HARSHER THAN THE BARK
Enjoy!
Stiles' eyes widened as he stared into the elevator. Scarlett and Jennifer were gone and Derek was unconscious, maybe even dead, on the floor.
He ran into the shaft and fell to his knees next to Derek. Stiles put his ear to Derek's chest. His heart was still beating. He was just unconscious. So all Stiles had to do was wake him up. Fast. Fast enough for them to get out of there and find Scarlett and Jennifer and Melissa and his own father and stop Scott from really joining Deucalion's pack. Before it was too late.
As Stiles raised his hand to slap Derek back to consciousness he reminded himself that he knew trusting Jennifer was a horrendous idea. They all should've known she was going to screw them over. He had had a bad feeling about all of this as soon as she so willingly agreed to help them. All Stiles wanted was for his father and Scott to be back with his friends rather than off with the Alpha pack. He wanted everyone he loved to be safe. He wanted to find them. And to do that, Derek had to wake up.
Again, Stiles' palm connected with Derek's face but still nothing. He tried again and again but to no avail.
"Derek!" Stiles shouted, shaking Derek's shoulders. "Come on!" He raised his hand again and paused, turning his open palm into a fist. It reminded him of when Derek had been shot by a wolfsbane bullet and Scarlett had to punch him to bring him back to consciousness. It worked then so why wouldn't it work now? Besides, it's what Scarlett would do.
Stiles began to throw the punch but almost immediately Derek's hand shot up to grab Stiles' wrist, centimetres from his face.
Derek looked around, confused, realising that he and Stiles were the only two people in the elevator shaft and the service hatch above them was wide open.
"Where is she?" Derek asked, his voice coarse.
Stiles already knew he didn't mean Jennifer. He gave Derek a grim look. "She's gone. They both are. Along with Melissa."
"She took them?" Derek asked, already knowing the obvious answer.
"Yes. And if that's not enough of a kick in the balls," Stiles panted from all the running and hitting he'd been doing. "Scott left with Deucalion. Okay? So we need to get you out of here. The police are coming right now so we need to get you the hell out of here." Stiles tried to help Derek to his feet but Derek paused.
"What about Cora?" He asked, his eyes full of worry.
"She's with Peter and Isaac. They're outside of the hospital so you should go get them." Stiles informed him, yanking him to his feet so that Derek could get out before the police showed up.
Derek pulled up to the group that consisted of the Isaac, Chris Argent, Allison and an unconscious Cora. He got out of the car without saying a word and took Cora from the Argent's car, bringing her back to his.
"Where's Scott and Stiles and Scarlett?" Allison asked, her face covered with concern.
"Stiles is still in the hospital. He's going to hold the police off for us. So we need to leave now." Derek said shortly.
"What about Melissa?" Chris asked.
"Jennifer took Melissa." Derek said, closing the back door of his car. He screwed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "She took Scarlett too."
Everyone stood wide-eyed. Not sure what to say.
"What about Scott?" Allison pressed. Derek said nothing, he just walked around his car to get to the driver's side. "Derek! Where's Scott?"
Derek sighed and turn to face a frantic Allison. "He left. With Deucalion."
"She's dying, isn't she?" Isaac asked as he stood over Cora, who was lying on the bed struggling to breathe. Derek sat next to her with a worried expression.
"I don't know." Derek answered.
"Well what're you going to do?" Isaac pressed on.
"I don't know." Came the same reply from Derek.
Isaac ran a hand through his hair, feeling the stress of Derek just sitting there while people's lives, people who he cared about, were in danger. "Well, do you wanna figure something out? Because while Scott and Stiles and Scarlett were out trying to stop people from being killed you were in here, rolling around the sheets with the actual killer. Do you get how many people she's killed? Erica and Boyd are dead. Cora is dying. Scarlett's about to be next and you are doing nothing!" Isaac shouted. He shook his head, his voice cracking. "Why'd you do this to us, Derek? To her?" Derek felt a tug at his heart. He knew Isaac meant Scarlett. "Was it all about the power? Were you bored? Were you lonely? Were you really that miserable that she left you? Why didn't you fight for her? Go out and try to do something worthwhile like getting her back? Instead of staying in here and burying your sorrows in a murderer."
"I don't know." Isaac's blood boiled at Derek's useless reply. He walked away from him. "I told Cora I wouldn't leave. I'll help the others when I find out how to help her."
"There's no time!" Isaac screamed as he turned around. "The full moon's coming. The Sheriff and Melissa are going to be dead. And Scarlett will be too if she isn't already. So I'm going to try help them. You can sit here and perfect the art of doing nothing." With that Isaac left the loft.
"I wouldn't take it personally." Peter said as he walked down the spiral staircase where he had been perched, listening to Isaac's outburst. "Anger is just a tool. He's using it to excuse the shifting of allegiance. From one Alpha to another. From you to Scott."
"Scott's not an Alpha yet." Derek reminded him.
"But he's well on his way, isn't he?"
Derek said nothing, he just moved to sit on the bed so that he could hold Cora's hand and ease the pain she felt by taking it into his own veins. Cora gasped, her breathing seemed to come easier but her eyes never opened. Derek's face scrunched up with pain and he let go when it was too much, leaving Cora to fall back into her haggard breathing.
"Careful." Peter warned.
"I know. Too much could end up killing me," Derek said.
Peter's eyes narrowed. "That's not exactly what I meant."
"What do you mean?" Derek asked, finally turning to Peter.
"I've heard it's something only an Alpha can do." Peter explained. "And with good reason."
"What is it?" Derek queried, standing and gazing helplessly at his helpless little sister.
"You know normal wolves never leave behind an injured member of the pack. They care for it, bring it food from a kill. They regurgitate it into the mouth of the injured wolf. They even give it physical and emotional comfort by intensely grooming it. In a way, they can do more than just ease the pain. They can be instrumental in healing their own." Derek walked forward as Peter went on and on with another story that would eventually build up to a way that Cora could be saved. That was the part Derek wanted to hear.
"If you're trying to tell me that I can save her, just tell me." Derek said.
"I'm telling you that I've heard it's possible." Peter countered.
"How?" Derek pressed.
"It's that spark of power that makes you an Alpha. When you take her pain, she draws on the power that provides you with those special gifts. The power that heightens your senses, gives you strength, the power that transforms your body. As an Alpha, you have that bit of extra power. That spark. It intensifies the colour of your eyes from a bright yellow into a searing red."
"If I can save her-"
"If." Peter cut him off with a grim look. "If… I didn't say it works every time. It could just as easily kill you."
"How do I do it?" Derek asked. He didn't care about the consequences as long as Cora was alive. "By taking her pain?"
"And then some." Peter informed him. "Because there's a cost."
Derek turned and began walking towards Cora but Peter put an arm out to stop him. "I can understand you not seeing a downside to this as you haven't exactly been Alpha of the year but think about what else you'll be losing."
"I don't care about power. Not anymore." It was true. The power of being an Alpha didn't appeal to Derek the same way it had before. It had only caused hurt and grief to the him and the people around him. Why would he want any more of that? All he cared about now was saving Cora and helping to save everyone else. To save Scarlett. He had tried not to think of it too much as he knew his main concern was Cora but how could he not? Scarlett's life was in danger. Real danger. For all he knew, she could be dead by now. But he didn't want that to be the case. God, he prayed that wasn't the case. They had to find her. He had to find her. Save her. There was no way in hell she was dying and certainly not because of the idiotic mistakes he had made.
"What about the power to fight back?" Peter asked, incredulous. "Correct me if I'm wrong but Kali's ultimatum still stands. The full moon is tomorrow night and if you couldn't beat her as an Alpha, how do you think you're going to fair as a Beta?"
Derek had forgotten about that. His mind had been preoccupied by everyone he knew and loved dying around him. "I don't care."
"What if this is exactly what Jennifer was hoping for? She would know that only way for you to save Cora would be giving up your power. Maybe that's what she was going to have you do at the hospital." Peter explained his theory.
"Why?" Derek asked.
"So that you wouldn't be able to face the Alphas without her." Peter answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which, in this case, it kind of was. "She wants you to come to her. It's all part of her little seduction and she is still seducing you. She needs you on her side."
The door of the root cellar flew open. The three already there watched as Jennifer dragged an unconscious Chris Agrent down the steps before tying him up to the support beam next to Scarlett. Scarlett shook her head. Jennifer had three guardians now. Who knew how long it would be until she sacrificed them and did God knows what to Scarlett. Scarlett knew she wasn't a sacrifice. She guessed Jennifer was going to kill her because she had been a severe pain in the ass.
When Jennifer had dragged Melissa and Scarlett into the root cellar, Sheriff Stilinski was already there. Tied up and looking hopeless. It didn't take the McCalls long to wake up. But when they did Melissa was freaking out. Not for her own safety or life but for that of her daughter's. Scarlett had told her there was nothing to worry about. That Scott would find them and they would all be saved. Although, none of them believed it. After a while, they had accepted their fates and stopped struggling to get free. The prayer that Scott and company would save them had become a distant ghost in the back of their minds. All they could do now was wait. Wait for the end to come.
Argent woke with a gasp. Scarlett, Melissa and Stilinski all looked at him. "It's Chris, right?" Melissa asked. Argent nodded before looking around and laughing without humour.
"Is it just me or has someone been here before?" The Sheriff asked.
Argent shook his head. "Years ago." He began to struggle, trying to reach something.
"I hate to break it to you," Scarlett said, licking her cracked lips, her voice was coarse and raspy from being cooped up in this hot room without any water. Not to mention she had been shouting for help for well over an hour and then at Jennifer for doing this to them. "But we watched her take the knife from your boot."
Argent pursed his lips but began trying to reach something else. "And the knife in your sleeve." Melissa said.
"And the switchblade in your other sleeve." Stilinski informed him, making Argent sigh.
"And the Taser from your pocket." They all looked up as Jennifer spoke, the light from outside pouring in as she opened the doors to the cellar, making Scarlett turn away. Her eyes had become accustomed to the darkness so the light just burned. Jennifer began walking down the stairs and Scarlett rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe she was going to die at the hands of her teacher. "Argent…the French word for silver." Jennifer walked off the last step and walked around the beam to squat down next to Argent. She brought a towel up to his head in an attempt to clean the blood that was dripping from the wound she had caused when she knocked him out but he pulled away. Jennifer grabbed his chin. "Ah ah ah…it's interesting, how truth becomes altered by legend and when it's not actually the metal silver that kills werewolves but the family. What's the Argent code again? 'We hunt those who hunt us?' I hope you don't mind if I borrow it for a little while as I've been hunted myself."
"Don't pretend like we're the same cause." Argent snapped. "I don't kill innocent people."
"That's why they call it a sacrifice." Jennifer retorted. "And I wish it worked another way. But think about what you're doing. You are making this town, this world even, safer for your children…Well," Jennifer turned around to look at Melissa. "Most of them."
"Oh please," Scarlett rolled her eyes. "No one tries harder, to make the people of this town safe, than Scott."
Jennifer's head snapped to Scarlett. "Is that what you think? Well, I guess you're right about one thing. He does try. But tell me, Scarlett, how many lives has he actually saved? Where is he to save yours?"
"You'll get what's coming to you Jennifer. Not from me, not from Derek, but from Scott. From him, you will get what you deserve." Scarlett's words dripped with venom.
Jennifer smirked, walking over to Scarlett and kneeling beside her. "Not before you do." Scarlett spit in Jennifer's face and Jennifer's eyes went wide as she backhanded her and slashed the rope open with a knife and lifted Scarlett by her neck.
"No! Don't touch her!" Melissa screamed, struggling to get out of the ropes, as did Stilinski and Argent. Scarlett glared into Jennifer's eyes. Challenging her. She wasn't going down without a fight. "Please, please don't do this!" Melissa cried. "Don't hurt her! Please! Do what you want with me but leave my daughter alone!"
Jennifer ignored Melissa and began to drag Scarlett away. "Hey, let her go! She's just a kid!" Stilinski shouted.
"Remember what you learned, Scarlett." Argent told her, referring to the training she and Allison had went through in France.
"I'll be fine." Scarlett promised them, tears in her eyes.
"Your time will come soon enough, guardians." Jennifer smirked before throwing Scarlett through the doors of the root cellar as Melissa cried and struggled against the ropes. She couldn't let her baby die. She couldn't let that happen.
Scarlett coughed as she tried to gather the strength to stand up. "What're you gonna do?" Scarlett asked. There was no hint of fear in her voice because she wasn't scared. She was angry.
"I'm going to do what I do best." Jennifer said, walking towards her before punching Scarlett in the face, knocking her down again. She grabbed Scarlett by the throat and put her mouth to her ear. "I'm going to sacrifice you."
Jennifer lifted Scarlett up and threw her against a tree with such a force that Scarlett could have sworn she heard something crack. Jennifer walked over to Scarlett and Scarlett put her hands out to find something, anything that would give her an advantage. When her hand found a large branch she picked it up and smashed Jennifer in the side of the head, knocking her off her feet. As Jennifer struggled to get up, Scarlett had the chance to rise to her feet despite her body groaning in protest.
Scarlett jumped at Jennifer, rolling them over so that she was on top of the older woman. Scarlett put both hands around her neck and squeezed with all the strength she had, which wasn't very much. Scarlett thanked her lucky stars that she had learned how to use whatever strength she had to the best of her advantage. In France, the Argents had put her through every sort of difficult situation. They had taught her how to fight like a hunter. All she had to do was put it to good use.
Jennifer struggled against Scarlett's grip and was eventually able to throw her off. Both women were on their feet again, facing off with each other. Jennifer ran at Scarlett, tackling her before both of them tumbled over each other. Scarlett yanked Jennifer's hair, so hard that some of it actually came out. The pain made Jennifer scream and Scarlett had the chance to get out of her grip. Scarlett turned on Jennifer and threw a right-hook, the sheer force of the punch was enough to crack Jennifer's jaw.
Scarlett seized her chance to get up and run but she didn't get very far before she felt a vice-like grip around her arms and upper body. Scarlett mustered enough strength to bend forward and flip Jennifer over but just as did, she heard a sickening crack. Scarlett's eyes widened as she fell to the floor. Jennifer had managed to squeeze Scarlett's middle hard enough, when she flipped her, to crack a few of Scarlett's ribs.
Scarlett let out a blood-curdling scream as the pain hit her.
Inside the cellar, Melissa's eyes snapped up as she heard Scarlett's scream. She struggled and struggled, burning her arms and wrists, to get out of the ropes and help her daughter but it was no use. She wasn't getting out of there. Sobs racked through her entire body as she cried uncontrollably.
Scarlett struggled to breathe as she stared up at the darkening sky. Jennifer's face came into view and Scarlett felt a pressure on her leg. Jennifer pushed down on Scarlett's leg with her foot and she smirked upon hearing the satisfying crunch of her tibia. Scarlett screamed again and attempted to reach her leg but was stopped as she felt a part of her broken ribs jabbing into her lungs which caused even more pain.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Jennifer warned. "Who knows, one wrong move and your ribs could end up puncturing a lung…or your heart."
"Why are you doing this?" Scarlett choked out.
Jennifer kneeled down beside her. "Motivation." She took out a knife and made a cut across Scarlett's cheek. "You see, Derek isn't angry enough about what happened to Cora. But add you getting hurt and he will kick up the storm of a lifetime. He's already going to need me but I need him angry. Angry enough to take on the Alphas." Jennifer dragged the knife from Scarlett's eyebrow to her chin, leaving a gushing wound right down her face.
Scarlett knew she was going to die. But she couldn't help herself. She couldn't stop herself from wishing he was there, one last time, to save her. She prayed silently, chanting for his help. For her love, her saviour, her werewolf…for Derek, to come and be her hero like he always had been.
Lydia's eyes widened and she froze. Peter and Derek gave her strange looks.
"What is it?" Derek asked cautiously.
"It's Scarlett." Her voice cracked as tears welled up in her eyes.
"What about her?" Derek rushed forward, grabbing Lydia by the shoulders.
"She's dying."
"I think you underestimate how much Derek cares about you. How deep you have woven yourself into his heart." Jennifer continued. "Once he'd been with me I thought, maybe, he's moved on. But then I saw how he reacted when Aidan had his hand around your throat and I knew. He would go to any length to save you. And then it clicked for me." Jennifer let out a small laugh. "Wolves mate for life. It's quite literally impossible for him to ever let you go."
"I'm not a werewolf." Scarlett spat out.
"It doesn't matter, he is and-" Jennifer stopped. It seemed as though she had just realised something. She let out an evil laugh. "You're right. You're not a werewolf…and you would hate nothing more than to become one, right? And of course, Derek would never turn you. Unless, it saved your life."
Scarlett's eyes widened in realisation and fear. "No, no, please, just kill me." She didn't want to be a werewolf. She had never, ever wanted to be one. She would rather die than be a slave to the moon for the rest of her life.
"And let this colossal opportunity to ruin your life and Derek's pass by? Not a chance." Jennifer said slyly. "Messing with you had never been a part of my plan. I guess this is kind of part of my own personal vendetta for you getting in the way all the time."
"What're you-"
Jennifer took the knife and stabbed it into Scarlett's stomach at the same time she said, "Send my love to Derek."
"What is that?" Peter asked, looking around for the source of the dull and slow thump of a beating heart.
"What is what?" Derek growled, pacing the room, conflicted over what to do. Save Scarlett or save Cora.
Peter's eyes narrowed and Derek ignored him as he walked away. The sound led Peter to walk out the door. No one payed any attention to him as he did so. He slowly made his way down the steps and halted.
There she was. Scarlett McCall. Bloodied and beaten. Barely alive.
Peter, once again, gathered Scarlett's frail and broken body into his arms and made his way back up to the loft.
He stared at her face before looking up. "She's not dead yet."
Derek and Lydia's heads snapped towards Peter who stood at the door with Scarlett in his arms. Derek wasted no time, not letting the shock of seeing Scarlett in such bad condition get in his way, and was taking Scarlett out of Peter's arms in a matter of seconds.
"Oh my God." Lydia ran over to them, tears flowing down her face as she stared at her mangled best friend. "There's so much blood…she's bleeding." Lydia tenderly lifted Scarlett's shirt and gasped at the gushing stab wound. Derek took Scarlett over to the couch and laid her down. Lydia ran after him, giving him a towel to press against Scarlett's wound. "We have to take her to the hospital."
"Beacon Memorial is still empty. The next hospital's twenty miles outside of town. There's no way she'll last that long." Peter said grimly, standing behind Lydia and then kneeling down beside Scarlett. Derek glared as he pressed around on her deformed ribcage and she jerked in her unconscious state. "Broken ribs." He looked at her leg and didn't have to feel around to know it was broken. "Broken leg…stab wound. She'll bleed out, Derek. Or one of her ribs will end up puncturing a lung."
"How do we save her?" Derek asked, he kept his voice steady and calm, not letting his true emotions show through.
Peter looked up and stared Derek dead in the eyes. "The bite."
Derek shook his head immediately and Lydia stepped forward. "Scarlett wouldn't want that. She never wanted that."
"It's either that or she dies. The window of opportunity is closing rapidly." Peter informed them bluntly.
"I can't." Derek stared at Scarlett, her beautiful face marred by horribly cuts.
"Then let her die." Peter shrugged.
"No." Lydia protested firmly. Scarlett couldn't die. That wasn't something that was possible.
"What if it doesn't take." Derek asked, having horrible, traumatic flashbacks of holding Paige in his arms and having to kill her because the pain was too much for her to bear. He couldn't go through that again. Especially not with Scarlett. He couldn't do that to her. He couldn't kill her and he couldn't turn her.
"If you don't try then she'll die anyway, Derek." Peter stressed.
"You can't make this choice for her!" Lydia shouted.
"Well who should we ask?" Derek snapped. "A family member? In case you had forgotten, Melissa is still missing and Scott is off with the Deucalion. She has no family to make this decision for her."
"I'm more of her family than you are." Lydia sneered.
"Well make the choice." Derek said firmly.
Lydia swallowed. She knew Scarlett would be furious with her but at least she'd be alive. "I can't lose my best friend…" Lydia walked over to Scarlett and knelt down beside her. She stroked her hair that was matted with blood and dirt. "I'm sorry, Scar." Lydia placed a kiss on Scarlett's forehead and without looking away from Scarlett's face, she spoke. "Do it."
Lydia got up and walked out of the loft. She couldn't watch it happen. She couldn't be there to see the moment that would define Scarlett's fate. She would either die or she would become a supernatural creature. There was no good option here but if the bite took, which Lydia prayed to God it did, Scarlett would live.
Peter hovered for a moment. "Go." Derek said flatly, without looking up. Peter gave a curt nod and left after Lydia.
As soon as they were out of sight, Derek broke down. He cradled Scarlett in his arms and sobbed into her hair. "I'm so sorry Scarlett." His voice was muffled. "I shouldn't have let this, any of this, happen. I should have never let you get hurt. I shouldn't have made the mistakes I did. I shouldn't have just walked away without a fight…I should've fought for you Scar. And I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that it's come to this…but I can't live without you. I won't." He laid her back down and stroked her face, watching as his tears of guilt, anger and sadness dropped onto her cheeks. "You're going to hate me forever because of this. But at least you'll be alive to hate me." Derek looked down. "I wish I could trade places with you, Scar. It should be me on my death bed. Not you. You're so young and you have so much ahead of you…a future, happiness. And if it has to be a life of happiness that doesn't include me then I'll take that. I'll take that over losing you forever. You are my reason for living Scarlett. You're good, you're pure, strong, compassionate, intelligent, beautiful…you're everything I'm not and I'm going to hate myself forever for giving you the one thing you never wanted."
Derek's eyes widened when Scarlett started convulsing, her eyes shot open and she was gasping for breath rapidly but it wasn't going into her lungs. She stared at Derek as she felt the crushing pressure on her chest and could no longer take in any air. Her flailing slowed and Derek panicked as the realisation set in. She had a punctured lung. She was minutes, seconds away from dying. He had to do it now or it would be too late.
"It's okay Scar. I'm going to fix you. I'm going to make you better. I'm sorry..." He raised her arm to his mouth as his fangs came out. "I'm so sorry." Derek bit down and tears flew from his red eyes as he watched Scarlett's eyes fly open and hugged her body to his as she started convulsing wildly again.
Scarlett's life quite literally flashed before her. She saw everything from meeting Lydia and Stiles in preschool, to finding Paige's dead body, to crying for her father not to leave, to her first kiss with Jackson, to her first day of freshman year, to sleepovers and shopping with Lydia, to getting into trouble on multiple occasions with Scott and Stiles, to making it on the cheer squad, to meeting Mary, to her first time seeing Derek in the woods and then every time she had felt so nervous around him, to finding out her brother was a werewolf, to her first kiss with Derek, to her first time sleeping with Derek, to almost being shot by Kate, to watching Derek's eyes turn red for the first time, to remembering just how often she got lost in his sea-green eyes, to the jealousy she felt at seeing him kiss Erica, to standing with Derek looking in her mirror and talking about babies, to all the amazing New York memories with Derek, to meeting Rosie, to finding out about Derek and Rosie, to almost being raped, to Rosie saving her, to Derek keeping his distance, to training like hell in France, to getting her first tattoo, to screaming at Derek and then breaking up with him, to seeing Erica's dead body, to the anguish she felt at watching Derek fall to his death, to the unbearable pain she felt when she thought he was dead, to seeing Jennifer in Derek's loft, to arguing with Derek in the rain, to her car flipping, to waking up in Peter's apartment, to Peter almost kissing her, to singing in front of a massive audience, to fighting with Jennifer in the hospital, to almost kissing Derek in the hospital, to being tied up and then beaten almost to death by Jennifer. The last memory she saw before falling unconscious again was of her and Scott as kids running towards the safety and love of their mother's arms with big smiles on their innocent faces.
A/N: Okay I know I over-dramatized the bite but I thought it was better this way.