Playlist:

Ivory ~ Congorock with The Bloody Beatroots

Battle Cry ~ Imagine Dragons

ANNA

"You didn't get in trouble did you?" I asked Stiles. We were in gym class. Allison and Scott were climbing the rock wall.

"Well, I was stuck explaining to my dad why there was an unconscious deputy in the holding area and a broken door on a holding cell."

"What did you tell him?"

"The deputy did it."

I giggled just as Allison kicked Scott's foot out from under him and he fell. The harness stopped his fall about half a foot from the mat. The class laughed. A second later Scott hit the mat. Coach sat next to Scott, laughing himself.

"McCall, I don't know why, but your pain gives me a special kind of joy." He continued to laugh. "Alright, next two. Stilinski, Erica, let's go. The wall."

"Alright," Stiles said as he headed to the wall.

Erica hesitated a moment before she followed. I didn't know Erica at all. She was quiet, just like Isaac, and mainly kept to herself. Stiles quickly climbed the wall while Erica seemed to struggle to climb it. About halfway up, she stopped and watched Stiles come back down. Then she started to freak out. Stiles looked back up at her worriedly. Everyone started heading to the wall.

"Erica," Coach called back up to her. "Dizzy? Is it vertigo?"

Lydia looked at Coach like he was an idiot. Not that he wasn't... "Vertigo's a dysfunction of the vestibular system of the inner ear," she said. Coach just looked at her. She motioned towards Erica. "She's just freaking out."

"Erica," Coach called back up to her.

"I'm fine," Erica called back. I'm pretty sure it was the first words I had ever heard her say.

"Coach," Allison said. "Maybe it's not safe. You know she's epileptic."

"Why doesn't anybody tell me this stuff?"

I bit my lip to keep from smiling. Apparently, Coach didn't pay attention to his students' files.

"Erica, you're fine. Just kick off from the wall."

Erica looked down.

"There's a mat to catch you."

Erica still hesitated.

"Come on."

Finally, Erica let go of the wall and slowly came down. Coach and I stepped forward to steady her.

"See, you're fine. You're on the ground. You're alright. Let's go. Shake it off. You're fine."

"Come on," I said. I led her away as the other students started snickering. "Just ignore them, Erica." Tears began to fill her eyes as we headed towards the girls' locker room. She started crying once the door closed.

"Now everyone thinks I'm scared of the rock wall," she said as tears rolled down her face. "I'm not scared." For some reason, I just knew she wasn't afraid of the wall.

"I know you're not afraid of the wall. But what caused you to freeze like that?"

"I... I don't know..." Erica looked at me. "I don't even know your name or why you're being so nice to me."

"My name's Anna. And do I have to have a reason to be nice?"

Erica smiled. "I guess not. I'm fine. I don't want to get you in trouble with Coach. I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

Erica nodded.

"Alright."

I went back out to class and told Coach she was going to sit out the rest of the class. Later, when we went to dress out, I noticed Erica wasn't in the locker room. Several minutes later my phone went off.

"Yes, Scott?"

Is Erica in there?

"No, why?"

I think she's about to have a seizure.

"What?" I looked at Allison. "Allison, have you seen Erica?"

"Not, since you took her to the locker room," she answered. "Why?"

"Are you sure?"

"Anna, I'm sure."

A sudden realization hit me. "Oh, my God. Scott, she's in gym!"

I hung up and darted out of the locker room.

"Anna!" Allison followed me.

I saw Scott sprint towards the rock wall as Erica fell off it. He caught her and laid her down. Allison knelt next to them. Erica was having a seizure, just like Scott had predicted.

"Put her on her side," Allison said. "Put her on her side."

Scott rolled her on her side and grabbed her arms to keep them from flailing.

"How'd you know?" she whispered.

"I just felt it," he whispered back.

Coach ran most of us off, but Allison, Scott, Stiles, and I stayed and waited with Erica until the ambulance arrived.

~~~

Later, at lunch, I sat with Scott and watched Stiles come in and sit across from Boyd. I knew him from my math class. Another quiet kid that kept to himself. Stiles put something in front of Boyd and Boyd looked annoyed. They conversed before Stiles set something else in front of him.

"What the hell is Stiles doing now?"

Scott looked up as Boyd stuffed a chip into his mouth and gave Stiles a "seriously?" look.

"Getting the keys to the ice rink for our double date tonight," Scott answered.

"Oh."

Stiles set something else down in front of Boyd and the loner handed him a set of keys. Stiles joined us a minute later.

"Got 'em," He set the keys down next to Scott. "Pick you up right after work tonight and we'll meet at the rink, cool?"

Scott was suddenly distracted by something. Stiles and I both looked to see what he was looking at. A blond girl with a leather jacket, white tank, leather mini skirt, and leopard print stiletto heels walked into the cafeteria. And we weren't the only ones looking. Everyone's eyes were on her as she flirted her way around the cafeteria, making eye contact with Scott before taking someone's apple and taking a bite out of it.

"Is that...?" I started to ask.

"I think so," Stiles said, astonishment in his voice. I didn't even hear Lydia walk up to our table until she slammed her hands down.

"What in the holy hell is that?"

"It's Erica," Scott said.

The now supermodel Erica walked out of the cafeteria, the apple in her hand. Wasn't she just a homely-looking, shy girl a few hours ago? Scott, Stiles, and I got up and ran after her. We burst through the doors just in time to see Erica get into a black Camaro. Derek looked at us and grinned before speeding off. I pulled out my phone. I had to tell Trish about this.

TRISH

I looked down at my phone as it rang.

"Anna, you're supposed to be in school."

I think Derek has another Beta. The words came quick and low.

"What?"

Her name's Erica. She went to the hospital earlier after having a seizure and then came back and looked like a freaking supermodel. She just left with Derek.

"Oh, crap." I closed my locker. I was just about to leave as I had just finished my shift. What the hell was he doing?

Scott said he needs to stop turning everyone.

"I know. I was there when he said that to Derek. Look, I'll talk to Mr. Cocky and see what he's doing. You go back to class." I hung up and slung my purse over my shoulder. I waited until I was in my car before I dialed Derek.

Yes?

"What the hell are you doing?"

Scott, Stiles, or Anna?

"Anna. You really shouldn't be giving the Bite left and right."

The Bite would be to Erica's advantage.

"Did you warn her about the disadvantages as well?"

Of course. And she still wanted it.

"How big of a pack are you wanting? You have two Betas now. And only one has been through a full moon. Have you been able to teach Isaac how to control himself yet?"

I'm working on it. And I need three.

"Three? What do you need three for?"

Three is a strong pack. If Scott would join my pack, I'd have what I need.

"So you're going to bite a third?"

If Scott won't join me, yes.

"How about I actually act like your Emissary and advise you. Wait until after the full moon to choose your third Beta. You don't want three newly turned werewolves, two of them with no full moon prior to this one. Perhaps Isaac will have control by then, but if he doesn't, you are not going to want to have to attempt to restrain three wolves with no control."

And you know so much about werewolves now.

"Derek, don't be a cocky asshole about this. You will have your hands full on the next full moon as it is. You won't be able to control three on your own."

I'm an Alpha.

"And there you go being a cocky asshole. Derek, will you please listen to advice for once?"

Fine, fine. I'll consider your advice.

"Thank you!" I heard Derek chuckle before he hung up.

~~~

I pulled into my driveway after work the next day. I had stopped by the gas station to fill up. I saw the light on in Anna's room and I knew she was actually home for once. I locked the car and headed towards the front door.

"I have to say you keep up the curb appeal, Miss Roberts."

I jumped and spun around. And my heart nearly stopped. Standing at the end of my driveway was Gerard Argent. I'd only met him once but I knew his reputation well. I looked behind him and saw Chris and another Hunter standing across the street from my house in front of a black SUV.

"Can I help you?"

"Don't pretend that you don't know who I am. I am well aware of what you are and where your loyalties lie, Druid."

I'm dead. They're going to kill me. I just know it.

"My loyalties lie with making sure my sister is doing her homework."

"Ah, that's right. You're mother passed away, didn't she? Tell me, what supernatural thing killed her."

My nostrils flared and I could feel the anger. "Unless cancer is now a supernatural thing, she wasn't killed by the underworld of Beacon Hills."

His facial expression changed. "My apologies, Miss Roberts. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Sure you didn't. Now that you've done what you obviously came to do, get off my property."

"On the contrary. You're coming with us."

"Excuse me?" Gerard grabbed me by my arm. "Let go of me!"

I wasn't going to use my magic around the Hunters. It was bad enough that they knew I was a Druid, they didn't need to know I could use magic as well and end up on Gerard's shit list like the werewolves were. Chris opened the door to the backseat, giving me an apologetic look. I slid over to get out the other side, but another Hunter stopped me by getting into the SUV. I was blocked in. Chris got into the driver's side and Gerard leaned into the window.

"Give them time and then come and get me," he said.

Chris nodded and rolled the window up. I just knew they were going to take me somewhere and kill me. Or Chris had told them about my involvement with Peter's death and my connection to Derek and they were going to use me to get to the Alpha.

~~~

So many scenarios were running through my mind as I rode in a car full of Hunters. Imagine my surprise when we pulled up to the animal clinic.

"I'm already vaccinated, thank you for your concern," I quipped. One of my escorts gave a scoff of laughter.

Chris ignored me. "Get them inside," he said.

"Who's them?" I asked. I was pulled out of the SUV and I saw that another black SUV had joined us. They had the back open and pulled something out that took two men to carry. The Hunters basically broke into the clinic, causing the alarm to go off. They laid a man with gashes on his chest on the exam table.

"You know I really don't think anyone can help...," I trailed off, recognizing the man. "Oh, God!"

"Yes, that's right," the Hunter holding onto my arm said. "Take a good look at what your world does to —"

"Bennett," I whispered.

I knew the man fairly well. We'd dated briefly in high school before we broke it off and Josh and I started dating. Yes, the same Josh that wolfed out on me when we kissed for the first time. I hadn't dated anyone since he died. And now my Hunter ex-boyfriend was laying on a veterinary exam table just as dead as my werewolf boyfriend, who'd been murdered by Gerard's daughter, who in turn had been killed by Josh's uncle. Ahem... I'm getting sidetracked.

"Let go of her," Chris said and the Hunter who had a death grip on my arm released me. Chris pulled me into another room. "You were Bennett's ex-girlfriend, weren't you?"

I nodded, not able to find my voice. The other Hunters but one all passed us and went back outside. The alarm shut off and I heard footsteps. Chris stepped forward to lean against the door frame leading to the exam room and the Hunter that stayed grabbed my arm. I was really getting tired of that.

"I was wondering if you could give me your medical opinion on what killed this man," Chris asked.

"I don't know if you saw the sign out there," Alan responded. "But this is just an animal clinic."

"I'm aware of that. I'm also aware that you're not just a vet." He motioned to the Hunter to bring me in. "Just like I am aware that Trish isn't just a nurse." The Hunter let go of me once I was in the room with Chris and Alan. "I'm going to give the two of you an hour to determine what killed him. I'll be back then. Only one hour." Chris and the Hunter left and we waited until they drove away.

"How in holy hell are we supposed to determine what killed him? And how the hell did the Argents know I'm a Druid?"

"I don't know. To both of those questions." Alan turned to Bennett's body. I hesitated. "Trish?"

"I haven't seen him since graduation," I said. "He's barely changed. Well, aside from his chest being ripped apart."

"We may not determine what killed him but we can determine the how."

~~~

We were going over the body with a fine-tooth comb, so to speak, when I noticed something on the back of Bennett's neck.

"Alan, look at this." I turned Bennett's head so Alan could see. "Why make such a small nick on the back of the neck when it obviously has the power to rip through the rib cage?"

Alan's eyebrows knit together. "Bennett wouldn't have been able to defend himself."

I looked up. "What am I missing here?"

"He was paralyzed. This nick was to deliver a toxin that paralyzed him."

"But what can do that?"

Alan shook his head. "I'm not sure."

I heard the door open and I straightened. Had it been an hour already?

"Why aren't you healing?" I heard Scott mutter. He walked into the room with his shirt raised, examining a slash on his left side.

"Because it's from an Alpha," Alan answered him.

Scott looked up and immediately put his shirt down.

"You and Derek get into it?"

Scott nodded and then saw the body on the table. "Oh." He looked between the two of us with fear on his face.

"I think maybe we better have that talk now," Alan said.