CHAPTER 97

[Ms. Marin Morrell POV]

I sighed after Tristan left my office and reached to the drawer of my desk and pulled out a few files from it. 

"It's a regret that Jackson died. He could have been a great help for the coming tide." I sighed as I signed off Jackson's files and then looked at Lydia's files. 

It's surprising that she was a Banshee all this while – something that totally escaped me when I was looking into them. 

"But looking at it now, I can see why banshee is present in Beacon Hills at this time."

Nature always seeks to balance everything around it and the presence of a banshee and a vampire in the same place at the same time only speaks of one thing for the coming future. 

"Well, it's already here if I think about it - The Alpha, the return of the Argents, the kanima, a vampire, a banshee – it all points to one thing in the end; death. A lot of it."

I would have laughed at the cruelty of the world if I wasn't one of its balance keepers. I, more than anyone else, know how far nature can go to make sure that everything rests on a scale. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be. 

"I wonder if he is going to speak to her? As two supernatural species most in tune with death, there might be something surprising if they remain in the vicinity of each other." I mused to myself as I signed on the paperwork neatly arranged in front of me. 

Maybe I should push Scott McCall in his way for added surety? 

Sigh. 

I really want to because what is coming will need all of them if they want the slightest chance of survival, but I doubt he'd want that. 

Well, I can push Scott and Lydia Derek's way if Tristan wants nothing to do with them. He already has his hands full dealing with the Argents as is, or so I think. 

"Time will tell, I guess." I shook my head as I said that because it's funny when you realize that they don't have that much time. 

... 

[Tristan Hayes POV] 

After Tristan left Boyd in the basketball court, not noticing the presence of Scott and Stiles, he made a beeline for Malia and found her in the midst of some girls who hushed down as soon as they saw him approaching. 

"Your boyfriend is here, Malia~." One of them teased, but whatever reaction she might have been expecting was not Malia's to give as the tease went straight past Malia's head as the blunt girl only saw it as pointing out the obvious. 

"Yeah, I can see that. Catch you later?"

"Yeah."

"Bye Malia, bye Tristan~"

The group of girls waved at Malia and coyly at Tristan as they left but the dark haired boy currently didn't have any of his focus on them. 

"Friends?" Tristan asked, surprised.

Malia shrugged nonchalantly and replied. "Friendly, I guess," She said and led the both of them inside the classroom where Tristan took the seat in front of her. 

"So what's got you in a hurry, and why did you go to the guidance counselor's office again?" She asked. 

"Well, it's about Lydia for both. About Ms. Morrell, well we can rule her as a supernatural of sorts, what it is I got no idea. All I know is that she's invested in Lydia and somehow is a bit adamant and wants me near Lydia for some reason."

Malia frowned as she heard Tristan recount the discussion he had with Ms. Martin Morrell this morning. 

"I got it!" She smacked her fist as she came up with a good idea that would solve any problem concerning the unknown guidance counselor. "Let's kill her!"

Luckily Tristan's face was already in a deadpan by the time she said she had an idea, fully knowing what kind of 'ideas' Malia could come up with concerning any living problem they faced. 

"What? It's a suggestion." She huffed and looked away as Tristan's deadpan felt condescending to her. 

Tristan sighed, "Well, it's not completely out of the table but that's for a concrete cause." It was an obvious fact that they couldn't just go around with killing people just because they wanted to. 

Among Satomi's younger betas, Tristan and Malia had the highest kill count and it was something Satomi wasn't proud of in the least. Sure they were the most violent ones but that was no excuse when it came to the Buddhist pack. 

"That aside, it seems she knows something about Lydia that we don't."

"You said she might want the both of you close, did she say to visit her?" 

Tristan nodded. "But I honestly can't be bothered to do that, you said she's already making it back right? Then we wait and see. Satomi also didn't say anything about how to nurse her back to health, so all we can do is sit back and let her do whatever it is that banshees do."

"I see." She nodded in understanding. "Allison and I are visiting her today, more like she's forcing me to. Hopefully we can get more answers from our visit."

They were still taking what they saw in Lydia's house lightly even though they knew what it meant, probably because she was yet to draw anything about them or someone close to them. 

"So what are you doing after school if you are not coming with us?" 

"I want to speak to Derek and find out why he and his pack just went under. There must be a reason why no one has gotten a whiff of him or Isaac and Erica for days now." He said. 

He kissed Malia on her cheek and left her to go about his day… well to continue his day as the bell was just minutes away from ringing the end of school hours. 

Pulling out his phone as he got inside his car, he called Derek's line a few times but none of the calls went through. 

"Hmm?" 

He also texted Derek for his location saying they needed to talk but he got no replies even after driving for an hour without any destination. 

"Okay, something seems fishy." Seeing as he got no response even after numerous tries, he drove back home thinking of what could have happened to Derek that he couldn't answer. 

'It could be the Hunters.' He drove off and parked his car in the parking lot of a mall and left it there before continuing on foot to the forest where he broke off into a sprint as soon as he was sure no one could see him. 

His body whizzed through the forest vegetation with nimble grace as he weaved through trees and every obstacle in his way and headed towards the old Hale house. 

He made sure to keep his senses peeled in case anyone was around the vicinity and while he didn't catch anything on his way, he caught sight of two familiar figures as he made his way near them. 

He hid between the trees and silently watched as Scott and Stiles looked all over the place looking for Derek. 

'It's definitely the Hunters.' He concluded. 

If Scott who Derek absolutely wanted in his pack couldn't find him then the only explanation was either he was hiding from the Argents or-

"Maybe he's been caught by Allison's dad? You can't deny that it's not a possibility. Hell, it's the only possibility since they literally have no one else to hide from." He heard Stiles say in an irritated manner 

"Then what are we going to do?" 

"'WE' should be on our way to Lydia's house pronto. You heard Allison say she was going there along with Malia, I don't fucking know why we are still wasting time looking for Derek!" Stiles shouted and kicked the ground in a frustrated manner. 

Tristan watched as Scott approached his friend with apprehension and tried to reason with him. "I don't think Malia is going to kill Lydia when Allison is there."

Stiles turned to look at Scott as if he just said the most stupid thing he's ever heard. "They killed Jackson, Scott. Matt too. It was a little surprising but I figured out Matt's involvement with the kanima. What makes you think they won't kill Lydia?"

"That's why we are looking for Derek, right? Those pictures she drew might mean something and Derek might know what it means."

Stiles rolled his eyes sarcastically at Scott and replied. "Yeah, like it'll be that important if she's dead."

Seeing that they didn't know much about Derek's whereabouts either, Tristan decided that there was no need to hang around these parts anymore and was about to leave when Scott stopped Stiles from saying anything else and looked around warily.

"I think someone is watching us." His words alarmed Stiles that the latter immediately hid behind him as Scott focused his hearing and smell to trace who was stalking them. 

Seeing Scott trying to find his location, Tristan slowed down his blood flow and heartbeat to a slow tempo. 

'Did he find me?' He thought but shook his head. 'His reaction was too late so it couldn't be that he found me. His instincts probably told him he was being watched.'

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