Chapter 64
Jennifer Blake crawled toward the old source of power that was stored within the large tree stump. There was still some left. She could feel it singing to her. Her legs ached from getting thrown around by the three alphas. She stifled her pained whimpers. All she had to do was reach out for the restoration of life.
As those rugrats were gathering their wits about them, she was able to sneak away. Her throat burned painfully. She spit out the blood that filled her mouth. The Nemeton wasn't far. She could make it and restore the damage that Deucalion had done. It was
A crackling of leaves behind her made her jump. She turned over, propping herself up on her elbows. Her ribs ached painfully, but not as bad as her shoulder where she'd been bitten. Her mouth hung agape as a figure stepped out into the moonlight.
"It's very interesting."
Jennifer let out a choked laugh.
"I should've known it would be you," she gritted out with a sneer. The blood on her teeth was bitter. She glanced back. She could still reach it.
She stretched out her hand to touch the Nemeton. He snatched her hand away quickly and shoved her to the side. Her abdomen ached painfully.
"All I had to do was wait," he said, still retaining his calm. "Wait for them to do my work."
She scoffed. All of the fighting and he got what he wanted now. She'd seen him slinking around town with no real purpose when nobody else did. There was purpose though.
"N-now that Scott's an alpha…" she stopped at her epiphany. "You'll be able to steal it from him. Then you'll be an alpha again."
His head quirked, piqued at her revelation.
"Again?" he seethed. His upper trembled with fury, making Jennifer's eyes widen, petrified.
Her eyes widened as his hand rose into the air, claws, thick and sharp, elongated. Like he did with several others, including his niece, he slashed Jennifer's throat. Blood gushed from her pipes and over her chest, dripping to the ground.
"I. Am. The alpha," he growled, his eyes taking on the familiar, ominous, red glow.
Two days later…
Finstock stood up at the podium calling students who walked up onto the stage in maroon and white, and took their diplomas. Melanie's name was skipped over as were the other students that had met their untimely death over the last year. A moving video had been created by the AV club for them to the instrumental of Story of My Life by One Direction. Isaac snorted at the song choice. Worst song ever. They should've gone with Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World or even something by Birdy. That chick was depressing. The whole presentation seemed happier than it was. None of these people died naturally. They were murdered, yet there was this montage that made them look like it was all going to be okay. If it helped other people who weren't close enough to know them move on then that was just dandy. For others like Scott and Lydia, it was different. They shared a looked.
After the ceremony Scott and Lydia managed to find the others. Stiles and Allison were joking around. Both formal and goofy pictures were snapped of all of them together while the summer sun beat down on them, boiling them alive under their gowns. Scott found it strange that from here on out, everything would be different. He looked back at the high school as they all walked to their cars. Lydia was holding a party later on in the evening. The school was painted with the late evening sun that was turning purple from the twilight.
Finstock stood by the entrance holding what looked like a diploma while talking to Derek. The conversation looked intense. Finstock turned his head. The glare plastered to his face burned Scott with awkwardness. He raised his hand and waved.
Not responding, Finstock returned to his conversation with Derek. None of them had seen Derek since that night. Danny didn't talk about him at all. He'd gone back to his old self. All of that rage that had overtaken him before was nonexistent. He shared in the celebration.
"Can you believe we survived?" Stiles chuckled.
Scott shook his head, bearing a silly grin.
"It was a scary fight," he said.
"Oh no, I don't mean the darach." Stiles tossed his cap and gown into the back of his jeep. "I mean high school."
He patted Scott on the shoulder. The two got into the jeep and drove off. The sheriff was due at the police department and Melissa had the night shift which left the two of them able to go to Lydia's party.
"I thought you would've been gone by now," Danny said.
He stopped by the remnants of the house. Instantly he remembered his first time in the place. The entire place was empty except for a couch and a TV. Other than it burning down, it had become a really good home. He'd crashed on the couch a few times. Isaac stood on the sidewalk. He bore a distant look, but snapped out of it quickly.
"I don't know," he said. "Melissa had shown me an acceptance letter to the local university."
"Wait, the one that Stiles, Lydia and Scott are going to in the fall?"
Isaac nodded.
"She sent in the application for me. I haven't given much thought to college. School isn't my favorite past time."
Isaac shifted his footing a little.
"So you're going out of state?"
"Yeah, I got a scholarship to Stanford," Danny replied. "I leave in two weeks for a summer program with NASA."
Isaac's eyebrows rose with surprise.
"Good. You should get out of here."
He patted Danny on the shoulder. Danny was lucky. He was getting out and even more, he seemed like he was finally at peace. That was a feeling all them sought.
"Derek said the same thing."
"Who knew he would be right?" Isaac joked.
That awkward silence right before a goodbye settled between the two. Isaac never thought of Danny as much of anybody. He was Jackson's best friend. Jackson was an asshole. After he left town, Danny didn't really socialize much. Then he came to the discovery of the whole other world besides the one they all lived in. The one that Derek had pulled all of them into, though it was unintentional.
Anyway, everything that happened, happened. There was no going back. There was no taking any of it back.
The party tonight was the last night that everyone would be together for a long time. None of them knew that. It didn't occur to any of them that nothing was ever truly over.
"Let's get to that party," Danny said.
"It doesn't start for two more hours," Isaac said.
"You know Lydia right," Danny asked with plenty of sarcasm. "Red hair, 5'3'' and 118 lbs.?"
"Right," Isaac said, hanging his head off his shoulders. The young woman was very demanding. She would do worse than the darach if they didn't listen to her. She was an OCD mess when it came to throwing a party. This one was going to be fun.
He looked back at the house one more time. Small flakes of black ash were still finding their way down from the sky. What was it with hunters wanting to make massive bon fires out of houses?