Hope was the first person awake in the house, waking at an ungodly hour of 3am, unable to sleep any longer due to the guilt and all the other heavy emotions that were bleeding through their bond while Daphne and Allison slept.
The Tribrid used this opportunity to shift into her wolf form and took Alexandria out for a long run/fly over the Scotland Highlands. She quietly reminisced about her time at Hogwarts as she ran with the unique freedom that comes from being a Wolf.
Hope was shocked when she realised that life at Hogwarts was surprisingly easier than it was in her universe and this universe. She may have had her family in her universe but she also inherited all of their enemies then on top of that she also managed to wrangle some of her own enemies for simply existing through Malivore.
In Hogwarts she didn't really have her own enemies… Hope instead made herself a target for Voldemort so others wouldn't suffer but this was what was expected of her once she announced herself as a descendant of Merlin.
Here… In this universe… Hope isn't sure what she's supposed to do. She knows some details about this universe. Allison is her soulmate but she is fated to die by the end of this year, figuring out how to cheat Death without pissing the entity off too badly that it won't retaliate harshly upon her and her other soulmates.
Trying to balance her morals with Daphne's, Allison's and Lydia's. Daphne's more than willing to kill anyone who dared to harm her family, soulmates or friends.
Whereas Lydia was the total opposite of this, she didn't want to hurt anybody but she was slowly learning that the world wasn't as black and white as she originally thought. Other people in the world were willing to kill her and her friends without remorse and she needed to learn how to use her powers so she could protect them.
Lydia didn't want to lose anyone else she cared about which is why she's finally chosen to take the training that Hope, Daphne and Allison are offering more seriously.
Allison's morality was somewhere in between Daphne's and Lydia's. Willing to kill but ultimately wishes to protect others who aren't capable of protecting themselves against the monsters that go bump on the night.
Hope was definitely more of the Mikaelson mindset. Any threat is handled with ruthlessness and aggression that the Mikaelson family is most known for in her own universe.
However Hope does also share some of her mother's leniency otherwise she would've killed anyone who wronged her such as: Landon, Ronald, Ginny, Draco, Lucius or currently the Darach, Deucalion and his Alpha Pack as well as the Nogitsune and the Oni that would one day kill her soulmate.
Then again, maybe Hope's leniency was slowly dissipating, maybe it had been slowly leaving her since her Vampire side was activated and becoming a Vampire meant she no longer cared too much about innocents as much as she used to, not when Hope believed that she had a group of people that she would protect with her life.
These thoughts plagued Hope's mind for hours, it was a soft probe against Hope's bond that she knew was her Slytherin Princess silently asking if she was okay. This concern from her soulmate had the Wolf finally slowing down and her tongue lolled out as she felt parched for something to drink and partial exhaustion since she hasn't fed off Daphne in a few days.
Daphne felt the hunger coming from Hope and mentally offered her neck for the Tribrid.
The white-grey Wolf smirked at the suggestive imagery and silently wondered if Allison's mental barriers were strong enough for Hope and Daphne to have some unsolicited fun in the shower.
The Ice Witch coughed awkwardly from their home as Hope's fantasy ran rampant in her mind as she squeezed her thighs together at the thought before shedding her pyjamas and hopping into the bathroom with an open invitation trailing across the bond.
Hope shifted back without bothering to magic on any clothes as she simply apparated back home, appearing silently behind Daphne as she turned the water taps to a respectable heat that suited both Hope and herself.
Apparently they both enjoyed their showers at boiling hot temperatures since Hope enjoyed the heat and despite what everyone believes about the Ice Witch, Daphne could easily survive in cold temperatures but that didn't mean that she didn't enjoy a nice hot shower with her breathtaking wife.
Hope's hands snaked around Daphne's waist and she buried her nose into the blonde's neck sighing contentedly at the wonderful smell of fresh snow, oranges and parchment. "Mmmm, good morning my love."
Daphne leaned back into Hope's embrace and tilted her head to the side and lifted her arm up so she could guide Hope's face up slightly so she could kiss the Tribrid's succulent lips. "Hello darling. I missed you this morning and throughout the night."
"Aww, did your heater disappear? My poor baby." Hope murmured in a high-pitch tone one normally uses with their loved ones, children or pets as she snuggled further into Daphne's soft fair skin.
"That she did. It was very rude of my heater to leave me and to come back all sweaty. Have you been running around since you woke up this morning?" Daphne shifted them forward so both girls were under the hot spray of water.
"Yeah, I woke up at 3am and just couldn't get back to sleep, so I took Alexandria for an extensive flight around Scotland's coastline… To be honest I'm not completely sure how many laps we did but I definitely tuckered her out." Hope answered as she threaded her fingers through silky but wet hair, untangling some loose knots from the blonde's apparent restless sleep.
Daphne turned around in Hope's arms and looked at her in surprise before speaking. "You've been running for nearly 4 hours straight… Is it the conversation from last night that has you so displaced?"
"A little, I suppose… I've just been wondering how bizarre our lives are. Battling 3 different universes' supernatural problems, time travelling, multiversal travel… Hell, the introduction of a literal entity that occasionally takes over our best friend's body. Not to mention the stress of altering realities and not knowing what the consequences will bring." Hope admitted as she ran her hands up and down Daphne's toned biceps, looking partially distracted as though her mind was somewhere else completely.
Daphne sighed as she laid her cheek against Hope's shoulder as her arms wrapped around Hope's defined shoulder blades. "Yeah… Our lives are pretty weird but I wouldn't trade my life for the one without you… Or Allison. My sister would be dead… Maybe even both of my parents could be dead. My life would be undoubtedly different from what it is today."
"... Neither would I… My life was sad and depressing without you and the relationships I've made and expanded upon throughout these years. They mean everything to me. You mean everything to me. Allison means everything to me." Hope replied strongly with true intent as she stared directly into Daphne's ice-blue eyes.
Daphne smiled at the Tribrid's answer as a pulse of love and adoration filled the Witch's heart. Hope brought her hands up to cradle Daphne's head and gently pulled her head down so they could share a kiss.
Hope and Daphne muted their bond towards Allison, hoping not to wake her as they could tell that the ravenette also didn't get a lot of sleep the previous night either. However the Emrys couple didn't use this temporary muteness to have sex. They simply wanted to touch.
They've been holding back for quite some time for Allison but they were getting a little restless and agitated at not being able to touch one another as frequently or as pleasurably as they were back in Daphne's universe.
The girls took this quiet opportunity to reacquaint themselves with each other's bodies, stroking soft skin before helping the other to wash their bodies clean and pressing kisses along across their bodies.
Nearing the end of their shower Hope licked along Daphne's smooth neck while shifting the Witch's hair out of the way, planting kisses along her neck while Daphne tilted her head off to the side, giving Hope the space she wanted before biting her neck.
- - -
The now dressed women were downstairs, Hope's magic was telekinetically making breakfast while Hope and Daphne were sitting on the couch with the Ice Witch's archery set in front of them.
Daphne was transferring her old arrows over to her new quiver since Hope had finished all of her enchantments on the new arrowheads and shafts. Meaning it was time to upgrade Daphne's quiver so she could carry up to 36 arrows instead of the previous 24 that she was currently using.
All that was truly left was syncing the arrows to the new quiver and tightening the arrowheads to the shafts before drawing the last rune, the returning rune, along the joint of the arrow so it would return to the quiver.
Allison and Lydia had made their way downstairs at nearly 8am. At the smell of breakfast either cooking or waiting for them Lydia spoke up. "Morning… Why didn't you wake us?"
Hope glanced up for a moment before returning her attention back to one of the last remaining arrows she needed to sync up. "Thought you both needed the extra sleep. I heard you both still talking before I left to go on a run this morning… Besides, we don't have school today so there was no real need to wake either of you up."
"Ahh… So you got the text last night… Wait a minute. We went to bed at roughly 3:30am. You left for a run and still heard us?" Lydia questioned as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes while attempting to narrow her eyes at the Tribrid.
Hope shrugged a little before muttering out a 'meh'.
Allison rolled her dark russet brown eyes at that distracted response from the Tribrid. "I'm assuming that you're finishing up Daphne's quiver so she can use more arrows?"
"Yep. We're nearly done. I think breakfast is also nearly done as well if you'd like to get started." Daphne answered with a wide grin while Hope rolled her eyes with a smile on her face as she shook her head in amusement at both of her soulmate's love for archery.
The Ice Witch smacked Hope's thigh at the eyeroll and glared at her momentarily before returning back to syncing up her arrows to her new quiver as she was excited for the upgrade.
Lydia and Allison just shook their heads slightly at the couples' seemingly normal interaction with one another before moving off towards the kitchen.
"I know that I live with them… But I don't think I'll ever get used to food cooking itself, flying plates and cutlery. It's such a strange sight to see in the morning… Although the coffee that floats directly into my hand first thing in the morning is much appreciated." Lydia remarked as she gladly accepted the hot mug of coffee that hovered a couple of feet in front of her face.
Allison smiled a little at the controlled chaos in the kitchen as she took her cup of coffee out of the air. "I'll admit, it is quite handy. I've only seen this a couple of times but I'm quickly getting used to it."
Maybe 10 minutes later Hope and Daphne joined the other pair in the kitchen, a cup of coffee made its way to a coaster that was in front of the Tribrid while a hot peach-flavoured tea settled gently on the coaster in front of Daphne.
Hope eventually glanced up from her breakfast before asking the question that was hanging in the air between the 4 girls. Hope just wanted to get this tension out of the way instead of having everyone stewing in the awkwardness from their small argument last night. "So… What have you decided Allison?"
Allison locked eyes with Hope before gently biting her lip. "We should protect them. My dad and Scott's mum. Stiles' dad. We need to save them."
"... Okay. The sheriff is being held in the root cellar under the Nemeton. Daph and I can't enter the root cellar. We've tried before and it felt as though the magic around the Nemeton was trying to suffocate us. Alexandria can enter but she can't use her powers in the root cellar." Hope supplied as she leaned back in her chair as she crossed her arms over her chest like she was trying to protect herself.
Allison blinked at the new information before turning to face Lydia who sighed as she pulled out her phone and texted Stiles saying she knew where his father was being held.
However the Huntress needed more information. "Where is the Nemeton?"
"Deep in the Beacon Hills Reserve… We'll drive out there once Stiles, Scott and whomever else wishes to join us to rescue the sheriff. That way the Beacon Hills Pack can return to the Nemeton site whenever they need to." Hope answered as she stood up after finishing up the last of her cold coffee and taking all her dishes to the sink.
Hope busied herself by hand washing the dirty dishes instead of using her magic as she wanted something else to focus on while she answered Allison's questions.
"You'll help?" Allison quietly asked as though she was afraid of the answer.
The Tribrid glanced up from the soapy water and over towards her ravenette soulmate. "Of course I will. I may not know what the repercussions of this choice will entail but I will always help you Allison."
A small smile spread across Allison's and Daphne's faces at Hope's words while Lydia rolled her eyes at the sappy nature that now embodied the kitchen.
However the strawberry blonde was immensely happy for her best friend as Allison was concerned about creating a division between the married couple and possibly angering Hope. So with this confirmation from Hope that Allison hasn't ruined anything and that it settled the tension and anxiousness in her heart.
"Now… My normal plan would be to kill the Darach before she has the opportunity to collect Melissa for the sacrifice but without her blood or any personal belongings I can't do a locating spell. So unfortunately, this means that we will have to react tonight, when I know that she will collect Melissa." Hope started after they all made their way out into the lounge room.
Lydia continued texting Stiles, telling him to come around to her new place with Hope and Daphne whenever he's ready and to bring Scott.
"One more thing that I should mention is that Miss Blake is a bit more powerful than I was expecting, considering she was able to move Daphne through her own magical shield. This could make this battle a bit more interesting because I've never seen the Darach use her full power, magic-wise, so I'm not positive what she is capable of but I do know that she only has a limited capacity for magic." Hope added as she linked her fingers together while leaning forward as she observed Allison's and Lydia's reactions.
"How do you know that?" Lydia asked as her thumbs paused over the screen of her phone.
"In the original timeline, Miss Blake used her magic to heal Deucalion's sight and it weakened her greatly enough that she had to use Mountain Ash to protect herself… This is when Scott should be able to access his potential to become a True Alpha. This is one of the reasons why I didn't want to interfere as he is important to this universe and becoming a True Alpha is absolutely needed for this universe to remain safe and secure." The Tribrid answered.
Allison considered this for a moment. "Is there any way for Scott to still become a True Alpha?"
"Probably. Scott's been showing a strength of character, virtue and indomitable will… It just may take him a bit longer to rise to the standing of True Alpha but he's already on his way to becoming one." Hope replied before locking eyes one more time with Allison's.
"Once we make this choice… All the information I know about this universe will become irrelevant… Are you sure you want to continue?"
Allison heard Stiles' jeep doors slam shut with their distinctive sound but nodded her head.
"It's time to go." Daphne offered as Alexandria performed a small lightning-travel from her perch down onto Hope's shoulder.
Hope placed the Thunderbird under her invisibility spell as she stood up, telekinetically summoning her phone, wallet and keys to her hands before shoving her phone and wallet into her jacket pockets. "Alright, let's get moving. We'll need to be back before the storm hits as the Darach will use this to her advantage to grab Melissa tonight and to make matters worse the Alpha Pack will also be at the hospital."
"Lovely… The more, the merrier." Daphne sassily remarked, making Lydia snort as she mentioned that she was going to say something similar.
Hope, Daphne, Allison and Lydia met the boys at the door, Stiles' fist was posed ready to knock on the door but he nearly jumped back in shock as Hope opened the door.
"How do you know where my dad is?" Stiles asked in a no nonsense tone and without a hint of a greeting.
"Lydia. She showed us her drawings of the tree she's been drawing ever since the sacrifices started. Daph and I go on daily runs and came across a tree stump that radiated power. According to Chris' map of telluric currents, this tree stump is located in the middle of the largest convergence of these currents and there hasn't been any sacrifices at this site yet." Hope offered easily as an explanation that had all the information and sounded remarkably reliable and accurate, however, Allison couldn't stop the sharp glance she sent Hope's way as she knew that Hope has never seen her father's map since she hasn't been invited into the apartment.
Lydia looked partially offended as Hope basically threw her under the bus.
"The Pack would've learned that you were a Banshee last night Lydia, I'm just trying to keep the timeline somewhat intact. So yes, I'm throwing you to the wolves… literally." Hope telepathically told Lydia, making her jump at the sudden voice in her head.
While Hope was speaking to Lydia, Daphne continued her wife's explanation. "The screams, the writing and drawings, cognition and ability to locate death, Hope figured out that Lydia was a Banshee and during school yesterday Miss Blake figured out that Lydia was a threat by her drawing which is why she and Hope stayed at home last night. It was to protect Lydia."
Lydia looked uncomfortably towards the ground as Allison wrapped an arm around the Banshee's shoulders as the boys, Scott, Stiles and Isaac looked at the strawberry blonde in curiosity.
"... You're a Banshee?" Stiles asked in shock before shaking his head a little. "Where's this tree… stump?"
The group of 7 teenagers hopped into their respective cars with Stiles following behind Hope's relatively expensive car as they made their way out the Deacon Hills Reserve. Hope pulled over to the side of the road where there was enough room for both vehicles to safely park one behind the other.
Allison frowned as she hopped out of the car and looked around in suspicion. Stiles and Scott both looked a little put off as well as they looked around, almost like they recognised the place but didn't quite know where they were.
"... I think I've been here before… When I was first moving to town, we travelled this road at night and nearly ran over someone. I tried to tell dad to turn back to check on them but they wouldn't have any part of it… Now that I think about it, it was a full moon that night." Allison shared as the 2 groups moved towards the forest line.
Scott perked up at the story before slowly adding. "That person was me. I had just been bitten by Peter. I was wondering why the road looked familiar."
"That was you?!?" Allison asked in shock as she turned to face her ex-boyfriend.
"Yeah. Stiles told me that there was half a body out in the woods and he wanted to go look for it. We ended up travelling out this way looking for the body but Stiles' dad showed up. Stiles got caught but I was able to remain hidden… Turns out, if I went with Stiles that night I wouldn't have become a Werewolf." Scott explained as they followed behind Hope who seemed to be leading them towards wherever this Nemeton was located.
"Is that normal for so many coincidences to occur around one specific area?" Isaac questioned as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his parka.
"It can be. Especially in the area around a nexus point and definitely more so when it comes to a supernatural nexus. The Nemeton is a literal beacon for the supernatural. So no, it doesn't surprise me." Hope supplied as she broke a branch that was blocking her way.
Isaac hummed in deep thought but didn't say anything else.
"So what happens if Miss Blake is with Stiles' dad?" Lydia wondered aloud.
"I'll kill her." Hope answered mentally to the girls in the group, the sudden voice making Lydia jump at the Tribrid's voice in her head and glared at the back of the Wolf Queen's head.
"I don't know… We need to find out why she is doing this and get her to stop." Scott suggested hopefully.
"What if she won't stop? What if the term 'guardian' doesn't mean protector of the innocent? What if it means that the person is simply the guardian to a child? And what if I told you her next targets are your mother, Scott, and Allison's father? What if she kills them? Stiles' dad, your mum, Allison's father? What would you do then Scott?" Hope snapped as she turned around to look the younger Beta Wolf in the eye as she let her eyes glow a burning orange in her anger.
Scott.
Everyone stopped at this but Hope could hear Stiles' and Allison's heartbeats sped up at the harsh reality of what could happen to their remaining parents. Allison believed Hope when she said that her father would've been an original sacrifice but by the look on Scott's face he doesn't quite believe it.
"It won't." Scott rebutted firmly as he stared back at those dangerous eyes that promised fury and pain.
Hope shook her head at the naivety of the boy in front of her. "Then you do what you need to do and I'll do whatever it takes to protect the ones I love and those who I have offered my protection to."
Scott frowned when Hope turned back around and began walking with more anger in her step than he has ever seen from the other woman before. "We don't kill people!"
"You don't kill people Scott and honestly I applaud your restraint and character but me? I am ruthless, callous and vicious when it comes to defending my family. It's who I am." Hope responded without turning back.
"Then maybe you need to take a step back from this and let us handle it. Because killing someone – Anyone is wrong! Killing is never the answer!" Scott remarked as he quickened his pace to catch up to Hope.
Hope turned around before Scott could reach her. "In some cases I would agree with you Scott. But the world is not black and white. It's so many shades of grey that not even I can keep up with them. Some people can't change Scott. They've been pushed so far that they can never return. Miss Blake is one of those people, Scott and if that means one more death on my conscience. I can live with that."
Scott looked frustrated as he couldn't seem to change Hope's mind so he turned back to Allison. "What do you think of this Allison?"
Allison was startled as Scott turned his attention to her but Daphne moved in front of Huntress, deliberately blocking Scott's view of his ex-girlfriend. "Hey! Don't start bullying Allison just because you can't get Hope to see your point of view. But this is basically what Hope is trying to say."
"You want to stop the Darach, right? If she says no, are you going to go to Derek and complain that she's not listening to you? Of course not! Because she doesn't care Scott! The Darach is too invested in her revenge to stop now. This sacrifice. This ritual? It's dangerous and powerful and not for the faint of heart." Daphne pointed out as she let her magic create her ice rapiers, she shifted them in her hands, rearranging her grip in a threatening manner as she stared down the Werewolf.
Scott gulped awkwardly as he looked down at the icy blades in the Witch's hands. "I thought Witches were protectors of the innocent. Of nature?"
Hope let out a tiny chuckle at the front of the pack. "They are. The Darach isn't innocent, Scott. What Miss Blake is doing right now with the sacrifices? That goes against the laws of nature and disrupts the supernatural balance."
"These sacrifices have built up an immense amount of magical energy. Even if we stop Miss Blake today, the energy that has already been accumulated can't be reversed or destroyed. It can only be transferred into another form of energy and due to the sacrifices' nature, I can't imagine that whatever it transfers to will be good." Daphne continued as the magical interpreter since the boys still don't know about Hope's background yet.
Lydia was the one who realised something important about the couple's explanation. "Are you saying that magic follows the rules of science? Because that sounded awfully like Newton's 3rd Law for action and reaction, 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.'"
Hope and Daphne shared a look for a moment before making synchronised faces of acceptance at Lydia's theory. "I don't see why not." "Yeah, that sounds about right."
The strawberry blonde blinked as she wasn't expecting such a response from the 2 girls.
At Scott's intense lingering gaze still set on Allison, the ravenette sighed. "Scott… As a Hunter, you know that my family has a Code."
"We hunt those who hunt us." Scott supplied easily, recalling the words from other members of the Argent family.
Allison hummed in acknowledgement. "I don't want that Code to be the moral that I force myself to live by. Not every supernatural being is a threat… But Scott, even you can't deny that some supernatural beings are dangerous."
"Peter Hale was going to kill us but we beat him to it. Just because you weren't the one to deliver the final blow, which if I recall correctly, you were the one who wanted to kill him. You nearly begged Derek not to kill him, because you believed that if you killed him it would reverse the Werewolf Curse." Allison spoke as she clenched her fist around her new bow from Hope and Daphne.
Scott opened his mouth wanting to argue but he found it difficult to come up with the words as anything he says will sound hypocritical, since everything that Allison had said was true.
Allison approached Scott and placed her free hand over his heart. "Scott, you are a good person and you have an even bigger heart. But we're not perfect Scott. We make our choices, some are mistakes… Others, we have to live with the consequences. The only question is, can you live with the choices you make?"
"I can." Hope and Daphne replied inaudibly through their bond forcing Allison to turn towards them.
Lydia, Stiles and Isaac watched the interaction between the 2 Werewolves, Huntress and Witch, unsure whether or not to interfere.
Lydia was obviously on Allison's side for this as she spent the entire night discussing this exact thing with her best friend, whereas Isaac was seemingly uninterested but considering his hatred towards the Alpha Twins and wishing to kill them during the cross country, it was a toss up for what the curly haired boy thought.
However at this current moment, Stiles seemed to favour Allison's side because he wanted his father back. He didn't want to lose another parent.
"Nous protégeons ceux qui ne peuvent pas se protéger eux-mêmes," Allison spoke in fluent French before looking up to see the confusion on her ex-boyfriend's face. "It means, 'we protect those who can not protect themselves.' This is the Code I want to live by… Stiles' dad? He's innocent in all of this. He can't protect himself from the Darach and to be quite honest I don't want my father to end up as one of her sacrifices either. We have to protect them and this town."
The boys went silent at this, reflecting on Allison's new Hunter's Code before Isaac slowly nodded. Stiles clapped his hands together suddenly, surprising the entire group at the jarring sound in the otherwise quiet forest.
"Any chance that we can discuss morals later? If my dad is out here then we need to save him and if the Darach is out here as well… Scott can attempt his way first and if she doesn't seem receptive then Miss Wolf Queen over there can do whatever she pleases? That seems fair right? Good. Now let's go." Stiles deliberated for the group.
Hope and Daphne blinked at the lanky boy who had no magical or physical powers, deciding the upcoming course of action.
Daphne turned her head to face her wife to see if they should abide by Stiles' request but when her gaze landed on Hope. the Tribrid's face was stuck on a stunned expression for a few moments before the older girl muttered. "Fine… But I will decide whether or not I will need to implement my course of action."
"...Do you still have that bracelet with the Truth Sphere on it, love? I don't have mine. It's back in the Hogwarts universe." Hope asked her wife.
"I'm sorry? The what now?" Allison questioned with a look of confusion on her face as she trailed closely with Hope and Daphne at the front of the pack.
Daphne answered both of her soulmate's questions mentally. "No. My bracelet is at the Emrys Castle. Hope and her aunt can alter a crystal ball into a portable lie detector. If the ball glows blue, the person is telling the truth. If it glows a reddish-pink colour then it's a lie… However, Lydia did bring a crystal ball to the house when she moved in… Maybe we can use hers?"
Hope glanced back over her shoulder to see Lydia only a few steps behind them with Stiles walking beside her before mentally 'knocking' on her mental walls. "Hey Lyds? Could I borrow your crystal ball from your bedroom? I want to make it into a Truth Sphere so we can tell if the Darach is lying when Scott tries to win her over with his diplomacy."
"Uh. Sure? I guess…" Lydia answered with confusion laced in her tone while silently questioning why was she surprised. Hope and Daphne have been proving they can do bizarre and amazing feats since they got here.
After 10 seconds of neither Hope or Daphne summoning the crystal ball, the Tribrid silently reminded her wife. "Daph… You do remember that the boys only believe that you are the only Witch in this group right? You'll need to create the Truth Sphere."
Daphne nearly swore aloud as she did indeed forget that Hope wasn't using her magic currently in this universe.
The blonde girl shifted both of her swords into her left hand as she created a ball of ice in her right palm before muttering the switching spell under her breath.
The ice ball was replaced with Lydia's crystal ball simultaneously while making sure that her body was blocking the boy's view of what she was doing as she whispered the activation spell for the Truth Sphere.
Daphne shrunk the Sphere down to the size of a marble before performing a sticking charm to the Truth Sphere. The Ice Witch stuck the small ball onto the hilt of one of her ice rapiers before shifting the ice blade with the Truth Sphere back into her right hand.
"Since my rapier is made of ice, we should be able to see the responses to Miss Blake's answers fairly clearly since my entire blade should light up either blue or red." Daphne informed Hope and Allison over the bond.
After nearly travelling 700 metres into the reserve, Hope and Daphne shared a quick glance to each other as they felt the immense magical output coming from the Nemeton which was still another 100 or so metres away from them.
"We're nearly there. Maybe another 100 metres or so." Daphne informed the group in a soft tone as though she didn't want to disturb the magically charged surroundings.
Hope jerked to a stop as she was finally able to hear 2 heartbeats off in the distance. The group practically ran into the Tribrid's back as they weren't expecting her to stop so suddenly.
"She's here… I can hear her heartbeat. There's also another heartbeat but since I haven't spent any time around your father I can't truly say that it is your dad Stiles but I'd highly assume that it is." Hope told the group as she kept her gaze forward, looking for any movement as she was hoping that the Darach wasn't in the cellar with the sheriff.
Stiles looked at Hope in disbelief, he knew that Werewolves had very powerful senses but Scott and Isaac were looking utterly confused at Hope's words while they looked to be straining their superhearing to hear whatever Hope was able to hear. "How could you possibly know that?"
Hope silently scoffed to herself. "I have stronger senses than other Wolves. Does it truly matter how I know?"
"Daph? Can you take everyone else around towards the back while Scott and I draw her out. You can try to talk her down, Scott. Allison, Lydia, Stiles and Isaac, you 4 will go rescue the sheriff while Daph will remain up top." Hope directed them.
Daphne, Allison and Lydia all nodded before moving off to the side in order to circle around the Nemeton site but slowed down when Stiles and Isaac glanced at Scott for confirmation. The Beta Wolf looked conflicted but nodded his agreement and the other 2 boys moved to join the girls.
The 2 Werewolves remained where they were for a few minutes, allowing for enough time for the other group to get into position before moving forward. Hope shrugged her right shoulder, jerking Alexandria awake. From the thunderbird's emotions thrumming though their Familiar bond Hope could only imagine the death glare the young bird must be giving the Tribrid.
"Can you join Daph, little one? If this leads to a fight, which I expect it will, you'll be able to help." Hope shared across their unique link that not even Daphne was able to access unless Hope broadcasted it.
"I'll stay back a bit while you talk to the Darach so she doesn't feel cornered or overly defensive…" Hope offered before trailing off as she muttered the next part to herself, fully aware that Scott could still hear her.
"And you can have the space to speak without me breathing down your neck." Hope breathed out as the 2 Wolves made their way forward towards the Nemeton while Alexandria silently flew off.
When Scott could finally see the giant tree stump he could tell that this site was important but couldn't explain how he knew it was. He gulped awkwardly as he continued, a little slower than before but he was still steadily making his way to the Nemeton with Hope silently following behind him.
As it turned out, Scott didn't have to call Miss Blake out from the root cellar as she could feel his approach as well as Hope's. The English teacher opened the cellar doors, exiting the underground room although Scott could hear Stiles' dad call out, telling Miss Blake to leave the newcomer alone. The Darach must've told the sheriff that she felt someone coming.
The teacher smoothly called out. "Scott, Hope. I didn't expect for either of you to find me out here. I guess that's on me for underestimating you."
Hope just gave a quick but dismissive smirk as she noticed Daphne's truth-imbued rapier in the root of a tree on the border of the Nemeton site. The ice weapon was in such a spot that the Darach never noticed it when she emerged from the cellar. Sitting in Hope's direct line of sight so she could easily see the sword without needing to move her head visibly to see if the teacher would lie to Scott.
"You don't need to do this. Just let the sheriff go and tell me what I can do to help you." Scott started pleadingly as he gave a quick glance back at Hope, silently checking that the other Werewolf would keep her promise on not attacking.
Jennifer laughed a little to herself at the young Werewolf's request before looking towards Hope who was observing her with a scrutinous gaze, clearly untrusting of her. "Is he serious?"
Hope simply rolls her eyes but remains quiet.
Scott actually pouted for a moment but regained his determination as he began again. "Miss Blake what did the Alpha Pack do to you that was so horrible that you needed to kill 12 people? Sacrifice them? Why?"
"Does it really matter? The Alpha Pack is filled with killers. Each Alpha killed their entire Pack… But if you really want to know Scott, then I'll tell you. When I say the Alpha kills their entire Pack, I mean they kill everyone. That means families, spouses, children. Friends, allies… Including their Emissary." The Darach explained as she took a couple of steps towards the 2 Werewolves.
"This is what Deucalion wants to do to you Scott. He wants to break your spirit by taking away everyone who cares about you. Your mother, your friends, Stiles, Allison, Isaac, Lydia, even your boss, Dr Deaton. They'd do the same to you as well Hope. Daphne, Allison and Lydia." Jennifer continued before giving a sharp laugh.
"Deucalion could get an easy 2 for 1 special with the 2 of you and barely has to lift a finger. You both share the same friends. Easy pickings." Jennifer gloated.
Hope's eyes glowed orange for a moment, gaining the Darach's attention.
Miss Blake gulped at the sight of the bizarre colour of Hope's Werewolf eyes. "So you're the Wolf Queen… That explains a lot. Especially during that first lesson. You did something to the crows… But this will only make you more valuable to Deucalion's Pack."
"Maybe so. But attacking my friends, their families, isn't going to acquire my gratitude or my sympathies… Your last 3 sacrifices. These are people I've placed under my protection. Sheriff Stilinski, Melissa McCall and Chris Argent. The 'guardian' sacrifices… Take Scott up on his offer." Hope answered as she levelled a glare at the other women.
"Small change in plans darling." Daphne's voice entered Hope's mind with a hint of irritation.
"Allison's dad tracked her out here by using that GPS thing on her phone. Chris, Allison and Stiles will be going into the cellar to free the sheriff. Chris seems to believe that the Darach can sense supernatural beings when they come in a specific radius and I'll admit I'm tempted to believe him." Daphne informed her more ruthless soulmate as she waited a little deeper in the forest with Lydia and Isaac, waiting for some kind of signal on when she needed to intervene.
Whether that was for Hope or Allison, she didn't know but she would be ready.
"Lovely… Just what we need. 2 sacrifices in the immediate area. If Melissa shows up, I'm gonna be really pissed." Hope snarked back as she mentally shook her head in annoyance.
"I feel obligated to defend my father but hearing it like that… I can see that my father showing up probably doesn't help us much in the long run, does it?" Allison basically winced across the bond.
Hope didn't reply verbally to this, just sighed visibly and mentally as her ears picked up 5 more heartbeats off in the distance.
"Ugh!!! Why the hell is the Alpha Pack out here?! Don't they know we are busy! Bloody hell." Hope groaned as she tried to keep her composure.
"Or what?" Jennifer challenged the Wolf Queen as her eyes turned white and cloudy, visibly rearing up for a fight that she knew would break out shortly.
"Seriously!?" Allison remarked in flabbergasted bewilderment as she bit her lip to avoid swearing in front of her father.
Daphne simply sighed as she rested her head against a tree trunk in an attempt to distract her from her annoyance-induced headache that was slowly making its way into her mind. "Of course they would show up now. Everyone has to be present for the final showdown."
"Hey! You promised to let me try!" Scott butted in before he could be launched into another fight that he truly wanted no part in.
Hope turned to Scott slightly before levelling a deadpan expression at him. "I am letting you try Scott. The problem is… She doesn't seem to care about who she hurts. She is literally planning on sacrificing your mother."
"Go on Miss Blake. Tell me I'm lying." Hope taunted as she glanced towards the older woman.
The teacher thought about it for a moment, wondering whether or not it was worth pretending to be the innocent victim but since Derek wasn't here and the teens already seem to know that she is the Darach it seemed pointless.
"Actually I'm more curious to know how did you know who I planned on using for my sacrifices? Did your Witchy girlfriend perform some questionable dark magic to figure it out?" The teacher responded, nonchalantly admitting to Hope's allegations with no remorse in her tone, only curiosity.
Hope smirked a little before correcting the other woman. "First off, Daph is my wife… I'm near positive that she told you this during our first interaction. Secondly, are you developing dementia in your old age?"
The Darach glared at the Wolf Queen at that comment but before she could respond another voice called out.
"Well. Isn't this interesting? A nice reunion of sorts" Deucalion announced his presence with Kali, Ms Morrell, Ethan and Aiden standing behind him. The other 3 Alphas were already in their semi-shift state, ready to strike at Deucalion's order.
Miss Blake looked a little concerned now that there were 6 Werewolves in the current vicinity. Nearly all of the Wolves were Alphas except for Scott, however she could feel the potential coming from the young Beta so she no longer felt safe, even though she was standing in her place of power. The site of the Nemeton.
Scott groaned as he lowered his head, quickly realising that trying to broker peace between Miss Blake, Hope and Deucalion feels like an uphill battle.
"Although I never knew that you were capable of such brutality Hope… Speaking of, how did you manage to drop off those poor defenceless and not to mention, dead Werewolves into our building without leaving a trace?" Deucalion questioned as he tapped his cane against the soft ground in deep thought.
Scott and the Darach turned to face Hope at this information but Hope shrugged but answered in a condescending tone. "My wife is a Witch? How do you think we did it? I mean seriously, I thought the frozen bodies would've been the more important factor rather than the Werewolves' appearance into your apartment."
"You killed someone?" Scott blurted out in surprise, not truly believing that this short teenage girl was capable of killing someone and that Allison seemed infatuated by her and Daphne.
Hope let out a small chuff of amusement. "Scott, I've been in 2 wars between supernatural beings. So yes. I've killed people in order to protect people that I'll never meet, generally by putting my life on the line. I'm not afraid to kill people but it's not my go to response."
"I normally attempt peace but I already know that Jennifer isn't going to stop. Deucalion isn't going to stop… I doubt Kali will but I could be wrong, I have been wrong before but I don't think I am. I could happily kill Ms Morrell without batting an eye since I know that you tried to traumatise Allison by using an image of her dead mother against her… The Twins? That's up to them I suppose." The Tribrid pointed out as she trailed her gaze across all the aforementioned names.
Ms Morrell jerked back at the hatred she could feel radiating off the Wolf Queen, silently questioning her life choices as she wondered if she could escape before Hope, Deucalion or the Darach killed her.
There was a clap of thunder above their heads, whether it was brought on by the Darach, Deucalion or Hope, no one truly knew.
Jennifer drew all the magical energy from the Nemeton and her sacrifices into herself. Deucalion's skin started to change, turning a deep grey colour and his face shifted into something more animal-like.
Hope chuckled as she let the dark lines of her Vampire side trail across her cheeks before motioning her arms out in a mocking gesture and calling out. "Shall we?"