SYMMETRY ➽ D. HALE [1]

27 ; otherworldly

27 ➽ OTHERWORLDLY

Things had gone downhill the moment Elise and Scott had found Danny's car to be empty of the tablet. Jackson or whoever was controlling him- apparently what had originally been translated in the bestiary to the word "friend" actually meant "master"- had taken it. Not only that, but Jackson had managed to get free from where they'd trapped him in the police van. They'd eventually found him at the police station, but not before his father had filed a restraining order against Stiles and Scott.

To top it all off, Jackson had shifted into the Kanima while in detention, leaving a kid named Matt with a concussion and somehow inducing a seizure in Erica. Of course, she'd only allow them to move her if they were taking her to Derek- who was probably the last person Elise had wanted to see.

The entire ordeal had ended with Scott agreeing to join Derek's pack to stop Jackson, but only if Derek promised not to kill him.

Everything previously mentioned had accumulated into one large mess. A large mess that had somehow lead Elise McCall to the Beacon Hills veterinary office in search of something to help them keep Jackson at bay.

The door's bell jingled as she unlocked it using the keys Scott had given her. Elise would've rather had her brother ask Deaton for help, seeing as he probably would've trusted Scott more than he trusted her, but the younger McCall sibling had gone with Derek and Isaac to deal with something else.

"Can I help you, Elise?" A voice echoed throughout the dark room.

The brunette jumped in shock, dropping the keys in shock. "You know," she grumbled, leaning down to pick up the keys, "I thought only werewolves snuck up on people." A sudden doubt popped into her mind as she eyed Deaton carefully. They knew that he wasn't the Alpha, but that didn't mean he wasn't some other supernatural creature. After all, he seemed to know an awful lot about the mystical side of Beacon Hills.

Deaton seemed to understand what he was thinking, as he stepped away from the doorway he was leaning against and placed his hand on the small wooden entrance to the back room of the office. "Well, I'm afraid I'll have to change my habits, then," he chuckled. "Do you see this?" Deaton asked, running his fingers along the dark wooden trim. "Mountain ash. The entire office is lined with it. Many cultures believe that it protects against the supernatural."

"Does it?" Elise asked, her suspicions gone with the wind as she ran a finger along the dark trim. "Protect against the supernatural, I mean."

Deaton nodded in confirmation, swinging open the waist-height door and allowing Elise in. "Thankfully, though, I haven't needed to put it to the test anytime recently." Elise nodded, wandering into the back office, following closely behind Deaton. "So, may I ask what exactly it is that you need help with?"

Elise nodded. "We're going to try to stop Jackson. Any tips?"

Deaton paused slightly, eyeing the brunette cautiously. "Are you going to stop him by saving him or by killing him?"

"We're not killing a kid," Elise spoke the words as if there was no question at all. She knew that Derek still had an issue with it, but Scott was trying his best to keep it under control and Elise had already decided that if the Alpha still had a problem with it, he would have to take it up with her.

Deaton nodded, something resembling praise in his eyes as he opened a series of drawers, pulling out various bottles of strange looking powders and examining them. "So," Elise wondered aloud. "What exactly are you? I mean, you said you're not a werewolf. Are you a sort of witch?"

Deaton looked up at her from behind the jars, a glint of humor in his dark eyes. "I'm a veterinarian."

"Right," Elise nodded, understanding that he wasn't planning on opening up about the subject anytime soon.