The Overlooked
A thunderstorm like no other raged that night.
The thunder was booming, lightning split the sky and the trees on the ground, the wind blew at dangerous speeds, rain and hail poured down so hard it was painful to step outside, there were flood watches in most the neighboring towns and many buildings had power and were being evacuated.
The storm was unnatural.
Jennifer's actions had caused it and she was controlling it, trying to use it to slow down her enemies who were no doubt pursuing her even at that very moment. Jennifer knew that Artemis, Kali and the others were after her and if she was going to complete her plans and remain alive, she had to go to the one person she knew she could trust. She needed the one man who loved her and would do anything for her. She needed Peter.
"Peter?" she called out, as she entered his apartment. "Peter, where are you?"
"I'm right here." Peter was standing by the window and he looked concerned when he saw the look on her face. "You all right?"
Jennifer didn't reply. She just ran straight into Peter's arms and wrapped her arms around his neck as she buried her face in his shoulder.
"Jen, you're trembling. What's wrong?" asked Peter, concerned as they broke apart.
Jennifer sighed. "Something happened tonight at the recital," she said. "I need to tell you before you hear it from them."
Peter looked puzzled. "Hear it from who?"
"Artemis and Stiles," replied Jennifer. She had to make sure Peter listened to her and believed her story before he heard anything from those two. "They're going to tell you things that you cannot believe. You can't trust them. You have to trust me. You do trust me, don't you, Peter?"
Peter nodded. "You know I do. But what exactly happened?"
"Promise you'll listen to me," she begged.
Peter looked concerned again as he nodded. "I promise."
Relieved, Jennifer kissed Peter, only to pull back when she didn't feel him respond to her kiss with his usual passion. She looked into his eyes and she knew. She knew.
"They're already here, aren't they?"
Peter didn't reply. He just glanced behind Jennifer with his eyes, causing her to turn around and see Stiles and Artemis behind her.
Stiles looked shaken and angry and tears were in his eyes. Artemis was giving Jennifer a cold look and holding a small jar containing a powder in her hand.
"So…they told you it was me? That I'm the one taking people?" guessed Jennifer.
"We told him you're the one killing people," growled Artemis.
Jennifer scoffed. "Right. I'm the one making human sacrifices when I'm not teaching high school English all day. That makes perfect sense."
"Where's my dad?" demanded Stiles, as a tear slid down his cheek.
"How should I know? I'm not the sheriff's keeper," snapped Jennifer. She turned to Peter and tried to salvage the situation. She had to convince Peter of her innocence. "Peter, please tell me you don't believe them."
"Believe me, there's nothing I'd like more than to do that," said Peter, quietly. "But why would they lie to me about something like this?" No one had had a problem with Peter and Jennifer's relationship up until now. Despite no one liking or trusting Peter, he knew Artemis and the others wouldn't have interfered in Peter's relationship unless there was a perfectly good reason.
"You said it yourself. They don't trust you or like you. But I do. I trust you and I love you, Peter. Why would I risk our love like that? Artemis and Stiles are just trying to ruin your life and ruin what you and I have together. I would never kill innocent people and I don't know what happened to the sheriff!" said Jennifer, as tears came to her eyes.
"Then what do you know?" asked Peter.
"I know that these two kids, for whatever misguided reason, are filling your head with an absurd story. One they can't even prove!" said Jennifer. She had to get him to believe her. If she lost him, she didn't know what she'd do.
Artemis held up the jar in her hand. "Oh, I think we can. Recognize this? Druids use it, just like you used it to poison Derek. But it's not just a cure or a poison for werewolves. It can also be used against you."
Jennifer looked both horrified and angry. "Mistletoe?" she hissed.
Artemis opened the jar and tossed the contents at Jennifer. It swirled around her like a whirlwind and caused her to shriek as her true Darach face was briefly revealed to them all before the powdered mistletoe disappeared and Jennifer's disguise was back up.
For a brief moment, Peter looked heartbroken and shocked, but it vanished quickly as it was replaced with pure fury and rage. He grabbed Jennifer by the throat when she tried to make a run for it. He hoisted her up into the air by the throat with one hand and extended his claws on his other hand.
"One thing you should've known about me, Jennifer. Cross me wrong and you pay for it with your life," snarled Peter, as his eyes flashed werewolf blue. "Kate Argent and her minions decimated my family and I made them pay for it. Perhaps I should show you how!"
"Peter, wait, stop!" yelled Artemis, as she grabbed his wrist. "Stop! She deserves to be punished, I know that. But if you kill her, Derek will die and we'll never find Stiles' father! We need her alive! Let her go."
Peter growled in anger, but obeyed. He dropped Jennifer to the floor and she looked at them smugly as she caught her breath.
"That's right. You need me," said Jennifer, smugly.
"For now," growled Peter. He grabbed her arm. "You're coming with us to the hospital and you're going to save my nephew or by the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging me to kill you."
And with that, they all departed for the hospital.
XXX
When they arrived at the hospital, they met up with Kali, Jackson, Boyd and Erica the entrance and it was almost completely empty due to the evacuations.
Everyone was tense. Kali wasn't at all happy to see her former emissary again and the feeling was mutual. Considering their past history, it was understandable, but the two women had to put it aside for the time being as Kali was Derek's only hope of survival. As they walked, Peter had a tight grip on Jennifer's arm to keep her from running off, Stiles had a baseball bat as he was the only one without wolf powers, and the other wolves were prepared to shift on a moment's notice if they had to.
"Artemis? Kali?" said Melissa, surprised. "What're you all doing here? The hospital's evacuating."
"We're here to get Derek," said Kali.
They didn't have much time. Artemis could feel Derek's pain through their link and she could tell he was fading away with every passing moment.
Melissa frowned in confusion. "All of you? And why's Artemis's teacher here?"
"She has to be here. She's the one who poisoned Derek. She's the Darach," said Artemis. She held up her hands when her mother's eyes widened. "I don't have time to explain. Just trust us on this. You need get out of here. Right now."
Melissa looked as though she wanted to protest, but instead she said, "The building's supposed to be evacuated within thirty minutes. There're two ambulances that're coming back. They'll be here in twenty minutes and they'll arrive in basement parking lot. Make sure Derek's on one of them."
"We will," said Kali. She then hugged her mother tightly, as if it was for the last time. "Be safe, Mother. I love you."
"I love you too," said Melissa, with tears in her eyes as they pulled apart.
They then parted ways before Artemis and the others managed to squeeze into the elevator, which was cramped and tight.
Jennifer eyed her former boyfriend's grip on her arm with disdain and annoyance. "You don't have to keep me on a leash, Peter. I'm not going to run."
"Good. Because if you even try, you'll be dead," snarled Kali. "Now, be quiet or I'll finish what I started nine years ago."
Jennifer glared at Kali, but didn't disobey her as they then left the elevator and walked to Derek's room. But when they arrived, it was devoid of life and there was a trail of black ooze leading from the room and behind a pair of swinging doors.
Sounds of fighting behind the door hit their ears and then Cora literally slid on the floor in front of them. Cora winced as she stood up.
"Perfect timing. We've got a really big problem," said Cora. "Or should I say two big problems?"
The doors swung open to reveal Ethan and Aiden in their joined Alpha form. They were roaring and clearly ready for a fight. Derek was behind them, struggling to stand and failing miserably before collapsing again.
"Get Derek out of here. I'll deal with them," growled Kali. Before anyone could stop her, Kali wolfed out and charged the twins just as they ran towards her and then they launched into an Alpha fight. Kali was proving to be the twins' equal in battle as she was holding her own rather well.
While Jennifer escaped via the elevator, Artemis and Cora took the chance to slip behind the battling Alphas, grab Derek and get him to safety. They ran though the hospital and didn't stop until they came upon an empty room with a table and medical supplies and equipment. By then, the power had died and the backup generators had switched on, filling the hospital with a dull, yellow-green light.
Artemis and Cora rested Derek on the table while Erica and Boyd locked the doors just as Kali returned. Her clothes were torn and bloody in some places, but she was healing appeared to be all right.
"What happened? Where's the big guy?" asked Stiles.
"Dealt with for now," said Kali. "They're out cold, but they'll be back on their feet soon enough. How's Derek?"
"I'm fine," said Derek. But this was a lie and a half. Derek had wounds courtesy of the twins, he was pale as death, his skin was on fire and he launched into a coughing fit.
Artemis frowned in worry. "You're not fine. You're burning up, you're wounded and sick and you can barely stand! Didn't Deaton drop by?"
"He did. He gave Derek medicine, but it's not working," said Cora, tearfully. "Derek's not getting any better."
"Then we need to find Jennifer and get her to fix this," said Erica.
Stiles frowned. "Excuse me? Did you just say we need to find Jennifer? You lost her?!"
Peter glared at Stiles. "You mind keeping your voice down? I don't think the people in China can hear you!" he hissed.
Stiles quickly rounded on Peter in anger. "Oh, so now you're telling me what to do? Guess again! You don't have any right to tell any of us what to, especially not when your psychotic mass-murdering girlfriend, had got my dad tied up somewhere about to be ritually sacrificed!"
"Stiles!" said Artemis, sternly. "Enough." She understood what he was going through and his anger was justified, but they had to stay focused. "We need to be quieter or else they're going to find us, okay? If they're here, then Deucalion can't be far behind. We need to find out what they want and get out of here!"
Stiles still looked furious, but he fell silent as Artemis asked.
"They're here for Jennifer," said Kali, surprising them all. "They told me."
"And they know about her, how?" demanded Jackson.
Kali gave him a withering look. "This is Deucalion we're talking about. He's not an idiot. He obviously figured it out and now he wants the threat to him eliminated."
"We can't just hand her over to them!" objected Boyd. "She's our only hope of saving Derek!"
"Which is all the more reason for you to keep me alive," said Jennifer, startling them. She'd gotten in unnoticed. How, they had no idea. "I can save Derek and tell you where the sheriff is. But there's a pack of Alphas in this hospital that want me dead. So, I'll help you, but only once I'm out of here and safe. Only then."
Peter immediately wolfed out and tried to lunge for her, but Artemis stopped him.
"Peter, stop!" she hissed.
"She's just trying to save her own skin!" growled Peter. "She was trying to escape and now that she's realized she's trapped, she's using us to get out! She was never going to heal Derek or tell us where the sheriff is! Can't you see that!"
Jennifer glared at him. "I wasn't going to back out of my word! I was trying to keep from getting killed! You can't blame me for that, Peter!"
"Then why don't you prove it and save Derek?" demanded Artemis.
"And lose one of my guarantees that you'll keep me safe? I think not," said Jennifer.
Kali extended her claws. "That's it. I say we torture her or rip the information out of her brain. Mind if I start, Peter?" Kali wanted Jennifer dead and to actually stay dead, not just because of what Jennifer had done to Kali all those years ago, but also because Jennifer was the reason Artemis's mate was on the verge of death and Jennifer had tried to kill Artemis. It was time for some payback.
"Knock yourself out," said Peter, coldly.
At this point, Peter didn't care if Jennifer died. He just wanted her punished for what she did to him and his family. If Kali wanted to be the one to do it, that was perfectly fine with Peter. He had no problem with it whatsoever.
Jennifer looked frightened before Artemis came in between her and Kali.
Just then, the P.A. system came on and Melissa's voice was heard on the speakers. "Can I have your attention? Mr. Deucalion…excuse me, just Deucalion…" Melissa sounded frightened and upset. "…requests that you bring the woman calling herself Jennifer Blake to E.R. reception as soon as possible. Do this and everyone can leave. You have ten minutes."
Kali and Artemis exchanged horrified looks.
"Deucalion's got Mom," whispered Artemis.
"Deucalion's not going to hurt her," said Kali. But if he did, Kali would tear him to bits. "You know that. She's too valuable to him."
"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Stiles.
"It means it wasn't just Derek that Deucalion wanted in his pack," said Jennifer. She was also aware of Artemis's secret and Deucalion's true motives. "He wants Artemis as well. He doesn't just want an Alpha pack. He wants perfection and that means adding the rarest of Alphas into his ranks. Decualion only wants Artemis dead or made into a killer if he can't have her in his pack as a True Alpha. That's why he won't hurt Melissa."
"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Peter.
It made perfect sense when one thought about. Deucalion was an obsessive and Artemis was the object of his desire. If he couldn't have her, then he had to destroy her to make sure no one could. But if he could have both Moon sisters in his pack, one of which had a powerful bond with her mate, then he'd probably be the happiest Alpha alive and definitely one of the most powerful. No one could stand in his way with such a powerful Alpha pack behind him.
"It doesn't matter what Deucalion wants. He'll have Huntress over my dead body," said Derek. He tried to stand up, but his legs shook and he nearly fell. Artemis caught him just in time. "I'll protect her and the pack. It's my duty."
Tears slid down Artemis's cheeks as she cupped Derek's face in her hands. Even when Derek was on the brink of death, he was looking after her and the pack. What had they done to deserve him?
"Derek, listen to me. You've already done so much for us," said Artemis. "You've always taken care of us and protected us. No matter what happens, you will always be this pack's Alpha and I will always love you. Now it's our turn to take care of you and protect you. So, let us do this."
Derek sighed as he covered Artemis's hands with his own. Derek knew that Artemis was right. He was in no shape to fight and he'd devoted so much of his life and power to his mate and his pack. They thought of him as family and they wanted to protect him now, just as he'd done for them.
"Okay," he whispered. "I'll do it."
Artemis heaved a sigh of relief as she kissed his forehead. "I love you so much."
"I love you," murmured Derek.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Cora.
"We need to get Jennifer out of here," said Artemis. "My mom said there was another ambulance coming, but chances are Deucalion will have thought of that and cut off that escape route, so we need to get Jennifer to one of our cars and get both her and Derek out of here."
"Sounds like a great plan," said Jackson, sarcastically. "But in case you've forgotten, the twins aren't going to let us just walk out of here!"
Derek glared at Jackson, making him fall silent.
"Kali and I will distract Ethan and Aiden," said Artemis.
"You mean fight them," said Cora.
Kali and Artemis ignored her.
"Erica and I will help," said Boyd, as Erica nodded in agreement.
Artemis could see there would be no use in even attempting to dissuade the two Betas from aiding in the fight, so she didn't. She just nodded in agreement.
"Fine. Stiles, you, Jackson and Cora get Derek out of here and get one of the cars ready to go. As soon as Jennifer's out of the building and in the car, you need to leave for Derek's apartment before the other Alphas catch up," said Artemis. "And Peter, you go with Jennifer. Make sure she gets out of here in one piece."
Peter looked angry. "Wait, back up. Why do I have to go with her?" The last thing Peter wanted was to be with Jennifer at the moment.
"Because you're the only one I trust and if you don't go with me, I'll let Deucalion kill me and then I can't fulfill my end of the deal," snapped Jennifer. "Good enough?"
Peter still looked furious but he nodded. Peter would comply with Artemis's orders, but he would only do so grudgingly and on the behalf of his nephew.
"You all know what to do. Let's do it," said Artemis.
Everyone nodded and then they split up. They had to get Derek and Jennifer out alive and get away from Deucalion and the twins with their own lives in the process. It was going to be a very long night.
XXX
While Artemis, Kali, Erica and Boyd were busy fighting Ethan and Aiden, Derek was taken to Stiles' jeep courtesy of Stiles, Cora and Jackson, who took the stairs and Peter got Jennifer into an elevator.
The elevator proved to be a mistake, for the power went out and the elevator stopped. Peter got the doors open, but they were trapped in between floors and there wasn't enough room for them to slip through.
"Dang it," muttered Peter. He tried to find another escape route, and then he spotted the emergency hatch above them.
"If you're thinking of going out that way, the service hatch bolts from the outside so you'd have to break it," said Jennifer. "All you'd end up doing is creating a lot of noise and let them know where we are."
"How do you know they don't know already?" demanded Peter.
"Because I know the Alpha pack. If they knew, they'd be here right now. For all they know, we're on another floor," said Jennifer. "And if we try to get out through the hatch and onto another floor, you might end up fighting them alone in an elevator shaft."
Peter growled in anger. "So, we're trapped in here. Perfect!"
"I'm sorry, but it's true. If we try to escape like this and they find me, they'll tear me to pieces before you can land a punch," said Jennifer, apologetically.
Peter scoffed. "And wouldn't that be poetic? You tore my heart to pieces and now they'll do the same to you," he muttered. He got out his phone and began texting Artemis. "I'll let Artemis know we're trapped. She'll get us out."
"What makes you so sure of that?" asked Jennifer.
"Because if there's one thing that girl's good at, it's figuring out solutions to problems like this," said Peter. Artemis's accomplishments since Peter first turned her were great and he had to admit, he felt a bit of pride in his former Beta. Peter then received a text from Artemis. "She's responded. She's on her way to fix this. So, we have to just sit tight until the backup generator's back on."
Peter then pocketed his phone and waited. He kept his back to his girlfriend, or rather ex-girlfriend and closed his eyes so that he didn't have to see her reflection in the elevator doors. The less he saw of her, the better. The only thing keeping him from killing her was knowing that Jennifer was needed to save Derek and locate the sheriff. Once she was no longer useful, she was dead.
For what felt like an eternity, but had actually been only minutes, there was a tense silence until Jennifer broke.
"Peter…" she said, softly. "Peter, I know what you're thinking. But you're wrong. I'm not using you. I wanted you to come with me because you're the only one who makes me feel safe and because I trust you. I may have lied about my name and what I am, but I never lied about my feelings for you, Peter. I do love you. My feelings for you, what happened between us, all of that was real for me. It still is. I know you feel the same way."
"Do I?" demanded Peter. He didn't know anything anymore. He had trusted Jennifer. He had protected her. He'd even allowed himself to fall in love with her and let her have his heart! And she'd betrayed him. She'd broken his heart and shattered his trust. He should've expected it as he hadn't experienced the usual signs that came when a werewolf found their true mate. But it still hurt. "I don't know what I think anymore. I thought I knew you, but I was wrong, wasn't I? You lied about everything else. Why not our relationship? Heck, I don't even know if that's your real face I've been looking at!"
Jennifer swallowed painfully as tears came to her eyes. "The face that the mistletoe showed you, that was how I looked after what Kali did to me. This face that I wear now, that's how I looked before she nearly killed me."
"Give me one good reason why I should believe a word that comes out of your mouth," snarled Peter.
"Because no matter what you think of me, I love you, Peter," said Jennifer, as tears slid down her cheeks. Jennifer had never lied about her feelings for Peter. She had truly fallen in love with Peter and she hadn't wanted to hurt him. She regretted hurting him but she was too far gone into her plans to quit so soon. "And I'm just like you, Peter."
"We're not alike!" snarled Peter. "I didn't murder twelve innocent people just because of a grudge against Artemis's sister!"
"But you killed your own niece to gain power so you could take revenge on the culprits of the Hale Fire," retorted Jennifer. "That's all I did, Peter. If you want the truth, I'll tell you everything, I promise."
"Why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?" demanded Peter. "And I know what happened to you. You fell in love with Kali's mate, he turned you down, you tried to kill Kali for it and she failed to kill you in vengeance. Mystery solved."
"You only know what Kali told Artemis. You don't know my part," said Jennifer. "And why would I lie now? What could I have to gain from it?"
Peter didn't reply, so Jennifer took it as a sign to tell her tale.
"A long time ago, my name was Julia Baccari," she began. Looking back, choosing an alias with her old initials of J.B. probably wasn't the best idea. But then again, people tended to pick alias that were subconsciously derivative of their original name so they wouldn't lose their identity completely since one's name was tied to one's sense of self. "I was the druidic emissary to Kali's Alpha, Luna. When Kali joined the pack, she and I became friends. I was the one who arranged the meetings between Kali and Ennis. I didn't know they were mates. I just assumed that they were doing business between their packs.
"Somewhere along the way, I made the mistake of falling in love with Ennis. I kept my feelings to myself until one day, I couldn't stand it anymore. I told Ennis I loved him, but a surprise came my way. Ennis told me that while he cared about me, we could only be friends at most. A relationship between he and I was impossible because he'd found his true mate in Kali and they'd also married. I was heartbroken. I felt like I died right then and there. My heartbreak turned to anger and it swallowed me whole.
"Suddenly, Kali was no longer my friend. She was my enemy. I know that werewolves only find true love once in their lifetimes, but I thought if Kali was out of the picture, maybe I could have something with Ennis. I was so desperate to be with him that I was willing to cross lines I never thought I would. I couldn't take Kali down on my own, so I turned to an alternative method. I found a place made with hecatolite and I trapped Kali's Alpha and her pack in there for three months. Kali looked for them but she didn't find them and she didn't even know I was the cause of their disappearance.
"When the fourth full moon came, I told Kali I'd found her missing pack. I lured her into a trap and once she was inside, I trapped her in there with mountain ash. I thought that would be the end of it, but I underestimated Kali and that was a mistake. She fought back and became what she is now. For my betrayal, Kali hunted me down like an animal and she nearly killed me. But at the last moment, she showed me mercy and left me alone to die in peace. And I would've, if it hadn't been for the Nemeton."
Peter's ears perked up, but he still kept his back to Jennifer. "The Nemeton?"
"I know what Derek did there, Peter. He sacrificed Paige's life in order to spare her a painful death. But he had no idea of what he'd done. Paige was sacrificed as a virgin and her blood gave the Nemeton power for the first time in years. After Kali nearly killed me, I crawled to the Nemeton and I grabbed it. It gave me the strength to hold on until I was found by the police and taken to the hospital. Once I had the strength to leave, I disappeared from the hospital and I spent the next few years waiting until it was time to strike."
"And I suppose those twelve innocent lives you sacrificed meant nothing to you?" said Peter, bitterly. Killing those responsible for a crime, he understood. But Jennifer's actions pushed even his limits.
"I had no choice, Peter," said Jennifer. "You, of all people, should know that. Let me tell you another reason why we're similar. You and I are both overlooked, just like mistletoe once was."
Peter finally looked at her, and when he did, his expression was a mixture of skepticism and confusion. "Excuse me?" How could mistletoe be an overlooked plant?
"Mistletoe's important to druids, but there's also a reason why people kiss under the mistletoe," said Jennifer. "According to Norse myth, Baldur, the son of Odin, was the most beloved by the other gods. So much so, that they wanted to protect him from all the dangers in the world. His mother, Frigg, took an oath from fire, water, metal, stone and every living thing that they would never hurt Baldur. At a gathering, they tested him with everything they could think of, but nothing worked. Baldur was protected from all things."
"But there was one god that wasn't enamored of Baldur. Loki, the God of Mischief, discovered that Frigg had forgotten to ask mistletoe. It was a seemingly harmless little plant, and it had been completely overlooked. Loki fashioned a dart out of mistletoe and it killed Baldur. Frigg was heartbroken. She decreed that mistletoe would never again be used as a weapon and she would place a kiss to those who passed under it. So, now we hang mistletoe under our doors during the holidays so that we will never overlook it again."
Peter just snorted. "And I should care about this, why?"
"Because it wasn't just the emissaries who were overlooked, Peter," said Jennifer. "You were too. When the culprits of the Hale Fire were dropping like flies, no one even considered that you, a burnt vegetable in the hospital, could possibly be the one righting the wrongs done to your family until it was too late."
Peter was quiet. Jennifer was right, of course. Peter had been overlooked. No one had even suspected that he'd killed Laura in order to become an Alpha and punish those responsible for the fire that had decimated his family. He had been overlooked not just by Kate, but by his own family and by Artemis as well. Peter had taken a life, a life he'd cherished, in order to enact revenge and justice and make sure those responsible for the crime done to his family never did it again.
"Just like you took an oath to take vengeance on Kate and her minions for what they did to your family, I took one of my own. From virgins, warriors, healers, philosophers, and guardians, to loan me their power so that I could teach Kali and the other monsters in Deucalion's pack that their monstrous actions would never be overlooked," said Jennifer. "You killed your niece, Laura, for the exact same reason as I killed those twelve people, Peter. Why can't you see that you and I are the same?"
"Why? So I can save your life?" scoffed Peter. "I don't think so."
"I'm not asking you to just my life, Peter. I'm asking you to help me save the lives of everyone Kali and the other Alphas will ever hurt again," said Jennifer. "I didn't enjoy doing what I did. But you and I both know that some must be sacrificed, if all are to be saved."
For a moment, Peter was quiet again. "Even if I were to agree with you, your plan will never work. Deucalion and the other Alphas can't be beaten."
Jennifer shook her head. "You're wrong. The lunar eclipse is coming, Peter. And you know as well as I do what happens to your kind during the total lunar eclipse."
"We lose all our power," murmured Peter, quietly.
During the lunar eclipse, for the brief period of time when the moon passed behind the earth's shadow, all werewolves lost their power and were rendered helpless. For that brief period of time, they were essentially like humans. Deucalion, for all his power, would be no different than any other lycanthrope. When the lunar eclipse came, Deucalion would be easy pickings for Jennifer, especially since she had acquired so much power.
Jennifer then reached out and touched Peter's face. "Peter, look at me."
Instead of pulling away, Peter found himself leaning to Jennifer's touch. He turned to face her and when he looked at her, he saw that her eyes were filled with tears and love.
"I know that I hurt you and I'm sorry," she murmured. "I never wanted that to happen. After Ennis broke my heart, I thought I'd never find love again, that I was empty. But then you came along and reminded me what it felt like to love and be loved in return. I didn't want to lose that. I still don't. No matter what happens, please remember that I will always truly, deeply love you, Peter."
Peter's heart ached at this and he found himself murmuring, "I love you too, Jen."
Jennifer smiled through her tears as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Peter's arms slid around her waist and he held her close to him as he returned her kiss with an intense passion. Maybe for just one moment, they didn't have to be enemies. Maybe for one moment, they could just be each other's.
XXX
Meanwhile, Artemis let out a cry of both terror and delight as she slid down the laundry chute and landed in a basket of laundry.
The fight with Ethan and Aiden had gone bad and they'd ended up making a tactile retreat to one of the rooms with a laundry chute and they'd ended up sliding down said laundry chute (something that all of them had wanted to do at one point when they were kids) and ending up in the laundry room.
"That was awful," said Boyd, as he helped Artemis climb out of the basket. "Don't they ever give up?"
"They're Alphas. They don't quit and it takes them quite a while to tire out," said Kali. "We're lucky we even got away from them."
"Yeah, lucky," muttered Erica, as she shook her head. "What do we do now?"
"I don't know. I—" Suddenly, Artemis's phone went off and she was surprised when she saw the name on the caller ID. "Peter's just texted me. How the heck does he even know my cell phone number?" She then saw that Peter's text read, 'Jennifer and I stuck in elevator. Need help.'"Oh, crap."
"Peter and Jennifer didn't get out, did they?" asked Erica.
Artemis shook her head. "They're trapped in an elevator. Deucalion must've killed the power to the building. We need to get the backup generator online." She quickly sent out a text to Peter that read, 'Don't move. On our way,' before she got out of the basket. "Erica, Boyd, get to the cars and get out of here. Kali and I will handle things from here."
Erica and Boyd looked uncertain at this.
"You sure about that?" asked Boyd.
Artemis nodded. Erica and Boyd had fought valiantly and she was grateful for their friendship and loyalty. But they were wounded and their part was done. They needed to heal up and get to safety.
"You've done enough. Just get to safety," said Artemis. "Go."
"Okay. Be safe," said Erica, as she and Boyd departed.
Once they were gone, Kali and Artemis crept inside the darkened building. They came upon a corner and then dodged a blow from Ethan and Aiden, who were badly injured from the fight but still possessed enough strength to fight.
"Stop fighting us and just give us the girl!" they roared. "We're trying not to hurt you!"
"Why don't you try some of this?" yelled Melissa. She had appeared out of nowhere and then she zapped the twins with a set of paddles, causing them to fall to the floor in agony as they separated from each other and slipped into unconsciousness.
Kali looked at her mother with awe and respect. "Mother, you…you're amazing."
"Totally amazing," said Artemis, in agreement.
Melissa smiled and shrugged. "All in a night's work. Now, what say we get out of here before they wake up?"
The two sisters agreed and then they got away as quickly as possible.
"What happened with Deucalion?" asked Artemis, when they were a safe distance away.
"I don't know. After he made me kill the power, he let me go. He said it was a gesture of goodwill. Deucalion gave no other reason," said Melissa.
"Then it must one he didn't tell you about. Deucalion wouldn't have let you go without a reason," said Kali, solemnly. "He always has a reason."
"Let's not find out, shall we? We need to get the power back on or Jennifer's dead and along with Derek and the sheriff," said Artemis.
Artemis was also worried, but Deucalion was the least of her concerns. Artemis then stopped Melissa when she heard a gun clicking. Carefully, Artemis and Kali looked around the corner, prepared for another fight, but then they relaxed when they saw it was just Alison, Chris and Isaac.
"Thank goodness," said Artemis, relieved. "You've no idea how glad I am to see you guys."
"Feeling's mutual. What's happened?" asked Isaac.
"I'll fill you in on the way," said Kali, as they went somewhere quieter to talk. She filled them in on what had occurred since they'd arrived at the hospital.
Chris frowned after Kali finished the explanation. "So, they're trapped?"
"Until we get the power back on, yeah," said Artemis.
"But if we get the power back on and they get free, we'll be letting Deucalion and the twins know where they are," pointed out Isaac.
"Which can't happen," said Artemis, grimly. "Deucalion wants Jennifer dead. If he and the twins find Peter and Jennifer, they'll kill her. Derek and Stiles' dad will be lost to us. And we can't get into another fight with Ethan and Aiden. We've barely survived the last two and while I'm glad you're here, it's too big of a risk for you to fight them too!"
There was a moment's tense silence before Alison broke it.
"Wait, I've got it," said Alison. "They're looking for Jennifer and she smells human, right? So, what if we let them think I'm Jennifer and I lure them outside and we take them down with arrows and guns, and then you guys can get the power back on and get Jennifer out of here."
Everyone stared at her.
"That might be insane enough to work," said Chris.
"But only if I go with you," said Kali, firmly. "You'll need backup if this doesn't work." And what better backup could there be than a powerful Alpha like Kali?
Chris and Alison agreed and then they set their plan in motion.
XXX
By now, Derek had been taken away.
Isaac was given the keys to Chris's car and was waiting for Alison and Kali to appear so he could drive them away. Chris was also waiting on the hospital grounds with his guns ready. After receiving the text from Artemis informing them of the plan, Peter opened the elevator doors all the way and the noise caught the attention of the twins, who were patrolling the hospital.
It didn't take long for them to find what they thought was Kali escorting Jennifer out of the hospital. As soon as Kali and Alison were outside the building, (the storm was over by now) the twins leapt out of one of the windows and launched their attack. But they were caught off guard when they saw they'd been tricked. Kali lashed out at them with her fangs and claws, Alison with her special arrows and Chris with his guns. It drove the twins away and allowed Kali, Chris and Alison to escape when Isaac drove by with the car.
Meanwhile, Melissa ran back up to the roof and got the power back on, activating the elevator. But when Artemis ran for the elevator, she was both shocked and horrified to see Peter lying on the floor unconscious and Jennifer was gone. The elevator shaft was open, which meant only one thing.
"Mom," gasped Artemis. It was then that Artemis realized that the last sacrifice was guardians, but not guardians as in law enforcement. Guardians as in parental guardians. Melissa was going to be one of the last of the sacrifices.
Praying she wasn't too late, Artemis ran as fast as she could to the roof.
"Mom? MOM!" yelled Artemis.
But Melissa was nowhere in sight and Artemis couldn't pick up a scent because of all the heavy rainfall that had just occurred.
"They're gone."
Artemis spun around to see Deucalion behind her, looking both apologetic and smug.
"Guardians, Artemis," said Deucalion. "If your traitor of a sister had stuck around or if you'd joined me, I could've warned you what it meant."
Artemis scoffed in disbelief. "You would've warned me. Yeah, right. I don't believe you. What do you want, Deucalion?"
"Well, since you've asked, I want to propose we make a pact," said Deucalion. "If you let me, I'll help you find Jennifer or Julia or whatever her name is. This will help you find your mother and the good sheriff all in the name of stopping the Darach."
Artemis refused to believe this. Deucalion wouldn't make such an offer to her unless he had something gain from it besides Jennifer's death and she knew what it was. "You're lying. You're not doing this out of the goodness of your heart. You just want me to finish my ascension from Beta to True Alpha and join your pack." She wasn't going to work with Deucalion, except on the battlefield. She wasn't going to join him no matter what he offered. She would find Melissa her own way, without Deucalion's help.
Deucalion looked offended. "You question my honor? I'm hurt," he said, not sounding hurt at all. "But I would advise you to consider my offer at least. After all, the enemy of my enemy is—"
"Let's get one thing straight here," interrupted Artemis, angrily. She wasn't going to let him finish that sentence. "We are never friends. Our interests align, temporarily. Nothing more. If either of us actually manages to acquire some information, then we'll meet on the battlefield to stop her, but otherwise, I don't want anything to do with you, Deucalion. And when this is over, I want you out of my life and I never want to see you again."
Deucalion was quiet for a moment as he tightly gripped his cane. He gripped it so hard, his knuckles turned white and his claws punctured the skin of his palm.
"Very well, Artemis," said Deucalion, with barely controlled anger. "We have a deal." He reached into his pocket and gave her a slip of paper with a telephone number on it. "This is my number. Use it call me if you decide not to howl. And know this, Artemis: the Darach's actions are having an effect on your home. When this is over, Beacon Hills will be a beacon once more and you may require my help. Think about that and see if you'll still want me gone when this is over."
"I will," said Artemis. The sounds of police sirens then hit her ears. "Go. I'll hold off the police. Just go."
Deucalion did as she asked.