Beacon Hills 1983

Chapter 8: Time with Talia

(Teen wolf)

"Where have they gone to?" Taylan demands, furiously.
"An alpha meeting." Talia replies in her calm, usual monotone. "Your mother has merely accompanied mine."
"No..." He laughs. "Don't give me that Bullshit. This can't be some kind of ordinary 'meeting." He adds on, running his fingers through his hair.

"It's not." Talia says, to our surprise.
There's a pause, and silence, while Talia contemplates whether to tell us the truth or not.
She clears her throat, and begins again.
"It's not an ordinary meeting. There's been a rumor going around, about an omega. A turned-wolf. Well, some say it's a wolf... others think it's... something else."
"Another supernatural creature." I blurt out, thinking about what that Argent was talking about.
Talia turns to me. "Yes. A shapeshifter, like us. But they aren't quite sure what it might be. Or who. They think it's a high school student."
"So there's a new threat to the people of Beacon Hills." Taylan thinks out loud.
"Who turned him... or her?" I ask curiously.
"We don't know."
"So what does Mom have to do with it? She's not an alpha." I then say.
"I'm not sure Nes. But I think your mom is going as my mom's witness."
"Witness meaning... to prove aunt Bev didn't turn that kid?"
Talia nods.

Taylan stares at his cereal. "Where is this meeting taking place?" He asks, still looking at his bowl.
"Oh would you give it a break Mr. Paranoic?" Says the young voice of Talia's ten-year-old brother, Peter Hale.
"Peter, go to your room." Talia says firmly.
"I don't remember Mom leaving you in charge." He says back. Talia stands up and folds her arms, looking at him sternly.
Suddenly he appears to be nervous, "You're right, she probably did leave you in charge."
He quietly walks back up the stairs.
"You realise he can still hear us, right?" Taylan points out. Peter is a werewolf too, with super- hearing just like the rest of us.
"Well he's not going to hear anything else, because I've already told you everything I know."
I listen carefully to her heartbeat. Its steady... no jumps... no stops. She's telling the truth.

"So we're just going to wait for them to come back?" Uncle Ed's son, Atticus Hale asks.
"Yes..." Talia says slowly, "Although, I don't know when that might be."

We sit in silence, for the rest of breakfast.

▪ ▪ ▪

I spent all day lying on my bed, trying to fall asleep, or distract myself with some other thought besides the whole 'alpha meeting' thing.
And then suddenly, it came to me.

His hair is long, curly, and dirty blonde. Mesmerising eyes, the colour of cold, blue, aqua ponds, flutter at me. His sweet, pink lips reveal a sparkling smile. A warm hand drags its fingertips up my arms... and rests on my cheek. The heavy scent of smoke runs up my nose, as he leans in, a second away from my face, to plant those sweet lips on mine. He kisses slow, and soft. My fingers twirl his curls.

I open my eyes with terror.
Did I just... No... no way.
My claws are out, my heart beats fast.
"Shit!" I whisper loudly to myself, and spring to my feet. I pace my room while taking deep breaths.
Inhale. My claws go in. Exhale. My heartbeat slows down.
The chair at my dressing table is empty, inviting me to sit on it and have a pep talk with myself in the mirror.
"Nes. What is wrong with you?" I ask my reflection.
"You better get your shit together, Nes." I point to my own chest in the mirror.
"Under no circumstance, whatsoever, will you ever think about Billy Hargrove like that again."
I nod to myself.

A knock on my room door nearly gives me a heart attack.
"Nes?" Talia calls.
I quickly lie on my bed, and try to "act natural".
"Come in."
She opens the door and gives me a sunny smile.
"I heard you had a fight with your sister today."
I roll my eyes and move a little bit to the side to make space for Talia to sit.
"Just like every other day whenever she's around. You know, I'm not trying to fight with her, I'm tying to bring her closer to us. She's a part of our family, but she always disregards us, like we're- like we're animals." My blood boils with anger.
Talia gently puts her hand on my back, instantly draining away all that heat.

"Emel has some, understandable issues. Sometimes she takes it out by being rude- which I know you hate. But, maybe you need to try and put yourself in her shoes. How would you treat us if we were your family, and we were stronger, faster, could hear better, see better..."
I try to imagine what life would be like without my abilities, but it's almost impossible. Only now I realise what Emel must really be going through.

"And imagine how you would feel, watching your whole family being able to do these things that you will never be able to do. They're the closest people to you, but you can't share your feelings with them. They have what you can never have."
I feel extremely guilty now, for all those times I picked fights with Emel.
We sit in silence for a while, as I gather up my thoughts.

"You could've come to save Taylan and I. But you sent Emel instead."
She smiles and nods.
"How did you know she'd actually come for us? And not... You know. Leave us in there."
"Because I think you and I both know that even though she pretends to be an outsider, she's still a Hale. And Hale's will do anything for their family."
"You wanted her to feel like a true part of the pack, didn't you?"
"Well, I saw this as the best chance, considering when your mother is around she never lets Emel near werewolf situations."
I laugh softly and nod.
"Mom's pretty tough."
"She is quite. But only because she loves all of you, and wants you to be safe." Talia says, as she puts a hand on my cheek, then stands up to leave.
Just before she exits, she turns around and says, "Think about what I told you. Speak to Emel. Tell her you're sorry."
I nod, and then she leaves, with her little smile.