For Good | Hale- TO/TW [8]

4 | She is Gone

A wolf prowls the forest of Beacon Hills, a coyote by her side. Both have relinquished their humanity in an attempt to get the mission done.

They, for once, have a common goal. A common motivating force that moves them through the dark trees. The death of someone they once knew. Someone who can never be truly forgotten.

The trees loom over them as they prowl over uneven earth. Fresh dew is in the thick air as they walk through the setting fog. Leaves crunch underfoot and twigs snap. Each crack makes the animals more alert and more dangerous.

A howl rips through the leaves, causing both animals to pause. It is the howl of an Alpha. Another howl accompanies the other: two Alphas trying to find their family. A third howl joins, completing the trinity: an Alpha, Omega, and Beta. 

The wolf turns back, her head tilting to the side. The coyote just growls a warning. Neither moves.

The wolf narrows her eyes at the fog approaching them. She stands before the coyote, teeth bared. Through the shadows, both animals can make out others: two wolves and a werewolf. One wolf is grey. The other has a grey streak accompanying his midnight fur, like a shooting star in the night.

The wolf sprints in the opposite direction, leaving the coyote to yelp and run after her. The others chase them through the woods.

The wolf turns sharply, scurrying into a small cave. The coyote runs in after her, hiding behind the red-eyed black wolf. They wait in the musty, mossy stone hideaway while the leaves break outside.

The werewolf runs by first, her blue eyes like beacons in the dark. She smells of the unchecked wild. The twigs that break underfoot run away from her, afraid of the look in her eye.

Next, the grey wolf with red eyes sprints past the hiding spot. She checks every spot but the tiny hole they hide in. Each grain of dirt bounces off her legs as she runs.

Finally, the black wolf with a grey streak over his body pauses next to the cave. He sniffs the air, his scent of forest mixing with cherry blossoms.

The black wolf pounces on the other.

She snaps her teeth, tearing at his fur. He yelps and struggles to get away. She holds him down by the neck with no hope of escape. He freezes under her jaws.

He looks into the wolf's eyes, pleading and begging for mercy. Trying to remind her of who he is, what they are. Then he realizes he doesn't need to. She won't hurt him. Ever.

"Lexi," Cora yells as Laura shifts out of her wolf form. Both watch the wolves cautiously. The coyote peaks out of the den. "Let him go."

The wolf growls at them, a promise in her voice. Don't follow us, and I'll let him go.

"No," Laura barks. Panic wells in her eyes. The wolf wouldn't hurt the other. Would she? "Let him go and turn back."

The coyote pounces on Laura before she scurries away, calling for the red-eyed, black wolf. She lets go of the other wolf, following the coyote deep into the darkness.

—|—|—|—

Cora slams the door to the apartment open, her blue eyes flashing and her claws extended. She paces the length of the room as Laura and Derek follow her in. Derek shuts the door behind them.

"She's gone," Cora states, her breath coming in short pants. "She's really gone."

"Cora, she's in there," Laura says, her voice faltering. "Lexi wouldn't just give in to her wolf."

"You saw her!" The youngest wolf shouts. She raises her hand and motions to nothing. "I know that look, Laura. I know the look in her eyes. Lexi isn't there anymore."

"Yes, she is," Derek says. He crosses his arms and clenches his jaw. "Somewhere deep inside, I know she's still there."

"Oh, yeah?" Cora snaps. "Show me! Tell me where she is! Because all I saw was an animal, Derek."

"Well, for one, she's with Malia," Laura points out. "She couldn't have gone completely insane if she's with her."

"Or, it's some animal bond," Cora says, her claws digging into her hands. Blood seeps through clenched fists. The waning moon shines down into the apartment behind Cora. "Lexi is gone."

"She's looking for something," Laura reasons, leaning against the couch. "Or she's helping Malia. Lexi always has a reason. She never just goes off and loses control. Especially not after Teddy and Stella came into the world. She wouldn't do this."

"Laura!" Cora yells, her features contorting into her wolf. "Look around!" Her fangs muffle her speech. "Lexi's gone! She's lost herself! Lexi is gone!" Cora grabs onto the couch in front of her and flips it over with a scream.

"No!" Derek bellows. Cora glares at him through ice blue eyes. "She's not gone. She cannot be gone, Cora." Cora blinks, the desperation in Derek's voice triggering something deep inside her. "She can't be." His voice breaks. "We have to believe that she is here somewhere. That she left us a trail of clues or something because I can't let her go. Not again."

Cora shakes her head. "I don't want her to be gone, Derek. I know what it feels like to lose her, and I know we are all desperate. But there was no humanity left." Cora sniffles and glances at her feet. "Not even we can will a Mikaelson to feel."

"Guys," Laura breathes, her eyes on the floor. "That can't be good."

The siblings all turn their attention to the floor right under the window. It is dented, a depression manipulating the light reflecting off it. In the center, a symbol is scratched into the wood.

A spiral.

Derek slowly walks over to it, kneeling. He traces his fingers over the small symbol, closing his eyes and sighing. "It has to be her's," he says. "It has to be."

"If Lexi's off on some revenge fantasy, we can't stop her," Cora states, her claws gone. Her eyes remain vibrantly blue. "No one knows revenge and grudges better than she does."

"Why?" Laura asks as she shakes her head. "Why does she want revenge?"

"Someone must have been killed by the hunters," Derek says, looking back at his sisters. "My question, is who?"

Who was killed? You won't know until the next chapter!

Hope you enjoyed!

-L