The moon was up and out, and Liam was slowly starting to feel its effects. Addy, however, was soundly asleep on his shoulder. She had drifted off an hour ago, and her head sagged against him. If he could have, he would have wrapped his arm around her shoulder, but he couldn't.
And it was a good thing he couldn't.
Liam suddenly jolted forward in his seat, knocking Addy to the floor in the process. His nails had turned to claws, and his teeth as fangs. There was a dark look in his eyes, the same she saw on his first full moon.
"Whatever you were gonna teach me, I think you better start." Liam's breathing was heavy, and his eyes turned gold. Addy rubbed her head as she slipped in the seat between Stiles and Derek. It wasn't safe to sit next to the out of control werewolf, no matter how much she wanted to stay by his side.
Sweat formed on his forehead as he tried to keep in control. The urge to maim and kill grew stronger as the night continued. He needed to get in control. He needed to help Scott. "Liam, you with us?" Addy spoke softly. Her voice caught his attention, and for a split second he felt sane again.
"We have a mantra that we use. You repeat it, focus on the words. It's like meditating. You say the words until you feel control coming back to you," Derek said. His voice was calm as he did it. He had trained betas before. He could do it again. But, Liam was different, he was angrier - stronger. It was going to be harder for him to keep control.
"Okay. Okay. Okay! What are the words?" Liam's voice was tight as he fought against the restraints holding him back. If he could get through chain, he was going to break the cuffs too.
"Okay, look at the triskelion. See the symbol? I have a tattoo on my back; it's the same thing. Each spiral means something different."
"Alpha, beta, omega," Stiles figured. He had heard it before. The triskelion had several different meanings. The first one that always came to mind for Addy was past, present, future.
"It represents the idea that we can always rise and fall back to another. Betas can become alphas. Alphas can become betas."
"Can alphas become omegas?" Liam asked through panted breaths. Derek nodded.
"All you have to say is the three words. And with each one, you tell yourself you're getting calmer, more in control."
Addy looked at the poor boy. He was pale, sweating like crazy, and his breaths were so ragged she wondered if any air got to his lungs. Last month, he had lost all control and the only thing on him was blood. Her blood. Liam was going to make sure that it wasn't going to happen again.
"Alpha, beta–"
"Slower."
"Alpha. Beta. Omega," Liam groaned. He wasn't going to be able to stay in control much longer. He felt it: the need, the wanting. "Alpha. Beta. Omega."
"Good. Say it again. Remember, every time you say the words, you're getting calmer."
"Alpha." A growl started forming with his words. It just got more prominent each time. Stiles climbed onto the seat trying to get as far away as the werewolf as possible. They were in the back of a van, so he wasn't going to have much luck. Addy kept herself between him and Liam, she could heal, he didn't.
"Say it again," Derek urged on. It was the only method he really knew until he found himself an anchor. That's how werewolves survived, they had an anchor.
Addy sat directly in front of Liam looking into his bright golden eyes. "Come on, Li. You can do it."
"Derek, I don't think the powerful talisman of self-control is working." Even in dangerous times, Stiles' sarcasm always shone through.
Liam growled at them again, this time with his fangs out on display. He lurched forward, trying to get any bloodshed in. He needed to kill. The whole van lurched to the side, nearly driving them off the road and into the ditch. Addy fell to the side, practically falling onto Stiles' lap.
"Liam, say it again!" Derek shouted. Liam broke out of the one cuff, his hand going towards Derek's throat. The other broke free, and before he could attack the ex-werewolf, Addy grabbed his wrist. They needed to get him under control as soon as possible. Maybe it was a mistake to bring him with them.
"Derek?" Braeden questioned form the front.
"Keep going!"
Liam roared in their faces. There was no humanity left in his golden eyes. The two struggled against his super strength. His claws inched closer and closer to Addy's face. Liam's jaws snapped open and closed, grunts and growls passing his lips as he did so. He was more animal than human at that point, the rage in his eyes scared Addy.
"I think we're gonna need to go a little faster!" Stiles hovered off to the corner. He didn't have healing like Addy did, and he wasn't strong like Derek. He was human, and he hated feeling useless in times like these. Addison was the only one that was going to be able to stand a chance against Liam.
"We're almost there."
"Derek, I don't think 'alpha, beta, omega' is resonating with him," Stiles said.
"No shit!" Addy exclaimed. Her grip slipped, and Liam's claws dug into the side of her cheek. She winced in pain. The blood dripped down her neck. It made Liam even more vicious. He probably would have actually killed her if she didn't grab his wrist again. It wouldn't have been his fault, but he never would forgive himself for it.
"You know any other mantras?" Derek couldn't exactly focus enough to think of another phrase. He was too busy trying not to get mauled.
"Yeah, I do," Addy spoke up. She remembered the one Scott told her. It hadn't worked for her, but maybe it would work for Liam. It was worth a shot anyways. "Liam, Liam! What three things cannot be long hidden?" Addy looked into his eyes. He thought for a second before growling at them again. "Liam! Li, look at me. What three things cannot be long hidden? What three things? Come on, babe."
Liam grunted. His grip on them loosened. "The sun... The moon... The truth." His voice was slowly getting back more to normal, and he pulled away from Addy and Derek. His body relaxed yet he was still in his werewolf form. She knew that he was going to be okay and in control, they all did.
"That's it, Li. Say it again."
"The sun, the moon, the truth." His claws and teeth hadn't retracted yet, but it was obvious he was in control and wasn't going to kill them all. Derek and Stiles leaned back, out of breath and thankful that Addy was there to get him in control. If it wasn't for her, they would all be dead.
"Ah, fuck it." Addy leaned forward and kissed Liam. An actual full-on kiss that made her knees want to melt rather than the short little kisses they usually shared. She tangled her fingers in his hair, and the taste of sweat lingered on his skin. She felt his fangs go away, and his nails go back to normal when he cupped the back of her neck.
"Wow, okay. Uh, guys? Guys? Really, that-that's enough," Stiles tried as the two teens continued kissing. Liam was back to normal. His eyes were just glowing for a different reason. "Guys! Seriously, I'm going to puke."
Addy laughed as she pulled away from the controlled beta. His cheeks flushed, and a smirk played in the corner of his mouth. He would never get tired of kissing her. And neither would she. "Sorry." Addy bit her lip, trying not to laugh at the situation.
"I'm not," Liam scoffed. He held Addy's hand which was warm to the touch. Stiles rolled his eyes at the two. They were disgusting.
They pulled up to a stop right outside the temple. It was quiet out, very quiet. Something was going on, or it happened already. Addy was nervous, and the werewolf beside her could tell.
"I can't believe I did it. For a minute there I thought I was going to tear the three of you apart."
"Yeah. That would've made for an awkward car ride home, so thanks," Stiles remarked. He wasn't too fond of the idea of Liam tearing him to shreds. He knew it was a bad idea to bring him. But he controlled it. He learned it, and with the help of Addy, he could master it.
"Think you can bring the same level of control and strength inside La Iglesia?" Derek asked. "Both of you?"
Liam raised an eyebrow, and like he had seen Scott do, he flicked his hand out and his claws formed. He could feel the tug inside of him: the want to lose control. But the warm hand in his reminded him that he wasn't a monster. He was Liam.
Addy chewed on her bottom lip. She wasn't sure if she could control it fully yet. It comforted her that she knew there was no wanting to main and kill everything in sight. Addy played with Liam's fingers. She didn't want to answer because she was scared.
"I, uh, I don't really know," she mumbled. Liam shuffled slightly. His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered.
"You have control. I know you do, okay? I believe in you."
Addy slipped her hand out of Liam's and held it out, her palm facing the roof. It was shaking slightly, but she focused on it. She had tried this not long ago, and only once it didn't work. The night air was cool, though she couldn't feel it. The bright moon was up in its full glory, and the van stayed quiet as Addy focused. She thought about the brightness of the flame she once created, the power and energy she felt, and Liam. Little Liam.
The palm of her hand smoked. The van started getting stuffy, and Stiles had started coughing slightly. Derek was just about to tell her to stop, that they were going to suffocate if she continued. But then it happened. A little spark lit, and her whole hand lit up. Just her hand, not all of her. She could keep the flame at bay.
"Th-that's amazing," Liam stuttered out. He watched in awe as Addy moved her hand around, the flame coming awfully close to Stiles' face. She snapped her hand into a fist, and the flame diminished.
"Wow, alright. We might actually be able to do this." Stiles raised his eyebrows. He was fascinated by Addy too. It was awesome. And the fact that she didn't get effected by it either made it unbelievable, supernatural.
Derek opened the door to the van, and before he could even take a step out, he was grabbed and thrown out. A berserker stood above him. The claw in its hand lowered and slashed across Derek's abdomen. He grunted in pain as he got impaled again.
Braeden was out, her shotgun loaded and continuously shooting at the berserker. After nearly a dozen shots, it finally left the scene. She dropped the gun and knelt down beside Derek. He was bleeding badly, very badly. Each breath felt like another stab wound.
"How bad is it?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just go to Scott," Derek winced. He knew he wasn't going to make it. Lydia was right about her prediction: banshees always were. "Just find him. We'll be right behind you. Go."
No one moved from their spots. Addy had a tear in her eye. She hadn't talked to Derek very often, but when she did, she enjoyed their conversation. He was a good guy, and he didn't deserve that.
"Go!"
Addy trailed behind Liam. They ran through the tunnels of the temple while Braeden and Derek stayed outside. Her heart was pumping and adrenaline passed through her veins. Scott and Kira could already be dead, and Derek was dying.
"Okay, everyone stop, stop, stop, stop." Peter held up his hand for everyone behind him to stop running. "We gotta figure out where we are, then we gotta figure out how to find Scott and Kira."
He was cut off by Stiles' phone ringing. How the hell did he get service from down here? Addy didn't pay attention to the phone call. She didn't like listening in on phone calls; it was rude.
She looked back down at her hand, the hand that was once on fire. Any normal human would have been affected. Their hand would have been burnt to a crisp, far beyond repair. But she wasn't human. She wasn't normal. She was supernatural, and she was okay with that. Because she had Scott, Stiles, Lydia, Liam...
"What do we do know?" Liam asked. Stiles shoved his phone in his pocket, still wondering how he had service. Addy looked over at her 'slightly-more-than' friend. His hair was tousled from running and also running his hand through it.
"Duck." Malia grabbed the back of his head and pushed him down just as one of the berserkers swung at them. It had missed Addy's head by mere inches, which had significantly terrified her to run and lead the group.
"Shit, shit, shit," Addy yelled as she ran. They weren't far behind her. It turns out she could run really fast when her life depended on it.
They had reached an open area with lots of space to fight. No place to hide. Malia threw Kira's sword towards Stiles, and yelled something at him that Addy didn't hear. She was too busy dodging the punches of the berserker in front of her.
It finally landed one on her, right in the stomach. She flew across the room. Her back painfully landed into one of the stone pillars. She groaned. Her head was spinning and her back throbbed with every breath.
"Addy!"
Liam fought against the berserker, only to be flung to the side. Malia was up next. She got a good right cross to its face, but the hit didn't faze it at all. She was pushed down as well. The three of them were all going in for hits, but never really doing any damage. Liam was trying to stay in control, and Malia was thinking about just letting go to kill the son of a bitch.
Addy wobbled up to her feet and took a deep breath. The familiar heat of her body gave her comfort. She felt safe when she was in the middle of the flame. She felt like she could do anything. The power it gave felt exhilarating. The brightness caught the attention of the berserker. It was dark in the temple, and the only light came from Addy and the moon.
"Come on," she snarled. The bone creature pushed Liam to the side. It charged towards Addy, which worried Liam. She didn't have her sword out, or her shield. It was just Addy. Bright little Addy who felt the power in the room. She felt the desire of power coming off of one particular werewolf: Peter.
As soon as the monster was in arms' reach, she twirled around her newfound sword. It clanked against the armour. It didn't leave much damage, but it affected it more than the punches the boys and Malia were throwing.
She slashed against the bones, barely grazing the small open skin part on its arm. She was too busy to notice the tattooed bands on the arm, the same bands Scott had. Addy blocked all of its hits, and she used her shield to push it down.
"Aim for the skull! Kill it! Kill it now!" Peter shouted. Addy spun her sword in her hand and raised it up in the air. She sliced through the air and just about delivered a hit the skull of the monster, a hit that would kill it.
But another sword stopped her. Kira's sword, to be exact. It blocked the tip of Addy's weapon from impaling down on the monster. Why would she defend the thing that was just trying to kill them not a moment ago? "Addy! Stop! Stop. It's Scott. It's Scott," Stiles muttered. Addy didn't have time to inspect to see if it really was Scott.
The berserker – Scott – pulled out one of its makeshift knives. He impaled Addy in the leg, making her scream in pain. She fell to the ground, the flame around her disappearing. She felt vulnerable again. She felt human when Scott brought the sharp end down on her stomach. Addy screamed again, louder this time. She screamed in pain, in worry that they were never going to get Scott back to normal, for her friends.
"Addy!" Liam shouted. He almost felt physical pain when she screamed like that. He never wanted her to sound like that again. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe. She would heal – quickly too – but she was still in pain. He didn't know how to take her pain, he wanted to take it for her.
"Scott? Scott, don't!" Kira shouted. He had his eyes set on one person, and one person only at the minute: Liam. Scott, the berserker, punched Malia. She landed on the ground with a hard thud. Stiles didn't have much luck either. Scott didn't recognize his best friend, who received the same result as his girlfriend.
Addy whimpered as she sat up. The wounds were taking longer to heal, probably because they were more serious. She felt like she was going to die right then and there. The blood flowed out of her wounds, making a large stain on her clothes. Her hands were covered in the red substance. It probably wouldn't come out after a few washes.
Liam was so focused on Addy he barely saw Scott some up behind him. He grabbed onto the collar of his hoodie and lifted him against the pillar. Liam saw the brown eyes through the skull. They were Scott's, but they didn't have the same glow he could always maintain. They were dull, lifeless, just like every berserker.
"Scott," Liam grunted. His feet could barely touch the ground, but it was loose enough so that he could still breathe. Scott brought his fist up, ready to beat the life out of his own beta. "Scott, Scott! Listen, listen, listen!"
Scott McCall actually seemed to listen. "You're not a monster!" Liam shouted. He needed Scott to listen. He needed his alpha back. "You're a werewolf! Like me."
^^^^
Word count: 3021
April 15, 2016
Shit y'all for some reason I thought I posted this three days ago. Anywhore, it's here now so enjoy.