"STILL WONDERING WHY I HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING TO SCOTT OR SIERRA?"
The sound of Theo's voice made Stiles hold back a groan.
The two had only been in the jeep for around half an hour, sitting in totally silence. Even though it went against his outspoken personality, Stiles preferred it. He didn't want to hear the beta's attempt on small talk, or pretend they were friends. Stiles was only doing what he was told to do: watch Josh.
"Maybe." He kept his answer short and his eyes on the camera. Hopefully, Theo would read that he wasn't in the mood to chat.
Theo pursed his lips, a beat passing before he asked, "You think I've got some ulterior motive?"
"More than likely."
"Would you believe me if I said that all I want," Theo paused, shaking his head before he corrected himself. "All I've ever wanted, actually, is for you guys to trust me?"
"Nope."
Theo stared at Stiles in disbelief. "So you're here because you're never going to trust me?" he clarified.
"Yep, glad we had this talk," Stiles remarked, glancing at him with obvious annoyance on his face.
The beta scoffed and turned towards the window, giving Stiles hope that he was done talking. However, Theo persisted. "You know who you remind me of?"
Stiles replied bluntly, "Theo, I don't care."
"My sister," Theo answered himself, the corners of his lips quirking up. He saw Stiles freeze, his eyes slightly widened. He went on, "She was smarter than everyone else too. And a pain in the ass like you."
Stiles didn't reply, continuing to stare forward.
"She always looked out for me," Theo reminisced, letting out a sigh. "The same way you look out for Scott and Sierra."
Stiles stole a glance at him, the words obviously hitting him hard. He tried not to take it to heart, but when he thought of his girlfriend, he couldn't help it. The moment he met Sierra, she became everything to him. Stiles swore to protect her--she had been through too much even before the supernatural world took over their lives.
Yet he failed, more than once. She kept getting hurt and most of the time, it was because of him. Sierra had grown into this smart, beautiful, bad-ass warrior. She always told Stiles she could take care of herself...and sadly, Stiles believed her. She didn't need his protection anymore.
Theo continued talking about his sister. "You know I was the one who found her body....she had fallen into a creek. Broken her leg."
Stiles pressed his lips together, swallowing hard. Theo's story bothered him--anyone would find it heartbreaking. But he didn't believe him.
"I was told she would've been okay if it wasn't one of the coldest nights of the year," Theo shared, his eyes misting and rimming red. "If it wasn't for the hypothermia." He licked his chapped lips. "You know when I found her...all I could think is that I should've known...that I should've been looking out for her."
Stiles furrowed his eyebrows together, but didn't glance Theo's way. "Why are you telling me this?" he whispered instead, his exhaustion thickening his voice.
"I'm telling you because even though you don't trust me--even if you don't like me," Theo swore, "I'm still gonna look out for you."
Stiles finally looked at him, unsure, and kept his mouth shut. Theo stared back, and Stiles's stomach twisted.
He was a pretty convincing liar, Stiles could give him that. But Stiles already had two best friends--he didn't need or want anymore.
*^*^*^*^*^*
After leaving the hospital with medical records in hand, Jemma headed to the police station with the sheriff and Melissa. In Noah's office, they spread everything out to see. Then on the wall behind his desk, Noah created a crime board.
Evidence photos, head shots of teenagers, and even some of Deaton's notes filled the space. Anything regarding the reports held together with arrows and string.
Jemma ended up sitting in the sheriff's chair, her feet propped up with Lucas's file in her lap. Noah had scoured Tracy's as he stood beside her and Melissa held on to Donovan's.
The nurse's eyes glanced up, but focused in on a poster she didn't see before. It broadcast the phases of the moon, and she moved closer to get a better look. "There's a full moon coming," she realized.
"I know," Noah sighed, turning to face her. "I put that up there when I realized just how much bigger the job had gotten."
Jemma commented, "Good call."
"Thanks."
Melissa then noticed Donovan's mugshot, leading her to question, "You don't think he's still alive do you?"
Jemma slowly sat up, putting her feet back on the ground. Sierra only told her Donovan had died, but never spewed any details. Jemma remembered how shaken she seemed when discussing the event.
"I wish I could say yes," the sheriff replied.
"You wish?" Melissa echoed, surprise flitting across her face. "Isn't the kid that threatened to stab you?"
Jemma's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? How did that happen?"
"Yeah," Noah let out a heavy breath. "Donovan was brought in one too many times for me to let him off the hook anymore. When he found out he had to do jail time, he threatened to stab me in front of Stiles, Scott and Sierra--and the entire precinct."
"Dang," Jemma whistled. "Sierra never told me that. Sounds intense."
"He was just a kid," Noah defended quietly with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "And above anything else, a victim of circumstance."
He leaned back against the edge of his desk and sighed once more. "The day his father was shot, Donovan jumped on his motorcycle to get to him. He was hit by a car two blocks from the hospital."
Jemma frowned. Melissa's face softened, and she looked down at the file in her lap.
"So when his father was finding out that a bullet had severed his spine," he shared sadly, "Donovan was being wheeled into surgery for internal bleeding."
"Hold on," Melissa spoke up, her eyes catching words on the medical form. She raised her eyes back to the sheriff and Jemma. "Didn't one of you two say something about a skin graft?"
"I did," Noah lifted his hand, his eyebrows furrowed. He moved past Melissa to unpin Deaton's notes from the crime board. "That was Tracy."
Jemma stood up as well, the three huddling over the sheriff's desk.
"Deaton said there was a graft on her shoulder," Noah read, pointing to the piece of paper.
Melissa flipped Donovan's file to a certain page and set it on the desk so the others could see. "Donovan had one too."
The older two adults then turned to Jemma. "What about Lucas?"
"Um," Jemma waited to answer as she grabbed the file she had set down. "I don't remember seeing anything--but it's possible I missed it." She handed it to Melissa, who shuffled through the different sheets.
After a few minutes of reading and rereading, Melissa sighed. "There's nothing--no sign of skin grafts for Lucas."
"It can't be a coincidence," Noah pointed out. He knew in his heart they were onto something. "What else is there?"
Melissa looked back down at the paper, and shook her head. "The only other thing I noticed is that he was born with congenital glaucoma...but that's nothing like a skin graft."
"So what do they do for that?" Jemma questioned her. "The glaucoma, I mean. Is there a certain type of medication?"
"It says here they did a corneal transplant a few years ago. It's a fairly routine outpatient procedure," Melissa summarized.
Jemma nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I saw that earlier. It said it was an allogeneic transplant taken from a recently deceased donor."
"Wait a second," Melissa remembered something. Her eyes flickered to a picture of Tracy's body and she pointed to the girl's shoulder. "Tracy's skin graft was allogeneic. That means taken from individuals of the same species."
Noah quickly grabbed Donovan's medical records. Within seconds, he found what he was looking for. "So was Donovan's."
"So what does that mean?" Jemma asked, crossing her arms. "All three had transplants from outside donors?"
"Yes, exactly!" Melissa confirmed. "Tracy, Lucas and Donovan all had two sets of DNA."
"Which is the exact definition of a chimera," Jemma understood, a smile threatening to break out.
Noah tried to fit the pieces together. "So the chimeras...."
"They were all genetic chimeras to begin with."
*^*^*^*^*^*
A few hours later, Stiles and Theo were still sitting in the jeep. Stiles fiddled with his fingers, glancing up at the watch while simultaneously wishing he could check his messages. Since his phone was in the clinic, there was no way for him to text Sierra updates. He had no way of knowing if she was alright.
Theo decided to initiate another conversation, bothered by the silence that had overcome them. "You know, I saw his teeth."
Stiles sent him a confused look.
Theo noticed and clarified his statement. "Donovan. He was, uh, a wendigo, wasn't he?"
Stiles barely tilted his head into a nod. "Yeah."
"That's the cannibal one, right?"
Stiles wasn't in the mood to talk anymore than he had been before--especially about Donovan. But he had to make sure Theo at least carried the right information. "Native American," Stiles said first. "The myth says that if you ate human flesh, your punishment was to turn into a creature that constantly craved it."
Theo scrunched up his nose in disgust as he processed the boy's words. "That's a pretty judgmental myth."
"Well I didn't make it up," Stiles retorted.
"What if it was the only way to survive?" Theo inquired, folding his arms over his chest. "I mean, you ever hear of the Donner party? I'm pretty sure they didn't turn into wendigos."
"Yeah, well, they didn't live in Beacon Hills."
"Good point," Theo said, thinking of the myth and how it related to them in the present day. "So...what's the punishment for killing a chimera?"
Stiles stifled a forced chuckle, remarking, "You spend five hours in the car with Theo Raeken."
Theo's lips quirked upwards, but he stayed quiet.
Stiles's face fell when he thought of Theo's question. "Look, I know what my punishment is," he answered, a heavy sigh escaping him. "I'm gonna lose my best friend...I'm gonna lose Scott."
"I'd thought you'd be more worried about Sierra." Theo couldn't help but say, stealing a glance to him. Stiles stiffened, and Theo hurriedly explained himself. "Sorry, it's just I know how much she means to you, and her and Scott kind of share the same, like, moral code."
Every thought, every feeling Stiles had told him to not say a word. To let Theo continue thinking Sierra was just as clueless as Scott. But Theo could hear his heart beat; he would be able to detect his lies the second they fell from his mouth.
Stiles gulped, mentally preparing himself for Theo's reaction. "Sierra...she, um...already knows."
The beta's eyebrows rose, surprise evident on his face as his lips parted. "Are you serious?"
"Of course I am," Stiles snapped, before his expression softened. "I don't lie to her anymore. She found out the night it happened."
"And she never told Scott?"
"I told her I would tell him myself," Stiles sighed, rubbing the side of his head. "I just haven't found the right time."
"Wow."
Stiles flicked his gaze away from the smartwatch. "Wow, what?"
"I'm just," Theo struggled to find the right word. "I'm just shocked, I guess. I never thought Sierra was the type to keep secrets."
"Keep in mind, one of those secrets is yours," Stiles pointed out, bitterness evident in his tone.
"You told her about Josh?"
Stiles huffed out a reply. "What about I don't lie to her anymore don't you understand? And find your chill, please, she hasn't said anything."
"Yet," Theo added and Stiles glared at him.
"Excuse me?"
"She hasn't said anything yet," Theo emphasized. "Look, I know the bond she has with Scott is special, alright? They're in charge of a pack together for crying out loud. How do you know she won't tell Scott the truth?"
Stiles shook his head. "You don't know her like I do."
"I never said I did," Theo said honestly. "But I know how much she hates lying. All empaths do; it's a part of their nature. Her friendship with Scott is already on the fence--we all see it even though they try and hide it. If you're making her lie to him on top of all that...how well do you think that's going to work out?"
Stiles stared at him, stunned. He didn't even know how to reply. Mostly because he knew Theo was right.
Doubts flooded through his mind and he couldn't help but wonder...was telling Sierra about Donovan a mistake?
"But even if you forget about that for a moment, just think about how Scott and Sierra operate as a team," Theo stated. "They wouldn't give up on you for a piece of crap like Donovan."
"Really, 'cause a second ago you said they would," Stiles replied sharply.
Theo shook his head, and corrected him, "No, I said they shared a moral code--that includes defending their friends. Otherwise they wouldn't have evolved to be a true alpha or a true empath."
"Well, did you ever think about another definition of their characters?" Stiles inquired. "Like, I don't know, not putting up with murder?"
"To me it sounds like you guys need to look up justifiable homicide," Theo declared, and Stiles blinked a few times in bewilderment--thinking he misheard him.
"Did you seriously just say that to a son of a cop?"
Theo huffed. "Look, a werewolf's eyes are supposed to change color when you take an innocent life," he pointed out, and within seconds his irises flicked gold.
"Do these look blue to you? It was self-defense. For me and for you."
"Or maybe you just don't feel all that bad about it," Stiles replied, finally speaking his true thoughts since the incident occurred. "You can't say one life is objectively less innocent than another one. What if they turn blue 'cause you feel guilty?"
Theo raised his eyebrows and asked, "So it's up to interpretation?"
"Yeah, maybe."
"Okay," Theo nodded, pursing his lips before stating, "Then here's my interpretation of what happened with you and Donovan: not guilty."
Stiles sighed, but didn't respond. He chose to refocus his attention on the watch.
Yet Theo wasn't done with the conversation. "Do you feel bad about it?" When Stiles looked at him in disbelief, he fixed his question. "Not now. I mean there, right when it happened. What were you thinking the moment he was dead and there was no saving him?"
"He threatened my family, Theo," Stiles said first, his voice breaking. "So I only thought one word...good."
Theo stayed quiet, and Stiles wasn't paying enough attention to him to notice the little smirk that slithered onto the corner of his mouth.
But then the werewolf straightened his back, an alarming scent entering the air. Stiles noticed him stiffen and asked, "What?"
"It smells like smoke," Theo shared, his nose scrunched up. "Like something burning."
Everything that happened next happened too fast for Stiles to comprehend.
He saw flames. He felt blood splatter on his face when Theo was attacked from the side.
Shouting could be heard but he didn't know if it was Theo or himself. His hands gripped the side of the jeep as it was suddenly lifted into the air.
Dizzy. His head spun, his body twisting while the jeep flipped. He collided against the concrete, pain shooting up his spine.
His head lolled, his eyes burning from the heat.
Then, he couldn't remember anything.
*^*^*^*^*^*
At the high school, Sierra felt like she was going to die of boredom.
Deep down, she knew that it was a blessing in disguise. Being bored meant there wasn't any danger. Yet as she sat next to Lydia on a bench in the locker room, she wished she could at least use her phone.
Not being in contact with Stiles bothered her immensely. After all, who knew if he was alright or if Theo was trying to blackmail him into more stuff?
Her leg bounced and she let out another sigh, running a stressed hand through her hair.
Lydia noticed and nudged the girl in the shoulder. "Hey," her voice, though quiet, echoed in the room. "Are you alright?"
Sierra forced a small smile, "Just worried about Stiles. Which is nothing new I guess."
"I'm sure him and Theo are just fine," Lydia assured, placing a hand of comfort on Sierra's arm. "They'll have each other's backs if anything goes wrong."
Will they? That's what Sierra wanted to ask. But she couldn't.
Her strawberry-blonde friend knew nothing about how Theo killed Josh, or the truth about Donovan. Then again, neither did Scott.
She stole a glance at the true alpha, seeing him pace across the locker room. Guilt ate at her insides from him not knowing the truth; she hated that they could barely say a word to one another. Earlier, he sounded like he was about to apologize, but then stopped himself. If only she could just tell him...then he would understand. Then he would realize he had been wrong about Theo all along.
"Sierra?"
Liam broke her train of thought. She lifted her head to see him sitting on the floor in front of some lockers, Hayden falling asleep on his shoulder.
She smiled softly at the sight, replying, "What's up, little bro?"
"What's in there?" The sophomore nodded his head to another bench, where a black bag was zipped shut.
Sierra frowned, rising to her feet. "I'm not sure. I mean, I saw Scott brought it in but I never looked inside."
Liam stood up as well, careful to not disturb Hayden. He joined Sierra's side and they walked over to it together.
Scott glanced up from hearing his name, and in the mirror he saw Sierra unzip the bag. He whirled around just as Liam pulled out a set of metal chains.
"What're these for?"Liam asked Sierra, but she looked just as surprised.
"I, I don't know." The two turned to see Scott, who swallowed hard. Sierra narrowed her eyes at him. "Scott, why did you bring these?"
"I, uh, brought them just in case," he replied vaguely, but neither of them bought it. Sierra felt his anxiety grow and had a gut feeling she wouldn't like what he really had to say.
Liam didn't understand. Chains weren't necessary; it wasn't even a full moon. "In case of what?"
"In case we have a chance to catch one of them," Lydia spoke up from where she sat.
Sierra glanced at the banshee in disbelief. "You knew about this?"
Lydia slowly nodded her head, casting her eyes to the ground in shame. She didn't want to lie to Sierra, but agreed with Scott. Tonight gave them a good chance to find out more information about the dread doctors; because of the risks, Sierra wouldn't have gone through with it.
Sierra hardened her glare back on Scott, rolling her hands into tight fists. "Explain," she ordered. "Now."
"If we can't make the school a fortress, then maybe," Scott paused, moving closer to her and Liam as he sighed. "Maybe, we can make it a trap."
"A trap?" Sierra echoed.
Liam scowled, instantly putting Scott's plan together. "They're coming for her," he stated sharply, referring to Hayden, who had woken up from the noise. "Does that mean she's the bait?"
Scott hesitated to reply, but that was an answer all on its own. Hayden's eyes grew wide, a newfound fear making her fingers tremble.
Sierra noticed and stepped towards Hayden, who scrambled to her feet.
"Hayden," Sierra rushed out to provide some comfort. "You're going to be okay, I'll make sure of it."
Hayden didn't speak, but her breaths shortened and her heart rate rose. Sierra knew she was close to having a mental break down.
Sierra whipped her head around to where Scott stood, Lydia joining his side. "Who else knew about this?" she demanded. "Who else freaking heard this dumb plan and went along with it?"
"Sierra--"
"Scott." Her voice was hard as stone. Unwavering and unforgiving. "Who else knew?"
Scott sighed; there wasn't a point in keeping the rest from her anymore. "Everyone," he mumbled, but she heard him perfectly. "Everyone except..."
"Except Sierra and me," Liam concluded in frustration. "And now Hayden is bait."
"Am I?" Hayden asked, wrapping her arms around herself to try and make herself small.
Scott shook his head, "No. No one is the bait." He glanced back at Sierra, who pressed her lips into a firm line. "Sierra, you know we can't be bodyguards to everyone every night."
"Then why not talk to Stiles's dad?" Liam countered, his lips curling into a sneer. "Why aren't we doing something better than hiding in a school?"
"Because we still don't know anything about them or what they want," Scott said in exasperation. "Okay? They're winning and we don't even know what the game is."
"Screw the game, Scott," Sierra spat. "Hayden's life is on the line."
Lydia kept calm, "Sierra, we know that--"
"Do you?" Liam cut off the banshee, stalking forward. He agreed with Sierra. "What if the dread doctors come in here and those things don't work?" He pointed to the cell phone jammers before focusing back on Scott. "What if you have an asthma attack again or Sierra passes out? What're we going to do then?"
"I don't know," Scott replied, letting out a heavy breath.
Sierra scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"This plan sucks!" growled Liam.
"Do you have a better one?" Scott shot back. He turned to the older girl and ended up shouting out of frustration.
"Kids are dying and she's next, Sierra! I'm sorry that I didn't tell you but somebody had to do something--somebody has to save everyone--so somebody's gotta be the bait!"
Lydia flinched at Scott's words, Sierra clenching her jaw from the feeling in the room--anger.
His outburst silenced everyone in the room, and even he took a step back in surprise.
He didn't mean to let his emotions get the best of him, but he needed to tell them the truth. Scott was done feeling helpless when it came to the Dread Doctors; he wanted answers. No one knew anything about them, meaning no one had a way to stop them from killing more people.
At least in the past, the pack knew the motives behind the villains. This time they knew absolutely nothing.
Sierra understood Scott's view, but she simply didn't agree. Yes, it was frustrating running around with little information. However, they couldn't afford to get frazzled and make desperate moves. They'd only end up worsening the situation. Just like they did that night.
The glare she sent Scott easily could've sent him six feet underground, but she kept her mouth shut. If she didn't, all hell would certainly break loose.
Liam looked at the true alpha a little differently. His eyes glistened, full of fear and desperation to keep Hayden safe. He didn't want her to end up like Tracy or Lucas. He wanted her heart to keep beating, her lips to keep smiling, and her eyes to continue shining like they did when she was happy.
He took a step closer to Scott, everyone watching him move carefully. "Scott," he began, his voice barely above a whisper, "promise me you'll do everything you can to save her." Scott shifted the weight between his feet, and Liam tried again. "Scott...promise."
"I'll do everything I can," Scott swore with a firm nod. "I promise." After Liam stepped back, Scott dared to sneak a glance at Sierra.
Yet she simply shook her head, frowning as she turned away.
"Uh, guys?" Hayden's worried voice caught everyone's attention. She straightened her back from where she had been searching through her backpack. "I think I might need a little help right now."
"What's wrong?" Sierra questioned, walking back over so she could see the girl.
"I forgot my pills," Hayden replied shakily. "You know the ones I got from my kidney transplant? I have to take them every night. I mean, I have a bottle in my locker and can go get them--"
"No, I'll go get them." Sierra didn't want Hayden leaving the locker room.
Scott said quietly, "Sierra, you don't have to do that. I'd know you'd rather stay here."
Sierra finally met his eyes, and his breath hitched from the daggers she sent him.
"Stop assuming you know how I think," she snapped lowly. "That's what got us into this mess in the first place. I know where her locker is and her combo—I'm the logical option to go get her medicine."
"What if they're out there?" Liam asked, not hiding his fear for the senior. He hated the idea of Sierra going alone.
"If they were and something was wrong, I would've felt it," she assured him, offering a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll be fine, little bro."
Everyone knew Sierra made up her mind, and once that happened, no one could change it. Liam and Hayden moved the locker out from the door, while Lydia and Scott followed Sierra.
The three glanced down the dark hallway, Sierra swallowing from the shiver running up her spine. Too many bad memories had occurred at the school during the night in the past; she prayed this time it would be different.
"Go and hurry back," Lydia urged.
Scott agreed, thought still hurt from their argument. "Yeah, we'll keep watch from here. And if you see Malia, check in with her. It's been too long."
Sierra nodded, but didn't say anything more. She held her head high and walked off, leaving Scott and Lydia to watch her disappear.
After she turned a corner, Sierra kept her hand poised just in case. She wasn't a huge fan of surprise attacks.
Luckily, she arrived at Hayden's locker quickly, right next to the staircase. Picking up the lock, Sierra began inserting the combination.
Then, a familiar robotic clicking entered her ears.
She froze, the hairs on the back of her neck sticking straight up.
She knew she wasn't alone.
And she ducked just in time. A fist slammed into the locker door, right where her head had been.
Sierra whirled around, expecting to see one or all three dread doctors. But her eyes widened at the sight of a familiar woman, her brown hair draped over her shoulder and her dark red lips curled into a snarl.
"No," Sierra shook her head in disbelief, "You're, you're dead."
Jennifer cackled, her evil eyes gleaming, "Then this shouldn't hurt a bit, should it?" Without warning, she flung her arms forward.
The blast emitting from her fingertips caught Sierra off-guard. Her body was flung back down the hallway, a groan escaping her when her back collided with the tile floor.
Before she could stand to retaliate, thick vines sprung from the ground and tightly wound around her ankles and wrists. Sierra desperately pulled against the restraints but it was no use. She was stuck. And no matter how hard she tried, her powers weren't working.
Jennifer appeared above her, glitching with a sick smirk. "You know, I always regretted not killing your parents myself," she spat, making Sierra flinch. "At least I'll get to kill you though."
Jennifer forcefully shoved her hands on the girl's chest. All the electricity from the lights and the pure dark energy from the Darach sent Sierra into hysterics.
The agonizing pain spread quickly, radiating across her entire body. Sierra tried to scream, but the air had been sucked from her lungs. She choked, sputtering to breathe. Blood pounded in her ears and she felt her bones cracking from the shattering pressure.
Her vision blurred.
Above her, Jennifer's image flickered. Though Sierra didn't notice. To her, the evil Druid—the one behind her parents' assassination—continued to taunt her. Jennifer desired to watch the life drain from Sierra's eyes.
It was exactly what the dread doctors wanted.
They were coming for Hayden—and not even a true empath would stand in their way.
*^*^*^*^*^*^
Hey everyone:) hope you're doing well despite the state of everything
My college is all online now and I'm stuck in KY.
I'm hoping everyone is staying healthy and safe. If you need someone to talk to or encouragement, I'm here!
Also can't wait for you to read the coming chapters :)