"Sorry, but I don't remember having anymore appointments."
I cross my arms over my chest, glaring at Ms. Morrell as she tidies up her office. Scott walks up behind me, his familiar musky scent floating to my nose. Unknowingly, I breathe in deeply before speaking up, "You sure? 'Cause we could use a little guidance right now."
Ms. Morrell straightens and spins around at my voice. Her face falls when she sees Scott right behind me. The look on her face is pure annoyance. Scott gently pushes me forward towards the two chairs in front of her desk. Ms. Morrell glances at the seats before settling down in her desk chair.
She leans back in her chair, eye on Scott. "Why are you bothering with me, Scott, when you know the clock is ticking?" Her eyes dart to me for a split second. "When you know someone else is about to be taken?"
There is no way I am going to be taken.
"By you?" Scott asks, glaring right back at her.
Ms. Morrell smirks. "Come on, Scott. Shouldn't you leave the interrogations to someone like Stilinski?"
Scott leans forward in his seat. "Are you the one killing people?"
"Are you listening to my heartbeat?" Ms. Morrell speaks slowly. Her voice drops to a whisper as she says the next sentence. "No. I'm not the one killing people. Truth is, I'm all that stands between Deucalion and the lives of your friends. I've been the one pulling the leash taut when they're salivating for a bite."
I scrunch my brows together. "What do you mean?"
Ms. Morrell slightly tilts her head towards me. "He wants a true Alpha in his pack." She looks back to Scott. "He thinks it's you, and a little distraction like a few human sacrifices isn't gonna dissuade him from the prize."
"But, Scott's not an Alpha." I straighten up in the chair and glance towards Scott.
"But, he's well on his way, aren't you?"
Scott slams his hands on the desk and stands up. I jump a little from his sudden action. "Then what is he waiting for? What does he want me to do?"
Ms. Morrell stands up, slamming her own hands on the desk. "He wants to make a killer out of you. That's what he does."
"But, if I kill someone, I can't be a true Alpha, right?"
My head snaps from the two of them, confused. What the hell is a true Alpha?
"Exactly. You want the psychologist's perspective? He's an obsessive, who both desires you and is threatened by you. If the obsessive can't have the object of his desire he'll choose to destroy it instead. You'll either willingly become part of his pack or he'll make a killer out of you, destroying your potential to be a true Alpha."
"Neither of those is ever going to happen." Scott disagrees.
"Don't be so sure." Ms. Morrell sits back down in her chair. "You're playing his game. And while you're trying to figure out what to do next, he's thinking ten moves ahead, with checkmate already in sight. "
I stand up, realizing that she isn't really going to tell us anything. I wrap my fingers around Scott's bicep and tug on his arm. "C'mon. This is useless."
Ms. Morrell smirks. "You can't save everyone, Scott, not even yourself."
I tug harder on his arm, sending a harsh glare towards her as I drag him out of the room. He follows me out into the hallway and stands still once the door shuts. "Scott, what's a true Alpha?"
Scott sighs. "It's a wolf that can become an Alpha without having to kill anyone. They just become an Alpha by their strength of character."
"I take it they are rare." I guess. "That's why Deucalion wants you, right? Because when you become a true Alpha, you'll be rare and he'll want that in his pack."
Scott nods. "I'm not an Alpha, though."
I reach for his hand, our fingers intertwining. "You will be, though. I know it. But, you can't let Deucalion get to you."
"I'm not." Scott pulls me in a hug in the middle of the hallway.
I hug him back, not caring at all that people have to purposely walk around us because we are in their way. All I care about is Scott's heartbeat I can hear and the feeling of his arms around me. Any of our friends could walk up right now and see us like this. They probably wouldn't even realize that we were dating. Honestly, the only person that knows is Isaac and Stiles. We haven't really had the chance to tell anyone else. Everyone has been busy.
A loud scream pierces through the air. I pull away from Scott, my hands flying up to cover my ears. I squeeze my eyes shut as I see Scott reach out to me, worried. The scream lasts for a few seconds. I slowly uncover my ears and peek one eye open.
"Chloe, what is it?" Scott's hands run over my body, checking to see if I'm injured or anything.
I straighten back up, grabbing his hand. "Lydia."
I race down the hallway, forcing Scott to run with me. I run straight inside of Mr. Westover's classroom. Scott and are blocked by a crowd of students, hovering in the hallway and doorway. A deputy is standing inside, preventing anyone from getting in the classroom, where Ms. Blake and Lydia are talking. How did I hear Lydia and Scott didn't? She screamed so loudly, like she was standing right in front of me.
"I don't get why no one's calling the police." Lydia exclaims.
Scott tries to push his way through the teenagers with a tight hold on my hand. The deputy holds up his hands to keep us from getting any closer.
"They're gonna make an announcement over the P.A." Ms. Blake tries to soothe her frantic student.
"That's not gonna do anyting!" Lydia raises her voice. "I told you, he's gone, like the others, taken."
I whip my head around the room. Mr. Westover is gone. Is he another sacrifice? Is he going to end up dead next?
"Okay, look, we're just trying to understand, okay? All we know is that Mr. Westover didn't show up for class." Ms. Blake states with her arms crossed.
"And the last time that happened was Mr. Harris. Anyone heard from him lately? He's gone. And he's going to be the second murder." Lydia walks over the the chalkboard that has many circles joined together. In one of them, there is a two in the middle of it.
"But, Lydia, you wrote that number." Ms. Blake points out. She makes it sound like she doesn't believe a word coming out of Lydia's mouth.
Lydia sighs. "Okay, fine. I'm psychic."
"You're psychic?"
"I'm something!" Lydia shouts.
Ethan appears on my right. "A deputy and a teacher? What's the pattern?"
"I don't know." Scott answers.
X
Scott rubs my arms with his warm hands to keep me warm. I just walked inside of the auditorium after standing outside for a little bit. My nerves are shot right now. The next sacrifice is going to be a philosopher, which means a teacher. Right now, all of the teachers are here at the recital for all of the students' lives and teachers' live that have been lost. Any of them could be taken right now.
I lean back into Scott, watching everyone file into the auditorium. His arms wrap around me and he rests his head by mine. Something bad is going to happen tonight. I can just feel it.
"I thought you two were together." Lydia walks up to the two of us. She tries to smile, but I can see that she's just as worried as the two of us are.
"I thought you were going home?" Scott steps around me and keeps me tucked in his side.
"I can't. I don't know why I am the one that keeps finding the bodies, but maybe if I just stopped trying to fight it, I'd find them before it happens, maybe with enough time for someone like you to do something about it." Lydia whispers.
Scott stands in front of her, nodding his head. "You get me the time, and I'll do something about it. I swear to God, I will."
Lydia nods, her lips pressed together.
The band sets all of their instruments and equipment up on the stage for their performance. The doors behind us are shut and the band instructer takes his place on the stage. I suck in a breath, realizing that at any moment, something could happen. Scott's arm around me tightens. It's like he knew I was freaking out.
Soft music flows out of the instruments from the band students. A soft vibration comes from my right and I see Lydia looking down at her phone. Not meaning to, I read the text from Aiden. Life or death! Need to see you right now.
"It better be." Lydia makes a move to leave.
I grab on her arm, quickly. "I'm coming with you."
Lydia glances at my hand on her arm, yet I don't remove it. "No."
"Lydia, I'm not asking for permission." I roll my shoulders back, whispering. "I'm telling you. There's too much going on right now. There's no way I am letting you wander the halls by yourself."
"They are going after philosophers." Lydia tries to shake my arm off.
"I don't care. I'm coming with." I pull myself away from Scott, who doesn't even notice because he's too focused on watching everyone in the room.
Lydia rolls her eyes, but doesn't complain as I follow her towards the hallway connected to the auditorium. The hallways are dark, way too dark for my liking. Lydia checks her phone again, like she is expecting another text from Aiden.
Lydia bumps her arm into mine, looking at the one door in the hallway opened. "Look." She whispers.
I walk first towards the room, peeking inside. I'm the one with supernatural gifts. If anyone is going in the classroom first, it's me, even if Aiden is the only one in the room. Something just feels off. A light on the desk is the only light in the room. Unfortunately, Aiden isn't in the room. The room is completely empty.
"Lydia, we should go back." I whisper to her, fearfully. "I don't like this."
Lydia ignores me, whirling around when a weird noise comes from somewhere. I step closer to her, grabbing her wrist. What the hell is that sound? It sounds like creepy music you would hear in a horror movie...before someone is about to die.
"You recognize it, don't you?" A feminine voice comes from the shadows.
Lydia and I whirl around to see Ms. Blake step in the light. She swings a baseball bat, knocking out Lydia and I before I could try to protect us.
My head throbs as I blink my eyes repeatedly. Once I'm fully awake again, I attempt to yank my arms up, but I scream out in pain as wolfsbane sears my skin. I freeze all body movement. I scan the position I am in to see that I'm tied down to a chair, ropes around my body, ropes soaked in wolfsbane. My eyes burn with tears from the pain.
Crying comes from my left. I snap my head in the direction to see Lydia in another chair with her forehead bleeding. Tears streak her cheeks, like mine.
"What are you doing?" I sniffle, trying as hard as I can to not move. The pain from the wolfsbane hurts as it is, moving around makes it ten times worse.
Ms. Blake is crouched on the floor, tying something around some kind of weapon. She looks up at the two of us. "What's necessary. I'm still surprised none of you seem to get that. You call them sacrifices, but you're not understanding the word. It's derived from the Latin sacrificium, an offering to a deity, a sacred rite. A necessary evil."
"Stop." Lydia whispers almost inaudibly.
"Oh, I wish I could. But you don't know the alphas like I do." Ms. Blake stands up.
She's the Darach. How did none of us see this coming?
"Please stop." Lydia quietly pleads.
Ms. Blake wanders around the two of us. "But you, Lydia, you're not a sacrifice. You're just a girl who knows too much." Ms. Blakes hooks a wire around Lydia's neck. "Actually, a girl who knew too much."
I jerk around in my chair, crying from the pain and because what is about to happen. "No! Stop! Kill me instead, okay? Just kill me! Leave her alone!"
"Oh, don't worry, Chloe. Your turn is coming next." She brings the wire to Lydia's neck, not putting any pressure on it yet. "You weren't on my list, but you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."
I cry harder when I see Lydia shake with sobs. "Stop! Please!"
If she kills me first, Scott will have more time to come save Lydia. She can stay alive.
"Kill me! Just kill me instead!" I scream, my wrists and ankles burning from the wolfsbane ropes.
Lydia's free hand flies up to pull back on the rope. I scream as loud as I can, praying that Scott or someone can hear me.
"Lydia, don't!"
Lydia opens her mouth and a loud, piercing scream comes out. Her scream is like knives to my eardrums. I bend my head down, wishing I could cover my ears. Ms. Blake freezes. I jump around in the chair, wishing that the wolfsbane was restricting me from breaking free. Lydia's scream ends and I exhale in relief. She slumps in her seat, like she is exhausted.
Ms. Blake walks around to the front of Lydia. "Unbelievable." She breathes. "You have no idea what you are, do you? The wailing woman. A banshee, right before my eyes. You're just like me, Lydia. Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it. It's too bad, though... And too late."
Ms. Blake grabs duct tape and tapes Lydia's arms down to the chair.
"Stop! You don't have to do this!" I cry.
Ms. Blake tightens the rope on Lydia's neck, choking her. She pulls out a knife to cut Lydia's throat. "One last philosopher."
"No!"
"Drop it!" Mr. Stilinski is standing in the middle of the room with his gun drawn.
Ms. Blake tosses her knife in the air and it lodges itself in Mr. Stilinski's shoulder. Lydia and I cry in sync. The gun falls to the ground. I try to get my arms free, but the ropes are too tight. It feels like my wrists are going to slice in half. A growl comes the doorway.
"Scott." I breathe through my tears.
Scott jumps over a few desk, wolfed out. Ms. Blake stands in front of him. Scott slashes towards her with his claws, but she dodges it easily. Everything he does, she blocks him with no problem. Ms. Blakes slams a hand against his chest, sending him flying across the room.
"Scott!" I yell, worriedly.
Scott collides into the desks stacked in a corner. He lands on the ground hard, blood splurting out of his mouth. I scream out, tears flowing faster down my cheeks. He's not moving. Why is he not moving?
Ms. Blake effortlessly pushes the desk towards the classroom door. Stiles is on the other side of the now shut door. Stiles slams his body against the door to try to get in.
Mr. Stilinski grabs his gun once again. "There was a girl. Years ago, we found her in the woods, her face and body slashed apart. That was you, wasn't it?"
"Maybe I should've started with philosophers, with knowledge and strategy." Ms. Blake saunters towards him. The gun goes off and a bullet buries itself in her leg. The wound heals by itself. "Healers... Warriors... Guardians... Virgins." She grabs the knife and forces him up and crumples his badge. Then, she kisses him before transforming to something supernatural.
"No!" I shout as the two of the burst out of the window.
Scott finally climbs to his feet, clutching his side. He rushes over to me while Stiles runs in.
"Dad?" Stiles stares out of window.
"Lydia? Lydia, are you okay?" I try to catch my breath.
She nods once.
Scott reaches for the ropes around left wrist.
"Scott, no!" I shout, attempting to jerk my wrists away from him.
His fingers touch the ropes and yells out in pain when they touch them. Scott's eyes start to water.
I swallow back more tears. "They are soaked in wolfsbane." I whisper, my voice cracking.
Scott's hands grab my face. "I'm so, so sorry. I should have gotten here sooner. I-"
"Just get Lydia free." I shake my head. I breathe, heavily. "Just get her untied first. I-I'm fine."
Stiles rushes over to Lydia, his face blank.
"Stiles, I'm so sorry." I whisper. "I wanted to help him. I-I just couldn't get free. I'm so sorry." My shoulders shake as I cry harder. Mr. Stilinski shouldn't have been taken.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I didn't plan on updating this so soon. I figured it would happen over the weekend, but I had time today. I hope you enjoyed it. Things are getting really action packed. I love it!
I felt so bad for Chloe and Lydia. I liked her being with Lydia during that. That's going to bring them closer. Chloe needs a good friend.
Schloe is going to be happening a little more and more now that they are officially dating. I love them together. If only Chloe was real.
Anyways, looking forward to the next chapter.
Oh, I also nominated this story for the Wattys this year!
Question: How should Chloe be involved with everything going down in the next episode?
So, yeah!