Chapter 29

Theo:

"You okay back there Theo?" Derek asked from the driver's seat of his SUV. I blinked at him, not sure how to answer that question.

After Derek, Scott and Argent said goodbye to their partners, soliciting promises to be careful and wishing I had my own to do the same, we were on the road. Me in the car with Scott and Derek since we were going in together. Argent, Allison, and Isaac riding together in his car and Braeden pulling up the rear for our group in one of the two Vans she called in favors to use from her previous job with Doc, the other was on its way to the facility.

Two and a half hours into the drive and I was still staring at a picture of us on my phone. The one he sent to me that the waitress took on our first date. It was, so far, our only date. We spent plenty of time together hanging out either at his house or mine, or with our friends. But we had yet to go on a singular date together and I really wanted too. Would I get the chance to? Would the last kiss we shared in the library earlier today be our last kiss? God I hoped not.

"Theo?" Scott called, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked to see him turned in his seat giving me a concerned look.

"Huh?"

"Are you doing okay?" he asked, repeating Derek's question that I never answered.

"Uh, yeah." I whispered, even though I really wasn't. I was angry, worried, and scared.

"You are not going to lose him. we won't let that happen."

"Is it bad that I'm thinking more about losing Liam then Corey right now? I mean I'm terrified for both, and I want my brother back. I don't want to lose him either. But Liam… I would be crushed if I lost Corey I can't even really fathom it. But the thought of losing Liam literally tears me up inside."

"It's not bad at all. It's normal for mates to feel that way. Once you make that connection, once you mate it changes something inside you. they become a part of your soul. It's almost an unbreakable connection." Derek explained.

"You won't lose either. Between Malia, Stiles, and the Sheriff, not to mention Satomi's pack they will get Corey out."

"Don't forget Mason. Did Lydia say why Mason needed to be there? Isn't it dangerous to have him there?"

"She didn't say, just that he needed to be there." Sott shrugged.

"This has nothing to do with the fact that everyone is planning to play matchmaker between him and Corey, right?" I asked making him laugh.

"I actually asked her that when she first told me. But no. she made sure to let me know it had nothing to do with that, just that she had a strong feeling that he needed to be there."

"Liam joked once that Mason needed to be part of Corey's welcoming party. I'm not sure this is how he meant." I told them, making them both laugh.

"Yeah me either."

Minutes later, we pulled up to the front of the church and got out. the other car and van following suit. There were already vehicles parked out front when we got there. I guess the hunter group had arrived. That was confirmed when Argent got out and went directly up to a small older woman who looked like she took no shit. About 14 others followed behind her. Argent shook her hand then beckoned Scott over to them. I got a bit closer wanting to hear what was being said. Derek standing far enough away to not be right in their line of sight but close enough to hear.

"Thank you for coming. I know you are only here because of Kate but it's still appreciated." Scott said, respectfully.

"You are correct young alpha. We will do what we can to hold them off long enough for you to go in and get your beta." The woman said. Scott nodded. a few more words were exchanged before Scott came back to us. We all, except the Calaveras and Argent crowded around.

"Okay, everyone knows what to do. Stay together and be careful. We don't leave without Liam." He said. we all nodded. "Doc, you got your weapon?"

Doc held up his superpowered cattle prod and flicked it on to show everyone.

"Good, stay close to Braeden, and stay close to the car."

He nodded.

"Okay, let's do this." Scott sighed turning towards the building. Doc held me back.

"Save my son but be careful. Don't do anything foolish, okay?" he said.

"I won't. I just want to get him out of there. I'll bring him back. I promise." I told him. he gave me a brief hug and let me go. Taking one last deep breath I entered the church and prayed that everything would work out.

Scott:

My connection was back. It was getting stronger the closer we got to the church. But being inside it felt as if Liam was right in front of me. I looked around at the broken, dusty furniture, listened to the echoing sounds of insects crawling around, what sounded like dripping water and the occasional ruffling of what sounded like wings. I kept Theo behind me, and Derek took a position behind him. Lydia said that Theo had to be here to get Liam, I took that to mean that Theo had to be the one to save him. he would want to be the one anyway, he's his mate.

We slowly slinked deeper into the building. Argent and Allison stayed aware of everything around us as they searched for Kate, weapons at the ready. Isaac keeping close to them being their supernatural ears. The sound of soft growling echoing around us stopped me in my tracks, and I placed a hand on Theo's arm to stop him. I could hear his heartbeat speeding up and his breathing staggering, but I could scent the adrenaline coursing through him as he frantically looked around.

Three berserkers entered from three different entrances, two tall and one short. I tried to catch a distinct scent from them, but they all smelled the same, like death. They stood like sentries at each doorway, not moving to attack, I'm sure on Kate's orders. The sound of gunfire started outside, and louder growling followed. Some human screams mixed in, but I couldn't let myself be distracted.

"Scott, you three find Liam. We'll hold them off." Argent said. I nodded and started to move towards one of the two unguarded exits but then I heard her.

"Don't bother." Kate said walking in another exit with two more behind her. "I'll just bring him to you."

The five of them moved forward to stand in front of her, guarding her.

"No." Theo whispered, trying to move forward but being caught up by Derek who held him back. "Liam."

"Stay calm, we'll figure this out." Derek whispered to him.

"You sound confident there, champ." Kate said, throwing him a smirk.

"What is your goal here, Kate?" Argent asked stepping forward, his gun at the ready. Allison stepped up parr with her father, aiming an arrow. Kate chuckled, looking at her.

"Really, Allison? I'm the one that taught you how to use that, remember? I was the first to teach you about being a hunter."

"No. you were teaching me how to be a monster, you and Gerard." Allison answered, her voice wavering even though she was trying to hold it together.

"We're not the monsters here, sweetie. You brought them with you. We are your family. We-."

"My father's my family. Isaac's my family. Scott, Stiles, Lydia, Malia, Mason, Theo, and Liam are my family. Hell, I consider Derek and Peter more like family then you. You… you're someone I use to admire. Someone I use to look up to and want to be just like. Until I learned who you really are. Until I learned that humans can be just as much if not even more of a monster then supernaturals could ever be."

"Peter killed me." Kate snarled.

"But it's not him you're targeting. It would almost make sense if you did. I wonder why." Allison growled.

"What do you want?" Argent asked.

"Let's not play these games, Chris. You know what the goal is." she sighed, crossing her arms.

"Me dead." I answered and she smiled.

"See, he gets it."

"And you want Liam to be the one to do it."

"I knew there was brains behind that innocent boy next door façade."

"Do you know why?"

"Poetic justice?" She shrugged. I chuckled.

"I can't tell if you are playing stupid right now or not. Did Gerard really not tell you why?"

"Because you ruined him and our family." She sneered. I blinked at her still not completely sure if she didn't know.

"It's because the only way to take a true alpha's power is if his beta takes it."

"Gerard is still trying to be an alpha." Derek added with a laugh.

"What?" Theo asked.

"If Liam kills Scott, he becomes an alpha, but he won't be a true alpha. Meaning that if he is killed by another shifter then they become alpha." Argent explained.

"So, Gerard's plan is to have Liam kill Scott, then have Liam bite him so he can kill Liam and become an alpha." Isaac finished, nodding.

"And it wouldn't be the first time he killed a kid to get what he wanted." Scott added.

"It doesn't matter." Kate shouted. "The reason doesn't matter. We just want you dead, so that's what's going to happen."

Growling I shifted, Isaac and Derek doing the same.

"If you want me dead, then do it yourself. But you will not use an innocent kid to do your dirty work."

"Why should I get my hands dirty? I have a willing participant, several actually. Let's see you survive this." She sneered, waving her hand, and backing up through another doorway. All the berserkers started to advance.

"Okay, they are after me. So, let's give them a chase. Allison, Isaac, Argent, be careful." I said grabbing Theo and making a run for it through the opposite side that Kate left through, Derek following behind.

Theo:

Loud growls sounded before we heard several hard, menacing footsteps following after us as Scott led us down a long tunnel which descended into another cavernous room. Bones of animals and a few that looked human scattered around the ground and the symbol Lydia drew along one of the walls.

We stopped in the middle of the room looking around, battle sounds echoing all around us. Scott went over to a stone slab and kneeled down on the other side of it, rising with a shirt in hand.

"That's Liam's." I told him. He nodded.

"This is probably where she changed him. We need a plan. We have to figure out which one is Liam." He said, his eyes glued to the exit we just came through.

"What do we do when we figure it out? I don't know of any cure for this." Derek said.

"There has to be." I asked.

"My connection." Scott said.

"What about it?" Derek asked.

"I can feel my connection to him." he said looking back at us. "We can use that to determine which one he is."

"That's great. But how do we turn him back?" Derek repeated.

"You can feel him?" I asked Scott.

"Yes, I think it's because he's in trouble. I can feel destress, fear and his struggle, like he's trying to fight it but doesn't know how."

"If you can feel him, if you're connection to him is still working then… I have an idea." I said.

The growls were growing closer, and we could hear the faint sounds of gunfire both outside and inside, along with roaring from Isaac.

"Uh, you might want to share that because they're coming and they're coming fast." Derek said grabbing me and backing us both up towards the symbol on the wall. Scott taking lead but slowly backing up as well.

"Okay, when they get in here, Scott you need to roar, and I mean you need to roar like you're calling for your pack."

"Why?" he asked.

"Just trust me." I told him.

"Theo…"

"Trust me." I reiterated. He sighed and nodded.

"I hope you know what you are doing." He said.

"What are you doing?" Derek asked. I didn't answer. If I told them they would stop me. My idea was a bit stupid and a lot dangerous. But it had to work.

Hugging the wall, we waited only seconds before three berserkers found us and advanced.

"You're time to shine." I said, tapping Scott.

He pulled in a deep breath and let out a ground trembling roar. Out of the three berserkers, I paid close attention to the two smaller ones. I already had an inkling which one was my wolf but after that roar I knew for sure. It was small but I noticed one's footsteps falter before he kept going.

"Got him." I said. "You guys keep the two on the left occupied, I'm going to try something."

"Wha-." Derek started but I stepped away from the wall towards the one on the far right.

"Theo, what are you doing?" Scott grunted, dodging a swipe from the tallest one. Derek was tossed across the room by the other but rebounded quickly and jumped back into action.

"Saving my mate." I told him.

"Liam, I know you are in there. I know somewhere deep down you can hear me." I said taking slow steps towards him. I blocked out everything happening behind me, keeping my eyes on the pretty blues I could see peaking from behind the mask. "We have a date with the upper-level stacks in the library remember. You promised."

His growls grew in volume, and I tried to keep my panic down.

"Come on babe, I need you to fight. You're stronger than this, stronger then you think, remember?" I kept my voice as calm as I could for the situation. He had slowed but not stopped his steps and I could minimally see clawed fingers twitch. "I need you to come back to me, okay?"

He stopped all together, head tilted to the side, but he was still growling. I took a few more steps closer, knowing I was risking my life with each step closer.

"Come on mini wolf, I know you can do it. Fight. Fight for your parents, for our friends. Come back to me. I can't lose you. I love you too much to lose you. Fight for me, for us, please." I begged.

He took a staggered step back, shaking his head as if to clear it. I smiled seeing that I was getting through.

"That's it babe. Come back to me. Fight, you got this." I said, stopping right in front of him. I could see him in those eyes and see how scared he was.

The growling was dying down. Slowly and tentatively, I reached my hand up to grab his mask. I knew what I needed to do. Gripping both sides of the mask I started to yank. It was almost like it was glued on and it was not budging. A new howl, not Isaac or Scott, sounded and it was like a switch flipped, the life behind those eyes died out and the growling came back full force.

"No. Don't." Scott shouted from behind me.

Pain ripped through me as Liam's claws slammed into my stomach, digging deep. I grunted but didn't let go, adrenaline coursing through me. I had to get this thing off of him. I stopped trying to tug it up and started trying to pull it apart.

"Theo." Derek and Scott shouted at the same time, but I was focused on my task.

The more I pulled the deeper his claws dug in, and I could feel the blood rise in my throat until I could taste it on my tongue. I didn't have much time before I would be completely useless. Mustering every bit of strength I had, I pulled until it started to crack. The magic or curse surrounding it sparking. I pulled more, grunting with the effort until it shattered, the spell or whatever, broken.

His face came in to view as I dropped the remnants still in my hands to the ground. His claws pulled free and the pain of it hit me. Panting, I tried to focus, relieved that it worked.

"Theo?" he questioned, a confused look on his face as he blinked at me.

I could feel my consciousness slipping away. My vision was going fuzzy, and the pain was slowly starting to dull down. I smiled at him anyway.

"There's my adorable mini wolf." I huffed before everything went dark.