chapter two.

          "IS SOMEONE..."

ALLISON points at an empty seat in front of Scott, voice timid and low but Scott heard it effortlessly lifting his head and shook it, tongue briefly frozen. "No?"

"No, no, no, no. No, it's all you, all yours. Uh, it's totally vacant." Scott rushed out, shaking his head in many semi circles Arthur is surprised he isn't tumbling off his chair. Biting his bottom lip, he stifles his laughter. His body nearly fell off his seat when something small pummeled his shoulder painless, whipping his head around Lydia rolled her eyes in disbelief, he mimicked her and returned the blow by pushing her table away from him. She growled under her breath and pushed it back in place, Arthur shoved it back and the desk nearly toppled over with her things.

He snickered shuffling his chair away from her piercing glare as she clenched her fist around her pen. "I will strangle you."

"You're a bit short." He retorted, his long legs facing her resting his left arm on top of his chair.

A scoffed escaped her blush pink lips. "Hasn't stopped me before." One by one phones chimed to life including his, furrowing his eyebrows he faced his desk and picked it up, worried whether it was something bad or good.

'The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds and the tranquil waterway, leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under ━ '

          " ━ 'an overcast sky, seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness'." The stranger's female voice was followed by her heels clicking reading the message from her own phone, Arthur looked up. Her dark auburn sat on her shoulders, dark nearly black eyes dressed in a cream black dotted blouse, a navy pencil skirt and nude heels. She holds up her phone smiling at everyone, pleased she's captured their attention. "This is the last line to the first book we are going to read. It is also the last text you will receive in this class. Phones off, everyone."

           The smoky eyed muted his phone shoving it in his pocket. Looking up at her he met her dark gaze, she smiled and he returned it, smaller. English has always been his least favorite, it bored him to the point he thought Adrian Harris was the one lecturing.

          Arthur's foot tapped the ground staring down at the work he hadn't started. He couldn't concentrate with his stomach begging to be fed again every five minutes. He wondered what the cafeteria is serving today, hopefully something other than lasagna.

           "Mr. McCall?" Ms. Blake called motioning him to follow her out. Arthur clicks his tongue gazing back down at his work he tries to focus once again.

          "Hey, Lydia." Stiles whispered. Arthur pursed his lips knowing he wasn't going to get work done once Stiles started yapping. "What is that? Is that from the accident?" The blue eyed glanced down where Stiles' pencil pointed at noticing the beige plaster on the back of her ankle.

            He observed how she shifted uncomfortably. "No. Prada bit me." Arthur eyebrows rose; first a deer running straight into Lydia's car out of nowhere and now, her dog who adores her attacked her, it doesn't make sense. This could be nothing, it could be random occurrences happening to them but it's Beacon Hills, when has anything happened randomly nowadays?

          "Your dog?" Stiles spluttered, confusion hinting his features.

          "No, my designer handbag." Lydia snipped sarcastically. Arthur fought a grin nobody can sound better than Lydia attitude. Stiles stared at her blankly until she sighed. "Yes, my dog."

          "Has it ever bitten you before?" Stiles immediately latched into detective mode trying to find a reasonable excuse to the bizarre occurrences.

           Arthur has always found it amusing when Stiles overthought a small situation trying to make it bigger than it needs to be to satisfy his curiosity.

          "Mm⏤mm." She mumbled returning to her work.

          "Okay. What if it's, like, the same thing as the deer? You know, like, how animals start acting weird right before an earthquake or something?" Stiles rambles, stealing a glance at Arthur who's brows knitted together leaning back in his seat.

          "Meaning what?" She wondered peeking back at him then Arthur. "There's gonna be an earthquake?"

          "Or something." Arthur piped up stuffing his hands in his jeans titling his head towards the cherry red. "It's Beacon Hills, Lydia. Suspect the unsuspected."

          Lydia scoffed giving him a pointed look. "It was a deer and a dog. What's that thing you say about threes? Once, twice ⏤" she's cut off by a bird slapping into the window, Arthur snapping his head in its direction his eyes widening.

            Thousand of raven birds follow the first in the same direction with no intention of stopping. Ms. Blake stood before the large windows stunned when she noticed they were still coming she spun on her heel facing the class alarmed.

          "Get down, everyone! Get down," Birds smash into their window shattering the glass. Arthur dived down pulling his table alongside his right hand holding down his shelter grunting at the sharp pricks they delivered. His heart hustled in his chest clenching his eyes shut. Another body squeezed in besides him, the hazel eyed moved slightly catching a lock of their wavy chestnut brown hair. Allison.

           The two bodies huddled together until the screeching of birds calmed. Arthur peeked an eye open glimpsing back at Allison pressed against his back, he hesitantly stood up a part of him afraid of what he might see. Students some exposed and others were sheltered on the ground injured, deceased black birds and glass littered the classroom floors.

           He clenched his shaking hands turning to Allison who looked spooked. "You alright?"

           Said woman inhaled deeply meeting his gaze, slowly nodding. "Yeah," She glanced down narrowing her eyes at his right hand, "But your not."

          He squinted his eyes at his right hand droplets of blood traveling down from glass shards impaling his skin, a burning sensation creeping. He brushed off her concern, "It's not deep, I'll be fine, Allison. But them, I'm not sure."

          He mentioned to the innocently terrified students wobbling up, feathers attached them along with some glass shards. His heart stopped momentarily, where's Lydia? His mind conjured horrendous ideas ⏤ it seemed stupid since it was only a bird attack. Blue eyes swam around the room until they found forest green, Lydia, untouched. Relief flooded his veins even at the sight of Stiles' annoying face.

* * *

          HIS FINGER RUBS OVER the bright Spongebob Squarepants plaster and glanced up spotting her confused beam. Arthur shrugged scratching his ear timidly, explaining. "It's all I had."

"No, I don't mind." The dark haired girl replied, her finger brushing the plaster. "It's cute. Thanks, Arthur." Her hand brushed his when leaving.

"No problem." He assured, shoving the spare plasters in his pocket saved for another emergency, he decided to help the paramedics ( not that they needed it. ) by dealing with the minor injuries.

"She was totally flirting with you." Lydia chimed, taking the girl's place on the table with a knowing smile.

"With me?" His face scrunched, nothing about that sounded right. "What's wrong her?"

"Nothing." Lydia giggled, her head closer to his brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder and leaves her hand there playing with a button. "Everyone knows girls have a special thing about doctors."

His shoulders straighten, by girls would she be including herself because if not then he doesn't care. "Does that include you?" Arthur inquired, seeming uninterested as he slides a chair in front of her legs. He doubts the school would let them stay after such a traumatic thing happened, but he has nowhere he needs to be.

"Maybe." She taunted, a dimple popping on her cheeks as she grins tipping her head away from him. The light shun beautifully on her in this disastrous place, it also shun light on something else.

"Hold on, you've something in your hair." Arthur mumbled, standing up he dips her head and plucks a black feather scrunching nose. "Here, souvenir."

She pushed it back towards him swinging her legs, glancing at Allison whom she was waiting for and said. "Keep it, I'm sure you can make use of it."

"Do people still use feather pens?"

"I do, the ink is gorgeous on a page."

"Good to know." Arthur muttered, there was nothing he planned on doing with it besides tossing it away the feather might be carrying bad luck.

"Pss Arthur, I need your supernatural help now." Stiles whispered to him urgently appearing behind him starling him from his thoughts.

His eyebrows knitted together, he found it strange as he referred to him and Stiles as a 'we' but didn't question it.  "Stay safe, little red." She gave him a tight lipped smile rolling her eyes at the boys pathetic attempt at sneaking out of class.

*  *  *

               ISAAC WAS FOUND ━ NOT that Derek had bothered to tell him, during the summer he spent a majority of the time searching for Erica and Boyd with him. it sting knowing the moment he found what he needed he wasn't needed.

          Arthur heard Derek agree entering the burned down Hale House Stiles right behind him. When Stiles informed him they were going to see Scott he thought they'd be somewhere but here, he wondered if Derek still lives here. Arthur walks in deeper spotting Issac asleep on a table who he hadn't seen all summer. He finds Derek inspecting where Scott's tattoo once was with crimson eyes. "It's two bands, right? What does it mean?"

          "I don't know. It's just something I traced with my fingers." Scott mumbled his fingers tracing a small circle then a larger circle around the first on the dusty table between himself and Derek.

          Curiosity swam in Derek's forest greens. "Why is this so important to you?"

           "Do you know what the word 'tattoo' means?" Scott questioned instead. Arthur noted how deeply he's been thinking over this tattoo when yesterday it lacked one.

          "To mark something." Stiles interjected sounding proud winking at the alpha.

           "Well, that's in Tahitian." Scott noted. "In samoan, it means 'open wound'. I knew I wanted to get a tattoo when I turned 18." Scott explained gaze locked on the coffee table. "I always wanted one. I just decided to get it now, to make it kind of a reward."

           Arthur knitted his eyebrows together crossing his arms. "For what?" Derek inquired.

             "For not calling or texting Allison all summer." He answered sounding embarrassed. Arthur couldn't say he was astonished, Scott loved ⏤ loves Allison.  It makes him miss Lydia.

                 "Even when I really wanted to, even when it was so hard not to sometimes. I was trying to give her the space she wants." He paused struggling to going, he inhaled and continues, "Goin' four months later, it still hurts. It still feels like a, uh..."

                "⏤ Like an open wound." Arthur finished frowning, knowing the feeling too well.

                Scott looked up at him and breathed out, "Yeah."

                "The pain's gonna be worse than anything you've ever felt." Derek warned convinced, reaching to his side he pulled up a blowtorch.

                Arthur's eyes widen holding his hands out, he inquired. "Hold on, you're going to barbecue a tattoo on his skin?"

               "Yeah." Derek nodded meeting his wide gaze.

                Stiles rubbed the back of his neck. He commented obtaining the same thought as Arthur. "Ah, that's great."

             Scott inhaled and exhaled deeply nodding. "Do it."

              "Does he not realize his skin can melt to bone!?" Arthur questioned glancing at Stiles who paled and gulped.

             "Oh, wow. That's a... that's a lot for me." Stiles mumbled panicking, he pointed for the door. "So I'm gonna take that as my cue. I'm just gonna wait outside ⏤"

              Derek latched hold of his arm dragging him back. "Nope. Both of you can help hold him down."

             "Oh, my God." Stiles mumbled with wide eyes standing behind Scott.

             Arthur smiled teasingly standing behind Scott. "At least it's not his left, that's his bigger bicep." Scott rolled his eyes getting in position.

           "Hold him." Derek demanded ready with blowtorch. Both boys gripped each side of Scott's shoulders nodding at Derek. Arthur's eyes widen as the flames licked Scott's arm his grunts turned to screams and they transformed into gut wrenching roars, his eyes blazed golden in agony.

* * *

            THEIR HEADS SNAPPED to Scott hearing his gasps. "Aah! Aah!" He eyed his renewed tattoo feeling the skin a smile crawling on his lips, beads of sweat lingered on his forehead. "It worked." Scott tossed his white top over his vest, the boys heading for the door.

          "Well, it looks pretty damn permanent now." Stiles notes grinning.

          Scott feels the tattoo once more tugging down his sleeve. "Yeah. I kind of needed something permanent. Everything that's happened to us... everything just changes so fast. Everything's so, uh... Ephemeral."

           Arthur couldn't agree more with his statement though he noticed something out of place with his sentence. A smile tugged on his lips at the larger word he used.

          Stiles stopped grinning at him, he remarked. "Studying for the psats?"

          "Yep."

          "Ah, he's finally got his priorities straight!" Arthur cheered grinning tapping his shoulder making the McCall laugh flustered.

          Scott pulls open the rusty door. Arthur furrows his eyebrows at the newly painted door he hadn't noticed, he recalled Derek saying he doesn't live here anymore so why would he paint the door ⏤ and only one side?

          "You painted the door." Scott muttered eyeing the maroon colour. "Why'd you paint the door?"

           He looks up at them with a look telling them to leave it alone causing Arthur's eyebrows to knit together. "Go home, Scott."

            "And why only one side?" Scott mumbled ignoring his warning tracing the door with his hand. The blue eyed notices something engraved behind the paint. He's hiding something ⏤ something he's scared of.

           Scott flicks his claws. "Scott." Derek rushes towards them but it's too late. Scott starts scratching the door tearing the paint revealing a dark symbol reveals; two semi triangles. A pack symbol.

            "The birds at school and the deer last night... just like the night I got trampled by the deer when I got bit by the Alpha." Scott concludes, looking up he meets Derek's blank gaze. "How many are there?"

               "A pack of 'em." He hesitates with the next part cocking his head slightly. "An Alpha pack."

              Arthur unlocks his jaw squinting his eyes at Derek. "Wait, all of them are Alphas?"

               "How does that even work?" Stiles demanded when Arthur finished.

             "I hear there's some kind of a leader. He's called Deucalion." Derek answered his arms crossed over his chest. "We know they have Boyd and Erica. Peter, Isaac, and I have been looking for him for the last four months."

             Arthur sighs, his last four months of freedom went too fast for him to grasp. Back with the supernatural shit, but this ⏤ how are a pack of teens and one Alpha suppose to deal with a pack full of experienced Alphas?

           "Let's say you find them. How do you deal with an Alpha pack?" Scott wondered.

           "With all the help I can get." Scott glanced back at his friends, silently asking if they're in. Both nodded without hesitation.

           "Where is she?" Isaac's alarmed voice sliced the tension in the air. Arthur spun around to him perplexed. "Where's the girl?"

           Derek furrowed his eyes. "What girl?"