North Starr

76

Theo grabbed Lydia and placed his claws to her neck.

Tracy growled at Parrish and began running toward him. She attempted to thrust her claws into his stomach, but he threw her against the wall. Valack plunged a trepanation needle into the back of Theo's thigh.

Valack grabbed Lydia and turned to leave. He rushed out with them and Stiles and Melanie stepped in front of them to block them. "Hey! Lydia! Lydia!"

Parrish threw a flaming Corey, knocking Stiles and Melanie back, and allowing them to get by. Stiles managed to roll Corey off and chased after Valack and Lydia, but was stopped by a locked door.

Stiles and Melanie turned and tried kicking the door to run after Lydia and Valack and heard Theo say, "Let me try. You're not gonna find her without me."

"Stiles. Melanie," Theo called again. "I want her out of here, too. I've got her scent."

"What do you want?" Stiles and Melanie snapped.

"What's the difference?"

Stiles scoffed. "Huh."

"I can find her. You two can't." His eyes glanced over to a vent that had steam blowing from it. "It leads to the tunnels, doesn't it?"

Stiles nodded. "There's miles of them. They could be anywhere by now."

---

Lydia was screaming in Meredith's mind. Meredith turned to Scott. "She doesn't have much time."

"What's happening to her?" Scott asked in a worried tone.

"She's being consumed by her power. Dr. Valack thinks it's worth it if she can answer the question."

Scott raised an eyebrow. "What question?"

"Who is the Beast?"

"She can answer that?"

Meredith shook her head. "Not yet. Not until the screams in her head are loud enough to kill her."

Scott instantly panicked. "How do I get to her?"

"You can't. You won't be able to get past the Mountain Ash. But someone else might be able to."

"Who?"

"The Hellhound."

"You mean Parrish?"

Meredith nodded. "Find the Hellhound... and he'll find the Banshee."

Scott removed his claws from Meredith's neck, but not before hearing one last whisper. "Save her."

The door opened to reveal a very large muscular guard staring at Scott before falling down to reveal Liam with a fist in the air. "Oh! Is he out?"

Scott nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay," Liam said before collapsing.

---

Stiles frowned at Theo. "I thought you had her scent."

"I lost it."

Stiles and Melanie's eyes narrowed. "So find it again."

"What do you smell down here?"

"Chemicals and fecal matter," Stiles shot back. "Although, I'm pretty sure the fecal matter is you."

Theo rolled his eyes at Stiles' insult. "I smell it, too. It's all that I can smell. Which is why I'm trying something else. So can you shut up and let me concentrate?"

"Melanie and I are gonna find her."

Theo shook his head. "You know you won't, Stiles. You're going to have to trust me."