RETURN || SCOTT MCCALL [1]

||5.09||

Liam's brushing by, not even bothering to acknowledge me, and Scott's immediately behind him, stopping in the doorway, a destroyed expression on his face. And I may be on bad terms with the other alpha at the moment, or whatever we are right now, but the sight of him upset always gets me upset, and before I know it, I'm next to him, speaking to him.

"What happened?" If he's shocked I'm speaking to him, which he is it's clear in his scent, he does a good job at hiding it, only shrugging indifferently, eyes on the beta's retreating back.

"I don't know. He just rebuffed me. I think he's mad at me." His eyes fall to floor, ashamed. "I don't blame him."

I start at that, stunned. "Wha- why in the world would you think that?"

He shrugged, not answering, and even though our bond has been broken for months, I knew it had something to do with the whole kidnapping thing.

But Scott did everything in his power to find him, even breaking a few of his morals, and he hasn't failed Liam, he tried- we both tried- and I knew Liam was in a bad mood today, but hurting Scott like this so close to the supermoon is bound to end up in disaster.

"Anyway," Scott continues when I fail to respond, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "I came to check on him, and he barely looked at me. So then i suggested we- the three of us, maybe Malia if she's not off doing whatever- should spend the Supermoon together-"

"To look out for each other." I interrupt, nodding, and Scott smiles softly, seemingly glad I understood.

"Yeah. But he kind of snapped at me, like 'You going to tie me to a tree again' and then I said we should be there to protect each other, and he..." Scott broke off, and I knew this was where he got the Dread Doctor thing in his head. "He said, 'We can't protect anyone.'"

I flinched for him, shocked. "Jesus."

"Yeah.." he mumbled, clearly hurt, hurt by not just Liam, but the whole pack, and I know how he feels. Everyone seems to be doing their own thing, and with Liam and I mad at him, or just whatever with him, he's clearly affected.

"I'll talk to him, but listen, he probably just said it because he's angry and it's so close to the Supermoon. He doesn't really have control yet, and it's, well, a Supermoon." He smiled at the last part, although it didn't reach his eyes, and man was Liam getting a talking to.. "I'll... see you around."

"Yeah, see you around." he replied just as awkwardly, and after an awkward smile, we parted, and I hate that things are weird with Scott and I.

But we just need time..

Time we're slowly running out of..

____

Liam hissed in protest, stumbling along as I pulled him by the ear to the nearest empty classroom.

"Jesus, Indi, what the hell?" he spat, and I narrowed my eyes down at him, which only infuriated him more.

"How about what the hell crawled up your ass and died?" I snapped back. "Who the hell do you think you are, talking to Scott like that?"

Liam huffed, jaw set. "Oh, now are you listening to my conversations? Don't you think sticking your claws into the back of my neck was invasive enough?"

My jaw dropped. "Liam-"

"No, Indi, stop!" he shouted, eyes burning a dim amber, stuck halfway between his shifted yellow and his normal blue. "What I do is none of your business- so stay out of my life!"

I let out a cruel laugh at the young beta in front of me. "First of all, I wasn't listening to your conversation, so get your facts straight before throwing accusations." Liam's glowering remained unchanged. "Second of all, I don't know if your aware or not, but I'm your legal guardian. Me. So your life is my business now."

"I didn't ask you to be!" he snapped.

"Oh, so you'd rather be in the foster system now, is that it?" I laugh, and he only glares. "That's what I thought, honestly Liam, what the hell has gotten into you?"

Liam continues to glare, not bothering to respond.

"So now that we're on the same page, you will be spending the Supermoon with Scott and I-"

Liam scoffs and interjects, "Oh, so you guys can-"

"Tie you to a tree? Only if you can't control yourself." I shrug, and Liam's scent spikes, the low simmer of anger that's been buzzing irritatingly at his scent flaring.

"NO!" his voice has an animalistic undertone, and I jump.

I reel back, stunned. "No?"

"No!" he insists, and the anger is still there but not as hot.

I narrow my eyes at the furious beta in front of me. "I don't think you understand-"

It spikes again, a white hot solar blaze, and he explodes. "No, Indianna, I don't think you understand- you're always telling me what to do, and how to behave, but not anymore! I'm not a child, and I don't have to listen to you, so when I say I'm not going, I'm not going!"

I'm at a loss for words, Liam never having spoken to me like that before, at least after I returned that is.

"And yeah- I am pissed! I'm pissed because it was Scott's stupid plan that got Hayden kidnapped and experimented on, and I had to watch! And I'll never forgive him for not finding us, and I'll never forgive you for invading my mind like that! So both of you should just leave me alone right now, because I'm going to protect Hayden from the Doctors, and I don't need you two using her as bait again!"

"Bait?" I was a little lost, and clearly Scott left out some things when he told me what happened that night. "Liam, I had no idea-"

"But you did!" he laughs, all humor drained. "You're the one who clawed your way into my mind, you know more than I do."

The angry beta brushes by me to the door, but turns over his shoulder to address me one more time.

"Oh and you can tell your boyfriend Scott to leave me out of your drama, I'm not going to convince you to take him back, so tell him to stop asking!"

The door slams behind him, loud and echoing as he storms down the hall, his retreating form taking a piece of my heart with him.

_____