Hey lovelies. Here is another fresh chapter for you.

Chapter 31

Melanie spent the weekend alone mostly. She didn't want to deal with anybody. The drama was grating on her ever living brain, and she wasn't sure she could handle much more.

Danny wanted to tell Scott. Melanie was immediately against it and told him to keep his mouth shut or she'd rip his tongue. The empty threat was well received. He didn't say a thing to anyone. She planned on groveling for his forgiveness with popcorn later. At the moment, she had a few people she had to visit.

She turned up the volume on her stereo. The highway just went on and on. There weren't many cars out today. From time to time she passed one. It was nice to be able to speed along the asphalt. She passed through Arizona into New Mexico about an hour ago. It was only 2pm and it was eight-five degrees out. The windows were rolled down. The wind, though it was hot, felt good rolling through her ponytail. Her flip flops sat in the seat beside her.

Her phone sounded off. Glancing over at the ID screen, it was Stiles.

"Hello," she answered with a sigh, keeping one hand on the wheel.

"Where are you?" His voice squeaked with confounding alarm. She could picture him shooting his arms up in annoyance.

"On the road," she replied.

"Which is where," he asked, his voice rising in that way when he tries to inquire about things.

"Look, I'm just gone alright? I'll be back by Monday. I have to go."

"Wait! I told Derek I'd get a destination from you."

"Tell him that I went to Candyland, I don't care," she said and hung up.

Tossing her phone over beside her shoes, she took Exit 67. Two more hours and she'd be in Texas. Her stomach fluttered unpleasantly.

"Candyland!?" Derek yelled, slamming his fist down on the table.

"Hey hey hey!" Peter exclaimed. "It's Italian. Be careful."

"It's Melanie," Stiles pointed out, heading for the door.

"Where are you going," Derek asked, still revved up.

"I did what you wanted. It's Friday. I have things to do," Stiles said.

"Like what?"

"None of your damn business," Stiles snapped, keeping his back to him, waving him off.

"That boy is gaining a backbone…impressive," Peter said with a quirked eyebrow.

Stiles made it down to the parking garage and stopped a few feet off from his jeep. Cora leaned back against the driver's side door. her black leather jacket hung nicely off her small frame. He loved it when she wore that leather jacket. She wasn't smiling as usual. She didn't make it difficult for him when he'd try to make one spread across those lips. He walked over to her, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"You're an idiot," she said, straight faced and bored.

He shrugged. He'd been called worse things. She pushed off of the vehicle and leaned against his chest, pressing her small fists between both of their chests, cuddling into him. He just stood there, letting her be. His chest rumbled as he spoke.

"You need to be careful. He's going to find out."

"You scared of my big brother?"

She peered up at him, grinning.

"Uh, yeah actually, I am. He's huge and he hits! His fist would make a very large hole in my chest."

Cora giggled. He did a double take. It was an actual giggle. He peered down at her, his eyebrows rising with curiosity, wanting to hear that foreign sound again.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you," she said, hitting him playfully in the chest.

"That's comforting, real comforting," he said flatly, "especially since you injure me all the time."

"And, you love it."

Stiles rolled his eyes and got in the jeep.

"Am I seeing you later," he asked, hanging out the window after turning on the ignition.

"Maybe. Derek's been suspicious, but I think he's just worried about Isaac and Melanie."

"Why would he be worried about them?"

The sarcastic tone wasn't lost on her. She just shook her head.

"I don't know. He's been really weird lately."

"Alright," he said.

Stiles pulled out of the garage with that and went home. Sheriff Stilinski was sitting at the dining room table again, looking over more papers related to the murders. He glanced up at Stiles.

"Where've you been," he asked.

"Derek wanted me to call Melanie," Stiles replied, standing at the base of the stairs.

"Can't he just leave that girl alone?"

"No, they're kind of related in some weird way," Stiles said, shaking his head. "It's a weird family."

Thinking about the entirety of the Hale family gave him a headache.

"I'll say," Sheriff Stilinski mumbled as he looked back at the scattered files on the table.

Stiles made his way upstairs. He hoped Melanie was alright. She left town without so much as a word or at least that's how Isaac put it in his puffed up werewolf pissiness. All this weirdness with her was his fault. That's what it was. He did something to her, Stiles decided. Derek knew something too. Stiles grumbled incoherently about it as he got to his room stopped straightaway. Cora was sitting on the edge of his bed. He smirked and closed his door.

Melanie made it to Texas around sundown. She didn't miss the dryness of the place. By five o'clock she was in Davenport. The place had quite a bit of green compared to other places in Texas. Davenport took great pride in being able to stay green all year round. And, the colorful flowers made it even more astonishing. Melanie hung her hand out the window as she drove past shops through main street. She got something to eat at the local diner. Nobody ever gave her a second glance.

When she finally made it to the cemetery the sun had gone down. It always took a lot of gumption to go in. Melanie took a flashlight with her and walked through the entrance gate. She counted out loud the rows until she came to the fourteenth one then stopped at the eighth and ninth gravestones in. For a moment she just stared down at them. The lettering on the stones was rigid. It wasn't any of the anniversaries that she usually visited on. Who else could she talk to about affairs of the heart if not her parents though?

Melanie fell to her knees, sucking in deep sobs.

"Oh, I've done something bad," she cried.

Her whole body shook achingly.

Derek paced back and forth. Isaac focused on the floor.

"I can't believe you. I can't fix this!" he screamed, the veins in his neck bulging. "It's like everybody is trying to piss me off today to see who can do the best job! You are in first place! I want to kill you right now, actually kill you."

Isaac flinched, but kept his head lowered in shame, knowing that he shouldn't have told Derek. He shouldn't have said anything. He should've gone after Melanie.

"I told you…I TOLD YOU! Keep your distance. I thought you were stronger than that," Derek spat.

"It doesn't help that you had me move in with her so that you could keep an eye on her!" Isaac yelled back. "I can't help it. We're-"

"So help me god, if you say meant to be, I will rip your throat out. You will never touch her ever again. You won't even notice her existence or your existence will be terminated. I don't care if you're my pack member," Derek said darkly.

Isaac didn't reply. He swallowed hard. His face paled an ill color. He turned and walked out, his shoulders slumped. Before walking out the door, he paused. His breathing staggering like he'd been stabbed.

"I won't stop caring about her. I can't. It would kill me, but you know that, don't you?"

Derek said nothing, but just stared at him through slits, seething. His nails were elongated in claws and his eyes emitted their red, alpha tone.

"You can't protect her from this. Why would you want to?"

"She's human. She can die much easier than us and she will. There are those out there that will use her against you and you will fall for it. Either you or her could die because of it. I won't allow it."

"It's her decision, her free will. Remember that," Isaac finished.

He closed the door and was gone.

"Who knew the tree had a brain?" Peter said amused.

"You think he's right?"

Derek couldn't believe he was seeking out advice from his murderous uncle. He should be locked up in Eichen House.

"They may have weaknesses, but together they'd also be one of the strongest forces either of us have ever heard about. You remember the stories," Peter said. "I get. We're running out of family and the last thing you want is to see is our girls all grown up."

"Girls?" Derek said confused.

Peter chuckled then walked away.

"Allison don't do this to yourself," Lydia said, moving her legs back and forth as she laid on her stomach on her bed.

"I can't help it," Allison replied. "I know something is wrong."

"Ask him about it," Lydia said. She finished the last calculus problem for her homework and then closed her textbook.

Allison sat on the floor, leaning back against the end of the bed. She laid her head back and looked over at Lydia who was just doodling now.

"What are you drawing?"

"No idea," Lydia replied, showing her.

"Looks like-"

"A tree, I know." Lydia rolled her eyes. Danny and Stiles said the same thing.

"I was going to say roots." Allison turned the drawing upside down.

"Huh, weird."

"I'm afraid," Allison said next.

"He should be the one afraid. Why is Melanie being such a skank anyway? She has that one guy, the college guy."

She was right Allison decided. He should be afraid. He was acting strange, protective and unlike himself—always looking around for Melanie and having nothing to say about her when she came up in conversation, and acting like she wasn't a real person, though it was transparently clear that she was on his mind. It wasn't really jealousy that was overcoming Allison, but a sense of confusion because he seemed to be confused half the time. The two spent very little time together. If one was home, the other was finding some way to stay out of the house.

It was all strange and nobody was explaining anything.

"Mom," Melanie sobbed, tucking her hair behind her ear, "Mommy, I don't know what to do. I can't do this. It can't be real. Those things never are and Seth… I can't do it again."

Melanie's face fell into her palms, her body slackening in pain. This was unlike anything she'd felt before. Too many emotions seared through her, making her feel violently ill. The thought that everything she read about being possible was terrifying. She couldn't help but remember everything she went through with Seth. She thought that was going to be forever and thank god it wasn't.

She let out a sob. She couldn't go through it again. Isaac wouldn't hurt her. She couldn't imagine it, but she couldn't stop herself from being so afraid thanks to Seth. He made her afraid of letting people in. She shuddered. She didn't want to hurt anymore.

"Why me anyway?" she croaked. "I'm not special."

She cried more wishing her feelings would dissipate. They were feelings she didn't deserve and didn't want. Stupid love.

Isaac stopped, across from the local café, Beancon Cafe. A sudden tightness in his chest overwhelmed him, making his eyes water. She was hurt and badly, but it wasn't like a mortal wound. It was heartbreak. His chest ached and throbbed like it was a voodoo doll that had been stuck with too many needles.

"Mel," he breathed, clenching his eyes shut.

Wherever she was, he could feel her. She was hurting beyond measure. He leaned over, nearly falling forward to his knees it hurt so bad. Hearing the bell on the door of the café ring, he looked over and went inside, going to the back where the bathrooms were immediately. His reflection in the mirror was pallid and tired. He pulled out his phone and called her.

Melanie ran her fingers along the letters on the grave stones.

"I miss you. I always wonder what it would be like if you were still here. Everything would be so different. I wouldn't have almost died. People would still be alive and I wouldn't be fucking up relationships," she said. I wouldn't be wishing that Seth would have killed me-she kept that one to herself.

Her nose stung at the lightest touch, she'd rubbed it so much. Her cheeks weren't as red, but were raw. Crickets sung all around her.

"Summer is coming up really soon. I was thinking that I'd get a job. I could use the extra money and Derek would leave me alone. He's such a pain and always angry. It doesn't matter what I do. He's just so grumpy like nothing I do is good enough."

A cold chill swept over the cemetery. Melanie rubbed her arms. The warmth of the movement was short-lived. The cold caused the hairs on her arm to rise. Back in the car, her phone vibrated in the passenger's seat.

"How long before life is semi okay? I'm not asking for normal. I'm asking for a chance to breathe, you know? I'm not like them," she said, stuffed up.

She sniffled and looked around. Getting to her feet, she brushed off loose grass that stuck to her jeans. Crickets chirped beautifully.

"I love you Mommy," she whispered and kissed her grave stone then kissed her Dad's, "I love you Daddy."

She stood there for an extra second then went back to the car. Her eyes felt heavy from the long, exhausting cry. She couldn't do that in front of anybody else. Cry. If she did, it would be weak.

She drove to the usual hotel, Beatrice's B&B. Beatrice who saw her twice a year gave Melanie her usual room. There was an amazing gave view of the entire town. Its little antique shaped streetlamps made it glow like some sort of fantasy.

She waited until the sky had lightened up to a semi grey-blue in the early hours of the morning before going to bed under the fluffy comforter that swallowed her body whole.

The aches went away, but very slowly. Melanie still didn't pick up her phone. He sat in her room, looking around at the messiness of it. The desk was completely chaotic, but the floor was so clean you could eat off of the carpet. The blankets were messy, but her vanity had an order to it. The pictures around the mirror held his attention. He took the one of her and Scott together. Neither of them were even paying attention. She was laughing hysterically and he bore a confused expression.

He closed the door and went to his room. There wouldn't be any sleep tonight.

The weekend passed by slowly and when Melanie had returned from her trip, she refused to talk about it just like she refused to come home or see Isaac. She stayed with Stiles and the sheriff. For some reason that pissed Cora off. She was over at the house constantly. She growled a lot.

That was what tipped Melanie off about them. She held her ribs, laughing for nearly ten minutes until Cora punched her. She still laughed some after that, but promised not to say anything. Nobody would believe her anyway.

"A week. Can you believe it," Danny asked, beaming with excitement.

"I thought I'd be dead by now," Melanie quipped with a shrug. If asked, she wouldn't deny that she wish she were dead. It was all just too much to deal with.

Danny didn't see the humor. Must've been too soon.

Scott, Stiles and Allison stood huddled in deep conversation. They came into it, seeing the stressed looks etched across each of their faces. That could only mean there was trouble yet again. This was getting tiresome.

"What's wrong," Melanie asked.

"Nothing," Scott said quickly. His eyebrows shot up and his eyes lost all tension of whatever the three of them had been discussing.

"You're lying. You're wearing your lying face," She said blandly.

"I don't have a lying face." He stared blankly at her, trying to relax his face muscles.

"Right, and I don't have a 'screw you' face," she blurted sarcastically.

"The alpha pack is back." Scott said. He looked up and down the hallway cautiously

"Don't those mangy dogs ever leave," Melanie whined, meaning the alpha pack. "My god, they're annoying."

She walked off hanging her head. Danny gave a sympathetic look and followed after her.

"Somebody's going to die if we keep going at it. Is there no peace," Melanie asked, waving her arms around in an irritated fashion.

"Ethan said that they're after alphas and that there's like three here in town," he said.

"Three?! I mean, there's Derek, but who are the other two," she exasperated.

"No clue." Danny shrugged.

At the end of the school day, Melanie went over to the loft. Luckily, Isaac wasn't there. She let out a long breath she'd held in during the elevator ride up. Cora was training with the punching bag. The two met eyes for a quick moment.

"Have a nice weekend," Derek asked, his terseness not lost on her. He refused to look at her.

"No. I went to see my parents," Melanie replied.

Derek froze. He met her eyes and saw that she was telling the truth. The shadows beneath them proved her restlessness. Her clothes hung in a drab about her frame.

"I discovered something. I don't think I have anything to worry about, but I went to see them to talk. I'm okay now. Nothing to worry about." She attempted a smile.

It didn't feel good enough. Derek didn't smile back in reassurance. He didn't even acknowledge the statement. He stood still. She couldn't even tell if he was breathing.

"Do you need my help," she asked.

"You know," he said. She sighed and nodded.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, we'll need your help." He swerved away from the subject immediately. The reply was enough. He tried everything he could, but now she knew. His hands shook. She was getting tied up in this more and more. Stiles wasn't even in this deep with all of this…bullshit. Isaac was going to be the death of her now unless she could reject him. Derek wasn't so sure she would.

He pulled out a small, worn gym bag and set it on the table. He unzipped it. Melanie crept forward carefully and peeked inside. Her eyes widened at the glimmering sight of metal.

"Where did you find these?" She pulled out a set of Sais and held them in her hands, getting a feel for the weight. They were lighter than a sword. She wrung her wrists in circles and her fingers wound around the elegant hilts.

"I know a friend. Can you use them?"

Melanie settled her fingers around the weapon in each hand then twirled them, not taking her eyes away. A grin spread over her face. She liked these. They were smooth and fun and reminded her a lot of Mortal Kombat. All in all, she was rather ecstatic.

"Certainly," she replied.

"Good. Keep them on you at all times. It's not a sword or a gun, but-"

"I like it. It's more unique—ninja like."

Derek smirked at that, shrugging his eyebrows in amusement of her sudden happiness. Some girls loved diamonds others loved flowers. This one loved getting weapons. This reminded him of her letter from when she was in that private school. She told him about being on the fencing team. He'd have to consider getting her a pair knuckles for Christmas.

"Don't get stupid and poke someone's eye out."

"Not even Stiles?"

Derek paused, the look of consideration on his face, making her snort. He shook his head.

"No, not even Stiles."

She could see the obvious pain in saying that. She giggled.

"Fine," she said, giving them one last twirl.

She'd never had anything like this and it had been years since Derek had given her a gift. The sais gleamed beautifully and fit nicely in her small hands.

"You think there'll be a fight," she asked, slipping the blades through her belt loops and letting them hang there.

"I don't know, but nobody is alone tonight. I want you to stay here. I have Cora watching Stiles and Isaac is staying with Scott while Allison is staying with Lydia," Derek said.

"Danny?"

"Ethan and Aiden took him with them. The three of them are at the clinic right now with Deaton. Did you know that kid was a computer geek," Derek asked, looking up at her. There was look of faint surprise.

"Yup," she said grinning.

Ethan and Aiden stuck around. With their betrayal to the alpha pack it was surprising that they were still here.

"Huh," he said with a small shrug. "Well, we're all just trying to stick together. That's the plan. Nobody is alone right now."

"It's a plan now? I thought we were just cowering, afraid to fight," she said.

Sarcasm dripped off her words. She stabbed the sais into to table top.

"We can't fight them. They want all of you dead," Derek said with a heavy sigh.

He put his bag of tricks below the table. The rest of it was probably for Allison. She had a knack for toys too.

"I know. They want you to join them and that means they want us dead. You're not the only one they're going after though," she said. "There are two other alphas here in town."

"What do you mean," Derek said.

"That's what they want right? That's what Ethan said to Scott. I just don't know who they could be. If we found out we could get their help," she said hopefully.

"Maybe," Derek said with a distant tone. "We don't know if those alphas are friendly."

"It's worth a try," she said.

He nodded in agreement.

"How was your visit," he asked tenderly. His eyes filled with guilt. He never quit blaming himself for the fire.

"Hard," Melanie replied after a few moments. "Derek,"

She stopped and swallowed back her sin. She wanted to tell him everything that had happened with Isaac. Derek looked at her waiting with an unreadable expression. Nothing came out. She closed her mouth.

"Nothing," she mumbled.

She wasn't completely sure why she held back. He knew what was happening, but she couldn't tell him that she knew or about what she'd done. She felt enough guilt and shame on her own. Getting more from him would've been enough to make her throw herself off that cliff again.

"We should get a hold of the others," she told him.

She paced across the room, carving and invisible path into the floor with her feet. Several different thoughts and pictures ran through her head.

Derek went to the window, calling Cora first. Melanie looked around the loft. Her gut twisted. They weren't alone here. A growling rumbled through the room. Goosebumps rose all over Melanie. Turnign slowly, she clutched her new toys tightly.

"We're driving now. Scott called us about an hour ago. Allison and Lydia got cornered," Cora said quickly. "Derek it's not good."

"We're on our way," Derek replied.

"On your way where?"

Cora's breath hitched at the other voice on the line.

"Derek!"

Melanie shouted. A loud clacking followed; Derek dropped his phone.

"Turn around," Cora yelled.

She called for Derek through the phone, but there was no answer on the other side. There were shouts and screams causing the phone to break up.

Stiles pressed on the brake hard and whipped around, giving himself and Cora whiplash, then pressed the gas, leaving tire marks in their wake.

"Call Scott," he said urgently.

"If Derek is being ambushed by the alpha pack then who is attacking Allison and Lydia," Cora asked, her voice quivering.

Stiles shook his head, keeping his eyes on the dark road. I have no idea, he thought. He thought about turning around again to save Lydia. His hold on the steering wheel tightened. Derek wouldn't stand a chance against the alpha pack alone. Damn it, he thought.

"I can't see anything," Lydia said.

Allison kept her crossbow aimed and ready, though she didn't know where to aim. Whatever was out there had them surrounded. They both knew that they wouldn't last long.

"Allison," Lydia breathed.

Allison remained quiet. She couldn't even hear their own footsteps. The only thing she was focused on was getting out of here. The car wasn't had suddenly caught fire which led them to right where they were now, on the side of the road.

"Let's keep moving," Allison said.

Suddenly, a ring of fire circled around the girls. Lydia clung to Allison's arm. Allison shook as beads of sweat rolled down her temples. The flames licked at her boots.

"Come out!" Allison exclaimed angrily.

On the other side of the flames, they saw something more horrifying than their nightmares. A beast stood and watched them through milky, silver eyes as the flames started to close in around them. Its face was terribly mangled with scars and the skin rippled with burns or maybe it was melted. There was no hair. Allison couldn't tell if it was a woman or a man through its grotesque appearance.

"It's the darach," Lydia whimpered as the fire singed the edge of her peach floral skirt.

The darach hissed at its mention. Allison pulled the trigger and an arrow flew from the crossbow and through the darach's shoulder. A piercing scream cut the night followed by a roar. Scott jumped through the flames from behind them. He crouched, poised to attack. From behind the darach, Isaac appeared. Both boys were in top form, their claws out and fangs sharp.

Allison didn't know where they came from and she didn't care. The rescue was deeply appreciated. She loaded another quiver and aimed to fire.

The darach tossed Isaac backwards effortlessly. He hit the trunk of a tree.

"Isaac!" Allison screamed.

Branches cracked underneath him as he hit the ground unconscious. Blood came from his mouth. Scott roared again and the abominable creature disappeared, the fire dissipating quickly after. Scott turned to the girls. Lydia's eyes sparkled with tears. She was one of the fiercest people he knew. He had never seen her so scared.

"We don't have time. Derek and Melanie are in trouble," Scott said. "We have to hurry."

Scott rushed to help Isaac, but he was gone. Only broken branches and imprints in the remained in his wake.

"Where'd he go," Allison asked shakily, her stomach filling with dread.

Her crossbow swung at her side limply.

"The darach wouldn't have—" she cut herself off.

She couldn't think that. Isaac was taken. The darach didn't get to him. Her eyes watered and she sucked in a gulp full of smoke filled air. Her throat burned and she coughed.

"What is happening Scott," she asked, sniffling. She shook.

Her ponytail bounced as she kept alert, looking around at the darkness that enveloped them from all angles.

"Derek and Melanie are being attacked. Stiles and Cora are heading there now. We have to go," he said, running a hand through his hair, grabbing it tightly, wringing it. A few strands came out in his hand. His head throbbed with a headache. His chest rose and fell fast, his claws not having retracted.

"Scott." Lydia trembled.

Scott turned. Her face had gone pale, her rose red lips parted as she began to shake. Her eyes glazed over. She opened her mouth more as to speak, but only a shrill scream came out. Allison and Scott fell to the ground, holding their ears. Lydia fists clenched tightly, her nails nearly breaking the skin of her palm. Allison held her as she started to fall.

She stopped and her crystal eyes teared up and her throat tightened like she was holding her breath.

"Oh no," she breathed, looking at her friends.

Somebody was going to die tonight. The feeling twisted her stomach, making her feel sick. Being a banshee was a curse. Knowing when people were going to die, not knowing who it would be, she didn't want this. Like Scott, she wished that she had her normal life back. It had only been a year since all of their lives had changed. She felt like collapsing into a heap.

"Lydia," Allison said, she glanced back at where Isaac had fallen.

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