CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE:
BRIGHT RED

     "BUT ISN'T DANNY STILL IN the hospital?" Cora asked as they walked out of a classroom as the bell rang.

     "Yeah. That's where we're going right now." Stiles nodded his head.

     "I'll meet you there." Scott told them.

     "Why?" Elaine asked and Scott quickly turned to show her the text he got from Allison. She nodded her head and they all went their separate ways. They made it to the hospital and Elaine and Stiles entered Danny's hospital room, going through his bag.

     "Danny, you awake?" Stiles whispered, slapping the boy only to get no response before slapping him again, jumping in surprise when the boy let in a breath of air. "Wow!"

     "What are you doing?" Danny mumbled.

     "I'm not doing anything, Danny. This is just a dream you're having." Stiles stated.

     "Are you going through my stuff?" The boy drowsily asked.

     "Right, but only in the dream, remember? Dream. Dreaming."

     "Why would I dream about you going through my stuff?"

     "I don't know that, Danny, okay? It's your dream. Take responsibility for it. Shut up and go back to sleep." Stiles lightly snapped, earning an amused smile from Elaine. Stiles pulled something from Danny's bag, going through it before handing it to Elaine.

     "Danny-boy, you might've actually found something here." Elaine mumbled before the two quickly exited the room. That's when Elaine's phone ran, quickly answering it and putting it on speaker phone when she saw it was Scott.

     "Deaton's got to be at one of the six locations, but they're all over town. I don't know how we can get to all of them fast enough." Scott informed them.

     "Well, we might not have to. Danny was doing a project on something for Mr. Harris' physics class, and I think it actually means something." Stiles told him.

     "What project?"

     "Something on telluric currents." Elaine answered.

     "Did you say currents?"

     "Yeah. . .?"

     "Meet me at the clinic." Scott told them before hanging up.

━︎━︎━︎━︎━︎

     "Okay, so what does this kid's homework have to do with finding Deaton?" Cora asked. Elaine, Lydia, Scott, and Stiles all stood around the table inside of the animal clinic, Elaine having showed the rest of them the project Stiles had found.

     "Because it's not just homework, okay? It's a project on geomagnetic fields. They flow through the earth. They can even be affected by lunar phases, all right?" Stiles answered her. "Now, look at this―︎this is a note from Harris on Danny's proposal."

     "'I strongly advise you to choose another topic. The ideas here, while innovative and thoughtful, border on pseudo-science. Not suitable for class.'" Lydia read.

     "Now, check this out―︎Allison's dad wasn't the only one with a map, all right? Danny had one, too. Danny marked all the telluric currents, okay? Now, the weird thing about Beacon Hills is that it actually is a beacon―︎you wouldn't believe how much energy flowing through the earth is around this town."

     "Stiles, look. They match!" Scott quickly pointed out.

     "All right, there's three places, right? Where they're kidnapped, and then the place where their body was found." Stiles told them.

     "Look, that's right on the telluric current." Lydia quickly pointed.

     "So, maybe where he was sacrificed is somewhere in between?" Elaine suggested as Scott circled places on the map.

     "Let me see that. You said there's six more bodies to be found. Deaton's one of them. Gotta be somewhere in between, right?" Stiles asked, but Cora quickly placed a hand over his, stopping him from going any further.

     "Stop." The group all looked towards her, watching as she moved Stiles' hand across the map. "He's in the vault―︎the same vault."

     "Guys, hold on―︎"

     "Lydia, we don't have time." Scott argued, going to walk out.

     Cora looked up from the message she had received. "It's Boyd. The plan didn't work. They cut the power."

     "It's just like he said." Scott mumbled. "Go. I can save Deaton myself."

     "I'm coming with you." Elaine argued. "He's my boss too." Scott nodded.

     "What? Scott, what about us?" Stiles frowned.

     "Cora can't get there fast enough without you. Go. We can save both of them." Scott urged before he and Elaine quickly ran out. Elaine hopped on her brother's motorcycle as he quickly sped off. The two arrived at the first national bank, quickly going inside only to find the vault open. The quickly ran in, only to find Deaton hanging there from his hands, not moving. The tow went forward only for the mountain ash circle to reveal itself, sending them both to the ground.

     "No." Elaine shook her head. That's when Scott stepped forward, pushing his hands against the barrier as much as he could before he was ultimately sent backwards. That's when the sheriff appeared.

     "Scott, let me give it a shot." He pulled out his gun, and quickly shot the rope, sending Deaton to the ground. The two carefully went over to him, sitting him up against the wall, and luckily he was okay.

     "How'd you find us?" Scott asked, looking towards Noah.

     "The vials in the clinic with the Celtic symbols on 'em? I knew that one of 'em looked familiar." The Sheriff answered, pointing to the symbol on the floor.

     "Sheriff, thank you for being one hell of a detective." Deaton smiled, breathless.

     "You bet. Let's get you an ambulance." He stood up and walked away.

     That's when Deaton grabbed onto Scott. "Your eyes were red! Bright red!"

     "How's that possible?" Scott frowned.

     "Paramedics are on their way! I'll be back in half a minute." Noah told them before walking away again.

     "It's rare―︎it's something that doesn't happen within a hundred years. But, every once in a while, a Beta can become an Alpha without having to steal or take that power. They call it a True Alpha. It's one that rises purely on the strength of character, by virtue, by sheer force of will." Deaton explained.

     Scott looked at the man for a moment. "You knew this would happen."

     "I believed." Deaton nodded. "From the moment I knew you were bitten, I believed."

     "You're not the only one." Scott mumbled, but that's when Deaton shook his head.

     "No. Deucalion isn't after Derek―︎he's after you."

━︎━︎━︎━︎━︎

     Elaine sat there with Stiles, looking at Cora as she stared out of the window, the rain falling down making clear dots appear on the glass, telling them a story of Derek when he had been younger. Her arms were crossed over her chest. "They were there for two days, waiting. Hiding. That's what we're taught to do when the Hunters find us―︎hide and heal."

     "Okay, so, is two days standard, then, or are we thinking Derek's on, like, some extended getaway?" Stiles questioned.

     "Why do you care?" Cora asked, turning her head to look at the boy.

     "Why do I care? Let's see, because, over the last few weeks: my best friend and girlfriend tried to kill themselves; their boss nearly got ritually sacrificed; a girl that I've known since I was three was ritually sacrificed; Boyd was killed by Alphas. . . I―︎do you want me to keep going? 'Cause I can, all right? For, like, an hour." Stiles told her, Elaine glancing at him as he expressed what had happened the past few weeks through paces.

     "You think Derek can do anything about that?" Cora asked, walking forward.

     "Well, since he's the one everyone seems to be after, it's more like he should do something about it, yeah." Stiles nodded his head.

     Cora shook her head. "I don't know. . . There's something different about him now. He wasn't like this when I knew him."

     Elaine cocked her head slightly before curiously asking, "What was he like?"

     That's when Peter spoke up. "A lot like Scott, actually. A lot like most teenagers―︎unbearably romantic, profoundly narcissistic, tolerable really only to other teenagers."

     "So, what happened? What changed him?" Stiles questioned.

     "Well, the same thing that changes a lot of young men. . . a girl." Peter answered, making Stiles and Elaine exchange looks with one another.

     "You're telling me some girl broke his little heart? That's why Derek is the way he is?"

     "Stiles." Elaine narrowed her eyes at him.

     "Do you remember Derek, before he was an Alpha, had blue eyes? Do you know why some wolves have blue eyes?"

     Stiles shrugged his shoulders. "I just always thought it was, like, a genetic thing."

     "If you want to know what changed Derek, you need to know what changed the color of his eyes." And then, Peter told them. A girl by the name of Paige, one who hadn't fallen for Derek immediately but instead, overtime. He had been a sophomore, as had Paige who had been simply trying to play the cello when she heard a group of boys playing with a basketball in the hallway. Of course, Derek was amongst them.

     Stiles interrupted the man's story. "Okay, so if Derek was a sophomore back then, how old was he? How old were you?" He then frowned, looking at Peter. "How old are you now?"

     "Not as young as we could have been, but not as old as you might think." Peter answered.

     Stiles huffed. "Okay, that was frustratingly vague." He then looked towards Cora. "How old are you?"

     "Seventeen." She answered.

     "See! That's an answer. That's how we answer people!" Stiles exclaimed, earning an amused smile from Elaine.

     "Well, "seventeen" how you'd measure in years. . ." Cora started.

     "All right, I'm just gonna drop it. What happened to Derek and the cello-girl?"

     "What do you think happened? They were teenagers―︎one minute, it's "I hate you, don't talk to me," the next, it's frantic groping in any dark corner they could manage to find themselves alone for five minutes. Their favorite dark corner was an abandoned distillery outside of Beacon Hills." Peter answered with the simple shrug of his shoulders.

     Elaine then furrowed her eyebrows. "All right, hold up―︎how do you know all this? You just said that they were alone."

     "Back then, I wasn't just Derek's uncle. I was his best friend, his closest confidante. That's how I know." Peter answered. He then started to speak about how Paige had asked why Derek had liked him, and Derek had told her the truth, just as she had him. Peter then went on to explain how they had been forced to quickly leave, and not moments later a group of alphas had infiltrated the place. The same group that had Deucalion and his other members in it along with the other alpha's packs. Before it had been those five. But the twins hadn't shown up to join them just yet. Peter had walked up over to the window, his finger tracing that of the symbol that the alpha pack had left once before. He showed it to the teenagers. "Our mark for vendetta."

     "Man, you guys really take that revenge thing to, like, a whole new level, don't you?" Stiles asked.

     "It's not just revenge. Losing a member of your pack isn't like losing family―︎it's like you lose a limb." Cora told the boy.

     "They wouldn't even let him see the body." Peter mumbled, talking about Ennis and how he had demanded to see the body of the pack member he had lost. But Sheriff Stilinski wouldn't allow that no matter how hard the alpha tried.

     "Yeah, so, I don't get it." Elaine spoke up, causing Peter to glance at her. "What exactly does this have to do with Derek?"

     "Everything." Peter answered. "It's never just a single moment; it's a confluence of events. Personally, I looked at Ennis' circumstances, and I saw a profound loss. Derek saw something different. He saw opportunity."

     Stiles frowned. "Opportunity? To do what?"

     "Be with her." Peter answered. "The thing was, he had this constant fear. He was obsessing over it, thinking about it all night, all day―︎always on his mind. The fear of her finding out what he was. And the more he thought about my words, the more he wanted her to change. I kept telling him not to do it. Every day, the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. You know teenagers. . . I bet he even blames me! He's probably convinced himself the whole thing was my idea―︎"

     "You're the one that put it in his head that the bite was gift? Why am I not surprised?" Elaine mumbled. Cora turned to the two. She started to explain to them about the Emissaries, what they did, the druids that had been in contact with the wolves over the years.

     "They keep us connected to humanity. But, they're a secret, even in the pack―︎sometimes only the Alpha knows who the Emissary is. Derek and I had no idea about Deaton."

     "Or his sister, Morrel." Peter added.

     Elaine's eyes widened slightly, and Stiles' mouth fell agape. "She's an Emissary, too?"

     Peter nodded. "For the Alpha Pack."

     "I literally spilled my guts out to that woman." Elaine spoke in disbelief, her arms crossed over her chest.

     "Our guidance counselor? Why the hell don't you people tell us any of this stuff, huh? We shared some really intimate details with her!" Stiles exclaimed.

     "And did she give you good advice?" Cora asked the duo. They shared a look with one another before they both nodded their heads.

     "Actually, yeah."

     "That's what they do. That's what Deaton used to do for Talia." Peter told them. The man then was quick to explain what it was that had happened to Paige. How Deucalion had chosen Ennis to go and find the girl, make her a part of the pack.

     "Ennis? Why would he choose him?" Cora frowned.

     "Why not?" Peter answered. "Ennis needed a new member for his pack. Paige was young and strong. Doing a favor for Derek meant Ennis would be in good with Talia―︎back then, everybody wanted to be in good with her."

     "He doesn't remember it was Ennis, does he?" Elaine mumbled.

     "If he does, he keeps it to himself."

     "So, then what happened? Did he turn her?" Stiles questioned.

     "Almost." Peter sighed. "He came at Ennis―︎ a fifteen-year-old boy against a giant. There was no reason for him to fight. She'd already been bitten."

     "So, did she turn?" Cora questioned, Stiles grabbing Elaine's hand upon seeing the heartbroken look that had crossed the girl's face.

     "She should have. Most of the time, the bite takes. Most of the time. . ."

     "When you offered it to me, you said, 'If it doesn't kill you. . .'"

     "If." Peter emphasized. "He asked, 'What's happening to her?', but he already knew the answer. It didn't matter that she was young and strong. Some people just aren't meant for this. But, she fought. She struggled desperately, trying to survive. . ." With Peter's next words, Elaine closed her eyes. Derek was the one to put the girl out of her misery, the one to take her life, because that's what she had wanted. "I remember taking her body from his arms, to the woods. . . to a place where I knew that it would be found. . . Another in a long line of Beacon Hills animal attacks."

     "And what about Derek?" Elaine whispered.

     "Taking an innocent life takes something from you as well. . . A bit of your soul. Darkening it, dimming the once brilliant golden yellow to a cold, steel blue. Like mine." Peter answered her before he got up and walked out of the room. That's when Cora spoke up, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Stiles.

     "What? What's this―︎what's this look on your face?"

     "What look?" Stiles frowned, making Elaine turn to look at her boyfriend. She noticed the look too.

     "The kind of look that makes me want to punch you." Cora answered.

     "Oh, my God―︎you are so Derek's sister, I forgot." Stiles muttered.

     "Well, what's with the look?"  Cora raised her eyebrows expectantly.

     "I just don't believe him." Stiles answered, making Elaine frown slightly. "All right, in Miss Blake's class, we're reading Heart of Darkness, and it's in first-person, right? Narrated by Marlow. The thing is that he's an unreliable narrator. You know the details of it have changed, you know, just because of his perspective."

     "Well, then we heard the story from Peter's perspective." Elaine told him.

     "Right, and I don't think we got the whole story." Stiles told them.

     "So, what? Are-are you just gonna ask Derek about the girl he fell in love with and then killed?" Cora asked in disbelief.

     "If I have to? Yeah."