Calculatingly Wise

22

"I can't save her! At least, not with a bite. If you'd just thought about it for a second, Liam, you would know that I'm right."

"I am thinking!" Liam cried. "I'm thinking about alternatives!"

"Liam, it's the Supermoon," Tessa told him. "Just like with a full moon, it's fueling your anger, making you more aggressive."

"It's making me stronger! You're gonna keep your promise! Even if it kills you!"

Liam shifted and let out a loud roar. He punched Scott in the face and pushed Tessa out of the way. Scott tried calling out to him. "Hey, Liam, stop. You're not gonna save her by killing me or Tessa..."

Liam growled again and attacked Scott who held back. Glass shattered and they fell through the roof. Tessa drew her dagger. Liam grabbed a chair and swung it at Scott who stumbled back and narrowly avoided the chair.

Tessa attacked Liam with her dagger and he growled at her. While he was distracted, Scott flipped him onto a table.

As Liam was held there, Scott tried to talk to him. "He's using you, Liam. He wants you to be the alpha because he can't take the power from me. Only you can. But once you do, he'll take it from you. He knows Tessa will try to stop him. That's why he wants you to kill us..."

Liam shook his head. "That's what you don't get, Scott. I want to kill you two. I want to!"

The beta resumed growling and snarling.

Liam gained the upper hand and pinned Scott down, clawing at him. Scott raised his arms to defend himself.

Mason ran in and yelled, "Liam! Liam! Liam! Liam!"

Liam turned to face his friend. "Hayden. She's gone. Hayden died a few minutes ago. She's gone."

Liam ran off.

Mason helped Scott up and asked, "What happened?"

"It's the Supermoon," Scott said.

"I was just..."

Theo cut him off. "Bad timing."

Tessa's grip tightened on her dagger as Theo appeared. He knocked Mason out and frowned. "I mean, seriously. You couldn't have waited five minutes? I should've stayed. I should've made sure. Because now you'll have to kill me yourself. They're still mine. Especially you, Tess. You're feisty and have an attitude I like. Maybe not yet, but they'll come around."

Tessa scoffed. "You remind me of someone I knew at camp. He betrayed his friends for revenge. And you're doing the exact same thing. Don't call me Tess, again. Only one person has ever, and will ever, be able to call me that."

Scott nodded and said, "Not for you. They're not like you. They never will be."

"Because I'm a Chimera?" Theo asked. "Because I'm not a real werewolf?"

"Because you're barely even human."

Theo flicked his claws and jabbed them into Scott's abdomen. The red glow from his werewolf eyes faded and his eyes closed.

Tessa didn't hear herself scream, but she knew her mouth was open and her throat yearned for a glass of water.

She and Mason tried reviving Scott, but couldn't.

Melissa arrived and saw her son. "Scott! Scott! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no..." She stopped. "Okay."

"What?" Mason asked.

Melissa started chest compressions. "One, two, three, four, five..."

"What are you doing? We already tried that."

"Six, seven, eight..."

"What are you doing?" Mason repeated.

"Bringing him back."

Mason frowned. "But his... His heart. He... He hasn't had a pulse in over 15 minutes. You can't bring someone back that's..."

Melissa shot him a long. "He's not someone. He's my son. And he's an Alpha. And he's too strong to die like this!"

"Melissa, it's..."

"Shut up! He's too strong to die like this. Come on. You can do this. You're an Alpha." She pressed on his chest. "Come on, Scott. Roar. Come on! Come on, Scott. Roar!" She hit his chest harder.

Scott shot up with blazing red eyes and let out a roar.

As soon as he stopped, Tessa hugged him tightly and he returned it.

"I'm okay, Tessa," Scott reassured, holding her as tight as he could.

Tessa nodded and frowned. "I'm gonna try to find Lydia."

She ran from the school and came upon Theo and Lydia in the woods.

The blonde saw her friend unconscious and ran to help her, but was intercepted by Theo.

"You survived," Theo commented.

Tessa nodded as she narrowed her eyes. "Yeah. Well, pit my friends against me again and that'll be the last thing you ever do. Stiles was right. I should've listened to him."

"Yes, you should've. Let this be the last thing you ever do. I need to know what you saw."

"Wha-" She was cut off as Theo dug his claws into the back of her neck to see if she knew anything more than Lydia. He'd seen the location of the Nemeton from Lydia and Tessa's minds, which had given him a glimpse inside.