ᴀꜱʜᴇꜱ - ꜱᴛɪʟᴇꜱ ꜱᴛɪʟɪɴꜱᴋɪ

𝟙𝟞

Sam cleared his throat awkwardly, shuffling as everyone looked at him expectantly. He was in Deaton's office's part of the clinics, with Allison, Scott, and Stiles sitting on chairs as they waited for him to explain.

"I should probably clarify; I don't exactly know what I am," He started, bouncing on his heels nervously as they waited. Sam really needed to get back home - his parents were bound to be slightly worried even after the quick text he had shot them - plus, he had decided that he needed his mania medication before he decided to do something stupid again.

"What are the marks on your back?" Scott finally asked, breaking the short silence.

Sam frowned, his hand instinctively going to his back as he ran his fingers over the lines and ridges. "I felt something back there, but I didn't know it was something."

Deaton came up behind him, and after a nod from the boy, he pulled the top of the shirt down ever so slightly, looking closely at the skin.

After a second, the doctor pulled back away and nodded. "It's Latin."

"What does it say?"

"Bird of fire." He finished, looking like he was deep in thought, eyebrows furrowed together.

Sam remembered the picture in Ms. Morrell's office, the dark silhouette of the bird with the shapes of flames surrounding it.

"Deaton?" Allison questioned, the man snapping out of his trance and changing the subject.

"Do you know why Derek is after you?" Deaton asked.

"Well, I have a theory... but it sounds crazy."

"Trust me; nothing sounds crazy anymore." Stiles chuckled, Sam biting his lip and forcing himself to relax before he continued.

"Well, so far, I know that my best friend, her name is Alex, is dead, but not really dead because I can see her, well, could. But she wasn't alive when I was born - she was already dead. I think. Right now, she's not here, though. I don't know where she is. All I know is I think she's with someone; she kept whispering their name."

"Sam, I need you to tell me." Deaton carefully worded, his eyes confused and slightly sad. "What was the name she was saying."

"Charlie. It was Charlie."

The man's eyes widened, and he quickly turned to his desk, rummaging through a few doors as Sam looked at the three teenagers next to him confused - only to find two of them in a bewildered state and one of them deep in thought.

Deaton's finally pulled something out of his desk, an old picture. He turned it to Sam - the boy going closer to make out the details of the slightly worn photograph. He stepped back suddenly, his gaze frantic as it went from the photo back up to the person holding it.

"That's..."

"Alex," Deaton confirmed. "Alex Brantley. And her partner, Charlie Hale."

"Hale," Allison breathed out, nodding her head as she realized. "That's why he was probably after you. He knew you knew her."

"How could he see her, though?"

"His alpha vision, it lets him see her," Deaton confirmed. "Sam," The veterinarian said. "You've seen yourself, haven't you. With the flames, the wings, the eyes."

His head snapped as his eyes met the older's, his breathing growing increasingly rapid. "How do you know about that?"

"Because I helped Alex through it when we were 17. It's how I became introduced to the supernatural world. Talia found us and helped her; it's how she met Talia's younger sibling - Charlie."