Series 3 Episode 9
"Renewal"
The call had come. Dylan always loved the sound of his mum’s ringtone – it felt jolly, and took his mind off the anxiety of an incoming phone call. However, the jolly jingle had an added melancholy now. The call could only be bad news; news that Dylan had been dreading for the past forty-eight hours.
He was sort-of impressed – his dad had lasted an impressive amount of time since the doctors confirmed there was nothing more they could do. He always knew his dad was strong, both emotionally and physically. That made this even more painful though, He was so fit and healthy, how could this be happening?
His mum was in bits on the drive back to the hospital. It was 3:38am and they had both slept no more than an hour before the phone rang. Dylan couldn’t stop thinking about how tired he would be at school that morning, although really, he knew he was unlikely to be going in that day, or even that week. It was the least of his worries, but at least it took his mind off everything else.
When the car pulled up, Dylan raced up to the now-familiar hospital room. Every second mattered. His dad still had his eyes open; he looked tired. If Dylan didn’t know any better, he would have assumed nothing more. However, the doctors had mentioned internal bleeding, whatever that was supposed to mean.
Dylan placed his smaller hand inside his dad’s giant right hand, while his mum did the same with his left.
“It’s okay dad, we’re here now,” Dylan immediately reassured him. He must have been terrified, and Dylan couldn’t have let that continue.
“Martin,” his mum cried uncontrollably. Dylan had never seen her cry before. It broke his heart.
“Be strong, Caroline,” he slurred, “You have our ten-year-old superstar to care for.”
“Not on my own,” Caroline wept.
“I can look after you too,” Dylan immediately offered.
“My strong son. Remember I love you, and I am always supporting you,” he smiled to Dylan, who felt himself getting very upset.
“I love you too dad,” Dylan replied honestly. Her dad chuckled before he closed his eyes. For the last time. Caroline collapsed onto his body, and Dylan rushed to her side.
“Mom, we have each other, don’t cry,” Dylan consoled. He wiped his own tears away, He and his mum were alone now, and he had to step up.
He was sort-of impressed – his dad had lasted an impressive amount of time since the doctors confirmed there was nothing more they could do. He always knew his dad was strong, both emotionally and physically. That made this even more painful though, He was so fit and healthy, how could this be happening?
His mum was in bits on the drive back to the hospital. It was 3:38am and they had both slept no more than an hour before the phone rang. Dylan couldn’t stop thinking about how tired he would be at school that morning, although really, he knew he was unlikely to be going in that day, or even that week. It was the least of his worries, but at least it took his mind off everything else.
When the car pulled up, Dylan raced up to the now-familiar hospital room. Every second mattered. His dad still had his eyes open; he looked tired. If Dylan didn’t know any better, he would have assumed nothing more. However, the doctors had mentioned internal bleeding, whatever that was supposed to mean.
Dylan placed his smaller hand inside his dad’s giant right hand, while his mum did the same with his left.
“It’s okay dad, we’re here now,” Dylan immediately reassured him. He must have been terrified, and Dylan couldn’t have let that continue.
“Martin,” his mum cried uncontrollably. Dylan had never seen her cry before. It broke his heart.
“Be strong, Caroline,” he slurred, “You have our ten-year-old superstar to care for.”
“Not on my own,” Caroline wept.
“I can look after you too,” Dylan immediately offered.
“My strong son. Remember I love you, and I am always supporting you,” he smiled to Dylan, who felt himself getting very upset.
“I love you too dad,” Dylan replied honestly. Her dad chuckled before he closed his eyes. For the last time. Caroline collapsed onto his body, and Dylan rushed to her side.
“Mom, we have each other, don’t cry,” Dylan consoled. He wiped his own tears away, He and his mum were alone now, and he had to step up.
Blinking a few times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating – and it wouldn’t have been the first time – Stiles was very concerned. The Téras had a new body, and it had kidnapped both Scott and Dylan. Exactly what they didn’t want to happen.
“Where the heck are they?” Jono began to panic.
“I don’t know, but we’ve got to remain calm,” Stiles advised, knowing full well he was panicking inside.
“My boyfriend’s missing and at risk of becoming a murderous monster, how can I be calm?” Jono vented.
“We can start looking, but we have to keep our heads screwed on,” Lydia reminded, “Wallowing gets us nowhere.”
“You would know,” Stiles remarked.
“Yeah, glad you gave it up though,” Lydia hit back. Darn. Stiles loved banter but hated when it backfired on him.
“Okay, where do we look?” Jono enquired much more calmly.
“I might know,” Drew interrupted. Ed had broken the mountain ash seal for him so he could re-join them, “It was in my head.”
“We’re all ears,” Stiles smiled, “Not literally, that would be weird. And loud.”
“Who is this?” Drew remarked, shooting a confused look at Stiles.
“Tell you later. Ideas?” Jono nagged.
“I always seemed to wake up in my bunker. Like it knew my safe space,” Drew revealed.
“So Chase will be at home?” Jono thought aloud.
“Not necessarily. Anywhere Chase would have felt safe,” Drew corrected.
“Or anywhere Emily felt safe,” Yasmin added.
“Guys,” Lily sprinted over, as if she had urgent news, “Chase is the Téras, it’s not inside there.”
“We know, it’s got Dylan and Scott,” Yasmin filled her in.
“Oh my god,” Lily was taken aback. She instantly put a comforting hand on Jono’s shoulder. Stiles knew that protective instinct, even though he had no siblings; Scott might as well have been his brother.
“Maybe we should split up,” Stiles suggested, “We can take that house, where’s the map?”
“Scott gave it to Dylan,” Lydia answered. They had lost it. All of Lydia’s work.
“Remember the address?” Ed asked.
“Err, I think so. 98 Nightingale Road,” Stiles recalled.
“Noah’s house,” Jono realised.
“Who’s Noah?” Stiles wondered.
“I’ll tell you on the way. You guys, check Chase’s house for clues,” Jono took charge. Stiles understood his position. He would be the exact same with Lydia, and he had been too.
Waking up with a banging headache, Dylan immediately attempted to take in his surroundings. Slowly, things came into focus, blurred lights became solid objects as his eyes adjusted to the shining light. The first thing he noticed was the lack of light all round – the curtains were shut and no lamps were on.
He was in a bedroom; one Dylan had seen before. It was his own – he recognised the walls decorated with posters of Dua Lipa and Shawn Mendes. Why was he here though? The last place he remembered being was the school. That was it – he saw the Téras, and he felt it too. That same feeling of terror, but in a new host: Chase. It spelt disaster all round, considering how unstable Chase was at the best of times.
He looked to his right to see Scott chained up. Dylan checked his own hands. He was shackled in much the same way, with chains too strong for even an alpha to break. He had some movement though; the chains weren’t too restrictive.
“Hey, where are we?” Scott noticed that Dylan had woken up.
“My bedroom,” Dylan replied, “I’m more worried about why.”
“I guess they’re less likely to find us here,” Scott realised, “It’s smart, I’ll give it that.”
“Never mind compliments, we’ve got to get out of here. Tonight’s not the night where two become one,” Dylan couldn’t resist a pop music reference. Jono would be proud. He was probably more worried about finding him though. Dylan was certainly worried too – there were no indicators if Jono was safe or not, and it hurt not knowing.
“It’s your room, what can we use to get out?” Scott queried. It was a good point. If there was any place that gave Dylan hope, it was here. Maybe the Téras wasn’t as smart as they thought.
“Hold that thought,” Scott added, “Someone’s coming.”
Dylan honed into his hearing – someone was indeed stomping its way up the stairs. It had to be Chase – his mum was working, and Josh and Ed were surely more preoccupied with finding him. The door opened, and Chase appeared holding a single glass of water.
“Share this,” he commanded, planting it between them.
“How generous,” Dylan uttered.
“Be grateful,” Chase scolded.
“It’s going to destroy your mind, you’re not strong enough,” Scott noted.
“I don’t care. This thing has Emily, I can read its mind,” Chase revealed.
“She’s gone, Chase. Her body is dust,” Scott informed.
“But she’s here, I can see her in my mind,” Chase looked unstable and uncomfortable. The Téras was only confusing him further.
“You can see an echo,” Scott informed.
“It’s not her, Chase. Allowing it to take us won’t bring her back, and even if it did, it would kill you first,” Dylan explained.
Chase looked to be considering the options, but the Téras quickly shifted to its own form, as if it had been monitoring Chase’s words.
“You are not ready,” it spoke using its typical robotic voice.
“Why not?” Scott questioned. It almost sounded like he was complaining.
“You are not yet compatible. Final piece needed. Catalyst required,” it said, before leaving the room.
“Catalyst? What the fuck?” Dylan was baffled.
“Come on, we need to get out of here sooner rather than later,” Scott encouraged. He was right, and Dylan began to think about what in his room could help him. Then he spotted his laptop, only just within reach…
Taking Matty home, Freddie was still on guard. He and Josh were in charge of defending him – he was a vulnerable target still, and considering Chase was now the Téras’ host, it was more unhinged than ever. George had taken charge of looking after Matty, especially now Lily was away helping Jono. She had called them to explain everything, but it felt all the more confusing for Freddie. Nevertheless, he knew he had a job.
“Do you think Dylan will be okay?” Josh worried. Even before Josh turned against the pack, Freddie had never seen him open up this vulnerable side. Having a brother was new to him, after all, and was doing the world of good.
“I don’t know,” Freddie answered honestly, “But I think everyone’s doing everything they can.” He couldn’t give Josh false hope – he would be an awful friend if he did that – but he also had to keep his spirits high. He was no use if he was too busy fretting over Dylan, “Alright, we should lock the back door. Don’t want any surprises.”
Freddie led the way into the kitchen and twisted the key in the lock. They were as secure as they possibly could be. Josh’s phone buzzed. Freddie watched as his face lit up, hoping it was news about Dylan.
“It’s from Caroline,” he sighed. In any other moment, he would love a text from Caroline. He sang her praises at every opportunity. However, she knew nothing of the situation. Dylan was still in trouble, “Dinner at the Chadwicks’ place tomorrow.”
“Fun times,” Freddie chuckled. Must have been a special occasion.
“Okay, tea for the workers,” George passed each of them a mug, as well as one for Matty. Tea was exactly what Freddie needed, and there wasn’t much more he could do. They were sitting ducks.
The tea was perfect – strong with two sugars. It fired him up ready for whatever was coming.
The sight of Chase’s house made Yasmin feel uneasy. It wasn’t that long since she was last there, and her feelings of disorientation and concern blooded back like painful memories. Lydia had accompanied her, which reassured her slightly as they seemed to be on the same page, alongside Drew and Lily.
“This house gives me the creeps,” Lydia confessed as they pulled up outside.
“Premonitions have that effect,” Yasmin concurred.
“Wait, you too? You’re a…” Lydia noticed. Yasmin was intrigued. Although she liked Lydia, she knew very little about her. Maybe she had finally met someone just like her?
“Nix. Part-nix, that is,” Yasmin explained, “You too?”
“I’m a banshee. Not a million miles away,” Lydia responded.
“I read about that,” Yasmin recalled. She even thought she might be a banshee for a brief moment, before she found the nix in the Bestiary.
“I’ve never met a banshee before. Can you really kill by screaming?” Drew enquired. It was rare that he wouldn’t know the ins and outs of everything supernatural.
“It doesn’t work quite like that,” Lydia laughed, “Come on, we’ve not got time to waste.”
She led the way back into the house, which appeared to be just as deserted as Yasmin remembered. However, she didn’t want to take any risks. Dylan, Jono and Scott had already been warned for “harassment,” thanks to Chase’s parents, and even though Ed was on their side, he couldn’t ignore his sheriff duties.
“Anyone home, Drew?” she queried.
“No other heartbeats,” Drew reported back. The coast was clear, much to Yasmin’s delight.
“We need to split up,” Yasmin decided, taking leadership, “Lydia and I will check upstairs. Lily and Drew, you look down here. Shout if you find anything or anyone.”
The group nodded and went their separate ways, with Yasmin leading Lydia up to the now-familiar sight of Emily’s bedroom. It looked just as haunting as before, not doing anything to calm her nerves.
“No sign,” Yasmin commented.
“Can you sense anything?” Lydia asked.
“Nothing new,” Yasmin replied. It was the same awful feeling as before, nothing different.
“I think I can help,” Lydia replied, her voice vacant of expression. Yasmin wasn’t sure whether to be scared or hopeful, or both.
Nothing was going to get in Jono’s way when tracking Dylan. Speed limits didn’t matter – he had the Sheriff in the car with him anyway, and Stiles completed the group. Quite how Noah was still linked to the Téras, Jono wasn’t sure, but if he could help them find Dylan and Scott, he wasn’t going to complain.
As soon as the car engine switched off, Jono leapt out of the car and furiously began banging on the front door. A confused-looking Noah answered.
“Jono, what’s up?” he queried. Jono barged inside. There was no time for small talk.
“What’s the deal?” Jono interrogated, checking all of the downstairs rooms.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Noah replied innocently.
“Where is Dylan?” Jono yelled.
“Jono, dude, hold fire,” Stiles pulled him back. Jono realised himself – he was spiralling out of control. He had to keep composed, or Dylan would stand no chance.
“Sorry,” Jono apologised, “Dylan’s missing, and you’re the key. You know that creature, the one that came from you? It has him, and he’s in danger.”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to help,” Noah looked flustered.
“It came through you and your fear. What scares you about it? We’ve got to conquer it,” Stiles queried.
“Um, I don’t know. Lots, I guess. I hate the unknown, and that I can’t defend myself,” Noah confessed.
“Somehow I don’t think the known is any more comforting,” Stiles remarked.
“We could teach you self-defence,” Ed suggested, “It’s part of my job.”
“There’s no time,” Jono reminded. It was a good idea in theory, but totally unworkable when Dylan’s life was on the line.
“I’ve got an idea, it’s kinda drastic but it would give you the means to defend yourself,” Stiles suggested.
“I’m all ears, anything I can do,” Noah smiled nervously.
“First, we’ve got to find Dylan and Scott,” Stiles continued, “Come on, we need to keep looking.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Jono replied, rushing back towards the car. Stiles’ plan intrigued him. Anything that could put this Téras to bed for good was worth checking out. He needed to see its ass kicked.
Before he switched the engine back on, Jono checked his phone. He had a new email, from Dylan, with a location specified…
“Sent,” Dylan whispered to Scott, closing his laptop lid and pushing it back to where it was before. Chase would never know, until Jono came to save him. His knight in shining armour.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t cotton on,” Scott added.
“Do you think we’ll get out of here?” Dylan thought aloud. He knew it was morbid, but he had to prepare himself.
“I don’t know, but we’re not going down without a fight,” Scott replied.
“I keep worrying,” Dylan confessed, “That we might not all make it.”
“Maybe you won’t,” Scott responded, “I can’t promise you’ll all be safe. It might be hard, but you’ll keep going.”
“You’ve done pretty well for yourself though,” Dylan noted.
“Not always. I’ve lost people. People that I thought I’d be with forever,” Scott looked down. For the first time since Dylan met him, he looked broken. A far cry from his usual determined self.
“What was her name?” Dylan guessed.
“Allison,” Scott replied, “She was saving us. Saving everyone. She died in my arms.”
“I’m sorry,” Dylan felt his pain. He thought back to that night at the hospital. His dad holding his hand so tightly. Scott smiled in response. It clearly meant a lot.
“Please, look after Jono. You’ve got a good one there,” Scott advised.
“I know. I’m not letting go of him for even a second,” Dylan replied. He had to keep optimistic, for Jono’s sake if not his own.
Taking Yasmin’s hand, Lydia was letting her instincts direct her. The banshee knew how to deal with situations much better than she did. All Lydia had to do was listen and learn.
Her fingers intertwined with Yasmin’s as they stood above the pile of dust that used to be Emily. Even being in the same vicinity as her remains made Lydia sick; the stuff she had to do to save her friends was awful. Lydia looked to her left. There she was – a beautiful girl with wavy blonde locks dangling halfway down her chest. Her eyes were pitch black, spoiling her stunning aesthetic, and she looked ghostly white.
“I can see her,” Yasmin commented. Their powers were combining, much to Lydia’s amazement.
“Me too,” Lydia replied, “Emily, can you show us the way?” Emily nodded and held her hand out. Lydia and Yasmin both reached out and grabbed it. Instantly, a cloud of black smoke began to surround them. It had worked – the banshee had succeeded again. One step closer.
The downstairs area of Chase’s house was pretty normal, at least to Lily’s eyes. She could quite easily spot when something didn’t quite add up, but there was nothing to pick up on. It was a pleasant family home, filled with photographs of the once-happy family.
Lily found it crazy just how quickly things could go wrong. Everything she and Jono were doing put their family at risk, but it was for the best. If they didn’t stand up to the Téras, more than their family would be impacted.
She looked to Drew. Something was definitely amiss with him. He looked flushed, and noticeably paler than usual. A far cry from his usual alert self.
“What’s up?” Lily asked him as they congregated back in the hallway.
“Nothing,” Drew quickly defended. Lily knew she would have to slowly chip away at his very guarded exterior if she wanted answers.
“Come on, you know I won’t give up that easily,” Lily nagged, “You don’t look so good dude.”
“I said I’m fine,” Drew hit back. As he spoke, he started to clenched his chest. He started breathing heavily, as if something was trapping the oxygen from reaching his lungs. He looked in pain.
“Drew, oh god,” Lily immediately rushed to his aid, but she was lost for what to do.
“Back pocket,” Drew instructed, only just being able to utter his words. Lily reached around and grabbed the object – a blue asthma inhaler. She handed it to Drew, who sprayed into his mouth twice. Almost instantly, his breathing calmed down.
“What the heck was that about?” Lily questioned, very concerned, “You can’t be asthmatic, you should be healing.”
“You can’t tell Dylan,” Drew replied, catching his breath.
“Tell Dylan what?” Lily was getting more and more confused.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m not a werewolf anymore. I can’t glow my eyes, I’ve got no claws, I can’t track scents.”
“You told us how many heartbeats though,” Lily reminded.
“I lied. I didn’t want you all to worry,” Drew confessed, “Dylan has too much to deal with.”
“He’s going to notice,” Lily noted.
“I know,” Drew sighed. Lily was gobsmacked. How could Drew have lost his werewolf status? He was right though – Dylan had enough on his plate for now. They had to focus on rescuing him instead.
Jono knew exchanging house keys with Dylan would come in especially handy at some point, and this was the moment it proved true. He faffed with his keyrings, realising he had way too many items attached. His house key, Dylan’s house key, his car key, his school locker key and a host of keyrings made it difficult to find the right one in a rush.
He eventually nabbed Dylan’s and shoved the front door open. Ed followed behind, wielding his gun for protection, while Stiles escorted Noah.
Just as Jono was about to make the first step on the staircase, Chase appeared, almost out of nowhere.
“Going somewhere?” Chase interrogated.
“You can’t win,” Jono hit back. He wasn’t armed, so he had to use his words to good effect.
“Stand down,” Ed commanded, pointing his gun at Chase. He was unphased though – Chase simply moved his hand to the right and the gun smashed against the wall, breaking into several pieces and leaving a dent in the wall.
“Thank you for bringing me the final piece,” Chase smirked. Jono looked around. Noah was horrified. He knew he was the final piece. They had walked straight into the trap. Chase reached his hand out and grabbed Noah by the arm.
“You’re hurting me,” Noah winced. The grip didn’t loosen though. The Téras was making it as painful as possible. Jono felt helpless. There was nothing any of them could do. He wasn’t strong enough to fight a grip like that.
Just behind the Téras, out of its view, a black cloud of smoke started to build, just like when the Téras itself appeared. A figure came into view. No, it was two figures. Much to Jono’s relief, he recognised both of them: Yasmin and Lydia.
“Cover your ears guys,” Stiles realised what was about to happen, and Lydia unleashed the loudest, most rip-roaring scream Jono had ever heard. He could hardly believe it had come out of the mouth of any human. The Téras was stunned, Chase’s body looking dazed. Its grip on Noah released.
“Come on, we don’t have long,” Lydia commanded, leading the way upstairs. They finally had some hope, and Jono was more determined than ever.
Worried by the sounds of crashing and yelling downstairs, Dylan was concerned. He was restricted and couldn’t get out, so if something was wrong, there was no way that he could successfully defend and protect himself.
All of a sudden, his ears filled up with the loudest, most high-pitched scream he had ever heard.
“Lydia,” Scott identified immediately.
“That was Lydia?” Dylan was amazed. How could she make a sound like that?
The door opened – there she was, Lydia, joined by Yasmin and, much to Dylan’s delight, Jono. Never had his face looked cuter. Absence really did make the heart grow fonder.
Immediately, Lydia and Yasmin rushed to undo the chains.
“They won’t budge,” Yasmin commented, trying her best to help. Jono didn’t touch the chains, instead going straight in for a kiss. Dylan was so relieved to see him, and the soft sensation of his gorgeous lips had never felt better.
“We don’t have long,” Ed warned. He managed to unhook the chains, setting them free. However, the door burst open again. The Téras was there in full, horrific form, and grabbed Jono by the neck. They were screwed.
“Don’t hurt him,” Dylan pleaded. All he could picture was the mental image of Allison dying in Scott’s arms. History could not repeat itself.
“He’ll be safe as long as you co-operate,” the Téras explained.
“Do what it says,” Stiles encouraged. Dylan caught him winking, thrown mostly in Scott’s direction but he noticed it too.
“Alright,” Scott replied, “What needs to happen?”
“Form a circle,” the Téras commanded, “The alphas and the host.” Dylan held hands with Scott on his right and Noah on his left, with the Téras in the middle. His heart was beating like crazy.
Much to Dylan’s relief, the Téras let go of Jono, who escaped the circle as quickly as he could. Dylan caught Stiles’ eye again. He was mouthing something. Dylan was awful at lip-reading. There were two words – he figured that the second one was Noah.
Stiles then made a biting motion with his teeth, being careful not to attract the Téras’ attention. That was the first word. “Bite Noah.” Dylan was confused and slightly scared by the thought. He glanced at Noah, who nodded. He had agreed to it. It had to work. He glanced back to Scott, who mouthed a countdown.
3…2…1…
Simultaneously, Dylan and Scott bit one of Noah’s hands each. Dylan made sure his fangs dug in properly. He had never done this before, and it scared him more than anything, but he knew he had to be strong and do this.
Noah cried out in pain as blood squirted from the fang marks. The Téras spun around, hearing the commotion, aghast.
“What have you done?” the Téras spoke using Chase’s voice again. Changes were already noticeable.
“Changed the terms,” Stiles answered. Dylan was baffled, but he didn’t let go of Scott or Noah’s hands. They had to keep it together.
“You can’t handle both of us,” Dylan realised, “We’re too strong together, and now we’re in Noah too.”
“What you don’t know is that I’m a true alpha,” Scott added, “And Dylan might as well be one too. It’s more than you anticipated.”
“Eject host,” the robotic Téras voice commanded, draining away from the body, unravelling to reveal Chase. It whirred around the room, but slowly started to disappear.
“What’s happening?” Dylan questioned.
“Noah’s fear was the key. He’s not scared anymore, and he’s able to defend himself. It can’t manifest itself, and it can’t handle you guys,” Jono explained.
Finally, Dylan understood. The Téras was gone, the gateway shut. Chase looked up; he was vacant and pale, and looked ill. Next to him was Emily – the echo, with pitch black eyes. The last remnant of the Téras.
“Emily,” he smiled, looking so innocent, tears rolling down his cheeks. She reached out her hand elegantly, and Chase touched it instantly. The final gust of black smoke surrounded them both, and within seconds, they were gone.
Dylan smiled. Chase got what he wanted – a reunion with his sister. Dylan finally appreciated the bond between siblings, so he understood their connection. There was nothing more special.
Arriving just as Chase and Emily’s parents were leaving Ed’s office first thing in the morning, Dylan felt awful. They must have been distraught, losing both of their kids, and they couldn’t even learn the truth. Maybe knowing they were together somewhere would have given them some comfort.
Nevertheless, he had popped in to see Ed, for a debrief of sorts. He had some loose ends to tie up, and not everything could be done in his official sheriff capacity either.
“Hey. Alright, the Tumblr post,” Ed got to business as soon as Dylan closed the door.
“Please tell me it’s gone,” Dylan prayed. Even though Chase wasn’t around anymore, the Tumblr post unfortunately didn’t go with him.
“All traces that we could find are gone. It was inflammatory, so I got it removed pretty easily. That doesn’t stop anyone who knows already though, especially at school, and screenshots might still be out there.”
“I know. I think Mrs. Johnson has that covered,” Dylan notified. From what he had heard from Yasmin, Mrs. Johnson had put a very strong word in the principal’s ear about the attacks and targeting. Hopefully that would stop people being nasty, whether they still believed the article or not.
“At least mom didn’t see it,” Dylan breathed a sigh of relief.
“You’re skating on thin ice, fella,” Ed reminded, not that he needed any reminding.
“I know. When the time is right. It’s like coming out all over again,” Dylan jested. He laughed to cover up his genuine worries. Ed laughed along; at least his laughter felt genuine.
“Speaking of your mom, did you see her text?” Ed questioned.
“Dinner at the Chadwicks’ tonight? Yeah,” Dylan replied. Jono had told him this was a possibility. It worried him slightly – he hated big social gatherings. Nevertheless, it was more time to spend with Jono. Dylan would never turn his nose up at that.
Tossing and turning, Drew couldn’t get comfortable. He had spent the whole night lying awake, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t sleep. His mind felt both empty and full at the same time. The fact the Téras wasn’t there helped his mind clear, but the wolf was gone too. How could he just lose it? He had never heard of a way that a werewolf could become human again. The process was irreversible. Something had gone seriously wrong.
He looked around. The room was dark, but the sunlight was beginning to shine its way through. No chance of sleep now. Drew sat up in bed and stared at the mirror opposite. Although he saw his usual face, he could barely recognise himself. The person he had been for almost ten years had gone. It was like starting from scratch.
No matter how hard he tried, Drew couldn’t glow his eyes. He couldn’t activate his claws. He was back to being a bog-standard human. The Téras had robbed him of his identity and his most valued attributes.
A tear slid out of his eye. Drew never cried, but he couldn’t help it this time. He was embarrassed. As he stared at himself, he screamed out. He was furious, and would stop at nothing to become a werewolf again.
Dinner time had arrived. It was Saturday night, and Dylan was used to spending it alone with Jono, binge-watching series on Netflix. However, that would have to wait until later. He had to survive dinner with both Jono and his own families.
The table had room for eight – Dylan’s mum, Jono’s parents, Josh, Lily and Ed, alongside Dylan and Jono themselves. It felt kind of cool for Dylan to think that this union of people wouldn’t be a thing without him.
As he set the table, Dylan noticed Scott outside the gate. He grabbed Jono and led him outside, clicking open the gates.
“I guess you’re off,” Dylan assumed. He loved having Scott around, but he knew it wasn’t permanent.
“Yeah, Lydia will kill me if we don’t make it back for her party,” Scott chuckled, “I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. You’re amazing, both of you.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Jono grinned.
“We couldn’t have done this without you, or Stiles and Lydia. I owe you my life,” Dylan expressed his gratitude.
“Likewise. Don’t be a stranger, I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon,” Scott started to back off to his car, “Look after Noah. And each other.”
“We’ll fight on. For Allison,” Dylan smiled. Scott waved before getting into the Jeep. Now they were on their own again, but Dylan felt comforted to know that he had support out there if he needed it.
“Come on, let’s brave this dinner,” Jono took Dylan’s hand and led him inside. Josh and Lily were already at the table, laughing away. Almost unthinkable just months back. How times had changed.
“Hey,” Josh noticed Dylan and pulled him aside, “I was wanting to show you something. Please don’t freak.” Dylan was intrigued. He watched as Josh glowed his eyes, “I never told you why they’re blue.”
“I know already,” Dylan replied.
“Huh? You never said,” Josh was surprised.
“Drew told me. I know what you did. Blue eyes mean you took an innocent life,” Dylan answered. Drew had warned him a while ago, but Dylan didn’t find it bothersome at this point. Josh had more than proved himself.
“You’re not angry?” Josh continued to be taken aback.
“No, why would I be? You’ve changed. Besides, you’re my brother,” Dylan smiled. Josh looked like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Nothing was going to ruin their connection.
An hour later, and dinner had been eaten. Everyone was still sat at the table, except Dylan’s mum – she had asked everyone to stay put, but didn’t say why. She came back, trying to conceal a smile, holding an envelope.
“Josh, this is from Ed and I,” Caroline finally unleashed her grin. Dylan knew what it was all about now. He had been anticipating this moment for a little while. He watched as Josh opened the card, everyone else staring in curiosity. Josh’s eyes widened.
“You’re for real? You wanna adopt me?” Josh was in awe. He turned to Dylan, “And you’re okay with this?”
“Duh, stupidest question ever,” Dylan laughed, “Welcome to the family, bro.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Steve toasted, raisin his glass.
Caroline smiled a proud smile at Dylan. He adored his mum like crazy. She looked down at her phone; Caroline was more tech-literate than your stereotypical mum, but she wasn’t as keen on most of the social networking sites that Dylan used.
“Some people,” she sighed, slamming the phone down on the table.
“Everything okay?” Ed asked her.
“Some sick person sent me a screenshot of this post about Dylan and Jono. Something about werewolves. It’s ridiculous,” Caroline vented.
The room fell awkwardly silent. Dylan felt increasingly uncomfortable – everyone else knew the truth.
“Am I missing something?” Caroline queried. Dylan had no idea what to say, but there was no clear way out. Maybe this was his moment. He braced himself and took a deep breath…
“Where the heck are they?” Jono began to panic.
“I don’t know, but we’ve got to remain calm,” Stiles advised, knowing full well he was panicking inside.
“My boyfriend’s missing and at risk of becoming a murderous monster, how can I be calm?” Jono vented.
“We can start looking, but we have to keep our heads screwed on,” Lydia reminded, “Wallowing gets us nowhere.”
“You would know,” Stiles remarked.
“Yeah, glad you gave it up though,” Lydia hit back. Darn. Stiles loved banter but hated when it backfired on him.
“Okay, where do we look?” Jono enquired much more calmly.
“I might know,” Drew interrupted. Ed had broken the mountain ash seal for him so he could re-join them, “It was in my head.”
“We’re all ears,” Stiles smiled, “Not literally, that would be weird. And loud.”
“Who is this?” Drew remarked, shooting a confused look at Stiles.
“Tell you later. Ideas?” Jono nagged.
“I always seemed to wake up in my bunker. Like it knew my safe space,” Drew revealed.
“So Chase will be at home?” Jono thought aloud.
“Not necessarily. Anywhere Chase would have felt safe,” Drew corrected.
“Or anywhere Emily felt safe,” Yasmin added.
“Guys,” Lily sprinted over, as if she had urgent news, “Chase is the Téras, it’s not inside there.”
“We know, it’s got Dylan and Scott,” Yasmin filled her in.
“Oh my god,” Lily was taken aback. She instantly put a comforting hand on Jono’s shoulder. Stiles knew that protective instinct, even though he had no siblings; Scott might as well have been his brother.
“Maybe we should split up,” Stiles suggested, “We can take that house, where’s the map?”
“Scott gave it to Dylan,” Lydia answered. They had lost it. All of Lydia’s work.
“Remember the address?” Ed asked.
“Err, I think so. 98 Nightingale Road,” Stiles recalled.
“Noah’s house,” Jono realised.
“Who’s Noah?” Stiles wondered.
“I’ll tell you on the way. You guys, check Chase’s house for clues,” Jono took charge. Stiles understood his position. He would be the exact same with Lydia, and he had been too.
Waking up with a banging headache, Dylan immediately attempted to take in his surroundings. Slowly, things came into focus, blurred lights became solid objects as his eyes adjusted to the shining light. The first thing he noticed was the lack of light all round – the curtains were shut and no lamps were on.
He was in a bedroom; one Dylan had seen before. It was his own – he recognised the walls decorated with posters of Dua Lipa and Shawn Mendes. Why was he here though? The last place he remembered being was the school. That was it – he saw the Téras, and he felt it too. That same feeling of terror, but in a new host: Chase. It spelt disaster all round, considering how unstable Chase was at the best of times.
He looked to his right to see Scott chained up. Dylan checked his own hands. He was shackled in much the same way, with chains too strong for even an alpha to break. He had some movement though; the chains weren’t too restrictive.
“Hey, where are we?” Scott noticed that Dylan had woken up.
“My bedroom,” Dylan replied, “I’m more worried about why.”
“I guess they’re less likely to find us here,” Scott realised, “It’s smart, I’ll give it that.”
“Never mind compliments, we’ve got to get out of here. Tonight’s not the night where two become one,” Dylan couldn’t resist a pop music reference. Jono would be proud. He was probably more worried about finding him though. Dylan was certainly worried too – there were no indicators if Jono was safe or not, and it hurt not knowing.
“It’s your room, what can we use to get out?” Scott queried. It was a good point. If there was any place that gave Dylan hope, it was here. Maybe the Téras wasn’t as smart as they thought.
“Hold that thought,” Scott added, “Someone’s coming.”
Dylan honed into his hearing – someone was indeed stomping its way up the stairs. It had to be Chase – his mum was working, and Josh and Ed were surely more preoccupied with finding him. The door opened, and Chase appeared holding a single glass of water.
“Share this,” he commanded, planting it between them.
“How generous,” Dylan uttered.
“Be grateful,” Chase scolded.
“It’s going to destroy your mind, you’re not strong enough,” Scott noted.
“I don’t care. This thing has Emily, I can read its mind,” Chase revealed.
“She’s gone, Chase. Her body is dust,” Scott informed.
“But she’s here, I can see her in my mind,” Chase looked unstable and uncomfortable. The Téras was only confusing him further.
“You can see an echo,” Scott informed.
“It’s not her, Chase. Allowing it to take us won’t bring her back, and even if it did, it would kill you first,” Dylan explained.
Chase looked to be considering the options, but the Téras quickly shifted to its own form, as if it had been monitoring Chase’s words.
“You are not ready,” it spoke using its typical robotic voice.
“Why not?” Scott questioned. It almost sounded like he was complaining.
“You are not yet compatible. Final piece needed. Catalyst required,” it said, before leaving the room.
“Catalyst? What the fuck?” Dylan was baffled.
“Come on, we need to get out of here sooner rather than later,” Scott encouraged. He was right, and Dylan began to think about what in his room could help him. Then he spotted his laptop, only just within reach…
Taking Matty home, Freddie was still on guard. He and Josh were in charge of defending him – he was a vulnerable target still, and considering Chase was now the Téras’ host, it was more unhinged than ever. George had taken charge of looking after Matty, especially now Lily was away helping Jono. She had called them to explain everything, but it felt all the more confusing for Freddie. Nevertheless, he knew he had a job.
“Do you think Dylan will be okay?” Josh worried. Even before Josh turned against the pack, Freddie had never seen him open up this vulnerable side. Having a brother was new to him, after all, and was doing the world of good.
“I don’t know,” Freddie answered honestly, “But I think everyone’s doing everything they can.” He couldn’t give Josh false hope – he would be an awful friend if he did that – but he also had to keep his spirits high. He was no use if he was too busy fretting over Dylan, “Alright, we should lock the back door. Don’t want any surprises.”
Freddie led the way into the kitchen and twisted the key in the lock. They were as secure as they possibly could be. Josh’s phone buzzed. Freddie watched as his face lit up, hoping it was news about Dylan.
“It’s from Caroline,” he sighed. In any other moment, he would love a text from Caroline. He sang her praises at every opportunity. However, she knew nothing of the situation. Dylan was still in trouble, “Dinner at the Chadwicks’ place tomorrow.”
“Fun times,” Freddie chuckled. Must have been a special occasion.
“Okay, tea for the workers,” George passed each of them a mug, as well as one for Matty. Tea was exactly what Freddie needed, and there wasn’t much more he could do. They were sitting ducks.
The tea was perfect – strong with two sugars. It fired him up ready for whatever was coming.
The sight of Chase’s house made Yasmin feel uneasy. It wasn’t that long since she was last there, and her feelings of disorientation and concern blooded back like painful memories. Lydia had accompanied her, which reassured her slightly as they seemed to be on the same page, alongside Drew and Lily.
“This house gives me the creeps,” Lydia confessed as they pulled up outside.
“Premonitions have that effect,” Yasmin concurred.
“Wait, you too? You’re a…” Lydia noticed. Yasmin was intrigued. Although she liked Lydia, she knew very little about her. Maybe she had finally met someone just like her?
“Nix. Part-nix, that is,” Yasmin explained, “You too?”
“I’m a banshee. Not a million miles away,” Lydia responded.
“I read about that,” Yasmin recalled. She even thought she might be a banshee for a brief moment, before she found the nix in the Bestiary.
“I’ve never met a banshee before. Can you really kill by screaming?” Drew enquired. It was rare that he wouldn’t know the ins and outs of everything supernatural.
“It doesn’t work quite like that,” Lydia laughed, “Come on, we’ve not got time to waste.”
She led the way back into the house, which appeared to be just as deserted as Yasmin remembered. However, she didn’t want to take any risks. Dylan, Jono and Scott had already been warned for “harassment,” thanks to Chase’s parents, and even though Ed was on their side, he couldn’t ignore his sheriff duties.
“Anyone home, Drew?” she queried.
“No other heartbeats,” Drew reported back. The coast was clear, much to Yasmin’s delight.
“We need to split up,” Yasmin decided, taking leadership, “Lydia and I will check upstairs. Lily and Drew, you look down here. Shout if you find anything or anyone.”
The group nodded and went their separate ways, with Yasmin leading Lydia up to the now-familiar sight of Emily’s bedroom. It looked just as haunting as before, not doing anything to calm her nerves.
“No sign,” Yasmin commented.
“Can you sense anything?” Lydia asked.
“Nothing new,” Yasmin replied. It was the same awful feeling as before, nothing different.
“I think I can help,” Lydia replied, her voice vacant of expression. Yasmin wasn’t sure whether to be scared or hopeful, or both.
Nothing was going to get in Jono’s way when tracking Dylan. Speed limits didn’t matter – he had the Sheriff in the car with him anyway, and Stiles completed the group. Quite how Noah was still linked to the Téras, Jono wasn’t sure, but if he could help them find Dylan and Scott, he wasn’t going to complain.
As soon as the car engine switched off, Jono leapt out of the car and furiously began banging on the front door. A confused-looking Noah answered.
“Jono, what’s up?” he queried. Jono barged inside. There was no time for small talk.
“What’s the deal?” Jono interrogated, checking all of the downstairs rooms.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Noah replied innocently.
“Where is Dylan?” Jono yelled.
“Jono, dude, hold fire,” Stiles pulled him back. Jono realised himself – he was spiralling out of control. He had to keep composed, or Dylan would stand no chance.
“Sorry,” Jono apologised, “Dylan’s missing, and you’re the key. You know that creature, the one that came from you? It has him, and he’s in danger.”
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to help,” Noah looked flustered.
“It came through you and your fear. What scares you about it? We’ve got to conquer it,” Stiles queried.
“Um, I don’t know. Lots, I guess. I hate the unknown, and that I can’t defend myself,” Noah confessed.
“Somehow I don’t think the known is any more comforting,” Stiles remarked.
“We could teach you self-defence,” Ed suggested, “It’s part of my job.”
“There’s no time,” Jono reminded. It was a good idea in theory, but totally unworkable when Dylan’s life was on the line.
“I’ve got an idea, it’s kinda drastic but it would give you the means to defend yourself,” Stiles suggested.
“I’m all ears, anything I can do,” Noah smiled nervously.
“First, we’ve got to find Dylan and Scott,” Stiles continued, “Come on, we need to keep looking.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Jono replied, rushing back towards the car. Stiles’ plan intrigued him. Anything that could put this Téras to bed for good was worth checking out. He needed to see its ass kicked.
Before he switched the engine back on, Jono checked his phone. He had a new email, from Dylan, with a location specified…
“Sent,” Dylan whispered to Scott, closing his laptop lid and pushing it back to where it was before. Chase would never know, until Jono came to save him. His knight in shining armour.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t cotton on,” Scott added.
“Do you think we’ll get out of here?” Dylan thought aloud. He knew it was morbid, but he had to prepare himself.
“I don’t know, but we’re not going down without a fight,” Scott replied.
“I keep worrying,” Dylan confessed, “That we might not all make it.”
“Maybe you won’t,” Scott responded, “I can’t promise you’ll all be safe. It might be hard, but you’ll keep going.”
“You’ve done pretty well for yourself though,” Dylan noted.
“Not always. I’ve lost people. People that I thought I’d be with forever,” Scott looked down. For the first time since Dylan met him, he looked broken. A far cry from his usual determined self.
“What was her name?” Dylan guessed.
“Allison,” Scott replied, “She was saving us. Saving everyone. She died in my arms.”
“I’m sorry,” Dylan felt his pain. He thought back to that night at the hospital. His dad holding his hand so tightly. Scott smiled in response. It clearly meant a lot.
“Please, look after Jono. You’ve got a good one there,” Scott advised.
“I know. I’m not letting go of him for even a second,” Dylan replied. He had to keep optimistic, for Jono’s sake if not his own.
Taking Yasmin’s hand, Lydia was letting her instincts direct her. The banshee knew how to deal with situations much better than she did. All Lydia had to do was listen and learn.
Her fingers intertwined with Yasmin’s as they stood above the pile of dust that used to be Emily. Even being in the same vicinity as her remains made Lydia sick; the stuff she had to do to save her friends was awful. Lydia looked to her left. There she was – a beautiful girl with wavy blonde locks dangling halfway down her chest. Her eyes were pitch black, spoiling her stunning aesthetic, and she looked ghostly white.
“I can see her,” Yasmin commented. Their powers were combining, much to Lydia’s amazement.
“Me too,” Lydia replied, “Emily, can you show us the way?” Emily nodded and held her hand out. Lydia and Yasmin both reached out and grabbed it. Instantly, a cloud of black smoke began to surround them. It had worked – the banshee had succeeded again. One step closer.
The downstairs area of Chase’s house was pretty normal, at least to Lily’s eyes. She could quite easily spot when something didn’t quite add up, but there was nothing to pick up on. It was a pleasant family home, filled with photographs of the once-happy family.
Lily found it crazy just how quickly things could go wrong. Everything she and Jono were doing put their family at risk, but it was for the best. If they didn’t stand up to the Téras, more than their family would be impacted.
She looked to Drew. Something was definitely amiss with him. He looked flushed, and noticeably paler than usual. A far cry from his usual alert self.
“What’s up?” Lily asked him as they congregated back in the hallway.
“Nothing,” Drew quickly defended. Lily knew she would have to slowly chip away at his very guarded exterior if she wanted answers.
“Come on, you know I won’t give up that easily,” Lily nagged, “You don’t look so good dude.”
“I said I’m fine,” Drew hit back. As he spoke, he started to clenched his chest. He started breathing heavily, as if something was trapping the oxygen from reaching his lungs. He looked in pain.
“Drew, oh god,” Lily immediately rushed to his aid, but she was lost for what to do.
“Back pocket,” Drew instructed, only just being able to utter his words. Lily reached around and grabbed the object – a blue asthma inhaler. She handed it to Drew, who sprayed into his mouth twice. Almost instantly, his breathing calmed down.
“What the heck was that about?” Lily questioned, very concerned, “You can’t be asthmatic, you should be healing.”
“You can’t tell Dylan,” Drew replied, catching his breath.
“Tell Dylan what?” Lily was getting more and more confused.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m not a werewolf anymore. I can’t glow my eyes, I’ve got no claws, I can’t track scents.”
“You told us how many heartbeats though,” Lily reminded.
“I lied. I didn’t want you all to worry,” Drew confessed, “Dylan has too much to deal with.”
“He’s going to notice,” Lily noted.
“I know,” Drew sighed. Lily was gobsmacked. How could Drew have lost his werewolf status? He was right though – Dylan had enough on his plate for now. They had to focus on rescuing him instead.
Jono knew exchanging house keys with Dylan would come in especially handy at some point, and this was the moment it proved true. He faffed with his keyrings, realising he had way too many items attached. His house key, Dylan’s house key, his car key, his school locker key and a host of keyrings made it difficult to find the right one in a rush.
He eventually nabbed Dylan’s and shoved the front door open. Ed followed behind, wielding his gun for protection, while Stiles escorted Noah.
Just as Jono was about to make the first step on the staircase, Chase appeared, almost out of nowhere.
“Going somewhere?” Chase interrogated.
“You can’t win,” Jono hit back. He wasn’t armed, so he had to use his words to good effect.
“Stand down,” Ed commanded, pointing his gun at Chase. He was unphased though – Chase simply moved his hand to the right and the gun smashed against the wall, breaking into several pieces and leaving a dent in the wall.
“Thank you for bringing me the final piece,” Chase smirked. Jono looked around. Noah was horrified. He knew he was the final piece. They had walked straight into the trap. Chase reached his hand out and grabbed Noah by the arm.
“You’re hurting me,” Noah winced. The grip didn’t loosen though. The Téras was making it as painful as possible. Jono felt helpless. There was nothing any of them could do. He wasn’t strong enough to fight a grip like that.
Just behind the Téras, out of its view, a black cloud of smoke started to build, just like when the Téras itself appeared. A figure came into view. No, it was two figures. Much to Jono’s relief, he recognised both of them: Yasmin and Lydia.
“Cover your ears guys,” Stiles realised what was about to happen, and Lydia unleashed the loudest, most rip-roaring scream Jono had ever heard. He could hardly believe it had come out of the mouth of any human. The Téras was stunned, Chase’s body looking dazed. Its grip on Noah released.
“Come on, we don’t have long,” Lydia commanded, leading the way upstairs. They finally had some hope, and Jono was more determined than ever.
Worried by the sounds of crashing and yelling downstairs, Dylan was concerned. He was restricted and couldn’t get out, so if something was wrong, there was no way that he could successfully defend and protect himself.
All of a sudden, his ears filled up with the loudest, most high-pitched scream he had ever heard.
“Lydia,” Scott identified immediately.
“That was Lydia?” Dylan was amazed. How could she make a sound like that?
The door opened – there she was, Lydia, joined by Yasmin and, much to Dylan’s delight, Jono. Never had his face looked cuter. Absence really did make the heart grow fonder.
Immediately, Lydia and Yasmin rushed to undo the chains.
“They won’t budge,” Yasmin commented, trying her best to help. Jono didn’t touch the chains, instead going straight in for a kiss. Dylan was so relieved to see him, and the soft sensation of his gorgeous lips had never felt better.
“We don’t have long,” Ed warned. He managed to unhook the chains, setting them free. However, the door burst open again. The Téras was there in full, horrific form, and grabbed Jono by the neck. They were screwed.
“Don’t hurt him,” Dylan pleaded. All he could picture was the mental image of Allison dying in Scott’s arms. History could not repeat itself.
“He’ll be safe as long as you co-operate,” the Téras explained.
“Do what it says,” Stiles encouraged. Dylan caught him winking, thrown mostly in Scott’s direction but he noticed it too.
“Alright,” Scott replied, “What needs to happen?”
“Form a circle,” the Téras commanded, “The alphas and the host.” Dylan held hands with Scott on his right and Noah on his left, with the Téras in the middle. His heart was beating like crazy.
Much to Dylan’s relief, the Téras let go of Jono, who escaped the circle as quickly as he could. Dylan caught Stiles’ eye again. He was mouthing something. Dylan was awful at lip-reading. There were two words – he figured that the second one was Noah.
Stiles then made a biting motion with his teeth, being careful not to attract the Téras’ attention. That was the first word. “Bite Noah.” Dylan was confused and slightly scared by the thought. He glanced at Noah, who nodded. He had agreed to it. It had to work. He glanced back to Scott, who mouthed a countdown.
3…2…1…
Simultaneously, Dylan and Scott bit one of Noah’s hands each. Dylan made sure his fangs dug in properly. He had never done this before, and it scared him more than anything, but he knew he had to be strong and do this.
Noah cried out in pain as blood squirted from the fang marks. The Téras spun around, hearing the commotion, aghast.
“What have you done?” the Téras spoke using Chase’s voice again. Changes were already noticeable.
“Changed the terms,” Stiles answered. Dylan was baffled, but he didn’t let go of Scott or Noah’s hands. They had to keep it together.
“You can’t handle both of us,” Dylan realised, “We’re too strong together, and now we’re in Noah too.”
“What you don’t know is that I’m a true alpha,” Scott added, “And Dylan might as well be one too. It’s more than you anticipated.”
“Eject host,” the robotic Téras voice commanded, draining away from the body, unravelling to reveal Chase. It whirred around the room, but slowly started to disappear.
“What’s happening?” Dylan questioned.
“Noah’s fear was the key. He’s not scared anymore, and he’s able to defend himself. It can’t manifest itself, and it can’t handle you guys,” Jono explained.
Finally, Dylan understood. The Téras was gone, the gateway shut. Chase looked up; he was vacant and pale, and looked ill. Next to him was Emily – the echo, with pitch black eyes. The last remnant of the Téras.
“Emily,” he smiled, looking so innocent, tears rolling down his cheeks. She reached out her hand elegantly, and Chase touched it instantly. The final gust of black smoke surrounded them both, and within seconds, they were gone.
Dylan smiled. Chase got what he wanted – a reunion with his sister. Dylan finally appreciated the bond between siblings, so he understood their connection. There was nothing more special.
Arriving just as Chase and Emily’s parents were leaving Ed’s office first thing in the morning, Dylan felt awful. They must have been distraught, losing both of their kids, and they couldn’t even learn the truth. Maybe knowing they were together somewhere would have given them some comfort.
Nevertheless, he had popped in to see Ed, for a debrief of sorts. He had some loose ends to tie up, and not everything could be done in his official sheriff capacity either.
“Hey. Alright, the Tumblr post,” Ed got to business as soon as Dylan closed the door.
“Please tell me it’s gone,” Dylan prayed. Even though Chase wasn’t around anymore, the Tumblr post unfortunately didn’t go with him.
“All traces that we could find are gone. It was inflammatory, so I got it removed pretty easily. That doesn’t stop anyone who knows already though, especially at school, and screenshots might still be out there.”
“I know. I think Mrs. Johnson has that covered,” Dylan notified. From what he had heard from Yasmin, Mrs. Johnson had put a very strong word in the principal’s ear about the attacks and targeting. Hopefully that would stop people being nasty, whether they still believed the article or not.
“At least mom didn’t see it,” Dylan breathed a sigh of relief.
“You’re skating on thin ice, fella,” Ed reminded, not that he needed any reminding.
“I know. When the time is right. It’s like coming out all over again,” Dylan jested. He laughed to cover up his genuine worries. Ed laughed along; at least his laughter felt genuine.
“Speaking of your mom, did you see her text?” Ed questioned.
“Dinner at the Chadwicks’ tonight? Yeah,” Dylan replied. Jono had told him this was a possibility. It worried him slightly – he hated big social gatherings. Nevertheless, it was more time to spend with Jono. Dylan would never turn his nose up at that.
Tossing and turning, Drew couldn’t get comfortable. He had spent the whole night lying awake, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t sleep. His mind felt both empty and full at the same time. The fact the Téras wasn’t there helped his mind clear, but the wolf was gone too. How could he just lose it? He had never heard of a way that a werewolf could become human again. The process was irreversible. Something had gone seriously wrong.
He looked around. The room was dark, but the sunlight was beginning to shine its way through. No chance of sleep now. Drew sat up in bed and stared at the mirror opposite. Although he saw his usual face, he could barely recognise himself. The person he had been for almost ten years had gone. It was like starting from scratch.
No matter how hard he tried, Drew couldn’t glow his eyes. He couldn’t activate his claws. He was back to being a bog-standard human. The Téras had robbed him of his identity and his most valued attributes.
A tear slid out of his eye. Drew never cried, but he couldn’t help it this time. He was embarrassed. As he stared at himself, he screamed out. He was furious, and would stop at nothing to become a werewolf again.
Dinner time had arrived. It was Saturday night, and Dylan was used to spending it alone with Jono, binge-watching series on Netflix. However, that would have to wait until later. He had to survive dinner with both Jono and his own families.
The table had room for eight – Dylan’s mum, Jono’s parents, Josh, Lily and Ed, alongside Dylan and Jono themselves. It felt kind of cool for Dylan to think that this union of people wouldn’t be a thing without him.
As he set the table, Dylan noticed Scott outside the gate. He grabbed Jono and led him outside, clicking open the gates.
“I guess you’re off,” Dylan assumed. He loved having Scott around, but he knew it wasn’t permanent.
“Yeah, Lydia will kill me if we don’t make it back for her party,” Scott chuckled, “I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. You’re amazing, both of you.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Jono grinned.
“We couldn’t have done this without you, or Stiles and Lydia. I owe you my life,” Dylan expressed his gratitude.
“Likewise. Don’t be a stranger, I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon,” Scott started to back off to his car, “Look after Noah. And each other.”
“We’ll fight on. For Allison,” Dylan smiled. Scott waved before getting into the Jeep. Now they were on their own again, but Dylan felt comforted to know that he had support out there if he needed it.
“Come on, let’s brave this dinner,” Jono took Dylan’s hand and led him inside. Josh and Lily were already at the table, laughing away. Almost unthinkable just months back. How times had changed.
“Hey,” Josh noticed Dylan and pulled him aside, “I was wanting to show you something. Please don’t freak.” Dylan was intrigued. He watched as Josh glowed his eyes, “I never told you why they’re blue.”
“I know already,” Dylan replied.
“Huh? You never said,” Josh was surprised.
“Drew told me. I know what you did. Blue eyes mean you took an innocent life,” Dylan answered. Drew had warned him a while ago, but Dylan didn’t find it bothersome at this point. Josh had more than proved himself.
“You’re not angry?” Josh continued to be taken aback.
“No, why would I be? You’ve changed. Besides, you’re my brother,” Dylan smiled. Josh looked like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Nothing was going to ruin their connection.
An hour later, and dinner had been eaten. Everyone was still sat at the table, except Dylan’s mum – she had asked everyone to stay put, but didn’t say why. She came back, trying to conceal a smile, holding an envelope.
“Josh, this is from Ed and I,” Caroline finally unleashed her grin. Dylan knew what it was all about now. He had been anticipating this moment for a little while. He watched as Josh opened the card, everyone else staring in curiosity. Josh’s eyes widened.
“You’re for real? You wanna adopt me?” Josh was in awe. He turned to Dylan, “And you’re okay with this?”
“Duh, stupidest question ever,” Dylan laughed, “Welcome to the family, bro.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Steve toasted, raisin his glass.
Caroline smiled a proud smile at Dylan. He adored his mum like crazy. She looked down at her phone; Caroline was more tech-literate than your stereotypical mum, but she wasn’t as keen on most of the social networking sites that Dylan used.
“Some people,” she sighed, slamming the phone down on the table.
“Everything okay?” Ed asked her.
“Some sick person sent me a screenshot of this post about Dylan and Jono. Something about werewolves. It’s ridiculous,” Caroline vented.
The room fell awkwardly silent. Dylan felt increasingly uncomfortable – everyone else knew the truth.
“Am I missing something?” Caroline queried. Dylan had no idea what to say, but there was no clear way out. Maybe this was his moment. He braced himself and took a deep breath…