The next few days had been filled with school, my extensive – and exhausting – training with Derek, and what little time I could spare for Erica and my Pack brothers. At some point, Derek had sat us down and talked to us about the Kanima, going over what he knew about it. That it was just as fast and strong as us Werewolves – if not more so. And that its claws were covered in a paralytic agent that left us completely venerable after one scratch. Basically, it was pretty damn scary.
But as the days went by, Derek talked to me during our one on one training sessions. Some times he used the others to help, especially with my tracker training. But when it was just me and him, he'd talk out loud about the Kanima and what he was planning. He talked about who it could be and how best to attack and kill it. When prompted I offered me opinions and advise, even encouragement and agreement if I thought that was what he needed. Looking back that might have been when I finally started acting like his Second.
Then one night he called everyone in, minus Boyd. While he'd come along nicely, Derek didn't think he was ready for this, and so, had left him out of it. Once me, Isaac and Erica were all there, he told us what he was planning, and it made all three of us smile.
He sent me and Erica out to get who he first suspected of being the Kanima, who we found at the school lifting weights with one of his friends. We watched him struggle, did our best not to laugh at him while he tried to act like he was one of us. To act as if he had our strength. He didn't though, and if it hadn't been for his friend, the weights would have crushed him. But then his friend left and the idiot tried to lift the weight again. Only this time there was no one to help him lift the weight when he couldn't do it himself.
So me and Erica watched him squirm for a moment, before stepping into the light of the boys locker room. Erica was the one to take the weight from him. Lifting it with one hand and placing it on the stand. "Thanks," Jackson breathed out, exhausted and covered in sweat from his pitiful attempts to lift the heavy weight.
"Any time," Erica replied, and that was when Jackson realised it wasn't his friend that had helped him out. He looked straight up, finding me and Erica looming over him. His eyes widened, but before he could say anything I grabbed his throat, crushing it in my hand just enough to stop him from saying anything.
I leaned in, grinning menacingly. "Derek would like a word with you."
It had only been recently that Derek even told me about Jackson. About how after he'd bitten me, he'd also bitten Jackson, who'd come looking for him on that same night. Initially I'd been pretty annoyed with Derek for making such a dumb decision, and he hadn't been able to justify it to me.
Thankfully though, it hadn't worked. Jackson hadn't become a Werewolf and he wasn't in my precious Pack. But that was also the reason why Derek suspected him of being the Kanima. Thus why my hand was now around his throat.
He attempted to speak, but because of the hold I had, he could barely even croak. "Sounds like he's happy to come along," Erica answered for him, enjoying this as much as I was. Smiling with her hands on her hips as she watched Jackson struggle from beneath us.
"That's what I thought," I agreed, smiling to my sister. "And it sounds like he wants you to drive his Porsche." More distant croaking like noises from Jackson. Probably in protest, but it wasn't like he could do anything.
"That's so thoughtful of him," Erica said in a mockingly sweet voice, before making a show of picking up Jackson's keys with just her thumb and forefinger. She then sent Jackson a wicked smile and let out an air-headed giggle. "Hopefully I won't crash it." She wouldn't crash it, but it was funny to watch Jackson squirm all the more because of it. From there we hauled him out, stuffed him in the boot of his own car and drove him to Derek's lair. As promised I let Erica drive, but then she had to drag Jackson down into the building. Not that she didn't enjoy that too.
We entered to find Derek and Isaac waiting for us. Isaac leaning against one of the wooden columns while Derek sat on a crate placed in front of the subway carriage. Normally I might have made a mocking announcement about Jackson's arrival, but I could see from Derek's position that while we were all enjoying this, it was just business for him. He didn't like Jackson, but this was about Kanima, not him.
Once off the stairs I nodded to Isaac and he nodded back, moving from the column to assist Erica with Jackson. Not that she needed it, but I figured he'd want to ruff house the guy a little too, so why not let him. With Erica holding Jackson by his right side and Isaac his left, the two brought him before Derek and me. With me now stood at his right hand's side.
"What happened to you on the night of the full moon?" Derek asked calmly, looking down at the shard of glass in his hand. The one he'd retrieved from the school swimming pool, from the night the Kanima first attacked us. Its significance had already been explained to me along with the others. But while Derek carefully handled the shard, I watched Jackson with a darkened smile, arms folded.
"What? Nothing," Jackson snapped, still pointlessly struggling against Isaac and Erica.
Derek looked up from the shard then, staring Jackson down as he thought. "You're lying," he stated simply. Then carefully lying the thick shard of glass down on his leg, he started to pull on leather gloves.
"No, wait, I can – I can prove it." Derek raised his brow, waiting for the evidence. Jackson hesitated though, groaning a little before saying, "I…I taped myself." Derek smiled at that, as did I, though I really wanted to laugh in his face. But I had to be mature, like Derek had told me, so I was making an effort. Thankfully someone laughed though, both Isaac and Erica.
"You tapped yourself?" Isaac said mockingly.
Jackson turned to glare at him, despite the fact he was still trapped. "Yes. It was the full moon. And maybe while you were curled up in the corner having an existential crisis about turning into a monster, and she–" He jerked his chin in my direction. "–was chained up over there, all alone and forgotten, I was preparing for the so called gift your big bad Alpha promised me, and what did I get? Nothing."
I let out a low growl, my eyes flashing as I got ready to advance and slit his throat for what he'd said. But a raised gloved hand from Derek had me remaining at his side. No matter how much Jackson deserved it. I did like we'd practised though, focusing on Erica, my anchor, and managed to calm myself down enough to remember we still needed proof first. At least before the real fun could begin.
"You want proof?" Jackson continued, after seeing that I wasn't going to kill him. "Let me get the video."
Derek thought about it for a moment, before then looking to me and smiling. I smiled back, knowing exactly what he was thinking, and loving the idea. "No. No, I have a better idea," Derek said, picking up the shard of glass and showing it to Jackson as we all grinned around him.
"What is that?" Jackson asked, before I gave a nod to both Isaac and Erica. The two happily forced the not so powerful co-captain of the lacrosse team down to his knees, before Isaac took hold of his jaw and forced his mouth open. While they were doing that, Derek advanced with me at his side.
"You know, Jackson," Derek said, now standing over him. "You've always been kind of a snake. And what was it you told me about snakes, Dylan?" Derek asked with half a sideways glance towards me.
"That snakes can't be poisoned by their own venom," I happily said, as Jackson realised what it was we were about to do.
"That's right," Derek agreed. He then stepped forward and Jackson began to struggle all the more, but he was powerless against the strength of two Werewolves as they held his mouth wide open. Then, tilting the glass towards his mouth, Derek used his gloved hand to push the thin trail of liquid towards Jackson's awaiting mouth. When it reached the end of the shard, it hung there for a moment. A growing bubble that slowly began to drip towards Jackson's mouth, until finally, it fell in.
Almost instantly Jackson went limp, his body paralysed with in seconds. Issac and Erica let go, and his body collapsed onto the ground – after convulsing on the floor for a moment – unable to move as he stared up at us. Still conscious luckily. Unfortunately it did mean that he wasn't the Kanima, which was a bit disappointing. But it was still fun to watch him stare up at us while Isaac and Erica fell in line with me and Derek, to watch him suffer in ways I'd never even dreamed of before becoming a Werewolf. This was just the kind of punishment someone like Jackson deserved. To lie there helplessly, knowing that we could do anything to him. Absolutely anything. We'd taken away his power, and that was what he feared the most.
However, Derek wasn't as happy as we were, letting out a huff of irritation after briefly looking away. He didn't have the same hatred of Jackson that we did, he couldn't take anything away from this. All he saw was a boy who wasn't the Kanima, while me, Erica and Isaac saw one of the many people who'd tormented us throughout our lives finally getting what he deserved.
After a moment, Derek stepped forward and bent down to Jackson's level. "You're still a snake, Jackson," Derek said, looking the paralysed boy right in the eye, only to then look away as he murmured the next line. "Just not the one we're looking for."
With that he stood up and made his way into the subway carriage. I followed instinctively now, in case he wanted to discuss our findings or just simply use me as a sounding board. However, as I turned, I caught Isaac's eye and nodded back towards Jackson. "He's all yours," I said, bringing a smirk to his face as I sent him a confident wink. Derek had already given the go ahead, but had told me to tell Isaac once we were done. We both knew Isaac still had one more use for Jackson.
We left him to it as me and Erica followed Derek into the subway carriage, both of us standing before him as he carefully put the glass shard with the Kanima venom into a secure box that looked as though it had been made for the shard. Once secured, he pulled off the gloves and threw them down on the box before turning to us, his arms folded.
"So it's not Jackson then," Erica stated rather obviously, one hand on her hip as she flicked her hair aside so Derek could see both her brown eyes.
"No," was all Derek said, head lowering slightly in thought.
"So by deduction it must be Lydia," I pointed out, grin forming as a shared a look with Erica. "Which means I finally get to give that bitch what's coming to her."
"Not yet," Derek said curtly.
"Why not?" Erica pouted.
"Because we have to be certain," Derek said, as if spelling it out for her. He then looked over to me. "Come by here in the morning. You can pick up Isaac and I'll have some of the venom ready for you. I want you to test it on Lydia, find out if she's immune."
Still grinning, I asked, "Even if she's not, do I still get to kill her?"
"No," Derek said firmly, with a warning look.
"Fine," I groaned, rolling my eyes before another idea came to me. One involving a paralysed Lydia, a bottle of water and a rumour that she'd wet herself. I looked to Erica, remembering one of the worst experiences of her life. Oh yeah, it'd be a fitting punishment for Lydia all right. The idea of it alone made my grin return. "There's still plenty I can do without killing her," I pointed out, as Erica smiled and we started to laugh like evil geniuses.
Our laughter quickly died down however when Isaac came in, requesting a hand in dragging Jackson back out to his car. We all looked to Derek who said we were done for the night. He reminded me of my orders for tomorrow – of which I had no doubt he'd remind me of again when I came to collect Isaac and the venom – and then nodded for us to leave.
I helped Isaac this time with Jackson, carrying his legs up the stairs while Isaac carried his upper half and with Erica leading the way out. We dumped him into his car again and then drove him back to the school. Isaac had said what he had to so he remained at the lair with Derek. Once at the school, we left a couple major scratches on his Porsche, cackling away like witches as we did. Then we pulled him out to show him our handing work, reminding him that if he didn't help Isaac out, or spoke a word about what had happened, then we'd do the same thing to his face instead. Satisfied with the nights events, we left Jackson in his car waiting for the venom to leave his system and then went home for a good night's rest. Somehow, I just knew tomorrow was going to be just as eventful.
As ordered, I arrived bright and early with Erica to pick up Isaac and my sample of the venom, which Derek had ready for me in an inclosed test tube. He warned me once again to be careful with it, repeating what my goal was – to use the venom on Lydia – and then let me go. I left with Isaac, shaking my head. "Does he have to treat me like a child?" I asked rhetorically.
"Weren't you the one that let Boyd play lacrosse?" Isaac pointed out with a grin as we walked towards the car.
"Shut up, Isaac," I sneered at him, glaring through narrow eyes. "Keep in mind that one word from me, and you won't be playing lacrosse either." He just laughed at that, and in the end, I laughed too.
Once we were all in the car, I drove us to school arriving with just enough time. We then exited the car in perfect sync, which was a little scary, but I imagined it looked damn cool. The three of us then made our way into the school, shoving open the doors as we announced our presence.
As per the norm now, everyone turned to look at us. Me and Erica, the drop dead gorgeous and the most powerful girls in the school, along with Isaac, one of the school's lacrosse players and another damn good looking guy. We made our way through the corridors, heads turning every time to look at us – to envy us. I led the way with Isaac and Erica flanking me, all of us in leather jackets and soaking up their stares. Power had never felt so good first thing in the morning and it certainly never got old.
There were a couple of whispers about Isaac, about how he was wanted for questioning by the police. But the recent rumours of his name being cleared were also circulating, so we continued on, knowing Jackson had done as told. I was almost a little disappointed by that. It meant I didn't have an excuse to literally tear him a new one – new face that is.
When the bell rang for first period, and the hallways began to clear, I stopped. Isaac and Erica doing the same as I turned to face them, pulling out the vial of venom from my jacket as I did. "Not to sound like Derek, but you remember what you've got to do, right?"
"Yeah, yeah," Isaac groaned, though couldn't stop grinning at the fact that he was back in school with all of us.
Erica, thankfully, was a bit more serious. I knew I could count on her. "We're going to take that venom there, and then during chemistry class, we're going to slip it into Lydia. If she's immune, we'll know she's the Kanima."
I smiled at her proudly. "Right." I held out the vial to Isaac who took it, placing it in his own jacket. "Don't lose it, and don't do anything stupid," I warned him.
"Why? Afraid of getting into trouble again with Derek?" Isaac teased.
I smirked back. "If anything happens to that vial, it'll be your head Derek's after."
"Relax, Dylan, I'm joking," Isaac said raising both his hands.
"I know," I replied with a genuinely sweet smile. "Just be careful with that stuff."
"Will do," Isaac said more seriously.
"And remember, even if she does turn out to be the Kanima, don't do anything until either me or Derek tell you to," I reminded them both. Isaac nodded in understanding and then proceed off down the hallway to his first class. My gaze followed him over my shoulder before then turning back to find Erica still stood in front of me, a bright smile on her face. "What?" I asked, feel a little embarrassed all of a sudden.
"You're just such a badass Second," Erica said giddily.
I couldn't help but smile back at her. "Thanks." I then tried to be a bit more serious, but it didn't come across that well, what with my continual smile and all. "Now off you go. We've got a job to do."
"Yes, sir, boss lady" Erica said cheekily, to which I rolled my eyes. She then turned and walked off to her class, my smile on her back before I went to my own. I was grinning the whole way there, unable to contain my excitement at finally getting Lydia back after all this time. At last, I was getting my revenge.