Chapter 7

Ev's phone rang as she pulled into the Argent's driveway. She pulled it out to see Scott calling but quickly tucked it back away with a sigh. She looked to her driver's side window and remembered vividly how the Kanima…Jackson's hand, shattered the glass and pulled her out as if she were a rag doll.

She hadn't spoken to Scott or Stiles in days. Other than casual pleasantries in the morning she'd been the same with her father too. Derek was the furthest thing from her mind. She'd taken her vacation days off work and was focusing all her efforts on capturing Jackson. Now that Allison had revealed it was Jackson to her father, the hunters were making their strike tonight at a rave.

"Our priority in this mission is containment, Gerard," Ev argued with the older man, losing her patience as they neared two hours debating what to do along with Chris and a few other hunters. Victoria stood not too far off, listening," This is a teenage boy we're talking about killing. He isn't doing this of his own free will. We capture him and we use him to find who's controlling him. Plain and simple. No killing."

"And what's to stop him from killing us?" Gerard challenged.

"Since when do we value self-preservation over protecting others?" she countered as they stared each other down.

"I think we all just need to calm down," Chris said, as usual keeping the peace between them, " Ev, the final decision goes down to Victoria."

Ev turned to the older woman who was watching her with a sort of strange pride, "We don't kill the boy. Not yet. We capture him. Just like Ev said. Killing Jackson on stops part of the problem. If we have him than we have the potential to solve all of it."

Ev had to use all her strength not to shoot Gerard a victory grin.

She got out of her car, the cool night air biting into her skin because of her clothing. She wore leather shorts and a loose, white t shirt. Combat boots were on her feet. Her gloves adorned her fingers but they looked more like accessories and less like the lethal weapons they were. Knives were tucked into her shoes.

She was going into the rave with Allison not only to keep her safe but to drive Jackson outside so Chris could take it from there.

She made her way to the front door and before she could even knock Victoria was there with a large smile, "Hello, Ev."

She made a point to walk past her without saying a word but her manicured fingers closed around her arm, "I hope you're not pouting over my warning to stay away from Derek."

"I don't appreciate being threatened, Victoria," she replied, yanking her arm away.

"You won't appreciate the mockery that will come your way if our men find out how close you were with him either."

Ev narrowed her eyes, "I told you. He was nothing to me."

"Let's keep it that way," she said with yet another sweet smile, "They're in the garage."

With one last cold look at her, she made her way to the door and opened it to reveal Allison sitting on the steps. She looked up at her but Ev was careful not to meet her eyes as she maneuvered around her.

"Ev," she whispered but she pretended not to hear as she approached the table with their men standing around it.

She met eyes with Gerard as he popped some of the pills he was always taking into his mouth.

"Nice to see you again, Eva," he said once he's swallowed them.

"It's Ev," she corrected with no emotion, "Where's Chris?"

He walked in a moment later and shot her a nod which she returned.

"Alright let's get this meeting started," he said as he, Ev, and Gerard stood in front of the hunters they'd lead tonight, "The party's in a warehouse just inside the industrial sector. Allison has learned that Jackson Whittemore will be there seeking his next target out of the crowd. Since we still have little clue as to just how strong he is, we need to be extremely cautious. When Allison has Jackson's location and has determined him to be at the optimal point where we can take him down, she'll signal me. Ev and I will lead the team to capture him."

"When he says optimal," Ev interjected, "He means the furthest away from the crowd. There will be no damage tonight, collateral or otherwise. No civilian bodies. Now bodies period. If bullets needed to be used they are used for unfatal blows. No kill shots. Jackson is to be subdued alive. Each of you have tranquilizers. Use them. He is not the enemy. Is that understood?"

A few of them nodded but that wasn't good enough.

"I said is that understood," she repeated in a hard tone.

"Yes ma'am," they said simulataneously as they'd been trained when talking to someone over them.

"Good," she said and glanced to Allison, "Everyone keep your ear pieces in. We'll need to communicate though out the night. If there are any issues and I do mean any Chris and I are the first to know. Now move out."

"You heard her," Chris said, "Let's go."

They began scrambling around for their weapons and Ev turned to Chris.

"I'll be with Allison and get there early. Let me know when you get there," she said and looked purposefully at Gerard and then back at him, "Contain. Not kill."

"I know, Evangeline," Chris said and she noted the glassy look in his eye.

"Good," she replied and nodded to Allison before they both left the garage.

TEEN WOLF

The car was in silence as Ev drove down the road, Allison in the passenger seat.

"Scott's worried about you," the girl said, speaking for the first time and breaking the silence.

"He shouldn't have to be worried," she said, keeping her hard eyes on the road, "In fact his biggest worry should be how he's going to pass his sophomore year or lacrosse or some other normal teenage boy problem. Not about Kanimas and hunters and werewolves. The same goes for you, Stiles, Lydia, Derek's pack …Jackson. None of you deserved this. None of you should have to be worrying about these things."

Allison was in stunned silence as she stared at the older girl. Scott had told her about everything she'd done for him and Stiles when they were younger and she remembered when her father and told her she'd become a hunter. It struck her as wrong and unnatural that someone like Ev, innocent, good, strong, and pure was a hunter and a damn good one at that.

"You shouldn't have to either," Allison managed to say.

"I'm an adult Allison," she said, coming to a red light and finally meeting her eyes, "Contrary to what everyone else seems to forget the rest of you are children. No one seems to remember that the reason we do what we do is protect innocents and all of you are innocent, Jackson included. So if I am the only one who puts that priority first so be it because I won't stand by while kids are being hurt or being turned into werewolves or threatened by hunters or whatever else comes to this town. I don't care who I have to stand against. Whether it be your family, Derek, a Kanima…but I will stand up for people that need it."

Allison had never really spent that much time with Ev. She'd occasionally talked to her at hunter meetings and she knew much about her from what Scott told her but this moment was when she knew her true character and she'd never met someone she admired more.

The light turned green and Ev turned back to the road, accelerating the car forward.

"Ev," Allison lightly and she turned to her for a quick second, "Thank you."

She didn't know what else to say because there was so much she wanted to say.

She gave her a small smile, "Your welcome."

TEEN WOLF

"I'll be close to you at all times," Ev said to Allison in the parking lot, "You won't see me but I'll find you if I need to."

She started to walk in but Allison stopped her, "Be careful."

"You too," Ev said and pulled her in for a hug, "The first sign of trouble you call me. Understand?"

She nodded as she pulled away.

"Go in. Have fun. When it's time to strike you let us know and then we'll take it from there."

She took a deep breath, "Okay. Let's do this."

They walked in and immediately Ev knew this was not a place she wanted to be. She weaved her way through grinding, hot, sweaty people keeping an eye on Allison but also searching for Jackson.

"Ev we've arrived and we're ready for Jackson," Chris said through her earpiece which was hidden behind her hair, " Do you copy."

"Copy," she said simply in order not to bring attention to herself.

"I'll keep you updated," he said and then he went silent.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she spun around, poised to attack until she saw Matt.

"Hey," he yelled with a goofy smile over the music.

"Sorry but I don't have time for this right now," she yelled back, "Aren't you hear with Allison?"

A sad look crossed his eyes and suddenly she felt guilty," Uh I thought I was but I saw her talking to her ex."

That made her blood run cold, "Ex? As in her ex boyfriend. Scott McCall is here?"

"Yeah," he said with a shrug, "Is he your date or something?"

"No I-" she looked around frantically, "Where was the last place you saw them?"

"I'm not sure."

"Matt, I'll see you around," she said quickly and pushed her way through the crowd once again, looking all around, "Damn it, Scott."

As she looked around she spotted Isaac and Jackson with Erica between them dancing suggestively.

"No, no, no," she mumbled to herself, shoving through the crowd and when she finally got to the place she thought she'd seen them they'd vanished and she let out a scream of frustration. A hand on her shoulder made her spin around to see Scott.

Before he could even say anything she grabbed him and hauled him off into a quieter corner.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she growled at him.

"I could ask you the same question," he yelled over the music, "And you're using Allison."

"What, no! She's not bait, she's-" she cut herself off, "It doesn't matter. The hunters are here. We have a plan. Get Isaac, get Erica, get Stiles, wherever the hell he is because where there's him there's you, and get out of here! Do you understand me?"

"No!" Scott protested, "You're going to kill him! We're trying to save him"

"No we're not," she assured him, "I made it clear this is a contain not kill mission. I planned this out and Argent and my men are following the orders."

"You can't seriously believe that?" Scott asked with a raised brow, "Derek was right you're letting the hunters brain wash you into thinking-"

"I'm not letting the hunters do anything!" she screamed at him, almost as loud as the music, "I am trying to protect all of you and you are making it so damn hard! I am doing my job! You are a teenager, Scott! This isn't your fight! "

"You're a vet!" he countered, "It isn't yours either."

She looked him dead in the eye, "I'm a hunter."

"Ev," Chris said from her ear piece, "Ev, come in."

"This isn't over," she said warningly and pressed the button on her earpiece to respond back, "I'm here."

"Have you spotted Jackson?"

She glanced at Scott who gave her a pleading look," No, I haven't seen him."

"We need to regroup. Meet me out in my sector," he ordered.

"I'll be there in five," she responded and turned back to Scott, "I'm begging you. Get out before this gets ugly."

"Ev, you need to get out too. If Derek sees you here he'll flip-"

"Derek's here?" she asked with wide eyes.

"I told you he agreed to help us. You're Dad even helped us. I told you we've got a plan and everything," he said, misreading her wide eyes for anything but panic.

"Damn it, Scott," she yelled and took off running to meet Chris.

TEEN WOLF

"Ev," Chris said as she approached him outside and he noticed her worried expression, going to meet her, "What's wrong?"

"We have a problem," she whispered, looking over his shoulder to make sure none of the his men heard, "We weren't the only ones with a plan tonight."

"What do you mean?" Chris asked with a frown.

"I saw some of Derek's pack members," she said reluctantly, careful to leave Scott out of it.

"How do you know they're not just here for the party?"

She raised her brow at him, "Do you really think we'd be that lucky?"

His eyes focused on something over her shoulder, "No, I don't think we would be."

With great dread, she turned to see Derek approaching with Boyd. She met his eyes an her fist clenched at her sides as she turned back to Chris.

"Contain not kill," she said with stern eyes.

He nodded," We know our orders. No kill shots."

She turned back to Derek with Boyd by his side, standing next to Chris with her arms crossed. One of his men attempted to hand her a gun but she shook her head.

Chris looked to her and she gave him a nod, "Derek. Back off."

"Back off? That's really all you've got?" Derek asked with a mocking grin and her heart hammered as he provoked him, "I got to be honest, Chris. I was really expecting more from the, uh, big, bad veteran werewolf hunter."

"Derek listen to him," Ev said, trying to reason with him, "You will not win this fight."

"Don't be so sure of that little red," he said in a tone that was anything but endearing and hurt flashed in his eyes.

"Derek listen to her," Chris said, still trying to get through to him and Ev appreciated his efforts.

"You're still disappointing me, Chris," Derek replied and Ev stared him down.

"Okay then how about this?" Ev asked, putting a hand to her hip and nodding in signal the men behind her. They raised their guns in warning, "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to bring claws to a gunfight?"

Derek stared her down as Boyd looked to his alpha and said, "That one sounded pretty good."

She smirked at him in an effort to cover up how scared she was for him, "Last warning, Derek. Back. Down."

"You won't shoot me," he said and she closed her eyes and sighed.

"No she won't," Chris said, "but they will."

"Please," she mouthed at him and for a second his gaze softened but instead he said, "I'll take my chances.

With that, the men behind her began to fire and everything went to hell.

TEEN WOLF

Derek never thought he'd be in this position. A gun pointed at him, or rather guns, and Ev being the one calling the shots. Literally.

He was crouched behind a dumpster with a wolfs bane bullet ridden in Boyd.

"I think I stopped healing," Boyd panting for air as he hissed in pain with black blood on his fingers.

"Bullets they're laced with wolfsbane. You got to go, take the car," Derek ordered the new wolf.

"What about you?" Boyd asked, concern in his eyes for his alpha.

"I have to find Scott. Go," he ordered but he didn't listen, "Go!"

With the final command Boyd fled the scene, leaving Derek on his own. He drowned out all other noise in favor of one, Ev's heartbeat. It was racing. It had started when she'd first seen him approaching. She'd pleaded with him to go but he couldn't do that. Granted, he had pissed her off with the little red comment but that had been the point. He needed to provoke her. Maybe if he kept her in his sight, in a fight or otherwise, she wouldn't cross the Kanima.

The shots stopped and Argent spoke, "Derek you're out numbered. I suggest you stand down."

"Thanks for the tip, Chris," he said and leapt out from behind the trash can, his chest colliding with a tazer and as his vision traveled upwards the one holding it was Ev.

"Stay down," she whispered only loud enough for him to hear and then turned to the men still standing and Chris, "Help the injured and group with the other sectors. I'll take care of him."

They did as they were told and Chris gave her a wary look.

"I've got this," she said to him with pleading eyes and Chris followed after his men as she turned back to Derek, shutting off the large tazer and tucking it into her belt "You're an idiot."

He groaned, sitting up and leaning against the dumpster, "You tazed me?"

"That's for saying I'm brainwashed," she said with a hurt look.

He sighed, "You let them shoot at us."

"Yeah non-lethal, no kill shots," she countered.

"Non-lethal?" he repeated, "Ev, those bullets were laced with wolfsbane. Boyd barely got away."

Shock crossed her features as she kneeled down to his level, "What?"

"I told you, Ev," he said, "This is the way it always is."

She shook her head, "That doesn't matter now. Why are you hear? What's the plan?"

"Stiles is laying down wolfsbane around the building so Jackson can't get out. Erica and Isaac probably have him by now. "

"Do you know who he's after this time?" she asked.

"Give me a second between the questions Ev," he said, rubbing the spot on his chest where she'd tazed him, "My ex girlfriend kind of electrocuted me."

"You head butted two of my men together," she countered.

"They were tazing me. Something that seems to be popular today."

"You provoked it."

"You didn't have to respond."

"I told you to give up."

"Never," he said and she realized they were so close they were sharing a breath, "I will never give up on you."

"That's not what we're talking about," she whispered as he pressed his forehead to hers and his hand went to her waist.

"You look very sexy in those shorts," he whispered.

"We were arguing," she said, chewing on her lip to keep from moaning as his fingers ghosted over her thigh.

"I like arguing with you," he replied and he stood up, her gaze never leaving his as she followed, still close as ever to him, "I miss it."

"I miss it too," she confessed.

"Come back to me," he pleaded, his touch traveling down her arm, "Please."

She swallowed, "I can't."

He put his finger beneath her chin and tilted her gaze up to him, "You can."

He pressed his lips to hers and she gasped, granting his tongue access as he towered over so she had to look up to kiss him. It felt so right and familiar. She wanted to cry out in relief. He was like an itch she couldn't scratch and finally he'd used his claws to take care of it.

"Derek we have a-"

Stiles came running up like a mad man and stopped as he saw them, neither of them noticing his presence as they were lost in each other.

He cleared his throat obnoxiously and she broke away from him to see Stiles. Quickly, she backed away from Derek as her cheeks began to redden.

"Stiles we were…" she knew that he knew what they were doing but as the boy stared at her with the expression of a father catching his daughter sneaking in after curfew she couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Trying to eat each other's faces," he said with narrowed eyes.

Then she remembered that this was Stiles.

"I don't have to explain to you," she said in realization and then she walked up to him, "but you and Scott have explaining to do."

"Maybe if you'd actually talked to us we wouldn't be having this problem."

"I don't have to explain jack to you. I'm an adult."

"Oh yeah well…I'm taller."

She pinched the bridge of her nose as Derek stepped in, "First of all what did you need Stiles and second of all that's an invalid point. Everyone's taller than her."

She looked to see him smirking, "I'll taze you again. Let's see how short I am then."

"You'll still be short."

"And you'll have electrocuted balls. Who really wins that round?"

"Guys!" Stiles yelled and they looked back to him, "Jackson escaped."

"What?" Ev yelled, "God this is what I'm talking about. We had a plan and it certainly wasn't letting a bunch of kids run around implementing it."

"Ev-" Derek began.

"No," she yelled back, stopping him from finishing his words, "There's an out of control Kanima running around and people are going to die. I got distracted."

"We're working on it," Stiles said.

"No, you're going home!" she yelled and looked down to see a bullet shell. She picked it up and shoved it in her pocket before turning to Derek, "Find Scott and get them out of here."

"I will," he said with a nod.

"Promise me," she ordered.

"I promise," he said and she took off running.

TEEN WOLF

"Chris!" she yelled, approaching the rendezvous point the hunters had agreed on earlier, "What the hell was that?"

"Where's Derek?" he asked.

"Passed out behind a dumpster," she lied, "I'm sure when he comes to he'll get the memo now answer me. What the hell was that?"

"What was what?" he asked, feigning ignorance and she took out the bullet casing from her pocket. She rubbed her fingers on it and shoved her wolfsbane covered fingers in front of his face.

"Contain. Not kill," she said with fiery eyes, "What part of what we agreed on wasn't clear to you?"

He sighed, "Evangeline-"

"No," she said with a clenched jaw, "Do not give me a bull shit answer. We made a plan. I'd like to know why I was the only one who thought we were sticking with it."

"Because you would have never followed the plan otherwise," Gerard said from behind her and she turned to him with a disgusted look, "You are a good hunter, Evangeline. Extraordinary but like your mother you lack the conviction to make the hard choices."

She stepped up to him, face to face and whispered "I don't lack anything except bloodlust. I can see it in your eyes, Gerard. You're no hunter. You don't care about anyone. This is all about you. You're doing this to benefit you. I don't know how or why but I know it."

"Oh Eva," he said with a chuckle that iced her to her core and then leaned in and whispered in her ear, " Even if I were up to something…you couldn't stop me."

He pulled away and she narrowed her eyes, "You don't scare me and you certainly don't fool me."

He smiled, "Sweet, sweet Eva. Sweet naïve little Eva. It's you who doesn't fool me. Yes you are one hell of a hunter but you're too soft. "

"I'm not soft, Gerard. I'll do whatever it takes to put whoever I need to down."

He leaned in so only she could hear him, "How much does it hurt to be away from the Hale boy? How much do you crave to be with him again? I bet you miss him don't you. "

"Derek and I were nothing," she said, hating how vulnerable her voice sounded.

"If that kiss I just witness was any indication I'd say that is a bold faced lie, my dear. Love. Always so beautiful but yours has such a passion," he replied and her eyes widened as he chuckled that horrible noise again, "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me, but give me much more trouble and it won't be."

She stared at him in defeat settled in her and sirens began to sound in the distance.

"I just got something on the scanner," one of the men yelled, "We're too late. Cops are responding to a call about a body."

Ev shut her eyes and sighed, "No."

"Yes," Gerard said as she looked at him with pure hatred, "Maybe if you'd been a little less…busy it could have been prevented."

"Go to hell," she growled.

"I'll drag you down with me," he said with a wink and walked past her to address the hunters, "Our mission has failed men. Evangeline came up with a fool proof plan and somehow we failed. Your leader acted fearlessly to do her best to maintain all life here today but somehow we let one slip through our fingers and the Kanima. I suggest we all go home and think about how this could have possibly happened and take measures to make sure it doesn't happen again. Anything you'd like to add Evangeline?"

She turned around slowly, many faces staring at her, "The only reason we failed today is because there were two very different goals here. I know I have yet to earn your full respect but all of you have earned mine. I would think that was enough to not go behind my back. If the majority feels it is safer for a kill, we kill. That's how our army works. We are the only defense between innocents and those that cannot defend themselves from this world so if we stand divided than they have nothing. So next time any of you thinks it's okay to go behind my back think about that. Think about how whatever death happens because none of you are man enough to say something to the short little girly hunter with a gun is not on me but on you. I won't stand here and be disrespected because of my past choices or my value of life. I am a hunter and I am a leader. If anyone has a problem with that than speak up right fucking now."

It was quiet as she stared them all down. Even Gerard was stunned and Chris looked at her with a sense of pride.

One man made his way to the front. She remembered him. Garret was his name. He'd made a quip about Derek to her on her first day. He was a big, burly man who on many occasions she'd seen take down two men at once. He was easily twice her size but she stared up at him with her head held high.

She braced herself for what was to come.

"Ev," he said in his deep voice and looked to his fellow hunters, "I think I speak for everyone here when I say if you didn't have our respect…you have it now."

Voices in agreement sounded and relief fell through her as Garrett put a hand to her shoulder, "You're a good hunter, kid and you're an even better leader."

"Thank you," she said gratefully and he nodded, "You're welcome."

"We are going to stop this Kanima and protect this town," she continued, "One failure does not define us but we will be unified in any other decisions we make."

She looked to Gerard and he gave her a look as if to say "well played". He may have something on her but for now she'd won. For now, she was safe, but she didn't know how much longer.

Her phone began to ring as the hunters dispersed to their vehicles and she saw it was Derek.

"Hello?" she answered quietly.

"Ev meet me at the vet's office," his panicked voice said on the other end.

"What's wrong?" she asked quickly, "Who's hurt?"

"Scott," he said worriedly, "It's Scott."

TEEN WOLF

The doors were already locked for the day and she knocked furiously on the glass doors of the vet's office until she saw her father come to open it. As soon as he'd unlocked it she ran inside and he caught her by the arms.

"Evangeline it's alright," he assured her, "Scott is alright. He had a close call. He's asleep right now."

She sighed in relief as Derek came out from the back. Her father looked from her to Derek and let her go.

"He saved him, you know," he said and she met Derek's eyes, "Go to him."

He let her go and Ev made her way to him. She pushed past the mountain ash barrier and into Derek's arms as she pulled him close, her arms around his neck.

"Thank you," she whispered in near tears, "You saved his life."

He buried his face in her neck and breathed in the scent that was uniquely her.

"Well I did put it in danger a couple of times so it's about time I made up for it."

She let out a strained chuckle as she untangled herself from him, "Can I see him?"

He nodded and led her to the back where he was lying on the metal table. She slowly walked towards and put her hand to his forehead. Gently she stroked it back like when he was younger and he'd had the flu. Melissa had to work but she didn't want to leave Scott so Ev had stayed with him the entire night. She'd never once left his side and by morning he was back to being a destructive tornado with Stiles…until Stiles caught it two days later.

Scott opened his eyes and his glassy gaze landed on her.

"Hey," she whispered gently, still stroking his hair, "You're safe now. You're okay. Go back to sleep."

She bent down and kissed his forehead as he closed his eyes again. He leaned into her touch and she smiled just a bit as she remembered once again how much she cared about this boy.

"What happened?" she asked without taking her eyes off him.

"It was Argent's wife," he said and she shook her head, "She was trying to poison him with vaporized wolfsbane."

"I care about them so much," she whispered, looking down at Scott as a single tear fell from her eye," And they're always in so much danger and no matter how hard I try I can't protect them. I can't-"

Her voice cracked as a sob left her lips but she quickly got herself under control. Derek stood up and tried to pull her to him but she backed away to the opposite side of the room. "Ev let me hold you," he said with sad eyes.

She shook her head furiously as she breathed heavily," No matter what I do people keep getting hurt. People are dying and I'm powerless to stop it. Scott almost died. He almost died tonight Derek and not at the hands of Jackson or his evil master or whatever other thing is wandering around this town but Victoria argent. We had a plan. We were supposed to get Jackson and then get out of there and then you come along with Scott and Stiles and Isaac and I couldn't protect him. He almost died. He almost died and I didn't even know."

"How could you have known Ev?" Derek asked, putting his hand on her shoulders," Don't you see what this is doing to you? You're driving yourself crazy. Look at yourself. This isn't you. Why are you doing this?"

"Because I'm tired of watching people get hurt around me and I thought if I became a hunter I could help but-"

"All it did was tear us apart."

"Do you think I wanted that?" She whispered harshly, pushing his hands off her shoulders.

"You broke up with me, Ev," he said with a clenched jaw.

"And it kills me every single day. It wasn't easy to break up with you but it was even worse being with a power hungry alpha who justified all the horrible things he was doing by doing it in my name."

"I'm not apologizing for that."

She looked away from him, "Of course you're not."

"But I am sorry I'm not doing this," he said and pulled her close so he could kiss her and then peppered them down her neck, "When we are alone I am going to show you just how much I miss you."

"Derek, I told you," she said reluctantly, "We can't do that anymore."

He smirked against her skin, "We'll see about that."

She sighed and pushed him away, "We can't."

"Why not," he whispered with pleading eyes.

"Because it's gonna get you killed and I can't be responsible for that. I would rather have you alive and miserable and then die happy in my arms."

"Do I get a say?"

She shook her head, "I know you can't see it, but I'm making the right decision."

"You will take me back, Ev."

"Derek just accept this…please," she begged.

"Never."