath caught in my throat as the pressure crushed my larynx, a muffled choking noise sounded throughout the room and it took me a moment to understand that it was coming from me.
Unshed tears stung my eyes as I looked into Theo's enraged hazel orbs and I tried to find a scrap of the kind-hearted guy that had saved me from The Dread Doctors, who had crept into my bedroom window to check on me. It was like a totally different person standing in front of me, one hand wrapped around my throat and the other still embedded inside my brother's abdomen. But it occurred to me that maybe he didn't change, maybe I never really knew what kind of person he was, maybe the mask had just fallen off to reveal who he truly was underneath.
"Tsk. Tsk. I can't have you interfering, Sophie." Theo scolded me like I was a disobedient child that he gotten in the way and I choked on air as I tried frantically to scratch at the hand wrapped around my throat. He offered me a bitter smile as he slammed his foot into my knee and pain radiated throughout my body as my kneecap shattered from the contact. My leg bent at an unnatural angle as I slumped forward, hoping to ease the agony but the movement just caused the hand around my throat to tighten. All I wanted to do was scream out in anguish but no sound came from my mouth because of the injury to my windpipe and it was caused more pain.
"They're still mine." Scott whispered hoarsely, drawing Theo's attention away from me with a frantic glint in his dark brown eyes and he snapped his head around to face my brother as his hazel eyes narrowed furiously.
"Maybe not yet, but they'll come around."
"Not for you. They're not like you. They never will be."
"Because I'm a Chimera? Because I'm not a real werewolf?" Theo asked in a deadly whisper, a trace of mocking in his voice as his lips tilted into what seemed to be a self-deprecating smile.
Scott closed his eyes for a moment as he shook his head to himself, like he was disappointed by the other werewolf's response and when he opened his eyes, there was a newly established intensity in them. "Because you're barely even human."
An enraged growl escaped from Theo as he drove his claws deeper into Scott's abdomen and tears streamed down my cheeks while I watched helplessly as my brother collapsed onto the floor at my feet. I tried to go to him but the hand around my neck tightened mercilessly as Theo started to forcibly drag me backwards, getting further and further away from where I so desperately wanted to be.
My eyes connected with my brother's; the bright scarlet slowly starting to dim as he looked at me like he wanted to say something, like he needed to say something. his lips parted as though he was about to speak but the light faded from his eyes and all movement ceased as the thump, thump, thump of his heart slowed down until it was almost undetectable.
"No!" I attempted to shout in protest but it came out more like a hoarse whisper, causing my throat to sting angrily and Theo roughly jerked me to a stop in front of the double doors to the library. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I attempted to shake my head in denial but the pressure around my neck constricted my movement.
Theo roughly gripped my chin in his hand, forcibly turning my head away from my brother and I fought against his hold but he tightened his hold until my mandible cracked under the pressure. I cringed in as I glared at him furiously and he smirked back at me as his hazel eyes glittered maliciously, seemingly taking pleasure from my pain.
"Come on, Sophie. Where's the inquisitive girl that cornered me in the gym? Don't you want to know my evil, dastardly plan?" he whispered mockingly as he leaned closer to me, his warm breath hitting my ear and causing me to shiver uncomfortably at his close proximity. "It's the coyote part you don't notice. It's why Malia trusted me first, even though she probably didn't know it. Scott found the perfect word though, Sophie. Because a Chimera isn't just a monster with different parts. It can also mean something impossible to achieve. An unrealizable dream."
"And they realized you?" I asked in a husky voice as my larynx started to heal, making me realise that he had loosened his hold until it was almost a sensual caress and I instantly tensed but made no move to get away because I didn't want to stop him from revealing his plans like a Bond villain.
"They came close with me. But we can't all be perfect. Not like you. The perfect Chimera. The natural Chimera. A True Chimera." he stated tauntingly as his eyes hardened but the smirk stayed etched on his lips and I flinched when he trailed his finger down my cheek, leaving a smudge of my brother's blood on my skin.
"I never lied about why I came to Beacon Hills." he continued conversationally like we'd just run into each other on the street and I narrowed my eyes at him as he grinned charismatically, reminding me of a politician running for office. "I'm here for a pack. I came for the werecoyote. The one whose first instinct is to kill. I came for the Banshee, the girl surrounded by death. I came for the dark Kitsune, the Beta with anger issues...I came for Void Stiles. I came for the True Darach, the dark druid. That's the pack I want. Unfortunately, it doesn't include Scott."
Theo gripped my chin in his hand, tilting my head up to meet his eyes and I felt my pulse racing at the reminder that my brother was gone. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to beg for it not to be true, I wanted to hear my brother's voice, I wanted…I wanted to wake up from this nightmare.
I couldn't believe my brother's murderer was standing in front of me, grinning without a care in the world and anger flooded through my veins as my glare intensified. There was a rage buried deep inside of me but every second was bringing to closer and closer to the service. Maybe it was a delayed effect of the Supermoon, maybe I was just a naturally angry person, or maybe it was because I was standing in front of a murderous sociopath.
"Your heartbeat's rising, Sophie. It's not because you're afraid. And it's not because you're turned on." Theo whispered huskily in my ear as his fingers drifted down the side of my neck and I flinched when he leaned in close to press an open-mouth kiss to my pulse point, causing my hands to clench into fists. A dark chuckle escaped his lips as he lifted his head slightly to meet my eyes and he smirked in satisfaction at my glare as he whispered tauntingly, "You've still got more blood on your hands than any of us."
"I'm about to get more." I hissed furiously as I grabbed his wrist to stop him from touching me, feeling disgusted by the mere thought and his eyes sparkled in amusement as he grinned sadistically. I immediately slammed my knee into his stomach, relishing in the sound of him grunting in pain and I swiftly grabbed the back of his neck as I smashed his face into my knee with ease.
Blood poured from his nose as he stepped down on my foot from all of his strength and I subconsciously stepped backwards as he stood back up straight with a blank expression on his face. I aimed a punch at his face but he grabbed my wrist to stop me as he roughly twisted it around behind my back and I hissed in pain as I shifted my shoulder forward with all of my strength until it dislocated. I ignored the agony it caused as his grip loosened on my arm and I took my chance to spin out of his reach as I immediately slammed the heel of my hand into his nose.
A loud snarl escaped from him as he stood up with blood coating his face and his eyes flashing with a mixture of amusement, anger and bitterness as he smirked at me. "I do like you, Sophie. We're going to have so much fun together."
"Go to hell." I spat at him angrily with a scowl on my lips as I narrowed my eyes at him and he chuckled darkly as he his body started rippling like something was underneath his skin. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he transformed into a black furred coyote right in front of me and I scoffed derisively in disbelief as I started towards him but he raced out of the library before I could catch him.
"Sophie!" Mason called out from behind me in a horrified tone of voice and my breath caught in my throat as guilt churned in my stomach for having forgotten that he may have been injured. I immediately shock away the notion of chasing after Theo and rushed back into the main section of the library.
My eyes watered at the sight of the human kneeling next to my brother's body, his hands stained red with blood as he applied pressure to the wound and I sprinted over to them as the words of denial tumbled out of mouth at a rapid pace, "Scott! Scott! No, no, no, no, no, no, no..."
I threw myself onto my knees on the opposite Mason as my hands fluttered over his chest before all of my first-aid training came to mind and I placed my hands over his heart as I started chest compressions in an attempt to revive him. "One, two, three, four, five..."
"What are you doing?"
"Six, seven, eight..."
"What are you doing?" Mason repeated the question louder in an effort to draw my attention as he reached for my hands but I easily swatted them away without stopping the compressions on his chest.
"Bringing him back." I told him in determination with my voice full of steely resolve and I saw him move slightly from the corner of my eye but didn't look at him directly.
"But his... His heart. He... He hasn't had a pulse in over 15 minutes. You can't bring someone back that's..." he trailed off sympathetically as he reached over to place his hand on my shoulder, in what I'm sure he thought as a supportive move but I just glowered to myself in denial.
Tears blurred my eyes but I stubbornly refused to let them fall as I gritted my teeth and pumped harder on Scott's chest with my clasped hands as I retorted in a hard tone, "He's not someone. He's my brother. And he's an Alpha. And he's too strong to die like this!"
The volume of my shout seemed to startle Mason enough that he removed his hand from my shoulder like I had burned him and I let out a strangled cry as I used one hand to reach into my shorts pocket while continuing the compressions. My fingers wrapped around the pocket knife I had started to keep on hand in case I needed a weapon and I took a deep breath to prepare myself as I placed the sharp metal point of the blade in the centre of my brother's chest.
"Sophie…Sophie, what are you doing?" Mason asked me in a frightened tone as he stared at me with wide eyes, looking at me as though I had gone insane and he was debating whether or not he was safe in my vicinity.
"I'm doing what I always do. I'm doing what I have to." I told him honestly as I met his dark brown eyes intensely and he swallowed roughly without a word as he nodded slightly in either acknowledgement or understanding.
Without another word on the subject, I pressed the blade down the side of my brother's chest between the ribs with enough pressure to slice through the skin and muscle. Once the thoracotomy was complete, I tossed the blood coated blade onto the ground beside me and immediately I started to slip my hand into the incision site with a blank expression on my features.
"Oh, gross…" the human across from me muttered under his breath in disgust and I ignored him as I shifted my hand around inside my brother's body until I felt the slick muscle of his heart. I recognised the familiar smooth texture thanks to my previous training when I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian.
"Come on! Open your eyes and look at me, okay? Come on." I pleaded desperately as I began massaging his heart in an effort to manual pump the blood through the muscle. Tears stung my eyes as I bit down on my lower lip hard enough to draw blood and I tried to ignore the guilt churning in my stomach as I stared at my brother's motionless face. I couldn't for the life of me remember my last words to him but I was positive that they weren't the words I wanted them to be. He needed to know that I loved him, that I needed him in my life, I needed him to know that he was an amazing brother, and friend, and leader, and overall person.
Scott was so many things to so many people; and his presence effected all of their lives in such a positive way.
"Breathe, honey. Breathe." I begged in a broken voice as a single teardrop escaped my eye and landed on my brother's cheek as I leaned over him. My entire body went heavy, and exhausted, and hollow, and all I wanted to do was sleep for an eternity but I kept kneading his heart with my hand. It was selfish but I needed him to wake up, to be okay, not only so that I wouldn't lose him, but because I didn't want to be the one who told everyone he was gone. I didn't want to witness the utter devastation on my mother's face, the complete heartbreak in Kira's eyes, the misery that would encompass Stiles after the fact or the upheaval the pack would face without an Alpha.
"Sophie, it's..." Mason started to interject sadly with a shake of his head, sorrow in his tear filled eyes and the tone of his voice, the defeat sent a sharp shot of anger through my veins.
"Shut up! He's too strong to die like this." I snapped furiously, mostly as a reminder to myself as I continued to massage Scott's heart and I leaned down so my mouth so on his as I blew two short puffs of air into his lungs.
A disgruntled cry escaped my lips as I pulled my hand out of his chest cavity, ignoring the blooded that coated my skin and I curled my hand into a fist as I slammed it down on the centre of his chest with most of my strength. "Come on. You can do this. You're an Alpha. You're an Alpha. Come on, Scott. Roar. Come on! Come on, Scott."
Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I continued to beat my fist on his chest, cracking his sternum in the process and I let out an enraged scream, so loud that it stung my throat and my lungs burned from lack of oxygen. Pain radiated through me as the bones in my hand broke but I ignored it as I slammed my fist into the centre of his chest and demanded so loudly that it echoed off the walls of the library, "ROAR!"
Scott's eyelids flew open, revealing scarlet red irises and he immediately let out a thunderous roar as his body jerked upright. My eyes widened as I scrambled backwards in surprise, my eardrums ringing from the volume of the roar and I kept my gaze locked on my brother as elation soared through me at the sight of him breathing. I glanced towards Mason and saw him doing the exact same thing on the opposite side.
My lower lip quivered with overwhelming emotion as the ringing in my ears stopped at the same time as my brother's roar and he was panting for breath as he collapsed back on the ground with his eyes closed. I placed my hand over his heart, reminding myself that it was beating within his chest and his eyelids slowly fluttered open to reveal his usual dark brown orbs. An unconscious sob escaped me at the sight of them, immensely pleased that I got the chance to see them again and he frowned slightly in concern as he reached up to touch my cheek with his fingertips.
Everything else in the world seemed to fade away expect for the feel of his touch, the warmth emitting from his body, the sound of his heart beating, the oxygen being expelled from his lungs. And I couldn't be the strong person anymore. I couldn't be the one who stood by everyone else. I couldn't be who they needed me to be. I couldn't…. I couldn't… I couldn't…
My body shook with the force of my sobs as I leaned my forehead against his chest and he placed a hand on the back of my neck, threading his fingers through my brunette hair. There, in the protective embrace of my brother's arms, I let everything I was holding inside come tumbling out.
PLEASE REVIEW...
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK OF SOPHIE, OR OF HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE OTHER CHARACTERS OR IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OR OPINIONS.
I WON'T BE STARTING SEASON 5B FOR A WHILE. BUT BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE OTHER STORIES ON MY PROFILE.