Chapter Fifteen: Blood Moon

Derek found himself alone weeks later, standing in front of the Hale house. His body was tense, his eyes gleaming brightly. They glowed in the light of the full moon, a rich and deep shade of gold.

He could hear the others coming. Lyra and Abby, in their true wolf forms, then Scott, then the Betas followed. They were far ahead from what they were all running from.

Derek rolled onto the balls of his feet, his claws elongating. He bared his teeth.

Lyra burst into the clearing first, then changed into her human form, her eyes a dull red. She turned quickly, even as the others came and dropped behind her, slinking low, snarling.

Derek moved forward, standing behind the three Alphas. Like the other Betas, he stood closest to his Alpha. Isaac stood close to Abby, and Kira and Malia stood with Scott.

Weapons were cocked from above, where the Argents stood on the roof of the house, blending into the shadows. And Stiles stood within the house, holding flashbombs, his heart racing loud enough for the wolves to hear from where they stood.

The pack Peter had drawn together had struck again only days after Lyra had gone to visit Matt's grave, attacking her when she returned. Two were still in the hospital, unconscious, and Melissa said it would be unlikely that they woke up, even if they were werewolves.

Lyra had howled, calling to her pack, which was now blended with Abby's and Scott's. They were small packs on their own, but together, they were formidable.

Scott and Isaac had been the first to arrive, followed by Derek and Abby. They had fought the other wolves in the cemetery, inches from where Matt's gravestone stood.

In a moment of distraction, Lyra had turned her back on two of the larger wolves when Isaac had been struck down. She had reached for him, ready to pull him out of the fight. When she had sensed the other wolves, she had turned, ready to strike, but Derek had intercepted their attacks.

The result was Derek being torn apart right in front of Lyra, all while she had been covered with the spray of his blood as the first wolves ripped into Derek's neck. Fury had overtaken the Alpha female, but she didn't change into that black nightmare again. Instead, they were thrown into the woods, their bodies tearing down several trees. Later they were left on the floor on the hospital entrance by the Argents.

Derek had nearly bled out right there, his blood soaking into the earth. But Lyra had only smiled, and said, "Hang on, Alpha Derek. I'll make it better."

Then she healed him, like Derek had healed Cora. She gripped his arm tightly, pulling his pain out of his body while giving her strength away. Black veins had crept across both of their forearms, and Lyra had unleashed a loud howl, but they did not know if it was out of agony or something else. Cora had to intercede, pulling them apart before Lyra gave too much away.

It was later they discovered that Lyra had given Derek enough power for his eyes to once again change. So they were gold again, a familiar shade he hadn't seen since he was a young teenager. Isaac had been the one to wonder out loud if Lyra had held in any longer, if she could make him am Alpha again.

"She has the strength of several," the younger Beta had pointed out. "It's not impossible."

But they hadn't had time to explore that curious thought. Even with Peter and Cyrus gone, the pack still saw Lyra has the enemy and as a threat, so they came at her again and again.

Even now, a small cluster of unfamiliar wolves emerged from the trees, their eyes gleaming, teeth bared. They stuck close together, wary, eyeing the Alphas.

Lyra moved forward, snarling deeply, giving them a clear warning. She stood in an aggressive stance, eyes forward and head lowered, shoulders back and hands curved into wicked claws. She radiated power and the other wolves could sense it.

Then there were the others, backing her up, each with different eye colors, some even radiating a different kid of power, but together they stood as one.

But one of the other wolves, a tall, skinny female with dark auburn hair, stepped forward. Her eyes were bright blue, and her hands were smeared with dirt and blood. She snarled at Lyra.

Then there was another rumble, a series of growls overlapping, signalling the arrival of more wolves. It was Victoria, leading Sam, Ryan, and Pierce. They took their place among the joined pack.

The red haired female hesitated at the sight, but then lunged at Lyra, swiping out her sharp claws. Lyra dodged them with ease,.moving much faster. She sent a fist into the other female's cheek, which made her crash into the dirt. Then the other wolves moved forward.

The fight was short and ruthless. The Alpha's side opted to fight more like humans, not wanting to spill anymore blood. But the other wolves were cunning and merciless, but in the end, it was the unity of the Alpha's pack that won out.

When they watched a few wolves scramble into the woods, whimpering in pain, Scott stood panting over those who had been knocked unconscious. He looked at Lyra.

Lyra winced, rubbing a hand over her thigh. It bore a deep gash, and the denim now revealed her triskelion tattoo. But even as Scott watched, the flesh knitted itself together, leaving behind nothing but blood.

Scott lugged breathlessly. When Stiles asked what was so funny, he grinned at Lyra. "I know what we should call ourselves."

"The Justice League?" Lyra asked sarcastically, lifting a brow.

Scott snorted. His eyes gleamed, but it was from excitement. "The Triskelion Pack. Each point is an Alpha. You, me, and Abby. Together we are stronger."

Lyra exchanged a look with her younger sister. Then she smiled. "Not a bad name, McCall. Not bad at all."

Ooo0ooO

Later that night, as the moon made its final descent, Lyra laid out across the roof of the Hale house, stretching out her legs. Energy still hummed through her veins, leftover from the fight and from the moon's pull.

She rested a hand over her stomach, sighing. Her nose twitched as a moth flew by, and she listened to the sound of bat's wings and the cry of nighttime birds.

She felt good, better than she had in a while. After going to see Matt, she felt more at peace with losing him. And now, with the three packs together as one, she felt like she was getting a whole new family.

Sighing, she smiled, if not a little smugly. And for a while, she dreamed.

She saw a dandelion seed rooted deep within the earth. Slowly, the seed shifted, then split open, revealing green roots, before sprouting from the ground. It then grew tall, before releasing more seeds, which the wind took away.

A black wolf slunk from the shadows, dark as night, its eyes changing from red to green and back. It had a small white mark on its chest, almost like a birthmark, and it looked familiar...

Then she heard the steady dripping of water, which fell into a tall glass. Slowly, the glass filled, until it reached the brim. Then the drops changed, darkened, and thickened. It was blood, swirling into the water, forming a familiar, three point shape which slowly went from red, to brown, then finally, to black...

Lyra opened her eyes slowly.

Somewhere deep inside her, she could feel her wolf moving restlessly. It had been that way for three months now, and she felt it more strongly now under the full moon. She figured it was because of the moon, but instinct told her it was something more.

What is it? she asked.

There was no response. She felt as though her wolf was just eyeing her from within, its gaze watchful and wary. It had a nervous tension about it, and that put Lyra in edge as well. What was it trying to tell her?

I can't read your mind, you're a part of my own! she hissed inwardly. Then she stopped, rubbing a hand over her eyes. "I'm talking to myself. In my head. That's great."

Then she felt it again, that surge of something. It felt like possessiveness, perhaps protectiveness, along with wariness and a little fear. It was strong, building within her gut.

Lyra stared up at the moon, horribly confused. Her wolf had never behaved this way, as though it was taking on a form of its own within her. They had always been one, but now she felt more like two.

"Shit, now what, Dr. Jekyll?" she wondered aloud.

She stayed on the roof until dawn, before climbing down. She moved carefully, pausing when she felt a wave of vertigo. Frowning, she climbed down the rest of the way, then made her way to bed, where Derek was already resting.

It's probably just hormones, she told herself. It's the blood moon, I know my wolf is more restless even . I'm just overthinking it.

Sighing, she crawled under the covers, curling up against Derek's warm back.

But when she closed her eyes, she saw a wolf again, and she instinctively knew it was her wolf. In its true form, it stared at her with red violet eyes. And then it turned, disappearing into a burrow under the ground.

A den? Lyra wondered, but then, the dream and the wolf faded away, and she slept deeply, dreamlessly.

Ooo0ooO

Derek woke up from the feeling of Lyra getting into bed. He listened and heard her relax into sleep, her skin cool from being outside.

He turned to look at her. She was wearing a ripped shirt of his, which bared her shoulder to his gaze. He traced the curve of her collarbone with his eyes, and gave half a thought towards waking Lyra back up. Then he decided against it.

He leaned over, kissing her forehead, inhaling her scent. It was always the same; wildflowers, rain, and her wolf... Then he paused.

Pulling back a little, he eyed her with both green and gold eyes, looking her over. When he saw nothing was wrong, he frowned a little. He thought he had smelled something different...

Shaking his head, he kissed her again, ignoring the little voice in his head that told him to figure out what the smell was.

I'm not a dog, he scowled silently.

After some time, Lyra sighed and shifted, opening her eyes. When she did, she saw him watching her and smiled. Sliding onto her back, she stretched.

Derek stiffened. A whiff of that scent met his nose again and suddenly, he was eyeing Lyra.

She looked at him questioningly. Then she gave a curious sniff, and went still as well.

Hormones and pheromones suddenly flooded the air, thickening it, leftover from the moon's pull. Lyra squirmed when she felt her body tighten and heat flood between her legs.

Then Derek was hovering over her in a heartbeat, claiming her lips while pushing himself inside her in one long stroke. They gasped then groaned, and Lyra clenched him closer to her, suddenly overtaken by her desire.

When they found their mutual release, they laid together in a tangled of sweaty limbs. Still inside her, Derek rested some of his weight on his forearms so he wouldn't crush Lyra with his weight.

Eyes half closed, Lyra traced the length of Derek's shoulders with a fingertip. "That was different."

"You smell..."

Lyra lifted a brow.

Derek shook his head, smiling. "Incredible. I don't know. It's different. Good different. I just want..." He surged his hips forward again, groaning when he felt her tighten around him.

Humming with pleasure, Lyra then pinned him to his back. "No more slow and sweet," she ordered. Then she leaned down, pressing her lips to his ear. "Fuck me hard, Alpha Derek."

With a snarl, he did exactly that until she was screaming into the mattress, muffling the echoes. She surged back to meet him,.thrust for thrust, crying out throatily when his hands dug deep into and his fist clenched her hair.

When she woke up again, Lyra felt stretched and gloriously bruised. Even though she had healed, Derek had left more than one mark while they had reached that incredible release again and again.

Standing, she huffed a little. Then she suddenly slapped a hand against the nightstand, feeling dizzy once more. "What the hell?" she muttered, her knees trembling.

With another glance at Derek, she managed to walk into the bathroom. She flipped on the shower then sat down on the tub's edge, letting the hot water wake her up. Swallowing, she stood, and was relieved when she didn't feel faint.

Lyra got dressed quickly before penning a note for Derek, leaving it on her pillow. Then she went down to their car and pulled away from the house, a destination in mind.

Ooo0ooO

Deaton was in the back when Lyra walked in. He looked up when he heard her, then offered her a smile. "It's been a while."

Lyra smiled back. "I know. There's been-," she gestured vaguely, "a lot going on."

"So I hear," Deaton said, pulling down his clipboard before looking over at Lyra again. "Why are you here?"

Lyra told him about her dizzy spells. "Do you think it's my wolf again? Like how the power made me sick, but now it's making me...dizzy?"

Deaton frowned. "Tell me the dreams again."

When she did, Deaton looked at her consideringly.

"What?" she asked, suddenly apprehensive.

"I have a theory, but I don't know how you'll react to it," the vet admitted.

"C'mon, Doc, it can't be weirder than me having conversations with my wolf."

"Well, I can... test my theory."

Ten minutes later, Lyra was sitting on a cool metal table, her hands gripping the edges. The metal groaned slightly under her white knuckles.

Her eyes were dark when she looked at Deaton. "You're sure."

Deaton nodded solemnly. "Tests confirm it, and the time line matches the last blood moon."

Lyra released a shaky breath.

Too soon! I'm not ready! she nearly yelled, but bit her tongue.

"What do I do now?" she asked quietly.

"That's up to you, Lyra," Deaton told her gently. "This is your choice, no one is forcing your hand."

Lyra swallowed, then exhaled sharply on a laugh. "Great timing, Hale," she scolded herself.

Deaton rested a hand on her shoulder. "Your pack will protect you, no matter what you choose to do. You have time. Go, get some rest. Go be with Derek and the others."

Lyra stood carefully, suddenly hyper-aware of her whole body. Then she realized something. This is what you were trying to tell me? she thought, scowling. Of course Deaton knew right away.

Deep in her subconscious, her wolf curled into itself protectively.

"Oh God," she whispered as she walked outside.

The sun had reached its peak in the sky, but it was blotted out by the clouds. Leaves were scattered across the damp street, and crunched underneath her feet.

Lyra gazed out towards the woods, in the direction she knew Derek and the pack were. How would they react? How would Derek react?

Doubt and anxiety hummed through her bones, but she paused, trying to gather her courage. "We're stronger together," she reminded herself.

Then, slowly, her hand drifted down, covering her belly instinctively. "All of us," she whispered.

Ooo0ooO

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf.

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