Currents

A few days following the disastrous school road trip, the Beacon Hills Memorial hospital was packed like Artemis had never seen before as she came to drop off some dinner for her mother.

Injured patients were coming in by the dozen and it looked like the hospital staff was shorthanded. Melissa was trying to find out more about a missing doctor while helping a patient who was coming in and she looked frazzled.

Artemis caught her mother's attention when Melissa turned around. Instantly, Melissa looked both relieved and pleased.

"Oh, thank goodness," said Melissa, smiling. "I'm starving." She took the food, but then winced for not thanking her daughter. "Sorry. Thank you for bringing me dinner."

Artemis just smiled as they embraced. "Is everything okay, Mom?"

Melissa sighed. "Except for half the accidents of a ten car pile-up being rerouted here from downtown and the E.R. attending not answering any his pages? Yeah, I'm okay."

Artemis frowned. "What does not answering his pages mean?"

"It means no one can find him," explained Melissa. "So, now we have to wait for the on-call doctor to get here."

"Anything I can do to help?"

Artemis was no doctor, but she knew a bit of first-aid, plus she could take away some of the patients' pain.

"I appreciate the offer, sweetheart, but no," said Melissa. "Why don't you just—"

"HELP! SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP! I NEED HELP!"

Artemis's eyes widened when she saw Ethan carrying Danny into the hospital. Ethan was yelling for help and he looked scared to death and Danny was struggling to breathe and looked to be on the verge of death.

Quickly, Artemis and Melissa ran over to the two teenage boys. Artemis helped Danny sit down and then Melissa looked Danny over to find out what was wrong.

Artemis felt a surge of anger towards Ethan. Something was terribly wrong with Danny and Ethan just happened to be with him when it occurred? Coincidence? Artemis didn't think so.

"What did you to him?" she demanded.

"Nothing!" snarled Ethan. "He said he was having chest pains and trouble breathing, but it kept getting worse!"

Ethan seemed truly afraid and worried for Danny, so Artemis decided she believed him.

Melissa looked worried as she pressed her hand against Danny's throat. "This isn't good. His larynx is shifted to the side. I think it's a tension pneumothorax."

Having spent quite a bit of time at the hospital with her mother, Artemis knew that wasn't good. Danny's lung was collapsed and his heart was literally beating out of his chest.

Suddenly, Danny turned green and clutched his stomach.

Knowing what was going to happen, Artemis quickly grabbed a bucket from behind the front desk and Danny lost his lunch. But there was the stench of mistletoe reeking from it.

"Mistletoe," breathed Ethan.

Artemis knew what Ethan was thinking, because she was thinking the same thing. Danny had just been targeted by the Darach and unless they did something fast, Danny was going to be a sacrifice.

Melissa then called for help by some orderlies, and Danny was wheeled into a room for medical treatment. As they were both worried about Danny, Artemis and Ethan followed.

"Can you two please go back to the waiting room?" asked Melissa.

"No," replied Artemis, honestly.

Neither of them could stand to just wait to know if Danny was going to live or die. And since the Darach had targeted him, that made Danny their responsibility.

"Where're all the doctors and nurses?" demanded Ethan.

"It's a full house tonight. They're busy with other patients," explained Melissa.

"Well, what can we do to help?" asked Artemis.

"Well, if one of you could help him calm down and relax, this would be a lot easier," admitted Melissa.

"How?" demanded Ethan.

"I know how," said Artemis. She grabbed Danny's hand and black veins made their way up her hand and arm as she took some of Danny's pain away. The result was instantaneous. Danny relaxed and though his breathing was still labored, it wasn't quite as bad.

"Artemis, what did you just do to him?" asked Ethan. But his tone was quieter than Artemis had expected.

"I took away some of Danny's pain. It's a trick my boss taught me," said Artemis, as she rubbed her wrist. She'd almost overdone it. She had to be careful as taking away too much pain could be fatal for the werewolf doing it. "It's not much, but it should help."

"It's helped, sweetheart," assured Melissa. "Now, I need you two to help a little more. Artemis, grab the tape. Ethan, you grab those scissors and cut his shirt open."

Artemis and Ethan obeyed.

Ethan grabbed the pair of surgical scissors that were sitting on the on the table and cut open Danny's short. Artemis helped Melissa tape a medical device in between Danny's fingers and then Melissa filled a syringe and then injected it into Danny just beneath his collarbone.

Within moments, Danny was breathing easily and his eyes were opening. He looked at the three people surrounding him with immense gratitude.

"Thank you," he said, gratefully.

Melissa smiled at Danny. "You're Welcome."

Ethan looked relieved and squeezed Danny's hand. "You really are a survivor."

Danny just chuckled.

Artemis looked at her mother in awe. "Mom, that was awesome."

Melissa's smile widened. "Thanks, honey. Now, why don't you two head home? Danny will be fine, I promise."

Ethan looked reluctant, but he agreed. "Okay," he said. He gave Danny's hand one last squeeze. "I'll come visit first thing in the morning, I promise."

Danny nodded and returned the squeeze as he smiled at his friend.

Artemis and Ethan then left the hospital and went to the parking lot to get on their bikes and head home.

"Hey, Artemis?" said Ethan, as they got on their bikes. "I know you don't believe me, but I really didn't do anything to Danny, I swear."

"I do believe you," said Artemis. No one could fake the amount of fear scent Ethan had been emitting or the worry in his voice and facial expression. "Danny owes you his life. If you hadn't been with him, he'd be dead. And for that, I'm sorry that I accused you of having anything to do with it. But in all fairness, you haven't given me much reason to trust you or your brother."

Ever since they'd arrived in Beacon Hills with the Alpha pack, Ethan and Aiden had caused nothing but trouble. They were involved in kidnapping Erica, Boyd and Cora, they'd attacked Artemis and her pack, they'd locked Isaac in the janitor's closet and they'd been acting suspiciously for weeks.

"I understand," said Ethan. "If our roles were reversed, I would do the same. But know this, Danny is my best friend. I would never hurt him."

"I believe you," said Artemis. Ethan wasn't lying, she could tell. "By the way, how's Kali? I haven't heard from her since the fight at the mall."

Kali may have chosen Deucalion's side, but that didn't mean Artemis didn't love her or feel concerned for her. Kali had just lost Ennis. She was going to be in bad shape for a while, at least emotionally.

"Kali's grieving, but she's surviving," said Ethan. "She still wants Peter dead, but she's also worried about you."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Why would she be worried about me?" Despite Ethan's claims that Kali still loved Artemis and regretted leaving her, Kali had made it clear where her loyalties lie the night at Peabody's Mall.

"Because you're her sister," said Ethan. "And she also wants answers."

"Answers about what?" asked Artemis. As if I couldn't guess.

"During the fight at the mall, you told Deucalion you both knew it was you he wanted and your eyes turned red. That's a bit strange, don't you think?" said Ethan. "How about you tell me what's going on so I can tell her?"

Artemis shook her head. "If Kali wants answers, she can ask me herself." She wasn't about to talk to Ethan about her secret until he'd earned her trust. But even if Kali asked her, Artemis didn't know if she'd tell her sister what was going on.

"Fair enough," he admitted. "Any chance you could teach me how to do what you did for Danny?"

"Maybe. I—" Artemis was cut off when a large van drove into the parking lot and then crashed into one of the parked cars.

Worried, Artemis and Ethan ran over to the van to see who was hurt. But there was no one in the van. There was just a dead moth with damaged wings in the driver's seat.

The police were called and it quickly became evident that the Darach had struck again. The van had belonged to the on-call doctor, who was now declared missing and presumed dead and the police found the body of the E.R. doctor who'd never showed up for his shift.

Both doctors qualified for healers and were undoubtedly sacrifices for the Darach. But the question remained: why would the Darach target Danny?

XXX

The following morning, Peter was pacing around Derek's apartment. He was antsy and completely bored out of his skull.

Peter had returned to Derek not long after his wounds had healed and he was regretting it. No one had been surprised when he'd come back. They all knew he hadn't died. His body hadn't been taken by them or the Alphas and Ethan had said Peter was alive. But no one was entirely happy about it either as no one liked or trusted him.

Kali wanted Peter dead for his role in Ennis's death and was hunting him down. Normally, no one would've cared that much if Peter died for the second time in a row, but Artemis had decided to show mercy on Peter because he had protected her from Ennis. She couldn't deny that she owed Peter her life so it had been decided that Peter was on watchful house arrest for his own safety until further notice.

Naturally, Peter didn't enjoy being a prisoner in Derek's apartment. Partially, because he would rather be spending his time with Jennifer, his new girlfriend and potential mate or doing anything else for that matter.

"Would you quit pacing already? You've been doing that for hours," said Cora. She was painting her nails and she found her uncle's repeated pacing rather annoying.

"I can't help it. I'm bored," said Peter, through gritted teeth.

"Would you rather be bored or dead?" asked Derek. He was sitting on the living room couch reading a book. "Because last time I checked, you need to lay low because Kali wants your head on a platter."

"I am aware," said Peter. "But is there some reason why I can't lay low with Jennifer or at my own apartment?"

"One, Kali might be waiting for you to return to your apartment. And two, if you did go to Jennifer's place, how long do you think it'd be before Kali showed up and killed her to get to you? An eye for an eye, a lover for a lover," said Derek.

Peter sighed as he grudgingly realized Derek was right. Peter wasn't about to hand himself over to Kali like that and nor was he about to put Jennifer in danger. He loved her too much to do that.

"You should just count yourself lucky we're not handing you over to her," said Cora.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Or count myself lucky Artemis has Derek wrapped around her little fingers," he muttered.

"I heard that!" said Derek, glaring at Peter.

"I wanted you to hear it," snapped Peter. "And here's something else I want you to hear, Artemis's psycho sister is never going to give up hunting me. So, when Kali finds me and she will, how do you expect to fight her? Kali's a killer Alpha in need of a pedicure and she's imbued with the powers of the Betas she killed, remember?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said Derek. "In the meantime, I think it'll be beneficial for you if you just sit down and be quiet."

Peter grumbled, but didn't disobey. He sat down in one of the recliners and leaned back as he tried to distract himself from the boredom that threatened to kill him.

Just then, there was a pounding on the door and then it swung open to reveal Kali, wolfed out and deeply unhappy.

"Hello, Hales," she said. "Miss me? I'm here for what's mine."

In a moment of rash stupidity, Peter tried to make a run for it but Kali stopped him. She caught him by the throat and pinned him to the wall. Peter struggled to breath and he tried to break free of Kali's grasp. Her claws began to pierce his skin and she looked like she was going to kill him then and there.

"Kali, don't!" yelled Derek. "Peter's a scumbag that deserves death. No one's arguing that. But if you kill him like this, Artemis will never forgive you. Is that what you want?"

"But honestly, who's to say I don't have another resurrection plan up my sleeve even if you do kill me?" said Peter, faintly.

Kali growled as she ignored Derek and focused her glare on Peter. "I should end you for everything you've done to me and my sister," she hissed. "And believe me, I will. But today's your lucky day. I'm not here for you. Not today. But that will change very easily if you don't sit down and stay quiet until I leave. Do I make myself clear, Peter?"

"Crystal," said Peter. It came out as a squeak as he was turning blue and starting to become limp.

Kali dropped Peter onto the floor and then stepped over him as he gasped for breath. She ignored him as she approached Derek.

"If you're not here for Peter, then what do you want, Kali?" asked Derek. "What else could I possibly have that's yours?"

"Information regarding Artemis. Simply put, I want to know what the devil's going on with my sister," said Kali. Kali wasn't stupid. Not entirely. She knew there was something amiss with Artemis, she just didn't know what.

Derek feigned ignorance. "I don't know what you're talking about." If Kali thought he was going to tell her about Artemis being the True Alpha, she was sorely mistaken.

Kali growled in anger. "DON'T LIE TO ME, DEREK!" she roared. "Do you really think I'm that blind? That night at the mall, Artemis said Deucalion was after her and her eyes turned red. Something is wrong with her and I have a right to know what the devil it is! She's my sister!"

"Then maybe you should start acting like it, Kali!" snarled Derek.

Kali looked hurt at this, but Derek didn't care. He was furious with Kali for all she'd done to his mate. He wanted her to hurt. She deserved it.

"You may say that Huntress is your sister, but you certainly don't treat her like that! You let her think you were dead, you attacked her and her pack, and you sided with Deucalion! Do you have any idea how much that hurt her? She just wanted you back in her life because she loves, but when you did come back, you shot her with wolfsbane. And you have the nerve to ask me to tell you her secrets? No. If you want answers, you can ask Artemis yourself. You'll get nothing out of me."

"Fine," said Kali, angrily. "I will."

And with that, Kali stormed out of the apartment.

Cora looked afraid. "Do you think Kali's going to hurt Artemis if Artemis doesn't tell her what she wants to know?"

Cora liked her brother's mate a great deal and had no desire to lose her.

Derek shook his head. "I doubt it. If I thought she did, I wouldn't have let her go. But if she so much as tries, she'll wish she hadn't."

Peter just rolled his eyes.

XXX

At school just before class started, Artemis spoke with Stiles regarding what had happened last night at the hospital.

"Did you find out anything?" asked Artemis.

"Not much and it's not good," said Stiles, grimly. "My dad said that the E.R. that died wasn't strangled like the others, but he did suffocate. They just don't know how."

Artemis didn't like the sound of that. "And Doctor Hilyard, the on-call doctor that went missing…has she been found yet?"

"No," said Stiles. "And that's another thing, how're we supposed to know who the third sacrifice is when there's at least twenty other doctors at Beacon Hills Memorial? It could be any one of them who's the last healer."

"I don't know," admitted Artemis. Her phone then went off. It was Dr. Deaton. "Hey, Doctor Deaton. What's up?"

"Nothing good, I'm afraid. This is urgent," said Dr. Deaton. He sounded frightened. "I'm sorry, Artemis. I honestly thought I'd never have to burden you like this, but you're my only hope."

Artemis frowned in worry and confusion. "Doc, what do you mean? What's—?" Her stomach knotted when she realized what he meant. Doctor Deaton was a healer of animals and werewolves. He was the next sacrifice. "You found a dead moth with damaged wings in your office, didn't you?"

"I'm afraid so. And more moths are covering up my windows as we speak," he admitted. "Artemis, I need you to listen to me very carefully. I'm going to be taken very soon here. I don't know where I'll be, but I need you and your pack to find me. But if you don't, just know that I don't blame you, Artemis, and you'll always be family to me."

"Doctor Deaton? Doctor Deaton!"

But there was no reply as the line had gone dead. Artemis was left feeling shaken and scared by what she'd just heard.

"Artemis, what happened? What's wrong?" asked Stiles.

"My boss is going to be the next sacrifice," said Artemis. She pocketed her phone. "I have to get there before it's too late. Stiles, call your dad and tell him what's happening. I need to go."

Without waiting for a reply, Artemis bolted from the school and drove to the vet's office as quickly as she could, praying she wasn't too late to save her boss.

But when she arrived at his office, she was met by Sheriff Stilinski and his deputy, Tara, who looked regretful.

"He's gone?" asked Artemis, as tears came to her eyes.

Sheriff Stilinski sadly nodded. "Your boss's car's still here, the back door's wide open and there're signs of a struggle in the back room. Deaton's been taken. I'm sorry, Artemis."

Artemis sank into one the chairs and buried her face in her hands. Her boss was gone. The man who'd been like a dad to her for years was gone. He'd been taken by the Darach and she didn't find him, he was going to be sacrificed. His life was in her hands.

She looked up when Sheriff Stilinski put his hand on her shoulder and saw that his deputy had gone.

"Artemis, I know this is a big shock for you, but we need to talk," he said. "I need you to tell me what you know."

"I don't know what I can tell you," she said. "I don't know where he is." If I knew where he was, I'd be out there rescuing him right now! But I can't, because I don't have a clue. I don't even know the identity of his kidnapper.

"Maybe not," admitted Sheriff Stilinski. "But you know a lot more than you're willing to tell me. I've noticed."

Artemis tensed. "Sheriff, I…"

"Artemis, don't lie to me," he interrupted. He seemed somewhat stern now. "For the past few months I've seen things in this town that make no sense. The Hale Fire case, Matt, your boyfriend Derek, your friends at school. And somehow no matter what happens around here, you and Stiles somehow to know more than you should and keep getting caught in the crossfire. Now, your boss's life is in danger. So, I'm going to ask you again. What do you know about what's happening?"

Artemis sighed. She knew he was right. He deserved to know. Things in Beacon Hills had gotten way out of control and the Sheriff couldn't be expected to do his job if he couldn't see the bigger picture. But then again, who was to say that knowing wouldn't get him hurt or worse?

"Look, Sheriff…" she said, finally. "You're right. I do have a secret and I'm willing to tell you what I know. But there's something you need to understand. It's not just my secret and if I didn't have proof, you'd probably throw me in the nuthouse."

Sheriff Stilinski folded his arms across his chest and looked concerned at this. "How bad could it be?"

"Very," she admitted. "Can I have five minutes to myself before I explain things? Please, just five minutes."

Artemis needed to clear this with Derek and Stiles before she said anything. Derek was her Alpha and her mate and this was Stiles' father. She respected both of them too much to just tell the Sheriff what she knew without talking to them first.

Sheriff Stilinski nodded and then Artemis went into the bathroom to make a few phone calls. She called Derek and Stiles and though neither one of them were thrilled with the idea of the Sherriff finding out their secret (which was turning out to be the worst-kept secret in the history of mankind) they both agreed that the Sheriff could no longer do what was necessary to protect Beacon Hills unless he knew what he was dealing with.

"Are you going to talk to me now?" asked Sheriff Stilinski, when she came out.

Artemis nodded. "Yes. But what I am about to show you and tell you cannot leave this room. Your deputies and the people who work for you cannot know. I need you to swear to me you'll tell no one."

"I swear it," said Sherriff Stilinski. "But what is it I'm not supposed to talk about?"

"You'll see. Just try and remember it's still me," said Artemis. She took a deep breath and wolfed out.

Sheriff Stilinski let out a yelp of panic and grabbed his gun, only to pull back when Artemis held up her hands and resumed her human form.

"Sheriff, it's me," she said. "It's Artemis Moon, your son's best friend. Just put the gun away. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

Sheriff Stilinski still looked frightened but nevertheless, he put his gun back into its holster.

"What are you?" he asked, hoarsely.

"I'm a werewolf," she confessed. "But I'm one of the good ones."

Sherriff Stilinski looked stunned for a moment and then he rubbed the space in between his eyes as he sat down. "Artemis, why don't you just start at the beginning and tell me everything you know?"

"Okay," said Artemis.

And that's what she did. She told him everything from the very beginning. She told him about the night she was bitten by Peter and the adventures that followed while trying to stop him. She told him about Derek's family being lycanthropes and the Argents being a family of hunters who'd hunted her kind for centuries. She told him the full story about the war between her kind and the hunters. She told him about building up her pack with Derek, Peter's resurrection, Lydia's newfound ability to seek out the supernatural and find the dead, the business with the kanima and Gerard and then she told him about the Alpha pack which included her not-dead sister, Deucalion and the new enemy of the Darach, who was her boss's kidnapper.

Save for a few times when he interrupted to ask a question or two, Sheriff Stilinski was very quiet throughout Artemis's explanation.

"…and that's pretty much where we are now," finished Artemis. "So, what do you think now, Sheriff?"

Sheriff Stilinski sighed. "Honestly? I think if you hadn't shown me your evidence, I would throw you in the nuthouse." But his tone was light and almost teasing.

Artemis smiled a little as she chuckled. "I know it's a lot to take in. But honestly, you're handling it pretty well."

"On the outside, maybe. On the inside, I'm…I'm not even sure there's a word for it," he admitted.

"Welcome to my world," said Artemis. Despite having lived this life of hers for months, there were times even now when her world freaked her out. "But you'll get used to it."

"I'm going to have to, aren't I?"

Artemis nodded and then there was the sound of knocking at the door. Miss Morrell was on the other side of it and she looked worried.

"That's your boss's sister. Does she know about…?"

"Most likely," said Artemis. And chances were that she knew something that could help Artemis find Dr. Draton. Artemis opened the door and allowed Miss Morrell inside. "Miss Morrell, what can we do for you?"

"Actually, it's what I can for you, Artemis," said Miss Morrell. She was ignoring the Sheriff. "I know you're going to try to find my brother, but you won't succeed if you don't know where to look."

"You know where he is?" asked Artemis.

Miss Morrell shook her head. "But you will find him if you follow the currents."

"What does that mean?" asked Sheriff Stilinski. "Currents like the currents of the river?"

"No," replied Miss Morrell. "Danny will know. Seek him out."

Why would Danny know anything? Unless…

Suddenly, it hit her. "Danny wasn't a sacrifice, but he was a target, wasn't he?"

Miss Morrell nodded. "Exactly," she said, as she left.

"That was interesting," said Sheriff Stilinski.

"As I said, you'll get used to it," said Artemis. "In the meantime, I need to get to school to explain my absence and then I've got to get to Danny. Not that I'm telling you how to do your job or anything, but you should get back to work. When Doctor Hilyard's body turns up, and I just know it will, talk to my mom. She'll have something figured out by now."

"Okay," said Sheriff Stilinski. "You be careful and let me know if anything comes up."

Artemis nodded and then she left.

XXX

When Artemis returned to the school, she notified Stiles and the others about what she'd found out and then she excused her absence for the last hour and faked illness to get out of spending the rest of the day in school. She couldn't spend the day in school when she needed to find her boss.

Artemis was about to leave when she heard sound of a melody she hadn't heard in years, which was odd because no one knew the song save for herself and Kali, who'd learned piano years ago, and no one was supposed to be in the music room today due there being no music classes today. But then she smelled her sister's scent and then she knew what was going on.

Kali was there and she wanted to talk.

Artemis didn't really have time to deal with Kali, but she knew what Kali was like when she didn't get what she wanted.

Knowing she had no other choice, Artemis went into the music room to speak with her sister. Kali was at the piano fiddling with the metronome.

"About time you showed up. I was starting to think you'd forgotten about this," said Kali, as she finished playing the melody.

"How could I forget?" asked Artemis. "You wrote that song for me just before you left. It's a bit hard to forget, wouldn't you agree?"

"Indeed," murmured Kali, as she rose up from the piano bench. She leaned against the piano and fiddled with her wedding ring.

Artemis sighed again as she placed her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Ethan told me about Ennis. I'm so sorry, Kali."

"So am I," said Kali, softly. "But I didn't come here for sympathy."

"Then what did you come here for?" asked Artemis. "Revenge on Peter?"

"Not today, but he will get what's coming to him," said Kali, as she flexed her claws. "I want to know what the devil is going on with you, Artemis. Last time I checked, Deucalion was here for your mate, not you, and a Beta's eyes don't glow red like an Alpha's. So, what the heck is going on?"

Artemis couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You seriously don't know?" How could Kali not know? Kali was working for Deucalion for goodness's sake! But then again, Kali could sometimes be an idiot when it came to trusting people and Deucalion did seem to be the secretive type, so maybe Kali truly didn't know.

"Know what?" demanded Kali.

Artemis sighed in exasperation. If Kali didn't know, then maybe there was no point in telling her. What difference was it going to make at this point when it was clear where Kali's loyalties lay? Besides, shouldn't Deucalion's true motives have been obvious? And to think, Artemis thought Kali was a clever girl. But it didn't matter. Artemis had more pressing issues to deal with than her sister's loyalties.

"You know what; I don't have time for this. My boss, Doctor Deaton, is missing and if I don't find him soon, he's going to be sacrificed. So, I'll see you later," said Artemis. She had no time to deal with Kali at the moment.

Artemis tried to leave, but Kali stopped her.

"Artemis, I don't like being lied to or left in the dark," said Kali. "Tell me what the devil's going on or so help me, I'll—"

"You'll what?" interrupted Artemis, furiously. "What're you going to do if I don't tell you, Kali? Kill those I love just like you killed your own pack after you abandoned me?"

Kali's face darkened with anger. "Don't go there. Don't you dare! You have no idea what I went through when I left that night!"

"You're right, I don't," admitted Artemis. She didn't know anything. Her sister, the one she looked up to, the one who vanished, she never came back at all. Artemis didn't know the woman standing before her. "I don't know what happened when you left, I don't know what made you decide to become like Deucalion, and I sure as heck don't know you now! So, considering all that, why the heck would I trust you with my secrets, Kali? You said it yourself, you chose Deucalion's side! And you've done nothing but hurt me and betray me since you came back. So, I repeat, why should I trust you?"

Artemis would always love her sister and she wanted to believe Kali had regrets about their past, but Artemis had to draw the line somewhere. Kali needed to prove Artemis could trust her before she learned about Deucalion's true motives and about Artemis being the True Alpha.

Kali was quiet for a moment and for the briefest of moments, there was a glitter of tears in her eyes, but it vanished quickly.

"Because there are things I regret about our past and things you don't know about," she said, quietly. "And because if it's really you that Deucalion's after, he's a dead man. I know that I've hurt you, and I'm sorry for that, but believe me when I say that I'd rather die than see you dead."

Artemis was quiet as she felt tears come to her eyes. Kali wasn't lying. Artemis could tell. But could she really trust Kali? Regardless of any regret Kali felt about hurting Artemis, Kali had still hurt Artemis's pack mates. Even if Kali was just following Deucalion's orders, she couldn't just ignore that.

"Arty, please," whispered Kali, as she brushed a lock of Artemis's hair out of her face. "If Deucalion's after you, I need to know. Is he after you or not?"

Artemis sighed yet again. "He is," she confessed. She didn't know why she was telling Kali this, but it was spilling out. "He probably wants me dead or in his pack, I'm not sure which at the moment, but either one would probably suit him."

"Why?"

"Every hundred years or so, one Beta can rise to become an Alpha by force of will and strength of character rather than having to steal it. It's called the True Alpha," said Artemis. "A few months ago, I found out that I'm the True Alpha, or at least, I have the potential to become one. That's why my eyes turned red at the mall. I haven't fully ascended yet, but it will happen. Deucalion knows this and that's why he's here. And there's something else. Ennis didn't die because of Peter, okay? I talked to my boss. Ennis was going to make it, but Deucalion killed him. He used you, Kali. I'm sorry, but it's true."

The expression Kali's face was a mixture of shock and rage. "Deucalion's a dead man," she snarled, as her eyes flashed bright red. Deucalion had lied to Kali, used her, killed her mate and was threatening her sister. He was going to die at Kali's hand. "I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"Will you be quiet?" hissed Artemis, as she placed a hand on her sister's mouth. If Kali was any louder, they'd have half the school in there and Artemis didn't have time to explain why Kali wasn't dead. "Look, we'll deal with Deucalion later. Right now, we need to find Doctor Deaton before the Darach kills him. Are you with me?"

Artemis knew that the pack wasn't going to trust Kali and it would be difficult to work with her, but if they had Kali on their side, they would have a better chance of taking down the Darach and Deucalion.

Kali nodded. "I'm in."

XXX

A few hours later, an emergency meeting at Derek's place was called.

The Betas of the wolf pack weren't entirely happy when they found out Kali was going to be working with them after what she'd done while under Deucalion's command, but no one was arguing with Artemis and they couldn't deny that having another Alpha on their side was going to be helpful.

Plus, there was no time to argue as the situation had gotten worse. Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa had found the missing on-call doctor's body and the markings on both her body and the E.R. doctor's suggested that they'd been hung up from the ceiling as soon as they'd lost the strength to pull themselves up for a breath of air, they'd died. The same fate was going to befall Dr. Deaton if he wasn't found soon.

Alison and Isaac had discovered that Chris was somehow tracking the Darach's past and possibly future movement. There were markings on a map in his study that marked where the sacrifices had been taken and where they'd been found. But what was more worrying was that there was fifteen markings on the map, yet only eight sacrifices so far. That left at least seven other locations to check and they didn't have that kind of time.

But fortunately, Stiles had found out why Danny had been targeted. He'd been doing a project for Harris's physics class on telluric currents.

"I don't get it. What does Danny's homework have to do with finding Deaton?" asked Erica, in confusion.

"It follows with what Miss Morrell said," explained Artemis. "'Follow the currents.'"

"And why would she know anything?" asked Jackson.

"Because Morrell is Deucalion's emissary," said Kali. "Trust me, she knows."

No one questioned Kali as no one wanted to risk her temper.

"It's not just homework, okay? It's a project on geomagnetic fields," said Stiles. "They flow through the earth and can even be affected by lunar phases. Now, look at this. This is a note from Harris on Danny's proposal."

"'Danny, I strongly advise you to choose another subject. The ideas here, while thoughtful and innovative, border on pseudo-science. They are not suitable for class,'" read Derek. "So, Harris wasn't just a sacrifice. He was killed because he also knew too much. He was a loose end, just like Danny."

"And loose ends have to be tied up," said Alison, grimly.

"Exactly. Now, check this out," said Stiles. "Alison's dad wasn't the only with a map. Danny had one too." He quickly unfolded Danny's map onto the table. "Danny marked all the telluric currents. Now, the weird thing about Beacon Hills is that it's actually a beacon. You wouldn't believe how much energy flows through the earth around this town."

Artemis frowned. "Wait a second…Stiles, look. They match." Danny's markings and Chris's both matched exactly. "Okay, okay, okay. So, there're three points, right? Where they were taken and where the body was found."

"Which is on the telluric current," said Lydia.

"And it also means that they were sacrificed somewhere else," said Derek. He grabbed the marker Artemis was holding. "There are four more sacrifices, right? Deaton is going to be the last of the healers if we don't find him, which means he's got to be somewhere in between and that's…here." Derek marked the bank where Cora, Boyd and Erica had been held prisoner.

"Deaton's in the vault," said Cora, tearfully. "He's in the same vault!"

This unsettled everyone as the mere idea of Deaton being trapped in the same vault as the three young Betas had been, was just too much.

"Let's go. We don't have much time," said Artemis.

And with that, they all headed to the bank, praying they weren't too late.

XXX

Artemis was the first to arrive at the bank as she'd broken a few speeding laws on her bike in order to get there. She ran straight into the bank's vault and was horrified by what she saw. Dr. Deaton was strung up from the ceiling by his wrists. He was out cold, looked injured and judging from the sound of his breathing and heartbeat, he couldn't last much longer.

Artemis ran straight for him, intending to cut the rope and catch him in her arms, only be literally knocked off her feet by a barrier. She landed painfully on the floor and it was then that she noticed the barrier of mountain ash surrounding him. The Darach had known Artemis wound find Dr. Deaton and had been prepared for her.

Despite knowing the chances of her actually penetrating the barrier were slim, Artemis didn't care. She had to save him no matter what it took.

Artemis quickly rose up, placed her hands on the force-field that the mountain ash created and began pushing. Despite the pain she felt and the scream that emitted from her throat, Artemis summoned up all her strength and will and pushed as hard as she could to break the barrier. As she did so, she could feel the surge of power that had come to her at the mall and she knew she was getting closer to fulfilling her destiny. Judging from the look in Deaton's eyes, for he had awoken at the sound of her cries, he could tell as well.

But it wasn't enough and apparently, it wasn't time yet. Artemis could break through and she landed in the arms of Kali, who'd just arrived with the others.

"Why don't you let me give it a shot?"

Everyone looked up to see Sheriff Stilinski in the vault with them. He quickly took out his gun and fired at the ropes that held Dr. Deaton in the air. Dr. Deaton fell and then Alison broke the mountain ash barrier.

Artemis quickly ran over to Dr. Deaton's side and while being mindful of his injuries, she held him in a tight embrace.

"I'm so glad you're okay, but please don't ever scare me like that again. I really don't want to lose family," Dr. Deaton meant a great deal to Artemis. He was more than just her boss and mentor, he was more of a dad to her than her biological father could ever hope to be and she never wanted to lose him.

Dr. Deaton smiled as he returned the embrace. "I promise to try," he said. He pulled back and wiped away the tears from Artemis's cheeks that had fallen. "I'm going to be okay, Artemis, I promise."

Artemis smiled through her tears and hugged him again before she helped him sit up against the wall of the vault.

"I called the paramedics. They're on their way," said Sheriff Stilinski. "We'll let you two have a minute alone."

"Thank you," said Dr. Deaton, gratefully. He gave them all a look of immense gratitude. "Thank all of you for finding me."

"You're Welcome," said Derek, giving him a smile. He'd come to like and appreciate Dr. Deaton a great deal over the past few months.

"Kali," said Dr. Deaton.

Kali stopped in her tracks and looked at Dr. Deaton. "Yes?"

"I'm glad you're home," he said. And by that, he meant that he was glad she'd come to her senses and left Deucalion's side.

Kali just smiled and didn't reply as she left with the others.

Once they were alone, Dr. Deaton spoke to Artemis. "Your eyes, they were red again. Bright red. You almost became the True Alpha." He sounded both fearful and excited.

"I know. I could feel it happening," she admitted. "But I still don't understand why I'm the True Alpha." What was so special about Artemis that fate would choose her to become the True Alpha? "I've never sought out power or wanted it. So, why me?"

"Because one destined for true greatness and leadership doesn't seek it," he explained. "From the moment I knew you were bitten, I believed it would be you, Artemis. Your heart is pure and you've never taken a life, no matter what the cost was. This is who you were meant to become. This is the person I always believed you could be."

And you're not the only one. Deucalion believed it too. "When will it be complete? When will I be the True Alpha?" asked Artemis. She wasn't going to fight it and nor was she going to be afraid of it anymore, but it would be helpful if she knew when the ascension from Beta to Alpha would be complete.

"When you're ready," said Dr. Deaton. "When you truly believe you're ready, you'll become the True Alpha. Do you understand?"

Artemis nodded and then the paramedics came to take her boss to the hospital.