Chapter 34 - Why?
He brought her to their local cafe to buy ice cream before driving her to the small lake just outside of Beacon Hills, their fingers intertwined as she laughed at a silly joke he'd told. They looked at the small fishes as she dared him to try and catch one, it was impossible and he soon found the legs on his jeans wet. She laughed brightly at his dismay, he smiled as he pulled her against him in the water causing her shoes to get soaked. Their lips connected and suddenly life felt good again like a weight had lifted from his shoulders making everything feel easy.
She pulled back to step out of the water their locked hands taking him along, he refused to let go as he let himself fall to the ground. She fell onto his stomach causing him to smile as she shifted over so their lips could lock once more, teasing him with light pecks. He was glad for the lack of people as he pulled her closer, letting her rest on top of him as he stroked her hair. Her cheek rested against his chest as she let her body fall to lay beside him, his arm around her. He watched as the sun shifted around on the sky knowing the one hour had turned into several, they would soon have to return or they'd miss all classes.
Glancing down at Allison he wanted to push the thought of school out of his mind, instead shifted into a more comfortable position hoping to remain. He could sense her growing tenser, the realization of passed time hitting her but struggling to follow up on her earlier decision of not skipping school.
''What will happen to us after graduation?'' she suddenly asked causing Mickey to raise a curious brow, his eyes staring up at the clouds trying to make out their shapes but finding his creativity at a low.
He hadn't even thought about life after graduation what he would do or what he wanted to become, life for him had always been about living for the moment. The thought of an office job had always unsettled him but neither did he enjoy the thought of having a physically active job. Mickey liked the comfort that life had provided him and so he had childishly hoped that life would remain so. But he'd have to grow up just like the rest of them, looking at Allison he knew he'd do it for her.
''We'll move to a small town far away from here,'' he said as his gaze shifted to the trees, his mind providing him with the perfect life, ''We'll have a small house, a dog and you'll take over your fathers business providing us with all the money we'd ever need.''
She played with the string on his hoodie humming pleasantly at the image, she shifted so their eyes could meet, ''You'll be my housewife, cooking me dinner every night.''
The thought caused him to smirk as he wrapped both his arms around her, she smiled as she pulled the hood over his head to cover his ears. He leaned up to kiss her, letting it last for several seconds before he let his head slump back against the ground, ''Will you buy me an apron with pink dots?''
The cute laugh that left her lips confirmed it, he pouted as she finally found the resolve to get up. It was time to take her back, he let her pull him up. Her hand idly took his own, like it just belonged there. He loved it, he loved her. Everything about her was precious to him and for just a moment he forgot about the monster sleeping soundly within him, forgot about the feeling of fresh blood on his skin. He felt like himself again, like he truly was in control. She was his cure, his heart, his innocence, his everything. The fact that she probably didn't even realize it only strengthened his bond to her, made his heart swell for her because there wasn't enough space to fill all the feelings she caused him. Not enough words to explain it, so many came to mind but so few were spoken.
He stopped in front of the car and she looked at him curiously, his eyes searching hers hoping to convey the words he was unable to express. She suddenly smiled knowingly, her free hand cupping his cheek, ''I love you too.''
...
They parted ways once they'd entered the school as Allison headed straight to class while Mickey made an excuse of needing to use the bathroom, staring into his reflection as he splashed cold water onto his face. His hands were trembling and once he looked back up his image had been changed to that of Erica, her big brown eyes watching him in disgust. Blood was dripping from the open wound in her neck, a fatal wound, not even a werewolf could heal. Their eyes locked, a heavy silence filling the air only disrupted by his loud heartbeats.
''Murderer,'' she suddenly spat causing him to flinch, forcing himself to close his eyes in hope to not face her. He could still feel her presence, could smell her perfume. Lavender, a very flowery scent. It was pleasant, if not for the foul odor of hatred mixed into it. It made him shrink, become smaller like a dog being scolded.
His fists clenched around the basin until he heard the distinct sound of it cracking under the pressure, only then did he eased his hold. When he found the courage to look back up, she was gone. The air became lighter as if her spirit had left the room, probably too disgusted by his presence. He didn't blame her, he didn't deserve her forgiveness.
The door suddenly opened as someone entered the room causing Mickey to look up, watching as the other male stopped awkwardly as he took in the blondes state. It wasn't someone Mickey knew nor did he recognize him, a freshman. He hadn't even thought about the fact that he was now a junior, he'd missed the last few weeks of his sophomore year. It explained all the homework he'd have to deal with during summer, at least he wasn't held back a year.
''I Uhm, just gonna use the bathroom,'' the kid hesitated as he'd have to pass by Mickey to reach the bathroom,'' You uh-, need a minute?''
Staring at the kid who was rapidly growing more uncomfortable by the second, Mickey finally shook his head as he straightened his back, ''No, go ahead.''
He brushed past the kid seeing as the younger male was glued to the floor, he didn't bother to close the door as he made his way down the corridor. Getting to class was too quick so he found himself leaned against the lockers, his eyes staring tiredly at the wall across the hallway. He could hear their teacher typing on the chalkboard, pencils idly writing notes as papers scrunched while being flipped to the next page. He could hear the heartbeats of every student, could hear their bored sighs. The urge to just skip was growing stronger, no one would know he'd been there. Allison was waiting for him inside but fear acted as a barrier, he couldn't cross the doorway. The loneliness was eating him up from the inside, the regret and self-hatred were overwhelming him. The beast had awoken from its slumber gnawing at his brain in hope to gain control, his defenses were growing weaker.
''There's a face I didn't expect to see,'' a man spoke from across the corridor, Mickey turned his head in the direction and was greeted by the schools principal. The man smiled as he walked up to his student, ''I'm highly aware of your attendance record, so let us not fill it with a further absence by standing outside of class.''
He was about to speak up when the man planted a firm hand on his shoulder, just like his father used to do whenever Mickey was hesitating. There wasn't enough time to escape as the door was slung open and he was led inside, several eyes turning to him as he was escorted inside. Usually, he wouldn't care for the attention but things had changed, his gaze was glued to the floor as the new female teacher crossed her arms in front of her chest while pinning him with a stern look.
''Mr. Jagger I assume?'' she asked, Mickey, raised his eyes to look at her as he gave a curt nod, ''Seeing as this is my first day here I'll issue a warning, please try to not make this a habit.''
Another curt nod was his only response as he quickly looked for a seat, there wasn't any. To his surprise their teacher called out to Scott, their eyes locked before Mickey was able to look away. Looking into his best friends' eyes made him realize how much he'd missed him, Scott the most innocent guy Mickey had ever known. He was too kind for his good, a true leader as he sought to save everyone. Would he desire to save Mickey? Who would he even save Mickey from, the only demon haunting Mickey was himself. His heart clenched in his chest as he watched the dark-haired male get up from his seat, walking up to Mickey and stopped. His eyes were filled with questions but this was neither the time nor place, so Mickey averted his eyes as he brushed away the concerns aimed at him.
A gentle hand touched his own as he passed Allison to reach the now empty seat behind her, she noticed the interaction but he shook his head to tell her not to worry. She smiled tightly letting it go but there would be questions, get in line he thought.
One person he couldn't convince was seated right next to him, the one person who could read him like an open book. Mickey let his elbows rest on top of his desk, face pressed in his palms and he regretted ever evening coming to school this morning. Stiles was staring at him, unusually quiet. He hadn't attempted starting up a conversation and instead opting on just watching Mickey as if he was trying to get all the answers just from the blonde's body languish. It went on for several minutes, slowly driving Mickey insane as the urge to curse Stiles out rose within him.
''You-,'' Stiles didn't get further as something suddenly slammed into the window causing them both and the rest of the class to look up, there was a splash of blood on the window from the crow that had flown into it.
There were more, Mickey could hear their wings flapping. His eyes darted from window to window unable to count them all, sensing their fears. Panic rose within him as his instinct warned him of danger, that something able to spook such a great flock of birds into self-harm was coming. Yet all he could hear were the approaching birds, nothing big or scary enough to cause such a reaction.
Another one hit the window and then another, their bodies slamming through the window as it cracked open. They were panicked, flying around the room in a blinded state. The teacher screamed for them to get down, to seek cover from the claws and beaks. Mickey didn't hesitate as he got up, reaching for Allison as he brought both of them to the floor. He used his hand to cover her face, his body to shield hers as the crow's claws slashed his skin. The room reeked of panic, he buried his nose in Allisons' hair trying to ignore the events around them.
The panicked screams of his fellow students filled his ears, taking him back to the old abandoned building: He'd let the beast take over his body but it was Mickey who was in control, silently watching his father taunt one of the men desperately trying to defend his wife from the beasts grasp. It wasn't working, the werewolf was too weak for the beast. His skin was ripped open causing a guttural scream to leave his mouth, the woman screamed terror as she tried to use her own body to shield his. Mickey averted his stare to the floor, flinched as splatter of blood stained his paws.
''Weak,'' a voice said in his mind causing him to look up once more, his eyes falling onto the beast stood over the bloody corpses. The wolf-hybrid looked pissed with its teeth baren as its chest rumbled, it looked towards Mickey, ''Deucalion wanted me to recruit this man, you know what I answered?''
The words echoed in Mickeys' mind as if his father was speaking through water, muffled by the connection but still strengthened enough to be clear. Mickey glanced down at the couple laid in front of the beast, their eyes wide as their expressions were that of fright and pain. They were still young, had so much to live for. It could have been Mickey laid there, could have been Allison. They were werewolves, both alphas and yet they'd been killed so easily. He looked at his father, a huge framed wolf with features similar to that of a bear. His dark coat was stained in blood, it was dripping from his fangs. He was a beast, had taken his true form, and embraced it. It was what Earl wanted Mickey to become, a beast feared by all supernatural.
He shook his head, lowered his head not wanting to appear confrontational. It only served to make his father angrier, a snarl causing Mickey to flinch.
''I am no errand boy, I do not fear the stories of the Demon Wolf,'' his father's voice was laced with hatred as the beats moved closer towards Mickey, ''I am the first of my kind, created to initiate all werewolves, to be feared by all. I do not fear death because I am dead.''
Taking a nervous step backward, Mickey couldn't recognize the beast his father had become. A power-hungry monster, he was no more human then he was a beast. His eyes were crazed like a lunatic, filled with a thirst that could never be quenched.
A gentle hand suddenly touched his cheek causing him to flinch, blinking his eyes transported him back to the present. The beats were no longer in front of him, his father green eyes no longer staring into his own as they were fading into beautiful kind brown. The hand on his cheek was small and soft, grounding him. Allison looked worried making him realized that he'd zoned out, as he glanced around he realized that the birds had all died leaving the room in chaos. All the students were stiffly moving about, feather and bird corpses had destroyed all the books and surfaces. The room stank of iron from the cuts made by the crow's claws, death laid heavy in the air.
''You okay?'' Allison finally asked as he let out a ragged exhale, clenching his hands into fists to stop them from shaking.
He looked at her before pulling her against him, his hand gently stroking her hair. She let him as she gripped his shirt, letting it last for just a moment before she leaned back using her eyes to demand an answer.
''Fine,'' he simply said as he pushed himself off the floor, holding his own for her to take before he helped her to her feet.
She didn't believe him but he ignored her look, keeping her hand in his own as she sat down on one of the desks as Mickey slumped down on the chair. He used his free hand to cover his face, rubbing at his forehead as he tried to calm his beating heart. The memories had made him conscious of the bond between his father and himself, how it was constantly keeping track of him. It wasn't clear to neither of them what it meant or what purpose it served if it was the same as the bond between alpha or beta or maybe served a stronger purpose between blood-family. Mickey could sense his father's presence even though they were miles apart, could feel the way his father was trying to change him. Emotions sent through the connection was driving him mad, strengthening the memories he was desperately trying to forget.
He needed to ignore it, needed to focus his mind on something else. So he raised his gaze to look up at Allison, ''Why did you come back?''
It took her off-guard and he realized his tone hadn't been very pleasant, so he repeated it in a gentler tone. She watched him for a few seconds trying to read the look on his face, she then looked towards their friends, ''I was worried about you.''
''Why?'' the question left his lips before he could take in her reply, his eyebrow raised as their eyes locked and he could see the worry shining within her brown orbs.
She was about to answer him when someone approached causing Mickey to tense, he'd forgotten all about Stiles and now it was too late to run.