ICARUS¹ [ on hold ]

chapter twenty-one.

"Fuck." She cursed

Finding her balance again, she picked up her pace, moving quickly through the brush. A hissing sound snapped through her ears and two voices suddenly hit her ears, startling her to once again lose her balance and collide roughly with the forest floor. Derek's voice spoke into her ears, as if right besides her.

"You've been here?" He asked

She jolted, rolling onto her back and looking around with wild eyes. Icarus felt like she was losing her mind.

"No, never. I dreamt it." She heard Jackson speak, like he was on her other side, "There's no one else here, and no one else is coming...?" He spoke again

The veteran stood, hurriedly brushing dirt off her palms and jeans before she turned in a slow circle, listening as two heartbeats filled her ears. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, following them as Jackson's voice cried out,

"No, please. Please, don't, okay? I'll shut up─ I'll never say another word again. I'll leave Scott alone. Please, you can't do this! Please! I─ I don't deserve it!" His desperate voice pleaded and her heart dropped

Hands balled into fists, she sprinted forward, the scenery blurring around her as she took on an almost supernatural speed, bounding through the forest, right towards the Hale House. When her eyes caught sight of the building she skidded to a stop, looking for an entry way that didn't involve the front door when her eyes caught the second story window. She didn't know where it led, but she knew she could get in with that.

"Hey." A voice whispered, causing her to whip her head around

Her fist flew up, almost colliding with her brothers face if she hadn't caught herself in time, "Christ, Scott, what were you thinking?"

"Sorry, sorry!" He said quietly, raising his hands in a surrendering motion, "I decided I didn't want you hear by yourself."

She scoffed, moving forward to the house as quietly as possible, her steps unheard to herself and Scott as she fluidly stepped through things that would cause a sound, "I can protect myself, Scott. It's almost like I'm a Lieutenant Colonel for the Marines or something." She snapped sarcastically

Her brother huffed at her childlike actions, "Yeah, well, you're not a werewolf, are you?"

Turning over her shoulder she shot him a nasty glare before grabbing the edge of the porch roof and pulled herself up swiftly, only pausing to make sure Scott made it up safe too. Placing a finger to her lips, she signalled for him to keep quiet and he nodded, understanding what she was saying. Her hands pressed into the ash along the bottom of the window, feeling for a crack she could use to pull it upwards. Skilled fingers worked their magic, hooking under a loose piece of wood and pushing the window open just wide enough that they could fit through.

Brushing off her hands, she turned, pushing her feet in first before working her body through the window next. Dropping quietly onto the floor, she turned to her brother, mouthing for to copy her moves to get in. Soon both were in the old house, crouched down and following along the railing to a staircase, where Icarus peeked around the corner and just barely she could make out Derek's back, but no Jackson.

"Look around you!" Derek shouted angrily, "Wouldn't there be someone here trying to save you? There's no one here. There is a reason. No one cares that you drive an expensive car. No one cares that you have perfect hair, and no one cares that you're captain of the lacrosse team.

"Excuse me." Her brother spoke, using the advantage of his werewolf speed to move down the stairs and in front of Jackson, "Co-captain."

"Move!" The older werewolf commanded him and Icarus stood

"No."

"Fine. I'll kill you, too!" He growled

"I don't fucking think so." She snarled calmly, moving down the stairs at her own pace, "Hurt either one of them, I dare you, Derek."

She stopped in front of him, green eyes ablaze with fury, baiting him. He stared back, jaw set as he looked down at her,

"Don't get involved with werewolf business, Icarus."

"Really, motherfucker? I've been involved since you got shot, so don't even try to intimidate me." She snaps back

"Should I remind you, you're just human?" He growls, his voice raising as hers did too

She laughed, "Really, Hale? You think I can't take you? 'Cause I can and I will, if you touch either one of those boys."

"You don't scare me."

Her brow arched in a challenge and she tilted her head slightly, "Then you're an idiot. But I guess we already knew that, huh?"

He stepped forward threateningly, and Scott growled lowly, ready to fight Derek himself, "Don't test me, McCall."

"I've seen scarier things on my missions, Hale. You do nothing to me." Icarus stated, raising her chin up defiantly, "My boys, my responsibility. Leave them alone."

"They're not your boys, you're not their mother, you can't protect them." He snapped and that's when her eyes changed, they hardened a storm of emotion as her face turned emotionless

"Icarus─" Scott spoke quietly, he had seen this face before

"Let me remind you, Derek Hale, wolves are supposed take care of their home. I'm not even one and I'm protecting my pack, as you'd call it, better you are doing for yours. But then again, you're not the Alpha, are you, Derek? No, you're the Beta, with nobody else but a sadistic uncle." She said calmly, shoving a finger into his chest, "It's the pack that makes you stronger, it's the love. It's the bond you create. You've only created misery─ and I'm sick of it."

With full force, she pushed him back, sending his flying through a wall and her face changed, green eyes were now blue and her canines sharpened and elongated, turning into a top and bottom set of dangerous fangs. Her nails sharpened off into claws as a growl left her throat and that's when everyone in the room realized─ Icarus McCall was a werewolf. She didn't stop to take note of her transformation, instead she moved to Derek,

"I remember who you used to be." Her gravelly voice spoke, "Do you?"

He climbed to his feet and stared at her, he'd never seen this kind of transformation before. With their new distraction, they almost didn't notice the smoke bomb that was hurled through the window, until it beeped.

"Cover your eyes!" Derek boomed, grabbing Icarus and bringing her to the ground with him, shielding her eyes from the explosion that would have only caused her pain

Her head picked up and he could see her features were human again, "Go! Icarus, go, run!"

Scrambling to her feet, she grabbed her boys and hauled them up, pushing towards the back door, "Go!" She urged them as they picked up their pace

They were running for their lives and she knew it was the right thing to do. But she couldn't help but wonder, could she have saved Derek too?

I totally hated the ending of this chapter so I chopped it and the chapter after this. It was just not what I wanted and I didn't like the plot. So to those of you who read those pieces, I'm changing the storyline and INCISION and that story line is basically gonna be erased. It won't be mentioned ever again. I hated it like a lot so much, so I'm just like getting rid of it.

- bea