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Track 01 - Feeling Good by Nina Simone
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Mrs. Martin earnestly explained that the Spaulding District was up and coming. Despite the homes might seem expansive, but they were prefab so cheaper plus the community gated. The neighbors were quiet and kind, the space between houses were big enough to park a couple of cars or to build a garden. She hated to mention it but the families that recently moved happened due to highway construction. New construction brought in new shops and commerce, which was good for the neighborhood, but some folk liked their tiny vista and didn't agree with the change, not that Mrs. Martin was one to gossip.
Being one of the arriving new population to the neighborhood Ms. Blake, couldn't complain. Let the rich snobs take to building their private homes in The Hills District, leaving behind a discounted McMansion. They shared a laughed at the unexpected and upside results of local prejudices.
"I don't mean to pry," Mrs. Martin said kindly, "but how can you afford something like this one a teacher's salary?"
"It's okay," Ms. Blake looked out across the cul-de-sac through tinted bay windows, "I used to have family here and they left some money. I just want to be part of the community again and near to the school."
After a pause. "A bit too close to the students maybe," Mrs. Martin sighed but kept a professional smile. "Let me show you a better home." Motioning to the door although Ms. Blake didn't move, she warned, "I'm sorry it looks like someone's been here. It happens sometimes, teenagers break in for parties."
"Don't worry about it. It's perfect," her voice smooth and satisfied. From the home to the car Ms. Blake's milk chocolate-colored eyes looked to the home like a great ease had been lifted off her shoulders.
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Track 02 - iHeard by Young Fathers
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{Friday: Sunrise - Spaulding District, BH. CA}
"That's just great," from across the street, Jackson muttered not too subtly while he took out the trash, "I always wanted to live across the street from my teacher." He smacked down the lid and stormed back towards his home.
It wasn't that school was hard it was that it was unending. From his ex-girlfriend warring in his nightmares, to his English teacher moving in across the street straight to lacrosse team's newest midfielder casually wandering around his neighborhood.
First chance he got, catching him virtually at the edge of his driveway, Jackson readily confronted him and demanded to know why Isaac would follow him home. Isaac explained he hadn't, but Jackson scoffed.
"Why else would you be skulking around a place like this? It's not exactly your vibe."
After an awkward pause Isaac answered he lived nearby, and Jackson's disbelief turned his hands into fists.
"What are you even doing in Beacon Hills? You're a freak you know that?" he spat "you just turn up and the next day you're some star player. It's like someone bought you a Porsche when they should have started you out with a nice little Honda. Me? I drive a Porsche. Did your parents hook you up? That's it, isn't it?"
Isaac answered, "my parents are dead." Jackson didn't have a smart remark for that; Isaac's voice went flat when he reminded "not everyone is lucky to be from a well-adjusted two-parent home. Shiny Porsche and all," and he excused himself.
After a period of stillness from Isaac's absence Jackson threw the garbage can and concaved it.
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Track 03 - Controversy by Natalia Kills
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At the sound of two strangers entering the home, Isaac felt utter panic and took it as a sign that he should run. But it wasn't an intruder if they were with the realtors and Isaac didn't live there. And 'squatters rights' didn't apply to the under-aged. He was good at avoiding the questions:
"Where did you come from?"
"Where are your parents?"
"Why are you here?"
The only answer he had aimed him through the back door, behind bushes and then scrambling down the block. Neighbors were easily avoided when they didn't know you but that wasn't always the case. There was the worst scenario of Jackson Whittemore who lived within the district.
Otherwise, Isaac knew to walk with shoulders hunched, eyes to the ground, body language designed to deflect conversation. In the morning, if he wore his "14" Lacrosse Jersey on his way to zero period, the school bus stopped for him even though he wasn't on route. Everyone loved the Beacon Hill's Cyclones 'Blow The Competition Away!' etc. When he made practice, he got access to the showers and even caught a decent lunchroom breakfast. Twice if Coach Finstock was on a carbo-loading trip. He created a low-key method that kept everyone from knowing he was a refugee in prefab housing in the high-end side of town. It was fate that out of the many homes Mrs. Martin would be showing, it had to be the one home he had hidden in. He was that lucky.
After all, Lydia Martin was the only other person to have picked him out of obscurity a couple of weeks ago, when she asked him in the most analytical and seductive way anyone could.
"How tall are you?"
Outside of the locker rooms, she caught him off guard with her eyes were unreadable as she made it sound like 'I want to climb you.'
Isaac put together a quick pros and cons list; Lydia Martin was controlling, unpredictable, gorgeous, and mysteriously into him. Isaac Lahey wanted to be structured, safe, invisible, ignored and completely wrapped up in her. Hands down, she won.
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At the After-Game party just a week before she came onto him, he'd asked her to dance.
"Pass," she answered, as if it was an action she could move through him, as if he were nothing. Then one day - quite randomly - she introduced him to the joys of fooling around in the Coach's office.
Isaac wasn't used to abandoning control. The only time he'd done something like it was a dark rainy night in a graveyard when he'd said yes to a Werewolf's bite; it turned out to be the scariest most confusing bravest decision he'd ever made; everything after turned out to be more work than magic. Always a little frightening.
"I have Harris next period," Lydia said and pushed him back into Coach's chair. "I need to clear my head."
"Right," Isaac lost track at the word 'head'. He helped her onto his lap and slid his hands along her back. She leaned into his chest and pressed her warm mouth along his throat. Heated kisses with teeth and tongue. His hands roved along her body, they traced a path over seem lines until smooth turned to rough and then turned into the bell ringing. Lydia bolted upright in surprise and Isaac managed to steal a kiss before she disappeared. Her parting look promised that later she would even the score.
A diphthong was never as suggestive as when after school Lydia asked him if he needed a "Ride."
How could he say no? How? Wise mind said "No", but there isn't diphthong in "No", so it didn't stand a chance. Really, Wise Mind, why should he?
The universe had a habit of immediately answering all of Isaac's questions.
Like the tap-tap at the car window, when the foggy silhouette appeared and quick as a snapping rubber band Isaac knew, why this was something they should not be doing. Post-limbs disentangling, Lydia wiped at the window and a revealed a grinning Allison Argent, waving with sweater paws. Lydia forced a smile and muttered through clenched teeth, "she won't leave until we go and say hello."
"This can't get any worse," with a whisper and a shrug. The concession was meant as a comfort, 'a comrade in arms' moment. Her glare told him he had obviously misjudged the situation.
"He's nice," Allison whispered too loudly, as Lydia climbed out. She made no comment to correct or deny, just brushed out the wrinkles from her skirt and aligned her coat seams with her scarf.
"Thanks, I think" at least Isaac acknowledged.
"I'd offer to shake your hand, but I think I know where it's been," said Allison, with a Cheshire cat's grin.
Isaac shoved his hands in his pockets and stared down at the ground. He wasn't embarrassed; he was just trying not to laugh. They both knew it.
"Charming, as usual," grimaced Lydia and tossed her hair over her shoulder, impervious to such mortal barbs.
Remembering herself, Allison giggled and invited Lydia to go bowling on the weekend. She wanted to 'mend fences'.
"Sure," Lydia answered reflexively.
Shifting her bag on her shoulder, her brows came together as her thoughts ticked along. "You should come too," said Allison suggested.
Isaac's internal battle of want to 'fit-in' versus his want to 'be-invisible' warred, but he heard "uhm sure," before he realized the words were his own.
"Great! We'll play teams," she said to Lydia, "it'll be a double-date!" she then said to Isaac, "Scott is going to love this." Allison's tone warmed with every word.
With her chin held high, Lydia schooled a perfect smile as small blotches of red appeared on her neck and cheeks. She would later attribute this as being an aspect of the weather and not her pent-up rage.
For a while after Allison left Lydia remained frighteningly still. When she finally spoke, it was an impactful accusation of "THIS."
"'This can't get any worse?' Did you have to jinx it?"
Isaac tried to refute the charges but when he opened his mouth nothing came out. He ducked his chin deep into his scarf for security.
"Fix it. Or you can forget about ever coming back into my car," she spun on her heels and slipped into the driver's seat.
By definition Lydia Martin and Isaac Lahey were in 'no way dating'. Or by lack of definition 'not a thing'. He learned somewhere in school, math class probably, that someone couldn't be accused of random things like 'dating a hot girl', without the burden of proof being on them. So why was he suddenly under all this pressure? How do you show proof of what you aren't? That's positive of a negative.
Nope, definitely learned it watching re-runs of Law and Order. Shit, why had proving he wasn't hooking up with the hottest girl in school become the most vital thing in his adolescent life? Oh, right.
Back to the original questions, had he somehow belonged because of Lydia? No. Because he needed to be part of a pack? Yes. Because of Scott. Maybe?
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The more he stressed over Scott discovering he had come to Beacon Hill's to be closer to the only Werewolf he found in the County, the more he felt compelled to confess.
Plus, Isaac started to get good at things like Science, French, Lydia Martin, Lacrosse and he thought sticking around would totally be worth it. Every day he stayed a little later at practice, he debated the merits of revealing himself versus being found out.
Secondarily; a stray Werewolf didn't pop up without an Alpha. Originally Isaac hoped Scott would lead him to a pack. Then he learned Scott was a stray; hell, he was so unlearned he didn't even know how to suppress his presence.
Thirdly; he learned Scott wasn't an ass. He met all the minimum requirements but, in the end, cared more about people than power. Even people that yelled in his face, like Coach. Or bullies like Jackson. Or disrespected him like Lydia; Scott was a textbook "nurture versus nature" case study in the works.
Since he felt less afraid of Scott than Lydia, he decided to reveal himself to Scott through Lydia. If he asked her out publicly, of course she would shut him down and he'd be humiliated. Result! If the scene was witnessed broadly enough, no one would believe Lydia would want anything to do with him including Allison. His teammates, including Scott would probably take pity on him and they would take it from there. Two birds with one stone...ish.
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Track 04 - Human by Daughter
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{Mid-Morning - BHHS, Bottom Floor, Library}
"How could you need to study more?" Allison's voice verged on genuine concern. Glancing over her books, Lydia put her finger to lips, hushed her and went back to task.
The library had become a shell for Lydia, so Allison figured to find her friend there, just as she figured to find her covered up in a cardigan and high boots instead of one of her usual form fitting outfits. Whether Lydia knew it or not, she created a cocoon and its frightened Allison a little. The only evidence of her friend getting back to normal had been her crawling on top of a lacrosse player. Except she ruined that by making Lydia acknowledge it, view it as some sort of human interaction then it was over and done.
During the start of lunch that same lacrosse player all but swaggered up to Lydia and outright propositioned her. Any girl would have swooned, but Lydia poured an arch of disgust over him, his status and his visage. It was a bitter beauty pageant and Isaac was both winner and loser. Despite the fact that the earth virtually shook when Lydia walked away, Allison would be prevented from following her to the library. But she wouldn't abandon her best-friend to despondency.
"You're brilliant and you know it. You make the rest of us look like unevolved monkeys."
"Neanderthals."
"Making my point exactly," Allison tugged at Lydia's arm. "Plus, you promised to join me," Allison wore her excitability like billboard advertising Swim Team; This Way!
"Not now," she groaned and tugged back on Allison's arm pulling her onto a seat.
"Are you hiding after that scene?" Scrapping her chair closer to Lydia, tilting herself toward her friend's orbit, all iPhone, textbooks and composition notebooks.
"That spectacular display?" Lydia straightened her back, posturing like a peacock. She grinned even when Allison narrowed her eyes in judge-y-ness. "Of course not. I'm backing up my AP Science notes to the iCloud." She went straight back to it.
Propping her chin on her hand, "You could probably recite your notes in a song."
"Oh, definitely." Lydia glanced over and smirked. She stopped typing and leaned closer, bringing Allison a little further into her gravity, "But it doesn't hurt to have a second copy for when your friend calls you in the middle of the night 'Lydia please, I'm desperate.'"
Allison grinned, "Oh. right, those times. You're definitely not hiding from anything? Like maybe Isaac."
"Who?" Lydia went back to typing, then after a decent ten seconds, "Ah, number 14."
"I'm sorry" with a sigh, her eyes inspected Lydia from the inside out, "I ruined everything for you." But Lydia softened and shook her head; Allison's intentions are always the best even when they were at their worst. As if a realization just occurred to her "Seriously, so you've just been..." just shy of rude gestures, Allison spun her fingers in the air as if she were magicking some expression into being.
Lydia scoffed, "yes, 'We Just'." She confirmed her non-relationship relations with Isaac Lahey.
"Okay," tucking her hair behind her ears, Allison tilted her head in thought. "Then why did he ask you out?"
"To finish it publicly," Lydia shrugged, "because I pushed him to."
With a nodded she pressed her lips together. She couldn't imagine Isaac agreeing to such a humiliating sign off. "If you didn't want to date him, why did you say yes to Saturday?"
Lydia shifted and faced Allison directly, "Have you ever tried saying no to you?"
"No."
"Well," she smiled softly, "then you don't know how hard it is, do you?"
Allison ran a finger along the hem of Lydia's cardigan. "Swim Team, you promise?"
"Later," Lydia promised, "How could I say no?"
Allison shifted around in her seat to face forward and scooted her chair alongside Lydia.
"Can I stay with you and study?" she asked after she began sorting through notebooks. Lydia sat back and smirked "For Mr. Harris' Anatomy and Human Sciences'..."
"Ah, Scott's too distracting?" one of the few classes Allison shared with Scott. Lydia reached through Allison's limbs and passed over the correct notes.
"Soo distracting," she flashed a thankful grin and flipped through them ravenously. Lydia scooted her seat closer until the girls were a united studying machine. A rhythm had just begun to form when the library erupted with one word.
"FIGHT!"
Students rushed from their seats to shove through the doorway and catch sight of the mayhem. In their seats, Allison stiffened while Lydia huffed in annoyance and began to collect her notes.
"THERE'S A FIGHT!"
"Of course, there is," Lydia rolled her eyes and then froze at the sound of metal stretching.
"Oh. Of course, there is," and Allison took off through the door.
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Track 05 - Think of You by MsMr
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Scott imagined having heightened senses would connect him to things on meaningful level, like hippies do. Everything would be made more pleasant. Like the way he smelled his Mom's Chuletas before they burned and how Allison's pulse felt when she grew excited enough to burst and when the whole team raged as they won. He learned how to put enough of a wall up so he could touch their feelings or could admire them like a display. But watching Lydia dump on Isaac was none of those pretty displays. No wall could keep back that tsunami. It was the right thing to do for Allison to take off after Lydia, but it abandoned Scott in a public place with a lot of people having a lot of untamed feelings. His own emotional turmoil mixed among the numbers surprised him most, and one sense stayed on the surface. Protectiveness.
Isaac was a good guy, he reminded himself and after the way Lydia crucified him in the courtyard everyone sympathized him. But Scott wanted a go at him, even though he'd never picked a fight in his life. Hell, he never even considered hitting an opposing lacrosse team as much as he wanted to hit Isaac. None of this added up. When he went to dispose of his tray, he realized too late he had crushed it into bits and pieces. He tried to put distance between the two of them by leaving the lunchroom, but the feeling followed him.
When Isaac called out to him, he understood why. Isaac apologized about some idiot bowling thing and then his expression switched, his hands clenched, and his words were practically growled. "Scott, calm down," which was just enough to push him over the edge.
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Students collected but kept their distance, chanting like the audience at the coliseums. Allison struggled to break through without being aggressive. It would have betrayed Scott's trust to intercede and not let him regain control but if the teachers interceded there would be no coming back from that.
Lydia gripped Allison's arm hard to goad her on to stop them. Scott had Isaac in a headlock, in turn Isaac grabbed and lifting Scott off of the floor rammed them into lockers. Fortunately, their growling couldn't be heard over the cheers. When Allison could think of nothing else to do, she ran forward when they were grappling, and hoping Scott would forgive her the embarrassment, she kicked in the back of Scott's knees. Both Isaac and Scott clattered to the floor on opposite sides of the hall.
Shouting they were idiots, Lydia moved between the two and cut them off. They both went silent, but the crowd goaded them on, booing and cheering for them to continue as Coach approached. Lydia looked to Scott on all fours. Clearly not knowing what to do, she yanked at his collar "I think we should run."
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Track 06 - Help I'm Alive (Unplugged) by Metric
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The crowd was forced to disperse, while in the confusion Lydia made it all the way to the Chem-Lab and locked the door behind them. Although she had been part of his rescue-team her words were pointed accusations.
"Twice in a week," she stepped forward, near enough that he stepped back, "why the sudden rush of brotherly concern?"
Voices of the Teachers were like Riot Squads in a war zone. Scott felt dizzy and oppressed by every feeling, every sound, every smell and every fiber in him wanted to claw its way out through the four walls and run wild. He tried to find the ground beneath him, to center himself, he tried to find his breath but all he had were waking growls of something untamed unraveling in his core. Lydia stepped into his purview; he closed his eyes focusing on her words, on her smells, detergents, of jasmine hair products and kiwi lip glosses, negative emotions of anger, more than that. Concern, confusion and hurt. With her hand on his bare arm, she snapped him to the present, her frozen fingers burned everything else out like the sealing of a vault.
"Scott? What is going on with you?"
"I'm sorry," he sighed, "I'm not great at this yet. I keep trying to help and messing everything up. With Allison and now you."
Lydia rolled her eyes at that. She almost corrected him about Allison, Allison thought he was a saint. She would bet if he grew a lizard's tail Allison would still be devoted but she abandoned that argument. It wasn't worth her breath. "Don't worry about me, weirdo. Worry about yourself."
When Lydia moved to leave Scott stepped in the way and she practically leapt back. He put his hands up and apologized but it didn't matter, he had ignited something.
"It should matter that now you care?" her tone was bitter. "Is this part of your lessons from Allison, how to act like a real boy? Or did it take you 6 years to grow a conscience?"
"If 6 years isn't enough, how long will it take for you to forgive me?"
Surprised at his frankness, Lydia stared at him and shifted her weight from one foot to the other while she processed her thoughts. Wittiness wasn't her intent, neither was hurt but her answer was effective "why should I?"
Lydia hadn't understood the question any more than she understood why they couldn't untie what bound them. The look of hurt on Scott's face matched what Lydia felt in her core and she had to get out of the room. But when she turned to leave, she fell forward. As Scott caught hold Lydia grabbed onto his shoulders for support and he gasped but kept quiet about how much colder her touch was.
"You're going to make a big deal about this too." Whispered breath came easier, her legs steadied, and she stood upright.
He shook his head, but she didn't believe him. The gold change in his eyes was evidence otherwise.
"And who should I believe? That or you?" Lydia slipped away, leaving Scott in an empty room distracted by the monster in the windows reflection.
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Track 07 - Progress and Perseverance by Safety Scissors
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Coach caught up with Isaac but not for fighting. No, not that. After all anything that would lead to suspension would take one of his star players off of the team. BUT Coach could not abide the destruction of school property. Especially the Lacrosse Team's property, after all, couldn't Isaac understand how expensive it was to replace? And who breaks a lacrosse stick so easily? Especially so close to game days? It didn't matter however angry Isaac was, or who started what but 'roid rage would not be tolerated. Didn't he have small animals at home he could abuse?
Isaac proposed the lacrosse stick might have been defective and Coach should be thankful he found it in time. Coach didn't know how to process that and went mumbling away after giving him endurance drills to run before practice the next day.
Allison listened from outside of the locker room; she intended to make sure Isaac hadn't been hurt by Scott. She played bits and pieces of the day through her head again and noticed Isaac could take a hit. From her training experience, people don't get that way without learning how to give as good as they got. She slipped away before the Coach finished rattling off the season's insurance cost versus betting on the team's Championship wins.
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Track 08 - You Hold by The Mispers
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"Scott," Allison inched along the hallway.
After the fight, Lydia and Scott had vanished into the scattering crowd. They managed to not get caught which gave her confidence that they were safe from prying eyes but safe from tearing each other apart was another thing entirely.
"Scott," pleaded Allison in a small voice, hoping he could hear her over the bustle of school noises. Desperation was setting in, but she couldn't raise her voice without being found out. With her book bag, cellphone inside, abandoned in the library and not having supernatural hearing herself meant the only choice left to reach out to him was to creep from door to door.
"Allison."
It was little more than a whisper, it might as well have been imagined but Allison latched onto it and raced along the hallway until she found the Chem-Lab unlocked. Her relief died quickly when she saw Scott's face held unnatural features of bright eyes, hallowed out cheeks and fangs. She took off her jacket and covered his head as she yanked him stumbling undercover through the hall and down the nearest stairs towards an exit.
"Where's Lydia?" she whispered.
"I think I scared her away," he partly growled, partly grumbled.
"Which way did she go?" As she feared, he points upward toward the stairwell in the direction opposite. It was hopeless; she could not head in two directions at once. Getting a growling Scott, glowing eyes and all, to take a sick day was the priority.
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Track 09 - Breathe Me by Sia
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Isaac had partly ascended the stairs from the locker rooms when he heard them whispering, not as quietly as they might have thought. He even clearly heard Allison's frustration for not being by Lydia's side, Lydia who'd gone in the opposite direction.
After the period changed over, his classmates went from free period to their next class, but Lydia wasn't among them. After considering her schedule he retraced her footsteps, it led eventually to the upstairs bathroom farthest from any of her classrooms and to the sound of her trying not to cry.
"Go away!" she sobbed when he knocked at the bathroom stall.
"That's not scaring me off," he smirked, and it sounded in his voice. "That is the least offensive thing you've yelled at me today, so I think I'm going to stay put."
"I don't want to talk to you! I don't want to talk to anybody!" she riled.
"I brought your things from the library," he dropped Allison's and her weighty purse onto the floor beside the stall. She didn't yell in reply which was a sort of improvement.
The door creaked open, and she slipped out, her eyes were watery, and her voice cracked but she patted her face dry, and her stare was firm.
"I am furious at you for getting Scott involved with my personal life," she announced as if he didn't already know. He nodded contritely.
"I'm missing a chem quiz because of this" she also announced, and he admitted he also knew that.
She let out a shiver and wound her arms tight around her chest, "I'm freezing," she complained to which he admitted he knew. After a pause, with a faint smirk he added his body temperature always ran hot.
Lydia scowled at him for a long moment, looked at the clock on the wall opposite then pulled him into the bathroom stall with her.
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Track 10 - The Night Starts Here by The xx
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{Afternoon – 'Look-Out Point', Beacon Hills Nature Preserve}
Parked on a hillside overlooking trees, a bridge and browns and greens as far as the eye could see, Allison and Scott waited. She asked why Isaac picked a fight with Scott.
"It was the other way around," Scott admitted with a groan. "For Lydia to gut him like that, in front of everyone, don't you think he must have really hurt her?"
Allison stared up at the way the leaves made stars of the sunlight bursting through, "no. actually." She felt a twinge of guilt that Isaac and Lydia exploded as they had. But her instinct said to leave it alone.
Instead, they listed off things they felt were fortunate and unfortunate;
1. Fortunately, Allison didn't lock her car door.
2. Unfortunately, they hadn't realized that before Scott scraped up the handle a bit trying to pick the lock.
3. Fortunately, they weren't noticed skipping school
4. Fortunately, they were skipping school together.
5. Unfortunately, Scott could not control his temper and keep out of a fight.
6. Fortunately, he hadn't actually hurt anyone in a lethal capacity
(Unfortunately, Allison suspected that had more to do with Isaac's nature than Scott's, but she didn't want to unnerve him before she had proof.)
"It's your turn."
"Hmm?"
"To list something, it's your turn," said Scott, with an easy smile. He lay stretched along the roof of her car like a large cat.
"Uhm, fortunately Lydia didn't use her lethal capabilities on you both," she grinned, propping her head up on her hand while she lay on her side, admiring the view of him.
"I don't know about that. She pretty much murdered Isaac's reputation," Scott's face scrunched up as if he had just suffered a blow.
"Are you feeling bad for him over that? But not over jumping him in the hallway?" She dropped her hand, but kept her arm folded so it pillowed her head and brought their faces closer.
Scott looked thoroughly confused as he worked his mind to drum up clearer memory of events.
"That's different," he extended a hand, splaying his fingers wide against the sky. His claws had yet to retract. "I don't know why that triggered. I don't know why Lydia triggered it, or why dreams are drawing me out of my home."
Allison reached out and touched a finger lightly to his temple and dragged it along the shape of his eye, across his cheek bone, down to his jaw, softly along the slopes of his skin, where it was sometimes soft and sometimes not. The sun blasted his face with such an overlay of light she felt the need to make the lines of him real again or he might slip away. The way his worries were taking him away, away from school, away from his friends, away from his Mom and little by little away from her. He turned to look at her while her fingers lingered, his brows cinched together in bemusement. She reached up and touched those lines as well before she leaned forward slowly, to watch his eyes, dark again, no longer glowing but still magical, fall shut. Just as magically his dimple appeared right before she shut her eyes and pressed her lips to his.
"Hi," he said wistfully when she leaned away.
"Hey," she said casually. They scooted closer, he turned on his side to face her and when he reached between them to hold hands, he noticed his claws had retracted.
"Scott," she brought up "you're not always going to be in control but that's not a bad thing."
"How?"
"Your healing, for one," she said smugly, he smirked in return. "Sometimes it's nice to have super healing even if you're unconscious." Allison half-way sat up, "I need to tell you something."
Before he could question how she seemed, once more, to know so much Allison threw herself full throttle into her findings. She explained that because of the low resources within Sheriff's department her family was tapped for their expertise in weaponry they gained access to the evidence room. The woman was shot with a silver bullet, her blood, which hadn't bled out onto the pavement, coagulated to black. It's also worth noting the man's body tried to mend while it died. The bones where it should have capped from being broken the calcium deposits kept accumulating. Both definitely Werewolves. The Sheriff's department was also considering asking for the help of the local animal clinic to aide in the future, since there were strange animal markings on both bodies.
When Scott mentioned that he had once had a summer job at the clinic Allison jokingly suggested he might want to reach out again.
With better access to the police, he could trust her to do more research out in the field, so even if he didn't see her out in the game stands, she had his back.
"I have to go into practice early tomorrow," he sighed, very disappointed with that suggestion, they readjusted until she lifted her head to rest it on his shoulder.
"Yeah?"
"I have to go, don't I? I'm Co-Captain."
Allison gave him an incredulous look, she agreed with the sentiment he needed to hold onto his normal life but somehow hearing him say it aloud it sounded like the silliest thing, "You think you can handle it?"
"Yeah. Sure. I think," his voiced wavered as he went on until it eventually cracked.
"I guess you won't know until you do it."
"If you come back to support me," Scott got keyed up, "you can monitor how I respond to Isaac. In case something goes wrong-"
Allison opened her mouth to object, for what reason she wasn't sure. She wanted to ensure Scott's safety always. And she wanted to know more about Isaac; what his ability was if any and why he had an effect on Scott? Or was this all just a fluke chalked up to Scott's new innate territorialism? Whatever reason she would attend didn't matter, she never wanted him to lose faith in her.
"Scott, I will always be with you."
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Track 11 - The Joke by East Cameron
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{Sunset – Beacon Hills Veterinary Clinic, Sunny Hill, BH. CA}
The veterinarian hadn't locked the front door despite having had the "Closed" sign up, almost as if he expected after-hour visitors. Sherriff Stilinski and Deputy Parrish presented the investigation straightforwardly. Deputy Parrish had expected some hesitance on the Sheriff's part, but it was wrong to expect the man to be uncertain while on the verge of an authentic lead.
There was something about the vet, Doctor Deaton, which reminded him of the Sheriff, they had a similar critical mind and certainty while he digested the information.
"Do you mind taking a look at those pictures? Sacramento still can't determine the animal."
Deaton didn't say so, but his face changed, and his interest was piqued despite his answer, "I'm not exactly an expert. This is the woman who was attacked?"
The Sheriff was used to seeing these photos but passing them over, despite it being within his jurisdiction, still felt like exposing her. Deaton noticed, gave a nod of thanks and touched the photos with care.
"Yeah," Deputy Parrish added. "And we found wolf hairs on her body."
"And wolves haven't been in California for, like, 60 years." Sheriff noted. He felt like adding more but waited to hear what Deaton's observations would be.
"True enough," Deaton nodded and tilted his head along with the photo as if he could teleport to the scene, as if he could find something there and touch the true surface. "But wolves are highly migratory. They could have wandered in from another state driven by impulse or strong enough memory."
"Wolves have memories?" Parrish gripped onto the second file and waited on the Sheriff's sign to stay or go.
"Longer-term memories, yes. Associated with a primal drive. See this one here?"
"Yeah," the Sheriff leaned in further.
"Those claw marks." He drew his finger over the photo, careful not to touch the surface. "A wolf would have gone for the throat or the spinal cord with its teeth."
"So, what do you think, it's a mountain lion?" he sounded discomforted and relieved.
"I don't know." Deaton handed the photos back to Deputy Parrish who slides it against the Sheriff's second files. "A wolf could chase down its prey, hobbling it by tearing at the ankles. And then the throat."
"If this thing has memories but it's not a wolf, what else can be?" Parrish intercut.
Deaton's looked intrigued and straightened his posture, "why would you suspect it's been here before?"
"Because it has been," Sheriff Stilinski put his hand out and Parrish handed over the files, "6 years ago."
This time around, Deaton knew the files were both precious and out of the ordinary, the pages were colored, and the photos dated but the evidence was undeniably similar. What Deaton wouldn't do to teleport into that scene?
The Doctor took a seat and silently perused the file for what seemed like a small eternity and when he looked up at the Sheriff he asked, "how can I help you?"
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Track 12 - Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey
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{Nightfall - McCall House, Lakewood Neighborhood, BH. CA}
Scott had barely gotten through the front door when his Mom's voice rang through the kitchen, "are you hungry?"
Old habits die hard when he answered, "God Yes!" before he sensed something was off. Hell, teenage boy senses should have sensed there was a trap.
"That's great," Melissa McCall added cheerfully, "so am I!" She sat with her hands propped up underneath her chin. She stayed that way for an awkwardly long time for a woman so animated.
Scott groaned and smacked a hand over his face, "It was my night to bring home dinner."
"It was," she stood smoothly came around the table and confronted him, "but you don't have to worry about that." She cupped his face and brought him to focus, her warm dark eyes the mirror of his own, "I've lost my appetite. Really, Scott fighting? You're lucky you didn't get suspended."
"I'm sorry Mom," he flinched, her tone hurt more than any blow she could have dealt.
"What were you thinking?"
"Honestly, I thought no one saw me."
She smacked him on the head and stepped aside, "THAT'S what you have to say! I just spent 30 minutes on the phone with your Coach. Strange, strange man-" she shook her head, more in confusion than dismay.
"uh, yeah." Scott disrobed of his backpack and coat quickly and followed her to the kitchen while she took out dinner items.
"He says you're going to do endurance runs after practice plus you have to be on the field for drills, before zero period tomorrow. He said be there so early its yesterday."
"Sounds like him," he took out the cutting board as she handed him fresh vegetables from the crisper.
"If I had my way, you wouldn't be on the Team anymore at all-"
"Mom, No! Please, You Can't! I beg you! I'm Co-Captain! They Need ME! I NEED Them! Please anything bbut That!"
"Funny. You sound exactly like your Coach," she looked at him quizzically, awkwardly startled still while holding out packet chicken cutlets. "Strange."
"Please Mom."
"What's going on Scott? Cutting school, getting into fights. Oh, yes, I know about you cutting school. This isn't like you."
Having no idea what to reply Scott turned to defrost the chicken.
"Is it, you know-"
"It's not drugs! Mom, I would never take drugs. After all I've seen at the ER." Scott spun around, hands flailing in the air, chicken slime still on his fingertips.
"Drugs?!" Melissa stepped forward, her finger pointing an accusation, "who said anything about Drugs? I was going to say 'peer-pressure'. Do I need to have your urine tested?"
"God, no Mom!" he half-laugh, half-whined. He stepped forward and hugged her at an awkward angle. All elbows keeping his hands up in the air to not touch his Mom's back. "I'll do better. I just had a really bad day. A guy on the team had a really bad break up with Lydia. I lost my cool. It won't happen again. I swear."
"You had better." She pulled away and kissed his cheek, "babe, these things are going to happen. Feelings are going to get stomped on, hearts are going to get broken so they can heal up stronger. But... if you see someone hurt your friend again, be smart. Wait till they get off school grounds to settle things, do you hear me?"
"Y-yes," he felt incredibly uncomfortable. His Mom worked to heal hundreds of bodies a day. And she had never before condoned violence, but his senses didn't lie, and her heart rate did not falter.
"Good," she turned and started toward the stairs, "now you've made me late for an appointment with a hot shower."
"But Mom. Dinner?" Scott held up his gooey hands in dispute.
"Right, I expect beans with that. Black ones. Tomorrow, I want soup instead of salad with yellow rice and pork chops. I haven't decided on Sunday yet but I'm thinking Fish."
"That's my punishment?" he shouted as she disappeared upstairs and behind the bathroom door.
"That's my son," she announced smugly.
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Track 13 - Mess Around by Indiana
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{Saturday: Morning – BHHS, City Central, BH. CA}
Student services at BHHS offered weekend cram sessions leading up to the Midterms.
Sessions were set in blocks of two-segments; first block [9am-11am], second block [12pm-2pm]. With an hour lunch break in between. Both Lydia and Allison signed up for them although one signed up to tutor and the other signed up to be the tutored.
Lydia signed up for both sessions, Allison only for the afternoon, which granted them just enough time to share a meal before trudging back into the depths.
While Allison waited around in Student Parking to trade off food between Scott and Lydia (she had brought them both Chinese takeout to share, even if they refused to sit down together). She caught sight of Isaac as he came through the side exit, and she waved him over. Her open expression and awkward smile, a gesture of charm had almost the effect as if she were fly fishing. She apologized; if she knew suggesting a double-date would have created so much drama she would have kept her mouth shut.
"It was nice to be considered on the boyfriend list for a moment, even if it immediately short-listed me for the shit list," Isaac half-smiled, from his height a shrug to her seemed like lifting up the world's troubles.
Allison apologized again, "You're definitely not on a 'shit' list. You stared down two dragons in one day. That's pretty damn brave actually."
"I feel like I should apologize again," she hopped off the hood of her car and confronted Isaac head on. His embarrassment was clear, "I'm really sorry. I'm sorry I painted a bull's eye on your back, I just thought Lydia venting with you would be a good thing."
Isaac wasn't certain if Allison knew how spot on her assessment was. He stood to leave, "trust me, I was glad to be of service, but it wasn't like I was her diary. That girl, man is repression wrapped up in luxury accessories."
She frowned. That was not the feedback she had expected, and she wouldn't be happy with those results, "maybe it is just restlessness because of her nightmares."
"What nightmares?" he failed to convince himself he wasn't interested. The practice hunched shoulders, the hands shoved in his pockets, even the start to walk off, but his body swerved back around in need to know.
"You don't know?" surprised, Allison had to follow it up, "but haven't you been sleeping together?"
Isaac's brow rose, his head ducked to the side as if he could dodge his own awkward reply. "There was very little sleeping during the time we spent together."
Later on, Allison would wish she had at least paused before she laughed, "I'm not exactly surprised."
"Thanks."
"It's not anything mean. I mean I hope not, it's just that you're type," Allison pointed out, gesturing toward his torso mostly despite the fact that he wasn't bulky. He wasn't brolic like any of the other team members, "isn't exactly short in supply when it comes to stamina."
"Lacrosse players?"
"Sure," her brows went up minutely, but she didn't smile.
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Track 14 - Beautiful Pain (feat. Sia) by Eminem
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{Mid-Morning – Industrial Junction, BH}
Further South along the Highway the land collected water and tall grass into mossy shapes people who lived nearby affectionately referred to as The Ponds. The land sank too often to construct housing on it, but it still had an abandoned service station in its heart. If you didn't mind the earthy tones, which Kali loved underfoot, then this was the ideal place to settle in unnoticed. Well, almost unnoticed.
Kali left the entrance open because anyone would be foolish to walk into a den of monsters, but the Twins didn't care. They wanted their presence known like ballers blowing trumpets along their path. If they came through expecting some sort of warm welcome because they were now Alphas, they were mistaken. Their packs had had an uneasy alliance since long before Kali had been born.
Made shakier with Deb's absence unseating.
These were the times to test those ties.
Packs had come through these underground halls before and they were too small to be at capacity, it even smelled of too many people. Even in while in hiding, Kali could plot head games like the best.
"You've got as much business being here as the talking corpse we have strung up," she made certain they saw her captive as soon as they entered, distasteful as it was. Kali wasn't proud of her torture victim exactly, but she wasn't ashamed of it either.
It was a necessary evil. Alphas quickly grew to understand the horrors committed to keep their pack alive and safe.
"We came to collect our dead," Ethan said straight-faced. Aiden stared at the body and wondered if the body was even still alive. The heartbeat sounded impossibly slow.
"Debs," Aiden said the name to remind Kali of her old friend and long-time drinking buddy.
It had a certain sort of effect but not the one they had expected. Kali laughed and laughed until it appeared her side ached.
"That bitch," Kali wiped at her eyes. When she opened them again, they were hard and angry in contrast to her behavior, "leaving Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dumb as Alphas. Not likely."
"She was killed by the same Monster that's been taking out Werewolves." Aiden growled unsure which he found more insulting; Kali laughing at Debs' passing or insulting their status in front of his pack. Evidently from Ethan's elongated fangs, his brother felt the same.
"What do you care?" Kali walked idly toward the prostrated body, "she was dead to you already. She must have been an Omega. She and the both of you got Christmas early, didn't you? She closer kin to me than any of-"
"This Monster is slaughtering humans, Omegas and Betas," explained Ethan, "who knows what's next on the menu? Maybe Alphas?"
Kali laughed and wrenched back the man's head by his elongated ear, the Werewolf moaned low. She examined him and seemed content to know her victim wasn't dead, yet.
"You can see I'm in the middle of something more important than your childish scary stories-"
"Debs didn't think it was childish. 4 days ago, she called to warn us, her Pack. Less than 12 hours later she ended up practically pulled inside out on a curb in the middle of nowhere...oh, no wait, not nowhere. Right here in Beacon Hills."
As if summoned from shadows, Kali's pack stepped out from pathways throughout the underground. The Twins pack members were 5 compared to Kali's just shy of 10 with a home-field advantage. But she showed a notable loss.
"You are wearing out your welcome children. That has got nothing to do with me."
"Doesn't it?" Aiden grinned. "Where Marsten?" Her second in command.
Kali growled, fangs creating a grin that she turned on her own people.
"Have I got a little spy in the ranks?" with an arched brow, she moved along her pack and smelled the anxiety off the small redhead standing stiffly closest to the exit.
"I'm not spying," the redhead claimed calmly, her chin held high despite her follow up sentiment. "I'm scared. We should be running."
"Like Debs ran?" added Kali. Her eyes were steady and Midnight-Dark as she grabbed firm hold of the girl's chin and glared down at her, locked onto Ocean-Blue.
Aiden growled, claws snapped out reflexively. Ethan stepped forward and gestured to the guy strapped to the linked and barbed wire fence against a moss riddled wall, ankle deep pond water. The fresh water that seeped through kept the blood from stagnating, but it also brought in the outside chill leaving the half-naked man to likely suffer hypothermia. They didn't want to end up like that.
"What are you even doing with this guy when there is still killing going on?"
"This guy," Kali dropped her Beta with disinterest and stepped toward her catch, as proud as a cat playing with a mouse, "his pack have been part of this land since before there were people settled here. If anyone can give me answers as to what's really going on in Beacon Hills, it'll be him."
She reached for a crank by the wall and locked it into a new setting. A pulley system twisted against the barbed wires, pulled the man into alignment setting off popping sounds and he twitched into animation. He howled and snapped at them. Kali looked barely interested. Just taking out her anger on the bystander.
"You're fucking crazy," Aiden scoffed.
"You stick around here, all you're doing is making that Monster a buffet," Ethan pointed out and gestured for his pack members to move toward the exits.
"Then why are you even here?" Kali snapped and stepped toward them. Everyone in the room froze in apprehension.
"We came for our dead?" Aiden growled, his toothy grin an accusation as damning as his words. "Are you staying for yours?"
"Oh," Kali walked slowly toward him, bare feet with her extended black claws, gnarled tapping, the only prominent sound in the world, "you thought after just having your title dropped onto you, you could play with the grownups?" she encircled Aiden slowly. As she did so, Ethan stepped forward, claws out with a flick. They sandwiched her.
Members from both sides muttered with unease: Their packs had once been fast friends: Santos from Kali's pack had once mentored Ethan and Aiden, his divided natured helped guide the Twins combined to shapeshift and keep their identities. Bridy from the Twin's Pack, the seemingly simplest, idolized Ginger, the redhead in Kali's pack, as though she were a big sister. Huntington was the not-so straight, straight man from Kali's pack and Gus the goof of the Twins pack, together they were practically inseparable. But then Kali had members like Levi, real nutters though Marsten was the worst. They were killers for killings sake. The Twins had their loose cannon, in what? The wildcard, Gus, was unhinged before the bite. The Werejaguar, Marta brought a world wisdom from below the border to temper the Twins, while even her scowl could kill, yet even her tempered patience was being tested in Kali's make-shift torture nest.
Ginger was the first to cross the line, well inch toward it. Not in an attack, but in surrender.
"This is fucking stupid" she threw her hands up and moved toward the hall. "If we're really lucky we might all kill each other before the big bad boogie Monster gets a chance to."
With a slow shake of her head, a deep and terrible growl that ripped through the underground Kali set everyone back a few steps. Kali pointed an accusatory finger toward the Twins, specifically toward Aiden, Kali's breathe caressed Gingers' face. The girl shuddered and stumbled back, her doc martin's sliding against the moist ground.
"You think if you run, you'll run to him?" Kali smirked; pleased at the blow to the soul of her Beta, her girl. When her girl opened her eyes again, they were Ocean-Blue no longer but Yellow-Gold and narrowed into slits.
"Ginger." Ethan called out to her. He said her name because he knew if Aiden called to her, his voice would crack. Ethan cared for her on behalf of Aiden, while not in the same way, not like a girlfriend but he still wanted her safe.
The girl's eyes flittered around the members of both packs as if she searched through missing members.
"Aiden," her eyes clouded over, her copper hair looked like rivets of blood in the dark "get out of here." She stepped back, defeated and waved them off as someone would push back a nagging pet. "No one should be here who doesn't believe in the cause." Misery weighed down on as if a landslide washed through and she hugged her arms over her mid-drift. She wouldn't make eye contact with Aiden, or Kali for that matter.
"Fuck causes. Fuck Beacon Hills," Aiden's voice rivaled Kali's earlier rumbling. When he looked over his eyes flashed red, a reminder of his Alpha standing, despite his age.
Ethan put a hand on his Twin's shoulder and pulled him away. They could fight but they would lose, not because they didn't have the numbers but without Aiden's true conviction, they didn't have the strength.
Aiden drew himself up and ushered his pack away, conducting his duty to keep them safe but he wondered why Kali would show such smug devotion to a Beta who clearly held no loyalty to her.
When the Twins climbed onto their Kawasaki's the pint-sized Bridy bounded to Aiden's side. Her wild brown strands whipping him in the face, and hot breath brushed the side of his face. "She's watching" Bridy whispered.
"They're all watching," Gus mocked. Bridy glared hard at him.
Aiden ordered them to get going and they did. Bridy hopped onto her Cruiser and sped off, irritated and didn't look back. Marta had a Thunder Bird Triumph, a bike so vast she may as well as been driving a small sofa. Gus climbed on obediently behind her, riding bitch as he was ordered.
Ethan gave him another pat of assurance on his shoulder to steady his thoughts before he turned on the engine. Aiden smiled at him with no teeth and settled onto seat. Ethan was stronger, stricter, and bolder while Aiden was divided and entertained dumb-ass weak thoughts like running. But they were weak thoughts because even when he imagined running for safety, he couldn't imagine doing it alone.
While Aiden drove off, dark helmet locked over his face, he looked through the rearview. All of Kali's pack came out to see them off but Ginger stood further off, she stood outside of The Ponds, closer to the towards him on the highway. Even as they grew smaller in his rearview, he could make out a shadow of hoodie and studded tight black jeans, tiny mid-drift where exposed skin reflected bright against the moon. Her silhouette made a path breaking through the highway into the horizon. The way she watched reminded him of how it was in the end. How Debs stole glances of Coot when she fought over her Alphahood, and then she didn't fear pain or banishment-
While waiting outside of the City Morgue for Marta to collect Debs and Coot's ashes, Ethan talked Bridy down from kicking Gus to death. Normally she was the warily sensible, she and Gus kept unique balance, but emotions made them wild this night. To be fair, their mixed natured pack was highly emotional one. Aiden had opted to stay out of their spat when he received a text.
· "No one should be anywhere, with anyone they don't believe in."
· "I won't run to you. but I will run with you."
On their bikes again they stayed idle and discussed where it was, they should spread their friends' ashes; Gus wanted to smoke them. Bridy wanted the Ocean. Marta said somewhere still and upwind. Ethan suggested somewhere nearby so they could get it over with. Aiden suggested the woods just North, Debs and Coot were headed that way anyway. When they finally agreed he felt better, like a leader, braver, guiltless.
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Track 15 - Raise Your Weapon by deadmau5
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{Industrial Junction, beneath The Ponds}
"That was distracting." Lark added blithely. She couldn't have been bothered to get involved with the squabbles from earlier. She barely even left her bunk. It hadn't gone unnoticed, and Kali cast a warning look to keep keeping her distance.
"It's a shame about Debs," Huntington came through and stopped beside Lark, putting his lanky body between her and Kali's.
"It's a shame about all of them," Santos pointed out, "Didn't you notice? Coots, Bozeman, Naylor even Luna were all gone."
"They probably all just jumped ship," Kali snapped, pacing the room.
"What if they're dead? That's almost half their Pack gone." Levi suggested.
"What if Marsten's dead? We're vulnerable too," said Ginger hovered in the entryway, her hood pulled low. All that could be made out were the cold glare, like pinholes of diamonds; she could easily have scared clear a children's school yard.
"Shut Up! Shut..." Kali snarled and breathed a calming breath "shut your ignorant useless little mouths." She paced the room glaring all of them into silence, even Santos tall as he stood. "That pack will be nothing but wanderers or roadkill by the next full moon but not us. We're going to find and kill whatever this thing is before it kills again."
"Why?" Santos asked, because someone had to. Debs was the only victim of the Monster they personally knew, so far. Why did their pack have to get wholly involved?
"Because no one gets left behind," she said and turned away from them. They knew it should have been a comfort to know that if they had been taken, injured or compromised in some way, the rest of the Pack would go through all of this for them. But the ante had risen.
"Marsten wouldn't want you to wager all of our lives for his," Lark said, more cautiously than before because she was both right and afraid.
"We'll just have to ask him when we get him back," Kali sighed; she tried and failed to sound encouraging.
The sound of footsteps started to come along the hallway once more. A few of Kali's pack slinked away as Ennis' pack started to arrive. Ennis was eager and happy to see Kali, another set of longtime companions. But not as long as Debs, she couldn't help but remember. When he lifted a latch against the wall and freezing water rushed from a drainage pipe along the dip created by time, leakage and pond water under their prisoner's feet.
"My turn," Ennis was all but gleeful. The prisoner squirmed into life, awoke with a start and tremble hard enough to nearly convulse against his binds. "I see some new scars, Kali. Did we get anything out of him?"
"No," she sighed, "8 hours and the man has done nothing but chant 'Alpha, Beta, Omega' as if it could cure him. He hasn't even turned all the way so, that is some control."
"Have you had to revive him?"
"Not yet?"
"I bet I could-"
"We need him to talk, not to die."
"HE'S SAYING SOMETHING!" Quint, the youngest in Ennis' pack called to them.
"Is he muttering 'I'm freezing?'" Ennis waited.
"Yeah. Sorry. I'll help my Father look at him instead," Quint sounded like a wounded bird chirping away pathetically.
"Do that!" Ennis shook his head and look at Kali in commiseration. "How do we know he has something to say?"
"Because," she sauntered closer toward the hostage bringing Ennis in her wake, "a Hale appears in these parts for the first time in over a decade, immediately followed by a Monster."
Ennis grinning reached over and turned off the water. Doc brought out a box and from it a picana, while Quint dragged over a car battery.
"Come on Derek," Ennis manhandled the control box while Doc clamped bronze tip to the back of the victim's neck and extended the wire to the control box. "If you don't tell us who It is, we'll just find where your pack is hiding and make them tell us."
Derek breathed in deep into his diaphragm. He held onto the image of his Mom, his mentor, his teacher and her lessons. Be prepared. Everything would go white with a spark until everything would freeze again and it would happen again and again.
"Alpha, Beta, Omega. Alpha, Beta, Omega. Alpha, Beta, Omega."
Playlists: have been transferred over from 8tracks to youtubeDOTcom / bhanesidhe