The Hellhound's Mate

Chapter 36

Jordan explained how he'd had a vision of Lydia because they were both harbingers of death before heading out into the woods and finding her comatose body at the base of the Nemeton. They deduced that her condition was because of Theo rummaging around in her memories trying to find an advantage. And gutting her father was nothing more than a distraction that left Scott alone with Liam so that Liam could kill him. And when Liam didn't, Theo had to finish the job. But then Stiles pointed out the fact that Theo said he didn't want Noah to die because he told Stiles where to find him. By that logic, Stiles was also convinced that Theo would know how to save him.

Angie wasn't going to let him go alone but still wanted to stay with her father before Jordan promised to stay by his side while she went to find a cure. And despite the exhaustion that still gnawed at her, she cracked her knuckles in anticipation of seeing Theo Raeken again.

Scott believed that they had the advantage though because Theo didn't know that he was alive and volunteered to come too. Angie had no problem with that because she wouldn't be focused on anything else other than gutting Theo if he got too close to Stiles.

And her pulse was already rising as the boy stepped over the barrier of mountain ash with ease as he smirked, confirming to everyone else that he was a Chimera.

"I guess we're all telling the truth now," he hummed before his gaze darted to the top of the stairs where he swore, he could get Scott's scent, Angie's masked from his senses as she hid in the living room.

Stiles threw one of Scott's shirts at Theo, providing an explanation for the smell as well as an accusation. "You killed my best friend?" he asked with tears in his eyes.

"Let's be honest, Stiles. Was he still really your best friend? I think Angie will agree with me with the way she handled him in the animal clinic the other night."

Stiles' jaw tensed. "Like hell, my sister is going to agree with you since you're going to let our father die," he said quietly but angrily.

"If I wanted him to die, I wouldn't have told you where to find him," Theo explained before throwing Scott's shirt to the side and Stiles stood.

"Then why are they saying that his body's shutting down? That some toxin's poisoning him and they don't know how to stop it."

"I'm not the bad guy Stiles," Theo replied. "I'm just a realist. I'm a survivor. If you knew the things that I know -"

"Yeah, well what do you know?" Stiles interjected.

"I know what's coming. I know what the dread doctors created. And I know what Parrish is. Lydia figured it out. I saw it in her memories."

"I guess you didn't see the part where Angie was the one who told Lydia what Parrish is. Before you drove her out of her mind, of course," Stiles retorted.

"Collateral damage. And regardless if your sister knows what he is, but if they're right, then things around here are about to get a lot worse. Especially considering that she hasn't figured out why she and Parrish are connected," Theo smirked, having seen that piece of information that Lydia discovered.

"I don't care," Stiles blurted.

"You should," Theo advised. "Because if your dad does survive, he's not going to be the Sheriff of anything much longer."

"What's happening to him?" Stiles asked but the only response he got was Theo turning to leave. "Hey, tell me!"

Angie moved faster than Theo could. She moved so quickly that Theo didn't even see her until her hand was breaking the bones in his wrist as she squeezed it before he could shove Stiles to the ground.

"I made you a promise, didn't I?" she asked with a sadistic smile as her eyes turned red and she plunged her claws into his abdomen as she lifted him into the air with one hand. "This! This is how my father felt when you tore holes in his liver and intestines! And this is only the beginning for you," she swore as she shifted, and roared at him.

"Angie, stop!" Stiles interjected.

"Why would you defend him?! After all he's done?!" she growled.

"Because you are better than him. Ok? You're better than him. And if you kill him, you'll be lowering yourself to his level. Don't do it," he reasoned.

Angie only plunged her other hand into his stomach as the boy cried out in pain, his blood running down her hands as it soaked his shirt. And she threw him out of the open door and onto the porch.

"Leave," she advised as he looked up at her. "I won't kill you, but right now this mountain ash is the only thing keeping me from hurting you so badly that you'll wish you were dead," she warned as the air in front of her glowed blue as she got as close to the barrier as she dared.

The teenage boy was smart as he hauled himself up and out the door before, she turned to her brother. "Go," she said.

"What?"

"Go and find a way to save dad. You're smarter than I am. If there's anyone that can find a way to save him, it's you. I'll buy you as much time as I can," she instructed.

"But Angel, you could hurt yourself or you could die if you take too much. And I can't lose you as well and -"

"Mischief, listen to me," she interrupted, refraining from holding him seeing as her hands were still covered in Theo's blood. "Jordan will be with me. I'll be fine. I'll get you as much time as I can, just, find a way to save dad."

He nodded. "I will."

And she kissed his cheek before he broke the barrier and she headed for the hospital. 

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For once in the awfully long time that things had been going wrong, luck was finally on their side.

Angie was barely conscious as she leaned on Jordan's shoulder as he tried to keep her awake, the girl taking small bursts of pain from her father before Melissa finally burst into the room and explained that they had a way to save him, but they had to take him back to surgery immediately.

For the next few hours, after Jordan had explained how Natalie had signed Lydia over to Eichen House after she'd shoved Stiles out of her daughter's room, he was able to get Angie to sleep for a little bit before she jerked awake as Melissa approached them.

He was ok.

He was in recovery, and he was going to be ok.

She was in tears as she kissed Jordan and hugged Melissa. Tears that came even faster when Stiles came running into the room and into her arms before they went to sit at their father's bedside.

Angie's breathing was steady as she held her father's hand in hers and against her lips, her eyes on her brother as she listened to the soft sounds of his snore that were in time with the steady beep of her father's EKG.

"Dad? Daddy, are you ok?" she asked, tears in her eyes as she watched his eyes flutter open.

"I'm alright, sweetheart," he promised before his eyes landed on his sleeping son who flinched awake as a hand rested on his head. "It's ok, Stiles. It's ok. You've still got me. You've still got us."

And Stiles had tears in his own eyes as he reached across his dad's legs for Angie's hand which was warm in his.

They were ok.

Their family was still together.