Chapter 72
Stiles jumped into the SUV on the front passenger's side right before Aiden could. Aiden growled, but went with Boyd and Cora in the Porsche behind them. The ride was silent for five minutes and then Stiles began yammering in that one toned, anxiety ridden way he did. Melanie said nothing and kept her eyes on the road. It was all she could do to not follow her stronger instinct to go back and beat the hell out of Scott and the others.
She glanced in the rearview mirror every few seconds, checking Derek. He still hadn't woken. His arm fell from the seat and thumped on the floor. Jackson was doing what he could to keep Derek from bleeding out even more. His hands were soak in blood.
"Fucking pricks," she murmured finally.
Stiles shut up at that. She shook her head seething. Looking out the window, he hadn't given much thought to where they were going and was suddenly very scared. He really needed to think about the situations he put himself in.
"I can't believe this," she said.
Stiles looked out the window right then, afraid that in the state she was in, she would attack him. She had done it before when she was…human. Stiles's mind was radio silent. All of it was sinking in very slowly and very fast at the same time. Jackson and Erica were back in town. Ethan and Aiden returned. Was Danny around here somewhere?
And, Melanie was a werewolf.
They pulled up to the animal clinic. The lights were on. They were expected. Melanie parked beside the sheriff's car.
"What is my dad doing here?" Stiles asked.
Melanie got out and opened the back passenger door for Jackson.
"Get him inside," Melanie said.
She jogged back to second car as it pulled into the lot. Stiles didn't hear what she told them, but they parked on the other side of the small lot. Melanie jogged toward the front but skidded to a stop a few feet from the door. Her eyes lit up with forgetfulness and she opened the trunk of the SUV.
Jackson grumbled crudely as he and Erica passed Stiles on the way into the clinic. Good to know he hasn't changed, Stiles thought. He didn't think he'd ever find relief in Jackson's assholery.
Melanie hurried in after them with a jacket in her hand, leaving Stiles there.
"Am I chop liver!?" Stiles shouted. "I ran after you!"
Melanie held the door open and looked back at him.
"Then move your ass, moron! I'm not going to coddle you. I have to help save my alpha since yours just tried to murder him," she snapped.
Stiles frowned apologetically. She winked. A little bit of the tightness in his chest lessened. He turned on his heel at hearing Cora's whimpering. He knew that sound. It wasn't out of the physical pain.
Stiles rushed over and took her in his arms.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know what was going to happen," he said. The words rushed out in a hushed gust.
She clenched her arms around the neck, terrified and sobbed. Boyd let her go and went inside.
"We have to get inside. It's not safe out here," Melanie said.
Cora let go. Stiles helped her, keeping an arm around her waist.
Once inside, Melanie took Cora from Stiles and helped her back to the only exam room open.
"Stiles!"
Stiles spun and was wrapped in another tight hug.
"Dad," Stiles as soon as they parted. "I'm so confused. What's happening?"
"Thank god, you're okay," sheriff Stilinski breathed.
"I'm fine-well, not true. I think I'm having that psychotic break we talked about a few days ago." Stiles rubbed his temple. "SHE-" he point at Melanie who rejoined them, "is dead. And all of YOU-" he gestured wildly at everyone else, "spread to the four corners of the fucking earth!"
"I'm very alive…sort of," Melanie chuckled.
Ethan and Aiden laughed.
"You think this is funny?" Stiles exasperated. "My best friends just tried to kill my girlfriend and Derek!"
"You can thank the alpha pack for that," Melanie said.
"How is all of this happening?" Stiles asked.
"I'll explain later," Melanie said. "Go back and see Cora. Boyd, Deaton needs to see us."
Boyd nodded and went to the back. He shook his head with a smirk as he passed Stiles.
"Oh! Before I forget," Melanie said. She wiggled her eyebrows, grinning happily and tossed the jacket to the sheriff. It was his forest green jacket from the station. Stiles hadn't even realized it was gone. "Thanks."
"Hold pressure here," Deaton said shakily. The lacerations across Derek's chest were large. Erica pressed down on the wounds. The gauze had bled through already.
"We need to lessen the pain," Melanie said. "If we can lessen it then it won't feel so bad. Maybe he'll begin to heal."
"Maybe," Deaton replied. "Do it."
Melanie grabbed Derek's arm. He was cold. His skin had turned a sickly shade of white, the color that zombies were in those old movies. Black veins channeled up over her hands and forearm. Taking his pain was nothing she'd ever felt. Her mouth went dry and she swayed a little.
"I don't feel good," Melanie gulped.
"You're turning green," Erica said. Her nose puckered and she tried to move out of vomit range.
Boyd put his hands on Derek's other arm. The urge to purge lessened.
"Derek?"
Melanie's head jerked back to the door. Cora was leaning into Stiles.
"He's going to be okay right?" she asked. She stared, exhausted.
"We're doing everything that we can," Deaton said.
Melanie didn't know how the Doc did it. He was always calm and handled the worst situations with grace. People weren't born with that kind of resolve. There was years of being around these situations.
Jackson slid into the room, trying not to bump Cora. He stopped beside Deaton who was cleaning the blood from Derek's face. Derek's broken nose had healed already. Jackson grabbed more gauze and a pan then handed the clean dressing to Erica. She tossed the engorged gauze into the pan.
The bleeding had slowed, but not enough.
"He needs blood," Melanie said. "None of this is enough. He will die from the blood loss."
"She's right," Deaton replied after a few quiet seconds.
"I'm universal," Stiles said quickly. His eye twitched. Melanie's eyebrows rose. Nobody spoke, but it was unclear about whether it was due to his offer or because he obviously regretted speaking. "I…can-ugh."
"Okay, let's go," Deaton said.
He ushered Stiles out of the room.
Stiles rubbed his arm.
"I'm glad you're not a human doctor," Stiles said.
Deaton chuckled. Stiles touched the small piece of gauze that covered the needle mark at the crease of his elbow. It throbbed dully with a dark bruise around it.
Deaton had been able to get two bags full though he'd probably only need one. He followed Deaton out and to the exam room. He could hear his dad talking with the twins.
Derek took to the transfusion luckily. He didn't wake up right away. He still suffered heavily. Deaton said to let him rest. Stiles, Cora and Melanie stayed in the room with Derek. Melanie sat across the room on the counter while Stiles and Cora took the two seats for clients. Cora's head laid on Stiles's shoulder.
"Thank you," Melanie said quietly. Her voice still didn't sound like her own.
The sarcastic playfulness was gone. She sounded serious and utterly grateful. Stiles nodded stiffly.
"I know you don't like Derek, but still," Melanie said. She licked her dry lips. "Thank you."
Stiles opened his mouth, but paused before uttering a word at seeing Melanie stiffen completely. She tucked her hair behind her ear. Jumping off the counter, she stormed out of the room. Scott was here.
Melanie and crew remained behind the front desk. Though she could've taken them on, she was glad that the desk was inlaid with ash, keeping them all separated. She didn't want to fight them. She didn't want to fight him. He stood closest to the door.
"Get out of here, Scott," Jackson snarled.
Scott didn't pay any mind to him. He stared at Melanie, his eyes etched with skepticism. His eyes widened and he stumbled back a step at seeing her eyes threaten him with the blue glow.
"Mel, how?"
"That doesn't concern you," she said. "Not right now anyway."
After a few seconds of stupefied silence and Jackson's loud smirk, she spoke some more.
"You're not welcome here. Leave."
"What? No!" Allison exclaimed. "You leave!"
Melanie ignored her childish comeback, not taking her eyes off of Scott.
"Leave, Scott. Deaton isn't your advisor. He's the Hale pack advisor-our advisor," Melanie said.
"She's right. I'm sorry that things have turned out this way."
Deaton came from the back room, with Stiles behind him, and stood next to her. He shifted uncomfortably, unhappy that this was the outcome.
Scott seethed all over again. Isaac put a hand on his shoulder.
"Let's go," he said, barely audible.
"Scott," Melanie called, stopping the werewolf in the doorway, "you're on the wrong side. You know that. Think about it."
The bell above the door jingled with Scott's exit and the others. It was so much more different, hearing it at night. It was creepy, like a bell of death or something.
Isaac didn't look at her. He avoided it actually. Melanie didn't. Her chest stung with every breath as if a knife was lodged there and every breath made it sink deeper. This was how he felt, she told herself. What possessed somebody to feel that way?
She kept a straight face in front of everyone. By doing this, she hoped that the feeling would fade.
"Are you okay?" Stiles asked, close to her ear and with his hand on her shoulder.
She released a small sigh. Of course, he knew.
"No." she replied. She touched her chest. The ring that hung around her neck, under her shirt was warm against her skin.
Stiles pulled his hand back and went back to the exam room.
Erica and Boyd left the clinic around three in the morning. Melanie insisted that they go get some sleep, but they didn't. They told that they'd go to the diner on the outskirts of town and keep an eye out until daybreak. They were hungry anyway.
Jackson refused to leave the clinic. The twins were eager to however.
"I'm going to go see Lydia," Aiden said.
Both Ethan and Melanie snorted. He frowned confused.
"She is going to slap you," Melanie said, shaking her head.
"No, she's going to be thrilled," he countered.
"Whatever." She shook her head. Ethan snickered while also shaking his head.
Aiden sneered and walked out. Jackson didn't say anything. After hearing all of the stories about him and Lydia, it was shocking that he didn't have a single thing to say. There was a protective look though.
Ethan sighed. It didn't go unnoticed. Melanie looked up from the paperwork that Deaton had gotten a hold of from Melissa. The 'animal' attacks were definitely the alpha pack, but there were new players. After tonight's events it was official. Peter was one of them. It wasn't just him though, it couldn't be.
"Wondering what Danny is up to?" Melanie asked with a sly grin.
Ethan's eyebrows flexed but he didn't respond.
"You know, he might be closer than you think," Melanie said.
Ethan's head shot up and she grinned wider.
"He's…" she paused thoughtfully, making him sit up on edge, "been helping me out. It's how I found everyone actually."
"Where…"
"He's been staying out near the university on my wishes," she said.
Ethan was gone without a word after that. She pulled the chain around her neck up from under her shirt and stared at the ring dangling from it. She spun the band in her fingers, touching the light dusting of diamonds. She'd read the inside multiple times. She didn't even have to look at it the first time. She knew what it said; older & wiser.
"Thinking?" Deaton inquired as he settled in a seat beside her.
"Always," she replied. She shook her head, coming out of her spacey moment.
"You should get some sleep," Deaton suggested.
"I'll watch over Derek."
"I'm getting stir crazy," Stiles yawned, coming from the back. He stretched, raising his arms above his head.
Melanie sighed. The hint that Deaton wanted her to leave her hiding place was obvious.
"Fine," she said dully. "But not because you suggested it. It's because you're basically shoving me out."
She stuck her tongue out at him and slid away from the desk.
"It's good to see that you haven't lost all of your charm," Deaton chuckled.
She sneered on her way out the door. Taking the SUV, she drove around town. She wasn't sure where to go exactly. To most of the town, she was dead. Dead people coming back would raise the kind of suspicion that wasn't good.
Stiles stared out the window. His sleepy eyes moved side to side, following houses that passed by.
"So.." Stiles said, shattering the quiet car ride. "How-um-how are you alive?"
His voice squeaked and his head tilted, making Melanie giggle at his attempt to find the right way to ask.
"It's complicated, but I'll explain later," she replied.
"Later? Mel, you have to give me something. I mean Jackson? Are you two best friends suddenly?"
"Hell no!" she exclaimed. "We are not besties."
She shuddered.
"He's just…a real pain in the ass," she exasperated.
Stiles chuckled, covering his mouth in trying to quit, but he laughed harder.
"It's not funny!" she whined. "He's like a dog that humps your leg! It's very disturbing."
Stiles leaned forward, holding his stomach from laughing so hard.
"Plus, what are you doing here, huh?" she asked. "You quite eager to run after me instead of stay with your best friend? Hm?"
"I had to know," he answered.
In the end, she decided to go home.
"Wha-" she said upon arrival. She parked across the street.
Stiles followed slowly after Melanie who ran into the grassy lot that used to be her house. She walked across the whole space. There were small remnants of the house-charred pieces of wood and metal, but most of it was in the earth. She looked back at Stiles. Her eyes watered with disbelief. Her mouth opened.
This was hers. The memories and safe haven of it all.
"My home?" Her lips quivered.
Stiles stayed on the sidewalk.
"Hunters known as the Calaveras burned it down as a warning," he said.
Melanie's eyes widened. Tears slipped down, betraying her strong disposition that had come from Derek Hale. She wiped them away quickly.
"Fucking kidding me!?" she exclaimed angrily. She balled up her fists. "And my car?"
"Blew up, actually," Stiles answered.
She guffawed, flinging her head back.
"Son of a bitch," she groaned.
"Let's go by the house," Stiles suggested, meaning his.
Melanie looked around once more then gave a feeble nod. She sniffled.
The sheriff was up when they walked in, and the two teens realized that he was waiting on them. The entire house was hot and smelled sour. The two of them followed the sizzling. The sheriff stood at the stove moving a spatula across stir fry.
"You guys hungry? I couldn't sleep-well with your arrival and all," he gestured to Melanie with a smile.
"Yeah, starving," Melanie said. Her stomach rumbled. She sat down at the table.
"Good! We're expecting guests," he added. Stiles's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he looked down at his phone.
"At four in the morning? Who would be coming here?" His face twisted and his eyebrows lifted. The look made Melanie laughed.
"Uh, hello?" came a call from the front room.
Melanie sat up, rigid. Her eyes glowed viciously blue. Stiles gulped hard and licked his lips. She could hear the rapid pace at which his heart sped. He was scared. She was flat out pissed off.
"Mr. Stilinksi?"
"In here, Scott," the sheriff called.