Second Chances (Brett Talbot)

Brother Found

"Which way?" I demand.

He turns to his left and points. "That way," he tells me. "About two miles away."

I immediately take off running in that direction without a second thought. The only thing I can think about right now is the happiness that Liam is alive and that I almost know where he is.

"Lily, wait!" Brett calls at he catches up. "You're veering off to the left. I know where he is. Let me show you."

Brett takes the lead and I follow him at a fast jog. My heart is pounding and my legs and lungs are burning, but I don't care. I need to get to Liam.

I hope Scott heard Liam too.

I know we are about a half a mile away when Brett's phone rings and we both slow to a fast walk. I'm breathing heavily while Brett doesn't seem to have even broken a sweat.

"Satomi, what?" He says into the phone to his Alpha. "No, I'm not home... What situation?"

The color suddenly drains from Brett's face as he stops short, his eyes wide with fear.

"How many?" He asks into the phone. "Lori? Oh thank god. I'll be there soon. Thank you."

He hangs up, his jaw clenched.

"Brett, what's wrong?" I ask him, almost afraid of the answer.

"My pack..." he mumbles in a daze. "Most of them are dead."

"What do you mean?" I gasp. "How? Was it the dead pool."

"Some type of virus,"  he replies. He looks at me for the first time. "I'll lead you to Liam, but I have to go. I need to get to Satomi and my sister."

"That's fine," I tell him. "You do what you have to. You should be with your pack at a  time like this. Let's hurry."

He nods and takes off. My legs burn in protest but I don't care. I need to get to Liam and Brett needs to get to his pack. The faster I am the better it is.

After about three minutes. Brett stops short at the edge of a clearing. I see two figures near the edge of a stone well, the larger helping the smaller one to their feet.

Liam.

I look quickly over at Brett. "Thank you," I say, sincerely. "My condolences." He nods and sprints off into the woods. I turn around to see my brother again.

"Liam!" I shout out, running towards him.

"Lily?" He says in a daze as I reach him, throwing my arms around his dripping wet body. I hold him close and I feel more tears slide down my face.

"I thought you were dead. We couldn't find you and I could get in touch and I was so scared. I can't have you die. I can't. Oh my god, your okay. Thank god. Oh god, Liam," I ramble. "What happened? It was Garrett wasn't it? Brett said that he smelled him. Did he stab you too? Is it wolfsbane?"

"Lily," Scott says trying to get my attention. I keep rambling on, not hearing him. "Lily!" He says louder making me stop.

I look over at the older boy.

"I have no idea what you're doing out here by yourself or how you found us, but I'll answer all your questions. We just need to get Liam to Deaton as soon as possible," he tells me calmly.

I nod silently at him and turn back to Liam. "Let's go, Li," I tell him, helping him towards Scott. Scott takes Liam from me and almost carries him to where we find Argent waiting next to his car.

"Lily?" Argent 's eyebrows arch in surprise. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'll explain in the car, and I hope I'll get an explanation too."

***

"You were with Brett?" Scott says in surprise after I explained my whole day to him. He told me everything about Garrett, Kate, and the berserkers so I was updated as well.

"Yeah," I mumble, shifting uncomfortably in the chair at the vet's office. Liam is sleeping quietly right now after Deaton need to make the same incision on him as he did Brett. I looked away this time not wanting to take my chances again. "But Scott, there's more."

Scott inclines his head for me to go on.

I shift around again. "After Liam howled and we were running towards where Brett heard the sound coming from, Brett got a call. It was from Satomi, his Alpha. She told him that most of the pack was dead."

Scott physically stiffens. "What happened?"

"Brett told me she said it was a virus. That's all he told me cause we both needed to be places. I needed to find Liam, and he needed to get to Satomi and his pack.

"Could it have been because of the dead pool you think?" Scott asks, standing up to pace around the small room. "I mean, this can't be a coincidence."

"I believe it's definitely because of the dead pool," I tell him, truthfully. "What should we do now? Half a pack is gone. At this rate-"

"No," Scott cuts me off. "No one else is dying."

"Scott, there's a dead pool," I tell him. "You can't save everyone."

"Yes I can," he replies, his jaw set. "No one else on that list is dying."

"But we need to find out who the Benefactor is," I say. "And he or she is not going to give up easily."

"I know," he tells me. His cell phone then rings. "I'll be back," he says, getting up to leave the room so he can answer it.

The room is quiet. All I can hear is the soft ticking of the clock on the wall. I look over to Liam lying on the table with a blanket over him and another under his head for a pillow. His face is calm and almost younger to a time where he was not a werewolf, but just a normal kid with a few issues. Now people want him dead so they can get a bit of cash in their pockets and he was almost killed for that reason today.

I pull my chair over to sit beside him and take his hand. His hands are much bigger than mine and more broad while mine are thin and delicate.

I hold his left hand in both of mine feeling his body heat and pulse. I thought I lost him, but he's here now. Alive. I don't want to be put in this situation again.

I agree with Scott. No one else is dying. I don't care if I don't have superhuman abilities like claws and rapid healing, but I will help any way I can to make sure everyone in this town is safe.

I feel Liam shift and look up to see his eyes fluttering open.

"Hey, Lils," he mumbles, giving me a smile.

"Hey, Li," I reply, smiling back.

"You found me," he says.

"Well technically Scott found you," I tell him. "I just happened to be there."

"I'm glad you were," he mumbles to me, lightly squeezing my hand.

"Me too, bro," I whisper. "I'm gonna go tell Deaton that you're awake so he can make sure you're okay.

He nods and lets go of my hand. I stand and start to walk out, but Liam calls out to me. "Hey, Lily?"

"Hm?" I ask, turning around to face him. His head is lifted slightly off the makeshift pillow as he stares at me with a confused expression.

"Why does the back of your sweatshirt say 'Talbot?'"