YOUTH || Liam Dunbar [1]

EIGHTEEN

Katherine dabbed at the area beneath her lashes as her and Melissa walked into the morgue where the others in on the plan were waiting. "I still hate this plan," Melissa breathed shakily, looking at Kira's mother.

"Me too," Katherine grumbled.

"It's pretty significantly terrifying, he looks dead." Melissa's voice cracked at the end of her sentence, and she wiped her eyes again.

"Your acting was amazing, Kat," Stiles breathed. He pulled her in for a tight hug. "Screw the FBI, Hollywood is bowing down to you as we speak."

Katherine exhaled shakily, closing her eyes as more tears rolled down her cheek. "Who said I was acting," she muttered. "I hate this plan and I never should've agreed to it. It's stupid."

"Give me your hand, Katherine," Kira's mother murmured.

Melissa and Katherine looked to Stiles, who nodded. "It's okay," he murmured comfortingly.

Katherine nodded and did as she was told, and Noshiko pressed it to Scott's chest. She closed her eyes and pursed her lips, inhaling sharply when she felt the single, faint heart beat. "Oh thank god," she breathed.

Melissa let out a sigh of relief, and Katherine lifted her hand off. Liam immediately grabbed it. "Is that enough to keep a werewolf alive?" Melissa asked, an relieved smile on her face.

"Enough for an Alpha," Noshiko confirmed.

"How much time do we have?" Melissa asked.

"Forty five minutes," Noshiko answered calmly.

"What happens after that?" Katherine whispered, inhaling sharply.

"I bring him back the same way," Kira breathed.

Melissa tilted her head to the side. "No, I mean what happens if he stays like this longer than forty five minutes?" She looked at Stiles, waiting for him to answer.

"Will it just be harder for Kira to wake him up?" Katherine piped in, sniffling quietly.

Liam hesitantly wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her into his side. Katherine curled into his side, still shaking and sniffling from the show she'd been forced to put on.

She was scared — worried for Scott's life for the umpteenth time — and wanted comfort. Liam and Melissa seemed to be the only two people who realized that.

Aside from Stiles.

"No one's told you yet?" Noshiko asked, her voice full of astonishment.

"What," Melissa cut in. "What happens after forty five minutes?"

Noshiko pursed her lips and fixed her daughter a glare before looking back at Melissa and Katherine. "He dies."

•••

"Is that supposed to look like that?" Liam asked, pointed at the fuzzy section of the many boxes on the computers. The security camera on the roof had been taken out.

"No, not it's not," Stiles grumbled.

Katherine shuffled over to where he was and slid her glasses on. She squinted her eyes and typed in a couple things, then shook her head. "Someone took the camera out," she frowned.

"Where is that?" Kira asked, leaning closer to the screen.

"The roof," Katherine sighed. She took off her glasses and wandered into the bathroom to put in her contacts as quickly as she could. When she came back into the room, the three were arguing.