Heliophobia (Teen Wolf/Vampire Diaries) [2]

20-We Conspire To Kidnap Our History Teacher

Scott takes a step forward, standing protectively in front of me. He growls and the sound echoes throughout the dark hall.

Mr. Saltzman puts his hands up in mock surrender. "I just want to talk."

"Why should we believe you?" Scott says. I gently reach up a hand and push him aside so I can see Mr. Saltzman better.

"Because I can erase the video footage." Alaric says, taking a small step forward. "Nobody will know you were here."

Stiles tugs on my arm. "Don't listen to him. Let's just go. What's the worst that could happen? Detention?"

"Not if your new principal finds out." Alaric says calmly.

"What new principal?" I quickly ask, wondering if I missed something during all the time I spent daydreaming instead of paying attention in class.

"Gerard." Alaric says, his voice filled with something not quite different from contempt.

"So you're not going to deny it, then? That you're working for the Argents?" Scott asks.

Alaric shakes his head, taking another step forward. "We have a similar goal, the Argents' and I. But I'm not sure I would consider myself working for them. With them, maybe."

"Yeah, and what is that? Killing a bunch of people?" Stiles curls his lip.

Alaric dips his head. "I only want to kill one."

"And who might that be?" I ask, my voice echoing down the hall.

Alaric almost smiles, a sad, torn smile and a flicker of sympathy shoots through me. "Damon."

I snort. "Don't we all."

Scott shoots me a look out of the corner of his eye and I purse my lips, taking a step back. "Why do you want to kill Damon?"

The hall is silent for a few moments, the only sounds being that of our breathing. Alaric's face changes as sadness takes over. He looks hollow, a mixture of anger and bitterness. When he speaks, the flicker of sympathy inside me grows and I almost want Damon dead myself. "My wife." Alaric chokes. "He killed my wife."

Scott and Stiles look as taken aback as I do, and I can practically see Scott debating with himself in his head. But then my brother looks down at his feet and sighs, his eyes closing and flickering back open with sadness in them. "I'm sorry. I really am, but you can't kill him. It's not right."

Alaric's eyes flash dangerously and he takes a step forward, his arm snaking behind his back. I gently tug Scott's arm as a warning, but Scott doesn't look at me. He's still staring at Alaric. "Revenge is never the answer." He almost pleads.

"How would you know? You're just a kid, a boy. You know nothing about loss."

"That's not true." I shake my head. "We've lost people." Bonnie's Grams, Vicki Donovan, Elena's parents, Kate Argent, Peter Hale. (Though we didn't—and still don't—care about the last two.)

Alaric shakes his head. "Nobody you've loved."

"That still doesn't mean that revenge is the right thing to do." Scott says. "Revenge almost tore this town apart."

Alaric rolls his eyes. "One lone Alpha wolf with an angry grudge for being burned alive doesn't exactly qualify as tearing this town apart."

"No, but it's torn people apart." Scott says sadly, and I think of Allison and her family, Allison and Scott, Allison and me.

"You know," a voice next to my ear says, "I really don't like this guy."

I stifle a scream and jump, my head whipping to the side in shock. Peter Hale stands next to me, a bored look on his face. Scott, Stiles, and Alaric turn to me, confusion on their faces, and I slowly shake my head. "A—a mouse." I lie. Scott's eyes narrow as he no doubt is listening to my heartbeat—a dead giveaway that I'm lying my ass off.