Hibrideach (Book Three *Teen Wolf*)

Chapter One

Three Weeks Earlier

An early winter frost coats the tops of the trees of the Gribskov forest. The ground has grown hard from the dropping temperatures and several of the beasts that roam the forest have already retreated into their caves. Yet, there's an unusual heat just underneath the dirt. It's like a wave of energy is struggling to break free and claim the world around it. But this energy isn't coming from the earth. It pulsates like a beating heart. It's coming from a person.

There's someone out in those woods, and they are dying.

Avery stands in the middle of the forest, clinging to the vibrations under his feet. He opens his mind and sends his senses in search of the fading energy coursing through the earth-- to pinpoint the exact source. A wave of noises flood his ears from a distant twig snapping to the steady breathing of the sleeping animals around him. He focuses harder on the sounds, searching for right one, and then it's there as though it had always been there. What he hears is the soft, broken breaths of a woman desperately trying to hang onto a life that is slowly leaving her.

He takes his first step in the direction of her body and a long, silver trail lights up under his feet. It pulsates along to the beat of her heart, fading as the organ weakens. It's his reminder to move quickly.

At first he doesn't see her. The area she collapsed in is overwhelmed with thistles and weeds and they hide her body from sight. He stops again, his eyes sweeping over the area to find anything that might be out of place in a forest. A sight of green that is much brighter and vibrant than anything these trees could produce catches his eye and he rushes over to the coat-clad body of the woman he's been searching for.

She lays at an awkward angle with one leg bent behind her and her arms sprawled outwards from her body. This is the way she landed when she collapsed, he realizes. She's already starting to freeze. Her lips and cheeks have already begun to turn to blue, and her fingers aren't far behind. Avery wraps his arms underneath her small, frail body and lifts her close to his chest. He wills his body heat into hers, knowing if he doesn't she won't survive the walk back to his cabin.

Once back inside the warmth and comfort of the cabin, he rests her body onto his cot and quickly sets to doing the work of several generations of his family. Avery is the heir to a long line of mystical herbs and medicines used by some of the best witch doctors to have ever existed. His job as a witch doctor is to heal supernatural beings when modern medicine can no longer help them. It's a job not for the faint of heart and it comes with a lot of pressure to continue on the great family history. It's why he ran from the title of the witch doctor and from his family. He learned a long time ago that he's not capable of doing the great things that his ancestors once did. In all honesty, when he felt the energy of the woman coursing through the forest floor, he considered leaving her be-- letting nature take its course.

Except he couldn't. Before he even knew what he was doing, he was sliding his arms into a thick coat and slipping into the old ways of a witch doctor. His own body ignored the thoughts going through his brain and refused to let the woman die alone and cold in the woods. 

It takes several hours to correct her heartbeat and then several more before the blonde regains consciousness. He's sitting by the fireplace when she first starts to move. The color in her cheeks and lips has returned back to a healthy shade of pink but she still shivers. Avery fetches another blanket to wrap around her just as her eyes open to reveal a pair of bright blue orbs. They dart around their surroundings, desperately trying to find answers as to where she is before they finally settle on him. What was once bright blue flashed to a unearthly, dangerous glowing silver-- a silver that reminds him of the moon above the cabin. It's also a warning for him not to come any closer. One that he ignores.

"Hey, hey! It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," he says in a calm, placating voice. He holds the wool blanket up as a sort of peace offering and he slowly approaches her. "My name is Avery. I found you in the forest and brought you here to help you."

She blinks once then twice and the silver fades back to blue. The silver may be gone but she is still weary of him. She shows as much by keeping her eyes on him with each step that he takes. When he's certain that she won't bite his arm off, he leans over to wrap the blanket around her.

"What are you?" She asks bluntly.

Avery raises quirks an eyebrow before a small smile tugs at his lips. "What makes you think I'm anything?"

"My eyes were glowing silver and you didn't so much as flinch." A small hand latches onto his arm in a surprisingly strong grip, forcing him to look at her. "Are you an emissary?"

"More like a cousin of sorts," he says. When the blonde is unamused by his lack of answers, he gives in. "For lack of a better word, I'm a retired witch doctor."

"Witch doctor?"

"Retired."

"You're a healer for the supernatural. I thought you people were a myth," she says.

"Again, retired, and no. Not a myth. We're very much real."

"Obviously." She glances around the two room cabin and notices the herbs and glass vials on the wall. "It doesn't look like you're retired."

"I like to keep a healthy stock of supplies," he says.

"Why?"

He smirks. "Just in case any pretty blondes need help."

"Why are you retired?" She asks.

"Let's just say that the lifestyle isn't one that I would choose for myself."

"And yet you chose to save my life."

"And yet I chose to save your life," he says quietly.

The two fall to silence while he allows her to observe him. He's had several hours to do the same to her but all he ended up with was more questions. For instance, the blonde heals like a werewolf might. There had been a scratch on her neck when he first brought her that is no longer there. Yet, there are scars on her body. He noticed what looked to be a burn mark on the inside of her arm. Werewolves don't have scars. Even the ones who are bitten. The bite heals everything. He's also never met a werewolf with silver eyes before. The eyes are always yellow, blue, or red. Nothing else. So, if she's not a werewolf, then what is she?

"My name's Charlie," she says finally.

"It's nice to meet you, Charlie."

"So, Avery, have you figured it out yet?"

He furrows his eyes at her. "Figured what out?"

"I'm dying."

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A/N: Picture is of Avery. Yes, I used Jackson Avery from Grey's Anatomy and even used the last name. Why? Because the dude is gorgeous and who better to take on the role of a witch doctor than the doctor himself? Also, I had no imagination when I created this character.

I would like to apologize for the long wait for the chapter and apologize if the chapter seems pretty rough. Seriously, this was torture to get out and I have no clue why. I would also like to thank everyone who's been reading or who has started reading Charlie's story. You guys are the best!

I hope you guys enjoy it!!