Of Wolves and Foxes (Beacon Hills Chronicles Book 3)

24: Bad Moon Rising

Playlist:

So Cold ~ Ben Cocks

Bad Moon Rising ~ Mourning Ritual

War Part II ~ Former Vandal

It was decided that Scott, Lydia, Isaac, and Anna would give statements to the police. Chris would go with them. Noshiko and Kira took Stiles to their house and offered to give me a ride home.

I shook my head. "The loft." I was surprised I was even able to speak. "Derek... Derek needs to know. The Twins need to know."

Stiles gave directions to Derek's building. Bless him. I was so numb I barely registered I was even on the move in the car. I barely remember arriving and getting out of the car.

"Do you want me to come up there with you?" Kira asked.

"No, just keep Stiles safe." I tried to focus as I rode the elevator to the top of the building. I just wanted to leave. I wanted to go home, to mourn with Anna. I numbly opened the loft door and walked in.

"Trish?" Derek called.

I slowly turned and closed the door. I was pretty sure Derek could smell the grief on me.

"What happened?"

I didn't look up until I felt his hands on my arms.

"Is it Anna?" His eyes were worried. "Did something happen to Anna?"

I shook my head. "No," I said. "Anna's... Anna's fine. She's okay."

"Did they find Lydia?" Aiden asked.

I nodded. "She's safe. She's okay."

"Trish." Derek turned my hand over and I looked down. I didn't realize I still had Allison's blood on me.

"Allison...," I whispered. "Allison... She's..." Tears began to blur my vision and I looked up at Derek. "Allison's dead." My voice broke at that moment and Derek pulled me into a hug. I squeezed my eyes shut and sobbed. Each death in the pack seemed to be weighing on me at that moment. Talia. Josh. Mom. Laura. Erica. Boyd. Allison.

Eventually, Derek pulled away and he looked me in the eye. "I know how hard this is," he said. "I know how much this hurts, but the pack needs you now, more than ever. You're the strongest and craziest person I know."

"I don't want to be strong anymore."

"The pack needs your strength. Scott, Stiles, Lydia, Anna, Isaac, me, the Twins. We all need you."

I looked past him. He'd been working on the Twins while I was gone. I looked back at him and nodded. The pack needed their Eamonn. I walked past Derek and finished pulling the buckshot from Ethan. Derek then went behind me and cauterized their wounds, burning out the wolfsbane in the process. The pack needed their Eamonn. Their protector. Then my jaw set, the grief turning to anger. Void was not going to get away will using his new playthings to kill Allison. He was not going to get away with slowly killing Stiles. He was not going to get away with framing Derek and Chris and almost killing them and me at the sheriff's station. And he sure as hell was not going to get away with trying to kill me for seeing past his trick. I packed my med kit as Derek finished with Ethan.

"You should be fine in a couple of hours," Derek said as I zipped my bag. "Unless whoever shot you manages to find you again."

"Lydia's with Scott," Aiden said. "We need to go."