Alpha Pact

After Deucalion left, Artemis ran back to the elevator and began to wake up Peter. She had to get him awake and out of the hospital before the police showed up. She was going to be the one to hold them off until she could rejoin the others.

"Peter, wake up!" yelled Artemis, as she shook him. "Wake up! Wake up!" But when he didn't wake, Artemis punched him in the face.

"Ow!" said Peter, as he woke up. He looked dazed and confused for a moment before he remembered what was happening. "Where's Jennifer?"

"She's gone, Peter," said Artemis. "Jennifer escaped and if that's not bad enough, she took my mother! If we don't find her, Stiles' dad and my mom are going to be sacrificed as guardians!"

Peter looked both furious and upset. "I'll kill her."

"You can kill her later. The police are going to be here any minute and you can't be seen. You're dead, remember? I'll hold them off, but you've got to get out of here," said Artemis. "You need to leave."

Without waiting for a reply, Artemis slung Peter's arm over her shoulder and helped him walk to the nearest exit. By the time they arrived, Peter's strength was back and he took the chance to leave before he was spotted.

Artemis then went to the reception and called Stiles, telling him of what had happened with Jennifer and Melissa, and also about Alison's surname being spray painted on the elevator doors. Once that was done, there was nothing left to do except wait for the police to arrive. When they did, Artemis looked and felt a surge of anger at the sight of a man she hadn't seen in over a decade and nor did she ever want to.

It was her father, Agent Moon of the F.B.I.

Artemis wasn't in the mood for dealing with her father and nor did she wish to. She had enough on her plate as it was without her paranoid, workaholic jerk of a father adding to it all. But she knew she had no choice but to get through whatever questions he had for her as quickly as possible so she could resume her work.

When Artemis's eyes met her father's, he didn't seem at all surprised to see her. In fact, he looked like he'd expected it and he seemed somewhat pleased to see her

"Artemis," said Agent Moon. "Why am I not surprised to find you in the middle of all this mess?"

Artemis gave him a sarcastic smile. "What can I say, sir? Finding trouble's my natural talent," she said.

Agent Moon didn't look at all amused. "Think you can answer some questions without the sarcasm and actually cooperate with me? I don't want to have to drag my own daughter into an interrogation room."

Artemis glared at him. "Don't ever refer to me as your daughter again! I don't want anything to do with you. You gave up any rights you had to me a long time ago."

Artemis was right. Agent Moon had given up his legal parental rights after the divorce. But even before that had occurred, as far as Artemis was concerned, Agent Moon was her father by blood, but Dr. Deaton would always be her dad in the ways that mattered most.

Agent Moon's eyes narrowed, but he didn't argue with her. "Do you know where Sheriff Stilinski is? No one's been able to contact him."

"No. I don't know where he is," said Artemis. It wasn't a lie. She had no clue as to the sheriff's whereabouts. But that would change soon if she had any say in it. "I haven't seen him in hours. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Where's your sister, Kalika?" asked Agent Moon.

With great difficulty, Artemis managed to keep a straight face as she feigned ignorance regarding her sister's whereabouts.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Last time I checked, Kalika died in the woods from an animal attack after you drove her away." Artemis had never fully forgiven her father for his role in Kali's disappearance.

Agent Moon looked stern. "Don't lie to me, Artemis. I've heard all the rumors and eyewitness accounts. I know your sister's alive. Where is she?"

"I don't know," said Artemis, angrily as she stood up. This was one of those few times when Artemis lost her temper and lashed out. "But if Kali is alive, then I fail to see how it concerns you. She'd be well over adult age by now and unless she did something illegal, which I sincerely doubt she did, you have no right to her. Kali ran off because you were going to make her life miserable and if she is alive, then I pray she's as far away from you as possible because she deserves better than you!"

For a moment there was tense, angry silence between father and daughter and they were both glaring at each other with an intense fury.

"Anything else you want to know?" demanded Artemis.

"Yes. What the devil happened here?" asked Agent Moon. His tone implied he was barely controlling his anger.

"I don't know," lied Artemis. "I came here to pick up my sick boyfriend, but his sister already took him home. I got stuck in the elevators and couldn't get out until the power came back on. That's all I know. Satisfied?"

"No, it isn't," said Agent Moon, sternly. He folded his arms across his chest. "Why do I get the feeling you're hiding something that could be useful to this investigation?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. Granted that Agent Moon was correct about her withholding information, but she wasn't about to tell Agent Moon anything. He didn't know about the supernatural world Artemis was a part of and she wasn't about to tell him when he'd done nothing to deserve her trust.

"Maybe because you're an F.B.I. agent and are instinctively paranoid and suspicious of everyone you know," said Artemis, dryly.

"Maybe," he admitted. "But my instincts are usually spot on. Do you have any idea that there have been a number of deaths connected your school for the past few months?"

"Yes, I'm aware," said Artemis, through gritted teeth. "But it's got nothing to do with me or my friends or my boyfriend, if that's what you're getting at."

Agent Moon raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You sure about that? Because I'm not." He pulled out his notebook and held up a list of names, all of them Artemis's associates. "I've been hearing things about your boyfriend, Derek Hale, and your little clique—Stiles, Alison Argent, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Isaac Lahey, Jackson Whittmore, and Ethan and Aiden. The stories are quite interesting."

"Are they? I had no idea," said Artemis, sarcastically. She was well aware of all their pasts and the rumors flying around, but she couldn't have cared less. It wasn't any business of her father's who Artemis associated with and nor was it his place to interfere in their lives when no crime had been committed by them.

"Frankly, I'm surprised you're in a relationship with Derek Hale of all men," said Agent Moon, ignoring Artemis's sarcasm. "From what I know, he's older than you and he doesn't exactly have the best of backgrounds."

Artemis scoffed. She wasn't entirely surprised by what she was hearing, given how she knew what kind of man her father was, but that didn't make her at all happy to hear it.

"So, you ran a background check on my boyfriend and my friends. Why am I not surprised?" said Artemis, sarcastically. "But you know what, those people aren't my clique. They're practically my family." Ethan and Aiden weren't that close, but the others were to Artemis and that was more than she could say for her father. "And whatever you think you have on Derek, it's not going to change my opinion of him. I know what kind of man Derek is, and it's a far better one than you could ever hope to be."

Ever since Artemis had first met Derek, he had always looked after her, protected her and cared about her. He'd never judged Artemis, driven the ones she loved away or forced her to do something she didn't want to do. Derek had gone up against his own kin just to keep Artemis safe and was also willing to die for Artemis because he loved her. Derek had taken in lost souls and given them a home, a family and someone to look up to and protect them. So, what right had Agent Moon to judge Derek?

"So, if this is your way to suddenly act like a protective father and tell me Derek's not good enough for me, you can save your breath. I love Derek and he loves me. We're not breaking up, not for you, not for anyone!" said Artemis.

Agent Moon glared at Artemis. "Now, wait a minute, young lady! I'm your father—"

"I'm not finished!" yelled Artemis, angrily. She was furious with him. What right had Agent Moon to come back into her life after over a decade of no contact and pretend to be the dad he never was? "You can't just waltz back in here after a decade and pretend you know anything about me or my life, because you don't. You may be my father, but my boss, Doctor Deaton, has been more of a dad to me than you will ever be! So, do me a favor and stay out of my personal life. I've gotten along fine without you for the past decade. I don't need you."

Artemis knew she was being harsh, but she knew everything she said was true. Even before Artemis started her job at the vet's, Doctor Deaton had always shown kindness to Artemis. He'd listened to her and given her advice when she needed it, he'd come to her lacrosse games even when she was benched because he wanted to support her, he'd helped her with her lycanthropy and been a fantastic mentor to her, he'd given her comfort and encouragement when she was struggling with life, he'd given her a job and taught her things, and he had looked after her like a dad was supposed to.

Deaton had done all of that and the one man in Artemis's life that was supposed to do all of that, hadn't. That spoke volumes regarding Agent Moon's skills as a parent.

Agent Moon was quiet for a moment and for the briefest of moments, Artemis thought she saw tears in his eyes, but they disappeared quickly.

"You should get to school," said Agent Moon, quietly. "You don't want to be late."

Artemis was surprised by her father's sudden change in attitude, but didn't question it. She just left without looking back. She had no regrets over what went down between her and her father. Agent Moon was her blood-kin, but that didn't make him family.

XXX

After receiving Artemis's phone call informing him of Melissa's abduction, Stiles met up with Alison and Chris at their home and told them of the tragic news and also of the highly likely possibility that Chris was going to be Jennifer's next target.

Needless to say, Chris was skeptical about it. "…word is 'guardian,' Alison. It's a word I haven't exactly lived up to lately."

"Rubbish!" said Alison. When had her dad ever not acted like a guardian? Chris was always looking after his family and tried to protect others. "Besides, Jennifer took Stiles' dad and Artemis and Kali's mom. That's not a coincidence!"

"Yeah, and I'd also consider the fact that someone put your surname up in large block letters on the elevator doors," said Stiles. "That kind of felt like a warning to me."

"I think it might've been Morrell," admitted Alison. "Kali said that she's been trying to maintain balance and protect Artemis since all this happened. It stands to reason that she might've been trying to warn us. She knows a lot more than she lets on."

"Well, that may be. But she could've done a better job of it," said Stiles, bitterly. Stiles wasn't all that fond of Miss Morrell's methods of late. While she had done good by sending Braeden to rescue Isaac, Stiles wished that Morrell had just spoken up instead continually sneaking around as she had. "And if Morrell knows anything else, then she needs to get on it a lot quicker seeing as how the lunar eclipse is tonight and if we can't stop Jennifer by then, both Deucalion and Artemis's packs are going to be easy pickings for her."

Chris's face softened. Chris knew that Stiles was just lashing out of worry for his father. "Stiles, don't give up hope."

Stiles sighed as he buried his face in his hands for a moment. "How can I not? My dad and Melissa could already be dead for all we know."

"I don't think so," said Chris. "There's something about Jennifer's tactics, like she's still positioning pieces into place on the board.

"And you're one of them," said Alison, quietly. Alison's fear was understandable. Chris was the only immediate family by blood that Alison had left. The last thing she wanted was to lose her dad.

Chris smirked. "Then let's not wait around to see her next move." He then pulled out his maps and papers from his desk. "Everything Jennifer's done has been on a telluric current and I'm better that Melissa and the sheriff are on one of those currents."

Stiles stared at Chris like he'd just gone insane. "You seriously want to go after her? She's killed twelve people and has enough power to take down a pack of werewolves! What if she just takes you like the others? No offense, but what's the difference between you and the other people she's sacrificed?"

Chris pulled out a gun and cocked it. "I'm carrying a .45," he said. "Let's see how well Jennifer can heal from what I have planned for her." He put down his gun. "Listen, we've got one priority right now and that's to find Melissa and your dad. We've got a map and every clue we need to figure this out. The only we don't have is time, which is why I need both of you to help me."

Stiles and Alison exchanged looks and then sighed as they nodded. They would help Chris, but neither of them could shake the feeling this was going to end very badly.

"Where do we start?" asked Stiles.

Chris smiled and then began pointing to and marking certain areas on his map as he spoke. "The places that the sacrifices have been committed have usually been very different from where the bodies have been found. I think the placement has to do with the strength of the current. So, there's the school, the animal clinic, and the bank."

Stiles frowned in thought. "Wait a minute, she wouldn't use the same place twice, would she?"

"Only if she didn't succeed the first time," said Chris, gravely. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but the bank was where Deaton was found and rescued before the sacrifice could be completed. That was her failure and it could mean something."

"But that's just one place," pointed out Stiles. "We're going to need a lot more help."

"What about Lydia?" asked Alison. "Didn't Artemis say that Jennifer called Lydia a banshee?"

Chris looked surprised. "Lydia's a banshee?" Out of all the creatures in Beacon Hills, a banshee hadn't been one Chris thought he'd encounter.

Stiles nodded. "That's what Jennifer called her. But it makes sense when you think about it. According to myth, banshees can instinctively sense death and Lydia's been finding the bodies without actually intending to find them. Lydia might have an idea of where the next sacrifices are going to take place." Not to mention, Lydia had been the only one to sense that something was wrong at the Motel Glen Capri and she was the only one to sense the deaths that had taken place there.

"That settles it. Stiles, talk to Lydia. See what she knows," said Chris. He then took out his armory of weapons and began picking which ones he wanted to take with him. Alison did the same with her bows, arrows and daggers.

"I thought you guys were retired," said Stiles, as he eyed their equipment.

"Retired, yes. Defenseless, no," said Chris. Only a fool went unprepared for what lay ahead when he knew what was out there. It never hurt to be cautious. "Make sure your phone's If Artemis or Kali call with any further information, you let us know immediately. Alison and I are going to head to the bank."

"Is there room for one more?"

They all turned around to see Isaac standing in the doorway.

"Isaac, what're you doing here?" asked Chris.

"I'm here because I want to help," said Isaac. And also because he wanted to protect Alison from Jennifer. "I don't know how to use a gun or fire a crossbow, but I'm getting good with these." Isaac briefly extended his claws and flexed them for his friends and girlfriend to see. "So, can I come?"

"Fine," said Chris, nodding. "We can use all the help we can get. Come on."

And with that, Isaac and the Argents departed for the bank.

XXX

When they arrived at the bank, they went into the bank vault and it was devoid of life as well as very dark.

They were all on guard and kept looking over their shoulders as they prepared for Jennifer to make an appearance and make her next move.

"It's empty," said Alison. "Isaac, do you hear anything?"

Isaac shook his head. "Just us and I'm not picking up a scent, either."

"Be careful anyway," said Chris, as he pulled out a stun gun and switched it on.

Isaac frowned at the sight of it. "I thought you only used those on werewolves."

"I do." Chris quickly jabbed Isaac in the chest with the stun gun, which caused Isaac to fall to the ground in agony. Chris then pulled out a pair of handcuffs and cuffed Alison to the wall. "I'm sorry, but this is necessary."

"For what?" demanded Alison, shocked by his behavior. "What the heck are you doing?"

"You're just going to have to trust me on this," said Chris. He whipped out his gun and began walking towards the door of the vault. "I knew for a long time she didn't just operate on the telluric currents. She's in synch with them."

"What a clever hunter you are," said Jennifer, as she appeared. She made her way into the vault and looked pleased at Chris dropping his gun and offering himself to her. "Now, this is a sacrifice. One I'll gladly accept." Jennifer then revealed her true Darach face and then she disappeared with Chris.

"DAD!" cried Alison, as tears slid down her cheeks.

But it was too late, Chris was gone just like Melissa and the sheriff. Jennifer now had her third and final guardian.

When Isaac recovered from the stun gun's attack, he got up and broke Alison's bonds. It caused her to fall into his arms and for a moment, neither of them moved.

"Why did he do that?" whimpered Alison, as tears came to her eyes.

"Because your dad loves you and he didn't want you to get hurt," said Isaac, softly. It was easy to guess Chris's motives. Chris was a dad who wanted to protect his daughter. "We'll find him, Alison, I promise. Chris will have some way for us to track him down, we just need to find it. Right now, we need to go. We need to find Artemis and the others."

Instead of leaving, Alison held Isaac's hands in hers and looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "They're all going to die. Aren't they?"

Isaac didn't reply. He just held Alison tight in his arms as she let loose a few tears.

"Isaac, if we don't make it through this…" said Alison, as they broke apart. "I want you to know that I love you."

Isaac's heart leapt at this, for he'd fallen in love with Alison quite some time ago and but had lacked the courage to tell her how he felt as he feared she didn't reciprocate his feelings. He then cupped her face in his hands and they shared a tender kiss.

"I love you too," breathed Isaac, as they broke apart.

Alison smiled through her tears and then kissed Isaac once more before they left the vault and texted Stiles of what had just occurred.

XXX

Chris inhaled sharply as he came back to consciousness.

When Jennifer had taken him, she'd knocked him out and now he was awake.

"You okay over there?"

Chris looked and saw that not only was he tied up to a pole, but so was the sheriff and Melissa. They both looked unharmed, thank heavens, but they were still trapped and if they didn't get out of there soon, they weren't going to see tomorrow's sunrise.

"I'm fine. I've been through worse," said Chris.

"I'm not surprised," said Melissa. "Do you know where we are, Chris?"

Chris nodded. He recognized this place as he'd been here once before. He wasn't too pleased to be back, to be quite honest. "We're in what they call a Nemeton. It's a sacred place for druids."

"Why am I not surprised?" muttered Sheriff Stilinski. "Druids, werewolves, kanimas, hunters. What's next?"

Chris stared at the sheriff. "You know about all of that?"

"The day Deaton was kidnapped, he made her tell him what's been happening lately," explained Melissa. "I've been filling him in on stories she's told me while we've been stuck down here."

Chris sighed. "Should've known." Artemis's secret was turning out to be the worst-kept one in the history of badly kept secrets, at least in Chris's opinion.

"So, I take it you've been here before?" asked Sheriff Stilinski.

"Years ago," said Chris. "And we really shouldn't be here." Chris then began to try to escape by pulling his feet towards his hands.

"I really hate to disappoint you, but we watched her take your ankle knife," said Sheriff Stilinski, looking apologetic. "And the knife in your right sleeve, the switchblade in your other sleeve and the taser in your jacket pocket."

Chris didn't reply as he was too busy checking all those areas for his concealed weapons, but then he laid back when he realized that the sheriff was right. Jennifer had taken Chris's blades that could've helped them escape.

The root cellar door then opened and Jennifer descended the staircase. "Sorry about disarming you, but I prefer to not to make sure there're no loose ends. Kali taught me that."

Chris glared at Jennifer, as did Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa.

"You know, I think it's poetic that your surname's Argent," said Jennifer, as she knelt in front of Chris. "It's French for 'silver.' It's interesting how truth is altered by legend, when it's not the metal silver that kills werewolves, but the people who bear its name. You have a code, don't you? 'We hunt those who hunt us.' I hope you don't mind that I borrow it for a while, seeing as how I'm being hunted myself."

"Don't pretend like we have the same cause!" growled Chris. He was well-informed of Jennifer's past and he had no pity for her. "I don't murder innocent people and I didn't force an innocent girl into a kill or be killed situation."

"That's why they call it a sacrifice," hissed Jennifer. "As for Kali, she deserved what I did to her. She betrayed me first, so I responded in kind. And as for the sacrifices, I wish it worked another way, but it doesn't. Think about what I'm doing, Chris. I'm making this town, this world, safer from creatures like her daughters." Jennifer cast a spiteful glare at Melissa. "You protect humans from werewolves. How is what I'm doing any different?"

"I know where to draw the line," said Chris, coldly. "And I don't take vengeance. You know nothing about honor or protecting lives. You're just as evil as some of the things I've hunted. What Kali does to you, you deserve it."

Jennifer looked at him coldly as she rose up. "We'll see about that." She then left the room and Chris resumed his search through his sleeves for something that could be used to help them.

"If you're trying to escape, don't both. Melissa and I have been trying the same thing for hours. We can't break free," said Sheriff Stilinski.

"It's not the first time I've been tied up, like this," said Chris. And it wouldn't be the last, but breaking free wasn't what he was trying to do. "But it's not what I'm doing. Got it!" Chris's face lit up when he managed to procure the device from his sleeve.

Melissa looked puzzled. "What's that?"

"It's an ultrasonic emitter. It's a smaller version of what we use to corral werewolves. It makes a noise only they can hear. Usually, it's used to push them away, but hopefully it'll draw the ones in Artemis's pack near," explained Chris.

He switched it on and then they waited.

XXX

When Artemis finally got to school, it was almost noon and she wasn't in a good moon. She was stressed and feeling panicked. And considering all the turmoil in her life, it was no wonder.

Jennifer had two out of three guardians, Chris was likely going to be the third one, Jennifer and her hostages were missing, Derek was dying and Artemis couldn't be with him because she had to protect their pack like he would want her to, Deucalion was still out there with plans for Artemis, and then there was the problems that came with Artemis's father being back in town.

"Arty? Arty, hey!" said Stiles, snapping her out of her thoughts. He'd come up to her to talk, but hadn't gotten her attention until now. "What's up? I've been trying to reach you all morning."

Artemis winced as she checked her phone, which had been off just a minute ago and saw that numerous messages had been left. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to be out of reach. I just…" she sighed. "My father's here. We had a little talk at the hospital."

Stiles winced. "Yikes. That's not good," he said. He was well aware of the kind of man Artemis's father was. Stiles often wondered how such a world-class jerk was related to his best friend. "Was it a talk or a yelling match?"

"Talk on his part, yelling on mine. I didn't wolf out, but I definitely lost my temper with him," admitted Artemis. She really didn't want to go into her reunion with her father. "It doesn't matter right now. We've got bigger things to worry about than him. Did you find out anything?"

"Yeah. We think we might've found a location, so Chris went with Isaac and Alison to check it out. They—hang on." Stiles' phone vibrated, signaling a text message. When Stiles checked it, he paled and looked upset.

Artemis frowned in worry when she heard Stiles' heartbeat quicken with fear and she smelled the fear scent emitting from him. "Stiles, what's happened?"

"It…it's from Isaac. Jennifer took Chris," said Stiles, looking shaken as he pocketed his phone. "Jennifer's got all three."

Stiles then began shaking and hyperventilating.

Crap. Artemis knew what was happening. Stiles was having a panic attack and judging by the looks of it, it was going to be a very bad one.

Quickly, Artemis grabbed Stiles' hand and dragged him into the thankfully empty locker room, after getting Stiles seated on the floor; Artemis grabbed her bottle of panic away pills from her pocket. (Artemis kept a bottle on hand in case of emergencies like this) She opened it, broke a pill in half and managed to get to Stiles to swallow it with some water.

"Stiles, look at me! Look at me!" said Artemis, as she held Stiles' face in her hands. The pill took time to take effect, which was why Stiles was still panicking. "It's going to be okay, Stiles. Just breathe. I'm here and I won't leave you. Just breathe."

Stiles's breathing began to slow down, but he didn't cease panicking. He wrapped his arm around Artemis and held her so tight, she almost couldn't breathe. But Artemis wasn't complaining. She just returned the embrace as she tried to help him. Stiles had stuck by her side throughout all the insanity that was their lives and had saved her at the Motel Glen Capri. Helping her brother in all but blood with a panic attack was the least she could do for Stiles.

"It's okay, Stiles. It's okay," murmured Artemis, as she rubbed soothing circles on his back and rocked him in her arms. "I'm here. I won't leave, I promise."

After a few more moments, the pill took effect and Stiles pulled away. He'd calmed down and was giving Artemis grateful looks.

"Thanks," said Stiles, softly. "I needed that."

Artemis smiled as she helped him stand up. "Anytime."

Just then, the door swung open and Jackson and Lydia came into the locker room and were followed by Isaac, Alison, Boyd and Erica. Lydia was holding her notebook in her hands and she looked almost excited.

"Guys, we think we found something," said Jackson. "Tell them."

"Tell us what?" asked Artemis.

"Miss Blake said I'm a banshee and that's how I keep sensing death. I think I finally figured out something. Ever since this all started, I've been drawing the same tree over and over again," said Lydia. "Take a look. Whenever I draw this, I feel like something's going to happen there. It can't be a coincidence."

Artemis took the notebook and flipped through the pages. Lydia was right. Every single tree drawing was exactly the same. Artemis then frowned.

"Wait, this isn't a tree." She flipped the notebook upside down and then they all saw it. "This is the root cellar. It's the Nemeton."

Stiles looked flabbergasted. "That's where Derek took Paige to die."

"And since it's a sacred place for druids and blood gives the Nemeton power, I'll bet that's where Jennifer took the guardians," said Artemis.

"So, how do we find it?" asked Boyd.

"Derek took me there last time he visited. I remember where it is," said Artemis. "Does anyone have a map?"

Erica had one in her bag for her geography class. She took it out and unfolded it onto the locker room floor. Artemis then took out a pen from her bag and marked the route to the Nemeton on the map.

"The Nemeton's right here. It's not far from where Peter turned me. You can't miss it. It's a huge tree stump and the root cellar door will be right behind it," said Artemis. "But knowing Jennifer, she'll probably it booby-trapped, so we'll have to be careful."

"That goes without saying," said Erica.

Just then, Artemis's cell phone went off. She answered it and heard Cora's voice.

"Artemis, you need to get over here now. We've got a problem. It's Kali," said Cora.

Artemis's heart skipped a beat in worry. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure. She just came over and claims she's found a way to save Derek. She and Peter are blocking me out and what little I can hear doesn't sound good. I think she's going to do something drastic," said Cora.

"I'm on my way," said Artemis. She hung up. "I need to get to Derek's. Kali's in trouble and she might need my help."

Without waiting for a reply, Artemis took off for Derek's apartment and was followed by Stiles and the pack. When she got to Derek's bedroom, she heard Kali's painful cry and saw her eyes turn from searing red to bright blue.

"KALI!" yelled Artemis, as she ran to her sister's side.

But Kali just collapsed in Artemis's arms. She was out cold and it worried Artemis.

What had Kali done?

XXX

Meanwhile, Derek was lying in his bed at his apartment.

Derek was no longer vomiting, but his condition hadn't improved. If anything, he was getting worse. His skin was on fire, his breathing was labored and he was completely unconscious. Cora and the other Betas had tended to him with the utmost care until Cora asked to be left alone with her brother and promised to call them if Derek's condition worsened or improved. Out of respect for their Alpha's sister, the Betas had obeyed but there was great reluctance in their departure.

Cora wiped her brother's fevered brow with a cold, damp rag for a few moments before she began taking away his pain just as Derek had taught her. It wasn't long before Derek's pained breathing began to even out. He wasn't out of the woods, but she had made him feel a little better.

Cora then rose up and went to get another blanket out of Derek's closet. She'd just pulled one out when she saw a small black velvet box nestled in between the blankets. Cora dropped the blanket she was holding and took the box out to examine it.

Tears came to her eyes when she saw what was inside the box: an engagement ring that was clearly meant for Artemis. Cora's heart broke at the idea of Derek dying before he got the chance to propose to the one he loved.

"Cora, I—what's wrong?" asked Peter. He'd just entered the room and saw that her back was to him, but she was shaking with sobs.

Cora turned to face him and showed him the ring box. "Did you know Derek was planning to propose to Artemis?" she choked out.

"No, but I'm not surprised," admitted Peter. He wasn't blind when it came to Artemis and Derek's relationship. His face softened at the tears on his niece's face and he held out his arms for her. "Come here."

Despite not liking or trusting her uncle, Cora accepted Peter's offer as she needed to be held and she needed a shoulder to cry on for a minute. She returned the ring box to where she'd found it and then allowed Peter to hold her tight.

Peter wrapped his arms around Cora as she buried her face in his chest. He rubbed soothing circles on her back as she cried.

A knock on the door caused them to break apart. They turned around to see Kali standing in the doorway.

"We really need to get better locks on the door," muttered Peter.

"What're you doing here, Kali?" asked Cora, ignoring Peter.

Kali folded her arms across her chest. "I'm here because I think I can save Derek."

Peter and Cora stared at Kali in disbelief.

"You can save him? How?" demanded Cora. If this was true, why hadn't Kali even tried to save Derek's life at the hospital or said anything before? "I thought Jennifer was the only one who could save Derek."

"She lied. After what happened at the hospital, I went back home and looked over my old Alpha's journals. Luna knew of a way for Alphas to save their pack mates from the brink of death. She hadn't done it herself, but she'd witnessed it herself and knew how it was done," said Kali.

Peter's eyes widened as he caught on. "Wait, are you telling me that old method actually works? I thought it was just a rumor."

"What was a rumor?" demanded Cora. She hated being left out of the loop like this. What were they talking about? Didn't they think Cora had a right to know what might be able to save Derek? Cora was his sister, for heaven's sake!

Peter sighed as he rubbed the space in between his eyes and before he spoke to Cora. "Cora, I need to have a chat with Kali, alone."

Cora looked furious. "Like heck. I'm not—"

"Now!" snarled Kali, as her eyes flashed their Alpha red.

Cora took the hint and left, but as soon as she was out of the room, she made a call to Artemis's cell phone.

As soon as Cora had left, Peter turned to Kali. "So, it's definitely true?"

Kali nodded. "It's something only an Alpha can do, but yes."

"With good reason," said Peter, sternly. "Do you know what you'll be sacrificing if you go through with this? How do you know it's within your right as an Alpha to do this?"

"I'm aware of the price I'll have to pay to save Derek's life. But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make," said Kali. "Normal wolves never abandon an injured member of their pack. They care for it, give it food, comfort and assist in its healing process both physically and emotionally. I may not have sired Derek, but he is my sister's mate and by family right, he's part of my pack which gives me the right to do what must be done."

Kali had gone through every possible scenario and outcome when she'd discovered how to save her sister's mate. The price she was going to pay was a heavy one, but Kali knew what would happen if she didn't go through with it. Artemis would lose Derek and would probably die with him. Kali might not have liked Derek very much, but she couldn't deny the good he'd done for Artemis and nor could she deny the depth of Artemis and Derek's love for each other. Kali refused to watch her sister endure the grief and agony that would come from losing Derek if he died.

"You sure about that? Think about it," said Peter. "It's that spark of power that makes you an Alpha that'll allow you to do this. When you take Derek's pain, he draws on your power that provides you with those special gifts that heighten your senses and your strength, the power that transforms your body. As an Alpha, you have that bit of extra, that spark that intensifies the color of your eyes from their cold blue into a searing red. Do you understand? If you go through with this, you'll no longer be an Alpha. You'll be a Beta again."

Kali bit back her anger at being lectured like a child and glared at Peter. "I don't care," she hissed. "I'm doing this for Artemis. I know I've made a lot of mistakes and I have a lot to make up for. This is one of the ways I can do that. I lost Ennis, my mate, the only one I'll ever truly love like that in my entire life. I wouldn't wish that kind of grief on anyone, especially not my only sister. If Derek's going to survive, I have to help him."

Peter let out an exasperated noise. He understood Kali's need to sacrifice everything for the sake of her family, and part of him wanted this to happen so that Derek could survive and he wouldn't have to worry about a powerful Alpha after him anymore, but another part of him feared the outcome of the battle with Jennifer if Kali wasn't a powerful Alpha anymore.

"Did it never occur to you that maybe this is what Jennifer wants?" he hissed. "Maybe this was what she intended to have happen at the hospital. She would've known you'd be willing to do anything to save Derek because you love your sister, including sacrificing your power as an Alpha. You really think you can fight her on the battlefield as a Beta and survive? How can you protect Artemis from Jennifer or the Alpha pack that way?"

"I don't care!" snarled Kali. She sat down on Derek's bed and took Derek's hand in hers. He was fading fast and wouldn't last much longer unless Kali did what she'd come to do. "I protected Artemis before I was an Alpha and I can do it again. And if helping Artemis means giving up my Alpha status to save the one she loves, then so be it."

Kali never thought she'd be making such a sacrifice, as she had loved being an Alpha, but being back with Artemis had changed her in ways she hadn't thought possible. Kali would do anything for Artemis, even if it meant giving up her own life. If Kali's life was the price to be paid for Derek's, then Kali could rest in peace knowing that he'd be there to protect and love Artemis when Kali couldn't. And maybe by doing this, Kali could start to redeem herself for all the pain she'd caused.

Kali tightly grasped Derek's hand in hers and then she let out a roar of pain as black veins appeared on her hands and arms and her eyes changed from red to blue.

Kali then passed out when the door opened and she heard Artemis's frantic voice call out her name.