Instinct || Derek Hale.

fourteen.

Warnings: Strong language, violence.

***

Alex.

Alex arrived at the auditorium, searching for any sign of a familiar face. The only ones she could find, however, were Aiden and Ethan. She raced over to them.

"Where's Scott?"

"I don't know, but Lydia just left." Aiden said.

Alex nodded and turned to leave. Just before she left, she turned back to Aiden.

"By the way, if Cora dies, I'm coming for you." Alex glared.

"What?" Aiden furrowed his brows.

But Alex didn't respond. She simply turned and sprinted into the hall. There was only one teacher Alex didn't see in the auditorium. Jennifer Blake.

"LYDIA?" Alex yelled out.

She searched every classroom and closet she passed, but there was no sign of Lydia or Jennifer anywhere. Alex stopped running and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and focused on her sense of hearing. But all she could hear was the concert. Alex groaned on frustration and ran a hand through her hair. She tried again, this time listening specifically for Lydia. This time, she heard the quiet whimpers.

Alex opened her eyes and followed the sound. It led her to another classroom further down the hall. Jennifer's classroom. Alex peered through the window to find Jennifer stood over Lydia, who was sitting in a chair. Lydia looked terrified and had a cut on her head that was still bleeding. Alex burst into the room.

"I knew it." Alex glared at Jennifer. "I fucking knew it was you!"

Jennifer grinned at Alex sadistically. She stood behind Lydia, wrapping something around Lydia's neck.

"Too bad no one believes you." Jennifer smirked.

"Why are you doing this?" Alex asked, shaking her head.

"I don't have a choice." Jennifer exclaimed. "These sacrifices are a necessary evil."

"You know, Derek trusts you. He thinks you're innocent." Alex said. She needed to keep Jennifer distracted long enough to figure out a plan.

"And it's going to stay that way." Jennifer said. "He won't believe you. He's never going to believe you, Alex. You'll always be the psycho bitch with trust issues."

"He might not believe me." Alex shook her head. She ignored the twinge of pain she felt in her chest when she admitted what she knew all along. "But he'll believe Lydia."

Jennifer tightened her grip on the wire around Lydia's neck. Lydia sobbed. "Lydia won't be alive to tell him."

"If you kill her, it's not a sacrifice. It's murder." Alex said, holding out a hand.

"You're right." Jennifer nodded. "She's not a sacrifice. She's just the girl who knows too much."

"So am I. So take me instead." Alex said urgently. "Let her go, and you can do whatever you want to me. I'll be out of the way, and you can live happily ever after with Derek."

Lydia's hand suddenly shot up, stopping the wire from closing around her throat. Alex jolted forward but was stopped when Lydia let out a deafening scream. Alex clamped her hand over her ears and dropped to her knees. She looked up to see Jennifer release Lydia and walk in front of her.

"Amazing." Jennifer said, bewildered by her latest discovery. "A wailing woman."

Alex pulled herself to her feet.