DANGEROUS LIAISONS ◦ STILINSKI [2]

twelve; lunar eclipse

LUNAR ECLIPSE

Searing white lights compromised her vision.

The bright lights had been enough for her to instantly close her eyes again, before slowly opening them to try and focus on anything other than the lights.

Just a few inches from where she had woken up on the ground were three silver tubs. Her body was working against her brain as she lifted herself off of the ground, moving slowly over to the tubs. The second that she leaned in to see if there were any bodies in the tubs, she went jumping back as three bodies shot out of the water, all gasping for air.

The four of them stared at each other, but it didn't seem like the right place to be delving into a conversation while in an unknown area. Instead, their eyes just roamed around the white room, trying to find any sign that would point them in the right direction of the Nemeton.

Carter's eyes had landed on something entirely different than theirs.

While Scott, Stiles, and Allison caught sight of the root of what used to be an enormous tree, she had been given another option. While her friends moved to save their parents; she moved to save her soul from herself. She assumed that all of her answered lied behind the door on the opposite side of the room, a large black wolf stationed beside the white door.

She took cautious strides over to the door - she wouldn't have noticed the door at all if there had not been a black wolf beside, screaming at her to follow the large beast inside. When she got in front of it, the wolf had already disappeared behind the door; she placed her hand on the doorknob - beginning to question whether or not she wanted to open it.

But she found herself opening it anyway.

The first thing she felt when she walked through was warmth. Not the overwhelming warmth that engulfed her entire body, but a musty-warmth. She began to glance around; it was dark being dimly illuminated by the sunlight peeking through the crevasses. Carter stepped forward, but stopped when another figure walked into her sights.

Talia Hale stood with height and confidence, naked body cloaked with a thin blue robe. Her searing red eyes confirmed that she had been the wolf that drawled Carter to the door. She looked just as Carter remembered; long dark hair mirrored her own, along with tan skin and soft features.

"Mom?" Carter sobbed, bringing a shaky hand over her mouth as tears filled her eyes.

"My Caterina," The name rolled off Talia's tongue effortlessly as she held her arms out for Carter, who immediately rushed into them and clutched tightly onto her mother. She inhaled her scent, feeling a sense of familiarity run through her veins, Talia gently rubbed Carter's back as she cried.

She felt a feeling of completeness surge through her.

When the mother and daughter separated, Carter's eyebrows furrowed as she whipped her head around to glance at the area that surrounded them. There had been wooden beams that supported the ceiling, the air was dusty with the floor being covered in a thick layer of dirt. Suddenly, something behind Talia had caught Carter's attention.

It was the Nemeton.

The roots were large, spawning in all directions as they twisted and turned throughout the root cellar. She stepped closer, immediately noticing the dried spot of blood that had long been soaked into the wood. She reached out and placed her left hand upon the blood stain, a loud gasp escaped her lips as the image of a fifteen-year-old Derek cradling a dying Paige in his arms flashed to the forefront of her mind.