𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥 | 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐢

chapter 30

I stop flipping through the journal to a page I know for a fact wasn't blank before. The words are disappearing before our very eyes, and now a new passage emerges. It writes itself in Rowan's mother's handwriting clear as day. A message none of us have seeen before.

If you are reading this, she is already lost. But there is a way back.

The air turns heavy as I read the words over and over. Scott stiffens, scanning the page like he's expecting the words to vanish again, and I don't blame him. Because a this point, nothing feels real anymore.

I stop breathing, my pulse spiking.

Liam steps closer, "That's it, right? That's what we need?"

The words barely register to anyone else before the ink melts off the page, right in front of us. The words don't just fade, they dissolve, bleed, turn to liquid before the disappear entirely. The page looks like it was never written on.

A deep silence falls over the group.

"Oh, come on," Malia groans.

Lydia presses her fingertips against the paper, as if she can somehow will the message to come back.

Scott runs a hand through his hair, "Did anyone actually catch all of that?"

"'If you are reading this, she is already lost. But there is a way back.'" I tell him, my voice strained.

Derek tenses, his eyes drifting over the empty page, "It was never meant for us."

The weight of his words adds to the suffocating air. Now, we have half of an answer, but we need the whole answer in order to start doing something to save Rowan.

I sigh heavily, "What now?"

Lydia looks at the pages, her brow furrowing. Her shoulders tense as her fingers tighten against the journal's cover, "It's not gone. It's locked."

Scott frowns, "Locked how?"

Lydia exhales, turning the book toward us, "It's Rowan's book."

I swallow, my chest tightening, "It's her magic," I start to connect the dots myself, looking back at her.

She nods, her expression grim, "It's from her bloodline. It's keyed to her."

Malia looks between us with her brows furrowed, "So... what? It's like a safe?"

Lydia nods again, "A safe that only she can open."

I clench my jaw, watching Liam's expression shift, "But how were we able to read it when she was here?"

"Her magic was always around us, it constantly fueled the journal," I told him, looking around the pack, "Now we don't have it."

Derek watches me, his arms still crossed, "Then we're going to have to find another way in."

I barely hear him, my thoughts now shifting to something else. If those words were able to come through those pages... parts of her magic was still here. She was still here. Her presences is woven into these pages, embedded into the ink itself.

"You're saying..." I could barely speak, "You're saying the answers were always here, but we can't get to them."

Lydia meets my gaze, "Not without Rowan."

The room falls silent. The weight of the words holding a death grip on my heart. Not without Rowan. Of course we wouldn't be able to do this without her. She's a part of this pack just as much as the rest of us. We each hold a piece of the puzzle, we can't complete it without her.

Scott exhales, rubbing the back of his neck, "Then we find another way," he looks around at us, "We always do, right?"

Derek clenches his jaw, unconvinced. In fact, everyone looks pretty unconvinced. Each person held a negative expression on their faces. Whether it be discomfort or hesitation, neither really keep me from spiraling.

Before I could get a word in, the sharp sound of Lydia turning to the last page snaps through the air. Everyone's eyes shifting down to the page in front of us. It was blank except for two short sentences scrawled out in the center.

Follow the tether. Find what was taken.

Scott frowns, "The tether?"

Lydia reads it again, her lips pressing together, while Derek leans over the book, "What was taken?" he breathes out.

I read the words once, twice, three times before the realization hits me like a freight train. My breath catches, my hands start to tremble, "The blood anchor," I choke out.

"Didn't I tell you? You had something to do with it," Derek held a smirk on his face as he looked at me.

I nod, "Now's not the time for an 'I told you so'."

I get it now. I get why I'm tied to her, why it was supposed to happen. Because the bond, it was never just about protection. It was a connection. A way to feel her, to reach her, to find her. I snap my eyes shut, focusing hard. I search for the feeling I felt when the bond first snapped into place, the strain in my core like a string pulled too tight.

I focused harder, digging deep until... I feel it. It's weak, it's faint. It feels like I'm gasping at smoke... but it's there.

It's there.

I almost don't believe it. But I feel her.

My eyes flutter open and the pack all stares at me, waiting.

"So... does that mean you can feel her?" Malia asks warily.

I don't answer. Mostly because I have no idea.

The room stays silent, every pair of eyes locked on me. My pulse starts to hammer so hard I feel it in my finger tips. It was racing, erratic as I focused on the airy feeling in my core, the frayed bond that was holding on by a literal thread.

"Stiles. If this works, what does that mean?" Scott watches me carefully as he speaks.

I swallow hard, my mind racing with all sorts of possibilities... dangers... failures. If I'm able to pull on the tether hard enough, I'll have an idea of where she is. If she's even still alive. If I pull too hard and break it... I can't let myself think about that.

I exhale sharply, dropping my hands to my sides, looking up at everyone. My jaw is tight, but my entire body is on fire, because if I can feel the smallest bit a connection, even broken, there is a chance I can find her.

I can find Rowan.

"If it works, it means I'm bringing her back," My tone was certain as I looked at the pack.

Their demeanors immediately shifted. Scott nods, ready to jump into action. Lydia snaps the journal shut, holding it tightly with her eyes alive with determination. Derek drops his arms, stepping closer to us, preparing. Malia stiffens, but her face relaxes. Liam shifts on his feet, bouncing slightly.

And just like that, we're all moving. Because Rowan is still out there.

And we're going to bring her home.