▹Stiles◃
"No!" I seethe, my hand instinctively drifting towards Terra's. "Get out. Now."
Noticing my distress, Scott, steps forward, "How do you know Terra?"
Lukas runs a hand through his hair with a shaky hand, "We're old friends." He lets out an exasperated sigh, "Look, I really don't have time to be explaining this to you. Terra doesn't have time." His blue eyes don't meet mine, his eyes roaming over Terra's pale face.
"I don't see why she needs to go with you." I spit.
"What Terra needs isn't here."
"And what is it that Terra needs?"
"She needs the nemeton. And she needs to get there now."
Scott narrows his eyes, placing a hand on the metal table, "How do you know all this?"
"Because he's an emissary." We all turn to face Deaton, our eyebrows raised. "And he's right, Terra needs to get to the nemeton now."
Scott nods without a question, picking up Terra gently. Black veins spread up his arm, causing him to wince and falter slightly, Terra's head falling back limply. I rush over, taking Terra from Scott, my lanky fingers wrapping tightly around her freezing arm and under her legs, "Is she in that much pain?"
"A lot. She's in a lot of pain." Scott rubs a hand up his arm as if rubbing the black veins away, turning to face Deaton in the process "Are you sure this will work?"
"This is the only thing left to try."
"Scott, let's go."
"You need me," Lucas states, brushing hair out of Terra's face as I try to pass by him. I scowl, watching his eyebrows furrow in mock concern as his fingers linger under Terra's jaw. There's no way Lukas is a good guy, especially when he caused Terra to have a panic attack.
"Fine. But it doesn't mean we trust you." Lukas nods, his eyes glinting in the limited light as we follow him out of the clinic. I raise an eyebrow when Lukas unlocks his car, "Um- no. No way."
"Look. I can tell you don't like me but that doesn't matter because Terra needs to get there." Lukas seethes, masking his anger only slightly.
"Don't worry, I'll be with you guys." Scott assures, pulling his bike helmet over his head. He revs his engine as Lukas opens the back door for me. I glare at him before laying Terra down gently in the back seat. I adjust her awkwardly hanging arm before moving to my seat on the passenger side.
A moment later Lukas starts the car and drives out of the vet parking lot, Scott following closely behind us. Lukas glances at me at least three times before I finally snap, my brown eyes boring into the side of his head. "Old friends? Then why did Terra react the way she did when she saw you here?"
"We left off on the wrong foot."
"I'm sure you did."
"Look man. I don't care what you think about me, all I care about is Terra living. She needs to be alive." I quirk an eyebrow at that. Just the way he iterates it doesn't seem right.
I decide to change the subject, "How do you even know where the nemeton is?"
"Don't worry about it."
"You know you being vague isn't going to make me trust you more."
"Does it really matter?" He muses, glancing at me from the side of his eye. "No matter what I say, you'll take Terra's word over mine."
Pressing my lips into a thin line I advert my gaze. Leaning back in my seat as a small smile grows on Lukas' face. Five minutes pass before Lukas pulls to the side of the dirt road. "What are you doing? We're obviously not there yet."
Lukas just rolls his eyes as he climbs out of the car. He throws the back door open, picking up Terra easily. "We're going to have to hike the rest of the way."
Scott pulls up a moment later, lifting up his helmet, "What's going on?"
"We have to hike the rest of the way to the nemeton. It's the safest way without drawing to much attention to us. Especially on the full moon."
"Oh, right, here, I can carry Terra." Scott offers, holding his arms out.
"Its fine, I got it. Just focus on staying human."
My eyes narrow, following Lukas' retreating figure as he makes his way into the trees. "I don't trust him." I mutter, knowing Scott can hear me.
"I know."
Scott then jogs forward, keeping pace with Lukas. His hand hovers under Terra's head, her brown locks swishing back and forth. I wring my hands together, trying to push my uneasy feeling down.
She'll be fine. She'll wake up and everything will be fine.
Everything will be fine.
A small groan escapes from Terra, her head rolling to the side as she begins to stir. Acting quickly, Scott places a hand on her forehead, stilling her for the moment. I stay back a few feet, my eyes glued onto the back of Lukas' curly blonde hair.
Lukas and Scott slow as we approach a clearing, "We're here." I stop besides them, glancing down at Terra's pale face.
"Now what?" I ask, looking forward at the tree stump that caused all of this.
Lukas just hushes us as he flexes his hand, telling us to wait here. We follow behind him slightly, entering the clearing so we don't have a blocked view of the stump, Lukas, and Terra. I watch with baited breath as he lays Terra down on her side facing us.
Her eyes move beneath her eyelids, her fingers shaking slightly as Lukas begins to step away.
Terra slowly shifts onto her back, her palms lying flat on the wood.
"Is it working?" I mutter, my fingers fidgeting with anticipation.
"Shhh..." Lukas silences us, his gaze stern but focused on Terra.
Scott opens his mouth to speak when all of a sudden Terra's back arches, a howl, louder and fiercer than Scott's, rips through the air.
❂
▹Terra ◃
Imagine being able to feel each blood cell flowing through your veins. Each atom within you vibrating with energy. But there was too much of it. Too much to contain.
Power.
There was so much power. Strength, emotions, pain, everything was magnified. Everything was worse, yet everything was better.
The world was black. The world still is, my mind existing in a state of unconsciousness as the power overwhelms my physical body.
I always believed that there was such thing as to much power. It's been proven multiple times, through many generations. But never first hand. I've always been the one without power. The one who had to stay silent while the world happened around them. I've never had control, I've never been the one with power to make a change.
Yet, here I am, unconscious with all the power in the world.
All this power flowing through me and- I am on the verge of death. Because of this power, given to me by Scott or the universe or destiny, whatever you chose to believe, I am teetering over the line of life and death.
I feel my body be lifted, my conscious returning momentarily as I feel myself being lowered onto a hard surface.
All of a sudden my eyes snap open, my back arching, as a howl erupts from deep within me. Everything is tinged red as I jump up from my position, my claws extended and my body tensed and ready to pounce.
"Terra."
I whip around, facing the boy who spoke my name. My face relaxes at his familiarity but when I scrunch my nose up just as quickly when I catch a horribly familiar scent.
"No." I growl, slowly creeping forward. "Get out of here. Leave. Go- Away." I puff, holding back the rush of energy flooding though me. Everything inside of me telling me to lunge at the blonde and rip his throat out. But I can't, not in front of Stiles.
"It's good to see you again." Lukas smirks, stepping in front of Stiles as if to protect him.
"Get away from him. Now." I growl, stepping off of the raised platform I was standing on earlier.
"Terra, just calm down, you're going to get run down in-"He doesn't even finish is sentence before my knees give out, Stiles rushing forward and catching me a second before I completely hit the ground.
Scott finally raises from the ground, still holding his head, "What happened?"
"Basically she had more power than her body could handle so she gave some to the nemeton. Terra and the nemeton have a crucial link and there can't be one without the other." Lukas explains as I watch from Stiles' arms with blurry vision.
"No, I mean, before when she howled-"
"Scott- Stiles- what's happening?" I unknowingly cut Scott off, my memory becoming blank and my head becoming muddled.
"Let's get Terra somewhere where she can rest."
"We can take it from here." Stiles snaps, glaring at Lukas.
"Fine." Lukas growls under his breath, his eyes narrowing into slits as he turns on his heel and walks away.
"Scott, help me out here." Scott nods, his eyes flitting between Stiles and where Lukas is walking off to. Scott grabs under my legs, lifting me up as Stiles lifts my upper half. To weak to hold my head up, my head rolls to the side, resting on Stiles' shoulder as we leave the clearing.
"Was that the nemeton?" I mumble, my eyes fluttering open and closed.
"Just rest Terra. It'll be okay." Stiles mutters, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead.
I nod, coughing a bit before I close my eyes and continue to listen to their conversation. "It doesn't make sense Stiles."
"Scott, now's not a great time."
"I know, trust me- I do. It's just weird."
"Really weird."
"Like weirder than anything we've ever experienced before."
"I got it Scott. It's weird. Let's not make Terra feel bad okay?"
I grunt in response, rubbing my beyond chapped lips together, "its fine."
Neither of them speak again, the rest of our walk to the car silent. Once situated in the passenger seat, Stiles closes the door on me, the two sharing a brief conversation, which I'm too exhausted to listen in on, before Stiles joins me in the car. Luckily for us Scott drove the Jeep up here instead of his bike. "Just rest Terra. I'm taking you home."
I nod, reaching across the middle console and grabbing a hold of Stiles' hand, which was resting on the stick shift. Even in my dulled state I notice the increase in Stiles' already rapid heartbeat. "Thank you."
He nods, intertwining his fingers with mine. Smiling gently Stiles starts the car, turning the car around and heading out of the preserve. Closing my eyes, I lean back in my seat, my hand still in Stiles'. The drive back to the house is quite, only the gentle rumbling of the jeep keeping me awake.
Before I know it we're in front of Stiles' home, my home. Releasing my hand gently Stiles exits the car, coming around the front of the car to open my door. However before he can get there I yank the door open, practically falling out of the jeep and into Stiles.
"Sorry, sorry." I mutter, my head spinning as I steady myself.
"Terra- you okay?"
I nod, only sending the world spinning again, "Just a bit dizzy."
"Let's get you inside." Stiles frowns, guiding me up the front steps and into the house.
I black out momentarily, coming to again, already in my bed. "Stiles- Stiles." I whisper, my eyes fluttering open and closed. "My clothes."
Stiles gulps, his cheeks flushing a red. "Uh- what?" He stutters, his voice squeaking at the end.
"My shoes. Take off." I cough, holding a hand to my face. I pull my hand away half expecting to see it cover with black blood. A sigh of relief escapes me, my hand coming back clean. "Pajamas..."
"Right. Right." Stiles slips my shoes off, leaving them besides my bed as he moves to the small closet and rummages through the limited amount of clothes. A moment passes before he looks back at me, holding plaid shorts and an over sized black shirt. "Is this okay?"
I nod, rolling onto my side to look at him. He shuffles back, helping me sit up as he holds my clothes in his other hand. I stumble to the side, Stiles supporting most of my weight as he practically carries me to the bathroom to change. "Okay Terra, I'm going to close the door so you can get changed okay? Are you going to be okay?" Stiles asks, crouching in front of me. He stares into my blue eyes, searching for some sort of understanding. "Terra, you're going to be okay, right?"
My bottom lip trembles, my hands gripping onto Stiles'. I shake my head, tears slipping down my face. "I was dead. I could feel it. I was dying Stiles. I was dying." I shake, hair falling into my face as I look down, not wanting to show Stiles how much pain I was in.
A gentle kiss being placed on the crown of my head stills my trembling. "But you're not. You're not dead, and I won't let you die." With teary eyes I look back up at the brown eyed, mole covered, boy. "Not while I'm around."
I bite my lip, nodding. "Thank you."
He stands up, patting my head gently before he leaves the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack. My eyes linger on the small opening, the dull glow of my room filtering into the dark bathroom. Sluggishly I reach for the black shirt, placing it on my lap. I peel off my blood splattered top, tossing it aside. I then slip the over sized shirt on, slipping my bra off underneath the material.
Using the sink as a support, I stand slowly, shimmying out of my dirty jeans, using my legs to kick them off. I grimace as I bend down to step into the plaid shorts, my head spinning and my vision blurring. "Get your shit together Terra." I whisper, securing my pants around my waist.
I stumble out of the bathroom, leaning on the doorway. I clear my throat, catching Stiles' attention. He stands from my bed, meeting me at the doorway and helping me back over to where he was previously. Gently resting me on the bed, he pulls the covers back, positioning me underneath them. Pulling the covers up to my chin, Stiles brushes the hair out of my face, tucking the strands behind my ear.
I roll over onto my side, catching Stiles' hand before he can get too far. Surprised he look back down at me, "Stay." I mutter, biting my lip anxiously.
"Always."
I close my eyes, listening to Stiles sit on the ground and rest his head on the edge of the bed. Our fingers find their way together, his thumb running over the top of my hand gently. "Thank you." I whisper, feeling the need to say it again.
I just want to say it over and over again because he deserves to hear it.
Stiles saved me.
Not just today, he's been saving me ever since he convinced me to get in his car and he took me here.
He saved me by listening. By opening his life up to me. By allowing me to join his pack, his family.
Stiles saved me and he still is.
I drift off, listening to the soft whispers of the boy next to me. The whispers of a hero.
❂
▹Deaton ◃
I close the file, pushing the pictures to the side.
"You can't tell them."
I shake my head, running a hand down my face. My fingers hover over the date printed on the file. The depicting of the accident branded in my mind. The dim lighting on the clinic mirroring the horrors of the situation.
"If they knew, they would disown her."
"Scott's different." I defend, my eyes still glued onto the picture of the crumpled car. The once blue paint now red with blood.
"Her kind are a threat. That's the whole reason for the curse."
"No."
"Deaton, you know their story. You know why they've been cursed. Why they can't know about Terra's family. About her true family." The blonde before me yanks the file from my grasp, forcing me to look up at him. "This wasn't an accident. This was an assassination. They were all supposed to die."
"But she didn't."
"Exactly."
"But how?"
"You know how Deaton. But you're scared to admit it." Lukas slams his hands onto the desk. "You know what it means. Admit it!"
"Terra's the key." A smile grows on Lukas' lips, his hunched position straightening. His eyes twinkle with mischief, his alliances cleverly hidden behind his blue irises. "Her connection to the nemeton is the key. Her connection to Scott. It was all planned- wasn't it?" I ramble, finally putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.
"And you know exactly who did it."
"Seth."
♋
A/N: IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I've been incredibly busy with school and my after school activities. But hey, the ending of this chapter makes up for it in my opinion. Even though the last part is short it's way important for what's to come. NOT EDITED- sorry. check out Anticipate This for new books and previews for new chapters
edited 10/18/16