3...2...1

I counted down the numbers to myself as they crossed over to the last hour on the bomb. I had managed to push the blade up to my hip and was able to grab and pull it with my thumb and index finger at some point, and had been working on it for over an hour.

I had no clue whether or not the rope was wearing down or not, all I could do was hope. I had heard Zinnia pack up shop and leave before the beginning of the second hour, so I knew she wouldn't catch me.

0:59:37 said the bomb in red numbers.

I kept in mind that I needed to focus on what I was doing and why I had to do it. Not just to live, but to tell Theo that I loved him. He had to know, whether or not I lived through this.

Finding a little bit of a second wind, I shoved the blade harder into the rope, as hard as possible with my hands tied. I listened to the scratch of the rusty metal against the thick, rough vine, and pushed myself to stay alert.

I had been forcing myself not to pass out, even though I wanted to give in. My head throbbed painfully with each beat of my heart. My clothes were sticky with blood and sweat, and the heat of the basement wasn't helping my drowsiness.

I kept the second wind going for twenty minutes, until my wrists gave out from exhaustion, and I let the blade slide to the floor, though I kept a grip on it to keep from dropping it completely. If I lost it now, I wouldn't be able to retrieve it.

I had a little more than thirty-nine minutes left.

I brushed my forehead across my shoulder, attempting to remove the hair that had plastered itself to my cheek and jaw, and took two deep breaths before forcing myself to get back at it.

I pulled against the rope, and felt it give way just a tiny bit. That meant that I was at least making a little progress.

I began hacking at the rope once more. My wrists and knuckles were screaming for me to stop, but I could deal with sore muscles later. I was going to make it out of this.

~Theo POV~

"The creature's car was spotted by a deputy four miles from here. Argent is going to try and cut her off. She's headed to the freeway to go to the border." Liam said through the phone.

"He's got one damn shot, he better make it." I said, then hung up before Liam could respond.

Cora pushed the accelerator down harder, topping 75 and made a drastic right turn. "If he has to kill her before we get an answer, we won't find Cassia." Cora said, and made a sharp left.

"I know, I know!" I barked, frustrated and sick to my stomach.

After what felt like two hours, we came across a wrecked vehicle, an exact match to the one the creature drove. Something must have surprised her, because the bag with the weapons was still in the backseat. She couldn't be far.

In perfect timing, I heard her roar in anger. "That came from the woods." Cora said, and began running in the direction the sound had come from.

I ran after her. I had to get an answer from her, before Argent killed her.

Finally, we reached the grounds at which we had heard the roar, and the sounds of combat in the distance caught our attention. They hadn't waited for us to help, so who knew what was going on.

We ran farther, toward the fighting. Argent was the first we saw upon our arrival and he nodded to us, his crossbow aimed and ready.

"Wait," I told him, "we have to get an answer from her to know where Cassia is!" "You'd best hurry then!" He yelled, then ducked away as Liam was thrown into a tree beside him.

The creature roared in fury. Quickly I intercepted her rush toward Liam, surprising her, and managed to land a blow to her chest. She fell back, then hopped to her feet and took off into the woods.

"Don't let her go far!" Argent yelled, then took off after her.

"We can't wait to kill her anymore, we have to take her down!" Liam shouted.

"No!" I growled, "Without her telling us the location, we won't find Cassia!" "Yes we will, we're smart!" He replied, running after Argent.

I took off after him, but not to join him. I would kill him before he got to her first and ended my only chance of finding Cassia.

I caught up to him in no time and tackled him. "Are you crazy?!" Liam screamed, dodging one of my punches.

"I won't let you take away my chances of finding her!" I yelled back, landing a punch that snapped his head back. "Get the fuck off of me, Theo!" He yelled, "There's a bigger problem!"

He connected a punch directly to my jaw, making me angrier than I had been.

"YOU IDIOTS!" Cora roared, flying over and snatching me by my jacket hood off of Liam, "Find another time to have a pissing contest! We can't let her escape! Theo!" She growled, jerking me in the direction we needed to head, "Pull your shit together! LET'S GO!"

Letting the adrenaline and rage fuel me, I went on toward the creature.

We stopped in a clearing, and she was standing there, looking menacing. She glared at me, then Cora and Liam. Smoke puffed from her nostrils, and I could hear her heartbeat speeding up, because she knew that she could lose.

And she would if I had anything to do with it.

Just as I bent to lunge toward her, she put a hand up in a 'stop' motion. I stayed crouched, but didn't move. With a sigh, she shifted back into her human form.

"Let's just get the theatrics out of the way." She spoke.

Stunned, we all stared at her.

"You could talk, all this time?" Liam asked. "Of course I could, moron. I just had to keep you all on your toes." She said, rage making her frame tremble.

"Lore says you can't!" Cora growled.

"Well, I learned. I had a lot of time after the murders that took place." "You're not getting anyone's sympathy." I said. "Do you honestly believe that I need your sympathy?" She responded.

She lunged forward and swiped at me, but I jumped back and she missed. She blocked Cora's next punch, then flipped her. Liam swung at her, but she caught his arm and flung him several feet away.

"You're going to die." Cora said from her place on the ground. "Not today, I have vengeance to seek." she replied, placing her foot on Cora's throat and pushing. I jumped up and tackled her, pinning her to the ground.

"Tell me where Cassia is!" I demanded.

"You're too late," she whispered, smiling. I punched her, and she laughed, spitting blood to the side. "Where is she?!" I hissed.

"Love..." she coughed, "Is a stupid thing."

She grew out her fangs and rose to try and bite me, but I slammed her head to the ground, feeling my own grow out and my eyes brighten.

"Where. Is. Cassia?" I ground out, pushing her head farther into the dirt with each word.

"It doesn't matter. She's already dead, and if you try to go find out, you lose me. Either way, I win, and you don't have your weapons to kill me."

"Think again!" Argent yelled, running out of the shadows. I knew what he was going to do, but I didn't think quick enough to stop him.

Before I could do anything to stop him, he rushed forward and plunged the golden arrow into her chest.

She let loose a roar of pain, which slowly began to die down to struggled gurgles. Blood came to her lips, coloring her teeth and chin.

"I...s-still...w-won." She choked out, then her head tilted to the side as the light faded from her silver eyes.

Argent panted a couple of times from the ordeal, and braced up against a tree. I stood silently, and turned to look at him darkly.

"She didn't say where Cassia was." I said through clenched teeth.

"We will find her," he said, coming up off of the tree, "but now, we don't have to worry that she will escape or kill anyone else." He walked over and put a hand on my shoulder.

I snatched away from him and began walking in the direction of my truck that Cora and I had driven here. "Theo," Liam chased after me, "calm down, we have to think rationally."

"You think rationally. I have to find Cassia." I said.

"Guys! Guys!" came a voice in the distance.

"Mason?" Liam asked, as Cora and Argent came up behind us.

"Liam! Guys!"

"Over here!" Cora answered.

Mason burst through the bushes, unshed tears lining the lower lids of his eyes, and he began saying a bunch of incoherent words, trying to force them out through his breathlessness.

"Mason, slow down, take a breath!" Liam commanded, forcing Mason to sit on the ground. After a few seconds, Mason swallowed hard and started again, this time with a wavering voice instead of a panicked one.

"The sheriff just sent out deputies to Beacon Hills preserve." He looked up then, staring only at me, "A bomb went off in a hidden cellar. They believe that Cassia was in there."

**I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, but it will be worth it! Thank you for reading and look for more soon!**