Chapter 7

A Surprising Find

After three days the wound on Alex's side still hadn't healed, and Derek was in even worse shape. It had gotten to the point to where the boy could barely shift. It was agonizing to watch him in so much pain. Alex was at a crossroads at this point, not knowing which direction was the best to take. He hadn't had a vision since then, nor had his mom actually sat down to tell him about the thought that he had come across the other day.

He sat in the woods, trying desperately to hone onto someone's thoughts, yet he found none. He still couldn't get the hang of this whole mind thing he had going on and he still didn't like it. Being in the forest was the only safe place for him. It was making him angrier by the day and at this point it there was no way to control it. He heard everything, felt everything, and it was giving him a chronic migraine. He walked farther into the forest maybe if he got closer to the road he could pick up on something, anything.

Finally, he picked up on a passing thought, coming from someone he didn't recognize. Usually, he could detect who the thoughts or feelings were coming from. With his family it was easy. He could tell who was feeling and thinking what. It tended to get harder when everyone was thinking at the same time. He hadn't been back to school yet so he didn't know how well he could make the distinction there, but he guessed he would find out eventually. If the Alpha wound would heal.

The thoughts that he picked up on were jumbled and in a panic. He started walking seeing if it was like an antenna. It appeared like it was working cause the closer he moved, the louder the thoughts got. Until he happened upon a girl, about eighteen with what looked to be a baby doll in her arms. He watched her for a moment trying to process the scene in front of him. The girl was pacing and looked to be limping as she did so. Where had she come from?

"Hey," Alex said trying not to scare the girl. He caught her thoughts. Constant no's and help were circling. He captured glimpses of people, guns, and a car.

"No, no, no, no," the girl mumbled, holding the baby doll closer to her chest. That's when he realized that it wasn't a doll, that it was an actual freaking baby.

"Hey," Alex said a little louder actually catching the girl's attention. She turned to him her body looking like she had taken a tumble down the hills surrounding them.

"Where am I?" She cried falling to her knees. Alex stared at her, trying to process what in hell he had come across. This wasn't something that he saw everyday. Yeah, he was half-wolf half-witch, but this? This was a whole level of crazy he didn't know how to handle.

"Beacon Hills, California?" Alex mumbled taking a step back.

"Can you help me?" She cried, and he noticed the baby wasn't really making any noises.

"Follow me, but be careful there are thorns everywhere and you're kinda barefoot."

He led her to a small clearing a little ways away from his house. The trees around them were thick and full of briars and brambles, blocking the view of Hale estate. He had her sit on a fallen tree and commanded her to stay. She nodded rocking the small child in her arms. Alex stared at her as he backed away, turning to run when he hit the tree line.

"MOM!" He yelled, bursting into the house. "There is a girl in the woods with a baby, and it's honestly freaking me out. She asked for help, but I didn't think it was the best idea to bring her."

Talia looked at her son trying to process what her son was babbling about. She watched him searching through the cabinets under the sink asking about the first aid kit. She pointed to the one above the fridge. He walked over and grabbed it heading back to the door. He stopped and looked at her expectantly. She raised an eyebrow at him, confusion clear on her face. Suddenly, he sighed grabbed her hand, hauled her to her feet and out of the house.

"Son, I don't-"

"Just follow me, we have to hurry, I'm more worried about that baby than I am her,"

"Alex-"

"Mom," he turned looking at her his eyes blazing that purple that distinguished him from the rest of the family. She nodded and let him lead the way through the woods.

When they came upon the clearing she finally understood what he was hollering about. There, in the clearing, was a girl with blonde hair filled with leaves and twigs. Her blue eyes red from where she had been crying. She was littered with scratches and cuts. Talia smelled the air, not catching any traces of a were. She peered closer seeing the small child in her arms. She took a step forward, purposefully stepping on a branch, trying to alert the girl that she was there.

"Hey there," she said stepping closer and watched as the girl jerked her head up. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Alisa," the girl whispered.

"What about the baby?"

"She doesn't have a name."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"I was taken. I don't know who or why. All I know is that they wanted something. I'm scared and have no clue how I got here, or where here even is," The girl started crying.

"Mom," Alex said turning his head to the side. He heard something in the distance, just a flicker of a sound. He strained his thoughts, trying to catch a stray thought or sound, something. Then he heard it a silent thread of 'Find the girl' on loop. It was coming from a few miles away, but it was closing in on them fast. And there were quite a few of them. "We've got to go, now!"

"What did you hear?" His mother turned to him and watched the emotions flicker on her son's face. She could see the panic, and worry, as well as the irritation that passed his features. She knew that her son didn't like the advancement in his powers, could see the pain when he was around the entire family. Talia wished there was something that she could do to help him. Yet, she knew there wasn't really anything that she could possibly do.

"Find the girl. It sounds like a few of them and they're closing in on us. We have to move fast before they see us."

"PLEASE DON'T LET THEM TAKE US!" The girl cried throwing herself into Talia's arms, being careful of the baby that she held.

"Can you give the baby to Alex? It'll make it easier for us to get you both somewhere safe," Talia asked looking the girl in the eyes. She nodded slightly allowing her to take the baby and hand it off to her son. Before the girl could process what was happening Talia scooped her up and took off in the direction they had come, Alex following her at a close pace.

"They're up ahead. Three of them, mom can you get up the trees?" Alex mumbled, taking a deep breath. He looked to the trees, then back to his mother. She nodded and moved Alisa to where she was clinging to her back. She scrambled up the tree fast. Deposited the girl on a branch out of view from below, and moved down the trunk to take the baby from her son. She then moved back up the tree to situate herself. Alex scrambled up after his mother careful not to make any noise.

'Listen to me, son.' Talia thought, 'do not move. Stay where you are and please be quiet. If they can't see us they'll move forward. Then we'll get these two to the house.'

Alex nodded to his mother who smiled at him and motioned to Alisa to stay silent. They waited and watched as two men passed by them. He could hear their thoughts, he had to blink back tears when he saw just the amount of pain one of them was going to put the girl through when they found her. Looking over to her, he saw that she was shaking in pure fear. The men that were trying to capture her, had to be her darkest fear. This wasn't going to be good.

"Do you see her?" One asked the other.

"Damn brat, she sure can run fast."

Alex's eyes flashed in rage as he watched the man rethink how the girl had escaped. Then he heard a snap as the branch that he was crouched on broke. He watched as his mother reached out to grab his hand

'NO!' He screamed out at her in his thoughts and she froze eyes wide at what he had done.

Alex shook his head as he hit the ground, hard. There was a rifle pointed in his face then, and he had to fight to keep his eyes from changing color. He kept his eyes closed, hoping that the men would think it was out of fear.

"Boy, have you seen a blonde-haired girl running around?"

Alex shook his head rapidly, trying to scramble away from the gun that was pointed at him. He gulped, hoping that they were buying the act that he was putting on. By their thoughts, they bought it pretty well. They thought him some helpless kid that was climbing a tree that had simply fallen.

"Are you hurt?" The younger of the two asked. His blue eyes filled with concern.

"N-no sir," Alex muttered taking the hand that was held out to him.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"I come out here to think, sir." It wasn't a lie. Alex did come out here to think, to process the things that were happening in his life. It was really his only haven at this point. Except for his time with 'Stiles' of course.

"What's your name son?"

"Alex. Alex Stilinksi."

"Stilinski? Like Noah and Claudia Stilinksi?" The man asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Yes, sir. They're my aunt and uncle. I got into so trouble back home and my momma thought that spending some time with Uncle Noah would straighten me out." Now that was a lie. One he hoped they believed.

"Lucky for you Noah and I are hunting buddies. Let me take you home."

"No thank you."

"Son, look-"

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't know you. Momma taught me not to talk to strangers, and I already broke that rule. I am definitely not getting into a car with anyone that I don't know. Aunt Claudia is really good friends with Mr. and Mrs. Hale so I think that I'll head towards their house. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and call my uncle." Alex said stepping around the young man and ran straight into the older man.

"Now, I think it'll be safer for you to come with us," The man said.

"No."

"It wasn't a suggestion," The man replied the smile on his face tightening. "There are some dangerous animals in these woods and I don't want you getting hurt."

"I can take care of myself thank you. I'll walk to the road then down to the gas station and call Uncle Noah from there." Alex turned on his heel and walked towards the other direction. He almost snapped when the older man grabbed him by the shoulder. All the thoughts the man had rushed into his mind, and he almost cringed.

"Dad, let him go." The younger one said.

"Chris-"

"No, dad. He knows where he's at. Just let him walk back. The gas station he's talking about is two minutes away. He'll be fine, besides we have to find Ally," Chris said nodding for the boy to head on towards the station.

Alex turned and ran. The two men were creepy especially the older one. Then it hit him. He was so terrified that they'd catch on to his lies, that he didn't even realize that he wasn't reading their thoughts or emotions. It wasn't until the old man touched him, that his world crashed. There was so much hate in that man's thoughts, mainly towards his kind. He couldn't even tell if the man had seen through his lies.

"Alex," Talia called as he approached the house. He hugged her, not wanting to let go after such an experience. "Are you okay?"

Tears sprouted in the boy's eyes. He didn't wanna talk, he just wanted to stand here and let her comfort him. He shook as the tears came. He had been holding in all his emotions from the last few days and was finally letting them out. Alex screamed in his mind, letting out all the pain he had been bottling up.

The entire family felt the scream enter their minds. Each one rushed into the yard. The were's eyes flashing varying shades. Each stood slack jaw at the scene that unfolded in front of them. They stayed, watching as the strong boy balled his eyes out.