Part of the Pack (Daniel Sharman)

Find an Anchor

I signed happily. That was probably the best thing he could've possible said to me at that moment. "Daniel, you're so sweet," I told him. "You really are as cool as you seemed on my laptop screen."

He laughed. "I try," he responded.

Smiling, I leaned my head on his shoulder. We sat in comfortable silence for a while, just listening to the crickets outside and the hum of the electricity generator.

"We should probably go back upstairs," Daniel said, breaking the silence.

I nodded, getting up off the couch. "Daniel," I started, making him turn to look at me.

"Yea?"

"Thank you."

He laughed casually. "For what?"

I crossed my arms and stared at him. He threw his hands up in surrender. "Okay," he said, smirking, "you're welcome."

I grinned and we made our way back through the cellar and up the stairs. Daniel pushed open the double doors and we are once again engulfed by the sounds. The lights once again flashed in our eyes, making me squint in the brightness, the change of lighting making me cringe.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out. The screen said iMessage, Muse. I clicked on it and read,

Where did u and Daniel go??

I quickly responded, telling him that Daniel took me to the man cave in the basement. He responded with a smiley face, telling me he was in the lobby with T Pose.

"Let's find Hoechlin and Dyl!" I screamed to Daniel. "Muse and T Pose are in the lobby."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "T Pose?"

I shrugged. "Hey, I like the way it sounds, okay?" I said defensively.

He smirked, nodding slowly. "Okay, right." He put a hand on my back and guided me through the crowd, making our way to the bar. We looked through the whole crowd, searched the whole dance floor, and circled the bar six times, but we couldn't find Dylan or Hoechlin.

"Where the hell could the possibly be?" Daniel shouted to me, running his hands through his curly brown hair.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Maybe you should check the bathroom?" I suggested, pointing to the sign that said "Restrooms," and pointed to a set of doors. He looked at me uncertainly. "I'll be fine," I reassured him, turning him toward the bathroom.

Daniel nodded. "Stay here. Don't move, you could easily get lost." And then he ran off, weaving through the crowd.

I leaned against the bar, where the bartender, who looked suspiciously like Ian Bohen, came up to me and said, "And what would the lovely young lady like this evening?"

I started to say a beer, but stopped when I realized all I had was credit cards. And since we snuck Muse in, I didn't want my name on record, or my name being traced back to me being here. So instead I shook my head. "Can I just get a water please?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure?" Then his expression turned to pure suspicion. "Are you over 18?"

I laughed a little, not sure if I should be flattered or insulted by the question. "Yes, I am."

He nodded. "Okay, whatever, that's tour choice." He filled a beer mug with water and slid it down the counter to me. "What's your name?" He asked, coming out from behind the bar counter to join me.

I stepped away a little, frightened. "Um," I started, my voice hitching in my throat.

He smirked, but it looked a little...off. "It's okay," he said, moving yet another step closer to me, "I'm safe."

And that put me over the edge. My heart was now pounding and I was frantically looking around for Daniel. Should I risk getting lost in this insane crowd, or should I risk getting... whatever'd by this guy?

His breath tickled my cheek and he cornered me against the counter and the wall. "If you want tell me your name, then I'll just have to-"

But he didn't get a chance to finish. Because strong hands clamped around his arms and effortlessly threw him off me, sending him flying forcefully into the bar counter twenty feet away.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, SIR?!" Daniel screamed, spitting the word 'sir.' His voice was louder than all of the music and all of the screaming combined. The look of pure fury and hatred in his eyes made me back slowly away.

Daniel had brought Hoechlin back from the bathroom with him, and he grabbed my arms and yanked me far away from Daniel and the bartender.

"Let's get out of here," Hoechlin said, dragging me through the crowd and pulling me forcefully through the doors. He led me into a parking lot, in the chilly, beautiful night air.

"Better?" He asked, his loud voice echoing in the sudden silence.

But what I saw didn't make it better. What I saw was Dylan, lying next to a car, his eyes closed, his arm twisted awkwardly under him, his chest not moving like it should be.

I slowly stood up, not sure if I was seeing this correctly. I walked toward him, my steps growing faster and faster until I was full on sprinting. I was screaming his name, trying to get through the mob of police officers huddled in a circle around his body, lying limply on the cement.

I caught sight of a distraught Tyler, screaming and trying to push past the officers to get to Dylan. Tears streaming down his face in buckets, wetting his entire shirt. Muse stood next to him, in a sort of trance, not able to move.

And then it all happened at once.

At the moment, my mind was racing, my vision was spotted and blurry, my ears rang loudly, and the rest of the world was shut out. My heart was hammering uncomfortably in my throat and the rest of the night seemed to be crumbling around me.

I felt Hoechlin shaking my shoulders, but I couldn't feel anything else. My heart was empty and my mind was full of the deepest darkest thoughts. I was panicking. Majorly panicking.

I remembered a Teen Wolf quote about how to control the shifting. You have to find an anchor. I felt my body writhing on the spot, but I was held upright by Hoechlin. Hoechlin. I had found my anchor.

I stared at his face, my chest aching with the pounding of my heart and my mind feeling like it was going to explode. I stared into his cloudy, deep green eyes, then moved my gaze down to his lips. I watched them move in slow motion, trying to make out what Hoechlin was saying.

COME ON, TESSALYN! I screamed at myself. FIND YOUR ANCHOR AND BRING YOURSELF OUT OF YOUR PANIC ATTACK.

And then, all of a sudden, my mind completely focused on Hoechlin's words. And then, all of a sudden I could hear his voice.

"Tessa."

My name on his lips, trying to talk me out of it, eager anxiousness filling his words.

"Tessa."

And then everything came back into my head. The screaming of Tyler, and now Muse, and the police officers shouting orders. The roaring sounds of the music coming from the doors, people flooding out. Hoechlin's voice saying, "Tessa," over and over again.

I finally slowed my heart beat and my breathing and immediately collapsed into Hoechlin's arms, wrapping my arms around his waist as tightly as possible.

"Tessa, are you okay?" He asked gently, rubbing his hands up and down my back.

All I could think to say was, "Thank you, Hoech. Thank you for being my anchor. For getting me through that attack."

And when he pulled away and smiled at me, I felt like nothing had happened.

Lost in the unusual sight of a smile on his face, I felt safe again. Pulled back to life. Until Dylan's body came back into my sights.

A/N* Another shoutout to infinite_fandoms_ thanks for all the support! Luh ya guys💜❤️💛💚💙