It's Always Been You || Stiles Stilinski

Chapter 98 - After Images

Scott and Malia come to a stop behind Liam first, followed by Lori and I. My eyes fall to the ground by our feet, seeing a black phone that Lori picks up and raises her eyes to connect with mine "It's his."

I reach over to her slowly, indicating towards the phone "May I?"

Lori nods and places the phone in my outstretched hand. I wrap my fingers around the device, bringing my other hand over to lay on top as I close my eyes and will any feeling to come to me.

"I think he set a trap," Liam states and I open my eyes as Scott proudly looks between us "He's fighting back."

I hand back the phone to Lori as I elaborate with a little hope "And now we know he's alive."

Lori turns towards the tree, looking around frantically "But he's still hurt. We need to find him– he needs to know we're here," she takes a deep breath in and turns towards the preserve, ready to howl when Malia reaches over and stops her "You want the hunter to know we're here, too?"

Liam shakes his head and defends "He's new– we can take him." that's if he's alone

"What if Brett howls back? He'll lead the hunter right to him," Malia argues and Scott shakes his head to offer a different outlook "No, we could find him first. There's no human that can track sounds faster than we can, and we've got the advantage. We've done this before– we know what we're doing, guys."

Malia furrows her brows, looking around "How come I can't catch his scent?"

"He's masking it," Lori fills in for us and Malia grumbles "Can someone tell him not to?"

Liam walks past us, pointing to the ground a few feet away from us "He went this way."

He takes off down the trail, Lori and I following behind him while Malia and Scott stay back for a few exchanged words before they catch up to us.

We stop after a few minutes, Malia huffing and setting her hands on her hips "The trail's gone."

"Uh, maybe he just stopped bleeding?" Scott offers, moving his eyes around the ground for any different kind of clues.

"Guys, I think we should split up. Lori and I go this way, you guys go that way," Liam offers before Lori chimes in "Or maybe we go in five directions?"

I share a look with Malia and shake my head towards him "We should stick together, Bub."

"Addy we have the advantage– it's five against one." he argues and I'm quick to counter "Not if we split up."

He furrows his brows at me "I've been doing this the past three months without your guys' help. I think I can make a decision."

"Well, if you're deciding to do something stupid and die, then go ahead" Malia quips earning me to throw her a grateful look before Liam gains my attention again "It's one hunter– one amateur– who doesn't know what they're doing."

Scotty kneels on the ground, moving some loose dirt around and revealing footprints in the mud below "Scotty?"

Liam looks between us, his eyes landing on the footprints in the mud as well "The hunter– he's covering his tracks."

"There's another," Scott informs as he moves more loose dirt that was moved over to cover the other set of prints.

Malia steps closer to him "Two of them?"

"Maybe more," I clarify and move my eyes to search the area around us I feel like we're being watched now