"Scott, wait, please!"

I chase after him out into the hall, desperate to amend what's fractured. He ignores me and hurriedly makes his way downstairs. The only form of acknowledgment he had spared was a slight shake of his head after opening the door, and his lack of reaction was unbearable.

"Scott, please," I openly plead as we descend the steps to the first level of the house.

"Leave me alone, Jac," he counters, almost irritated.

Malia, Mason, and Theo were all making conversation in the living room, but fall silent as they pick up on Scott and I's combined rapid footsteps and my urgent tone. They eye us curiously, unsure of what was occurring in front of them.

"What's going on?" Lydia asks, concerned. Her tone is hushed despite her worry, as she's considerate of the chimera still sleeping in her lap.

Neither of us stops to answer her or explain anything to the others. I can't even think about slowing down as Scott throws the front door open and marches outside. I follow him, both of us stepping out into the dead of night. The most illumination we get is from the growing moon above us, but I can't take that as anything helpful.

Scott heads for his bike, revealing he had no plans to stay and talk things out. Unable to let him drive off with this being how things ended, I reach for his shoulder to pull him back.

"Scott-"

He whips around, bringing his arm up to shove mine off of him. It's not entirely forceful, but the action is so abrupt and unlike him that it leaves me in a brief stunned silence. All I'm able to do is stare, taking in the fire in his eyes directed at me.

"You lied to me," he grits out.

A dull ache sets into my body as his tone seems more hurt than rageful for a moment. I didn't want that. I didn't want any of this. This was exactly what I feared would happen and tried to prevent, yet it was happening anyway.

"How long?" he asks.

Impatiently, Scott watches me. His jaw is wound tight as he attempts to suppress his rising temper. The gravity of the situation, my silence, and the temptations of the waxing moon above do nothing to help him.

"How long?!" he repeats fiercely.

I meet his gaze shamefully, the residual tears from before gathering in my eyes once more.

"Since we came back from La Iglesia," I whisper.

Scott's face drops at my confession. His frustration seems to disappear as utter betrayal takes over. There's something that shifts in the way he looks at me then, and I want more than anything for it to fade.

"You've been lying to me for months?" he breathes out.

I take a step forward, reaching for him. Scott takes a step back.

"Please, Scott, don't be mad," I beg helplessly. "I didn't do it to hurt you."

"What else are you lying about?" Scott asks, unbothered by my plea.

His question brings forward memories from the operating theater; the pain of the Dread Doctor's practical torture and prodding. I had hidden that from him, too, but couldn't bring myself to tell him about it now. How could I?

"Nothing," I counter pathetically.

Scott scoffs. "I don't believe you."

His eyes harden the more he looks at me, as if he's turning to stone and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

"I knew something was different, I - I knew there was a reason everything was falling apart," Scott murmurs to himself, but he's close enough for me to hear him perfectly.

The insinuation of his words sinks in, and my guilt lessens. In fact, the more that I thought about all that we'd been through this past month, all of the death and agony that had settled over us, I felt my own frustrations grow.

"You're not seriously blaming me for all of this, are you?" I question him.

"I warned you what would happen if we tried to tempt fate," he replies instantly, quoting his own words from the night of the bonfire last semester.

I debate with myself on how to respond. Scott's not thinking clearly and he has a right to be upset, but I also couldn't handle standing here while he pinned this on me. 

My internal contemplation is cut short by another person joining us.

"She's not the problem," Liam sneers.

I turn around, finding him standing only a few feet away. His eyes are focused solely on Scott, narrowed with anger. The rest of his body's rigid while his hands shake at his sides, balled up into fists. Any type of contempt I had felt for Scott immediately became insignificant.

"Liam, go back inside," I order him tensely.

He doesn't submit to my instructions and approaches Scott.

"You're the problem," he all but growls at his fellow wolf.

"Liam-"

"Everything that's happened is your fault," he seethes, ignoring me. "You're the Alpha. This is because of you."

I remove myself from Scott, stepping between him and Liam to create a makeshift blockade. I take Liam's hands into mine, forcing him to control himself with me beside him. He wouldn't allow his temper to reach new heights if it meant accidentally hurting me. The moon wasn't that powerful. Not yet.

"Stop," I urge him softly.

Liam finally looks away from Scott, focusing on me. His heavy breaths begin to slow, though, I can still feel the heat of his anger. It makes me lace my fingers with his, doing my best to ease his frustration in any way I could, not wanting his urges to get the better of him. 

The moon that would reveal itself at the end of this month was not ordinary. It was a supermoon. It's the sphere's closest orbit to Earth, which meant any creature controlled by it would go through hell. A werewolf's bloodlust would be piqued. Their urge to maim and kill would almost be uncontrollable, not only on the night of the full moon, but also on the days leading up to it. 

With Liam's IED, I wouldn't be surprised if it was already egging him on a week ahead.

I turn to Scott, finding him already watching us. His eyes are focused on our joined hands, and he almost seems sick to his stomach to witness such a thing. He averts his gaze and places his back on us, going toward his bike once more.

"Scott," I called out again, desperate for things not to end like this.

He doesn't reply or even look my way again. He simply starts up his bike and pulls out of the driveway, heading off in some random direction beyond our knowledge.

"He just needs time," comes Theo's assuring voice.

I find him nearby, observing us with a sympathetic expression. My attention doesn't linger on him for long as I notice other figures over his shoulder. On the porch of the McCall house, I find a full audience. Malia and Lydia watch with shock as the scene before them, their eyes glued to Liam and I's hands, while Hayden and Mason give us pitied frowns. They knew this was the last thing we wanted.

My heart wants to beat itself out of my chest as I come to terms with what's happened, and how I wouldn't be able to undo any of it.

"Why don't I take you guys to your place instead?" Theo suggests, brave enough to break the silence. I'm beyond grateful for his guidance, though, I'm only able to nod numbly in response.

He moves to help Mason put Hayden in his truck, but I remain in place, staring at the darkened street where Scott had disappeared; where one of the only real brothers I'll ever have left me in the dust.

---

A new day was on the horizon, but I couldn't find it within myself to believe it brought any good. The air was still and damp, too muggy for optimism. There had been an intense downpour last night that left the town soaked and gray. It was the universe telling me that the storm I had been fearing, the one that was all-consuming, was finally upon us.

I sat in the doorway of the entrance to the loft's roof, watching as a residual drizzle masked the rising sun. I had been here for hours at this point, staying up through the night to keep watch over my friends. 

We brought Hayden here as Theo suggested, not wanting to risk her sister getting involved by going to her own house. Mason stuck around, too, and even Brett and Lori joined after they heard us trudging up the stairs. It was the most pathetic sleepover ever, but I was glad for their company. I wasn't in the right state of mind for a fight, if it would have to come to that.

Footsteps to my left take my attention from the outside world.

Liam climbs the stairs from the main level, entering the bare-bones kitchenette. He stops to study me, probably taking in the sight of darkened bags under my eyes. He moves a second after, coming to sit on the floor with me, opening his arms with a wordless offer. I accept, sliding across the vinyl tiles to press my back to his chest, allowing him to hold me close. His arms felt like enough protection against all that threatened us.

He doesn't say anything for a while and neither do I. The silence is easier, and it's nice to pretend that the world beyond us didn't matter. But, unfortunately, it did.

"I'm sorry if I made things worse last night," he whispers eventually.

"It wasn't your fault," I reply instantly. "The supermoon is getting closer, it'll be harder for you to control your anger."

Liam's arms tighten around me. 

"Especially if I see Scott," he mutters. 

I shift in his grasp, moving to face him the slightest bit. His brows are drawing near and his jaw is clenched as his temper rises.

"It's affecting him, too. That's not fair," I say, sending him a lecturing look.

It didn't matter how upset I was with Scott, I couldn't bring myself to actively speak ill of him. I also didn't want to increase any type of friction between him and Liam. With the supermoon coming, there was a significant amount of room for error. If either of them lost control, it wouldn't be pretty for any of us. I needed to get in front of that.

"Right, because he was fair to you last night," Liam retorts dryly. He's only irritated now, but I could imagine things taking a drastic turn.

I remove his arms from me, moving to face him fully until I'm practically in his lap.

"Liam, I need you to think clearly," I plead. "This moon isn't like the others. You won't be able to ignore it. Your bloodlust will win if you lose control for even a second, I've seen it."

The supermoon was a force of nature. It didn't care about obligations or morals. If Scott or Liam lost sight of that, if they tricked themselves into thinking they could be exceptions, they'd already succumbed to its power.

"If you let the moon take over, I can't stop you," I continue.

"Yes, you can. I've seen you fight, you can totally take me," Liam smiles amusedly. I'm unable to mirror his amusement.

"No, Liam," I say hoarsely. I take his hand into mine, guiding it toward my chest. I lay it over where my heart resides, allowing him to feel what only beats for him.

"I can't stop you," I repeat with deeper conviction.

I would never hurt him, no matter what it meant for me.

Liam's humored expression slips into one of sobering agony. I hate to cause him distress, but I also needed to make my point.

"Do you understand?" I press.

He nods somberly as he reaches for me again, pulling me close to hold me again. 

"The only thing that matters now is keeping Hayden safe. We'll deal with Scott later, he... he just needs time," I say, repeating after Theo. I had no idea if he genuinely believed what he said, or if Scott would ever forgive us, but I didn't want to wallow in self-pity forever.

"They're gonna come for her, Jac. Just like they did with Tracy and Lucas," Liam says warningly. Our fight was far from over.

"I know, but that doesn't change anything. I'm not losing either of you again," I reply. 

He and Hayden being taken by the Dread Doctors was a bitter reminder of how the foes we faced would stop at nothing to gain an upper hand. They could take all that I cared for without batting an eye, and they could do it easily. I could lose them like I had lost so many others, and I wasn't sure I would be able to handle that again; being beaten down by my grief. 

"Then you won't," he vows with a delicately crooked smile. Though, despite that, his eyes are still clouded over as his darker thoughts attempt to eat away at him.

"At least Mason knows about us now," I say, trying to lighten our situation.

Liam's gaze slips from mine, and his smile dips into a frown.

"Everyone knows," he adds dejectedly.

I place my hands on either side of his face, lifting it so he would look at me again. I caress his skin softly with the pads of my thumbs, wishing my touch could be enough to draw all of his worries away.

"Good," I say without hesitation. "I don't want to hide anymore."

Liam smiles once more, this one pure and radiant. It's enough to make me never want to exist in the shadows again, his light far too tempting. He deserved to be seen, and I was done with pretending I didn't want to proudly claim him as mine. 

Whatever came now, no matter what irreplaceable damage was done, I would bear it. I would always bear it for him. 

~

||| A/N |||

9 MORE DAYS TILL THE TEEN WOLF MOVIE. 

<3