𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ➢ ɪꜱᴀᴀᴄ ʟᴀʜᴇʏ / ꜱᴄᴏᴛᴛ ᴍᴄᴄᴀʟʟ

Ch. 93 - AFTER IMAGES

He glanced up at them before looking back down at the ground and moving some leaves away to show foot prints. "The Hunter. He's covering his tracks." Liam said and Scott looked up, "There's another." He said and Malia raised her eyebrows. "Two of them?" She asked and Azalea  sighed, "Maybe more." She said and Scott nodded.

"How many Hunters have you seen out here before?" Lori asked making Azalea and Scott look at each other, "Too many." Azalea said. "Still wanna split up?" Malia asked, side glancing Liam, "We can deal with it. We just need to find Brett's trail." Liam said as Lori glanced around.

"No, we don't." She said making them look over at her, "Rock balanceing. Satomi  taught us. It's him, and I know where he's going." 

⚔

"He's been poisoned." Lori said as they looked at a puddle of black blood in the underground tunnels. "That's why he's not healing." Scott said as Lori stood up, "What if he only has a few hours to live?" She asked. 

"Well, if we howl, we can find him." Liam said and Malia shook her head, "That's too risky." She said making Lori look at her. "Who cares about the risk? He could be dying." She said. "He's still moving." Malia said pointing at the spots of blood that lead farther down the tunnel, "We just need time to think." Scott said.

"I need him to know that I'm here, that I'm coming for him." Lori said and Liam nodded and looked at Scott, "Yeah, Lori's right. He has to know we're here." Liam said before looking down the tunnel. "Liam, wait!" Azalea said but Liam let out a loud roar making her sigh in annoyance. 

When he was done Azalea instantly smacked the back of his head. "Why didn't he answer?" Lori asked as they walked down the tunnel, "Maybe- maybe he didn't hear us." Liam suggested and Azalea sighed. "Or maybe he can't."

"Lori, no!" Scott yelled all of the sudden right as Lori pulled a trip wire. Scott quickly pushed her a away right as a spear shot out the wall and embedded in his stomach making all their eyes widen. "Scott!" Azalea yelled as ran over to him and helped him stay up.

"We need to get it out so he can heal." She said and they nodded, Liam helped Azalea hold onto Scott while Malia and Lori firmly gripped the spear before pulling it out. Scott groaned as Liam and Azalea helped him to the ground. "They knew we were coming." Scott groaned while Azalea pressed a hand to his wound, "Don't talk. Just heal and let us figure this out." She said.

"They've been a step ahead of us the whole time."

"I'm sorry, but I can't wait around. We have to go." Lori said and Liam nodded, "We still have the numbers- four to two. We're faster, and we're stronger." Liam said and Azalea sighed and shook her head. "They're smarter." She said, "I don't care who's smarter, or faster, or whatever. My brother's going to die." Lori stressed and Scott slightly shook his head.

"Something's not right. That arrow, the trip wire, the poison... These aren't amateurs." Scott said weakly, "But they've never fought us before." Liam said making Azalea give him a sharp look. "And you've never fought Hunters, Liam. We need to stick together." She said and Lori glanced at her, "I need to go."

"No, you're not going alone. I'll go with you." Liam quickly said, "Liam, you don't know who they are or what they're capable of." Scott said with a slight groan. "Look, I know who we are. We never give up. Especially when it's someone innocent. When it's someone alone. When it's one of our friends." Liam said and Scott was quite for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Okay. Go. Go. All of you. I'll catch up." Scott said and Liam and Lori instantly ran off while Azalea and Malia didn't move, "Go, guys. Go with them. I just need a minute. Go." Scott said and Azalea shook her head. "You just need to shut up!" Azalea said and Malia nodded, "Yeah there's no way in hell we're leaving you alone and wounded when there's two hunters walking around."

"How did we miss that?" Malia asked as she glanced around and Scott shook his head slightly, "We underestimated them." Scott said. "But how did they rig a trap that big with us down here in the tunnels?" Malia asked and Azalea sighed as she glanced at the trip wire, "They didn't. They rigged it a long time ago. The ends are rusted, it had to have been rigged a few months ago at least." Azalea said.

"But we've been through these tunnels a hundred times." Malia said and Scott nodded weakly, "And whoever this Hunter is, he's been through them a hundred more. And he knew we were here. He was waiting for us, tracking us... He was prepared, and we weren't." Scott said and then groaned in pain. "There aren't a lot of people who spend time in these tunnels." He said and Malia furrow her brows, "Who was the last Hunter we saw down here?"

"Argent..." Scott said and Azalea thought for a moment before sighing, "And Gerard." She said annoyed. "The trap wasn't lethal." Malia said and Scott's eyes widened slightly, "It slowed us down."

"And split us up." Malia sighed, "He's planning something else, another trap." Scott said and Azalea sighed and stood up. "And Liam and Lori are walking right into it." She said as she glanced at Malia, "Go. Find them and be careful." Azalea said and Malia nodded before running down the tunnel.

"And you, Scott. You need to heal." She said and he groaned slightly, "We need to go after them. They'll need help even if they have Malia." He said and she sighed. "I hate you sometimes." Azalea muttered before wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He groaned as she helped him up before the started walking down the tunnel.

They managed to turn a couple corners before Scott groaned and leaned against the wall. "I'm sorry..." He said and she shook her head, "Don't apologize, let me take your pain." She said as she grabbed his hand and he shook his head. "I don't think we should waste any more time." He said and she gave him a look, "Shush." She said.

She squeezed his hand but furrowed her brows when she couldn't take his pain. "Why isn't it working?" She mumbled and he shook his head slightly, "It's okay." He said and she shook her head. "No, it's not okay, Scott. None of this is okay." She said and sighed softly, "We should have called Stiles." She said.

"We promised we wouldn't." He said and she raised her eyebrows, "Yeah? It was a stupid promise." She said and he shook his head weakly. "We almost lost him last time." He said and she sighed, "Yeah, and now I'm gonna lose you, too... I don't want that." She said and he stared at her for a moment before his eyes started to flutter slightly.

"No, no, no, no, no. Don't pass out." She said as she grabbed his face, "Hey, look at me." She said making him look at her. She stared at him for a moment before kissing him. Slowly, black veins trailed from her face to his for a second before he gently cupped her face.

They pulled away and Azalea noticed the black veins disappear from his face making her sigh in relief. They smiled at each other before Azalea wrapped his arm around her shoulders and helped him up. They started walking down the tunnels when they heard a loud roar making them stop.

"Liam." Scott said in a slight whisper as they glanced at each other before Azalea sighed sadly.