Eliana's POV:
Lydia, Malia, Scott and I sat in the sheriff's office, waiting for him to show. My dad and Evan stood in the back of the office.
Sheriff walked in and placed two files on his desk. "I'm not letting them out. We've got two bodies covered in slash marks. They confessed to killing two people."
"Hunters," Scott protested.
Sheriff Stilinski frowned. "People, Scott. Self-defense or not, they're still here, the other guys are dead. And there's a process I have to follow."
I met his eyes. "You know what's happening in this town. You know how unsafe it is for them."
The sheriff sighed. "This may actually be the safest place for them in Beacon Hills. At least I can protect them here."
I crossed her arms and asked pointedly, "And Stiles. Would he agree?"
"Especially if one of your deputies is working for Gerard?" Malia questioned.
Sheriff Stilinski shook his head. "I'm not buying that. I know these deputies like the back of my hand. I know their families, their kids, their brothers and sisters. I know who they are and I trust them."
"You know who they were," Liam corrected. "There's something out there. Everyone's afraid. And it's getting worse."
Scott nodded. "Yeah, you can't protect two werewolves from hunters if they're already on the inside."
The sheriff turned his gaze to the girl we had brought in. "It's Quinn, right?" The girl nodded. "You're sure it was a deputy who shot you? Absolutely 100% sure?"
Quinn nodded again. "I saw flashing lights. A police car. I... I saw a badge, a gun, and then they shot me. They shot me in the head and that's all I remember."
My dad frowned. "There are a couple holes in her story."
"Maybe because there's a hole in her head," Lydia retorted.
Malia let out a loud laugh and noticed the looks she was getting. "I'm sorry."
Scott shook his head at her and turned back to the adults. "Sheriff, Officer Hart, we need to get Jiang and Tierney out here before anyone realizes that they're here."
"And take them where?" the sheriff wondered. "Eric and I can't let them go."
"But if you keep them here, they're-" Lydia was cut off.
"Look if there's a problem-"
The sheriff was cut off by the sound of engines and lights. Scott and I peeked outside to see Monroe and at least a dozen well-armed hunters.
"Get away from the windows," Evan ordered. "Put those guns away."
Parrish turned to the sheriff. "I'm guessing you three know who's out there."
"I got a pretty good idea," the sheriff and my dad said.
Evan nodded. "Oh, we definitely know. God they reek of anger."
"They'll be armed to the teeth," Parrish warned.
"Which is why Hart and I won't be," the sheriff said.
"I'm going with you two," Parrish told him.
Sheriff Stilinski shook his head. "No, you're gonna get some deputies, check the exits, and hope we're not completely surrounded. And keep an eye out. Let's make sure we're all on the same side here."
The sheriff and my dad walked outside, raising their hands in surrender.
Malia peeked out the window and started packing away as she said in a panicked voice, "We have to get out of here."
Scott glanced at her. "Give him a chance. He knows what he's doing." He turned back to the window, seeing the sheriff talking to Monroe.
Malia frowned. "I am giving a chance. He can talk all he wants, but we have to get the hell out of here."
Liam made his way to us. "How do we get Jiang and Tierney out?"
"Screw them. It's Stilinski and Hart's job."
"But it's our job to keep them alive," Scott said.
The door opened to reveal Theo Raeken. I growled and flicked my claws.
Evan restrained me and I fought against him, but he wasn't relenting. Seeing as he wouldn't let up, I resorted to glaring at him.
"You want me or Ella to kill him?" Liam asked. "Ella clearly wants to."
Malia shook her head and pleaded, "No, just leave him. Can we please just go?"
"We're not going anywhere," Quinn snapped. "Don't you get it? We're trapped. They have all of the windows and doors covered. We're going to die in here."
Theo raised his hand. "Does someone want to kill her?"
Malia turned and yelled, "Shut up!"
Scott stepped forward and spun her around. "Malia, hey. Take a breath. You're shaking."
"I'm fine."
Lydia snuck a peek outside. "Guys, there's only a dozen of them out there. We can take them."
Liam frowned at his alpha. "Scott, they're the last of Satomi's pack. We can't leave them behind."
Scott turned back to Malia and took her arms. "Okay. We go. But Jiang and Tierney are coming with us."
Liam left to get Jiang and Tierney from their cell.
As those of us who remained readied to fight, Scott asked, "You ready?"
Liam nodded, Malia flashed her fangs, Liam, Scott and I flicked our claws. We turned to Theo. He sighed and flicked his claws as well.
As we walked towards the door, two stern voices stopped us. "Nobody's going anywhere."
"I can get through," Lydia said.
The sheriff shook his head. "We're not gonna fire the first shot. Now get back from the door, all of you." He motioned to Jiang and Tierney. "Parrish, get these two back in their cell."
Scott stepped closer and asked, "What happened?"
"She gave us til midnight," my dad replied.
They barricaded the doors with desks. Lydia sat in a separate area with Quinn, trying to see if she could hear anything or get a Banshee premonition.
The power suddenly cut and Malia asked, "How easy is it to cut the power in a sheriff's station?"
"Too easy," Deputy Vargas replied.
Nolan was thrown to the ground by a deputy. Liam narrowed his eyes at him. "Throw him out."
Nolan shook his head and began pleading. "No, you can't. Okay? Please don't. She'll know I screwed up."
"He's with them," Liam told us.
"Liam," Scott warned.
"Sheriff?" Parrish called.
"He's a liar and he's sick in the head," Liam said.
"And now he's under house arrest. Lock him up," Parrish instructed, leading Nolan from the room.
A grenade was thrown and Parrish yelled, "Everyone get down!"
They ducked seconds before the grenade went off with a bright flash. Smoke filled the room.
"What the hell was that?" Malia wondered.
"That was a distraction," I deadpanned with a low growl.
"They said midnight!" the sheriff and my dad cried, stalking towards the door.
Parrish stopped them. "The grenade came from in here. It was one of us."
Liam ran back into the room with Nolan, threw him to the floor, and held up a vial of purple liquid. "Wolfsbane. He was trying to kill them. Scott, there's something else you need to see."
Scott left with Liam and I waited impatiently with Malia and Lydia.
I stared out the window and glaring at Monroe before muttering, "You're gonna fucking pay."
Scott returned and spoke to the sheriff and my dad in the sheriff's office.
The sheriff and my dad said, "It doesn't change anything."
"Well, it does for me," Scott said. "They killed innocent people."
Sheriff Stilinski sighed. "It doesn't matter, Scott. Because if you find yourself fighting a war, you're gonna have to kill people. And there's know such thing as guilty or innocent. There's only the other side. Sometimes war takes prisoners. And others take none."
Evan nodded. "War requires blood, Scott. As tragic as it is, war is a lack of peace and a shit ton of blood."
An arrow shot through the window and people started to panic. Malia pulled it free from the wood and pulled off a piece of green fabric with the number seven.
I took the fabric from Malia's hand. "Brett's number."
"They're trying to rattle us," Lydia said.
"It's working," Theo replied, seeing Liam's eyes flash gold.
My eyes flashed their purple color.
Deputy Morrow suddenly screamed. We ran to see an officer hanging from the rafters.
Nolan was handcuffed to a bar, a terrified expression on his face. "I... I didn't do anything. I... I didn't even say anything. He just got up and started putting the wire around his neck."
"Get him down," Sheriff Stilinski and my dad ordered.
Parrish and the sheriff cut him down.
Deputy Morrow began tearing up. "15 minutes. They're coming to kill us in 15 minutes. They're coming to kill us and no one's gonna help us. We're all dead." She raised the gun to her head.
"We're already dead." She pulled the trigger.
"No!" Evan cried, trying to stop her, but it was too late.
Lydia walked towards both bodies. "That wasn't just panic. It's in here with us."
"What do you mean?" Sheriff Stilinski and my dad asked.
"Whatever's causing the fear. The same thing that drove the wolves to kill each other. It's here with us."
Scott let out a sigh. "Guys, it's almost midnight. We're out of time."
The sheriff shook his head. "I've already got two bodies. I'm not giving Monroe two more."
Theo looked between us. "I watched two guys bring them in and tie them up."
I thought for a moment. "How long did they have Tierney and Jiang?"
"A couple hours maybe."
"Did Monroe talk to them?" Scott wondered.
"No, I don't think so. Just that guy from Eichen, maybe one or two other guys with shotguns. I think they were waiting for Monroe to do the real interrogating."
"So she might not have seen them."
My dad frowned. "What are you getting at, Scott?"
"I got an idea. I don't think you're gonna like it."
"If it keeps people from getting killed, Officer Hart and I are pretty open," the sheriff said.
"Monroe said that she wanted Jiang and Tierney brought out. Dead or alive."
The sheriff shot a gun in the air to feign shooting people. He held up a hand with a number. "Five minutes."
We got the two dead deputies in two body bags. Scott and Theo took them outside.
Malia looked between us. "Anyone think this is gonna work?"
I shrugged. "I certainly fucking hope so, because if it doesn't, Monroe and her idiots out there are going to kill us."
Lydia shot me a look. "Ella, some optimism would be nice."
"Oh, sorry. Don't know that word."
She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips.
Scott returned a few minutes later with his dad. They told us of a deal they'd struck for supernatural beings to leave Beacon Hills.
Lydia frowned. "Scott, are you sure about this?"
Liam rested his head on his arms. "I'm not. The deal sucks."
I nodded in agreement. "Is there another option?"
Agent McCall shook his head. "But it's the only one on the table. In a situation like this, the best solution is always to deescalate. It's why you called me, isn't it?"
"To be honest, Hart and I didn't think anyone was gonna show up," the sheriff admitted.
Scott glanced to Malia and nodded. "Okay." We looked at him. "I'll leave."
---
As we made our way back to Scott's, he winked at me, letting me know he had a plan.
We arrived and he said, "Go pack a bag."
"Can't," I argued. "No stuff of mine here."
"Then go home and get some stuff."
"No. You winked. You have a plan."
Malia entered Scott's room.
Agent McCall smiled at his son. "I'll be downstairs."
Malia took Scott's hand and he laughed softly. "You could've grabbed a bag." She took a bag and they shared a smile.
---
The three of us made our way to the Animal Clinic. Everyone else was there, except Mason.
I waited impatiently for Mason to show.
Mason walked in and locked eyes with Corey. "You told me you were leaving."
"I had to," Corey said.
"You lied."
"We all did," Liam told him.
"So this was the plan all along?" Mason asked.
Scott nodded. "Sorry, Mason. My dad had to believe we left Beacon Hills. Everyone has to believe it."
"Then what happens next? We fight back, right?"
Scott glanced at me as he tilted his head slightly and smiled. "What did you think we were gonna do? Run?"
I smirked. "We're gonna fucking fight."