Chapter 29 - Power
He watched her go inside as he remained in the driveway, his feet glued to the ground as they refused to allow him to walk away. She stopped with her hand on the handle and glanced back at him, he could see her struggle but they'd both made up their minds. He wanted to call out to her, to tell her not to go. The words remained on his tongue and he instead smiled reassuringly, so she finally stepped inside.
''You'll see her again,'' his father said causing Mickey to startle at his sudden proximity, he hadn't noticed him getting so close.
Turning his head around he found his father stood in front of the driveway, the old habit of never stepping into the home of a hunter keeping him from approaching further. It was a habit Mickey had never been taught, never needed. His mother had often lectured him for being reckless but Mickey had never seen the point, he was after all mostly human back then. Although things had changed since then he was still just as reckless but his father would never blame him for it, they were after all the same.
Staring at the man the thought of the two being the same made Mickeys' heart clench, to know that he was a murderer, a mere pawn in someone else's game, a dog on a leash waiting for the next command. He didn't have the power to fight the alphas, he didn't have the power to fight his dad.
His gaze shifted back to the house, how did the hunter do it? They were just humans without any special powers or supernatural speed or strength, yet they proudly stood up against the beasts standing at the top of the food chain. Chris had never shown fear towards any of them, had even been confident enough to allow Mickey into his home even though he knew what he was. But as he looked back at his father, Mickey realized that the hunter and alpha were the same. They were both confident in their strengths, knew their weaknesses and that's why they didn't need to fear each other. Because they knew their limits, Mickey didn't know anything about himself.
Born to a human and a guinea pig for scientists, only imagination could know what his father was made of. It had been centuries since his father was turned and the stories of his past life had been vague, something he'd often said Mickey wouldn't need to worry about. But as far as Mickey knew his father had been kidnapped as he fought during World War two, he'd been tortured in the process as he'd been heavily experimented on. When he finally escaped them he'd realized his powers and used them against his assailants, he'd often described it to Mickey as a current of power exploding inside of him. Like turning, the feeling of power overwhelming the body, and in doing so turning it into something indestructible. A monster even in the eyes of the supernatural purely to the fact that he was something unknown, something that shouldn't be.
Who knew what the limit to Mickeys' powers was, he'd never dared to use them to such an extent and neither had his mother allowed him to. His father had mostly kept his mouth shut about the powers he held, only confidently boasting about the powers he held above werewolves.
Sighing from frustration Mickey finally turned away from the house, walking past his father as he followed the pavement away from the neighborhood. His father's boots sounded heavily behind him, it was only a matter of time before he would say something.
''Your mother called,'' the words brought Mickey out of his head as he stopped to look at his father, he'd forgotten about his mother as he'd assumed she would have planned everything with his dad. But the mention of her made him realize what had happened the night he was taking and how the car had crashed, she didn't have his supernatural healing so she would have taken greater damage from the collision.
''Is she alright?'' he felt bad for asking it so late but they came out rushed, desperate. He needed to know if she was alright but he was sure she would be, he didn't know a stronger person.
Smiling, if you could call it that. Earl took the last few steps until they were only a few feet apart, his hand clasping Mickeys' shoulder caused the teen to glance at it in discomfort but the hand remained, ''She's in a bad shape but the doctors are taking care of her, no car in the world can end that woman's' life.''
His fist clenched and he swung his arm before he could think better of it, landing a perfectly aimed blow to the man's jaw sending him to the ground. It looked awkward seeing such a proud man fall to the floor, hands scraping against the pavement as he barely kept his head from slamming against the ground. His eyes flashed crimson, locking Mickey into a snarly glare as he sprung up. His body exploded as it re-shaped into a beast-like wolf, blood sipping from the fangs from the sudden transformation as it hackles raised aggressively. Mickey stood his ground as he glared down at the beast, keeping his calm and his fist closed in preparation for a possible attack.
''She's your fucking wife, she's my fucking mother and you almost killed her!?'' he snarled at the wolf-hybrid, staring it straight in the eyes knowing it to be disrespectful and challenging.
The wolf-hybrid -his father- stared at him but they both knew he was in the wrong, a fight would be useless between the two. Yet neither stepped down, locked in a contest of egos and rage. The wolf-hybrid growled, then snarled and suddenly it was trotting away into the woods. Mickey watched his father go knowing their talk was over, for now.
...
Running into the reception of the hospital Mickey failed to notice which nurse was behind the counter before he was stood in front of it, panting heavily from the run as he leaned his arms onto the counter, ''Which room can I find Rachael Jagger?''
''Mickey? The boys have been looking all over for you,'' a familiar voice said causing him to finally look at the woman, a lump formed in his throat as he looked at Scotts' mother Melissa as she stared at him with worried eyes.
He must have looked like a mess with his tousled hair and sweaty skin, his clothes were the same as he'd worn at the beginning of the week. He wanted to tell her not to worry about him, that he was fine but the words refused to leave his tongue and so he cleared his throat, ''I know, I'll call them tonight.''
She didn't believe him but neither did she try to question him and he was grateful for it as she turned her attention down at the monitor, ''She's on the second floor, room sixty-seven.''
Smiling gratefully, Mickey didn't allow her time to question him further as he took off down the corridor. He reached the elevator in record time and stepped further in to allow space for a nurse pulling a wheelchair, in it sat an old-looking man with droopy eyes. The ride to the second floor was short and as the doors opened he hurried out, searching for the right number. He found it, looked through the window before he gently opened it. The room stank of antiseptics, cleaning solutions but they were all overshadowed by the distinct smell of blood. The beeping of the heart monitor was like a ghost whispering in the shadows, he swallowed as he closed the door behind him.
His mother laid motionless in the bed, several tubes were connected to different needles inside of her. A chair stood empty next to her bed, he stared at it for a few seconds before he finally sat down. His mother's hand laid on her stomach, a freakishly big needle pushed under the delicate skin. She was pale and cold to the touch as he grasped her hand but as he closed his eyes he could hear her heartbeat, strong beats in a perfect rhythm.
Her face was scraped but not badly so, there would only be thin scars. He knew they would fade in time but just the thought of his father had caused all the damage filled him with another wave of rage, Earl Jagger had put his wife in the hospital just to get to Mickey.
''Honey?'' her voice was scratchy from sleep but it was enough to bring him back to reality as he opened his eyes, locking onto her warm brown eyes as she stared back at him with a look of relief. He should be the one to feel relieved.
Squeezing her hand, Mickey felt tears form in his eyes, ''Hi mom.''
''Where have you been?'' she asked, not accusingly but worryingly and it only served to make his heart clench harder. Her eyes shifted as she searched his face, her brow turning into a frown at what she saw, ''What's wrong, Kiddo?''
''Dad's back,'' the words left his mouth before he could stop himself but he was shocked to realize that she already knew that, her expression turning less worried and more neutral, ''But you already knew that.''
''Well I figured when the last thing I saw was a huge mutt,'' he words were uttered in frustration, Mickey let go of her hand as he leaned back against the backrest on the chair. He watched her fume and raised his brow as she locked her eyes on him, ''You stay away from him, I don't want him to ruin everything we've worked for.''
It was already way too late for that but as she looked at her once more, seeing the beating she'd taken all because of his father. Mickey didn't have it in him to tell her of what he'd done, or what he would have to do. He wanted to rely on her like when he was younger but she wasn't in any shape to defend him, so he would have to step up and protect her. Even though he couldn't save himself he would save her, nothing would touch her even if he'd have to stand up to his father.
He stared at her before leaning forward, resting his arms on top of his knees as he looked at her, ''How strong is Dad?''
His question took her off guard as he brow raised, her eyes dancing across his face and he knew she was thinking of the right reply that would give enough to diminish his curiosity, ''Too strong, enough to scare any alpha.''
''Even the Demon Wolf?'' he knew he was putting himself in a sinking hole, that she would figure him out but he wanted to know. They'd never told him anything about his father's powers and in doing so, nothing about his own.
''Perhaps,'' his mother said as she watched him, she'd already figured him out but remained neutral, ''Deucalion and Earl have many differences but depending on the situation strength might not always win. Don't underestimate an enemy just because they look to be standing in a disadvantage, it can be a fatal mistake.''
Forcing a smile, Mickey straightened from the chair. His mother had provided him with uncertainty but also a warning, to step back and hide. If only that was an option, instead he was stood at a huge disadvantage. At least he wasn't underestimating his opponents, quite contrary. He had to get stronger, he would use his enemies to get stronger.
...
He didn't bother to announce his presence as he entered the old bank, merely walk through the corridors listening to the heartbeats of those present. Her claws clicked against the marble floor, echoes throughout the space. She was like an assassin as she snuck around in the shadow, lurking in wait for the right moment to strike. It wasn't just her but the others were to threat, merely audience waiting for the show to begin. His steps didn't falter, remained a steady rhythm as he strode deeper into the building.
Upper left the floor, his mind provided just quick enough to allow him to evade the claws aimed at his throat. Forcing his body away, putting his left foot to close to his right foot forcing him to twist around as to not fall. It gave her another opening to strike, she didn't hesitate to take it. Standing on one foot, she swung her foot at him gaining momentum to turn to swing her claws once more. He barely evaded the swings but they only caused him to stumble more, moving clumsily as he was forced into being defensive.
It was only a matter of time before she would hit him but he was prepared for it, putting his arms in front of him like a shield as she landed a direct hit square in his chest causing him to fly backward. His back hit the wall causing him to choke on air but she refused to give him time to catch his breath as she was on him in seconds, punching him to the ground with a swift blow to his side.
''Shit!'' he cursed through his clenched teeth as he used his arms to spin around and away from the foot aimed at his body, panic slowly spread through him as he realized that he was defenseless against her attacks. Untrained and lacking strength, there was nothing he could do against her.
''What's wrong Puppy, not gonna fight back?'' Kali taunted as she approached him, a huge glee on her face as she prepared to kick him as a final blow to his already destroyed ego.
Although he lacked the training and there was nothing to do about it, he could do something about his strength. He watched her foot pull back, felt his skin crawl in anticipation. His heartbeat picked up and suddenly he was feeling eager, out of breath as adrenaline-filled him. He didn't fight it, allowed his bones to crack apart to form something new. He welcomed the strength that draped over him like a blanket and then he attacked, locking his jaw around the alphas' leg. She screamed as he tasted blood, he could feel the panic inside of her. Heard her heartbeat pick up as he threw her away from himself, watched her take a tense stand in front of him, and as he let out a guttural snarl she could see her visible swallow.
The current had turned, he raised his hackles as he stepped forward preparing to attack. She tensed, ready for it as she lowered her stance to gain better balance. Tapping echoed through the room as several footsteps approached the scene signaling the end of the fight, the judge had finally stepped down from his altar. Mickey glanced at the man, Deucalion showed no fear as he approached the bloodied scene to stand between the two. His eyes locked on something far away, he didn't bother to turn to either of them.
''I thought I made it clear that we would not fight one another,'' the alpha said as his gaze remained in the distance, his presence heavy and demanding strengthened by Earls' proximity as the man was stood next to him staring down at the puddle of blood in front of Mickey.
He remained in the defensive position while Kali instantly eased up, straightening as she realized her mistake by going against Deucalions' order. Earls' eyes shifted to Mickey who's stance had remained aggressive but as the older mans' eyes flashed crimson all fight went out of him. Like having all energy ripped out of him, he gasped as he turned back to human. Coughs wrecked his lungs as his bare hands and knees rested against the cold marble floor, his muscles shaking from the shock. It felt like the end of a panic attack. Cold, sweaty and out of breath, even though he'd barely strained his muscled enough to feel so exhausted. It was humiliating how easily his father could rip all power away from him, he glared at the man.
His father ignored his look as he removed his jacket, draping it over Mickeys' shoulder to allow him some coverage. He kneeled so their eyes were at the same height, giving a little respect in the response of the force he'd used, ''You good?''
''I was doing just fine until you arrived,'' he snarled as he sucked in gulps of air, the coughing had let up finally allowing him to relax his body.
His father smirked at his comment, his big hand ruffling Mickeys' hair proudly as he straightened back up, ''I won't argue with that but save all that strength for Derek and his pack.''
''You mean for Scott,'' Mickey corrected as he shifted into a more comfortable position on the floor, using the coat to cover himself up.
''Scott won't have to die, as long as he does what we need him to do,'' Deucalion reminded him, his tone calm like a teacher of uncle. Mickey glared at him but in the end opted on keeping quiet, his glare shifting to the floor in front of him.
Clawed feet clicked against the floor as Kali moved over to Deucalion, her voice purring like a cat as she spoke, ''We'll just have them kill their betas, a small offering for the power they'll receive.''
Glancing up at his father Mickey couldn't help but think of the possibility that his father would kill him for his power, although it most likely wasn't possible for them there was always an if. They still weren't sure what their powers were, would he do it just in case it might work? His father sensed his stare and glanced down, their eyes meeting. There was warmth in their bond, reassurance that there was still love. Mickey just hoped it was enough to keep him alive, at least until he could figure out a way to get rid of Deucalion and his followers.