Previous: "Best Friends"
|
Next: "Instinct"
|
Teen Wolf: Hideaway Episode 3
"The Bite"
Clouding over and blocking out the light, rain started to pour as Thomas walked home from school. He’d received a detention for talking in class and was late home, well aware he’d face anger from his parents when he arrived back. His dark wavy hair began dripping as the rain splashed on top and trickled its way to the tips below his jawline. He wasn’t wearing a coat, and the coat he owned didn’t actually have a hood anyway, so Thomas remained unbothered by the water dropping down from the heavens. Nevertheless, he was looking forward to getting into bed for a night of television and relaxation.
Also starring Linden Ashby, Ryan Kelley, Victoria Moroles, Aramis Knight, Kaj Nieuwenhoff, Nick Robinson and Richard Harmon.
Night time had arrived. The sky over Beacon Hills was pitch black, with only the reflection of the moon and the scattering of street lights to guide Scott, Isaac, Casey and Thomas through the streets. Thomas led the way, insisting he knew the scent they all needed to discover – that of a serial killer werewolf from his old pack. Scott, Isaac and Casey stood a few steps behind, all with varying levels of confidence in Thomas’ idea.
“You think this is gonna work?” Isaac whispered to Scott.
“I don’t know. I’ve got no reason to not trust him right now” Scott had some faith.
“Are you for real? This kid’s left us as bait for a serial killer for months” Isaac did not share that faith.
“Scott’s right, the only way to find out if you can trust someone, is to trust them” Casey added a few words of wisdom.
“Is it not a bit dark out here to be wearing rose-coloured glasses, Casey?” joked Isaac.
“What?” Scott was confused.
“Is it not obvious?” Isaac laughed. Casey went bright red as Scott looked at them both, before the penny dropped.
“Oh!” he exclaimed, louder than he should have.
“I can hear what you’re saying you know” Thomas chimed in from in front of them, having used his wolf hearing to listen in to their conversation.
“You should be focusing on the scent” Scott scolded.
“I am. It’s this way” Thomas said as he led the trio round another in a long line of bends.
“You want what?” Liam was taken aback by Nolan’s request.
“I want to become a werewolf, like you. Just think of all the benefits it gives you. I could have that. We could have that” Nolan tried to justify himself, even including Daan and Cody in his reasoning. The duo were actually sat listening, feeling both overwhelmed and horrified by the discovery of Liam’s true identity.
“You don’t want any of that, I promise” Liam shrugged it off, before getting up to leave.
“Don’t go!” Nolan shouted, grabbing his arm.
“Get off me” Liam hit back, worrying for his so-called new friend. He shrugged his hand away and ran off back home. Cody stood up and rested his arm on Nolan’s shoulder.
“At least you tried” Cody consoled him.
“I’m not done yet” Nolan responded.
Reaching for the box of tissues on Hayden’s desk, Stiles tried his best not to disturb Hayden, who was currently hugging him while crying her eyes out. He grabbed the box, just about, and offered Hayden a tissue. She took one, and another, and dried her eyes, composing herself.
“Whatever’s happened, it’s worth talking about, I promise. Heck, I’ve done some stupid stuff in my time, but Scott’s always forgiven me. Not that he’s my boyfriend. Although he might as well be” Stiles rambled. Hayden stared at him for a few seconds, building up her confidence.
“I killed someone” she confessed. Stiles stared at her, wide-eyed, unaware of how to respond to a statement like that – one of the last things he’d have expected to hear from Hayden.
Scurrying along, his house in sight at last, Thomas was relishing the fact that he was almost home. The rain was getting heavier, and he was sure he heard the sound of thunder in the distance just two minutes back. Too focused on getting home quickly, Thomas failed to notice a large log in the pathway, and he toppled over it. His hands were in front of his body, cushioning his fall, but that didn’t manage to stop the squelch and splash of the wet mud he’d fallen into. Thomas sighed, annoyed that his jeans were ruined. As he was about to stand up, he felt a hand grabbing his leg. He looked around, and saw nothing but a shadowed figure. Terrified, Thomas did his best to wriggle free, but it wasn’t enough. He was dragged through the damp mud, splashing into puddles as whoever it was pulled him into the forest. After thirty seconds, it let go, and despite having no idea why it had stopped, Thomas attempted to make a run for it. His plan was thwarted when he felt a surge of pain coming from his right leg, as if he’d been bitten...
“Who are you?” Lydia asked the man in front of her. He looked incredibly scruffy, like he hadn’t showered or changed clothes in weeks, and dead behind the eyes. Once again, there was no reply.
“You’ve gotta talk to me. I need your help. I was told to come here” Lydia continued.
“Told by who?” the man asked, murmuring.
“Err, myself” Lydia was unsure of how much information to reveal, “In a vision.”
“A banshee” he identified, as he stood up. He walked towards a frightened Lydia, who backed off against the wall. The man stood right in front of her, barely a centimetre between their bodies, and he put his hand on Lydia’s cheek. She flinched, not wanting his hand anywhere near her.
“Who are you?” she asked, avoiding eye contact when he was that close.
“Jacob Coleman. Werewolf” he spoke in a low tone, barely showing any expression on his face.
“No offence, but would you mind stepping back?” Lydia spoke with fear in her voice. He terrified every inch of her body as she stood in front of him, quaking.
“Oh, but you’re so intriguing. It’s a miracle you aren’t locked in this place too” he added.
“Been there, done that, got the t-shirt” Lydia recalled the horror of her stay at Eichen House, “What’s so special about you?”
“Many things, but considering you’re a harbinger of death, I assume my murder tally has brought you here” Coleman spoke without any emotion still.
“I need you to move away from me” Lydia was scared of what Coleman had just revealed, but when his hand ran down her face, she took a deep breath. In an instant, Lydia released an ear-piercingly loud scream, and Coleman was sent hurtling backwards like an impressively strong gust of wind had smacked into him. Lydia swiped the keycard and ran out of the cell, ensuring the door was closed behind her.
“Lydia, what happened?” Malia asked as Lydia sprinted back towards the barrier.
“We need to get to Scott” she responded, confidently despite feeling shaken.
Sprinting through the forest, Liam was panicking. His secret was out, and that wasn’t a good thing. What made him feel even worse was the fact that Mason and Corey were right all along. Nolan wasn’t right in the head, and Scott had to know. Rain was tickling down, Liam’s hair drenched and constantly masking his vision. His heart was beating like crazy, and he was praying that the long forest would come to a close soon. To his delight, Liam saw a clearing, and sure enough, as he approached at rapid speed, he realised it was a road. At the edge of the road, he stopped, gathering his senses to figure out exactly where he was. He took a sniff, and pinpointed a familiar scent nearby, so wasted no time in heading towards it.
Pain was all Thomas felt as he limped up the stairs to his bedroom. His parents would surely have noticed the large amount of noise he had made on his way up, but they weren’t his main concern. He was covered in mud, his clothes ruined, and his leg was in a huge amount of pain. He got himself undressed, ready for a shower. Carefully taking off his muddy jeans, Thomas saw his leg injury for the first time, and was baffled by how huge it was. Teeth marks had sunk into the bottom of his leg, with blood having squirted out and splattered down around the wounds. It hurt like hell, and he knew showering was going to be pretty painful too.
“I’m confused” Stiles admitted, as Hayden sobbed away.
“I killed her. Anita, that werewolf girl” she explained tearfully.
“Parrish said it was an accident” Stiles reflected on what he’d learnt.
“It was. It was self defence, I swear. I never meant to kill her, but she was gonna kill me” Hayden continued. She struggled to get the words out over her crying, but did her best. Stiles passed her the bin to put her tissues in.
“You should’ve told us. We all do stupid things we aren’t proud of. Me more than most” Stiles tried to cheer her up. Hayden continued crying, not really taking note of what Stiles had just said, but he continued, “I killed someone in self defence too. He was going to kill me, it was in the school library. He ended up with a metal pole through his chest. It scarred me too, you know.” Hayden looked up, as if what Stiles was saying had struck a chord.
“What did you say to Scott?” she asked, calming down.
“Nothing at first. He found out from Theo, stirring the pot like he always does. We fell out over it, the only time we’ve ever fallen out. If I’d just told him in the first place, he wouldn’t have been upset, he’d have understood. I didn’t even consider that” Stiles reminisced, reliving some painful memories, avoiding eye contact with Hayden. He then looked up at her, into her eyes.
“You need to talk to Liam. He’ll understand, I promise” Stiles urged her.
“He knows” Hayden informed him.
“Then what’s all this about? He misses you like crazy, I’ve never seen him sulk so much, and believe me, that’s quite something” Stiles lightened the tone.
“I don’t want him to look at me and see me as a killer” Hayden revealed.
“He couldn’t think any better of you if he tried” Stiles consoled her. She smiled, as the weight on her shoulders was lifted. For the first time in months, Hayden felt happy.
Turning another corner, Scott was beginning to get frustrated. Thomas was taking them through all kinds of streets and back alleys, with little to no indication of the ultimate destination. Scott knew Beacon Hills like the back of his hand, and any indicator would’ve been helpful. This was proved by the building they were arriving at. Staring down at them like an angry teacher was Eichen House. One look at the place sent shivers down Scott’s spine.
“He’s in there” Thomas announced as the group stopped walking and congregated.
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go” Casey naïvely suggested.
“No. We’re not going in that place” Scott gave a strict instruction.
“What is it anyway?” Casey queried.
“Mental institute. To be honest, I’d rather gauge my eyes out with my claws than go in there” Isaac made his feelings clear.
“Scott!” came a voice from behind, shouting. Scott spun round, and saw Lydia running towards him, out of the gate, with Malia and Maddie in tow.
“What are you doing in there?” Scott asked, worried.
“Investigating. I guess you’re here for Jacob Coleman” she directed her attention towards Thomas, who nodded.
“He’s in there, and he’s creepy. Like, ten times creepier than any of the other psychopaths we’ve met” Lydia explained, panting from the running.
“But you’re safe, that’s what matters” Scott was relieved, having panicked seeing them leaving Eichen. Maddie rushed over and hugged him, relieved.
The next day, Thomas woke up and examined his leg. The injury had almost healed, leaving only a tiny mark. He began to question whether he’d dreamed it all, but the pile of muddy clothes across the room confirmed it did. Baffled, he cast it aside and got ready for another long, tedious day of school. While getting dressed, he took another look at his leg, and ran his finger over where the open wound was located. The skin had healed entirely now, and it didn’t hurt him at all. Thomas was baffled, but thought no more of it, until he heard movements coming up the stairs. Instantly, like a reflex, Thomas put his hands against his ears, blocking out the noise. A small, ambient sound had been amplified all of a sudden, and it sounded so loud in his head. The door creaked open, and Thomas’ mother poked her head around the corner.
“Come on honey, time for school” she nudged him.
“I don’t feel well” Thomas lied.
“You can go to school with a cold, hurry up, breakfast’s on the table” she continued, barely paying attention to what he’d said. She left the room, and Thomas sighed. He was unsure of why his body was behaving strangely, and he sure as hell wasn’t ready for school, but nevertheless, he knew he’d get to the bottom of it.
Panting, huffing and puffing, Liam followed his nose around the dark side roads of Beacon Hills. He was following it so closely in fact that he wasn’t paying much attention to his other senses, and until it swerved around the corner, he’d not heard the police car now hurtling towards him. Thankfully, Sheriff Stilinski was much more aware of his senses and stopped the car just in time, just centimetres away from hitting Liam. Stilinski stepped out of the driver’s side, while Parrish got out of the passenger side. Liam was not surprised to see them, having sniffed their scent further back, but was slightly shaken after seeing the car coming towards him.
“Liam, what are you doing out here this late at night?” Stilinski asked, concerned.
“Nolan, he knows everything, I need to get to Scott, I need...” Liam spoke at a rapid pace, gasping for breath when he could.
“Woah, slow down. We’ll give you a lift” Parrish offered. Liam nodded, accepting Parrish’s offer of goodwill.
The noise of chatter was high in Scott’s living room, as the reunited pack had assembled together, complete with Stiles having returned from Hayden’s house. He scanned the room, but Liam wasn’t in sight – not that he was even sure whether to speak to him about Hayden or not.
“Alright guys, listen in. I know you’ve all been wondering why Thomas has been here. I’ll let him explain why” Scott addressed them, before turning to Thomas, who looked nervous. Casey placed a comforting hand on Thomas’, and smiled at him. Thomas felt a rush of confidence through his body, and began to tell his story.
“I was bitten by the guy you met” Thomas began, looking towards Lydia, “Jacob Coleman. He’s my alpha, or was. He lost his status.”
Five more minutes of walking to school. That’s what Thomas kept telling himself, as his tired legs were just about holding him up as he walked. He couldn’t feel his feet, but with more concern, he didn’t feel any pain from the bite he received the night before. More so, he heard a loud ruffling of leaves behind him the entire way there, but each time he looked around, there was nobody in sight. The ruffling got louder and louder, giving Thomas a headache. He turned around again, and a man stood in the middle of the path. He was in his mid twenties, and had scruffy medium length hair. Thomas jumped, shocked by his sudden appearance.
“Who...are...you?” Thomas asked, worried.
“I’m the alpha” Coleman replied, as his eyes glowed a deep red.
“I heard him out, he was pretty vague. I shunned him, and left for school. I didn’t see him for another month. His eyes were blue when I saw him again, not red. That’s when it all started” Thomas continued.
“The murders” Isaac remarked, still sceptical.
“There’s more to it than you know, I promise” Thomas protested.
“Well I’m all ears. You better explain” Isaac threatened.
Ding dong! The doorbell of Scott’s house interrupted Thomas’ explanation.
“I’ll get it” Malia offered, as she was sat nearest to the door. She strolled over and pushed down on the handle, being greeted by Liam and Stilinski.
“One of yours?” Stilinski joked.
The slam of the bedroom door was loud enough to be heard three streets down, but Nolan didn’t care. He was angry, and frustrated, and totally confused by what had happened tonight. He trashed his desk, violently shoving all his schoolwork onto the floor, before collapsing onto his bed face first, crying. He was disappointed in Liam, and hoped he’d be enough of a friend to listen to him and hear him out. However, on second thoughts, why should he give up? Nolan was determined to appeal to Liam’s heart, and he’d stop at nothing to get what he wants.
“Scott, I need to talk to you. Like, right now” Liam flapped.
“We’re kinda in the middle of something here” Malia was stood next to him and tried to give him a forewarning.
“It’s Nolan” Liam ignored her and continued, “He knows everything, about all of us, and he wants in. He’s crazy.”
“Wait, call me ignorant, but who’s Nolan?” Casey queried.
“Hello?” Thomas was getting impatient.
“Psycho kid from school who just uncovered everything about the supernatural world” Liam spoke quickly, as if he had no time to waste.
“Ah, this little meeting’s going well then” Stiles remarked under his breath. Lydia elbowed him.
“Liam, can’t this wait?” Scott asked politely, barely taking note of what Liam had actually said.
“I’ve just ran all the way from the depths of the reserve, I think I’ve waited long enough” Liam retorted. The volume in the room escalated as everyone began to talk over one another.
“Enough!” Maddie yelled over the racket. Everyone was silent, and stared at her like naughty school kids who had just been told off, “We’ve got two situations at hand. Liam, take a seat, we’ll get to the Nolan fiasco in time. Thomas, finish your story.” Scott smiled, amazed at how assertive Maddie was.
“Alright. Coleman helped me integrate into the pack, I thought he was being nice. Then he began blackmailing me. Slowly but surely murdering my friends. If I said no, he’d threaten to kill my parents. Until one day, I’d had enough...” Thomas resumed.
“You want me to do what?” Thomas was outraged at what he’d just heard.
“I want you to kill David. You’ll get so much respect for it, nobody wants him to be the alpha. You’ve killed before, why not one more time?” Coleman spoke softly, casting a spell of worry over Thomas.
“I can’t kill him, I can’t and I won’t” Thomas was defiant, a quality he exuded most of the time. However, he’d been killing for months by this point, all on Coleman’s orders. If he didn’t, he knew what would happen to his parents. Being defiant was a quality he was suddenly losing, as he became Coleman’s lapdog.
“The pleasure I will get from slitting their throats. Oh, I will relish in it” Coleman offered grim details of what he was threatening against Thomas’ parents. Thomas was frightened, and shaking. The cogs in his mind were working overtime.
“No” he spoke defiantly once again, “I won’t do it.” In a flash, Coleman was gone. Thomas looked around frantically, having lost sight of Coleman.
“Coleman?” he yelled, worried. His heart sunk, knowing exactly what he had gone to do.
“...then I ended up here. I’m an orphan– no family, no home, no friends” Thomas looked distraught.
“You’ve got us” Casey was supportive next to him, “You’ve got me.”
“Get a room” Stiles joked.
“Now is it my turn?” Liam impatiently asked.
“Sure, go ahead” Scott commanded.
“Nolan asked me for the bite. He wants to become one of us” Liam picked up from where he left off.
“Only the alpha can pass on the bite” Casey added.
“I know, but I didn’t tell him that. I just ran. I was scared of him, he turned creepy all of a sudden and I didn’t know what to do” Liam frantically explained.
“Where is he now?” Malia questioned.
“I don’t know. I left him there, with his friends”
“His friends? Do they know?” Lydia continued the interrogation.
“They do now, but they didn’t until he asked me I’m sure”
“Alright, we’ll find him. We need to talk to him, give him a chance to justify himself” Scott decided.
“But he’s psychotic, he invited me out for a drink and a chat, but he had an ulterior motive the whole time” Liam was concerned.
“It’s alright, he can’t hurt us. First thing tomorrow, we’ll pick him up” Scott decided.
Meanwhile, Eichen House was entering the night shift. The staff were switched, and the lights began to power down. The receptionist was preparing to leave, having worked an exhausting ten hours filing paperwork. Her plans to watch a movie at home, however, were thwarted when the power went out. There was no light, as her computer went dead and the sky was pitch black. Upstairs, Coleman remained unfazed as the lights shut off. He stood up, and calmly walked towards the door of his cell. He pressed against it, and applied a small bit of force. Splintering cracks began to form, and within seconds, the glass door shattered into a million pieces. Coleman strolled out unfazed...
“You think this is gonna work?” Isaac whispered to Scott.
“I don’t know. I’ve got no reason to not trust him right now” Scott had some faith.
“Are you for real? This kid’s left us as bait for a serial killer for months” Isaac did not share that faith.
“Scott’s right, the only way to find out if you can trust someone, is to trust them” Casey added a few words of wisdom.
“Is it not a bit dark out here to be wearing rose-coloured glasses, Casey?” joked Isaac.
“What?” Scott was confused.
“Is it not obvious?” Isaac laughed. Casey went bright red as Scott looked at them both, before the penny dropped.
“Oh!” he exclaimed, louder than he should have.
“I can hear what you’re saying you know” Thomas chimed in from in front of them, having used his wolf hearing to listen in to their conversation.
“You should be focusing on the scent” Scott scolded.
“I am. It’s this way” Thomas said as he led the trio round another in a long line of bends.
“You want what?” Liam was taken aback by Nolan’s request.
“I want to become a werewolf, like you. Just think of all the benefits it gives you. I could have that. We could have that” Nolan tried to justify himself, even including Daan and Cody in his reasoning. The duo were actually sat listening, feeling both overwhelmed and horrified by the discovery of Liam’s true identity.
“You don’t want any of that, I promise” Liam shrugged it off, before getting up to leave.
“Don’t go!” Nolan shouted, grabbing his arm.
“Get off me” Liam hit back, worrying for his so-called new friend. He shrugged his hand away and ran off back home. Cody stood up and rested his arm on Nolan’s shoulder.
“At least you tried” Cody consoled him.
“I’m not done yet” Nolan responded.
Reaching for the box of tissues on Hayden’s desk, Stiles tried his best not to disturb Hayden, who was currently hugging him while crying her eyes out. He grabbed the box, just about, and offered Hayden a tissue. She took one, and another, and dried her eyes, composing herself.
“Whatever’s happened, it’s worth talking about, I promise. Heck, I’ve done some stupid stuff in my time, but Scott’s always forgiven me. Not that he’s my boyfriend. Although he might as well be” Stiles rambled. Hayden stared at him for a few seconds, building up her confidence.
“I killed someone” she confessed. Stiles stared at her, wide-eyed, unaware of how to respond to a statement like that – one of the last things he’d have expected to hear from Hayden.
Scurrying along, his house in sight at last, Thomas was relishing the fact that he was almost home. The rain was getting heavier, and he was sure he heard the sound of thunder in the distance just two minutes back. Too focused on getting home quickly, Thomas failed to notice a large log in the pathway, and he toppled over it. His hands were in front of his body, cushioning his fall, but that didn’t manage to stop the squelch and splash of the wet mud he’d fallen into. Thomas sighed, annoyed that his jeans were ruined. As he was about to stand up, he felt a hand grabbing his leg. He looked around, and saw nothing but a shadowed figure. Terrified, Thomas did his best to wriggle free, but it wasn’t enough. He was dragged through the damp mud, splashing into puddles as whoever it was pulled him into the forest. After thirty seconds, it let go, and despite having no idea why it had stopped, Thomas attempted to make a run for it. His plan was thwarted when he felt a surge of pain coming from his right leg, as if he’d been bitten...
“Who are you?” Lydia asked the man in front of her. He looked incredibly scruffy, like he hadn’t showered or changed clothes in weeks, and dead behind the eyes. Once again, there was no reply.
“You’ve gotta talk to me. I need your help. I was told to come here” Lydia continued.
“Told by who?” the man asked, murmuring.
“Err, myself” Lydia was unsure of how much information to reveal, “In a vision.”
“A banshee” he identified, as he stood up. He walked towards a frightened Lydia, who backed off against the wall. The man stood right in front of her, barely a centimetre between their bodies, and he put his hand on Lydia’s cheek. She flinched, not wanting his hand anywhere near her.
“Who are you?” she asked, avoiding eye contact when he was that close.
“Jacob Coleman. Werewolf” he spoke in a low tone, barely showing any expression on his face.
“No offence, but would you mind stepping back?” Lydia spoke with fear in her voice. He terrified every inch of her body as she stood in front of him, quaking.
“Oh, but you’re so intriguing. It’s a miracle you aren’t locked in this place too” he added.
“Been there, done that, got the t-shirt” Lydia recalled the horror of her stay at Eichen House, “What’s so special about you?”
“Many things, but considering you’re a harbinger of death, I assume my murder tally has brought you here” Coleman spoke without any emotion still.
“I need you to move away from me” Lydia was scared of what Coleman had just revealed, but when his hand ran down her face, she took a deep breath. In an instant, Lydia released an ear-piercingly loud scream, and Coleman was sent hurtling backwards like an impressively strong gust of wind had smacked into him. Lydia swiped the keycard and ran out of the cell, ensuring the door was closed behind her.
“Lydia, what happened?” Malia asked as Lydia sprinted back towards the barrier.
“We need to get to Scott” she responded, confidently despite feeling shaken.
Sprinting through the forest, Liam was panicking. His secret was out, and that wasn’t a good thing. What made him feel even worse was the fact that Mason and Corey were right all along. Nolan wasn’t right in the head, and Scott had to know. Rain was tickling down, Liam’s hair drenched and constantly masking his vision. His heart was beating like crazy, and he was praying that the long forest would come to a close soon. To his delight, Liam saw a clearing, and sure enough, as he approached at rapid speed, he realised it was a road. At the edge of the road, he stopped, gathering his senses to figure out exactly where he was. He took a sniff, and pinpointed a familiar scent nearby, so wasted no time in heading towards it.
Pain was all Thomas felt as he limped up the stairs to his bedroom. His parents would surely have noticed the large amount of noise he had made on his way up, but they weren’t his main concern. He was covered in mud, his clothes ruined, and his leg was in a huge amount of pain. He got himself undressed, ready for a shower. Carefully taking off his muddy jeans, Thomas saw his leg injury for the first time, and was baffled by how huge it was. Teeth marks had sunk into the bottom of his leg, with blood having squirted out and splattered down around the wounds. It hurt like hell, and he knew showering was going to be pretty painful too.
“I’m confused” Stiles admitted, as Hayden sobbed away.
“I killed her. Anita, that werewolf girl” she explained tearfully.
“Parrish said it was an accident” Stiles reflected on what he’d learnt.
“It was. It was self defence, I swear. I never meant to kill her, but she was gonna kill me” Hayden continued. She struggled to get the words out over her crying, but did her best. Stiles passed her the bin to put her tissues in.
“You should’ve told us. We all do stupid things we aren’t proud of. Me more than most” Stiles tried to cheer her up. Hayden continued crying, not really taking note of what Stiles had just said, but he continued, “I killed someone in self defence too. He was going to kill me, it was in the school library. He ended up with a metal pole through his chest. It scarred me too, you know.” Hayden looked up, as if what Stiles was saying had struck a chord.
“What did you say to Scott?” she asked, calming down.
“Nothing at first. He found out from Theo, stirring the pot like he always does. We fell out over it, the only time we’ve ever fallen out. If I’d just told him in the first place, he wouldn’t have been upset, he’d have understood. I didn’t even consider that” Stiles reminisced, reliving some painful memories, avoiding eye contact with Hayden. He then looked up at her, into her eyes.
“You need to talk to Liam. He’ll understand, I promise” Stiles urged her.
“He knows” Hayden informed him.
“Then what’s all this about? He misses you like crazy, I’ve never seen him sulk so much, and believe me, that’s quite something” Stiles lightened the tone.
“I don’t want him to look at me and see me as a killer” Hayden revealed.
“He couldn’t think any better of you if he tried” Stiles consoled her. She smiled, as the weight on her shoulders was lifted. For the first time in months, Hayden felt happy.
Turning another corner, Scott was beginning to get frustrated. Thomas was taking them through all kinds of streets and back alleys, with little to no indication of the ultimate destination. Scott knew Beacon Hills like the back of his hand, and any indicator would’ve been helpful. This was proved by the building they were arriving at. Staring down at them like an angry teacher was Eichen House. One look at the place sent shivers down Scott’s spine.
“He’s in there” Thomas announced as the group stopped walking and congregated.
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go” Casey naïvely suggested.
“No. We’re not going in that place” Scott gave a strict instruction.
“What is it anyway?” Casey queried.
“Mental institute. To be honest, I’d rather gauge my eyes out with my claws than go in there” Isaac made his feelings clear.
“Scott!” came a voice from behind, shouting. Scott spun round, and saw Lydia running towards him, out of the gate, with Malia and Maddie in tow.
“What are you doing in there?” Scott asked, worried.
“Investigating. I guess you’re here for Jacob Coleman” she directed her attention towards Thomas, who nodded.
“He’s in there, and he’s creepy. Like, ten times creepier than any of the other psychopaths we’ve met” Lydia explained, panting from the running.
“But you’re safe, that’s what matters” Scott was relieved, having panicked seeing them leaving Eichen. Maddie rushed over and hugged him, relieved.
The next day, Thomas woke up and examined his leg. The injury had almost healed, leaving only a tiny mark. He began to question whether he’d dreamed it all, but the pile of muddy clothes across the room confirmed it did. Baffled, he cast it aside and got ready for another long, tedious day of school. While getting dressed, he took another look at his leg, and ran his finger over where the open wound was located. The skin had healed entirely now, and it didn’t hurt him at all. Thomas was baffled, but thought no more of it, until he heard movements coming up the stairs. Instantly, like a reflex, Thomas put his hands against his ears, blocking out the noise. A small, ambient sound had been amplified all of a sudden, and it sounded so loud in his head. The door creaked open, and Thomas’ mother poked her head around the corner.
“Come on honey, time for school” she nudged him.
“I don’t feel well” Thomas lied.
“You can go to school with a cold, hurry up, breakfast’s on the table” she continued, barely paying attention to what he’d said. She left the room, and Thomas sighed. He was unsure of why his body was behaving strangely, and he sure as hell wasn’t ready for school, but nevertheless, he knew he’d get to the bottom of it.
Panting, huffing and puffing, Liam followed his nose around the dark side roads of Beacon Hills. He was following it so closely in fact that he wasn’t paying much attention to his other senses, and until it swerved around the corner, he’d not heard the police car now hurtling towards him. Thankfully, Sheriff Stilinski was much more aware of his senses and stopped the car just in time, just centimetres away from hitting Liam. Stilinski stepped out of the driver’s side, while Parrish got out of the passenger side. Liam was not surprised to see them, having sniffed their scent further back, but was slightly shaken after seeing the car coming towards him.
“Liam, what are you doing out here this late at night?” Stilinski asked, concerned.
“Nolan, he knows everything, I need to get to Scott, I need...” Liam spoke at a rapid pace, gasping for breath when he could.
“Woah, slow down. We’ll give you a lift” Parrish offered. Liam nodded, accepting Parrish’s offer of goodwill.
The noise of chatter was high in Scott’s living room, as the reunited pack had assembled together, complete with Stiles having returned from Hayden’s house. He scanned the room, but Liam wasn’t in sight – not that he was even sure whether to speak to him about Hayden or not.
“Alright guys, listen in. I know you’ve all been wondering why Thomas has been here. I’ll let him explain why” Scott addressed them, before turning to Thomas, who looked nervous. Casey placed a comforting hand on Thomas’, and smiled at him. Thomas felt a rush of confidence through his body, and began to tell his story.
“I was bitten by the guy you met” Thomas began, looking towards Lydia, “Jacob Coleman. He’s my alpha, or was. He lost his status.”
Five more minutes of walking to school. That’s what Thomas kept telling himself, as his tired legs were just about holding him up as he walked. He couldn’t feel his feet, but with more concern, he didn’t feel any pain from the bite he received the night before. More so, he heard a loud ruffling of leaves behind him the entire way there, but each time he looked around, there was nobody in sight. The ruffling got louder and louder, giving Thomas a headache. He turned around again, and a man stood in the middle of the path. He was in his mid twenties, and had scruffy medium length hair. Thomas jumped, shocked by his sudden appearance.
“Who...are...you?” Thomas asked, worried.
“I’m the alpha” Coleman replied, as his eyes glowed a deep red.
“I heard him out, he was pretty vague. I shunned him, and left for school. I didn’t see him for another month. His eyes were blue when I saw him again, not red. That’s when it all started” Thomas continued.
“The murders” Isaac remarked, still sceptical.
“There’s more to it than you know, I promise” Thomas protested.
“Well I’m all ears. You better explain” Isaac threatened.
Ding dong! The doorbell of Scott’s house interrupted Thomas’ explanation.
“I’ll get it” Malia offered, as she was sat nearest to the door. She strolled over and pushed down on the handle, being greeted by Liam and Stilinski.
“One of yours?” Stilinski joked.
The slam of the bedroom door was loud enough to be heard three streets down, but Nolan didn’t care. He was angry, and frustrated, and totally confused by what had happened tonight. He trashed his desk, violently shoving all his schoolwork onto the floor, before collapsing onto his bed face first, crying. He was disappointed in Liam, and hoped he’d be enough of a friend to listen to him and hear him out. However, on second thoughts, why should he give up? Nolan was determined to appeal to Liam’s heart, and he’d stop at nothing to get what he wants.
“Scott, I need to talk to you. Like, right now” Liam flapped.
“We’re kinda in the middle of something here” Malia was stood next to him and tried to give him a forewarning.
“It’s Nolan” Liam ignored her and continued, “He knows everything, about all of us, and he wants in. He’s crazy.”
“Wait, call me ignorant, but who’s Nolan?” Casey queried.
“Hello?” Thomas was getting impatient.
“Psycho kid from school who just uncovered everything about the supernatural world” Liam spoke quickly, as if he had no time to waste.
“Ah, this little meeting’s going well then” Stiles remarked under his breath. Lydia elbowed him.
“Liam, can’t this wait?” Scott asked politely, barely taking note of what Liam had actually said.
“I’ve just ran all the way from the depths of the reserve, I think I’ve waited long enough” Liam retorted. The volume in the room escalated as everyone began to talk over one another.
“Enough!” Maddie yelled over the racket. Everyone was silent, and stared at her like naughty school kids who had just been told off, “We’ve got two situations at hand. Liam, take a seat, we’ll get to the Nolan fiasco in time. Thomas, finish your story.” Scott smiled, amazed at how assertive Maddie was.
“Alright. Coleman helped me integrate into the pack, I thought he was being nice. Then he began blackmailing me. Slowly but surely murdering my friends. If I said no, he’d threaten to kill my parents. Until one day, I’d had enough...” Thomas resumed.
“You want me to do what?” Thomas was outraged at what he’d just heard.
“I want you to kill David. You’ll get so much respect for it, nobody wants him to be the alpha. You’ve killed before, why not one more time?” Coleman spoke softly, casting a spell of worry over Thomas.
“I can’t kill him, I can’t and I won’t” Thomas was defiant, a quality he exuded most of the time. However, he’d been killing for months by this point, all on Coleman’s orders. If he didn’t, he knew what would happen to his parents. Being defiant was a quality he was suddenly losing, as he became Coleman’s lapdog.
“The pleasure I will get from slitting their throats. Oh, I will relish in it” Coleman offered grim details of what he was threatening against Thomas’ parents. Thomas was frightened, and shaking. The cogs in his mind were working overtime.
“No” he spoke defiantly once again, “I won’t do it.” In a flash, Coleman was gone. Thomas looked around frantically, having lost sight of Coleman.
“Coleman?” he yelled, worried. His heart sunk, knowing exactly what he had gone to do.
“...then I ended up here. I’m an orphan– no family, no home, no friends” Thomas looked distraught.
“You’ve got us” Casey was supportive next to him, “You’ve got me.”
“Get a room” Stiles joked.
“Now is it my turn?” Liam impatiently asked.
“Sure, go ahead” Scott commanded.
“Nolan asked me for the bite. He wants to become one of us” Liam picked up from where he left off.
“Only the alpha can pass on the bite” Casey added.
“I know, but I didn’t tell him that. I just ran. I was scared of him, he turned creepy all of a sudden and I didn’t know what to do” Liam frantically explained.
“Where is he now?” Malia questioned.
“I don’t know. I left him there, with his friends”
“His friends? Do they know?” Lydia continued the interrogation.
“They do now, but they didn’t until he asked me I’m sure”
“Alright, we’ll find him. We need to talk to him, give him a chance to justify himself” Scott decided.
“But he’s psychotic, he invited me out for a drink and a chat, but he had an ulterior motive the whole time” Liam was concerned.
“It’s alright, he can’t hurt us. First thing tomorrow, we’ll pick him up” Scott decided.
Meanwhile, Eichen House was entering the night shift. The staff were switched, and the lights began to power down. The receptionist was preparing to leave, having worked an exhausting ten hours filing paperwork. Her plans to watch a movie at home, however, were thwarted when the power went out. There was no light, as her computer went dead and the sky was pitch black. Upstairs, Coleman remained unfazed as the lights shut off. He stood up, and calmly walked towards the door of his cell. He pressed against it, and applied a small bit of force. Splintering cracks began to form, and within seconds, the glass door shattered into a million pieces. Coleman strolled out unfazed...
Next: "Instinct"
|