Sirens (Theo Raeken) [1]

Effulgence

I jerk the wheel sideways, just narrowly evading the lightning bolt that sets the street ahead ablaze with white light.

I slam on the brakes and recompose myself. It's just lightning, I tell myself. Draping my hands back over the wheel, I take a deep breath and press my foot on the gas. The car lurches forward into the darkened street and I almost miss my turn.

This street is lighter; illuminated by the lights of the cars pulling into Beacon Hills High's parking lot. As I get closer to the school, I groan as I see that all the closer spots are occupied. I pull in to one of the spaces on the outskirts of the lot and wrap my jacket closer around me before opening the door to brave the cold.

I scurry through the rain, keeping my head down and the hood of my jacket up. I move towards the sound of the people. There's commotion about a hundred metres ahead, but the rain masks what is happening and who is involved. Groans emanate from the happenings ahead. A fight?

I start moving faster now, even though my heels and the puddles on the ground are probably not the safest combination. A glow of blue like the effulgence of glow sticks shines through the curtain of rain. Something draws me to this violent clashing, even though something about it doesn't seem normal.

And it isn't. The monster that stands before me is doused in thick, foul-smelling liquid and his eyes and nails glow like a blue beacon. But what unnerves me the most is the razor sharp teeth that jut out over his lips.

I recognise the others who are fighting back. Scott and Kira, both in a few of my classes. Scott's eyes are lit with golden light while Kira brandishes a badass looking sword. Claws extend from their fingers and they swipe at the blue-clawed thing but it no victory.

In a lame attempt at helping, I pick up the thickest branch I can off the wet ground and propel myself forward. I can see the confusion in everyone's eyes as I charge at it. I probably look like a half-wild dwarf on stilts, but in my head I am depicted as a fierce warrior. I try to ignore how stupid this is as I use all my strength-not very much-to swing the branch over the monster's head. Someone screams a sign to stop.

My branch breaks in half. I shriek and back away, but not before the creature's claws rake across my collarbones and down to my chest.

For a second everything is silent, but then I start screaming and falling to the ground in agony while the other-stronger-fighters get up again and try to assault the thing. A figure appears through the rain and as his features become clearer, I realise he is like Scott. I'm in awe of my complete lack of badassery as he jumps off the wall and goes at the blue-clawed creature. Although this move is probably the most awesome thing I've ever seen in my life, the boy gets tossed aside unceremoniously.

I watch in horror as the blue claws stab upright into Scott's chest area. A normal human would be dead by now, but with a shock start, the realisation that he is not human hits me. He starts making choking sounds and sputtering blood. Three more people come through the rain, but I am too focused on what is happening to Scott to care.

I can feel something change, a shift in power, as Scott lets out an inhuman growl and grips the monster's arm. He twists it and I hear the crack of bone snapping even from metres away. The monster, clearly seeing who the alpha of the fight was, shied away and groaned in pain.

"I don't know who you are, or what you thought you were going to do, but I'll give you a choice: you can stay and I'll break something else, or you can run," Scott says to the creature.

"I'd run," a voice says over the rain. Stiles Stilinski is flanked by a girl in a few of my classes called Malia and a younger boy who I've seen around school but never talked to.

The creature musters up the last of its strength and scurries off into the night, leaving a trail of blood behind it.

I feel sort of forgotten as the others recollect the members of their group and face the new boy. I would be offended, but I could totally understand why they would forget about me dying in the corner because of the totally hot boy in front of them. Even I seem to forget that I'm mortally wounded as I gaze upon that immaculate face.

"You don't remember me, do you?" Well, fuck. Even his voice seems to be made from choruses of angels singing. "I guess I look a little different from fourth grade."

Scott raises his eyebrows. "Theo?" Theo smiles in way of an answer.

"You know him?" Malia asks.

"Used to," Theo says. "Trust me, I never thought I'd see you guys again. Couple of months ago, I heard about an alpha in Beacon Hills. When I found out his name was Scott McCall, I just couldn't believe it. Not just an alpha, but a true alpha."

"What do you want?" Scott asks.

"To come back to Beacon Hills. Back home with my family. Because I want to be a part of your pack," Theo says. I can't understand half the things they are talking about so I sort of just slump against the wall, my ears boring into the conversation.

After holding Scott's steady stare, the boy flees as fast as he came.

The group's attention turns to me now. "What are you doing here?" Malia asks.

"I...uh... I don't know how to explain it. I felt sort of pulled to it like a-aargh." My voice trails into a groan. There's blood everywhere; on my shirt, on my hands. My vision is blurring and the sounds around me seem to be tinny and spoken through a microphone.

Scott is at the front of the group and his eyebrows are furrowed in concentration. "What are you?"

"An alpaca. What the fuck do I look like to you?" I hiss through my teeth. "I'm human."

"You don't look like a human," Stiles declares and it's at that point I realise that they're all looking expectantly at the place where my hands rest.

Hesitantly, my gaze follows theirs. Where my nails should be are long, black talons with a razor sharp point. My vision starts to flicker on and off.

I only have enough time to utter a somber "shit" before the world folds in on itself.