echo [completed]

chapter 23

"your brother got away and i need some sort of...replacement."

"you don't need my brother. he's no use now that he doesn't have his alpha status anymore." cora pushed herself up. "why did you take him anyway?"

"i've been patiently waiting for kyle to pick up his slacks and get on with it, but it seemed like he was too busy riding coasters with some naïve she-wolf."

"where's his wife?"

"oh, zoe? well, that girl was a little hard headed little witch, but i've dealt with someone worse than her."

cora repeated the question and the voice laughed.

"patience - that's what you're lacking. you know, if you don't get a hold of it, it might get you in trouble."

"why are you doing this? what do you want?" the wind whistled around the forest; rustling the trees from their sleep.

"you."

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a scream bellowed on every corner and kyle wanted to split up, but stiles insisted not to.

"how am i supposed to defend myself? i can hardly see, let alone fight some sort of witch."

"fine." kyle groaned. "stay close and stop mumbling. it creeps me out."

"well, i can't help it, ya know."

the ignited branch kyle was holding didn't last long so he lit two this time and gave one to stiles.

"there. now you have a better view of what's around you."

"this is temporary. what would happen if it dies out? the darkness surrounding me from the outside and inside will swallow me. i can't let that happen."

"who says i would?" kyle adjusted the branch so that they would have two perspectives: one from the east wing and one on the west. "i'm bad at making promises, but this one i think i can keep." his smile glowed.

"ahhhhhh!" a piercing scream tore through the woods and based on the volume, it came from close proximity.

the boys rushed to that direction and found a figure tied around a tree.

when kyle moved the burning tree trunk towards it, his hand involuntarily dropped it.

"zoe!" he quickly tried to find the start of the knot but it seemed impossible.

"here, use this." stiles handed him a pocket knife and hoped for the best.

"it's not working."

"try it faster. it might create friction." stiles suggested.

he tried it, but nothing changed. on the tree, he noticed that zoe was profusely sweating and her lips were chapped. he could tell that she hasn't had a drink in probably hours - days even.

"stay with me, zoe. i'll get you out of here and get you a drink, all right? just hold on. i have to - i have to try one more."

"derek!"

a limp figure emerged from the shadows of the trees, his shirt torn open.

"this might help." derek exposed his claws and slashed the rope.

kyle caught zoe just in time before she hit the ground.

"we have to get her to an emergency room or something fast."

both stiles and derek nodded.

they trudged down the forest, stiles leading the way using a newly ignited trunk and derek helping kyle with carrying zoe.

by the time they got to the hospital, there was still no sign of cora or isaac.

"where's isaac?" kyle asked when scott barged inside the hospital room, his face covered with mud and bloodstains.

"we split up when we heard screams from different directions." he gulped air in. "where's cora?"

and, as if on cue, isaac bursted inside the room, his hands clutching the leather jacket he lended to cora and stiles' phone.

stiles whimpered at the sight of his beaten phone.

"what happened to you?" kyle looked back behind him, expecting for her to barge in next.

"she's not - she.."

"isaac.." derek growled.

"they took her."

they gasped at the information. derek - who was unable to control his emotions - decided that flipping a chair would somehow calm him down, but obviously it didn't.

stiles dropped on his knees to comfort derek. he clung on stiles' shoulders and cried for his sister, internally sobbed prayers for her safety.

on the bed, zoe moaned.

kyle rushed to her side and held her hand.

"zoe, i'm - i'm so glad you're awake." he smiled at her, his eyes beaming with tears as he squeezed her cold hands with his warm ones.

"i'm sorry." she croaked. "but who's zoe?"

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A/N: reign's coming back tonight at 8/7c !!! make sure to watch it on the cw :)

this would be all...

for now ;)

01/08/2016

- lani