exhale || martin

deux

Sudden, sharp, intakes of breath startled Lydia out of the dazed stupor she'd been in. The sound came from the chest of the petite girl she'd discovered three nights ago, at that ridiculous carnival the pack had pushed her to attend. The only reason she hadn't declined their offer was the odd gut feeling twisting her stomach the nights ahead of the event. Now, she was glad she had decided to show up - this girl seemed like she needed help, and Lydia had the most medical experience after volunteering at the hospital a few weeks ago to ease her mind.

If only she had gotten to Allison in time too.

The strawberry-blonde could only stare at the lithe ravenette before her, who's crystal-blue eyes had opened rather slowly. Almost as if she wanted to absorb every new piece of what was going on around her. Her cheeks were beginning to flush pink again, a good sign. It guaranteed she wouldn't slip back into a coma and never wake up. Her heart was pumping enough blood to keep her alive. "Where am I?" Words rolled off the female's tongue thickly, heavy with sleep, yet tinged with an uneasy edge. Lydia only shrugged, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"Beacon Hills, California." She replied, her own voice laden with exhaustion. Hers was not caused by running miles through a forest and passing out from injury, however. It was deeper, as if it were rooted deep in her soul. After losing Allison, Lydia was certain she would never be rid of it. She would be weary and sorrowful for the rest of her life. The girl snorted, yet she didn't sit upright. So this girl was smart. She knew she needed to be checked for a concussion before she sat up and moved around.

Or maybe she was just lazy.

Nevertheless, she seemed well enough to talk. "I know what city, I did run here." She responded vaguely, as if she knew none of them would buy that excuse. Lydia wasn't. She was sure that this girl hadn't come here for the hell of it. "What's your name?" Lydia asked tiredly. She didn't feel like questions today. She didn't feel much of anything at all. Her companion for the day only rolled her eyes, obviously not having any of this. "Lara Grace Rosita." She answered, and Lydia was grateful that she hadn't been stubborn or pushy. She couldn't handle that attitude today.

"Alright, Lara, thank you." She told her courteously before standing up to call Scott. "Wait." The girl called after her. Lydia turned, emerald eyes narrowing at the pale-skinned beauty laying in the bed. She didn't tell her, but they were at the Yukimura's house right now. Kira had generously offered her home for the girl to recover in. She was sure Kira felt guilty for the death of Allison. Lydia didn't blame her - some pack members felt a lot of resentment towards her at the moment. Lydia was trying her hardest not to make her friend feel guilty.

She wasn't sure she was doing the best job.

"Could you...not tell people about me? Just for right now...I need to keep a low profile." Her eyes were wide and full of desperation, the sort that told Lydia she should definitely do what the girl told her to. She sighed, and then nodded. "I can. But not for long." Lara exhaled a sigh of relief, now looking rather joyful. "Thank you so much." Lydia just turned back. "Anytime." She whispered.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Lara Grace had not moved in the fourteen hours the strawberry blonde had been gone. She felt awful for not taking the time to learn the girl's name, but to be fair, both seemed liked they were in distress. She also still felt that strange jolt in her soul when the girl was nearby. Like there was a rope made of steel tying her heart to hers, but when she left, her whole chest ached.  She had no idea whether she liked that sensation or not. Finally, a knock on the door sounded, and her heart leaped. 

"Come in!" She called just a tad enthusiastically. Deflation was obvious on her face when it was a boy who pushed open the door to the room. "Hello, Lara Grace." His words were warm and he was smiling, but she couldn't help noticing how it seemed stretched and forced, and the light wasn't reaching his eyes. "Hey..." She replied uneasily, gently sitting up in bed to get a better look at him. Where the emerald-eyed girl's sorrow had seemed soul-deep, this boy's sadness looked like the kind you felt in your heart. Where you knew you still had to keep going on through life, and were trying to. The other girl looked ready to give up. 

"My name is Scott, and I'm sorry if you feel really confused, but we can't take you to the hospital. My mother is a doctor." He reassured her, brown eyes wide with a mixture of apology and concern. He shouldn't feel upset for her, and she was sure he knew this. If he was friends with the girl, he should be more concerned about her. "Why can't I be taken to the hospital?" She asked him, but she was sure she already knew the answer to that. He must sense what she was. She couldn't tell who he was, however - her powers did not extend that far. "Lara, there is something unnatural in your blood. Or rather, supernatural." He confirmed her suspicions.  

"Yes, I am aware of that." She snapped at him before taking a deep breath. That was unfair to the boy. He looked sad, and felt awful for adding any more pain to his day. "I'm sorry, I just feel really stressed out." He nodded kindly at her, walking to sit beside her. "I understand. We are going to help you, okay?" Lara raised an eyebrow at him, a small smirk lifting up the corner of her lip. "We?" Scott laughed before nodding again. "I might have forgotten to mention I'm the alpha of a Pack here." Her eyes widened in shock. "That's incredible." She didn't let on to her own supernatural abilities. That would come in time. 

"Thank you so much." She gushed, a grin breaking out across her face. For just one moment, she thought she saw him flinch, like watching her smile hurt. Nostalgia rippled over his worn features before he managed a weak smile back. "Of course. We protect those who....who cannot protect themselves." He replied distantly. With that, he stood up, coughed out a 'see you later', and left her to rest.