Once in a Lifetime

22

Tabitha pushed open the library doors. She frowned, thinking it was way too quiet. She ignored her concerns and stepped inside.

"Lydia?" Tabitha called.

"Tabitha?" a voice in the darkness answered. "Why are you here?"

Tabitha turned to see Scott and held up her phone. "Lydia told me to come."

"She told me to come too."

"Try to call Lydia. Something doesn't feel right."

Scott nodded and tried to call Lydia. They heard a buzzing and began following a trail of Mountain Ash covering the first floor. They walked out from the stacks to see Theo finishing up a Mountain Ash circle with his hands.

Tabitha's eyes narrowed. "Theo, what the hell are you doing here?"

"That's not possible," Scott said.

Theo smirked. "You're right. A werewolf shouldn't even be able to touch Mountain Ash."

"You're a Chimera."

"I'm the first Chimera. It's the coyote part you don't notice. It's why Malia trusted me first, even though she probably didn't know it. You found the perfect word though, Scott. Because a Chimera isn't just a monster with different parts. It can also mean something impossible to achieve. An unrealizable dream."

Tabitha frowned. "They realized you?"

Theo turned to her. "They came close with me. But we can't all be perfect. We can't all be True Alphas or witches."

Tabitha's eyes flashed red and she rushed Theo. "I'm gonna kill you!"

Scott attempted to rush Theo, but crashed into the Mountain Ash barrier and was bounced back.

Theo winced. "Damn. I felt that." He turned on a cell phone jammer. "No calls Scott, Tabitha. No Stiles, no Malia, no Lydia. You two are just going to have to wait here alone for what happens next."

"What do you mean?" Scott asked. "What's next?"

"The Supermoon," Theo replied.

He left and Scott pushed against the barrier with forceful determination, but failed. "Come on... You've done this before. You can do it again," he whispered.

Tabitha sat on the ground, making purple and red sparks. "We're stuck, Scott. There's no way out. Theo, when I get out, you're a dead man!"

"There's gotta be."

Scott took a puff from his inhaler and tried to cross the border again. He was bounced halfway across the room. Tabitha rolled her eyes, then noticed a storage room and pulled out a ladder from the room.

She and Scott set it under a window and broke it, then climbed to the roof. Scott was panting for air the entire time.

Scott reached as high as he could and they realized they were surrounded by Mountain Ash.

Scott began wheezing again and tried to take a puff from his inhaler, but it didn't work. He crushed the device in frustration to reveal purple dust.

The friends exchanged a look and said, "Wolfsbane."

A smaller male figure caught their attention and they realized it was Liam.

"Theo let you in," Scott said.

Liam narrowed his eyes. "Did you lie to me?"

"I never lied to you."

"But you won't save her!"

"I can't save her! At least, not with a bite. If you'd just thought about it for a second, Liam, you would know that I'm right."

"I am thinking!" Liam cried. "I'm thinking about alternatives!"