Forbidden Anchors

e.

"This is a bad idea." Hayden told Liam as she doubted her plan. "It's not that bad of an idea." Liam told her as they walked through the woods with a chained Theo. "This is a terrible idea." Theo's chains rattled. Theo pulled his hands up, rattling the chains that bound him again. "I told you where the generator is and how it works. I don't need to be there when it blows up." Liam pulled the end of his chain like a leash and told him it wouldn't blow up. He hated the idea of Theo in chains, but it was the only way anyone else in the pack trusted him. Theo, Hayden, and Liam discussed how the plan of them riding the lightning and catching one of them was a good idea but also a risk. Hayden comforted Liam about the risk they made pulling Theo out and the risk they're taking now. Even though she knew Liam had feelings for Theo, she still had feelings for him. She never stopped loving him but constantly tried to distance herself. Taking a leap of faith that things may have changed somehow, she leaned in to kiss him. Liam looked at her with sympathy and turned his head to the ground. Theo watched in disgust when Hayden leaned in to kiss Liam, but felt something inside of him flutter when Liam didn't allow her to make contact. He didn't understand the feelings he had been having around Liam since he was freed from his hell. He hadn't had feelings for others before; he only knew hurting others and selfishness. Liam's insides burned as he saw the sadness in Hayden's face when he turned away, but he couldn't keep lying to her. He knew he needed to have a talk with her about the situation, but with everything going on there hadn't really been any time for it.

When they got to the generator building Scott, Mason, and Corey had just finished building the cage they planned to use to catch a ghost rider. Liam undid Theo's chains; Scott shot him a warning look, but Liam trusted him and he knew he could eventually make the others trust him too. Theo walked over to the generator turning it on and explained how it works again. Mason and Corey explained the plan to Scott to be sure everything would work. How the generator would work, the lightning rod, the cage, how they'll have to get the ghost rider in the cage, and how it will hold him. Hayden volunteered to be the bate to lure the ghost rider into the cage. Liam went to object, but she assured him it would be fine. She believed in their plan. Theo was staring at Liam while they finished talking about the rest of the plan once they trapped the ghost rider. He didn't understand why he thought Liam looked so good with his hair pushed back or how his shoulders looked in his jacket or why he was so mad Hayden tried to kiss him or why he wanted to be the one to kiss him. He was just so confused, and hardly listening to anything they said about the plan. "What do you think?" Liam asked his alpha. "I think it's the best plan we have right now." Scott said in approval. "As long as everything goes as planned and he doesn't escape and kill us all." Theo spoke up from the corner. "And your transformer works and the whole place doesn't catch on fire." Hayden countered. "Let's just do it." Liam loudly said trying to stop an argument from breaking out. He wanted to be alpha one day and fighting amongst the pack wasn't ideal.

Lightning struck and the ghost rider appeared as planned. Hayden ran through the cage and they followed. Once they were in, she ran out of the other door and Liam closed it. The ghost rider turned to the entrance he came in and went to retreat, but Scott was already closing the door. The ghost rider grabbed the door and pulled back. Their strength proved to be a match as they both pulled and pushed against each other. Theo ran to help pulling on the door, but the ghost rider pulled his arm in the way. "Just keep shutting it!" he yelled to Scott. Liam heard bones crushing as the door pressed into his arm. Once it was almost shut, Liam hurried and pulled Theo's arm out. He winced as Theo yelled out from the pain of his arm being crushed. Scott roared at the ghost rider as the door was slammed shut and locked. Mason poured down the mountain ash to keep them trapped in. Liam stood in front of Theo. He felt like he had to protect him at all costs, and already felt like he was failing at it. Theo held his arm trying to heal. "It worked." Theo breathed out. "We did it." Liam smiled back at him. Suddenly the ghost rider held his hands out, electricity danced around the cage and the transformer started to get brighter. "Try to talk to him?" "Um? Mr. ghost rider?" Liam spoke quietly, obviously nervous. He cleared his throat, "Mr. rider..." Theo and Scott both gave Liam a 'you're so stupid look' for using formality. "We'll let you out if you tell us how to get our friends back." "Everyone. We want everyone back." Scott corrected. "Tell us how to get them all back." Liam spoke louder. Theo smiled at him trying to be all big and bad and demanding but to Theo he just looked like a cute little beta. What they were going to do once the plan worked and one was trapped wasn't really discussed. "Something's wrong... Why isn't he trying to get out?" Liam looked worried. The ghost rider began howling loudly and the electricity got brighter and thunder could be heard in the distance. "If we don't figure out how to talk to him we have to get the hell out of here." Scott told everyone.

Liam texted Hayden to let her and the others know that they couldn't get the ghost rider to talk. Mason realized that he was right about Parrish and the ghost riders being connected somehow and believes they can communicate. Mason called Parrish and explained what he could at that moment and told him where to come.

When Parrish walked through the door, the ghost rider stepped closer to the wall of the cage to be closer to him. "Well that's progress." Liam looked over at Theo, rolling his eyes at his comment. "Ask him how we get everyone back." Liam instructed remembering Scott correcting him earlier in their interrogation. Parrish repeated Liam's question and the ghost rider wailed loudly. "What was that?" "What did he just do?" Liam and Scott questioned Parrish. "He said 'Hellhound'" Parrish's eyes never leaving the ghost rider. "Is that a good thing?" Theo asked from behind Liam. He wanted in front of Liam to protect him, but his arm wasn't fully healed yet. Scott told him to ask again. "What do you want from us?" Parrish changed the question a bit not wanting to receive the same answer. "We are the Wild Hunt. We hunt forever. Those who hunt with us hunt forever." As the ghost rider spoke his voice echoed through the room. Liam felt extremely uneasy, "What does that mean?" "Tell us what you want." Parrish insisted. The ghost rider repeated his same spill, echoing all around the room again. "That sure clarified things." Theo couldn't help his sour commentary. "What do we have to do to get everyone back? What do you want from us?" Scott pleaded with the ghost rider. The ghost rider turned his attention to Scott. "Why is he looking at Scott?" "He figured out Scott's the alpha." Theo answered Liam's question from behind him. "No one escapes." the ghost rider recited. "If they cannot be bargained with, we will have to fight them." Scott told the two betas beside him. "I'm coming for my friends. I'm coming for everyone. I won't stop until we have everyone back." Scott threatened. The ghost rider did not look a bit worried as he just cocked his head to the side at Scott. The ghost rider turned back to Parrish and started making indistinctive noises; Parrish's eyes zoned out. "Parrish? What's happening?" Liam subconsciously stepped more in front of Theo. "Liam? Scott?" Theo wasn't sure what to do. Parrish lit up in his flames and eyes lit red; he stepped into the mountain ash breaking the barrier that held the ghost rider. "He's setting him free!" Scott and Liam jumped in front of Parrish dragging him back. He roared loudly at Liam. Theo tried to grab him to stop anything he tried to do, but his hand was burned and he was knocked out of the way. Scott and Liam dragged Parrish outside hoping to get him to come to his senses. Inside, Theo poured more mountain ash out attempting to keep the ghost rider caged.

Mr. Douglas appeared at the door. "Have you been here the whole time?" Theo looked anxious. He still hadn't fully healed his broken arm and now his hand was burnt. Since being resurrected Theo hadn't been able to heal as fast; he knew he wouldn't be able to fight Mr. Douglas alone, but Scott and Liam were busy with Parrish. "Maybe you should tell them who you really are." He stepped closer to Theo, but turned to the ghost rider. "Hauptmann." Mr. Douglas shifted and then turned to Theo; Theo tried to run but he dug his claws into his back pulling him towards the barrier to break it. "Break the barrier or I'll break you in two." Theo looked terrified and wanted to yell for help, but he knew no one could come. He wanted Liam to come running through the door way and save him; Theo had never wanted someone to play rescue, but he felt so safe with Liam. Douglas kicked Theo's foot through the ash and then roughly tossed him on the ground. Theo groaned and rolled onto his side. Theo watched in horror as Douglas and the rider fought; Douglas finally got the rider down and ate his pineal gland the same way he had done to the rest of his victims.

Theo was propped up against the cage, blood coming from his mouth with his head down. When everyone entered the room and saw the dead rider, Hayden grabbed Theo and slammed him up against the cage wall. "It was Mr. Douglas. He ate his brain?" Liam saw the tears in Theo's eyes and he knew he was telling the truth. "Scott was right! Send him back!" Hayden demanded as she slammed Theo against the cage again. Theo locked eyes with Liam and a tear fell. Liam gave Theo a look trying to tell him that wasn't happening. "It couldn't have been Theo. These murders have been going on for weeks." Mason announced to everyone. He could feel something different between his best friend and the chimera, and he was trusting his best friend on this. "Guys, his whip is gone." Liam pointed out to everyone.

As Corey walked the perimeter looking out for ghost riders like he had all night, he stumbled upon Mr. Douglas who was holding onto a whip. "Mr. Douglas? What are you doing?" Corey watched as Douglas pulled the whip out and slung it behind him, ready to use it. "Something I have been waiting to do for a very long time." Douglas's eyes turned from red to green with his new found ghost rider powers. Douglas slung the whip around Corey's neck; Corey screamed, but it was cut short by him disappearing in a green puff of smoke.