Rekindle The Flame || Stilinski || Book Four || WATTY's 2022

Twenty-Seven

ALL DAY, COREY AND MASON KNEW THEY FORGOT SOMETHING.

Their run-in with the ghost riders didn't make much sense otherwise. Why would they show up to the library, stand on the second floor, and then just leave? From what the two remembered, the cowboy myths looked like they were gripping onto a rope, or a whip.

Mason's deduction? They had erased someone.

This led the two sophomores to the front office where Mrs. Martin worked. She declared that all absentees were accounted for, and no reports regarding missing students occurred. Her refusal to go into more detail sent them out the door and into the hallway. More than once, she stated the high school needed to stay a safe place--away from werewolves and supernatural occurrences.

She already felt drained having to explain the Beast as a large bear, and Scott's red eyes as a sign of a hallucination syndrome that didn't actually exist. Mason and Corey, as well as her daughter and the seniors, needed to focus on passing their classes.

A trip to the sheriff's station also brought nothing but another dead end. Parrish tried to shoo them away the second he laid eyes on them. He wanted all of his attention to go towards the body found at the high school.

For once, it didn't involve shape shifters, resurrected eighteenth century serial killers or his hellhound counterpart. It was a straight forward, robbery-homicide; despite how the man was bludgeoned to death and shoved in an air duct. So, reminding Mason that he already had his official statement, Parrish told them to go back to school.

Not wanting to give up, Mason turned to Liam. He stood beside his best friend in the locker room, watching him clean his lacrosse locker.

"They must've had someone up there," he stated stubbornly, thinking of the ghost riders. "I mean, it's the only logical explanation."

Liam glanced at him, hanging up his shoulder pads. "How do you know?"

"Logic," Mason replied, making Liam roll his eyes. He shrugged his shoulders. "And Corey has a hunch."

"What, is that a chameleon thing?" Liam couldn't hide his scoff. He wore a smirk as he commented, "I thought all they could do was disappear."

"Corey just wants to help," Mason reminded the werewolf. The words felt familiar in his mouth. It seemed like on a daily basis he had to convince Liam that his boyfriend wasn't a bad guy.

Liam set down his jersey to address the situation properly. "Where was he when we were fighting a nine foot werewolf to save you?" he questioned. From what he could recall, Corey only brought more problems after being resurrected from the dead. He almost ruined the plan to rescue Lydia from Eichen House with his other chimeras and let Mason get taken by the dread doctors. Not to mention, Corey allied himself with Theo a lot longer than necessary.

Mason didn't hesitate to answer, "There was a time where we all trusted Theo, including you." Memories were ready to spill from him, regarding how Theo tricked Liam into attacking Scott.

"I'll trust him when he does something trustworthy," Liam decided. Then, his voice grew sharp and he narrowed his eyes to a spot against the wall. "Unlike right now, when I can hear his heart racing from across the room!"

Instantly, Corey stepped forward--revealing his hiding spot. "What about Hayden?" the chimera didn't miss a beat, Mason sighing in disappointment. "You forgave her, no problem."

"She almost died that night trying to stop Sebastien," Liam defended his girlfriend, marching over to stand in front of Corey. "All you did was hide."

Corey shot back, "What was I supposed to do? You and Hayden have claws and fangs."

Mason felt the tension rising between the two and stepped in. "Liam, look," he caught his best friend's attention first. "It's not like chameleons are the apex predator of the animal kingdom. All Corey can do is disappear."