"It literally just poofed away!"
"I don't know if poofed is the most accurate word," Scott argued.
"It disappeared in a puff of black smoke using its mind," Stiles stated, "I think that poof works just fine."
Lydia held her hands up to stop them both, "It doesn't matter what it did. We just need to find out what it's going to do."
Argent nodded in agreement, "It doesn't need Maia as a host anymore since it has physically manifested. It has free rein now."
"But she knows everything it's planning," Kira reminded, "She'll know the next move, right?"
"Why don't we just ask her?" Malia questioned. She gestured through the kitchen door in the direction of the living room.
Outside, Maia and Derek sat on the couch. He was holding her hands and making sure she was warm. Despite his touch and the blanket she had, she was still shivering.
Stiles shook his head at his girlfriend, "I don't think she can handle any questions right now."
He glanced at the pair briefly.
Maia was zoning out, still stuck in her mind. She was tempted to believe this was just another trick. That it was a vivid nightmare designed to give her hope before ripping it away again.
Derek squeezed her hands gently, reminding her that he was there. Her gaze shifted to him for a second. She felt the guilt hit her and she averted her eyes, keeping her head bowed.
"Maia, talk to me," he pleaded, "What can I do to help?"
She scoffed and retracted her hands from his grip. Her faced twitched in disbelief, "Why? I don't deserve your help."
"Yes, you do," he argued.
"I hurt you!" she snapped, "I tried to kill your friends. You should hate me."
"I hate that you're shutting me out," he corrected.
She groaned and ran a hand down her face in frustration, "I'm trying to protect you!"
"I don't want your protection, I want you!"
Her face fell and she looked to the side to avoid facing him. The tears brimming her eyes came easily and she struggled to keep them at bay.
He sighed and tried to ease the tension, "It wasn't your fault."
"But it was," she whispered, "All of it."
She looked at him nervously.
"It was my weakness that allowed it to take over. I was so consumed with anger and pain and I-" she choked on her words, "I wanted everyone else to feel it. All of that darkness was mine."
He shook his head and wiped the tears that rolled down her cheek, "It manipulated you. You are not weak. If anything, you're strong because you survived."
"After you saved me."
"I'm not talking about the possession."
Her face lifted.
"When I was in your mind, I saw memories of your childhood. Everything you've gone through. And you know what I saw?" he questioned rhetorically, "A fighter. A survivor."
She closed her eyes as his hands moved to cradle her face sweetly.
"You are not weak," he said firmly, "You're Maia freaking Arceneaux and you are a survivor."
She sniffled.
"And this isn't over yet. So we are not done fighting."
She nodded and opened her eyes. She wiped away her tears and willed them to disappear. She forced a brave smile onto her face before standing, throwing the blanket to the side.
Derek led her to the kitchen where the others were planning. They gave her looks of pity and sympathy but she stood tall.
"First off, I'm sorry for everything I've done. And I promise that I'm going to make it right."
They seemed to accept her apology.
"And I know what it's planning."
Scott gestured for her to continue.
"The lacrosse match tonight. It will strike there."
"Wait, we had a game tonight?" Stiles asked, "Coach is going to kill us."
Everyone else glared at him lightly. He held his hands up in surrender, "Right, sorry, not the time."
She continued, "It wants to create chaos by hurting a crowd. The bigger the attack, the harder the fall."
"But how?" Lydia asked.
"It's complicated," she stated, "It was supposed to be a bomb but it changed its mind just before I was pulled out. All I know is that it involves a lot of wolfsbane and electricity."
"So we can assume that the main targets are werewolves," Argent said.
She nodded in agreement.
"As for electricity, it could just mean harnessing the energy on the field. You know, the lights and the news coverage."
Scott leaned against the table, "So we'll watch all of it. Malia will watch anything electrical. Lydia and Argent will watch the perimeter."
He turned to the other alpha, "Maia, you and Derek will be in the stands watching. If you see anything, you let us know."
She nodded.
"And the rest of us will play the game and keep an eye out on the field."
They agreed quietly.
"What do we do if something happens?" Malia asked, "We can't exactly show the whole town we're werewolves."
"My dad and Parrish can be there in case we need any last minute evacuations," Stiles answered.
"Is everyone good?" Scott asked, looking at each of them.
But all of their eyes landed on Maia. She was visibly shaking and nervous, desperately trying to contain it. When she saw their looks of concern, she cleared her throat and nodded.
Scott dismissed them and they got ready to prepare for the game. But as everyone dispersed, Maia slid past people and grabbed Lydia and Argent.
She led them outside to talk privately.
"What is it?" Lydia asked worriedly.
Maia twiddled her thumbs and licked her lips anxiously.
"There's something I didn't say," she said quietly.
"Say what?"
She sighed, "The nogitsune and I are linked, in a way. We shared a mind and a body. And similarly to when I was possessed, if it gets hurt then so do I."
"But it has its own body," Lydia argued.
"If it wanted to kill me, it would've. I was weak enough for it to be possible but it didn't because it can't."
Argent furrowed his brows, "So you're saying that the connection is still there? Physically?"
She nodded solemnly.
"Why does this matter?" Lydia asked.
The alpha pointedly looked at Argent, knowing that he understood what she was trying to say.
"Because if one dies, then so does the other."
Lydia's face fell. She glanced between the both of them, trying to see if they were lying. She shook her head in refusal at the same time.
"No!"
"Lydia, it doesn't matter," Maia argued.
"Of course it matters!" she shouted, "If they have the chance, they'll kill it and unknowingly kill you too! How could you just sacrifice yourself like that?"
"Because I deserve it!" she snapped.
Lydia's mouth shut but her tears spoke for her.
Maia sighed, "The last time you faced something like this, you lost a friend...a daughter."
She glanced at both of them, referring to the lost Argent.
"I refuse to be the cause of pain for this pack. To be the reason someone else dies in my place," she shook her head, "It's not fair."
"You don't deserve to die either," Lydia whispered.
Maia tilted her head and sent a soft smile.
"Yes, I do," she whispered, "I should've died a long time ago. Colin sacrificed himself because he loved me. Please let me do the same for the people I love."
Lydia's face was covered in tears. She closed her eyes and shook her head, refusing to accept the fate that Maia had.
Argent's expression was solemn. But he was grateful that the girl knew the pain they'd gone through before because of losing Allison. And he felt a greater amount of respect for the alpha before him.
Maia took a shaky breath and pulled Lydia into a hug. The strawberry blonde haired girl cried loudly as she wrapped her arms around her friend.
"I'm telling you this because I trust you to keep it a secret. And because I need the two of you to make sure that this ends tonight. Whether you capture void or kill it."
Argent nodded.
Lydia sniffled and neglected to answer. She tightened her hold on the girl.
"Lydia, please."
She let out a choked cry. Her back broke with sobs as Maia's arms held her.
But she couldn't refuse her. Because she knew that Maia needed this.
"I promise."
---