I do not own Teen Wolf
Chapter Three
"Are we going to tell River this plan?" Boyd asked as they flooded the dining room. "She might be pissed when she gets home and finds a shock vac running."
"Where would the fun in that be," Erica smirked. "How long until they get here?"
"They're here," Derek answered climbing onto the counter
Boyd lifted Erica, setting her down on the island before climbing onto a different counter across from Derek. Derek electrified the water and they waited. The power went off and Derek held in a curse as Kali walked into the house with the twins.
"Gonna be honest, Derek," Kali began speaking. "When I thought Ennis died, I thought to myself, I'd just go for it—find you and kill you, wherever you stood. Then, I remembered how you surround yourself with these teenagers, hiding behind them, and I thought, "What's a girl need to do to get you alone?" You and me, Derek."
The twins showed Ms. Blake between them.
"Or they tear her apart," the smile on Kali's face was sinister. "What do you say? You think you can beat me one-on-one?"
"I'm going to rip your throat out," Derek threatened. "With my teeth."
Suddenly, the power came back on and Kali and Derek both went down. Kali recovered first as the electricity turned off again and stalked towards Derek. Boyd and Erica jumped off the counter and the twins threw Ms. Blake to the side, each grabbing one of the teens as River ran into the kitchen from the pantry. Kali grabs Derek and lifts his arm, making his claws extend.
"Stop!" River screams, catching all of their attention. "Stop."
"Why?" Kali asked curiously as Aiden stares at River, confused as to why he didn't hear her in the house earlier.
"You want Derek to kill one of his own, right? Whichever pack mate he kills needs to mean the most though, needs to bring the most to the table?" River asked, slowly walking forward.
"It would certainly move things along faster," Kali smirked.
"Then he needs to kill me," River stated. "If you need him to kill the pack member with the strongest connection to the pack and to him, he needs to kill me."
"Deal," Kali smiled, grabbing River's arm and pushing her into Derek's claw.
Derek, Erica, and Boyd all roared in pain. River stared into Derek's eyes as Kali moved Derek's hand, forcing him to slice through her chest and stomach. She threw them both to the side and walked out of the house, the twins following.
"You have until the next full moon, Derek. Make the smart choice. Join the pack, or next time, I'm killing all of you," Kali called back as she and the twins walked out just as the rest of the pack ran in.
Derek pulled River into his arms, tears rolling down his face.
"It's okay," River choked out, blood coming out of her mouth.
"No, no," Derek cried. "No, it's not. It's not."
"It is," she told him. "Take me downstairs."
Derek had a look of realization and stood, River held securely in his arms as he and the rest of the pack ran into the basement. Derek placed River into the center of the circle that she had set up, candles and crystals on every available surface. River let out a shaky breath as Derek set her down. Everyone watched as River's breathing stopped, her heart stuttering before falling silent. They all felt the pack bond waning, bending painfully so that even the humans could feel it, everyone grabbing their chests. River stilled, dead on the floor.
"It didn't work," Derek whispered. "Whatever she did, it didn't work."
"It's working," Peter told him. "If she was truly dead the bond would be shattered. It's working."
"What is it?" Lydia asked as tears ran down her cheeks.
"I'm not sure," Peter shook his head. "I've never seen this before. It isn't in any of the books I've provided."
"Did she make it on her own?" Isaac asked, sitting down in front of River but outside of the circle.
"She had to of," Stiles whispered. "She's too damn smart and creative for her own good."
"How did she know that something was going to happen?" Erica asked.
"I told her," Cora said. "I told her the plan the moment you told me. She was down here all night and this morning. Said she knew what to do but wouldn't tell me anything else."
"What do we do?" Isaac asked.
"We wait," Derek said, sitting down and leaning against the wall, watching River for any signs of life.
The pack stayed surrounding her, each taking a spot by the wall except for Isaac and Peter. Isacc sat near River's head as Peter sat by her feet, both keeping a constant vigilance over her, Scott showing up at some point with Allison and laid against the wall as well. They all fell asleep as the night drug on. River took in a slow breath, her heart starting again as Kali's stopped in her chest. Kali fell to the floor in the center of the alpha pack apartment, the twins staring in confusion as something clicked in Deucalion's head.
River blinked her eyes a few times, before looking around herself, the pack bonds strengthening again as she slowly came back to herself. She saw Derek, Boyd, Erica, Cora, Lydia, Jackson, Scott and Allison against the wall, Stiles lying across the floor with his head under his arms. She notice Peter at her feet and turned around, finding Isaac slumped over in what looked like the least comfortable position in existence. She crawled over to him, her legs not quite working yet, and lifted his head off the floor before lying down completely, putting his head on her chest. She held him close and smirked when he automatically responded to her touch, gripping her hard and hugging his body to hers.
After taking a few deeps breaths through the pain of the magic she had just used, River got as comfortable as she was going to get on the concrete floor and closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly. When she opened her eyes again, it was to the pack slowly waking, Isaac groaning into her chest.
"If I manage to get off this floor and up those stairs and no one has cleaned my kitchen and dining room floor, the next one's being used in a sacrifice ritual will be the ones who flooded it in the first place," River stated, closing her eyes again.
Isaac had tensed as she spoke in shock. When she had finished speaking, he lifted his head from her chest and stared down at her. River smirked, feeling his eyes on her, and opened one eye to peak at him. He stared down at her in wonder before leaning down quickly and kissing her. River smiled into the kiss before pulling away.
"I feel like death," she told him before trying to sit up.
She hissed in pain and every wolf in the room was on her immediately, each touching her in some way or another and taking her pain. She rolled her eyes at them but leaned back against Isaac, letting him hold her up as the wolves gave her a bit of relief. Once the pain had ebbed, Peter wrapped his arms around River, holding her against his chest and letting out a hard breath.
"I'm okay," she promised him, leaning against him with ease. "Can't get rid of me that easily. Have to drop a house on me like in the movies."
"What?" Derek asked, confused.
"Would you watch a damn movie?" River asked, sitting up to stare at him. "Literally, any tv show."
Derek just stared at her, his fear and worry finally dripping off of him. River gave him a small smile and scooted closer to him, pulling him into a tight hug. They sat together for a while, Derek's head hiding in her neck and scenting her. She could feel his tears soaking into her shirt but didn't say anything, glaring at the wolves so that they wouldn't mention being able to smell the salt water either.
"I'm okay," she told him. "I'm healed. May be a little more scarred now but I'm used to it at this point."
"I scarred you again?" Derek asked.
"Don't worry about it," River told him. "I'm okay. I'm alive. I had a plan."
"Okay," Derek nodded, finally releasing River.
"Remind me to hit everyone involved in said plan when I'm not magically drained," she smirked. "Also, I need you to call the school and tell them I'm sick. I want to play up this being dead thing for a bit, let the alpha pack think that they won for a minute. Then again, they'll probably all be hiding for a bit anyhow."
"How did you do it?" Stiles asked.
"If I tell you, are you going to go back to hating me?" she asked, looking Stiles in the eye.
"Who died?" Isaac sighed out the question.
"Kali," River shrugged before slowly getting to her feet. "It traded a murder for the life of the one responsible. I'm honestly surprised it wasn't the blind one. He's the one bossing them all around. I guess since it was Kali's hand forcing Derek's claws, it went to her."
"What if it had taken Derek instead?" Cora gasped out.
"I would have deserved it," Derek whispered.
"I will slap the shit out of you," River threatened him. "I did not die and come back again just to hear you talking badly about yourself. You were not responsible for this."
Derek looked down, refusing to meet River's eyes as she stared at him. Finally, she turned to Cora.
"I knew it wouldn't be Derek because he isn't the one responsible," she explained. "I'm the one who made the ritual. I'm the one who worder it so that it wouldn't be him."
"How did you make it?" Lydia asked curiously.
"I'm not telling you," River said. "No one is doing this ever again. I need an actual bed now."
Isaac picked River up without a word, carrying her up the stairs. He stepped through the water and carried River up the stairs to her room, setting her down in the bathroom.
"Why are we in here?" River asked.
"You're covered in blood," Isaac explained.
"I don't think I have the energy to shower," River told him honestly.
"What if I make you a bath and clean you?" Isaac offered.
"Are you trying to get me naked?" River joked.
"I think we both know that I could have done that before this if I'd wanted to," Isaac smirked.
"Probably," River shrugged. "I can do a bath."
Isaac nodded and turned on the hot water, leaving the bathroom as the water began to fill the tub. He was back in thirty seconds with pajamas and underwear for River to put on once she was clean. Isaac added bubbles to the water, letting it finish filling up before he turned the water off and went back to River.
Isaac slowly lifted River's shirt over her head, taking her pain as she flinched from lifting her arms. Her bra was already torn in half at the front, so Isaac pushed the straps down her shoulders and it fell into the sink behind her. Next her unbuttoned her jeans before lifting her with one arm and pulling her jeans and underwear down in a fluid motion. He set her back on the counter and pulled her pants down to her ankles, realizing then that she still had shoes on. He untied her shoes and pulled them off along with her socks before finishing taking off her pants. Isaac stood quickly, trying not to stare anywhere in particular.
He lifted her from the counter and gently placed her in the hot water. River hummed in appreciation as the warmth of the water soaked into her skin, leaning her head back against the lip of the tub. Isaac smiled before grabbing her shampoo and conditioner, along with the small towel that was hanging off the side of the tub.
River dipped her head under the water for a few moments before resurfacing, her hair completely wet. Isaac rubbed shampoo into her hair, gently massaging her scalp as he did so. River hummed again at the feeling and Isaac smiled before having her dunk her head partially into the water so he could run his fingers through her hair to remove the shampoo. He did the same process with the conditioner before grabbing the hand towel and rubbing body wash on it.
"Do you want me to do that part?" River asked.
"Yeah," Isaac nodded, handing her the towel.
River scrubbed at the dried blood until it finally all came off before washing the rest of her body. She sighed when she was done, the blood under the bubbles red and brown. Isaac reached over and unplugged the tub before grabbing a towel. River stood slowly, not wanting to slip, and Isaac wrapped the towel around her.
Isaac helped River get dressed, still trying his hardest not to look at anything too closely in the process. River held in a laugh as he did so. Once she was dressed, Isaac picked her up and carried her to the bed, laying her down and pulling the blankets up to her chin. He turned as if he was going to leave and River's hand shot out, grabbing his.
"Will you stay?" she asked.
Isaac simply nodded and climbed into the bed next to her, pulling the covers over himself as well before curving his body so that River fit against him. River fell asleep quickly with Isaac's warmth wrapped around her, feeling safe in his arms. Isaac stayed awake though, not wanting to blink as he watched River sleep. As the sun continued to rise along with River's chest as she breathed. The color started returning to her face at about midday, which is when Noah and Melissa walked into the room, the two parents probably only just having heard what happened.
Isaac woke River gently, not wanting to scare her. River opened her eyes, looking around blearily as Melissa set down a bag.
"Sit up, please," Melissa told her, voice soft but firm.
Isaac helped River move up the bed. Once River was settled, she held out her arm, already knowing why Melissa was there. Melissa wrapped a blood pressure cuff around River's arm and stuck a thermometer in her mouth. Next, she listened to River's heart and breathing, making sure everything was at least close to normal. Isaac already knew that her heart wasn't quite where it usually was yet but it was stronger than it had been in the last hour. Melissa had River follow a light with her eyes before making River hang her legs over the side of the bed to check her reflexes.
Once Melissa was done, she heaved out a sigh and looked up at River from where she was kneeling. Melissa had tears in her eyes and Isaac wanted to scoff, remembering that Melissa hadn't been around all summer either. It seemed like River was willing to kill and die over and over again for the rest of them but almost none of them were willing to even check on her unless it was something this serious. Isaac looked at Noah as he chewed his bottom lip, looking like a concerned parent. The respect that Isaac had once held for the man was almost completely gone now though.
"Everything is just below normal," Melissa told River.
"It was way worse earlier," River told her. "I don't mean when I was dead. I mean when I woke up and probably even an hour ago."
"Her heart was really weak for a while but it's almost back to regular now," Isaac said.
"You know what her heart normally sounds like?" Noah asked in disbelief.
"Of course," Isaac shook his head. "It was one of the first things I memorized when I became a werewolf. She's my anchor."
"Anchor?" Noah asked.
"The thing that calms his wolf when he feels out of control," River explained. "Helps during stressful situations or during full moons."
"I always listen for River's heart when everything is going wrong," Isaac shrugged.
Melissa gave a small smile before packing her bag up.
"If you start feeling faint or nauseous or anything abnormal, you call me immediately or have Isaac take you to the hospital," she instructed.
"I will, Miss McCall," River promised.
Melissa froze at hearing her name, used to River calling her Momma McCall or just momma. It felt wrong to hear and Melissa knew that she had messed up by not reaching out to River herself after everything that had happened. Melissa gave River a sad smile before standing, leaving the room quickly. Noah stood in front of her next.
"What's up?" she asked him.
"I was so mad that no one called me," Noah told her. "Melissa and I got here as soon as Stiles called. I guess it slipped everyone's minds to inform us until twenty minutes ago."
"I'm surprised you came at all," River said honestly, biting her tongue right after.
"Why wouldn't I come?" Noah asked, looking shocked. "You're my daughter."
"Could have fooled me," River said angrily. "Can you go, please? I need more rest to finish recovering."
"River…" Noah tried.
"It's Miss Hale, actually," River spoke up. "We don't know each other. Not anymore. Therefore, you can call me by the name I was born to. Goodbye, Sheriff Stilinski. I'll call if I need police assistance."
Noah stared at River for a few moments as she got comfortable in her bed. She rolled over, facing away from Noah and cuddled into Isaac's side once he laid back down beside her. Isaac stared Noah down until he left, shutting the door softly as he went. River let out a sigh.
"That felt horrible and wonderful at the same time," she admitted.
"Anyone else you want to get onto while you're feeling up to it?" Isaac joked.
"Oh, a few," River nodded. "I bet all of them heard that conversation or were told about it though and are hiding out downstairs. Cowards."
"Do you want to yell at me?" Isaac asked.
"No," River shook her head. "I never want to yell at you. Plus, we already talked. We're okay."
"Is there anything else you want to talk about?" Isaac questioned.
"You kissed me," River whispered.
"I did," Isaac nodded. "I'm sorry if it was too much. I didn't really think about it. I was just so happy that you were alive."
"I'm not mad about it," River told him.
"You aren't?" he asked.
"No," River smiled.
"I know that Stiles is your mate," Isacc sighed. "I get that but it doesn't stop me from having feelings for you."
"You have feelings for me?" River asked, looking up with a small smile.
"Of course," Isaac smiled back. "Who wouldn't?"
"You're a dork," River rolled her eyes.
"And you need more sleep," Isaac stated. "I'll still be here when you wake up."
"Promise?" River asked.
"I swear."
Isaac kissed River's head before she got comfortable on his chest and fell back asleep. Isaac fell asleep this time as well, listening to River's heartbeat as it finally was back to normal.