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Previous: "Conflicted"
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Next: "Ritual"
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Teen Wolf: Beta Episode 3
"Rumour"
Drifting off to sleep, Theo had spent most of the night awake. Becky was fast asleep and had been since 9pm the previous night. She was draped across Liam’s bed while he was away, and Theo wanted to make sure she was guarded the entire time. He’d hate to wake up and find she’s gone, or even worse, dead. He looked at his watch – 5:37am. He groaned. It had been a long night – alone with his thoughts. His mind was strangely clear. Normally it was like Piccadilly Circus, with thoughts rushing around left, right and centre. Most of them negative thoughts too, either restrained anger that he felt or regret from his dubious actions in the past. He stared out into the night sky – the full moon was approaching. He stared at the white sphere in the sky, in awe of its beauty. Theo considered how something so stunning could rule over beings like them. It made little sense to him, so he turned his attention back to Becky. He found it comforting to watch her sleep. She was so graceful, barely a hair out of place even when she slept. He felt something he wasn’t used to feeling - an instinct to protect somebody. Normally he looked after number one only, but the tide was finally turning. Theo grinned to himself, finally feeling like he’d found his place in the supernatural world.
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Guest Stars: Linden Ashby, JR Bourne, Seth Gilliam, Ryan Kelley, Kaj Nieuwenhoff, Nick Robinson, Natalia Dyer, Nargis Fakhri, Anjli Mohindra, Paige Turco and Todd Williams.
“Are you sure you’re alright, sweetie?” Joanna nagged. She was a concerned mother, much like anyone else would be in that situation.
“I’m fine, I promise” Liam responded. He’d spent the night at the hospital and despite the comfort of his bed, he missed his home comforts dearly.
“He’s totally fine to go home, don’t stress” Dr. Geyer informed Joanna. Dr. Geyer was Liam’s stepdad, and effectively raised him as his own.
“I better book the day off work to look after you. I don’t want you getting stressed out again” Joanna flustered.
“Mom” Liam interrupted, “I’ll be fine. Please don’t stress yourself out on my behalf.” Joanna sat on his bedside.
“I’m worried about you honey” she confided, “Is everything OK? You know you can talk to me about absolutely anything, right?” Liam was listening keenly, but couldn’t help notice a figure in a red jacket appearing in the corner of his eye. It was Nolan, popping his head round the door.
“Sorry, am I interrupting?” he queried.
“No, not at all” Dr. Geyer replied, “Come in.”
“You must be the famous Nolan” Joanna smiled, greeting him. Nolan looked confused, thinking Liam might have mentioned last night’s events to her.
“Hi” he awkwardly shook her hand.
“Liam’s barely stopped talking about you since the semester began” Joanna explained. Liam blushed, sighing at his mother’s embarrassing speeches.
“Time to go” Liam butted in, not wanting to face the gut-wrenching awkwardness any longer.
“Does she know?” Nolan mouthed to Liam nervously. Liam’s response was a ferocious shake of the head, not just signalling a ‘no’ – more an ‘absolutely not’.
CRASH! A tray of medical instruments collapsed onto the floor as Corey’s clumsy arm sprang along the desk. He stirred with the noise, noticing his surroundings as one eye unwillingly twitched open.
“Huh?” Corey muttered, still half asleep. He leapt up and noticed the familiar surroundings of Deaton’s animal clinic. Confused, he spotted Hayden and Argent stirring too, thanks to the noise. Then it clicked. Last night, they’d arrived at the animal clinic to visit Deaton and ask him for details on why they feel so unwell. However, unusually for Deaton, he was nowhere to be seen despite their visit being within opening hours. They must have fallen asleep waiting, Corey assumed.
“Talk about a rude awakening” Argent commented.
“Sorry” Corey blushed, “Any sign of Deaton?”
“You called?” Deaton interrupted. He was stood in the doorway, watching the intruders awake from their slumber, “It’s not often I see burglars taking a nap on the scene.”
“Where have you been?” a stressed Hayden asked.
“I had some urgent business to attend to, I’m sorry, I can’t always be at your beck and call” Deaton retorted, as calmly and softly as he always spoke.
“Now you’re here, we’ve got some urgent business of our own” Argent explained. Deaton was all-ears, as the group gathered around the central desk.
Strolling into lesson, Nolan had a huge grin on his face. That feeling of worry and dread in his stomach had morphed into unbound excitement, and he wanted to jump up and down on the spot. He gave Miss Padhi a friendly grin on the way in, who smiled back. She looked at the post-it note stuck to the side of her computer screen; a reminder to speak to Nolan at the end of the lesson. He’d sat down next to Daan and Cody as he always did, and the spring in his step didn’t go unnoticed.
“Why are you so chirpy?” Daan queried.
“What? I’m not chirpy” Nolan lied. He was a bad liar. Everything about him was glowing, it was tough not to notice when Nolan was usually such a reserved character.
“Someone’s in love” Cody identified, trying to have banter with Nolan.
“No!” Nolan denied at a rapid pace.
“The lady doth protest too much” Daan joked. Nolan blushed. He felt embarrassed, and he knew Liam didn’t want anyone else to know just yet, particularly as they’d not even had a moment to talk about what happened the previous night.
“Leave me alone” Nolan sulked, and moved up one spot to the blank space to his right, creating distance between his friends.
Theo had never felt so hungry. He hadn’t eaten since lunchtime yesterday, as he’s had his eye on Becky the entire time. Even leaving her alone for five minutes could be dangerous, as the Eichen House nurse could be lurking anywhere, spying on Becky. His stomach was craving the taste of some toast, and he knew full well that Liam’s mum made the best possible fry-up after the previous morning. He stared out of the window, bags under his eyes.
“Morning” came a delicate voice from beside Theo. He spun round and saw Becky, her bright blue eyes locking with his.
“Hey” he smiled, before yawning.
“Have you been here all night?” Becky asked, inquisitively. Theo blushed – his silence told Becky everything she needed to know.
“Oh my god” Becky continued, “You don’t need to be my personal bodyguard Theo. I’m flattered, but I can take care of myself.”
“You did a great job of that the other day, you barely got away from her” Theo recalled.
“This time I’m ready” Becky was self-assured, naively so.
“Prove it” Theo smirked. Becky leapt out of bed and stood in front of Theo, eye to eye. She raised her hand as if to punch him, but with barely a thought, Theo’s hand blocked her. She tried with her other hand, but once again got blocked. Theo was now holding both of her wrists, as he smiled a smug grin at her. Becky raised her eyebrows, still smiling, as she’d yet to play her trump card. She used Theo’s strength against him, lifting herself up just a few centimetres off the ground and slammed both feet against his stomach. He catapulted to the ground, and Becky landed solidly on both feet. Victorious, she put her hand out and helped Theo back up.
“Alright, I give in” Theo laughed, rubbing his chest.
Ignoring his usual manners, Parrish failed to knock on Sheriff Stilinski’s door before rushing in.
“Deputy, do you mind?” Stilinski groaned.
“Sorry sir, but it’s urgent. This envelope has just been delivered. I think you’ll want to take a look” Parrish handed it over. The envelope was addressed specifically to Sheriff Stilinski and Deputy Parrish. Stilinski read it aloud.
“Meet me in the basement at 12 o’clock this afternoon” Stilinski read, before noticing and coldly announcing, “It’s written in blood.”
“It’s her, it must be” Parrish identified, “I’ll get a team ready.”
“No, it’s too dangerous. We can’t go in there all guns blazing, it’s addressed specifically to us. We go alone” Stilinski ordered. Parrish nodded, and vacated the office.
“Are you sure you’re well enough for school?” Mason asked, “You’re looking a little peaky. No surprise considering everything going on I suppose.”
“I’m fine” Liam sighed. He was far from fine, but didn’t want Mason feeling sorry for him, particularly when they all had so much on their plates right now. The biology textbook in front of him wasn’t even remotely enticing, and his head was banging, but the previous night was keeping him positive.
“When are you gonna talk to her?” Mason was referring to Hayden, changing the subject entirely.
“I don’t know. I’ve not heard from her since the other night” Liam replied.
“Do you think she was serious when she said it’s over?” Mason queried. He was confused about the entire situation, and being situated between Hayden and Liam was difficult.
“I think she was pretty clear” Liam groaned. As happy as he was that he might stand a chance with Nolan, he did love Hayden dearly and he didn’t want to break her heart, or even worse, lose her friendship.
“If you want one piece of advice from me, it’s that you need to tell her sooner rather than later. Trust me, if she found out from somebody else, things are gonna be even worse” Mason suggested. Liam nodded, taking the advice on board. He then took out his phone and instantly began texting Hayden – “Meet me at school at lunch. Crisis talk.”
Whilst he was explaining the situation, Argent couldn’t help but feel Deaton was looking distracted. Usually his focus was unbroken, and he’d listen keenly to every word you’d say. Today, he wasn’t even making eye contact with Argent. His mind seemed to be elsewhere, and Argent had noticed this.
“Are we keeping you?” he retorted.
“No, I’m sorry. I’m aware of the power fluctuations at the Nemeton. Druids and emissaries are linked to the Nemeton, as you all know. I noticed it straight away, and it’s affecting supernatural beings all over Beacon Hills” Deaton explained.
“So you’re already on it, that’s great. How do we stop it?” Corey queried.
“We can’t” Deaton replied, “It’s a force of nature. Every thousand or so years, the Nemeton will lose control of its power. It’s like it needs new batteries and begins to stop working properly.”
“Who changes the batteries then?” Hayden asked, noting the analogy.
“Unsurprisingly I’ve never been around to see this happen, and hoped I’d never will be. There’s no definitive answer I’m afraid, but there’s a legend that’s well known amongst druids” Deaton coldly delivered, “It says that an alpha, a beta, an omega and a druid must perform a ceremony. The Nemeton will be able to redefine its parameters, recognise what the levels of power in each one is.”
“So what’s the problem? I’m sure we could arrange this quite quickly” Argent questioned.
“There’s different reports as to what the result of such a ritual would be. All agree that the balance of power would be restored. However, the outcome of the four participants causes much debate. Some say they escape unscathed, others say they all perish. The most interesting suggests that they all return to being plain average humans” Deaton detailed. Hayden, Corey and Argent exchanged worried glances, unsure of exactly what they should do next.
Theo was delighted to finally be sat down at the dining table, eating some grub. His stomach was roaring louder than his mouth ever could, and now Becky was awake, he could finally treat her, and himself, to a slap-up breakfast. By that, he meant a couple of slices of toast each with a selection of jam or marmalade for the topping. Becky didn’t seem to mind, she seemed just as thankful as Theo was to be finally eating some food. She didn’t think to ask him last night if they could eat. It had been a long day and she was worried about being tracked down. She still was, she guessed, but having gotten to know Theo a little, she felt safe in his company. Both of them were enjoying their toast, and each other’s company for that matter. In between munching, the duo caught each other’s eyes and smiled awkwardly at each other. Neither knew what to say, but it was obvious they both felt the same about each other. Theo thought he’d take the plunge and strike up a conversation, but in the split second before a word left his mouth, a loud crashing sound came from the window a couple of metres away. The glass had splintered into many pieces, but what was more concerning was the fact they were surrounding a brick. It had been lobbed through the window, for no reason other than to attack. Theo and Becky both sprang out of their seats when they heard the loud crash, followed by a thump when the brick whacked Liam’s kitchen floor. Becky’s relaxed mood vanished in an instant, as she hid behind a protective Theo.
“They’ve found us. We’ve got to get out of here” Theo stated.
The tedious maths lesson was drawing to a close, and the sound of the school bell was music to Nolan’s ears. He was excited to get to break time, and his stomach was yearning for a tasty treat from the school canteen. As he followed Daan and Cody out of the door, Miss Padhi stopped him in his tracks.
“Nolan, could I please have a word?” she queried. Daan and Cody stopped too, leading Miss Padhi to specify, “In private.”
“I’ll only be a few minutes” Nolan responded, as his best friends reluctantly leave the room.
“Nolan, I’m a bit concerned having read your report. I’m aware of your diagnosis, but it doesn’t appear that you’ve got any mentoring or counselling, and you’ve not had a check-up with a doctor since before summer. Is everything alright?” Krishna asked, expressing a genuine concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine” Nolan seemed curious as to why Miss Padhi was so concerned.
“I was thinking we could maybe meet up once a week, any time you’ve got a study period, just pop your head into my office for five minutes. I’m glad you’re on top of everything but I want to keep your progress going strong” Krishna smiled. Nolan nodded, feeling like he had no other choice.
“Alright, I’ll see you next lesson” Krishna finished the chat.
“Bye” Nolan smiled awkwardly and left the room. Krishna sat down at her desk. She was intrigued by Nolan – he was unlike anyone else she’d met. He was remarkably self-assured and confident, unlike anyone else in his situation. She knew she’d get to the bottom of it, and hoped her weekly chat with him would help her solve the mystery…
11:59 am. Stilinski cautiously stepped down into the basement of the sheriff station. There was an external entrance to the basement, which he presumed the Eichen nurse would use. He’d sent Parrish down to unlock it, before he joined Stilinski at the opposite end just seconds before the clock struck midday.
“Not a second late, I’m impressed” came a voice from the opposite end of the basement. Strutting into view from behind the crates and boxes full of stored files, clip-clopping in stylish leather boots, the Eichen nurse was in plain view.
“What’s your name?” Stilinski wasted no time with the interrogation.
“Bit keen aren’t you?” she flirted, “Angela Frost.”
“Frost…” Stilinski pondered, wondering why he recognised the surname. Then it clicked, “Related to Thomas?”
“His mother. An angry mother at that” Angela replied.
“I’m sorry for your loss” Stilinski responded, diplomatically and sincerely, “That’s not an excuse, however, for murdering innocent people.”
“Innocent?” Angela scoffed, “These so-called people killed my son. They all deserve to die.”
“Your son was a werewolf, have you forgotten?” Parrish added. He’d mostly kept quiet, but felt his contribution on this occasion was necessary.
“Not by choice. If he hadn’t been bitten, he’d still be alive. He’d be on his way to college. I so wanted to play the doting mom, but here I am, fighting in his name” Angela spoke with little emotion, like she had a barrier up.
“You don’t have to fight. Hand yourself in and I’ll make sure they go easy on you. You have my word” Stilinski bargained. He was being more than fair considering they had evidence of her being a murderer.
“I think I’ll be making the deals around here. I want a list of names of any known supernatural beings in Beacon Hills” Angela ordered.
“That won’t be happening” Stilinski bluntly replied.
“I guess I’ll have to go and track them down myself. Thanks for nothing Sheriff” Angela taunted, before strutting her way back to the exit.
“Hold it right there” Stilinski yelled, taking his gun out of his holster and priming it in position.
“You wouldn’t” Angela smirked, “Not when your precious Stiles could be bumped up my hit list. A list I’ve duplicated and sent to multiple sources at that. He’s with the FBI, isn’t he?”
“You wouldn’t dare” Stilinski was raging, although his will to pull the trigger was reduced thanks to her threats. Whether it was a genuine or empty threat, he didn’t know, but the risk was too huge.
“He’s not supernatural?” Parrish queried, confused.
“He might as well be given the company he keeps. He’s just as bad. See you later boys” Angela grinned as she clip-clopped to the exit. Stilinski put the gun back in the holster and stormed out of the basement, absolutely furious and incredibly concerned for the safety of his son.
Liam was sat with Mason at their usual bench outside. It was lunchtime, and every second of the day thus far had felt like an hour. He wasn’t in the right frame of mind for school, and his head was hurting like hell.
“Dude, are you listening to a word I’m saying?” Mason asked, annoyed at Liam’s ignorance.
“Sorry” Liam snapped back into the conversation, “I’m not feeling so great.”
“Hayden and Corey are trying to investigate, they said they’re going to speak to Deaton. Fingers crossed we’ll get some answers” Mason informed.
“Speak of the devils” Liam commented, as Hayden and Corey arrived at the bench.
“I need a word. Urgently” Hayden demanded. She hadn’t even sat down before getting to business. Liam didn’t even think of contesting her, particularly when her face was as stern as it was. He stood up and they both sat down at a different bench a few metres away.
“I’ve been wanting to have a word actually” Liam began, hoping she was wanting to talk relationships with him.
“Liam this is urgent, our relationship issues can wait” Hayden interrupted, “We went to see Deaton, he knows what’s going on. It’s the Nemeton.” Liam’s face dropped. The last time they were at the Nemeton, it basically engulfed a power-hungry werehyena.
Meanwhile, Corey had joined Mason at their usual bench. The duo hadn’t spoken much in the past couple of days, and Mason in particular was feeling rather left out.
“You alright?” he awkwardly asked.
“Yeah” Corey responded just as awkwardly. They sat in silence afterwards, staring at each other.
“How’s Liam?” Corey asked, trying to break the silence.
“Not great” Mason honestly replied, “He’s got a lot on his plate, as you know.”
“Everything apart from us” Corey retorted.
“That’s not true, and you know it” Mason defended his best mate ferociously, “He’s doing all he can, juggling us three, Nolan…”
“What does Nolan have to do with anything? He’s not Liam’s pet, he’s still that little creep that we hated” Corey vented his anger.
“Alright, be like that” Mason yelled, leaving the bench and storming off.
Perched in the canteen, Nolan was sat quietly with Daan and Cody. Normally, he was chatty in their presence despite his timidity around everyone else, but today was a different story.
“Dude what’s up?” Cody asked out of a genuine concern.
“Huh?” Nolan looked up. He wasn’t paying any attention to his friends, and his mind was elsewhere.
“You know we were just joking earlier” Cody felt bad for taking the mick with Nolan during maths earlier.
“I know” Nolan replied, “You weren’t wrong though.”
“Hold up one sec, you’re actually in love?” Daan was flabbergasted, in the best possible way.
“Is it that difficult a concept to believe?” Nolan replied, frustrated.
“No, I’m just surprised, I didn’t know you liked anyone. Who is she?” Daan presumptuously asked. Nolan felt sick with nerves. He was terrified of telling Daan and Cody so soon, particularly as he hadn’t seen Liam all day to be able to discuss it, and gossip could spread like wildfire amongst Beacon Hills High. He summoned every bit of strength that he could, and primed himself to speak.
“It’s Liam” Nolan confessed. He looked at Daan and Cody’s shocked facial expressions, and prepared himself for the taunting.
“I’m proud of you dude” Cody broke the silence. He smiled a friendly smile, and meant it genuinely.
“Me too. I’m happy for you” Daan added. Nolan felt a warm feeling inside, pleased to have gotten it off his chest.
“Please don’t say a word to anyone” Nolan pleaded. The duo nodded without a doubt. Nolan felt happy, and at ease with himself for the first time in a long time.
“Excuse me” came a croaky voice from the end of the table, “Do you know Scott McCall?” the lady asked. She was wearing dark clothing with her dark hair ruffled and all over the place. She had cuts across her face, and her balance wasn’t good.
“Scott? He’s at college” Nolan answered.
“Tell him from me. Angela Frost, Thomas’ mom, she’s the killer” she said. Before Nolan had the chance to inform her that Liam’s in charge at the moment, Braeden collapsed onto the floor, exhausted and unconscious.
“What do you want me to do?” Liam asked Hayden. She’d just filled him in on everything she’d found out from Deaton.
“I thought you’d be able to come up with some kind of solution, you’re normally good at thinking on your feet” Hayden presumed.
“Not so much lately” Liam solemnly replied, “I can barely string a sentence together.”
“That’s the effect of the Nemeton. We need to restore its power balance to normal or else we’re not gonna be fit for anything” Hayden informed. Liam nodded, before gazing into her eyes.
“I miss you” he confessed. Hayden seemed to disapprove, so Liam continued, “I know we’re not on good terms right now, and I understand that, but I still care for you.”
“Liam, I meant what I said the other night” Hayden clarified.
“I know, but you need to listen to this” Liam pleaded, “I kissed Nolan.” Hayden was taken aback, unsure whether to feel surprised or angry.
“I hope you’re very happy together” Hayden said, holding back tears. She stood up to walk away, but she noticed someone stood behind her.
“Sorry, I know you said not to come” it was a voice Hayden recognised. She looked up – Theo Raeken.
“What’s he doing here?” Hayden furiously asked Liam.
“What’s up?” Liam asked Theo, ignoring Hayden. Stood behind Theo, clinging onto his arm, was a fragile-looking Becky.
“She’s here. The killer” Theo explained. Liam put his head in his hands, unable to cope with yet another problem when his head hurt so much.
“I’m fine, I promise” Liam responded. He’d spent the night at the hospital and despite the comfort of his bed, he missed his home comforts dearly.
“He’s totally fine to go home, don’t stress” Dr. Geyer informed Joanna. Dr. Geyer was Liam’s stepdad, and effectively raised him as his own.
“I better book the day off work to look after you. I don’t want you getting stressed out again” Joanna flustered.
“Mom” Liam interrupted, “I’ll be fine. Please don’t stress yourself out on my behalf.” Joanna sat on his bedside.
“I’m worried about you honey” she confided, “Is everything OK? You know you can talk to me about absolutely anything, right?” Liam was listening keenly, but couldn’t help notice a figure in a red jacket appearing in the corner of his eye. It was Nolan, popping his head round the door.
“Sorry, am I interrupting?” he queried.
“No, not at all” Dr. Geyer replied, “Come in.”
“You must be the famous Nolan” Joanna smiled, greeting him. Nolan looked confused, thinking Liam might have mentioned last night’s events to her.
“Hi” he awkwardly shook her hand.
“Liam’s barely stopped talking about you since the semester began” Joanna explained. Liam blushed, sighing at his mother’s embarrassing speeches.
“Time to go” Liam butted in, not wanting to face the gut-wrenching awkwardness any longer.
“Does she know?” Nolan mouthed to Liam nervously. Liam’s response was a ferocious shake of the head, not just signalling a ‘no’ – more an ‘absolutely not’.
CRASH! A tray of medical instruments collapsed onto the floor as Corey’s clumsy arm sprang along the desk. He stirred with the noise, noticing his surroundings as one eye unwillingly twitched open.
“Huh?” Corey muttered, still half asleep. He leapt up and noticed the familiar surroundings of Deaton’s animal clinic. Confused, he spotted Hayden and Argent stirring too, thanks to the noise. Then it clicked. Last night, they’d arrived at the animal clinic to visit Deaton and ask him for details on why they feel so unwell. However, unusually for Deaton, he was nowhere to be seen despite their visit being within opening hours. They must have fallen asleep waiting, Corey assumed.
“Talk about a rude awakening” Argent commented.
“Sorry” Corey blushed, “Any sign of Deaton?”
“You called?” Deaton interrupted. He was stood in the doorway, watching the intruders awake from their slumber, “It’s not often I see burglars taking a nap on the scene.”
“Where have you been?” a stressed Hayden asked.
“I had some urgent business to attend to, I’m sorry, I can’t always be at your beck and call” Deaton retorted, as calmly and softly as he always spoke.
“Now you’re here, we’ve got some urgent business of our own” Argent explained. Deaton was all-ears, as the group gathered around the central desk.
Strolling into lesson, Nolan had a huge grin on his face. That feeling of worry and dread in his stomach had morphed into unbound excitement, and he wanted to jump up and down on the spot. He gave Miss Padhi a friendly grin on the way in, who smiled back. She looked at the post-it note stuck to the side of her computer screen; a reminder to speak to Nolan at the end of the lesson. He’d sat down next to Daan and Cody as he always did, and the spring in his step didn’t go unnoticed.
“Why are you so chirpy?” Daan queried.
“What? I’m not chirpy” Nolan lied. He was a bad liar. Everything about him was glowing, it was tough not to notice when Nolan was usually such a reserved character.
“Someone’s in love” Cody identified, trying to have banter with Nolan.
“No!” Nolan denied at a rapid pace.
“The lady doth protest too much” Daan joked. Nolan blushed. He felt embarrassed, and he knew Liam didn’t want anyone else to know just yet, particularly as they’d not even had a moment to talk about what happened the previous night.
“Leave me alone” Nolan sulked, and moved up one spot to the blank space to his right, creating distance between his friends.
Theo had never felt so hungry. He hadn’t eaten since lunchtime yesterday, as he’s had his eye on Becky the entire time. Even leaving her alone for five minutes could be dangerous, as the Eichen House nurse could be lurking anywhere, spying on Becky. His stomach was craving the taste of some toast, and he knew full well that Liam’s mum made the best possible fry-up after the previous morning. He stared out of the window, bags under his eyes.
“Morning” came a delicate voice from beside Theo. He spun round and saw Becky, her bright blue eyes locking with his.
“Hey” he smiled, before yawning.
“Have you been here all night?” Becky asked, inquisitively. Theo blushed – his silence told Becky everything she needed to know.
“Oh my god” Becky continued, “You don’t need to be my personal bodyguard Theo. I’m flattered, but I can take care of myself.”
“You did a great job of that the other day, you barely got away from her” Theo recalled.
“This time I’m ready” Becky was self-assured, naively so.
“Prove it” Theo smirked. Becky leapt out of bed and stood in front of Theo, eye to eye. She raised her hand as if to punch him, but with barely a thought, Theo’s hand blocked her. She tried with her other hand, but once again got blocked. Theo was now holding both of her wrists, as he smiled a smug grin at her. Becky raised her eyebrows, still smiling, as she’d yet to play her trump card. She used Theo’s strength against him, lifting herself up just a few centimetres off the ground and slammed both feet against his stomach. He catapulted to the ground, and Becky landed solidly on both feet. Victorious, she put her hand out and helped Theo back up.
“Alright, I give in” Theo laughed, rubbing his chest.
Ignoring his usual manners, Parrish failed to knock on Sheriff Stilinski’s door before rushing in.
“Deputy, do you mind?” Stilinski groaned.
“Sorry sir, but it’s urgent. This envelope has just been delivered. I think you’ll want to take a look” Parrish handed it over. The envelope was addressed specifically to Sheriff Stilinski and Deputy Parrish. Stilinski read it aloud.
“Meet me in the basement at 12 o’clock this afternoon” Stilinski read, before noticing and coldly announcing, “It’s written in blood.”
“It’s her, it must be” Parrish identified, “I’ll get a team ready.”
“No, it’s too dangerous. We can’t go in there all guns blazing, it’s addressed specifically to us. We go alone” Stilinski ordered. Parrish nodded, and vacated the office.
“Are you sure you’re well enough for school?” Mason asked, “You’re looking a little peaky. No surprise considering everything going on I suppose.”
“I’m fine” Liam sighed. He was far from fine, but didn’t want Mason feeling sorry for him, particularly when they all had so much on their plates right now. The biology textbook in front of him wasn’t even remotely enticing, and his head was banging, but the previous night was keeping him positive.
“When are you gonna talk to her?” Mason was referring to Hayden, changing the subject entirely.
“I don’t know. I’ve not heard from her since the other night” Liam replied.
“Do you think she was serious when she said it’s over?” Mason queried. He was confused about the entire situation, and being situated between Hayden and Liam was difficult.
“I think she was pretty clear” Liam groaned. As happy as he was that he might stand a chance with Nolan, he did love Hayden dearly and he didn’t want to break her heart, or even worse, lose her friendship.
“If you want one piece of advice from me, it’s that you need to tell her sooner rather than later. Trust me, if she found out from somebody else, things are gonna be even worse” Mason suggested. Liam nodded, taking the advice on board. He then took out his phone and instantly began texting Hayden – “Meet me at school at lunch. Crisis talk.”
Whilst he was explaining the situation, Argent couldn’t help but feel Deaton was looking distracted. Usually his focus was unbroken, and he’d listen keenly to every word you’d say. Today, he wasn’t even making eye contact with Argent. His mind seemed to be elsewhere, and Argent had noticed this.
“Are we keeping you?” he retorted.
“No, I’m sorry. I’m aware of the power fluctuations at the Nemeton. Druids and emissaries are linked to the Nemeton, as you all know. I noticed it straight away, and it’s affecting supernatural beings all over Beacon Hills” Deaton explained.
“So you’re already on it, that’s great. How do we stop it?” Corey queried.
“We can’t” Deaton replied, “It’s a force of nature. Every thousand or so years, the Nemeton will lose control of its power. It’s like it needs new batteries and begins to stop working properly.”
“Who changes the batteries then?” Hayden asked, noting the analogy.
“Unsurprisingly I’ve never been around to see this happen, and hoped I’d never will be. There’s no definitive answer I’m afraid, but there’s a legend that’s well known amongst druids” Deaton coldly delivered, “It says that an alpha, a beta, an omega and a druid must perform a ceremony. The Nemeton will be able to redefine its parameters, recognise what the levels of power in each one is.”
“So what’s the problem? I’m sure we could arrange this quite quickly” Argent questioned.
“There’s different reports as to what the result of such a ritual would be. All agree that the balance of power would be restored. However, the outcome of the four participants causes much debate. Some say they escape unscathed, others say they all perish. The most interesting suggests that they all return to being plain average humans” Deaton detailed. Hayden, Corey and Argent exchanged worried glances, unsure of exactly what they should do next.
Theo was delighted to finally be sat down at the dining table, eating some grub. His stomach was roaring louder than his mouth ever could, and now Becky was awake, he could finally treat her, and himself, to a slap-up breakfast. By that, he meant a couple of slices of toast each with a selection of jam or marmalade for the topping. Becky didn’t seem to mind, she seemed just as thankful as Theo was to be finally eating some food. She didn’t think to ask him last night if they could eat. It had been a long day and she was worried about being tracked down. She still was, she guessed, but having gotten to know Theo a little, she felt safe in his company. Both of them were enjoying their toast, and each other’s company for that matter. In between munching, the duo caught each other’s eyes and smiled awkwardly at each other. Neither knew what to say, but it was obvious they both felt the same about each other. Theo thought he’d take the plunge and strike up a conversation, but in the split second before a word left his mouth, a loud crashing sound came from the window a couple of metres away. The glass had splintered into many pieces, but what was more concerning was the fact they were surrounding a brick. It had been lobbed through the window, for no reason other than to attack. Theo and Becky both sprang out of their seats when they heard the loud crash, followed by a thump when the brick whacked Liam’s kitchen floor. Becky’s relaxed mood vanished in an instant, as she hid behind a protective Theo.
“They’ve found us. We’ve got to get out of here” Theo stated.
The tedious maths lesson was drawing to a close, and the sound of the school bell was music to Nolan’s ears. He was excited to get to break time, and his stomach was yearning for a tasty treat from the school canteen. As he followed Daan and Cody out of the door, Miss Padhi stopped him in his tracks.
“Nolan, could I please have a word?” she queried. Daan and Cody stopped too, leading Miss Padhi to specify, “In private.”
“I’ll only be a few minutes” Nolan responded, as his best friends reluctantly leave the room.
“Nolan, I’m a bit concerned having read your report. I’m aware of your diagnosis, but it doesn’t appear that you’ve got any mentoring or counselling, and you’ve not had a check-up with a doctor since before summer. Is everything alright?” Krishna asked, expressing a genuine concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine” Nolan seemed curious as to why Miss Padhi was so concerned.
“I was thinking we could maybe meet up once a week, any time you’ve got a study period, just pop your head into my office for five minutes. I’m glad you’re on top of everything but I want to keep your progress going strong” Krishna smiled. Nolan nodded, feeling like he had no other choice.
“Alright, I’ll see you next lesson” Krishna finished the chat.
“Bye” Nolan smiled awkwardly and left the room. Krishna sat down at her desk. She was intrigued by Nolan – he was unlike anyone else she’d met. He was remarkably self-assured and confident, unlike anyone else in his situation. She knew she’d get to the bottom of it, and hoped her weekly chat with him would help her solve the mystery…
11:59 am. Stilinski cautiously stepped down into the basement of the sheriff station. There was an external entrance to the basement, which he presumed the Eichen nurse would use. He’d sent Parrish down to unlock it, before he joined Stilinski at the opposite end just seconds before the clock struck midday.
“Not a second late, I’m impressed” came a voice from the opposite end of the basement. Strutting into view from behind the crates and boxes full of stored files, clip-clopping in stylish leather boots, the Eichen nurse was in plain view.
“What’s your name?” Stilinski wasted no time with the interrogation.
“Bit keen aren’t you?” she flirted, “Angela Frost.”
“Frost…” Stilinski pondered, wondering why he recognised the surname. Then it clicked, “Related to Thomas?”
“His mother. An angry mother at that” Angela replied.
“I’m sorry for your loss” Stilinski responded, diplomatically and sincerely, “That’s not an excuse, however, for murdering innocent people.”
“Innocent?” Angela scoffed, “These so-called people killed my son. They all deserve to die.”
“Your son was a werewolf, have you forgotten?” Parrish added. He’d mostly kept quiet, but felt his contribution on this occasion was necessary.
“Not by choice. If he hadn’t been bitten, he’d still be alive. He’d be on his way to college. I so wanted to play the doting mom, but here I am, fighting in his name” Angela spoke with little emotion, like she had a barrier up.
“You don’t have to fight. Hand yourself in and I’ll make sure they go easy on you. You have my word” Stilinski bargained. He was being more than fair considering they had evidence of her being a murderer.
“I think I’ll be making the deals around here. I want a list of names of any known supernatural beings in Beacon Hills” Angela ordered.
“That won’t be happening” Stilinski bluntly replied.
“I guess I’ll have to go and track them down myself. Thanks for nothing Sheriff” Angela taunted, before strutting her way back to the exit.
“Hold it right there” Stilinski yelled, taking his gun out of his holster and priming it in position.
“You wouldn’t” Angela smirked, “Not when your precious Stiles could be bumped up my hit list. A list I’ve duplicated and sent to multiple sources at that. He’s with the FBI, isn’t he?”
“You wouldn’t dare” Stilinski was raging, although his will to pull the trigger was reduced thanks to her threats. Whether it was a genuine or empty threat, he didn’t know, but the risk was too huge.
“He’s not supernatural?” Parrish queried, confused.
“He might as well be given the company he keeps. He’s just as bad. See you later boys” Angela grinned as she clip-clopped to the exit. Stilinski put the gun back in the holster and stormed out of the basement, absolutely furious and incredibly concerned for the safety of his son.
Liam was sat with Mason at their usual bench outside. It was lunchtime, and every second of the day thus far had felt like an hour. He wasn’t in the right frame of mind for school, and his head was hurting like hell.
“Dude, are you listening to a word I’m saying?” Mason asked, annoyed at Liam’s ignorance.
“Sorry” Liam snapped back into the conversation, “I’m not feeling so great.”
“Hayden and Corey are trying to investigate, they said they’re going to speak to Deaton. Fingers crossed we’ll get some answers” Mason informed.
“Speak of the devils” Liam commented, as Hayden and Corey arrived at the bench.
“I need a word. Urgently” Hayden demanded. She hadn’t even sat down before getting to business. Liam didn’t even think of contesting her, particularly when her face was as stern as it was. He stood up and they both sat down at a different bench a few metres away.
“I’ve been wanting to have a word actually” Liam began, hoping she was wanting to talk relationships with him.
“Liam this is urgent, our relationship issues can wait” Hayden interrupted, “We went to see Deaton, he knows what’s going on. It’s the Nemeton.” Liam’s face dropped. The last time they were at the Nemeton, it basically engulfed a power-hungry werehyena.
Meanwhile, Corey had joined Mason at their usual bench. The duo hadn’t spoken much in the past couple of days, and Mason in particular was feeling rather left out.
“You alright?” he awkwardly asked.
“Yeah” Corey responded just as awkwardly. They sat in silence afterwards, staring at each other.
“How’s Liam?” Corey asked, trying to break the silence.
“Not great” Mason honestly replied, “He’s got a lot on his plate, as you know.”
“Everything apart from us” Corey retorted.
“That’s not true, and you know it” Mason defended his best mate ferociously, “He’s doing all he can, juggling us three, Nolan…”
“What does Nolan have to do with anything? He’s not Liam’s pet, he’s still that little creep that we hated” Corey vented his anger.
“Alright, be like that” Mason yelled, leaving the bench and storming off.
Perched in the canteen, Nolan was sat quietly with Daan and Cody. Normally, he was chatty in their presence despite his timidity around everyone else, but today was a different story.
“Dude what’s up?” Cody asked out of a genuine concern.
“Huh?” Nolan looked up. He wasn’t paying any attention to his friends, and his mind was elsewhere.
“You know we were just joking earlier” Cody felt bad for taking the mick with Nolan during maths earlier.
“I know” Nolan replied, “You weren’t wrong though.”
“Hold up one sec, you’re actually in love?” Daan was flabbergasted, in the best possible way.
“Is it that difficult a concept to believe?” Nolan replied, frustrated.
“No, I’m just surprised, I didn’t know you liked anyone. Who is she?” Daan presumptuously asked. Nolan felt sick with nerves. He was terrified of telling Daan and Cody so soon, particularly as he hadn’t seen Liam all day to be able to discuss it, and gossip could spread like wildfire amongst Beacon Hills High. He summoned every bit of strength that he could, and primed himself to speak.
“It’s Liam” Nolan confessed. He looked at Daan and Cody’s shocked facial expressions, and prepared himself for the taunting.
“I’m proud of you dude” Cody broke the silence. He smiled a friendly smile, and meant it genuinely.
“Me too. I’m happy for you” Daan added. Nolan felt a warm feeling inside, pleased to have gotten it off his chest.
“Please don’t say a word to anyone” Nolan pleaded. The duo nodded without a doubt. Nolan felt happy, and at ease with himself for the first time in a long time.
“Excuse me” came a croaky voice from the end of the table, “Do you know Scott McCall?” the lady asked. She was wearing dark clothing with her dark hair ruffled and all over the place. She had cuts across her face, and her balance wasn’t good.
“Scott? He’s at college” Nolan answered.
“Tell him from me. Angela Frost, Thomas’ mom, she’s the killer” she said. Before Nolan had the chance to inform her that Liam’s in charge at the moment, Braeden collapsed onto the floor, exhausted and unconscious.
“What do you want me to do?” Liam asked Hayden. She’d just filled him in on everything she’d found out from Deaton.
“I thought you’d be able to come up with some kind of solution, you’re normally good at thinking on your feet” Hayden presumed.
“Not so much lately” Liam solemnly replied, “I can barely string a sentence together.”
“That’s the effect of the Nemeton. We need to restore its power balance to normal or else we’re not gonna be fit for anything” Hayden informed. Liam nodded, before gazing into her eyes.
“I miss you” he confessed. Hayden seemed to disapprove, so Liam continued, “I know we’re not on good terms right now, and I understand that, but I still care for you.”
“Liam, I meant what I said the other night” Hayden clarified.
“I know, but you need to listen to this” Liam pleaded, “I kissed Nolan.” Hayden was taken aback, unsure whether to feel surprised or angry.
“I hope you’re very happy together” Hayden said, holding back tears. She stood up to walk away, but she noticed someone stood behind her.
“Sorry, I know you said not to come” it was a voice Hayden recognised. She looked up – Theo Raeken.
“What’s he doing here?” Hayden furiously asked Liam.
“What’s up?” Liam asked Theo, ignoring Hayden. Stood behind Theo, clinging onto his arm, was a fragile-looking Becky.
“She’s here. The killer” Theo explained. Liam put his head in his hands, unable to cope with yet another problem when his head hurt so much.
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Next: "Ritual"
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