Instinct

Epilogue

Kirsten jumped when she heard the cellar doors clang shut. The underground safe house she'd set up many months ago was empty now, devoid of life. There was only her and Eric Bradley left, and the only reason that he was here, she suspected, was because he didn't know where else to go.

From what he'd told her, once the riot police showed up and gassed the place people had scattered. Some had been unlucky enough to get arrested, and for a wolf that meant something more than jail, they knew. In all the chaos they'd lost Stephanie. They'd lost everyone.

Eric hadn't said much of anything since it had all gone down, and it wasn't just because he was in physical pain. Kirsten just didn't know where to go from here. They had no one, they had nothing, and the world was being turned on its head as they spoke. It was utter anarchy.

So when she heard the cellar doors, she fought the flight response that was telling her to run and hide. Despite losing everyone, there were only certain people who knew about this place. She just hoped it was one of them that were coming down into the basement-level building.

Eric had stiffened beside her, eyes pinned on the door. When it opened and three people stepped through, Kirsten could have kissed someone.

"Kirsten?" Daniel asked uncertainly, casting his eyes about the abandoned room. "Where is everyone?"

She got to her feet, knees a little weak. "I don't know who's left or... or what happened to anyone."

Diana was the last to stride into the room. She stood back, shoulders hunched, arms crossed. Daniel's grey eyes were deep with anguish.

"And- Stephanie?" he asked.

"We don't know. We lost her too. Like Kirsten said: everyone," Eric replied.

"Well how are we going to find them then? What are we going to do?" Daniel asked.

His voice was frantic, as if he was already searching for an answer that he wouldn't be able to find. Eric shook his head. Kirsten felt his temper flaring. She was too late to stop it from erupting.

"We don't know!" Eric yelled. "Jesus Christ don't you think we've thought that ourselves since we've been sitting here? Unlike you we were actually here. There's no way to magically find them if anyone's even still alive and free."

Daniel surged forward, matching Eric in anger. "Don't pretend like you're the only one who knows anything here, we're all trying – and it's not like you have to deal with the repercussions of this, you're a goddamn human!"

"Hey!" Kirsten snapped, stepping between them. "Come down off your high horses the both of you."

"We've got to get out of the city," Caroline interjected. There was an edge of panic in her voice. "This is the worst place to be, we've got to get out of here."

Diana stood; face impassive, by the door.

"You know what? Fuck you for thinking that you're somehow making it up to her or something by deciding to care now," Eric bit out. "You don't get to take back what you did to her just because the guilt ate at you for long enough."

Daniel snorted. "What? And you threatening to kill her did any good? You don't get to be an innocent party in all of this."

"I said knock it off!" Kirsten repeated.

"I sent her away from Vermont, I didn't send her to her death," Eric retorted.

"I know that!" Daniel snarled. "I know what I did and it was wrong and I will say that I am sorry every day for as long as I live, and I am sorry, but I can't take it back." He took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. The tension bled out of his muscles. "I'm trying, okay? I know we're all just trying, but I need to make it right, somehow."