On My Own | Hale - TVD/TO/TW [4]

17 | Need a Guardian

Covered in soil, Lexi stomps up the stairs to Derek's loft, coughing as she goes. Dirt falls off of her in flakes as she finally makes it to the apartment, the door already open for her.

Inside, three Alphas—the twins and Kali—lie dead on the ground with glass covering the floor. Jennifer stands in the middle of the room with her hands on her hips while Derek and Cora kneel with a very terrified Lydia.

"What have you done?" Lexi demands ruffling her own hair as her eyes flash red.

Jennifer turns with a smirk. "Was wondering when you would get here."

Derek looks between the women as he slowly stands, positioning himself in front of the teenagers. Before Lexi does much, she runs her puffy eyes over Derek and the girls before turning back to Jennifer. "You snap my neck and bury me alive?!" Lexi yells, her voice echoing off of the brick walls. "You know, the last person who—"

"Buried you alive was your father, I know." As Lexi goes quiet, Jennifer crosses her arms. "It's amazing how easy it is to get into a vampire's head when they are trying to get out of a grave."

Lexi's glare hardens. "What's all this?"

Jennifer looks around. "This is for you."

"Me?"

"Well, I should say for us." The smirk drops off of Jennifer's face. "For anyone who's ever been their victim."

"Stop talking like a politician," Lexi snaps. "I've met enough of them to know their promises are meaningless. Stop trying to convince me of your cause! I cannot help you."

The brunette clenches her jaw. "Fine. What about Scott's cause? Or, even better, what about yours?" Lexi huffs and narrows her eyes. "You have been an Alpha for a thousand years. You are a protector, Lexi. Deucalion is the exact opposite. You help me, and you can save Scott's mother, Stiles' father. Hell, I'll even throw in the Argent."

Lexi unfurls her fists. "How?" She notices Cora's intense gaze but tries to ignore it.

"I need a guardian," Jennifer says as she steps forward. "That's a role that can either be filled by the three parents I was forced to take. Or by you."

"I don't know if you've heard, but I haven't exactly been a guardian recently. I killed a pack—"

"We both know that it's because you are a guardian that you killed that pack," Jennifer says as she shakes her head. "Other people wouldn't understand, but I do. We both make sacrifices for the people we love. All I need is for you to help me get Deucalion in the right place at the right time."

"You just killed three Alphas on your own," Lexi says as she looks at Kali's motionless body. "Why do you need me?"

Jennifer sighs, adjusting her body so that she can look back at the group of supernaturals in the corner. "You have seen Deucalion at his strongest, Lexi. I'm no match without the guardians."

Lexi shakes her head. "I made a promise, and I never break my—"

"You saw what I can do to Alphas." Jennifer's voice grows hard, slicing through the air like Lexi's claws. "What do you think I can do to them?"

Fear flickers through Lexi's expression when she glances at the group. "I'll kill you before you can lay a hand on them."

"I don't need a hand. Just a second."

"Don't listen to her." Cora jumps to her feet with wide brown eyes. "Lexi, you know you can beat her. Don't trust her."

"Cora, sit down," Lexi orders, flashing her blue eyes. "Now is not the time."