Chapter Twenty
Mac's POV
We met Derek and Braden and on the many abandoned warehouses in Beacon Hills. We arrived a few minutes before everyone else and tension in the car was high. I took a calming breath trying not to feel the other's emotions as much as I did. Isaac took my hand and squeezed it trying to comfort me.
"You okay?" He asked quietly. I nodded my head. There was a screech of tires as Braden pulled up in the prison transport van. We all climbed out to meet her halfway between the vehicles.
"How did you get a prison transport van?" Stiles asked her.
"I'm a U.S. Marshal." She responded simply.
"Yeah, I just thought that was just a cover," Stiles admitted.
"Are we really bringing him?" Derek asked walking up to us, pointing at Liam.
"Are we really bringing him?" Stiles asked, pointing at Peter who was close behind. I glared. I still didn't trust him. He gave me bad vibes.
"We're bringing everyone that we can and considering Scott and Kira were taken the night before a full moon, we should probably get going," Peter said with his normal amount of sass that made me want to punch him in the mouth.
"What's that mean?" Malia asked.
"If Kate took Scott back to the same temple that she took Derek, how do we know she's not planning to do the same thing to him?" Peter asked.
"What, she wants to make him younger?" Liam asked.
"Or take him back to when he wasn't a werewolf," I said.
"A werewolf can't steal a true Alpha's power. But maybe a Nagual jaguar, with the power of Tezcatlipoca behind her. Maybe she can." Peter explained his thought process. "So, if everyone is sufficiently freaked out, I say we get going."
"We can't. Not without Lydia." Stiles stated. Stiles stepped to the side to call her, yet again.
"What's she doing at the school anyway?" Derek asked after we explained to the rest of them where she went.
"We got Kira's sword, but we need something with a stronger scent," Malia said holding up Kira's sword.
"Lydia went to get a jacket out of her locker," Isaac added.
"Nothing," Stiles said walking back over.
"If she has a car, she can catch up to us," Braden said.
"That's a good point. We'll call her from the road." Peter said.
"No. What if something happened?" Stiles said.
"What if she's in trouble?" I asked.
"Fine. You stay, you find her. We're gonna go on without you." Peter said and headed to his jeep. I glared at his back.
"I could call Mason. He has a study group at school. Maybe he could look for her." Liam offered. We looked at Stiles to see if he agreed. He sighed heavily.
"All right. Fine." He said. Derek, Isaac, Liam, and I headed to the prison transport van with Braden.
"So how are we doing this?" Liam asked.
"You'll be in the back with Derek, Isaac, and Stiles. Hopefully, the three of them will be able to keep you in check. I'm riding up front with Braden." I explained to the nervous teen wolf. I'm hoping that Derek and Stiles can help him stay calm and keep his wolf side under control. If push comes to shove, Isaac will be back there with them lending them strength.
"Remember what we're dealing with. It's not just Kate, it's Berserkers. You might see human eyes behind those skulls. Do not assume that there's any humanity left." Peter looked at the terrified look on Liam's face. "Oh. This little one is terrified of them, aren't you? Don't worry, my friend. It is that fear that will keep you alive. A reminder to everyone. You do not fight Berserkers to survive, you fight to kill." With that lovely pep talk, we headed off.
I kept glancing back at the four boys in the back of the van. Music was playing lowly in the car. Some pop song I wasn't familiar with. I was worried. I knew the moon was going to come out soon. I looked back to see Derek handing the triskele medallion to Liam.
"This has been with my family for centuries. It's a very powerful, supernatural talisman. We use it to teach Betas how to control themselves on a full moon." Derek explained. I saw the three older boys exchanging looks. Everyone but Liam knew that it was a load of bull.
" Yes, it's powerful," Isaac said, playing along. They looked at Stiles to add something. He cleared his throat.
"Very powerful," Stiles added. I rolled my eyes and turned back front.
"You nervous?" Braden asked.
"Oh, you have no idea," I responded.
"We got this. We'll save your brother, defeat Kate, and be home before the sun comes up." Braden assured me. I gave her a funny look. "What?"
"I just never expected you to give positive pep talks." I chuckled. "You're more the blunt, brutally honest type."
"Well, you're not wrong about that." She chuckled back.
"I'm worried about Scott and Kira but I'm also worried about-" She cut me off, glancing in the rearview mirror and what I'm sure is Derek.
"Yeah, me too." She sighed. "I really care about him. I'm terrified if I'm being completely honest. He's the best thing to ever happen to me."
"He'll be alright," I said giving her hand closest to me a comforting squeeze. We sat in silence for a few minutes before I glanced in the back again. The boys were still sitting silently, in their own thoughts. I turned back to look at Braden. "I wasn't sure I was going to like you."
"Why's that?" She asked.
"I hate all of Derek's exes, myself included," I said with a sour smile. "We're all crazy, but I think you're good for him."
"He's good for me too." She said back.
"I, for one, couldn't handle his aloofness. I love him, and I always will. He was my first friend and my first love. I'll always care for him. I want him to be happy and you make him happy." I said, looking back at Derek, who thankfully couldn't hear our conversation over the music with his werewolf hearing gone. I sighed deeply, "Just don't turn out to be a serial killer or something like that, please."
"You got it." She responded with a chuckle. That ended the conversation and we sat back and listened to the music, occasionally turning to check on the boys in the back. This whole journey was nerve-wracking. I watched out the window as the sunset and the full moon rose high in the sky. A surge of anger filled me as the moon started affecting Liam. I quickly shut off the music and turned to look through the bars between us and the boys in the back. Liam was starting the breathe heavily as he tried to stay in control.
"Uh, guys," I said to them. They looked at me confused. I motioned to the baby werewolf who pulled on his handcuffs.
"Whatever you were gonna teach me. I think you better start." Liam grunted out, his eyes shining a bright gold.
"Oh shit," Isaac said, moving closer to the kid.
"Liam, you with me? We have a mantra that we use. You repeat it, you focus on the words. It's like meditating. You say the words until you feel control coming back to you." Derek explained calmly.
"Okay. Okay, okay!" Liam rushed out angrily. "What are the words?"
"Okay, look at the triskelion. See the symbol? I have a tattoo on my back, it's the same thing. Each spiral means something. Alpha, Beta, Omega. It represents the idea that we can always rise to one and fall back to another." Derek continued as Liam pulled on his restraints.
"Betas can become Alphas," Isaac said.
"Alphas can become Betas," Stiles added.
"Can Alphas become Omegas?" Liam asked, which Derek nodded in response to.
"All you have to do is say the three words. And with each one, you tell yourself you're getting calmer, more in control. Go ahead." Derek said.
"Alpha, Beta" Liam rushed but Derek stopped him to have him say it slower. "Alpha... Beta... Omega... Alpha... Beta... Omega." Liam groaned again. I could still feel his anger rising. It wasn't working.
"Good. Say it again. Remember, every time you say the words, you're getting calmer." Derek kept trying.
"Alpha, Beta... Omega." Liam's voice took on a monstrous tone. Stiles slowly moved away.
"Say it again," Derek said, still very calm.
"Derek, I don't think the powerful talisman of self-control is working," Stiles said nervously. Liam roared, trying to get to Derek.
"Liam, say it again!" Derek said loudly. Liam roared again and tried to pull out his restraints, rocking the whole van.
"Liam!" Isaac yelled trying to get his attention. Liam ripped one out of the handcuffs and went for Derek. Derek held his claws back with both hands.
"Isaac, grab him!" I yelled. Isaac moved to try and push Liam back, but the young werewolf was in a full rage.
"Damn, how is this kid so strong?" Isaac grunted.
"Derek?" Braden asked, glancing back in worry.
"I think we're gonna need to go a little faster!" Stiles yelled nervously.
"Keep going!" Derek yelled up to Braden. "Liam! Liam!" Derek yelled trying to snap Liam out of it. Liam's other arm broke out of the restraints. Isaac and Derek both used their full strength to keep the kid from ripping out Derek's throat. The strength of a werewolf under the power of the full moon was becoming too much for them to handle, especially with Derek's human strength and Isaac trying to keep his wolf at bay.
"We're almost there!" Braden yelled.
"Liam!" I yelled.
"Derek, I don't think Alpha, Beta, Omega is resonating with him." Stiles pointed out.
"You know any other mantras?" Derek said sarcastically.
"No!" Stiles yelled back
"Wait, I do," I said, thinking of Brett and Satomi's pack. "Liam, Liam. What three things cannot long be hidden?" The teen ignored me, still focusing on the ex-alpha.
"He's too strong!" Isaac yelled.
"Liam! Liam, look at me. What three things cannot long be hidden?" I yelled and his golden eyes turned to me. "What three things?" Liam grunted, slowly starting to calm down.
"Sun... The moon... The truth." His voice was still monstrous.
"That's it. Say it again." Isaac said.
"Sun... the moon... The truth." Liam's voice turned back to normal and he sat back in his seat.
"Derek?" Braden called out.
"We're okay," Derek confirmed, I let out a breath of relief.
"Sun... Moon... And the truth." Liam said again and I felt his anger fade. It was then that we pulled up to La Iglesia.
"We're here," Braden said as she let the van come to a stop.
"I can't believe I did it," Liam said with a scoff. "For a minute there, I thought I was gonna tear the three of you apart."
"Yeah. That would've made for an awkward ride home. So, thanks." Stiles replied with his usual level of sarcasm.
"Think you can bring the same level of control and strength inside La Iglesia?" Derek asked. Liam flicked out his claws.
"All right. We might actually be able to do this." Stiles said. Derek went to open the back of the van when he was pulled out by a berserker.
"Derek!" I yelled. Braden and I hopped out of the van. Derek was getting his ass handed to him by the serious beast. Braden instantly let off multiple shots from her shotgun. It stopped the Berserker in his tracks. Thankfully, the firepower was too powerful and made the beast run off. Braden ran to his side. Derek had blood pouring out of his side.
"How bad is it?" Peter asked, his face solemn.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just get to Scott." Derek said, blood coming out of his mouth. "Just find him. We'll be right behind you. Go." No one made a move to leave.
"Derek," I said, sadly, kneeling on his other side.
"Go!" Derek yelled. Peter took off inside. Liam and Malia took off after him. Isaac, Stiles, and I stayed with Derek and Braden. He looked over at the two boys who stood by the van. "Hey, hey, save him." They reluctantly headed into the ruins.
"Derek, let me stop the bleeding," I said, trying to hold back a sob.
"Mac, I'm fine. Go." He said quietly.
"Derek." The dam broke and the tears fell from my eyes. I knew he wasn't fine. I knew he was lying to me. I didn't want him to die. I couldn't lose another friend. I couldn't lose someone else important to me.
"Mac, go. Go save your brother, please." He whispered, wiping the tears from my face. I nodded and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"When I come out here with Scott, you better still be alive Sourwolf," I said and ran into the ruins.
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