THE HUNGRY MERMAID. ❪ Brett Talbot ❫ ✓

fourteen

Scott's dad ruined his plan. There was already a slim chance of it working, but it could have worked. In the end, Jiang and Tierney got shot in the head, and they died. Zia and Brett were devastated. Zia barely knew them, but they were connected through Brett's connection to the deceased Satomi. Brett lost too many people in the fight, and the fight had barely begun.

The students at Beacon Hills High School suffered a rash of hand injuries. All of the students had bloody white bandages wrapped around their hands.

In class, Nolan was staring at his exam paper. He looked up and saw Mason carrying an armful of blankets down the hall. He followed him.

In the parking lot, Mason dumped the blankets into the back of Lydia's car, then got in. Nolan watched as Mason pulled away from the school. He followed Mason at a close distance. Nolan was being too obvious. Mason was trying not to laugh.

Liam, Theo, Brett, and Zia were waiting for Mason at the entrance to the zoo. They unloaded the car. Liam reassured Mason they would be alright. He reluctantly left the zoo. Even though Brett and Zia weren't part of Scott's pack, they still chose to help out. Brett wanted revenge for the lives of his pack members, but he knew he couldn't rush into the fire. Scott was glad to have all the help he could get. Plus, he trusted Zia and Brett more than he trusted Theo.

They were luring away the hunters, so that Chris, Malia, Lydia, and Scott could safely break into Argent Arms International, but it wasn't working out so well.

Only Nolan followed Liam, which was according to the plan, but then only two other hunters showed up. All of them were supposed to show up.

"Where are they?" one hunter asked.

"Inside the zoo. They're all here," Nolan answered. He looked at the two hunters "It's not just the two of you, is it?"

"What do you mean just?" the hunter asked.

Nolan exhaled erratically. "It's not just a pack, okay? There's an alpha and a banshee - They're all here."

The second hunter looked around. "I don't see all of them."

"I don't see anyone," the first hunter agreed.

Nolan was nervous. He was telling the truth, but he needed them to believe him. If they didn't, he was as good as dead. "I-I saw Theo, Liam, and Brett, along with the other girl bringing a car full of food and supplies right here! There were at least seven sleeping bags, okay? They're here! They're all here!"

Zia quietly gasped. "I have a name," she muttered. "Am I always going to be nicknamed the other girl? I should really start introducing myself to people."

Brett rolled his eyes, grabbing the back of her hoodie and pulling her away from the boulder. "I think people knowing your name or not is the least of our problems."

Zia pouted. "No, it's not."

Liam sighed from the boulder they were hiding behind. "It's just Nolan and two other guys. This isn't going to work," he whispered defeatedly.

"Where's the backup? I mean, shouldn't there be, like, twenty of them?" Theo asked.

"I mean, they only saw us, and they're not gonna believe Nolan," Liam exasperated.

Theo nodded slowly. "Okay..." he drawled on. "Then, they have to believe us." He shouted, "Isn't that right?!"

"Why are you yelling?" Liam whispered.

"You got a problem? Oh, that's right, you always have a problem!" Theo shouted.

"What the hell are you doing?" Liam whispered.

"Shut up!" Theo shouted, punching him in the face. "Yeah, you see that, Scott? Your little beta can't even take a punch."

A lightbulb went off in Brett's head. "You've always had a problem with me, Dunbar! You've always been so jealous of me."

Theo looked at Brett with a smirk.

"Hey, over there..." one hunter said.

Things turned out slightly more serious than it was supposed to be.

Liam bent down slightly and tried to calm down. "Okay, I get it. But, did you actually have to punch me?" he whispered.

Brett stepped forward and hit Liam on the back with his face, forcing Liam to face-plant into the dirt and onto his chest.

"Told you they're here!" Nolan exclaimed.

"You sure that's all of them?" one hunter asked.

"See what I mean, Scott? He's only good in a fight when he's angry. So, let's see how angry he gets." Theo growled with a smirk on his face. He was enjoying it too much.

After almost ten minutes of pure fighting, the three hormonal boys finally decided to call it quits. They were bloody and heaving, while Zia was watching them in worry. The three looked like bulldogs that got thrown into the ring.

"Are you done? Or should we keep going?" Liam asked.

"We gotta call for backup," a hunter said.

Theo nodded. "I think they're sold."

"You ripped my t-shirt!" Liam exclaimed.

Theo threw his hands up in the air. "He - " He jabbed a finger at Brett " - ripped my jeans!"

Brett grinned. "You can afford new ones."

Theo was panting heavily. "Besides, you broke my nose! - twice! It healed, you broke it again. Two times!" he exclaimed to Liam. "And he snapped my arm!" he exclaimed about Brett.

Liam punched him in the nose once more. Theo's head flew back and he groaned. "Three times I broke your nose," Liam corrected.

Zia slightly hovered over Theo. She pursed her lips, then shrugged and retreated to Brett's side. Her old wound from cutting a patch of her flesh was healing slowly. It didn't hurt anymore, but it looked disgusting.

"We gotta go, guys," Zia said. "They definitely bought it, and we're in for a world of hurt."