Damnatio Memoriae:
"Who was the first one on the scene?" I asked curiously with a frown on my lips as I balanced the cell phone between my ear and my shoulder so that my hands were free. I could practically hear the hesitation through the phone line as I pulled open the closet door where I kept my dresses hanging and tilted my head in consideration as I searched through them for outfits for the week since I doubted I would be back at the house. I had come to the conclusion earlier that morning after saying goodbye to Derek that it would be better for everyone involved if I spent some time away from Scott, so I was going to stay at the loft for the foreseeable future.
"Valerie." Jordan finally admitted with a sigh as I scoffed in mock annoyance, making a bigger deal than necessary just because my dislike for the other deputy had become a running joke between the two of us. I selected some blouses from the railing before I closed the closet door without selecting any dresses and made my way towards the duffel bag I had set down on the bed as I throw the shirts in. "I found a video from the relay station's security camera. Whatever it was, it looked big. And too fast for anyone to get a good look at it. But you already know what it is, don't you?"
"The last Chimera." I agreed with a nod of my head that he couldn't see as I strolled over to my dresser and searched through for some shorts, skirts or pants that matched the shirts that I had chosen.
When I had first seen Jordan's name on my caller ID a shot of guilt went through me but it faded almost immediately; I couldn't bring myself to regret sleeping with Derek. I had woken up the morning after with Derek's arms around my waist, his warm lips trailing down my spine and a positive ache of satisfaction humming throughout my body. It was ridiculously easy to fall into the familiar pattern of waking up together, cooking and eating breakfast together, showering together, and then leaving the loft together. It was simple, and easy.
It didn't even feel like a betrayal until Jordan's phone call came through, but it passed almost as quickly as it came when the facts started to add up in my mind; we weren't together, I wasn't betraying anyone, we had one kiss, there was too much going on in my life for a relationship. I needed to focus on repairing the relationships already in my life that were fracturing, and I needed to limit my distractions so that I was able to out manoeuvre Theo so that he couldn't implement his masterplan.
"I used a black light to check for traces of mercury."
"Let me guess, you found some."
"Bingo. But what was it doing here? Why come here and kill some random communications tech?"
"Maybe it just likes to kill. Maybe it's what it does." I pondered out loud in a saddened voice as I tossed the clothes in my bag before zipping it up, slinging it over my shoulder and I caught sight of my reflection in my vanity mirror when I turned around. My lips instantly twisted into a scowl; I didn't normally categorize myself as vain, and especially lately I hadn't been worried about my appearance, but my hair was looking remarkably like a birds nest. I pressed the speakerphone button on my cell phone as I set it down on the vanity table and picked up my hairbrush, starting to untangle the knots in my hair.
"That's terrifying." Jordan muttered to himself through the phone as I artfully tousled my naturally curly brunette hair, a small smile on my lips as I rolled my eyes at his words. It amused me that he seemed to have pick up my habit of stating the obvious in the driest manner but I had never really noticed it before since we had started to spend more time together.
"Okay. I'll let you get back to protecting and serving the town. Thanks for the call. It's become increasingly helpful to have a man inside the police force." I told him jokingly in a teasing tone of voice but there was an underlying truth to the statement; it was incredibly useful for the pack to have a man inside the police force so that we had firsthand knowledge of what was going on around Beacon Hills.
"Well, it's nice to be appreciated." he quipped drily with a hint of laughter in his voice as I picked up the cell phone and turned off the speakerphone option as I held it back up to my ear. I grabbed the duffel bag that was sitting on my bed, slinging it over my shoulder and picking up my handbag from desk chair as I headed out of the bedroom.
"Bye, bye, Jordan. Go eat a doughnut or something." I ordered him mockingly as I closed the door behind me and I hung up the call to the sound of his sarcastic laughter before slipping my phone into my handbag for safe keeping.
A loud crash echoed from down the hallway in the direction of Scott's bedroom and instinct took over me as I immediately rushed towards the danger without a second thought. My heart pumped furiously in my chest as I dropped my duffel bag in the open doorway where I froze with wide eyes at the sight in front of me. My brother was crouched on the ground, gathering some scattered photographs into a pile in front of a corkboard set up in the middle of his bedroom and a bunch of red yarn haphazardly pinned to the board.
A relief escaped my lips when I realised that he wasn't being attacked as I leaned my shoulder against the door and a frown pulled at my lips when I saw a copy of Hayden's school photo in the pile he was creating. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I looked between the photos on the ground and the corkboard, finding it strange that he hadn't noticed my presence in his bedroom yet as I asked him blankly, "What the hell are you doing?"
Scott snapped his head is in surprise when he heard my voice from the doorway, his brown eyes wide and his mouth gaping open, and I raised an eyebrow at him pointedly as I waited for him to answer me. The shock quickly faded from his features as he gathered the photos into his hands while standing is from the ground and he stuttered out some nonsense before clearing his throat with a blush spreading across his cheeks in embarrassment. "Oh, um, I was trying to create a murder board. Like the one Stiles has."
"Right. Well, good luck with that." I tell him nonchalantly as I shifted the duffel bag higher on my shoulder and started to turn around, intent on leaving the house before he could question where I had been the last few nights.
"Wait!" he called out hastily as he took a few hurried steps forward in an effort to stop me and I internally cringed but the thread of command from my Alpha in his voice forced me to halt in place just outside the door. I slowly turned around to face him with a blank mask plastered on my features as he winced visually when he noticed the look on my face but I didn't let the hurt in his eyes affect me because I knew that I this insistence I was in the right. Scott seemed to hesitate now that he had my attention, shifting nervously on his feet as he avoided looking into my eyes and that gave me a sick sense of pleasure to see the powerful True Alpha unable to speak or look me in the eye.
Scott took a deep breath to steady his nerves as he lifted his gaze to meet my eyes with a determined expression and I quirked an eyebrow impatiently as he struggled for something to say before speaking firmly, "We should talk."
"Oh? About what?" I asked him as I tilted my head to the side innocently, feigning cluelessness and he sighed heavily as though I was the problem in our relationship. A spark of anger shot through me as I dropped the pretence, keeping my face blank but my eyes flared with unspoken fury and my hands curled into fists at my side as I seethed out loud, "We have nothing to talk about, Scott. You believed Theo over Stiles, our brother in all but blood. And you judge me without knowing anything about what I've been through. You listened to Theo make accusations about me and instantly believed him. You didn't even ask me, Scott. I'm your twin sister.
"You were meant to believe in me," I spat at him harshly with tears flooding my eyes despite me attempting to will them away and the rage that I had held under tight wraps since the eventful night was starting to unravel. But that burning anger was nothing compared to the crippling hurt that was mangling my heart as I stared at the one person I thought would never do anything to cause me pain. "You were meant to support me! You were meant to know that everything I do I do for a reason! You were meant to know me, Scott. You were meant to be the one person that would never judge me! You were meant to love me enough that it wouldn't change anything when you found out. But I guess a part of me knew in my heart you didn't, or I would have told you the night it happened. I wouldn't have kept it a secret for so long. So, I guess the joke is on me, right?"
I abruptly wiped away the single teardrop that had escaped the corner of my eye as I sniffled gently, looking away from his heartbroken dark brown eyes that had welled with unmistakable tears. I closed my eyes as I took a moment to compose myself, to reconstruct the mental walls that compartmentalised mess that was my mind.
"Why do you have a bag?" Scott asked in a quiet tone, but it sounded as though he had already come to the correct conclusion and I was slightly taken aback because I could only remember three occasions when his voice had sounded quite so defeated; when he asked our mother when our father was coming back home a week after she kicked him out, for the first few days after Allison died, and the night we were all poisoned with wolfsbane at the sketchy Motel Glen Capri right before he tried to light himself on fire.
The memory causes me to look away from him once more, unwilling to let the painful memory of that night act as a salve for the pain he had recently caused and I cleared my throat gently as I answered him honestly, "I'm going to stay at the loft. I told Derek when he was here the other day, and he said it was fine. It's basically mine now, except I don't have to pay rent, or utilities."
"Derek was here?" he asked in complete bafflement as his eyes widened in shock and I had to force myself not to scoff at his lack of knowledge of what was happening around him. "Are you okay?"
A derisive scoff escaped me before I could contain it as I shook my head at him in annoyance and I had to wonder why he thought I would answer that after everything that I had just said to him, after I had expressed how hurt and angry I was at him. It was completely baffling how the True Alpha could be so naïve and blinded to what was around him.
I glared at him for a moment, causing him to shift uneasily on his feet as he looked down to avoid my eyes and I was about to snap at him to stay the hell out of my personal life when my phone started vibrating like crazy. I pursed my lips slightly in frustration as I reached into my bag and grabbed the device, reading the almost frantic text message from Liam and the nearly identical message from Mason asked me to meet them at the high school for the library clean-up because they had urgent news to give me that was too sensitive to tell me through text. I shook my head at their coded messages, thinking that they were getting a little too 'James Bond' with the secrecy but it wasn't hurting anything or anyone to let them play make believe as long as they were serious when it came down to actual confrontations.
"What's wrong?" Scott asked in a concerned tone of voice as he took a few tentative steps forward like he was prepared to offer me comfort but was hesitant in case I lashed out at him.
"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it." I told him blankly as I turned away from him, the protective instinct in me shouting at me not to let Liam and Scott anywhere near each other. I slipped my phone into my bag as I started walking down the hallway and I knew my brother was listening, but I couldn't help murmuring to myself bitterly under my breath, "Like I always do."
I practically ran down the stairs, afraid that I would have to face another confrontation if I stayed in the house any longer than necessary and unwanted tears blurred my vision as I rushed outside. I blindly reached into my bag, searching for my keys as I opened the driver's side door and sat down in front of the steering wheel with a heavy sigh. I inserted the keys in the ignition as I blinked away the tears in my eyes and reversed out of the driveway as I reminded myself that it wasn't even noon yet but I was wishing the day was over.
Thoughts churned in my mind like a spider weaving its web as I drove the familiar route to the high school on autopilot and I vaguely heard the sound of the The Chainsmokers playing from the speakers but I was too preoccupied to bother recognising the tune. I put thoughts of Scott out of my head, mentally filing them in a box to open later when I had time and started to worry about how I was going to interact with Liam. I hadn't seen him since the incidence in the library, since he tried to kill Scott, since Hayden died, and I had no idea how I felt about any of it because I hadn't had time to process or grieve. I had been distracted by John and Lydia being hospitalised, comforting Stiles, spending time with Derek, and worrying about my deteriorating relationship with my brother.
My fingers tapped incessantly on the steering wheel; I wasn't someone that normally allowed their weaknesses to be on display but no one was around so I allowed myself the small manifestation of nerves.
The high school loomed almost menacingly in front of me as I pulled into the carpark, eyeing the few cars that were parked throughout the near empty lot and parked in the spot at the front of the school that had unofficially become 'mine' when Jackson left. No other students were outside as I turned off the engine and climbed out of the car, my gaze darting around warily for any sign of a threat. I slung the strap of my purse over my shoulder as I walked purposefully towards the main entrance of the school and plastered an impassive expression on my face so that no one would see the stress and nerves and anger that were burning beneath the surface.
"Sophie!" was the first thing I heard as I pushed open the doors to the high school, stepping into the near silent hallway and my attention immediately shifted towards the familiar voice calling out to me. It was obvious that they had been waiting for me to arrive as Liam and Mason practically sprinted towards me and I braced for impact as they skidded to a stop in front of me, only one of them breathing heavily.
Mason leaned back against the nearest set of lockers as Liam grabbed my arm tightly and his blue eyes seemed to glow with eagerness as he started babbling, "Sophie! Hayden's alive! Last night I went to tell her sister that she was dead because Hayden would have wanted her to know and I followed her for a while. You know, to get up the nerve to talk to her. But Mason stopped me, convinced me that it would be better for the police to break the news. So we went in search of the Nemeton, to find the bodies. We looked all day and eventually found it. But when we got there, the cops surrounded us. Hayden showed them the way. She's alive, Sophie. She's alive!"
"Hayden's alive?" I asked blankly as I froze on the spot, my nails subconsciously digging into Liam's forearm as I begged him to tell me that he was speaking the truth and tears stung my eyes as a tendril of hope slithered into my heart.
Liam nodded his head frantically with a hint of impatience as he stared at me with wide blue eyes and I let a small smile spread across my lips as he continued the story in the same hurried tone, "I went to the club looking for Hayden, and there's Josh. Standing there. Completely alive. Just like Hayden. Because of Theo."
"Theo brought them both back. That's what he's doing. He's, he's building a pack. His own pack of dead Chimeras." Mason explained in an excited tone of voice, causing me to quirk an eyebrow at him but I knew that he was only relishing in the mysterious circumstance before it was new to him. It was easy to be cynical about things when I was basically a professional supernatural bounty hunter and had dealt with the self-proclaimed 'Death, Destroyer of Worlds' and an ancient evil spirit of chaos.
"They both looked pretty alive to me." Liam argued with a hint of annoyance as the three of us started walking down the empty corridor with me in the middle of the two boys and I threaded my arms through theirs as the young werewolf bit his lower in contemplation before continuing thoughtfully, "But they're not the same. There was something about Hayden. There's something wrong about her."
"When Stiles, Scott and Allison died so they could go on a spiritual vision quest to find our parents who had been kidnapped by the Darach, aka that whore Jennifer, and taken to the Nemeton, Deaton told us that dying leaves a mark on your soul. Like a tattoo. That's why I couldn't do it in place of Scott. They didn't want my soul to darken enough that I become a Darach." I told them in a nonchalant manner with a shrug of my shoulders, even though the mentioned of the fallen huntress left a bittersweet ache in my chest.
"Maybe that's what dying does to you. What if it, what if it like darkens your soul. What if they're all evil now?" Mason asked solemnly in a hesitant voice as he looked at us warily, like he was waiting for us to snipe at him for suggesting such a thing but I just offered him a saddened smile because I didn't have an alternative yet. Undead chimeras were something out of my expertise, out of everyone's expertise except the Dread Doctors and I wasn't about to go to the people were created them but also tortured me for information.
The sound of the double doors slamming open startled the three of us; Mason clutched my arm in a tight grasp that would've hurt if I were human and Liam immediately shifted so his body was protectively in front of me and his best friend. The moment my gaze landed on the teenage boy with light brown hair, hazel eyes and a wide grin something inside of me seemed to snap into place, and the burden that weighed on my heart suddenly seemed significantly lighter somehow. It was as though some part of me recognised him from somewhere even though I hadn't met him before and I narrowed my eyes in confusion, instinctively suspicious of something I didn't understand. The only time I had felt something even remotely similar to this but on a lesser scale was in the presence of Hayden and Theo; chimeras.
It made sense to a degree if you thought about it; Theo told me during his Bond villain-esque monologue after attempting to kill Scott that I was a True Chimera, a natural combination of two supernatural creatures so I had a connection to the other chimeras.
"Hey, guys! Are you volunteering for the library clean-up, too?" the chimera asked us cheerfully as he walked towards us without a care and both of the sophomore's next to me stuttered incoherently in some semblance of a positive answer. I quirked an eyebrow at them in a mixture of surprise and amusement but took from their lack of composure that this must have been Corey because they were already aware that Josh was alive.
"We haven't met yet. I'm Sophie." I greeted the young man cheerfully with a bright smile adorning my lips as I skirted around Liam and Corey's expression became slack for moment as though he was shocked before a shy grin replaced it. His boyish features held an innocence that was missing from most people associated with the supernatural and I suspected that he was going to be in for a rude awakening in the very near future. It made me want to wrap him in my arms and never let go but if he was going to a part of the supernatural, and he no longer had a choice in the matter, he was going to have to face the facts of life sooner rather than later.
"Hi, I'm – "
"Corey. And thank you. I heard you played a vital, albeit reluctant, role in getting Liam, Hayden and I away from the Dread Doctors. I owe you. Torture is not fun. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. A McCall always pays their debts."
A smirk played on my lips as I caught Liam rolling his eyes in exasperation, more than used to my ongoing love for Game of Thrones, especially since it tried to get him to watch it with me more than once. He didn't like it but Mason was just as enamoured with the show so we had a scheduled date night once a week to watch the show together and we were more than happy to cuddle on the couch together with a bowl of popcorn and gummy bears while we blocked out the rest of the world.
"Ah, thanks." Corey said slowly in a nervous as though he didn't know how to respond but a befuddled smile played on his lips as he rubbed the back of his head and he glanced at me with his eyebrows drawn in confusion as he walked away from the three of us.
"Yeah, he looks real evil." I drawled sarcastically with an exaggerated shudder working its way through my body and Liam rolled his eyes at me once again as Mason chuckled in amusement. I smirked at them as I started leading them towards the library, both of the boys trailing after me as they spoke in hushed whispers about Mason not feeding into my insanity.
There were a few other students milled around the partially destroyed library, restocking shelves and speaking in quiet voices so not to disturb the peace. An eerie sensation settled over me, like somehow I was suddenly covered in cobwebs that were sticking to my skin and I knew that it was because of the events of that night. Flashes of Scott's maimed body, the blood seeping through his shirt, the loud crack of his bones as I shoved my hand through his ribcage until I reached his heart, the apoplectic rage that contorted Liam's face. I blinked a few times to clear the horrid images from my mind as I turned my attention to the books in front of me, mentally adding another scar to the already mangled canvas of my mind. I was sure that some more nightmares were headed my way before too long.
"So, someone should go talk to Corey. See what he has to say about Theo, or coming back to life. I nominate Mason." I said calmly with a small smirk as I stocked some books without looking at the boys standing next to me, letting the gentle sound of voices sooth the traitorous thoughts running rapid through my mind.
"What? Me? Why?"
"Because he wasn't looking at me like he wanted to know what was underneath my shirt." I murmured coyly with a quirked eyebrow as I glanced in his direction, watching him blush as he discreetly snuck a peek at the chimera in question. I gave him a gentle nudge with my elbow, urging him go talk to him and after a moment's hesitation he picked up a stack of novels that needed to be sorted as an excuse before heading towards the shelves where Corey was working by himself. I moved around the table I was standing near so that I was standing next to Liam and we could subtly observe them, using our advanced hearing to listen in on what they were saying.
"So…" Mason started awkwardly as he placed his books on the empty shelf in front of him and I watched curiously as Corey turned to face him with a bright smile, before dimming slightly when the human continued, "You're alive."
"Yeah." the chimera replied as though it should have been obvious with his eyebrows raised sarcastically and Liam released a strangled groan in second-hand embarrassment as he leaned on his elbows with his face in his hands.
There was an awkward moment of tense silence as Mason quickly turned away like he couldn't believe he had actually said that and Corey seemed to be stifling his amusement as he copied the other boys attempt at nonchalance. I bit my lower lip to stop myself from laughing out loud as I discreetly turned my head so that only Liam could see my smile and I focused my hearing as I heard Mason stammer, "T-t-that must have been pretty difficult to explain to your parents."
"Not really. They didn't notice me much before that. I think they're just glad because they think they can sue the hospital now."
"They got to be happy you're alive, though?"
"Are you?"
"Me? Yeah, I'm... Alive is definitely better than dead. You know, much better."
"You have no idea what to say to me, do you?" Corey asked knowingly with a laugh as he looked over at the flustered human boy in front of him, his eyes shining brightly with mirth and attraction as he ran his gaze over his form subtly.
"Not really, no." Mason answered immediately with what seemed to be a sigh of relief, like a weight had been off his shoulders now that he didn't have to act 'cool' and I listened to his heartbeat accelerate and then even out as though he didn't know how to feel.
"Can I ask you a question then?" the chimera asked curiously with a tilt of his head, waiting patiently for an affirmative nod as he bit his lower lip and then continued in a low voice, "What are you doing Saturday night?"
My eyebrows shot up in surprise at how forward the young man was but couldn't stop myself from internally applauding his initiative as I stifled a giggle at the rapid acceleration of Mason's heartbeat. The pheromones wafted from his pores as he blushed uncontrollably and spluttered out a startled laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He bit down on his lower lip in consideration as he glanced over his shoulder in our direction and it took me a moment to remember that we had made tentative plans for the weekend and he was looking towards me for allowance.
"He's free!" I called out to them with a grin, waving my fingers teasingly and Mason offered me a half-hearted glare as Corey laughed in amusement. Liam pushed my shoulder in reprimand as the two boys exchanged phones numbers behind us, neither of them saying a word as they made goggle eyes at each other.
I ignored the Beta's irritated groan as I went back to stacking library books in the correct order on the shelves, attempting to give Mason the privacy he deserved. Just because my current love life sucked didn't mean everyone in the pack had to suffer the same fate; Scott and Kira were struggling through something, Malia and Stiles were done, Liam was in 'like' with a living dead girl who claimed to hate him, and Lydia was pining after Stiles. I was stuck being hopelessly in love with a man who left me not once but twice and reluctantly accepting that I had romantic feelings for someone else; someone completely too good for me.
"He's leaving. What's the plan?" Liam asked frantically with a concerned frown as he bit down on his lower lip nervously and I lifted my head to look at him in thinly veiled amusement, a little worried he wouldn't be able to play it cool. I smiled slightly as Mason came to stand next to us, an eyebrow raised as though to remind his friend of what transpired moments ago and the Beta rolled his eyes as he clarified, "You were supposed to ask about Theo. We can't wait until Saturday."
"Sorry, but I don't think the possibility of Theo leading an evil Chimera pack was exactly the natural progression of the conversation." I defended the human boy with a hint of wry smusement in my voice as I tried to suppress a grin at the look of exasperation on Liam's features and offence on Mason's. Liam's glare intensified as he directed it towards me and I rolled my eyes at him playfully, silently wondering when he became another Scott who wasn't able to enjoy the levity in middle of a serious matter. "Fine. I'll talk to him."
I squeezed the Beta's shoulder reassuringly as I looked over my shoulder where I thought Corey had been but he must have left while we were speaking and I shared a look with the boys before heading towards the library double doors. A few of the other students that knew me nodded or smiled in greeting but no one tried to stop me as I exited the library and I followed the faint sound of footsteps along with the familiar scent down the otherwise empty corridor.
It was a little eerie to be walking down the deserted hallway; it reminded me of a horror movie and I was anxiously paranoid that a serial killer in a hockey mask and wielding a bloody chainsaw was going to jump out in front of me from around the corner. I could practically hear the organ music soundtrack playing in my mind as I concentrated on the rapid heartrate directly around the next corner and I pause in my steps when I felt another familiar presence nearby, one that made anger course through my veins. I took a deep breath to steady my heartbeat so that it wouldn't give away my position and focused on masking my scent like Satomi had taught me after the Benefactor situation. I was exceptionally pleased that I had worn sneakers because I thought I was doing nothing but charity work that day, but of course the supernatural had to make my life more difficult than necessary.
"You don't have to hide from me, Corey." Theo's oily voice echoed throughout the empty corridors of the school, sweetness dripping from his words like poisoned honey and I pressed my back against the nearest wall so that I could listen to the conversation.
There was a brief moment of silence that followed and my muscles were tense with anxiety, relaxing slightly when I finally heard Corey softly defend himself as though he were about to get scolded for his actions, "I was trying to do something nice."
"You were trying to do something normal. But you don't have to be normal anymore, and you definitely don't have to be nice."
"Well, I'm not going to hurt them."
"Look, I don't want you to. In fact, they don't know it yet, but we're going to protect them. Just like I'm going to protect you. So you're going to come with me and you're going to do everything that I tell you, because I know you don't want to die again. Do you, Corey?" Theo asked quietly in a faux concerned tone of voice but with an undercurrent of threat that echoed louder through my mind and I could taste the fear in the air coming through Corey chemo signals, causing my protective instinct to prickle aggressively.
My hands curled into fists as I pushed myself off of the wall while straightening my shoulders and I walked around the corner as both boys immediately turned their attention towards me, one of them shocked with wide eyes and the other smirking arrogantly. I plastered a smirk on my lips as I cocked my head to the side, the perfect image of confidence and my voice dripped with insincerity as I spoke sweetly in a slight coo, "Oh. Such pretty words, Theo."
"Sophie McCall." he greeted me with a surprising amount of pleasire in his voice as he crossed his arms over his muscular chest, his hazel eyes flashing with frustration and Corey looked between the two of us with a perplexed expression like he wasn't sure what he was witnessing.
"Run along, Corey." I urged him warmly in a sincere tone of voice without taking my eyes off Theo, but even I could hear the undercurrent of authority that was threaded through the words and the younger boy immediately started leaving the corridor with an unsure expression. Theo's lips tightened into an annoyed purse as we watched my Alpha influence take effect and my eyebrows furrowed slightly in worry over the power I apparently wield over the Chimera Betas. My expression hardened exceptionally as I turned my attention back to the smug man standing in front of me and took a few threatening steps forward as my voice lowered intimidatingly, "I don't know exactly what your play is with those kids. But if anything happens to them, or anyone at their hands, it's you I'm holding responsible."
Theo inclined his head as he opened his mouth to respond but I stalked past him with an air of superiority surrounding me and I heard him chuckle lowly before calling out after me as I headed towards the exit of the school, "It's not me you should be worried about, Sophie!"
I ignored him with a roll of my eyes as I stalked out of the school without a backwards glance, focusing on the sight in front of me and not the rage that had settled inside of me. My blood felt like it was bubbling inside of me as I made my way towards where my car was parked and I slipped into the front seat, groaning when my cell phone made a noise to signal that I was receiving a text message. I grabbed the device out of my purse, furrowing my eyebrows as I opened the message from Jordan and I blinked in surprise as a video started playing on the screen. I watched intently as the deceased worker entered the building, and then fast-forward it until Valerie showed up in her squad car later that evening. Going over the footage of the attack I realized that no one other than the tech and Deputy Clark had entered the building on the day of the attack and so I surmised that there must be another entrance.
I watched intently as a monstrous figure sprint out of the front door, its features shrouded in darkness so that it was impossible for me to determine who it was and I growled to myself in annoyance as I threw the phone down on the seat beside me. I turned the key in the ignition as I shook my head, deciding to go check out the station to see if there were any clues left and I reversed out of the parking spot of the school.
Music played quietly in the background as I drove towards the substation, trying to block out of the unwanted onslaught of thoughts that plagued my mind whenever there was silence. This was normally the part where I would contact another member of the pack for backup in case there was any trouble but no one was currently speaking, and anyone I was speaking to was either locked up in Eichen House, nursing their father back health or…well, Liam and Mason who were completely inadequate and undertrained.
The sun was starting to set in the distance as I pulled to a stop outside the substation and I climbed out of the car, making sure that I had my gun and several knives hidden on my person. I huffed out a groan as I tied my hair up into a ponytail so that it wasn't in my eyes if a fight broke out and I started making my way into the substation, flashing my violet werewolf eyes so that it was easier to see in the dark interior of the substation. My footsteps echoed loudly in the otherwise silent room, causing me to cringe as I made it to the bottom of the metal staircase and I closed my eyes as I inhaled deep enough that I could smell the lingering scent of something animalistic in the air.
I opened my eyes with a small smirk playing on my lips as I slowly crept through the area, skirting around machinery and recognising the familiar tang of blood in the air where the substation employee was killed.
The 'clang clang clang' of machinery filtered towards me as I walked further into the room, causing my pulse to race as memories of the Dread Doctors torture chamber came flooding back to me. Flashes of masked men, fluorescent lights and blood dripping onto the floor crowded my mind as I stumbled to a stop in a darkened corridor and I leaned my back against the closest wall with my eyes closed as I tried to catch my breath.
Chills erupted along my arms as my forced my eyelids open and the first thing I saw was florescent light hanging overhead, dangling from the roof as it flickered between brightness. My vision was blurry as I tried to focus on what I was seeing, trying to make sense of my surroundings but all I could make out was that I was in a basement on some kind. Cold spread over my body as a draft hit my skin, causing goose bumps to erupt over my body and I got the distinct impression that my abdomen was bare except for my bra for some reason.
Panic caused tears to prickle at the corner of my eyes as I remembered the agonising pain I experienced, the heartbreaking pleas of Liam as he was forced to watch and the Darth Vader-like voices of the Dread Doctors.
"No, no, no…" I murmured broken tone of voice as I shook my head frantically, trying to rid myself of the memories that haunted my nightmares and my lips trembled in fear as I clenched my hands into fists near my temples while I cried uncontrollably.
Pressure encased my wrists as I stretched my fingers experimentally and I turned my head to the side with a frown when I found I could move them. A metal shackle was locked around my wrist, screwed into the table underneath me with bolts and I flexed the opposite hand to the same effect as I turned my head to check if it was strapped in the same manner. A plastic tube was stuck in the crook of my elbow, taped down against my skin so it didn't move and blood fluid flowed through the tube as I followed the length of it with my eyes until it reach a containment vessel set up beside the exam table.
A sharp gasp echoed through corridor, startling me until I realised that it had escaped my lips and I absently scolded myself for being so weak. I had been through so much in the last few years, so much pain, physical and emotional, and a few memories were causing me to breakdown in an abandoned corridor. I gritted my teeth in annoyance at myself as I scrubbed my cheeks free of tears, determined to pull myself together so that I face whatever was waiting for me at the end of the darkness. I wasn't some weak little girl. I was a werewolf. I was a druid. I was the only True Chimera.
Determination coursed through me as I steeled myself for anything that would come my way and I held my head up high as I followed the faint trace of blood, fear and something I couldn't quite put my finger on. My footsteps were silent as I emerged underground in some kind of sewer and I focused all of my senses on my surroundings, trying to catch a lead. Grunts, groans and the sound of flesh hitting flesh, coupled with the scent of adrenaline and blood alerted me to a fight taking place somewhere in the tunnels of sewer alleys that made up the maze. I immediately rushed the direction that the noises were coming from, letting the increase in volume lead me through the complicated system.
I skidded to a stop in the entrance to a small alcove that coupled as an intersection between sewer mains, my eyes widening at the scene in front of me as the tension eased from my muscle. Scott was standing in the middle of the intersection, his eyes burning scarlet red and his claws and canines extended threateningly. Stiles and Josh were both lying paralysed on the ground not far from where I was standing and Tracey was sprawled across the floor on the other side of the alcove, obviously not recovered from the beating Scott had delivered. I quirked an eyebrow at them all as I stepped further into the alcove, tilting my head to the side with my hands on my hips like a mother scolding her disobedient children. I rolled my eyes with an exasperated sigh as I sauntered over to where Stiles and Josh were sprawled, speaking firmly as I did so, "Enough! Scott, put them away! Tracey, dust yourself off. Corey, you can come out now."
Everyone immediately looked towards me with wide eyes, vaguely noticing Corey materialising out of thin air, and it took me a moment to realise that my words had held an undercurrent of authority that I had only ever heard from an Alpha. I froze for a moment out shock in the process of helping Stiles sit up with his back against the concrete wall but I blinked away my startled expression before moving on to repeat the process with Josh. There was something inside of me that called out to the younger Chimeras; a protective force that was propelled forward whenever I was in one of their presence.
"Maybe they're not ready to take on an Alpha." The familiar voice of Theo called out from the opposite end of the alcove, causing me to stiffen in defence and I slowly stood up from my crouch as I positioned myself in front of Stiles and Josh since they couldn't defend themselves while paralysed. Theo sauntered forward cockily with a smirk on his lips, his hazel eyes sweeping over everyone in vicinity and his disapproving gaze landed on Corey as his voice lowered threateningly, "Especially ones that can smell fear."
"He's got fangs." Corey defended himself with an edge of hysteria in his voice as he gestured frantically towards my brother and Theo shrugged one shoulder in a 'what did you expect' manner as he quirked an eyebrow without a word.
"What did you do?" Scott asked in horror as I protectively watched Tracey make her way over to Josh, gritting my teeth when the other girl purposely bumped her shoulder with mine. Corey gingerly offered me a small hesitant smile as he edged past me so he could help carry the fellow chimera and I returned the gesture warmly, not willing to hold any of them accountable for Theo's actions when all they wanted to do was survive.
"I found some new friends. I don't take rejection well." Theo replied with false humility as he strolled forward, brushing his fingertips across my jawline when he said the word 'rejection' and I slapped his hand away from me as I tried not to cringe at the thought of what I let those same hands do to me only a week or so prior. A knowing smirk spread across his lips as though he could read my mind and I turned my head away, seeing my brother glaring in our direction with his hands clenched into fists at his side.
The chimera continued to walk past me, letting me breathe a sigh of relief as I noticed that the other chimeras had moved to the entrance of the alcove and I watched Theo suspiciously as he came to a stop in front of some markings on the ground. I tilted my head to the side as I read whatever was written there but before I could make out more than that they were letters, Theo had viciously stamped his foot down on the concrete and it cracked into fractions under his enhanced strength so that the words etched there were gone. I looked away in frustration since it was obviously something I needed to know if he didn't want me to, and that made me want to know it all the more eagerly.
"You're going to leave here thinking that you need to worry about me. But you're wrong. We're actually back on the same side. Because that thing... That's what we need to worry about. Your pack and mine. We're going to go back to school and pretend like we're normal teenagers, but at night, we're going to be fighting for our lives."
"What is it? It's not a Chimera." I stated knowingly as I moved to stand next to my brother in the centre of the alcove, silently picking a side in the civil war that was brewing.
"But it's just a kid underneath. Someone like us." Scott added compassionately, the hope in his voice palpable as he took an almost unnoticeable step back towards me so that his fingers grazed mine for comfort. And as angry as I was at my brother, I wasn't about to let Theo see the divide between us because I didn't want to give him any opening to press the advantage, the weakness, and get the upper hand.
"Not anymore." Theo answered solemnly, and it was almost like he actually cared, but I wasn't going to let him tug on my heartstrings anymore. I watched through narrowed eyes as he left the tunnel with the three younger members of his pack following after him and internally promised myself that I would do anything I could to protect the chimeras.
I was one of them. As much as I wanted to deny it, I was the only True Chimera and that made the most powerful, which in return made me the Alpha. Even if they hadn't accepted me as their Alpha I would protect them as though I were. A strange sort of warmth spread through my body, causing me to close my eyes in shock and somehow I knew that it had occurred because I had accepted my role, my purpose. A smile broke out across my lips as I felt complete for the first time. I hadn't even noticed that something had been missing, but now that it was there, I didn't think it was possible to ever live without it ever again.
I heard shuffling behind me, breaking my dreamlike state as I blinked back into the present and I turned to see my brother and my brother in all but blood sitting down next to each other on the ground with their backs against the wall. I slowly made my way over to them and purposely sat down next to Stiles so that he was in the middle, releasing a heavy sigh as I stretched my legs out in front of me.
"He knew what it meant and I can't remember the words." Scott whispered into the silence that surrounded us, his eyes locked on the cracked concrete that used to display a phrase and my eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of confusion and annoyance as Stiles struggled to reach for his phone since his paralysis was still wearing off. I leaned close to his shoulder as the screen lit up, showing a photo of the concrete with the words 'damnatio memoriae' and I plucked the phone from his hand so that I could get a better look at the phrase as they both waited patiently for my verdict.
"Damnatio Memoriae. It's Latin. It means the condemnation of memory. I think it also means that whatever the Dread Doctors created, whatever this last Chimera really is, it's not something new. It's something old. Really old. They didn't create a new creature. They resurrected one."
"We need help. If Theo's got his own pack now then we need ours. We have to get the others back."
"The others? You mean Kira who's currently battling a homicidal fox spirit inside of her?" I asked sarcastically with raised eyebrow as I leaned forward to look at him around Stiles and handing the human back his cell phone as he looked at Scott with the same incredulous expression on his face before he continued my thought for me.
"Malia who isn't even speaking to either one of us?"
"Lydia who's stuck in Eichen House?"
"Or Liam who almost killed you?"
"Also known as our best friends. We do it one by one." Scott concluded with a slight smile on his lips as he used his finger to trace the first ring of the pack symbol in the dirt we were sitting on and then looked up at us expectantly with hope shining in his dark browneyes.
"You're not seriously going to make us do it?" stiles asked with a groan as he leaned his head back against the wall, almost glaring down at the etching with a scowl on his lips and I held back a small chuckle at his reaction as I looked away from them with a hint of sadness settling in my stomach. Stiles shook his head as he pursed his lips in annoyance but leaned forward to trace the first half of the outer circle, humouring my brother as he drew in the dirt with two fingertips. Both of them look over at me expectantly, waiting for me to complete the pack symbol and I was almost drowning in the symbolism of the moment as I turned my head to look at them with a saddened smile on my lips.
"You're part of the pack, right?"
The words were said by my brother almost teasingly, like he already knew the answer, like it was an obvious conclusion. And for as angry as I was at him, I didn't want to shatter his reality into tiny pieces. I didn't want to tell him that while I loved each and every member of the pack, those near and far, I didn't have the supernatural bond that connected us anymore. It was like a tether inside of me had been snapped the moment I accepted my role of Alpha Chimera. All of the protective and nurturing instinct that I had once felt for Liam, Isaac, Malia, Lydia and anyone else that called Scott their Alpha had been intensified and transferred to Hayden, Corey, Josh, Tracey and even Theo slightly.
A solidary tear leaked from my eye, rolling down my cheek as I shook my head silently for a moment, watching the confused expressions on their faces and my voice broke slightly as I whispered, "I don't think I am anymore."