Sirens (Theo Raeken) [1]

Darkness

"You don't have to hide from me, Corey," Theo coos through the halls.

The boy in question detaches himself from the lockers — damn, that's creepy — with an almost scared look on his face as his skin turns back to its normal colour. "I was trying to do something nice," he says defensively.

"You were trying to do something normal," Theo says. "But you don't have to be normal anymore, and you definitely don't have to be nice."

"Well, I'm not going to hurt them," Corey argues.

"Look," Theo says. "I don't want you to. In fact, they don't know it yet, but we're going to protect them. Just like I'm going to protect you. So you're going to come with me and you're gonna do everything that I tell you, because I know you don't want to die again.

"Do you, Corey?"

The boy flinches briefly before quickly following after Theo. I have to feel sorry for him, to be honest. Theo walks back to his blue pickup and unlocks it. Corey sinks down into the backseat as I make my way to the passenger's seat.

"Theo, where are you going?" I ask.

"We're going to the power station," he says as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

I narrow my eyes. "And why are we going to a dusty, abandoned, potentially electrocution inducing warehouse?"

He smiles slightly. "That's where Scott and Stiles are."

I raise my eyebrows. "Okay. I'm missing something. When did Scott come back to life?"

"I heard his heartbeat when we went to see them last time," he says as he parks the car in front of a large building.

"So he's resurrected? Figures. There's always some sort of loophole in the supernatural world," I say. I sigh, fighting back the wave of woe rising up inside of me. "Until there isn't," I add quietly.

"Wait," Corey says pressingly from the back seat. "Arden, what about the stuff that Theo used to bring me back to life? Will that work on your mom?"

I could've probably hugged Corey so hard he died a second time around in that moment. I look at Theo, my eyes probably glittering with a thousand emotions. "Theo, please." My voice cracks.

He smiles in an almost pitiful way. "I want to make you happy, Arden," he says. "That's all I want."

He pulls me into a hug as I try to fight back tears. My smile probably stretches the length of my face and it feels like it's the first time I've genuinely smiled since that night. I look over Theo's shoulders at Corey who shifts uncomfortably in his seat. I detach one of my arms from around Theo. "Come here, Corey," I say. A small smile plays on his lips as he comes into the group hug. With our arms around each other, I feel like we're an actual pack.

And in that moment, I realise that maybe everything will be alright.

Even so, after the heartwarming moment, it's time for Theo, Corey and me to delve into that very malevolent looking building.

My emotions are already running high after the revelation concerning my mom. Although I don't want to get my hopes up too high, it's hard to quell the the ecstatic feeling when I could have my mom back in my arms.

Theo turns to Corey. "Go get down there with the other betas," he says, nodding towards the building. Corey scurries away and as I see him place a hand on the chain link gate, he immediately blends into his surroundings. I shudder and turn back to Theo.

"Can we get her back after this?" I ask.

"I-I don't know whether it'll work," he says. He swallows hard and the Adam's apple at his throat bobs.