I was still kicking the door. Once. Twice. Three times.

Finally, with a yell of anger, the hinges broke. The swung open wide enough for me to fit through.

Breathing heavily, I walked out of the door, into the pathway, slowly looking around, alert. I looked behind me, not seeing anyone, turning back forward, walking forward.

I heard a Berserker growl behind me, turning around, catching the arm that was about to hit me, grabbing both arms to push him back into the wall. It raised its arm above my head, swinging down, hitting me, making me stumble back. It tried to hit me again. I ducked under its arm, spinning behind him. It turned around, running forward, pushing me into the wall with so much force I felt and heard bones cracking.

I looked at the tattoo on its arm. Two bands, one wider than the other.

Scott's tattoo, the one Derek and I helped him get the same day I got the triskele tattoo on my hand.

I looked up to his eyes, knowing it was him.

Kate roared as she walked in.

Scott pushed me to the floor, walking away, standing next to her.

Kate looked at the tattoo. "I am going to have to do a better job of covering that up." She looked at me. "Not your best fight, Tara. Is that because you're weak and hungry and so far from home, or losing the one boy who's ever loved you?"

I glared at her. "Why did you do this to him?"

"How," Kate told me. "That's--that's the better story. See, when I first got away from the Calaveras, I had no idea where to go. But something kept pulling me here, to the temple of Tezcatipoca. It's name means, 'Smoke and mirrors', and this place is a temple of smoke and mirrors." She traced a design in the dust on the stone wall. "Obsidian." I looked up in recognition. She walked toward me. "When I got here, I found the Berserkers waiting for me. They helped me survive. And I didn't know quite why until just recently. Till I decided to trust someone I never thought I would trust."

"Let me guess," I said. "Peter." Kate gave me a confused look. "That's right. You guys aren't the devious masterminds you like to think you are. I knew you were working together to kill Scott."

"And that's why you were so prepared," Kate finished. "You were right all along. You just didn't know how right you were." She looked at Scott. "And to think, we actually believed you were over." She looked at me. "But you weren't prepared to see your boyfriend as a vicious, murderous monster who would kill you, were you?" I didn't answer, glaring. She clicked her tongue. "Oh, sweetie. But you were right about Peter. I never thought I would trust him after he tried to kill me. But I decided to. It was then that I could not only control the Berserkers, but . . ." She stood next to Scott, trailing her fingers over the bones covering his chest. "I could create them. They call me la loba. I assume you know what that means, too?"

"The Bone Woman," I answered reluctantly. "The Calaveras captured us looking for you before we got out."

"Aw," Kate said tauntingly. "But it's a good thing you managed to get your way out this time. I need to test his loyalty. Did you know Scott became an Alpha without having to kill anyone? Oh, that's right. You were there. And you were there when he went through quite a lot without ever having to kill. I think it's time to change that."

Scott broke off a bone from the thing on his chest, walking toward me, raising the bone to stab me.

I reached up, catching his wrist, pulling myself up, spinning behind him.

Scott backed into me, the bones spiking from his back pushing me against the stone wall, shattering the stone. With the bones in the right side of my body, one of the bones barely missing my heart, I gasped. Scott walked forward, pulling them out, letting me fall to the floor with holes in my stomach and chest, trying to heal, bleeding profusely.

I let my eyes drift closed, exhaling, making them think it was over so they would go away long enough for me to heal.

But it was far from over.

*

I woke up, gasping, holding a hand over my wounds. They were slowly healing. I sighed of relief, looking around.

I saw the stone shattered from earlier, picking up a piece. "Obsidian." I looked up, my voice a whisper. "Kira."

Obsidian was the stone that was used to create kaikens. Fox tails.

The fox tails made them stronger. This would be her first.

If she wanted to live in Beacon Hills with all of the supernatural entity, she needed to be stronger. And I owed her for saving me.

I closed my eyes, exhaling, focusing on making myself heal.

I needed to heal so I could tell them.

*

I heard vehicles arriving from outside The Church.

"I can't believe I did it," Liam said. He chuckled. "For a minute there, I thought I was gonna tear the two of you apart."

Stiles nodded sarcastically. "Yeah, that would've made it an awkward ride home."

"Think you can bring the same level of control and strength inside la iglasia?" Derek asked.

"All right, we might actually be able to do this," Stiles said.

I heard a door opening, Berserker growling, someone fighting. Gunshots. A Berserker's heavy footsteps running away.

"How bad is it?" Peter asked.

Just the sound of his voice made hate boil.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Derek said. "Just . . . Just get to Scott and Tara. Just find them. We'll be right behind you. Go. Go! Hey. Save him."

Derek groaned.

I looked up in realization. Derek had been the one hurt.

I pushed myself up, making my way through the tunnels, still listening to them.

"This way," Peter said.

Derek chuckled without humor. "Lydia was right."

*

I was using their voices like a compass to tell me where to go, trying to get to them before something happened.

"Okay, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop," Peter said. "We gotta figure out where we are, then figure out where to find Scott and Tara."

A phone rang.

"How the hell do I even have service down here?" Stiles asked. "Hi, Dad. Okay, Dad, I know you're angry."

"Oh, I'm beyond angry. I have reached a level of fury you could not possibly comprehend."

"Okay, when I get back, you can ground me."

"Ground you? Ground you? I am going to hobble you! Now, please, just tell me you're all right. Tell me that you're safe."

"You want me to lie?"

Stilinski sighed. "Oh, God. Okay, what--tell me what to do. How can I help?"

"She was at the school when we called Mason to look for her, but now we're not hearing back from either of them. I don't know, Dad. I don't know what I'm doing. I'mjust trying to save my friends."

"Okay. I'll find Lydia and Mason. You get Scott and Tara. You save your friends."

"Dad, if it's one of the Berserkers at the school, you're gonna need fire power. A lot."

Liam sighed. "What do we do now?"

"Duck!" Malia said.

I heard a Berserker growl.

"Get down!" Peter told them. "Go, go!" I heard them running. "Go, go, go, go!"

*

"Go, go, go, go!" Peter said.

"Go find Tara and Scott," Kira said. "Go!"

*

I heard a fight.

I ran forward, making my way through the pathways.

A flashlight's light shone from the tunnel ahead of me.

"Scott?" Stiles called. "Tara?" I ran toward him, making him turn toward me and jump. "God, you really have to stop doing that." I breathed heavily, giving him a look. He looked at the blood covering my clothes and skin. "Are you okay?"

"It's Scott," I told him. "Stiles, it's Scott."

"What?" Stiles asked.

"The Berserker," I told him. "It's him. Kate did it. Peter taught her to do it."

"What are you talking about?" Stiles asked.

"She made him into one of them," I told him. "I don't know how, but it's him."

"How do you know?" Stiles asked.

"Oh, my God, Stiles, I just know!" I exclaimed. "And the others don't know. They could kill him. That's been the plan all along. We always thought it was because Peter wanted to kill him for the Alpha power."

"That's why Lydia's not here," Stiles realizied. "They won't know they're killing Scott."

"I heard you guys arrive," I told him. "What happened to Derek?" Stiles looked away uncomfortably. "What happened to my brother, Stiles?"

*

Stiles and I ran toward the room where the others were.

"Take him!" Peter said. "Aim for the skull! Kill it! Kill it now!"

Kira held her katana, aiming for the skull, set to kill it.

Stiles ran in. "No, no, wait, Kira! Wait!"

I ran forward, pushing Kira away before the sword killed Scott, both of us falling to the ground, the katana sliding away from us.

"It's Scott," Stiles told them. "It's Scott."

Scott pushed Liam back, making him fall. He punched Malia, making her fall. He walked toward Liam. Liam slid back.

"Scott," I said. "Scott! Don't!"

Stiles stood next to him. "Scott, it's me."

Scott punched him, making him fall. He picked Liam up, growling, pushing him against the wall.

"Scott, don't!" Kira told him.

Liam looked fearfully at him. "Scott."

*

Scott was still holding Liam to the wall, growling, raising an arm to kill him.

"Scott, Scott, listen, listen!" Liam told him. "You're not a monster. You're a werewolf. Like me."

"Scott," I said. He turned his head toward me. "We're predators. We don't have to be killers."

Recognition filled Scott's eyes, the anger fading. He lowered his arm. He blinked repeatedly. He let Liam slid down the wall toward the ground, gripping his head, walking away.

Stiles slowly stood.

Scott looked over her arms in confusion.

Kira picked up her sword.

Scott started to take off the animal skins on his body.

Peter and Malia watched. Malia looked curious. Peter looked disappointed.

Scott took off the bones covering his chest and back. He gripped at his head.

I took a step forward.

Scott started to pull the skull apart with as much strength as he could. It glowed gold as he tore it apart, shifted, looking up, roaring.

I turned to look at Peter. "You." Everyone turned to look at Peter and Malia. Malia looked at Peter, taking a step away. Peter looked only at Scott and me. "The only one that knew as much as Argent about Berserkers. About the nagual. You taught Kate. You helped her. All for power."

"For our family's power to be rightfully inherited by me," Peter told me. He looked at Scott. "Not usurped by some idiot teenage boy so incorruptable he wouldn't shed the blood of his enemies even when justified."

"It was never yours," I stressed angrily. "You took it from Laura when you killed her. And now Derek's dead, too, thanks to you."

"Yet, here Scott is, have been given this power without having to take a soul," Peter said. He looked at Scott. "You don't deserve your power." His eyes glowed blue, his voice turning deep and monstrous. "Not power like this."

Peter rotated his head as he started to shift, a line going down his forehead, roaring.

Malia roared, her eyes glowing blue, trying to attack him. Peter pushed her back into a rock across the room easily, making her groan.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Peter told her. "We'll talk about this later."

Kira swung her sword, holding it pointed toward Peter.

"Kira!" Scott said to stop her.

Kira looked at him, stepping down.

Scott stepped forward.

"You were my Beta first, Scott," Peter told him. "It was my bite that changed your life. And my bite that can end it."

"Then end it, Peter," Scott told him. "Because you won't get another chance."

Peter roared, jumping toward Scott.

Scott roared, jumping toward Peter.

In the air, Scott and Peter both raised their arms to fight.

*

Scott kicked into a standing position, slashing toward Peter twicr. Peter slashed Scott, punching him under his jaw. Scott fell back, back-flipping to his feet. Peter roared, trying to hit him. Scott raised his arm to stop it, flipping around him, kicking him back.

"Come on, Scott," Peter said. "Come on!"

Peter took him by his shoulders, turning around, throwing him into the beam, making him fall.

"Come on," Peter said, pulling him back up. He threw Scott into another beam, making the beam shatter and Scott fall. "Fight like an Alpha."

Peter pulled him back up, pushing him into the wall. Scott pushed him back, circling around him, walking across the wall, landing on his feet on the ground and pushing Peter down.

Stiles pressed his lips together anxiously.

Scott punched Peter on the floor twice. Scott pulled him up, pushing him back. Peter head-butted Scott, kicking him, punching him.

Malia and Kira stood together, watching.

Peter punched Scott, making him fall.

I took a step forward.

"You want to beat me?" Peter asked as he circled around Scott. "You're going to have to kill me!"

Peter picked Scott up, throwing him across the room into the wall, making him fall.

I stepped forward.

Peter looked at me, taking a wooden gate, throwing it toward me.

I knelt to the floor, turning away to duck. The wooden gate shattered against the wall above my head. I looked at Peter over my shoulder angrily, breathing heavily.

Peter roared, walking toward me. Scott started to stand protectively. Peter turned back to Scott, growling. Scott walked toward him. Peter tried to punch him. Scott raised his arm to stop it. Peter tried to hit him. Scott raised his arm to stop it. Peter tried to slash him. Scott pushed his arm away. Peter tried to punch him. Scott stopped it, punching Peter.

Malia and Kira breathed heavily, watching in expectation.

Peter tried to punch Scott. Scott pushed his arm away.

I stood.

Peter tried to punch Scott. Scott pushed his arm away. Peter tried to punch him with the other arm. Scott pushed it away.

Stiles took a step forward in awe.

Peter slashed toward Scott. Scott ducked under his arm, standing, punching Peter, punching under Peter's jaw, making him fly over the table, landing against the wall. Scott jumped onto the table, standing. Peter breathed heavily.

I walked toward them slowly. "You were never an Alpha, Peter. But you were always a monster."

Peter growled, trying to stand.

I punched him with all the strength I had, making him unconscious.

Everyone walked forward.

Scott stood next to me, breathing heavily, looking at me. "You don't have to do it."

"I won't," I told him, staring at Peter in numb anger. "He deserves something a lot worse than death."

I was still looking at Peter.

Scott turned me toward him, wrapping his arms around me so I wouldn't change my mind about killing my uncle.

*

Argent, Parrish and the Calaveras had shown up to help.

Derek had died, but he had come back with his power back and he could turn into a wolf.

Outside after sunrise, Argent was talking to us. "There's enough yellow wolfsbane to keep Peter out for the trip back. But be careful."

"You're really going with them?" Scott asked.

"I made a deal with the Calaveras weeks ago," Argent told us. "They'll leave you alone. All of you. But only if I help them catch Kate."

"What if you can't?" I asked.

"I'll find her," Argent told us. "Someone has to."

Argent turned and walked away with the Calaveras.

Parrish looked around.

Scott put his arm around me. Stiles, Malia, Liam and Kira stood next to us.

We watched them walk away.

Derek opened the door for Braedan, talking to her.

Kira walked away.

Derek looked at Scott and me, nodding.

We nodded back to him.

Derek walked away.

I looked at Scott, walking toward Kira. "Hey, Kira."

Kira turned back to me in confusion. "What is it?"

I handed her the stone I had kept. "Take this. Believe it or not, it has some revelance to Kitsunes."

Kira looked at it in confusion. "What is it?"

"Ask your mother," I told her. I walked away, walking toward Derek. "Have I ever told you that I extremely glad you always seem to cheat death?"

Derek smiled, wrapping his arms around me. "Love you, too, Tara. I'm glad you're okay."

"You too," I told him.

Scott looked at us, smiling a small smile, walking away.

I went home with Derek and Braedan, ready to go home to the loft in Beacon Hills and get some actual sleep for the first time in two days.