New chapter posted: AO3 - Wattpad
Sleep overtook him without warning, plunging him into a peaceful darkness. It didnât last long.
The violent clattering of a split-flap board forced him to open his eyes with a start. The noise was deafening. Stiles looked up, disoriented, watching as the plastic letters spun at full speed across the analog panel, stopping with a sharp click that signaled a countdownâbut he had no idea what for.
Nowhere appeared at the top, above: Ashford, Holloway, Wayward.
âBEACON??? What...? Where am I?â
He didnât have time to see anything else but the board; he fell to his knees, feeling like his heart was about to burst out of his chest. Pain took over his whole body, and he had no idea how much time passed after that; Derekâs animal growl cut through the pain for a moment, followed by voices shouting at him from far away.
He woke up; he could feel the dampness of his clothes, the hard floor of his room, the slight sting of Ericaâs claws as she held him in her arms.
âStiles! Oh God, youâre okay. For a moment I thoughtâŚâ Lydiaâs voice shook. âErica? Derek? Whatâs going on?â
His red-haired goddess lost all her strength when she saw him awake, after bursting into his room like a force of nature. Her hair was a mess, and her pajamas and slippers showed sheâd run out in the middle of the night.
Erica couldnât give an answer. One moment sheâd been on the couch with a midnight snack, then she felt a wave of unease, and Derek came running down the stairs, pulling on an old T-shirt. She followed him; her instinct told her this was about her human.
âWhen we got there, he was thrashing on the floor. He seemed in a trance; we tried to wake him up and take away the pain, because the smell was strong all the way from the stairs,â Derek said, thinking about what heâd felt through the pack bond.
âI fell asleep and then I was looking at a board with city names as destinations. Then this pain hit me and knocked me to my knees. After that, I donât remember anything until I woke up facing sourwolfâs fangs and Catwomanâs claws,â Stiles explained.
Lydia listened, wishing she had paid more attention before. The dried tears on her cheeks reminded her of the terror sheâd felt when she heard voices calling out for the pale boy who had become her best friend.