I'm now standing in the animal clinic. Holding down a shirtless, teenaged Werewolf, who's vomiting a yellow substance. That yellow substance being a rare form of Wolfsbane.
"What the hell is happening to this kid?" Stiles shouts.
He's holding Brett down to my right while Derek is to my left. I use all of my Werewolf strength to hold Brett down but seriously he's strong.
"He was poisoned by a rare form of Wolfsbane. I need to make an incision and you need to hold him as still as possible." Deaton says correcting my theory of the rare Wolfsbane.
"Hey. Kenzie? Derek? How 'bout, a little Werewolf strength?" Stiles demands.
"Well we're not the only ones with Werewolf strength." Derek snaps.
"If you don't hold him still, the incision might kill him." Deaton tells us.
"He's already dying. We need to do something, quickly." I reveal.
Deaton gets closer to Brett's chest for the incision, but Stiles' grip fails as Brett's eyes glow yellow. Growling, Brett pushes us all back causing me to hit a wall. I half shift and am about to roar at him when Derek grabs my wrist making me shift back and pulls me back into him. As Brett is about to walk out the door Peter comes in out of nowhere and punches Brett, knocking him out cold. Peter looks to us and flashes his blue Werewolf eyes back to normal.
"I guess I still have a little Werewolf strength myself" he comments with a smirk.
"Yeah maybe more than a little" Derek says to him.
"Hey Doc, I don't think he's breathing" Stiles comments as he and Deaton kneel down beside Brett.
Deaton makes the incision in Brett's chest. Brett inhales deeply and a small cloud of yellow comes out of his chest. I look back to Derek and see three claw marks, obviously from Brett. Derek looks up at me and then Peter, then back down to the claw marks. I look down to see it heal ever so slowly. I suddenly hear speaking from Brett, he keeps repeating the same thing.
"Three things cannot long be hidden. The Sun. The Moon. The Truth"
I realise its Buddhist. I look to Derek and Peter and they share my expression.
"Satomi" I say to them they nod.
I know who Satomi is because I heard about her, she was bitten and learning control was anything but easy.
---------------
I'm sitting on the end of Derek's bed as he is pacing in front of me.
"Could you at least try to calm down? I can smell the tension on you" I say.
"Sorry. I've got a lot on my mind"
I remember what my uncle told me,
"My Uncle told me about the school. Your sense of smell"
He looks to me, then walks over and sits down next to me.
"At first I thought Kate had taken something from my past, then something else happened"
I realise,
"You're losing your power. You're not healing as fast either"
I can sense the sadness from him so I take his hand.
"I promise you that the next time I see Kate, I swear to God I will kill her."
I haven't told anyone this yet but I have gained a new skill, I cancover my scent and heartbeat, making me a master of hide and seek, I've hadthis skill since just after Aiden died, because I was alone a lot Iconcentrated a lot and I ended up one day not being able to hear my ownheartbeat or smell my scent no matter how hard I tried. I guess I should tellhim now "I've been able to cover my heartbeat and scent. I would be able tohide from anyone if I wanted. I found out about my new cool skill after Aidendied. I don't know what it was but I was alone for a while so I concentratedand then one day I couldn't hear my own heartbeat or smell my scent" I've heardthat this particular skill is very hard to achieve for Born Werewolves so forBitten Werewolves it's nearly impossible and not many Werewolves have achievedit.
He smiles, I put my hand on the side of his face staring into his eyes, he places his hand on mine and I close my eyes and then I see them, the memories of us as kids playing together and then after we met again all the times we spent together, I show him everything that has happened since we were young, this skill I've had since I was bitten but I kept it to myself. I've never heard of a Werewolf that can show memories to their mate. I open my eyes.
"How did you do that?"
"I don't know. All I know is that I've been able to do it since I was bitten and that I could replay memories from years ago."
He smiles at me and I smile back.
"I need to tell you something"
"Go ahead"
I look him in the eyes,
"I think I've known this for a while. Derek, you're my Mate"
My eyes glow. Something's still off. And his glow their yellow colour. I didn't think this was possible. By just this one word I had said my inner Wolf wanted to throw herself on him, she was filled with lust and passion. I knew he felt the same as I could see it in his eyes, it seemed his inner Wolf knew what he was doing before Derek did. I had never experienced a feeling like this before even without the Wolf powers, a feeling like I belonged to this person and that they belonged to me. I mean Derek and I were in a relationship, and we had spoken about Mates once or twice but we never had a full conversation about it. Before I know it I'm getting picked up and pushed against the wall, Derek's lips meet mine pulling me out of my thoughts, each kiss feels more wanting than the next. It seems his Wolf is taking over, I'm trying to keep mine under control but she wants to take over and be one with his Wolf. He carries me to the bed and places me down on it gently,
"Are you sure? I know it's your first time."
I look him in the eyes and nod,
"Yes. I've been waiting for the right time. I didn't want to rush into it."
I pull on the top of his jeans and pull him between my legs. He breaks away from the kiss so I can pull his shirt over his head and then he pulls mine over my head, he kisses me and moves down my neck while I put one hand on his shoulder and then the other tugs at the bottom of his hair at the nape of his neck. He leaves a hickey on my neck and by the smirk on his face, it must be a big hickey. Derek kisses me and moves down to my tummy and goes lower causing me to moan slightly, I look up to the ceiling as he moves back up again, he knows how to turn a girl on. But from what I remember, he's had experience. He pulls me by my thighs so I slide towards him. He then moves his hands to the top of my trousers and looks at me asking for permission, I nod and he tugs them down and then I do the same. We're both in our underwear, he runs his hands up my thighs and then down them again then he kisses up my thighs making the Wolf inside me go crazy. He kisses down my newly exposed skin leaving hickeys here and there, especially around my stomach, hips and thighs.
"Derek..." I say through a moan, I can't help it.
My nails run down his back, leaving scratches.
"Damn, I forgot you had some claws on you."
I realise my claws are cutting his skin, he bites my skin and I wasn't expecting it, causing a loud moan to escape my lips. He smiles at me, knowing his effect on me. He starts to grind on me and I respond moving my hips in sync with his. His hands wander up my legs again and end up stopping at the bottom of my bra, he unclips it at the back and removes it from my body, I bite my lip, he looks into my eyes and obviously sees the nervousness in my eyes,
"Kenzie, you're beautiful."
I blush lightly. He runs his hand up and down my side,
"It'll hurt at the start because it's your first time. But eventually it'll get better. Okay?"
I nod my head.
"Okay."
He nods. I scratch his back with either my nails or my claws, he bites on my ear murmuring things into it, turning me on, I feel the climax, butterflies take flight, fluttering around my body. And my tummy does summersaults. While I involuntarily moan his name.
-----------
I wake up and look to my right and see Derek's still there sleeping. He looks so peaceful. I look to his back seeing the red scratches and the deep cuts that haven't healed yet. Last night after I told Derek that I knew he was my Mate. His inner wolf and mine wanted to merge together and become one, and we gave them what they wanted. This finishes the bond between your Mate and you. You can feel emotions they have and if your Mate is in danger you can tell long before they walk into it. I remember my friends all telling me about the times they lost their virginity. They all said and I quote, 'It makes you feel like a real woman.' But not for me it doesn't. For me losing that part of me, it tied my identity to Derek. Told me I belong to him. And it was amazing, seriously anything would be amazing with him. I feel a burning pain in my arm, just below my elbow. I notice a dark shape on my arm in the place the burning sensation was. I look at it closely, it's like a tattoo. It has two wolves with the moon in the background with the letters D.H at the bottom. I realise this is the mark you get when your Mate claims you. I see one on Derek's wrist, it's exactly the same but the only difference is where I have D.H he has M.L. I place my fingers on each of the scratches on his back and softly trace them down to where they end at his lower back. I feel bad that his won't heal as quickly, knowing my power my scratches have probably already healed. But the hickeys will take longer. He stirs and wakes up looking at me, he smiles.
"Sorry," I say.
"For what?"
"For the scratches." He smiles again.
"Its fine, I like them. They remind me of what happens when I bring you to the edge, when I make you lose control." He places his hand on the side of my face and traces his thumb over my lips, my Wolf inside gets turned on again and makes me let out a purr.
He kisses me again. I remember what Erica told me, on her first full moon with how long it took me to get round to it. I pull away and look between his eyes.
"I'm sorry I made you wait so long. I just wanted to wait till the time was right. After what Erica had said to me on her first full moon. It made me think. I was making you wait, and it wasn't fair."
He smiles and kisses me again. He pulls away but stays close enough so that his lips brush mine every time he speaks.
"You don't need to apologise. I know how you feel. It was my first time once. I didn't want to pressure you into anything. I wanted to wait until you were ready and you came to me."
I smile, and run my hands up his neck and through his hair. He smirks,
"By the way, you might want to attempt to hide that." he says pointing to my neck and smirking.
Obviously pointing out a deep purple bruise that he gave me to mark me as his.
"Oh My God. You didn't!"
He smirks.
"Do you know how hard that's going to be to hide from my uncle?!"
He shrugs.
"May I remind you he's the Sheriff. He's legally allowed to shoot somebody. Oh yeah. I also have to hide this from Stiles."
He laughs.
"It isn't funny Hale. Seriously. If he sees this. I'm dead."
He smiles and I kiss him, his hand slips under the shirt I pulled on and then he trails his fingers up my spine. I pull away.
"I love you Derek Hale."
He looks in my eyes.
"I love you Mackenzie Low."
----------------------
Derek's POV
"Malia." I say through the halls of Beacon Hills high.
I'm at the school to get Malia to help me track down Brett's pack. That way I can warn them about the dead pool.
"Malia." I say again.
I hear her footsteps - signalling she heard me. I watch as she turns to see me standing on the stairs.
"What are you doing here?" she questions.
"Brett's still out of it. I need to find his pack and warn them about the dead pool." I answer her.
"So what do you need me for?"
"I know a little about this pack, they have a secret meeting place in the woods. They almost spent more time in the woods in Beacon Hills than you did. This is Brett's." I say as I toss her Brett's lacrosse jersey.
"Breathe it in"
"I'm not good at that yet."
"Try it. I'll teach you."
She brings it up to her nose as I continue.
"Focus on the scents. Some are tied to identity. Some give off an emotion."
She stops inhaling and looks up.
--------------------------
Mackenzie's POV
I walk into my uncle's house, I walk into Stiles' room and see him and Lydia. I pull my hair over my neck, in attempt to hide the hickey - which is massive by the way - from Stiles.
"You needed me?" I ask.
"Yeah. We need to go to the station because of this." She hands me another part of the dead pool, knowing it's the second part of it I take it from her.
I open the dead pool and my eyes scan the list and then they come to the bottom of the list to see:
Jordan Parrish 5
------------------------------
"Your dad should be back within the hour, do you want to wait in his office?"
"Actually, it's you we wanna talk to." I say to him.
"Privately" Lydia adds.
We walk into the Sheriff's office. I hand Parrish the Dead pool.
"This is a hit list?" Parrish asks leaning against the desk as Stiles and Lydia crowd around him.
"We call it a dead pool." Stiles states.
"Recognise any of the names?"
"Yeah. The Sheriff had me run a bunch of names through the system last night. We couldn't find any of them."
I walk up to him and take the folded sheet of paper from his grasp, turning it to the other side I pass it back to him to see his eyes widen in shock.
"Okay that's kinda terrifying... what's the number?"
"That's how much you're worth." Lydia answers.
"I'm worth 5 dollars?" Parrish exclaims.
Shaking his head and holding up five fingers Stiles corrects him,
"5 million."
"I only make 40,000 a year. Maybe I should kill myself."
Stiles and Lydia share a look, while I say to Parrish,
"That's not funny."
"I don't get it, why-why am I on this list?"
"Honestly, that might be a question for another day. Right now, there's still another third of the list we need to crack." Stiles says.
"We need the 3rd cipher key but... we need help getting it." Lydia says.
"From who?" Parrish questions.
"Meredith." I state.
"The girl from Eichen House? The last time you saw her, you gave her a nervous breakdown." Parrish states, obviously recalling the last time Lydia spoke to Meredith.
"Uh... Almost."
I close my eyes. Subtle Lydia!
--------------------
Stiles and Lydia leave the office but I stop Parrish as he is about to leave.
"Hey Mackenzie. Did you want anything?" I nod.
"About the dead pool. I can help you find out what you are."
He looks confused but I leave before he can stop me. But as he is so quick in reflexes he grabs my wrist pulling me back into the office, that's when I feel something in my chest, it starts as a tingle but then turns into a throbbing making it hard to breathe it feels like someone just dropped a pile of bricks on my lungs. I slide down the wall gasping for air. I'm having an Asthma attack. My eyesight is going fuzzy, but in the haziness I just manage to see Parrish sprint and get Stiles and Lydia. I see Stiles kneel in front of me, he says something that I can't hear. I manage to hear some of his words when he repeats himself a second time.
"Kenzie?-what's-going-okay?"
I can't say anything, but then I smell something, it smells like poison, Wolfsbane I then get the horrible scent of gunpowder. I manage to choke out some words but the Wolfsbane, gunpowder and the recurring asthmatic attack is making it really hard to breathe let alone speak.
"Derek" I say.
I feel a pair of lips meet mine. I close my eyes and feel the pain and smell go away. I open my eyes to see Parrish.
"Thanks."
"Mackenzie? What the hell happened?"
I look to Stiles, I pull my knees to my chest and then put my head in my hands taking short shallow breaths, I look up at Stiles again. He now has a phone to his ear.
"It's his voicemail" Stiles says complete confusion and worry crossing his face.
Stiles puts his phone on the desk, I watch as my uncle walks through the door and sees me sitting on the floor.
"Mackenzie, what happened are you alright?" my uncle looks to Stiles, Lydia and Parrish for an explanation, Stiles looks at his father with worry on his face.
"I asked her the same question, all I got in response was 'Derek'"
I lean my head back into the wooden wall. I see both Stiles and my uncle kneel at my sides.
"Derek- he's-he's in danger."
My uncle still looks confused and frankly so does Stiles.
"How do you know?" Stiles questions.
I look to Parrish. He's not listening. He's too busy, talking to Lydia.
"We-we finished the bond we're Mates for life now, I can tell if he's in danger way before he walks into it and I can feel his emotions and vice versa."
"How do you finish the bond between Mates?" My uncle questions.
Closing my eyes I sigh, does he really want to know the answer to that question.
"You Mate."
It still hasn't clicked for Stiles.
"You sleep together Stiles."
His eyes widen.
"You did it with him with Derek Hale?"
"Yeah... He's my Mate" I conclude nodding.
I lift up my arm showing them the mark on my arm. I decide to leave the hickey.
"What is that?"
"It's the mark you get when your Mate claims you. No Male can touch me. I already belong to one."
I pull out my phone and dial his number,
1st Ring...
2nd Ring...
3rd Ring...
No answer. I start to panic, he's in danger and he's oblivious to what he could be walking into. Funnily enough I'm oblivious to what he's walking into.
Go Mackenzie. He's your Mate you need to protect him, especially the fact that he's losing his power.
My inner Wolf speaks to me for the first time since I was bitten, it surprises me but she is right I need to go. I watch Stiles, Lydia and my uncle leave. I can hear their conversation, it's about me.
"Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she really cares about him." Stiles says.
"When Wolves Mate, the Wolf they Mate with becomes like their partner. In other words he's her Soul Mate." Lydia says.
I feel a hand on my shoulder pulling me out of my eavesdropping state. I turn around to see Parrish,
"Are you okay?"
I nod.
"Yeah, just a severe Asthma attack"
He nods not totally believing me. He helps me stand up steadying me from the waist. I walk from his grasp being able to regain my balance, I thank him for the help then walk out well try to, my uncle runs after me calling my name.
"Mackenzie!" I stop in the middle of a step.
I wonder what question he's gonna ask first 'What happened and are you truly alright?' or 'When did you sleep with Derek, and why him?' but since we're in the station it's probably going to be the first one.
"What happened are you really okay?"
I shake my head.
"I don't know what happened, that's the first time I've experienced that, and I'm really worried about him, I mean for all I know he could be walking into someone with a bullet laced with Wolfsbane with his name on it." I say to him.
He nods and I turn around and leave. I walk to the Camaro and stand by the door leaning against it, when I feel my phone vibrating, I hope to god its Derek. I look at the screen to be disappointed, its Scott.
"Scott can I help you?"
"Mackenzie! Garrett's got Liam."
My eyes widen in worry, I've got too much on my plate without having to help Scott find his Beta.
"What how?!"
"I don't know. All he said was that I've to get Violet out from the car she's getting transported in. What should I do?"
"Scott if Garrett's got Liam, then who knows what he's going to do. You saw what happened to Brett. If I were you I'd go along with what Garrett said and then if he doesn't tell you where Liam is catch a lock on his scent. Then when you get it call me."
I can hear him sigh as he knows I'm right.
"Ok bye Kenzie."
I end the call but I get another surge of the Wolfsbane and danger, Derek's getting closer to it.
------------------------
Derek's POV
"Their Alpha's a woman called Satomi."
I explain to Malia as we get out of the car. Malia picked up their scent and it lead us to the woods.
"She's one of the oldest Werewolves alive. And she's learned a lot."
"What does that mean?" Malia questions.
"She's a bitten Werewolf. Learning control wasn't easy for her. She did something a long time ago that changed her. A quote- a motto- helps with control"
Malia stops in the middle of a step and then looks around.
"What is it?"
"Gunpowder"
We both look around, I watch her move forwards a little. I follow her gaze and lean down. I pick up a shell casing.
"If Brett's pack is out here, I don't think they're meeting, they're hiding."
--------------------------
Mackenzie's POV
A guard begins to unlock Meredith's room as the four of us wait. We, but mostly me, managed to convince Parrish to help us.
"Oh no. not this guy." My younger cousin groans.
I turn and see a man walking down the hall towards us wearing scrubs. I feel Stiles stiffen, I realise that the man's name is Brunski. He's the man that 'Took care' of Stiles while he was here. He's the head of Eichen house.
"What the hell are we running here? A bed and breakfast? You do not open the door for anyone with a badge." He demands.
"We need to talk to Meredith Walker, it involves a murder investigation." Parrish explains to Brunski,
"Well you can talk to her all you want but these three, especially those two." Brunski gestures to Stiles and I, "They're outta here"
"They're crucial witnesses in an ongoing investigation. I wouldn't have brought them here if it wasn't absolutely-crucial"
Nice save Parrish, not!
"Okay deputy. How 'bout you come back with a court order, then I'll listen. As for mister Stilinski, how 'bout you come back with a payment in full. That's right. Daddy may be the Sheriff but he's late on the bills. I guess those government jobs aren't as reliable as they used to be huh?"
What's that supposed to mean? There's something that Stiles and my uncle are hiding from me. I step towards him I can feel my claws grow out but no-one can see them because they're cutting into my skin Stiles notices the blood dripping from my clenched fist and nudges Parrish. Parrish pulls my wrist back before I kill Brunski.
"But they do help when you need a favour. Like how Kain in PD helped you get home after pulling a .1 on a breathalyser."
"Noo." Stiles whispers to me.
Brunski smiles.
"I'm not against a little quick pro-co. not at all."
He hands me the keys and I glow my eyes and he looks shocked.
"Not at all" He repeats.
"Thank you, why don't you get back to helping the people that need it?" I say smiling and looking up fully, changing my eyes back to normal.
"You, I like you." Stiles says smiling as I hand Parrish the keys.
"I'm gonna keep you."
I laugh while shaking my head, I don't know what's funnier the fact that Stiles just said that or the look on Parrish's face. Parrish opens the door revealing Meredith whose sitting on the bed on the left side of the room. Stiles and Lydia take a seat on the other bed facing her while Parrish and I stand by the door me leaning on the wall while Parrish stands straight and ready to act. I place my hand on his shoulder and hear his heartbeat pick up dramatically.
"Calm down, you standing rigid makes me nervous."
He stops standing so rigid and leans against the wall.
"Meredith, what do you mean you can't tell us?" Lydia questions.
"We just need the third key. You can give it to us in numbers, letters, hieroglyphics, whatever you want." Stiles says.
"I can't" Meredith replies.
"Then Why did you give us the 2nd key?" Lydia asks.
"I wanted to help. That's what I-I wanna do. I wanna help."
"Great! So help us now. Give us the 3rd cipher key."
"Things- have changed I-I can't."
"Why not?" Stiles questions.
"Guys. Go easy on her" Parrish says.
"I'm sorry. I can't he-he doesn't want me to." Meredith reveals.
"He? Who's he?" Stiles asks.
"Meredith, who doesn't want you to tell us the 3rd cipher key?" Lydia asks.
"The Benefactor."
I get the same feeling as the one I got in the station, Derek. He's getting closer to the danger, I text him,
To: Derek
Hey, where are you? Be careful and stay alert x
-------------------------
Derek's POV
It's now dark and Malia and I are getting into the car, with nothing.
"I'm sorry." She says sadly.
"There's nothing to be sorry about. If they don't want to be found then we're not gonna find them. Some Werewolves have an ability. A kind of mastery of their bodies that they can hide their scent." I say, remembering what Mackenzie told me earlier.
"They can hide from other Werewolves?"
"Anyone whose trying to find them."
"So that's how no-one knew about Brett." Malia states putting it all together.
"Same as Demarco."
"Maybe we need to try something different."
I look to her as she continues.
"Maybe we need to think like Stiles,"
"Like a hyperactive spazz?" I ask.
"Like a detective. If they're really Buddhists, then maybe instead of asking where Werewolves hide, we should be asking..."
"Where Buddhists would hide." I finish.
I look to the compass on the dashboard,
"When Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree, he looked to the east for enlightenment." I state aloud.
"Is there some kind of eastern point in Beacon Hills?" Malia questions.
"Yeah. The lookout point." I state.
I feel a buzz and look to my phone seeing a text,
From: Mackenzie
Hey, where are you? Be careful and stay alert x
Why would she be telling me to be careful and stay alert? I text her back thinking she must be worried
To: Mackenzie
Hey, I'm fine going to the lookout point, why should I be careful? x
I hit send and then I realise, we're Mates she can sense danger way before I walk into it.
Malia and I are out of the car and are at the lookout point. I go to step forward but Malia grabs my hand pulling me back. I look at her but her attention falls to the left.
"Malia?" I question.
"You don't smell that?"
If I could I would've stopped I think to myself.
"Wait for me. Right here."
I set off in the direction she was looking and see a repulsive sight. About a dozen bodies are lying all over the place. Their eyes have black blood coming out of them. All of them are dead.
"What happened?" Malia questions from beside me.
"I think they might've been poisoned." I say.
"That's great. If the ones with guns don't get you, then the ones with Wolfsbane poison will. Or maybe ones with no mouth. Maybe we all should be running from Beacon Hills. Running for our lives. As fast as we can."
She leaves and I turn to follow, I stop hearing a crunch. I turn and see a bloody hand raised in the air. I run over and see Braeden injured, badly.
--------------------
Mackenzie's POV
I feel my phone buzz its Derek
From: Derek
Hey, I'm fine going to the lookout point, why should I be careful? x
I don't text him back because I'm finding it hard to breathe, he's walked into it. He could die and I don't know what I'd do if he died. I would never forgive myself for being here than being out there trying to find him and stop him from walking into danger.
"What's his name?" Lydia questions getting up from the bed,
Meredith shakes her head.
"Why can't you just tell us his name?" Lydia continues.
"Okay you're shaking your head. What does that mean? Does that mean you don't know or you don't want to help us?" Stiles asks.
"I-I can't hel-help anymore." Meredith answers.
Lydia and Stiles share a look,
"How do you know about him?"
"Guys, stop" I say.
"Meredith, a lot of people are going to die if you don't tell us." Lydia says.
"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know" Meredith keeps repeating.
"Meredith, it's okay. It's gonna be alright." Parrish says getting closer to her, I can sense somethings going to happen.
I stop Parrish with an arm in front of him. He looks to me and I shake my head. Meredith shakes her head vigorously and keeps repeating,
"I don't know." Then she starts screaming it.
I cover my ears to block the sound out. I watch as Lydia falls into Stiles' arms, holding her hands over her ears. Meredith curls into a ball on her bed while Lydia puts her hand behind one of her ears. They're bleeding.
---------------------
After we went to Eichen House I went home and sat on my bed thinking. If I was going to protect Derek then I needed to be prepared. And the only way I could be prepared is if I talked to someone with a lot of experience. I needed to talk to an Alpha, a powerful Alpha that didn't go on a rampage killing people. I need to talk to Talia. I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of someone knocking on my door. Stiles walked in,
"Come on. Scott wants to show us something."
I'm sitting with my back against Scott's bed. Stiles is to my right and Scott is to my left. There's a bag in the middle of us. A bag that contains the money stolen from the Hale vault.
"Have you counted it yet?" Stiles questions.
"No" Scott replies.
"We should probably count it."
We turn the bag over and I watch as the money tumbles out of the bag and onto the floor between us. And then I see a cassette tape, I pick it up and see words on it.
"Play me." I say.
"After entering the IP address you will be connected through a dark net portal to an untraceable bank. Once logged in, enter your account number to receive wire transfers. The IP address will deactivate after each transfer. You will be assigned a new IP address if you choose to continue down the list. Remember: visual confirmation is always required for payment."
Stiles stops the tape not wanting to know if there's more.
"You ever needed a wire transfer?" Stiles questions.
"If I had enough money." Scott answers.
"So you didn't understand a word of that either?"
"I don't understand any of this."
"Why would someone use all this money just to try and kill us?" I question.
"Someone wants both of you dead." Stiles answers.
"Badly" he finishes.
Sighing Scott begins to pack the bag.
"Whoa. What're you doing?" Stiles asks.
"It's late. We've got PSAT's tomorrow." Scott says.
"I meant about the money, $500,000. You know how much money that is?"
"It's $500,000"
"It's half a million dollars, Scott. What are you going to do with it? Just lay with it under your mattress?"
"He has to talk to Derek. The money's his." I remind them.
"You mean his and Peter's" Stiles points out.
"What does that mean?" Scott asks.
"It means maybe we should proceed with caution." Stiles elaborates.
"You don't think we should tell Derek?"
"No. No, No of course we have to tell him. I'm just- I'm just saying some of that money's Peter's right?"
"Yeah." I answer,
"Right. Peter. Homicidal killer, remember? You wanna give half a million dollars to him?"
"So we should give Derek his money back, but not Peter" Scott says putting it together.
"I didn't say that."
"Stiles what are you saying?" I ask, but before Stiles can answer, we hear footsteps.
Scott and Stiles struggle to push the bag back under Scott's bed. Malia runs in soaking wet.
"We found Satomi's pack. Derek and I. But they're dead."
Scott and I look at each other before standing up,
"All of them?"
"All the ones we found."
"Then where's Derek?" I question.
------------------
Derek's POV
I push the door to the hospital open with my foot. I'm soaking wet and Braeden is unconscious in my arms.
"She's been shot!" I shout. "I think she's dying!"
------------------
Mackenzie's POV
After we heard the tape and Malia told us about Satomi's pack I went home. I get a text:
From: Derek
With Braeden at the hospital. Please stay out of trouble.
Love you x
Oh no! I can't do this, I can't help anyone if I'm not prepared. I pull out my phone and call the one person I know will be able to help me.
"Peter?"
"Mackenzie? Do you want anything?"
"Yeah, I wanted to know. Do you still have Talia's claws?"
"Yes why?"
"Meet me at the loft in 10. Bring the claws." I end the call and run to the loft.
I pull open the door and see its dark as always. I glow my eyes and see a dark figure on the stairs,
"Peter you can stop hiding" I say into the darkness.
I walk up to the window but stop at the bottom of the stairs,
"Did you bring the claws?"
"Yes, why do you want them?" I look over to the door.
"I need to talk to Talia, and this is the only way I can. And when you did it to Derek it worked, so I need you to do the same for me."
He nods and gets up from the stairs and walks over to the desk and pulls the chair from it to the middle of the loft. I sit down and bend forward a little putting my head in my hands, I breathe deeply and look up then sit back,
"This is gonna hurt."
I nod.
"I know"
I sense him nod, I feel the claws touch the back of my neck, Peter then pushes them so they go into my neck making me close my eyes.
I open my eyes to see the loft, with the Nemeton situated in front of me, I look to the door and see a Black Wolf, it glows its eyes red and then shifts back to human. I watch as Talia takes a long cardigan from the floor and wraps it around herself. She sits down on the edge of the Nemeton then looks to me.
"Talia I need your help." I state she looks up and I glow my eyes to her.
"Mackenzie... I've seen some of the situation you're in but could you fill me in?"
I nod,
"Talia, there's a dead pool with all our names on it, I'm an Alpha. And Kate... she did something to Derek, he's losing his power and I'm terrified somethings going to happen to him and I won't be able to protect him. I need to be prepared and I needed to talk to someone. And then I remembered that you were in control of all the Alphas. I need your help to figure things out."
She nods and then takes my hand in hers.
"Mackenzie, you have done incredibly. You've adapted to being an Alpha very quickly, you've been through a lot and you keep fighting through it. And lastly, you've taken great care of my son, after all he's been through he needs a stable relationship. I always knew you two would end up together, I sensed that when he was with Paige and Kate, he was happy but he hadn't found his Mate for life. Then when you moved away and he was always on the cliff I realised that it was you. You were the one he felt a pull for, every time he was in danger or upset you were always there to make him happy and protect him."
I smile at her.
"Thank you Talia, but I'm worried about Derek. Him losing his power, and the fact that we're Mates for life now, I'm always on edge and worried about where he is and what he's doing. Earlier I had an Asthma attack because he was in danger and it felt like I was going to die."
She nods.
"That's what happens. It happened to me a lot when I was with Derek's father."
I nod it's good to talk to her. I haven't spoken to Talia in 6 years.
"I'm always here,"
She places her hand on my beating heart,
"For both of you. And so is your mother. I'm sure she would be very proud of you."
I shake my head.
"No she wouldn't, everyone I get close to dies. And there's nothing I can do to save them. My parents died because an Alpha wanted me to be part of his pack. Allison died because I wasn't there to protect her, if I was there to protect them all I'm sure they would still be here. And Aiden, he died in my arms because I couldn't take away enough of his pain. And you and your family died because I wasn't there to save you, any of you. I've seen enough loss and have enough guilt. And I can never forgive myself for what happens to the people I get close to."
A tear slips down my cheek. Talia wipes it away and then says,
"Mackenzie, it's not your fault they died and it's certainly not your fault that my family or I died, death happens it's a way of life. And I'm sure that if your friends and parents were here right now they would be telling you the exact same thing."
She stands and places her hand on my shoulder "You need to be ready. Something BIG is going to happen."
I watch as she shifts into the Black Wolf again and runs off after glowing her eyes one last time.
I open my eyes and gasp as Peter pulls the claws out of my neck, I fall to the ground holding my neck. After the pain from my neck leaves I get up and make my way over to the sofa, I sit down and lean forwards holding my head with my hands breathing deeply. I feel Peter's hand on my shoulder.
"Mackenzie, did you see her?"
I nod.
"What did you ask her?"
"I asked her what I do. I need to be prepared and I'm not. She told me that something BIG is going to happen."
He nods.
"Thank you, for doing this." I say finally looking at him.
He seems surprised that I actually thanked him.
"Your welcome."
I smile.
"How's things with Malia?"
He shakes his head.
"Have you even met her?"
"Yes I have, but she thinks I'm Satan in a V-neck." I laugh.
"Well she's not wrong you are Satan in a V-neck." I say, earning a glare.
I laugh, it becomes silent when I remember Stiles telling me the conversation he and Peter had about where Peter lives.
"Hey you know, one day I'd love you to show me your underground network of tunnels hidden deep in the woods." I say, he looks to me.
"Oh really? Well follow me and I'll show you."
I look at him raising an eyebrow,
"I'm kidding"
"I know."
I feel blood trickle down my neck but I don't acknowledge it. Peter sees and tips my head forwards so he can look at my neck,
"What's happening?" I question as his face goes slack.
"You're not healing."
I look down.
"I know."
He realises.
"Derek." I look at him, my eyes instinctively glow their off red colour at the mention of Derek's name.
"You're not letting yourself heal because he's losing his power."
I look down closing my eyes.
"I can't let myself heal, not when Derek won't heal. Please don't tell anyone. You can't tell anyone especially Derek. I don't want him worrying about me when he doesn't have to."
If my Mate won't heal, then neither will I. We sit there fora while longer in complete silence. Then I break it.
"Peter. I don't think I ever thanked you for saving my life all those years ago."
He looks surprised. It's the first time I've talked about that night.
"It's okay. Derek knew you were in trouble. I knew you loved him. I didn't wanthim beating himself up about it. The guilt would've killed him."
I nod.
He's right. Derek has never dealt with guilt well. No matter how many times you tell him that it's not his fault. He never believes you.