･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽
▎ 𝑾𝑯𝑬𝑵 𝑰𝑻𝑺 𝑨𝑳𝑳 𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹 ▎
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE ━━ broken promises & broken hearts

OPHELIA walked with Scott to his jeep. The Original couldn't help the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. Brett was supposed to call her right after practice and she hadn't seen him since she last saw him at the school. To make matters worse he wasn't answering her calls nor texts.

Scott looked over to the tribrid with a frown, "I'm sure his phone just died." He tried to assure the Original.

"He never let's it die. Incase Lori needs him or I, he makes sure it stays at a relatively good percentage so he has enough battery life to contact either one of us. Not to emotion my dream or vision whatever the hell it was is still on my mind-" Ophelia rambled in frustration.

"We'll figure this out. Right now, we just need to-" Scott began backing up only to come to a halt seeing the youngest sibling of the Talbot family. "Lori?" he asked.

Ophelia turned around seeing a frightened Lori, she hopped out of the jeep and rushed to the blonde engulfing her in a hug, Scott followed with furrowed brows.

"What happened are you okay? Where's Brett?" Ophelia asked pulling away from the wolf, eyeing her appearance for any wounds.

Lori parted her lips, "I went to your house thinking you two were there, because I may have over heard you two talking earlier.So, I called him and he didn't answer. And I called you and you didn't answer." Lori rambled. "So I came here hoping you and my brother were here but he isn't, I found this." She showed the two his lacrosse stick.

Ophelia grabbed the stick and sniffed the red liquid that littered the object. "It's his blood." She murmured. Lori nodded to her friend. Worry swarmed her body as she looked up at Scott.

The Alpha nodded, "Let's go."

▂▂▂▂

OPHELIA followed behind Lori, Malia, Liam and Scott. She looked around the forrest for any sign of the blue eyed wolf. She had thought of doing a locator spell but, since the dead pool had happened. Satomi and Hayley had asked Freya to place a cloaking spell on the wolf's pack; which the Original witch did. So, she couldn't do that, an idea popped into her head.

"The twins." She whispered to herself.

Ignoring Scott, Liam, Malia and Lori. Ophelia stood off to the side. "Permisso laca tha tar. Permisso laca tha tar." She chanted.

The four watched the Original, Liam widened his eyes and watched in awe. The beta resisted the urge to sit crossed legged in front of the tribrid like a kindergartener, and watch the red head perform a spell.

"Permisso laca tha tar. Permisso laca tha tar. Permisso laca tha tar. Permisso laca tha tar." She muttered. Flashes of the forrest ran through the Original's mind. She watched through Brett's eyes, the boy running through the woods. She watched him place a trail of his bloodied clothes for the hunter. Ophelia blinked, looking to the four. "There." She pointed to the side of the tree off to the side.

The five ran towards the tree, Lori knelt down picking up a piece of the boy's sweater alongside a bloodied arrow. "He's setting a trap."

"He's fighting back." Liam nodded in relief.

Ophelia grabbed the arrow in her hand inspecting the object, "He's still hurt." She pointed out.

"We need to find him, he needs to know we're here." Lori said to the four, Ophelia nodded.

"You want the hunter to know we're here, too?" Malia asked the teen in disbelief.

"I'll gladly rip into their throat." Ophelia gritted out.

"What if Brett howls back?" Malia asked. "He'll lead the hunter right to him."

"No, we could find him first." Scott nodded to the coyote. "There's no human that can track sounds faster than we can. And we've got the advantage, we've done this before. We know what we're doing, guys."

"How come I can't catch his scent?" Malia asked.

"He hid it." Ophelia spoke up.

"Can someone tell him not to?" Malia asked in frustration.

"He went this way." Liam ran off. Ophelia and Lori ran off after the beta.

The three came to a halt looking around for any form of tracks or blood. Malia sighed looking around, "The trail's gone."

"Uh, maybe he just stopped bleeding." Scott suggested.

"God, I think we should split up." Liam piped up. "Lori, Lia and I go this way, you guys go that way." Liam pointed to the right then to the left.

"Why can't O come with us?" Malia asked.

"He's her boyfriend." Liam remarked.

"Can we just hurry it up?" Ophelia impatiently asked looking around the forrest.

"Or maybe we go in five directions?" Lori suggested.

"We should stick together." Malia denied.

"We have the advantage, it's five against one." Liam piped up.

"Not if we split up." Malia shook her head.

"Right. I've been doing this the past three months without your help." Liam retorted in annoyance to the coyote. "I think I can make a decision."

"I can send him a message." Ophelia piped up, the pack looked over to the Original in confusion. "He'll be able to hear me. I can connect our minds together." She explained.

"Have you done it before?" Scott asked the tribrid.

"Well, no but I've watched Kai do it loads of times. I know the spell." The four nodded to the Original. Moving away from the four Ophelia sighed clearing her mind, "Vain se message sa a le main sur la vain. Vain se message sa a le main sur la vain." The tribrid muttered.

𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭.

𝐎𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚?

Ophelia parted her lips and looked to the four with a look of relief, "He heard me." She nodded to the four.

"Did it work?" Liam asked, Ophelia nodded with a smile. "Okay, we just need to-"

"If you're deciding we do something stupid and die, then go ahead." Malia rolled her eyes to the beta.

"It's one hunter, one amateur who doesn't know what they're doing." Liam argued. "And Brett knows we're coming now."

"Scott?" Malia looked to the Alpha. Scott, brushed the leaves below him revealing foot prints.

"The hunter. He's covering his tracks." Liam nodded to the foot print.

"There's two." Ophelia murmured, the three looked over to Ophelia and Lori who were off to the side beside another set of tracks.

"Two of them?" Malia asked.

"Maybe more." Scott shrugged.

"How many hunters have you seen out here before?" Lori asked the pack.

"A lot." Scott looked down.

"Still wanna split up?" Malia asked the beta with narrowed eyes.

"We just need to find his trail." Liam remarked.

"No we don't. Rock balancing. Satomi taught us. It's him, and I know where he's going." Lori smiled looking to the set of rocks that were across from them.

▂▂▂▂

THE four followed behind Lori and Ophelia, the two looked down seeing black goo. Ophelia inhaled sharply, flashes of her dream displayed before her eyes.

"He's been poisoned." Lori announced, running her fingers against the black blood.

"That's why he's not healing." Scott nodded.

"What if he only has a few hours to live?" Lori asked worriedly.

Ophelia swallowed thickly, shaking her head. "No, we can howl, we can find him." She rambled.

"That's too risky." Malia shook her head to her best friend with a frown.

"Who cares about the risk? He could be dying." Lori remarked to the coyote in agitation.

"He's still moving." Malia nodded to the black substance.

"We just need time to think." Scott breathed out.

"I'm not losing him." Ophelia gritted out, "And she isn't losing another family member, Scott. If I have to I will tear them apart." She threatened. "I will slaughter every last one of them."

Scott parted his lips at the Originals words, Liam nodded to the tribrid turning on his heel he roared. "Liam-" Malia began. The howl echoed the halls of the tunnels, as well as the packs ears.

The five hurried down the tunnels.

Lori sighed in frustration. "Why didn't he answer us?"

"Maybe, maybe, he didn't hear us." Liam voiced up, which only worsened the Original's nerves.

"Maybe he can't." Malia shrugged.

Ophelia glared to her best friend who apologetically looked to her. Ophelia sped off down the halls. "Ophelia-" Malia called out.

The Original came to a halt, "Lia no!" Scott shouted running after the Original throwing her back, Scott tripped over his footing a stake made it's way through the Alpha's abdomen.

Ophelia's heart pounded in her ears, her eyes breamed with tears. She wasn't thinking straight, and now Scott was injured. Brett was on the verge of death, Theo could be dead for all she knows and there was nothing the tribrid could do about it.

Ophelia looked to Scott apologetically, "I'm so sorry." She whispered pulling the wooden stake out, biting into her wrist she fed the Alpha her blood. He began to slowly heal, grunts and whimpers left the Alpha's throat.

"It's okay. They knew we were coming." Scott panted out.

"Don't talk, just heal, and let us figure this out." Malia steadied the Alpha.

"We still have the numbers, four-to-two." Liam nodded to Ophelia and Lori. "We're faster, and we're stronger."

"They're smarter." Scott breathed out.

"I don't give a bloody hell whose smarter." Ophelia hissed in anger standing to her feet.

"Something's not right. O, think logically." Scott whispered to the enraged Original. "That arrow, the trip wire, the poison. These aren't amateurs."

"But they've never fought us before." Liam remarked.

"And you've never fought hunters, Liam." Scott remarked.

"No, but I have." Ophelia glared down the tunnel. Lori walked next to the tribrid and nodded.

"You two aren't going alone. I'll go with you both." Liam nodded following after the two girls.

"Liam, you don't know who they are or what they're capable of. Lia, don't-" Scott panted looking between the two with pleading eyes.

"I joined your pack because you lot don't give up. Especially on innocents. And last time I checked Brett is innocent." Ophelia pointed from the Alpha, down the tunnel. "I couldn't save Allison, nor Erica, Stefan, Enzo, Finn, Boyd- I refuse to let Brett become another charm on this stupid bracelet." She gritted out, tears breamed her doe eyes, as she held up her wrist to the pack.

Scott, looked to Malia who frowned, "Okay, go, all of you. I'll catch up." He shuddered looking to the four.

Ophelia sped off, Lori and Liam following after the Original.

The three came to a stop looking around the tunnels. Ophelia narrowed her hearing ignoring the two teens. She gritted her teeth punching the wall in anger, a shriek of frustration left her throat. Liam grabbed the whimpering Original into his chest. "He's going to be okay."

"How do you know?" Lori asked her voice wavering at the end.

"Because, he's strong. He's really strong." Liam nodded to the blonde, Ophelia pulled away from the beta. "He's knocked me down on the lacrosse field more than once. Now, when I see him coming, I do everything I can to get the hell out of the way." Lori looked to Ophelia who sniffled and nodded.

"Brett actually started playing lacrosse for me." Lori admitted to the beta. Ophelia smiled softly.

"For you?" Liam asked in confusion.

"I didn't have any friends at my old school. Devenford Prep needed lacrosse players, and Brett practiced all summer. And he got a scholarship and told them that they had to take me if they wanted him." Lori smiled, sniffling at the memory.

"Hey, we're going to find him." Liam assured the two girls. The three furrowed their bows at the smell that lingered in the air, "Do you guys smell that? It's, it's sour."

"It smells like something's rotting." Lori muttered.

"The poison. Follow the scent." Ophelia looked to the two, the three took off down the hall.

The three sprinted down the hall.

"You hear that?" Liam asked.

"Brett." Ophelia muttered, speeding off down the hall.

"Ophelia!" Liam shouted.

Ophelia looked down seeing the beta laid on the floor. Lori ran forwards holding her brother's head up. "You found the rocks?" He weakly asked.

"Yeah, we found the rocks." Lori nodded.

Ophelia walked over on wobbly legs, she knelt beside the bloodied boy. "I heard you." He whispered, grasping Ophelia's hand in his, squeezing her small hand in his. "I got your message." He smiled weakly.

Ophelia nodded, tears streamed down her face. "We need to get you out of here."

"Wait, wait-" Brett shook his head, he looked to Lori who nodded sniffling. She stood up next to frowning Liam. "There's something I need to tell you." The beta wheezed silently. Ophelia shook her head, Erica.

"No." She muttered, shaking her head.

"Lia-"

"No. You tell me tomorrow. Okay?" She whimpered. "Because you're going to wake up in your own bed, and I'm going to get you breakfast, your favourite that we had during summer break in New Orleans, remember?" She asked. Brett nodded with a smile. "With your favourite blue berry pancakes, and all the strawberry pastries you can dream of. Then I'm going to take you and Lori out of here." She nodded, "We can go to Paris. I'll bring you two with me. We can see the Eiffel tower together. Wear matching berets. " Brett chuckled, coughing up blood. "Okay?" She asked, her voice cracking.

"Okay." Brett nodded weakly.

Ophelia nodded to Liam and Lori who helped her lift the wounded wolf up. "Liam, you're a dumbass for coming." Brett weakly joked to the beta.

"Oh, is that your way of thanking me?" Liam asked.

"No, that's my way of calling you a dumbass." Brett chuckled. "But, thanks."

The four looked down the tunnel seeing smoke down the hallway.

"Okay, go, I'l hold 'em off." Liam nodded to the three.

Ophelia looked to Brett and Lori who nodded, "Help, we'll meet up. Okay?" Lori nodded to the red head. Ophelia nodded engulfing the two siblings in a hug. "May we meet again." Lori nodded with a smile, to the red head who had become like a sister figure to her.

"We will." Ophelia nodded to the blonde. The two siblings ran down the hall. As Ophelia stood by Liam.

Ophelia growled as did Liam, the two sprinted down the hall hearing a shrill sound. Ophelia narrowed her eyes at the familiar silver object.

"No, no, no." She repeated.

"What?" Liam smashed the object to the floor.

"It was a trap." Ophelia muttered, hearing car tires echo through her ears. "My vision." She whispered. "BRETT! LORI!" Ophelia screamed speeding off down the hall, Liam following in toe.

Ophelia came to a halt looking up at the ladder, that led to the tunnels. Ophelia climbed the ladder quickly, "O!" Liam shouted.

Ophelia climbed out of the hole looking around, she looked up at the red stop lights. "No." Ophelia glanced down seeing her clothes covered in black blood from Brett. Turning on her heel she spotted Lori leant over Brett her eyes shut. "No, no, no, no!" She cried falling to her knees crawling over the beta's bodies.

"Brett, please." She whimpered.

Brett looked up tears streamed down his cheek as he held Lori's limp hand in his. "I'm sorry, princess." He muttered, his eyes falling heavily.

"You promised you wouldn't leave me." She cried, her chest heaved. "You promised me."

"Promises," Brett heaved. "-are meant to be broken." He chuckled weakly.

Ophelia sobbed shaking her head, she looked up to Liam, "Call Freya, call Hope, Davina-" She rambled.

"O-" Brett nudged the red head. "I need to tell you something." He said, Ophelia whimpered shaking her head, "You just need to hear it. Just once." He whispered, grunting.

"Please don't." She whispered.

"I love you." He smiled, blood coating his teeth, and lips. "I love you so much. I know you don't-" He whimpered. "-feel the same entirely. But I needed you to hear it."

"Please!" She cried out, her chest aching. "Don't leave me."

"It's okay. Promise me you won't turn it off." He pleaded. "Don't, give up. Okay?" Ophelia shook her head, "Okay?" He repeated.

"Okay." She nodded.

"Close your eyes." He weakly whispered, his eyes fluttering, his body growing weaker by the minute; shutting down. "Close your eyes." He repeated.

Ophelia's lips quivered, as she fluttered her eyes shut. Focusing on the slow and ragged beat of his heart. Only for her to be met with silence.

Liam glared at the human's who surrounded the four, he let out a painful roar.

Ophelia sobbed into the boy's chest, lifting her head up she placed her lips against his bloodied ones. "May we meet again." She whimpered placing her hand over Brett and Lori's enclosed grasp.

AN 🦋✨🧚🏼‍♀️

* Listen to the song when Ophelia finds Brett. *

Well, I'm crying. Bye.

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭, 𝟐𝟖𝟗𝟒