Decisions

Jennifer was already calling for Derek the second she burst through the door, her voice shaking, but not from fear-from performance.

"Derek? Derek, where are you?"

I stood in the shadows, arms crossed, every muscle in my body coiled so tightly I thought I might snap. She was good, I'd give her that. If I hadn't been there when she wrapped her hands around my throat, trying to choke the life out of me, I might've believed the breathless urgency in her voice.

But I had been there. And I remembered every second of it.

"Right here." Derek's voice was calm, measured. The complete opposite of what was brewing under his skin.

Jennifer practically threw herself at him, arms wrapping around his waist in a desperate grip. I saw Derek stiffen, his hands hovering awkwardly over her back. His fingers twitched.

I clenched my jaw so hard it ached.

"Thank God," she breathed, pulling back just enough to look up at him. "Something happened at the recital, at the school, okay? I need to tell you before you hear it- before you hear it from any of them." My fingers curled into fists.

"From who?" Derek asked, voice clipped.

Jennifer hesitated for a fraction of a second. She was calculating, searching for the right words, the right expression to get him to believe her. "Scott, Stiles, Cassandra... They're gonna tell you things-things you can't believe," Jennifer continued. "You have to trust me, okay? You trust me."

Derek's jaw ticked. "What is it?"

Jennifer stepped back slightly, shoulders stiff. "Promise you'll listen to me."

Derek's hands curled into fists at his sides. "I promise."

Jennifer exhaled, as if she'd been holding her breath, but I saw the way her fingers tensed around her bag strap. "...They're already here, aren't they?"

Scott and Stiles stepped into view from behind one of the loft's pillars. I slid slightly out of the shadows on the other side, effectively boxing her in.

Jennifer turned, and for a moment, I could see the cracks forming in her expression. She knew I was her biggest threat, that Derek trusted me the most.

"So, they told you it was me?" she asked, voice smooth, but I could hear the forced steadiness in it. "That I'm the one taking people?"

"We told him you're the one killing people," Scott corrected, voice flat.

Jennifer scoffed, shaking her head. "Oh, that's right. Committing human sacrifices? What, cutting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour-that way, I can get back to teaching high school English the rest of the day. Makes perfect sense."

I let out a slow, controlled breath through my nose.

"Where's my dad?" Stiles' voice cracked, eyes cold but i could see the faint gleam of tears in his water line

Jennifer barely glanced at him. "How should I know?"

Wrong answer.

Derek took a step forward. "Do you know what happened to Stiles' father?"

Jennifer shook her head, forcing a confused frown. "No!"

Scott's voice cut through the tension. "Ask her why she almost killed Lydia."

Jennifer's eyes snapped to him. "Lydia Martin? I don't know anything about that!"

And that was it. That was the moment I couldn't hold back anymore.

I stepped forward, voice cold as ice. "Then what about me?"

Jennifer's head whipped around so fast it was almost comical.

I saw it again-that flicker of something behind her eyes. Fear of knowing exactly what I meant and what I could do.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, voice almost bored.

I felt my fingers twitch. "You hitting me in the back of the head," I said, barely above a whisper. "Telling me to make my choice of sacrificing myself for my friends. Still going to kill Lydia when I said I'd do it. Promising you'd come back for me." My voice stayed low, my eyes trained on her.

Derek turned to Jennifer so fast she actually took a step back.

"Is that true?" His voice was dangerously quiet.

Jennifer's lips parted, but no words came out.

Scott pulled a small jar from his pocket and held it up. The moment Jennifer's eyes landed on it, she paled.

"What if we can prove it?"

Jennifer exhaled sharply. "What is that?"

Scott unscrewed the lid. "My boss told me it's a poison and a cure... which means you can use it... and it can be used against you."

Jennifer took another step back. "Mistletoe?"

Scott threw the dust into the air, sending it straight at her. The illusion broke.

For a split second, she was exposed. Scarred. Twisted. A monster.

And then Derek was on her.

His hand wrapped around her throat, claws pressing into her skin as he lifted her off the ground. Jennifer gasped, clawing at his wrist.

"Derek, wait! WAIT!" Stiles yelled, lunging forward but was held back by Scott.

Derek's grip tightened. "What are you?"

Jennifer choked. "The only person who can save your sister." I sucked in a breath, stomach twisting. Cora.

"Derek" Scott started.

Jennifer's voice rasped out, "Call Peter... Call him!" Derek hesitated. I dialed him, his voice coming through my speaker for the room to hear.

"It's not good. She's in and out of consciousness, vomiting up black blood, along with one other alarming substance..."

Derek's voice was stone. "Mistletoe."

Peter was silent for half a second before his voice sharpened. "How did you know that?"

Derek didn't answer, I murmured a quiet I'll explain later, eyes on Derek as he squeezed harder.

Jennifer's face was turning red, her gasps becoming weaker.

I wanted to let him do it. But there were other lives at stake.

"Derek! DEREK!" my voice echoed through the silent loft.

Derek's grip faltered. Jennifer's body sagged, barely able to keep herself upright as she hit the ground, gasping for air. She was silent, and then she laughed. A quiet, breathy chuckle, that sent white hot rage tearing through me.

She looked up at us, smiling weakly.

"Cora, you need me to save her. Stilinski, you'll never find him without me." I gave him the tiniest nod, telling him we had to keep her alive, for now.

"That's right," she whispered. "You need me, all of you."

-----☾-----

Jennifer's voice was calm, controlled. She was still playing the game, still trying to get into Derek's head.

"You should know, I'm not doing this because I have to- I want to."

Derek's grip tightened on the wheel, his eyes locked straight ahead. I sat in the backseat, next to Scott, staring at the back of Jennifer's head. My nails dug into my palms, but I kept quiet.

"I could still run, and you wouldn't have an easy time stopping me," she continued, trying to sound casual, like she wasn't a murderer. "But I don't want your sister to die. I'm only doing what I had to do."

"Shut up," Derek bit out, his knuckles white against the steering wheel.

Jennifer sighed, still pushing. "You need to hear the whole story, Derek. You need to know just how connected we are."

Derek's jaw clenched. "Stop. Talking." She did, for once.

Rain pounded against the pavement as we rushed from the cars into the hospital. I caught sight of Stiles gripping a familiar wooden bat in his hands.

"...What's that?" Scott asked, eyeing it.

Stiles didn't break stride. "Well, you got claws, I got a bat."

We stepped into the flickering lights of the hospital, the sterile scent of antiseptic hitting my nose immediately.

"Scott! Cassie!"

Melissa ran toward us, eyes full of worry.

"Scott, what are you doing here? The hospital's evacuating..."

"We're here for Cora," he answered firmly.

Melissa frowned. "What, all of you?" Her eyes swept over us, landing on Jennifer.

Then, she spotted Stiles' bat. "Why does Stiles have my bat?" I almost laughed, despite everything.

Stiles looked down at the bat, as if he hadn't even realized he was holding it. "Uh..."

Scott pulled Melissa's focus back. "Mom, just trust me on this-you need to get out of here, right now."

Melissa hesitated, but she didn't argue. "The building is supposed to be clear in thirty minutes. We've got two ambulances that are coming back- one's ten minutes out, the other's twenty. Cora needs to be on one of those. They'll be picking up in the basement garage."

"Got it. Okay," Scott said, already moving toward the elevator.

Derek kept a firm grip on Jennifer's arm in the elevator, his face stone-cold.

"You don't have to keep me on a leash, Derek," she said lightly. "I'm going to help." I scoffed under my breath, earning a sharp glance from her. I didn't bother hiding my glare.

Jennifer turned away, probably deciding I wasn't worth the effort. Instead, she found Scott's eyes locked on her with quiet fury. Then Stiles, still gripping the bat like he was hoping for a reason to use it.

Jennifer rolled her eyes, sighing. The second we stepped onto the floor, something felt off.

I saw it before anyone else did, the trail of blood on the floor.

Scott spoke first, voice hesitant. "Derek...?"

I peaked into the open door. The room was empty. Cora was gone. My stomach twisted.

Small drops of blood trailed down the hall, leading toward a set of double doors. There was a loud grunt and then a body came flying out of the doors, slamming into the wall.

Peter slid across the floor and landed at Derek and Jennifer's feet. He groaned, rolling onto his back, dazed.

"We got a problem. Big problem," he muttered, jerking a thumb behind him. I followed his gaze and groaned. Aiden and Ethan stood at the end of the hall, their bodies fused into one towering, monstrous form.

Their glowing eyes locked onto Jennifer.

Scott stepped forward. "Ethan, Aiden- stop! You don't know what you're doing!"

Their voices merged, a single distorted growl. "All we want is her!"

We bolted. My breathing was heavy as we skidded around a corner, ducking into one of the rooms.

"Don't stop, don't stop!" Derek shouted.

My heart pounded.

"Where's the big guy?" Stiles asked, his voice tight with anxiety.

Derek barely glanced at him. "He's close."

Stiles let out a sharp breath. "What about Miss Blake?"

No one answered immediately.

"What do you mean? What does that mean?" Stiles demanded, voice rising. "Like she's gone?"

I felt my stomach twist.

"Scott, are you kidding me?"

"Shh! Quiet!" Derek snapped.

Stiles whirled on him, eyes blazing. "Me, be quiet??? Me? Huh? Are you telling me what to do now? When your psychotic, mass-murdering girlfriend - the second one you've dated, by the way - has got my dad somewhere, tied up, waiting to be ritually sacrificed?"

Scott shot a warning glance at him. "Stiles, they're still out there..."

"And... And they want her, right?" Stiles' hands were shaking. "Which means now, we don't have her either, so my dad and Cora are both dead."

I stiffened. "Not yet," Scott said quickly.

But it was getting worse.

I turned to look at Peter and saw it in his face before he even said it.

"Is she really dying?" Scott asked.

Peter didn't sugarcoat it. "She's definitely not getting any better."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt the burn in my throat, the rising panic trying to claw its way out. I could lose her. I just got her back, and still I may lose her.

"There has to be something that we can do," Scott insisted. "We have to help her"

Jennifer's voice cut through the room like a blade.

"You can't. Only I can."

Everyone turned to her at once.

I clenched my fists.

"I can save her, and I can tell you where Sheriff Stilinski is," she continued smoothly. "But there's a pack of Alphas in this hospital who want me dead. So, I'll help you-but only when I'm out of here and safe. Only then."

"Derek, wait!" Scott called. But Derek was already moving. Jennifer shrank back as he advanced, eyes darting toward the doors like she was weighing her options.

"She was trying to get out!" Derek accused.

Jennifer lifted her hands, her expression all wide-eyed innocence. "I was trying to keep from getting killed! You can't blame me for that."

"If you want to show you're one of the good guys," Stiles bit out, "then heal her."

Jennifer's gaze flickered to Cora, calculating. "Not until I'm safe."

I took a step forward, barely restraining myself from lunging at her. "She's dying!" I snapped. "You don't get to use her as leverage!"

Jennifer only sighed, like we were all a bunch of children having a tantrum.

"I'd like to volunteer a different method of persuasion..." Peter said smoothly.

We all turned to him. He smirked. "Let's torture her."

"Works for me," Derek said without hesitation. I nodded, my eyes cold.

Jennifer's face drained of color. Before anyone could act on it, the hospital PA system crackled to life, making everyone freeze.

"Um, can I have your attention...?" Melissa's voice rang through the halls, uncertain and nervous. "Mr. Deucalion... Excuse me, just Deucalion... requests you bring the woman calling herself Jennifer Blake to the ER reception. Do this, and everyone else can leave. You have ten minutes."

Jennifer inhaled sharply, shaking her head. "He's not gonna hurt her."

Derek glared. "Shut up!"

She looked straight at Scott, challenging him. "He won't."

Scott's jaw tightened.

Jennifer's lips curled slightly. "Scott, you know why. Tell them it's true."

Derek turned to him, eyes narrowing. "What does she mean?"

Jennifer's gaze swept the room, lingering on me for a second too long. "You're not the only one he wants in his pack." Jennifer's voice was smooth. "Deucalion doesn't just want an Alpha Pack, he wants perfection."

Everyone turned to her, wary but listening. "That means adding the rarest of Alphas to his ranks," she continued, her eyes flicking briefly to Scott.

Peter's expression shifted into something unreadable. "A True Alpha," he murmured, almost in awe.

Stiles frowned. "What's that?"

Peter glanced at him. "The kind that doesn't have to steal his power from another. One that can rise by the force of his own will." His lips curled slightly as he turned back to Scott. "Our little Scott..."

Scott barely reacted. His hands were clenched into fists, his shoulders tense. "It doesn't matter," he muttered. "We still need to get her out of here."

"Ah Ah Ah I'm not finished yet." Jennifer cut him off. "Cassandra is important to them too." I realized what she was doing and my spine straightened.

"This is not the time or place for this conversation." I said.

Jennifer sighed, as if I was being silly. "You're a Guardian. Deucalion knows that, just like he knows what Scott is. He wants to control what he can't destroy. If he can't turn you, he'll eliminate you."

Silence fell over the room. Scott's jaw tightened. "That's not happening."

Jennifer folded her arms. "Then you better start thinking about how you're going to win this fight, because he's not going to stop until he has both of you-or neither of you exist at all."

I swallowed, forcing down the creeping dread. I already knew what I had to do. But I wasn't ready to say it yet. "Right now, that doesn't matter. Lets focus on Cora and Melissa right now.

Scott nodded, though he gave me a look. "My mom said there's one more ambulance coming in twenty minutes. And I don't think we've been here that long, so if we can get down to the garage, get to the last ambulance, we can get out of here."

Derek's gaze was sharp. "The twins aren't gonna let us just walk out."

Scott exhaled. "I'll distract them."

Derek's eyes narrowed. "You mean fight them."

"Whatever I have to do."

"I'll help you." Derek and I said in unison.

Jennifer stepped forward, her voice laced with something almost possessive. "Um, sorry, but I'm not going anywhere without you, Derek."

I scoffed under my breath but kept quiet.

Peter rolled his eyes. "I'll do it. But, I'd prefer to be out there with an advantage."

"An advantage?" Stiles echoed. "Like what? You mean, like, a weapon?"

Peter smirked. "Something better than a baseball bat."

Stiles, oblivious to her thoughts, had picked up a resuscitation paddles from a nearby table. "Hey, wait, what about these?"

Derek gave him a flat look. "Do you know how to use those?"

Stiles faltered. "Well, no..."

"Put 'em down."

Scott's eyes landed on a vial. "Epinephrine?"

Derek shook his head. "That's only gonna make him stronger."

Peter smirked. "...How strong?" Scott just filled up the syringe, handing it to Peter.

A slow, maniacal grin spread across his face.

"All right, boys!" Peter called, rolling his shoulders. "Let's rumble!"

The twins moved as one-a mass of shifting limbs and brute force, a seamless machine built to destroy. Scott barely had time to brace before they lunged. I threw myself into the fray, knowing we couldn't let them get past us.

Scott ducked a massive swing, rolling to the side as the twins' massive form came crashing forward. I barely dodged a wild strike aimed at my ribs, twisting away at the last second. Peter, slower but still dangerous, aimed a well-placed clawed hand at their exposed side, but they retaliated with a brutal backhand, sending him sprawling.

"C'mon, boys, that's the best you got?" I taunted, moving fast to get their attention back on me. I barely got my arms up before they slammed into me, sending me flying into the wall. Pain exploded in my back, but I forced myself to my feet.

Scott took the opportunity to leap onto their back, locking his arms around their thick neck. "Cass, now!"

I surged forward, flinging a knife to the back of their knee. The force made them stumble, and for a moment, they faltered. Scott tightened his grip, veins bulging in his arms as he strained to hold them down.

But they were too strong. With a guttural growl, they bucked Scott off like he weighed nothing. He crashed into a row of overturned hospital beds, knocking over medical trays. The clatter echoed through the halls.

I barely had time to react before they came at me next. A fist to my gut sent me doubling over, gasping for breath, but I had no time to recover before they grabbed me by the arm and hurled me across the hallway. I hit the ground hard, tasting blood as I bit the inside of my cheek.

Peter, back on his feet, wiped blood from his mouth and scowled. "That shot didn't last very long..." he muttered, eyeing the empty epinephrine vial nearby. "Those twins are really starting to piss me off."

Scott pulled himself up, wincing. "How the hell are we supposed to get past them?"

Peter exhaled, shaking his head. "Personally, I think if we keep letting them beat the living crap out of us, they'll tire and give up." He moved to stand but stumbled.

Scott shot him a look. "Not helping."

I wiped the blood from my chin and exchanged a glance with Scott. We didn't have time to waste. We needed to get out-now.

Scott tensed. "Cass, we gotta go."

I hesitated. "Scott-"

"Now!"

I didn't argue. With one last look at the twins, I grabbed Peter by the arm and dragged him down the hall. Scott was right behind me. We had to get to that ambulance.

Scott banged on the ambulance door, his voice urgent. "Stiles!"

The door flew open, and Stiles nearly toppled out in his rush. "Sorry," He reached for Peter, helping Scott hoist the older man inside.

"Where's Derek and Jennifer?" Stiles asked, glancing past Scott toward the flickering hospital hallway.

"I'll find Derek," I said suddenly.

Scott turned, frowning. "Cass, we need to stick together."

"You need to find your mom," I corrected. "I need to find Derek and Jennifer."

Stiles scoffed. "Uh, yeah, terrible idea. Maybe the worst one you've ever had, and that's saying something because I have a long list."

I crossed my arms, steadying my breath. "If Jennifer gets away, this isn't over. We can't afford to let her disappear again."

Scott hesitated. "Cassie-"

"I'll be fine," I cut him off. "I'll meet up with you all later. Get Melissa out of here. Find Stilinski."

For a moment, Scott just looked at me, like he was trying to see through whatever plan was forming in my head. But he was exhausted, barely standing, and after everything tonight, I knew he didn't have the fight left in him to argue.

"Be careful," he said finally.

I nodded, turning on my heel before anyone else could protest. I felt Stiles watching me, the way his concern burned hotter than the cuts littering my skin. But I didn't look back.

I couldn't.

The hospital was silent. The kind of silence that meant someone else was waiting.

I found her at the end of the corridor, standing between two flickering lights, her face half in shadow, deadly calm despite everything.

Jennifer smiled when she saw me. "I was wondering when you'd come."

I swallowed, forcing down the instinct to run. "You know why I'm here."

She tilted her head, amused. "Do I?"

"I'm not letting you walk out of here," I said, my voice steady. "You're done."

Jennifer let out a soft chuckle. "Oh, Cassandra... You still don't get it, do you?"

I clenched my fists. "Get what?"

"That this was never about Scott."

My stomach twisted, but I kept my face blank. "Of course it's about Scott. Deucalion-"

"Deucalion wants Scott, yes. But you?" Her expression shifted, something sharper, more knowing. "You are something just as rare. Just as powerful. And in some ways, more important."

I took a step back. "No."

Jennifer sighed, shaking her head. "You always do this. You always deny what you are, what you're meant to be. The Guardian-the balance between worlds. You're the tether that holds everything together. Do you really think Deucalion hasn't considered that? That the Alpha Pack hasn't discussed whether keeping you alive is worth the risk?"

I didn't move.

Jennifer's voice softened, almost gentle. "If I take you instead, the cycle is complete. The sacrifices will be over. The balance restored. The alpha pack will be gone, your friends, your town will be safe."

My breath caught, she saw it, her eyes gleaming. "If you give yourself willingly, it's over."

I wanted to deny it, to tell her that this wasn't an option. That sacrificing myself wouldn't change anything.

But I knew better.

Jennifer was right, if I gave myself up, if I made that choice, it would end. Stilinski would be free. Scott would have a chance to fight. The Alpha Pack would lose their leverage.

It was the best option. The only option.

Jennifer watched me carefully, as if she already knew the decision forming in my head. "You already know it's the right choice."

My pulse pounded in my ears. I exhaled. I thought of Stiles, holding my face, his honey brown eyes begging me to stay, to fight. I closed my eyes, turned, and walked away.

Jennifer's voice followed me, sickly sweet. "Not yet, then? That's okay. You'll come back. You always do."

I didn't stop walking. I couldn't.

-----☾☼-----

Scott's heart pounded as he ran through the empty hospital corridors, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts.

"Mom!" His voice echoed, frantic, desperate. "Mom!"

But there was nothing. No answer. Just the distant hum of flickering lights and the weight of the truth settling in his chest. They were gone.

A slow, deliberate set of footsteps approached from behind, followed by a voice as smooth as it was deadly.

"They're gone..." Deucalion confirmed, stepping forward, his face unreadable. His tone, almost sympathetic, made Scott's skin crawl. "Guardians, Scott. If you were with me, I could've told you what it meant. I could've warned you."

Scott turned, fists clenched, teeth grinding together. "Where are they?"

Deucalion smiled, tilting his head like he was studying something fragile. "Let me help you, Scott-let's help each other."

Scott barely heard him, his thoughts racing, searching for something-anything-that would make this right.

"You help me catch them," Deucalion continued, his voice patient, coaxing, "and I'll help you get your mother and Stiles' father back."

Scott stiffened. "Them?"

Deucalion's smirk widened just slightly. "Oh, Scott... you didn't think Jennifer was alone, did you?" His blind eyes almost seemed to shine with pride. "Cassandra's with her. Well, not physically, but she has chosen her side."

Scott's stomach dropped. "No... she wouldn't."

"She already has," Deucalion cut him off. "You know what that means, don't you? You're smart enough to put it together. She's a liability, to us, to Jennifer, to herself. But I can help you keep her safe."

Scott's breath hitched.

"She's running straight into something she doesn't understand, and you know it." Deucalion took another step forward, lowering his voice. "You're the only one who can stop her from making the wrong choice."

Scott's fists shook.

"Scott!" Stiles' voice broke through as he turned the corner, frantic and pleading. He grabbed Scott's arm, yanking him back, eyes wild. "Don't do this! Don't go with him!"

Scott swallowed, looking at Stiles, his best friend-his brother.

"I don't know what else to do..." His voice cracked, raw and exhausted.

Stiles shook his head furiously. "No, Scott, there's gotta be something else, okay? We always-we always have a plan B!"

Scott's gaze flickered between Deucalion and Stiles. "Not this time," he murmured. "Not when Cass's life, your dad's life, my mom's life is on the line."

"Scott..." Stiles' voice wavered, barely above a whisper.

Scott turned, jaw set, resolve hardening. "I'm gonna find your dad. I promise."

Stiles lunged forward, grabbing for him, but Scott was already stepping toward Deucalion, his choice made.

And Deucalion just smiled.