CHAPTER NINE

A week went by without any sound or sighting of the other pack, but still Magda was constantly accompanied by one of the pack. More likely than not it would be either Isaac or Aiden with her, but sometimes it was Derek, Cora, Scott, and even Alison and Lydia, though the latter had taken some persuading as well.

"You're human."

"We all know that I'm… something," Lydia argued at lunch. For safety purposes, Cora and Magda had agreed to sitting with Scott and his pack during lunches. "But definitely not human. And I can defend myself!"

"No offense, Lydia, but you're tiny," Scott pointed out.

"I'm bigger than Magda," Lydia pointed out. "And smarter." She turned to Magda. "No offense."

"None taken," Magda smiled. "And I don't see what the problem is with having Lydia be my accompaniment. I kick ass. She kicks ass. What's the big deal?"

"Lydia could get hurt," Stiles said.

"I could beat your ass, Stiles, and you know it," Lydia said, eyes narrowed. "Magda is my friend too. And I want to help protect her."

"You have no training," Alison added.

"Actually…" Magda smiled, looking at the redhead.

"Actually I do have training," Lydia said matter-of-factly. "Ever since the dance, I've been training with Magda, Cora, Derek, and Isaac."

"It's true," Cora piped up. "Red can hold her own. She's a quick learner."

"I know I'm no werewolf," Lydia said more calmly, "But I'm not completely useless."

"Why didn't you tell us you wanted to learn to fight?" Alison asked Lydia.

"I didn't want to seem like I was imposing," Lydia said. "You're all busy with your werewolf and hunter things. Magda offered, and she trains practically every day anyway."

"Thank you for teaching her," Alison told Magda. She turned back to Lydia. "I can give you more training with weapons if you'd like. Us humans need a bit of extra help sometimes."

Lydia smiled. "I'd like that, Alison." She glanced at Magda. "Could Magda join us too?"

"Yeah, sure," Alison said, shrugging her shoulders and smiling at the smaller werewolf.

"Okay, fine," Scott said. "Lydia can be authorized to escort Magda around. It's been a while and we haven't heard much from the other pack. Maybe they've given up."

"Doubtful," Aiden commented.

"Goodie," Lydia said. "I know you must be feeling so trapped, so we can totes go shopping after school!"

"So, shopping isn't the only reason I wanted to get you alone," Lydia said as they browsed through the clothing racks. "I wanted to talk to you about Aiden."

"I'm so sorry I haven't had the chance to talk to you about him, earlier," Magda said quickly. "I know you and him had a thing before and…"

Lydia held up a hand to stop her. "Don't worry about that. Aiden was… a fun distraction. I'm more worried about you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… I know vaguely of your troubled past, and then that dickbag from the school dance… I know you don't have a good track record with boys. And from what I know of Aiden, I just worry that he might… not be good for you."

"You sound like Isaac," Magda laughed. "Overly protective and completely distrustful of Aiden."

"And since you bring him up," Lydia said slyly. "I thought you were secretly but totally into Isaac."

"It's complicated," Magda said after a moment. "I like Isaac, but he isn't making any moves even though everyone seems to know I like him. So Aiden and I are just having some mutual fun to make him a little jealous."

Lydia tilted her head and thought about it, paying for her clothes at the register. "Hm. It could work actually. But like I said, just be wary of Aiden."

"I know. Aiden's not the same guy he used to be. He knows my past, he knows my feelings for Isaac, and is completely respectful of it all."

"Hm," Lydia said as the headed out to the parking lot. "Maybe Aiden needed another werewolf like you who actually gets him to knock him down a peg."

"Hey, we're not in a relationship… just dating," Magda smiled.

Just as they arrived at Lydia's car, a blur ran past them, knocking Lydia down on the ground. Magda was instantly on alert, though she knelt down next to the redhead.

Lydia was holding her arm. She was bleeding.

Suddenly, a young man appeared before them, a smirk on his lips.

"Don't worry, bitch," he spat at Magda. "We're not here to kill her, or you. She's a warning. Next week is the next full moon. You have until then to surrender yourself to us and we'll stop hurting your friends. Refuse us, and we start killing. Maybe we'll start off with your little human friend here. Maybe that other female wolf you're always around. Or maybe we'll start at the top with your pseudo-alpha. The one who calls you 'little pup.' Or maybe, just maybe we'll hit you where it hurts the most and kill off one of your two precious boyfriends. Do tell, which one has more of your heart? The rest of us have a little betting pool on which death would hurt you most."

"Don't you dare come near any of my friends," Magda growled, trying to contain her rage and tears. "Or I will kill you myself."

"Big words from a little pup," he sneered. "Just remember. Full moon. You'll hear our call. Join us or watch your friends die." And before Magda could comment back, he was gone.

Magda was instantly at Lydia's side again.

"Lydia, are you alright?" Magda asked. She took the redhead's hand, taking some of the pain from her.

"It just hurts a bit," Lydia said through gritted teeth. "I don't think he hit anything major."

"We have got to get you to Derek, now," Magda said, as she took off her cardigan and wrapped it around Lydia's wound.

Magda hesitantly got into the drivers seat of Lydia's car and drove as fast as she dared to the loft.

"Derek!" she called as she entered the loft, supporting Lydia. She cringed as she thought how this was the second time she had to carry an injured friend into her home. Another friend who was hurt because of her.

"Magda, what's wrong?" Isaac said as she helped carry Lydia to the dining room. Derek quickly joined them.

"We were attacked by the pack," Magda said. "Lydia is hurt."

Cora appeared with a first aid kit as Derek was looking over Lydia's wound.

"It's not as bad as you think," Lydia defended. "Magda is overreacting just a tad."

"I'm not overreacting!" Magda yelled. "You got hurt. Because of me."

"Because of them," Lydia corrected calmly.

"Lydia's right," Derek said after a moment. "Just a flesh wound. Missed anything major. Since you're not a werewolf, it won't heal as quickly, or as nicely. You'll have a scar. But I can clean it up, put some antibiotic on it and wrap it."

"Thank you," Lydia said gratefully. "And it's actually kind of cool. My first battle scar."

"How many attacked you? Why aren't you hurt at all?" Isaac asked, worried looking over Magda for any hidden injuries.

"Just one," Magda said. "And I'm fine. He didn't hurt me."

"Did he say anything?"

"Nothing," Magda said, looking at the ground.

"Don't lie to them, Magda," Lydia said. "My arm was injured, not my hearing. He was giving her a warning. Me. They want her to surrender herself to them by the next full moon. If she doesn't, they plan to start killing."

Magda looked away, her face stony.

"You can't be thinking about actually giving in, are you?" Cora asked.

"They threatened to kill you. Lydia. Derek. Aiden. Isaac. Everyone," she said in a low voice.

"It's a threat! You can't actually think about giving in," Isaac exclaimed.

"Can't I?" Magda yelled back, tears in her eyes. "First Aiden, now Lydia. They were warnings. They plan to kill next time. I can't handle that on my conscience, not after all everyone has done for me. What if it's Derek next? Aiden again? What if it's you, Isaac? I can't let them hurt another one of you. I won't."

With tears in her eyes she ran off into her and Cora's room.

After Derek took Lydia home, Derek, Cora, and Isaac decided to let Magda have some time to cool off in her room. When they told her dinner was ready, she ignored them. Even when Cora went in for bed, Magda didn't say a word. She didn't emerge from her room until after Cora was asleep.

"I was wondering when you'd come out and join me," Isaac commented as Magda tiptoed her way to his bed. Magda didn't say a word as she curled up against him.

"Still giving me the silent treatment?" he asked.

"What if you were in my shoes, Isaac?" she said quietly. "What if they were after you, and they threatened Scott? Derek? Me? What would you do?"

"I would fight tooth and nail," Isaac said immediately. "We all would."

"They outnumber us, Isaac," she said. "They know everything about us, but we know nothing about them. How many there are. What weapons they have."

"You just have to believe in our pack," Isaac said.

"Your pack," she corrected. Isaac just squeezed her tighter. "I'm an omega. I don't belong anywhere. Maybe with Aiden and Ethan, since they're omegas too. But I'm not part of your pack."

"Please just have faith in us. We're not going to let you go without a fight."

"Don't you get it?" she asked in a soft voice. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Early the next morning, Isaac woke up with a headache and a stuffy, painful nose. When he reached to touch his nose, there was blood.

Isaac instantly stood up, woozy, and noticed that Magda was nowhere to be seen.

"Derek! Cora! Wake up… now!" he called.

The Hales, though groggy from sleep, were on their feet instantly.

"Something happened… Magda's gone," Isaac said, panic lacing his voice.

"What?" Derek asked. "Did they come and kidnap her in the night? Why didn't any of us wake up?"

"Because it wasn't the other pack," Cora said as she stood at the kitchen table. She held a piece of paper. "They didn't kidnap Magda. She left."

"What?!" Isaac exclaimed.

"She left us a note. She said she had no choice. That she was trying to protect us," Cora paraphrased, reading the note. "Oh, and she says sorry about your nose, Isaac. Said if she didn't, you would've woken up and tried to stop her."

"Why would she do something like this? I was just telling her last night to have faith in us," Isaac muttered.

"Because she feels like she owes us," Derek said softly. "She thinks she's sacrificing herself to keep the rest of us safe."

"But they have hunters' weapons," Cora said. "They can't really mean to just take her and leave. They must have some kind of ulterior motive."

"I'll call Scott," Derek said immediately, walking away for some privacy.

"I'll call Aiden," Cora said. Isaac shot her a look. "What? Get over your jealousy and put your big boy pants on. You know he'd want to know and you know he'd be an asset in getting her back. Man up, Lahey."

Magda struggled against the ropes that bound above her head, hanging from a tree branch in a small clearing in the woods, but it only burned her skin. As soon as she found the pack, they had attacked and subdued her, restraining her.

"Careful there little one," the Alpha said. "Wolfsbane laced rope."

"I surrendered myself to you," Magda spat, tasting blood. "Take me and leave this town. You promised you wouldn't hurt anyone."

"Did I?" the Alpha said in mock surprise. "My lackey must have delivered the message incorrectly."

"You have me," Magda cried. "What else do you want?"

"You really think you were our main goal in this?" he laughed. "A pathetic little omega who nearly died from the bite? You flatter yourself."

"Then what are you doing in Beacon Hills?" Magda asked, feeling her face turn red with shame for having fallen for their trick.

"To kill the true alpha of course," he said simply. "Isn't it obvious? You're just the bait, little one."

"I'm not even a part of his pack," Magda said. "He won't come to rescue me."

"You underestimate how much your friends value you," he continued. "You might not be in his pack, but some of those in his pack have seemed to grown a strong fondness for you. The Hales. Lahey. Even one of those pathetic former alpha twins."

Magda growled at the mention of Isaac and Aiden.

"You won't hurt them," Magda vowed. "Any of them. I'll stop you before you get the chance."

The Alpha kicked Magda in the face, and darkness overcame her.

Within the hour, Scott, Stiles, Alison, Lydia, Aiden, and Ethan were assembled in the Hale loft.

"So Magda left in the middle of the night to join the pack, thinking she was protecting us," Derek told the group.

"How did she get away without any of you noticing?" Aiden immediately blamed. "Lahey, you should have kept a better watch on her, I know she sleeps in your bed."

"You don't think I know that?" Isaac asked, frustrated.

"Give it a break," Cora said, intervening. "Magda knocked him out while he was asleep. Now calm down and focus on the plan before I knock you out as well."

"There must be some other reason that the pack is here," Alison said. "They wouldn't have come all this way and gone through all this trouble just to get Magda, would they? She's just one werewolf."

"They were watching us," Lydia said. "All of us. They knew who we were, and our relationship to Magda. The entire pack. Maybe they're not just after Magda, but all of us."

"It doesn't matter who they're after," Aiden said. "How do we get Magda back?"

"They can't be too far," Derek said. "Especially if they've been watching us. Isaac, Aiden, you guys probably know her scent the best out of all of us, could you guys track her by scent alone?"

"Definitely," Isaac answered.

"Of course," Aiden said at the same time. They two glared at each other.

"Alright, we'll meet back here in an hour with supplies," Scott ordered, giving looks to both Isaac and Aiden. "Alison, bring as many weapons as you can for Stiles and yourself. Lydia, maybe you should sit this one out since you were just injured yesterday."

"One arm," Lydia said. "I can still shoot a gun. I mean, how hard can it be?"

"Fine," Derek said before an argument could break out. "One hour. Let's hope they didn't plan on leaving soon."

"They're not coming," Magda struggled to say as she regained consciousness. The Alpha and a few of the others were nearby, on guard. She counted ten in total. Even if her friends did come, they'd be outnumbered. "Just take me, or kill me, whatever, but then leave."

"Shut up, bitch," one of the betas spat at her.

"I'll do whatever you want," Magda begged. "Please. Just please leave them alone."

"You're pathetic. Do you want me to knock you out again?" the Alpha threatened. Magda kept her mouth shut.

"Patience, little one," the Alpha continued, "Don't you want to see your friends again? Your boyfriends? I'm sure they'd love to see you one last time before I kill them."

Magda felt the rage boil within her, but she bit her tongue. If they did come for her, she needed to be conscious so she could help them fight.

"Looks like I struck a nerve," the Alpha laughed.

Another member of the pack approached the Alpha.

"There are a group of them coming," she told him. She was no older than Magda.

"Here that, little one?" the Alpha asked Magda tauntingly. "Your friends have come to save you. Now are you ready to watch them die?"

And here's another chapter! The next chapter is taking me a while to crank out, so it may be a while before I can get another update out. But please leave me a review and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Teen Wolf, Jeff Davis does. All I own is Magda and my own imagination.