The Other McCall [1]

29 ~ We're Open

I couldn't sleep so at around 6:30am, I walked home to get some stuff from home. I was rummaging through my room, throwing things in my bag and I went into my bathroom to get a shower. When I got out of the shower, I just threw the same clothes back on and re-entered my bedroom to see the Kanima in the corner of my room on the roof, with its tail wound round my Mom's neck. 

"As you can see, Kayden, there's been some interesting developments lately. I think we should catch up." I looked to the other corner of my room to see Gerard sat in my armchair. I retracted my claws and Gerard laughed to himself. "Come on, Kayden, let's be realistic about who's got the upper hand here."

"Let her go." I demanded. I don't care about my curse. No one was dying. I was going to protect everyone I could.

"Can't do that." He said, pausing momentarily to add more suspense and tension in the air. "But let her live? That's up to you." 

"What do you want?"

"I want to talk."

"Let her go, and we can talk about whatever you want." I tried to compromise with him.

"I want the same thing that I have always wanted. I want Derek and his pack." His old and murky voice made me want to vomit in disgust. 

"You have them all in hiding. How am I supposed to know where they are?" I shook my head, acting like I had no idea what he was talking about.

"I think with the proper motivation, you could draw them out. And if you hadn't noticed, I now have a fairly impressive means by which I can motivate people. Why do you think I'm able to control him? Oh, you know the myth, Kayden. The kanima is a weapon of vengeance." 

"This is about Kate?" Realisation just flooded over me. My hallucinations from Lydia's party were telling me something and I didn't even know it.  

"I didn't just come here to bury my daughter. I came to avenge her." Gerard snapped. The Kanima, Jackson, dropped my Mom and I rushed over to her right away.

"Are you okay?" 

"Oh, I don't know what's happening. I don't know what that thing was or even what you are, but whatever he wants, just give it to him." She shook her head, keeping her eyes distant from mine. 

"Mom, it's not that easy." I said softly.

"Do what he wants. Just give him what he wants." She spluttered.

"I don't know if I can." I couldn't. I cared for them all too much. I couldn't just let them die.

****

I dropped by at the clinic to help Scott at work and take everything off my mind. Deaton didn't mind me being around there anyway. I think he needed the help at the clinic. We were in the back and the bell from the front door started ringing. "Do you mind going to see who that is?" Deaton asked Scott. 

He nodded but we all stopped what we were doing when all the dogs started barking like crazy. Deaton and I followed Scott to the front desk when I saw Isaac stood there, hands in his pockets and his head to the floor. "It's okay Isaac." Deaton smiled, opening the little mountain ash gate. "We're open." Isaac nodded and walked slowly past Deaton.

We went back to the dog we were working with and Isaac just watched us. I was stroking the dog to make it feel more comforted and safe. "Why does it smell like that?" Isaac scrunched up his nose. Deaton and Scott sent each other a look and smiled. "What?" 

"Scott said almost the same thing to me a few months ago. One day he could somehow tell the difference between which animals were getting better and which were not." He explained.