third person

LUNA EXPLAINED HER PLAN to Charlie, Jonah, and Asher as Theo listened outside. It wasn't her intention for Theo to know the plan; for some reason, she forgot he could listen through the walls like they did the night Scott and Stiles had the misunderstanding about Donovan. Theo didn't have a problem with what she wanted to do, he just didn't know why he wasn't included. He waited outside for ten minutes before the Louve pack came out of the building. The brothers looked determined and focused as they climbed into their truck. Luna was already getting used to the cane. Theo could tell as she moved more swiftly towards him.

Now, Luna climbs into Theo's truck, which is slightly tricky with the instability in her ankle not being able to pull her up. She notices the hat on Theo's head and can't remember the last time she saw him in one. Just as the boys start their truck, a thought crosses her mind. She reaches over and honks the horn.

"Do you still have the gun?" Luna asks Theo. She rolls the window down as he reaches into the backseat to grab his bag. Charlie pulls up next to them and lines the passenger windows up. Jonah rolls his window down. Luna says to Jonah, "I need you to hold onto something."

Theo places the gun in her outstretched hand, and she passes it through her window to Jonah who's holding his arm out of his window.

"What's this for?" Jonah asks as he brings the gun inside the truck. He studies it for a moment before passing it to Charlie, believing he is the intended person the gun is for.

Luna warns them, "Do not use it. That's what Monroe used to shoot me. Keep it somewhere safe and don't let anyone get a hold of it." Charlie and Jonah nod. "Be careful."

After Luna rolls her window back up, Theo drives out of the parking lot and heads for the hospital. Liam, Mason, and Corey won't be much against an army of armed so-called Hunters. As long as the army knows how to point and shoot, their supernatural abilities won't stand a chance. Luna can feel the scar through her pants and tries not to worry about it. Theo notices her fidgeting and holds her free hand, rubbing his thumb against her skin. She squeezes his hand in appreciation.

"You sure you can do this?" Theo asks, avoiding the subject of her other plans. If she didn't know better, Luna would've thought he was trying to convince her to stay out of the fight. But she does know better and knows he's making sure she believes she can help her friends. Luna stops rubbing the scar and holds Theo's hand in between hers.

"As long as I can still shift, I'll be fine," Luna responds. Doubt is a werewolf's worst enemy.

Theo doesn't change his expression and his voice is even as he says, "You can still shift. One bullet can't change that."

His support is all she needs to keep her optimism. She didn't instantaneously start shifting back to her human form when she was shot, and the pain triggered her shift, not the bullet. Pain makes you human. Luna wouldn't go in if her being there didn't help her friends.

"What really won't help is if they recognize us when we go in."

Luna tilts her head as she stares at her boyfriend.

"You're talking about my hair, aren't you?"

Theo shrugs.

"Hey, personally, I love it. But it doesn't really blend in."

Luna laughs and reaches into the back to grab her bag. Her hand finds a side pocket where she stored a few hair ties and reaches up to pull her hair up into a ponytail. The blue hair is the longest she's ever let it grow. A black jacket with a hood will cover the color well enough. She pulls the hood up in time as Theo parks on the street a block away from the hospital. With the bullet holes, his truck is way too recognizable. The two get out and head to the back entrance of the building. The cane is their biggest disguise because the Hunters are keeping an eye out for supernatural beings. Their ideas of a disabled werewolf started and ended with Deucalion. Theo and Luna made it to the elevator without any hiccups. They kept their covers on even after they closed the elevator doors.

Luna stares at the elevator numbers and says, "So, how do we know which floor they're on?"

"Press each one and see," Theo suggests. It seemed the most effective, but also the most tedious. "My guess is the floor will be mostly empty."

Luna shrugs and presses the first number. They go through the process a few times, there's only four main floors, when they hear someone say Liam's name on the floor they're heading to next.

"Go ahead, Liam. Run. It'll be more fun that way."

Theo prepares himself near the door as it dings and opens onto the fourth floor. Luna steps to the side near the panel of buttons when she hears guns click, ready to shoot. Just as Theo reaches out to grab Liam and pull him inside, the guns start to shoot at the boys. Luna hurries to close the doors as the bullets keep flying even though Theo and Liam are covered. Theo lets the younger boy go and he turns around to see who grabbed him.

"What are you doing here?" Liam asks, completely freaked out.

Theo takes his hat off and says, "Was just asking myself the same thing."

"We're here to join the party," Luna answers. "Guess we got here just in time."

"Luna!" Liam finally notices she's standing there and rushes to hug her. "You're okay! I heard you earlier but there was nothing I could do."

Luna hugs Liam tightly, still holding the cane, and says, "I'm fine, Liam. Just a bullet, no big deal."

"Yeah, right," Theo scoffs. It was one thing to make herself feel better to shift, it was another to downplay it altogether. Liam looks over his shoulder to glare at him before returning his attention to Luna. As he steps away though, he notices what Theo was referring to.

"What's up with the cane?" He asks. Luna just smiles and shakes her head.

"It's nothing. Just a bullet." She wasn't trying to downplay it the way Theo thinks she is. If she focuses too much on the injury, Luna might not be able to shift but she will get angrier. Angry enough to go after Monroe herself. She needs to be where she is and trust her brothers will do what they need to do. Her friends need her help here. Luna can freak out later.

The gunshots start to die down, but they wait to see if they leave. A few minutes pass and Liam listens for the heartbeats on the other side of the door. It doesn't look good.

"Still out there?" Theo asks. Liam glances at him and nods. Theo steps towards him. "Look, I'm not dying for you."

"I'm not dying for you, either," Liam responds. There's a pause. Luna's eyes are shifting between the two, wondering what the hell they were going on about. "But I will fight with you."

"Okay," Luna jumps in. "Now that we've got that out of the way, the plan is you guys give me time to get off this elevator to shift so that I can fight for you."

"You're not fighting for us," Theo says as Liam speaks, "Why not just shift now?"

Luna ignores Theo.

"I grow to nine feet and who knows how many pounds. I don't think this elevator can hold me."

Liam starts nodding before she finishes her sentence as he realizes how stupid his question is. Theo puts his hand out between the best friends.

"It doesn't matter. You're not fighting for us. We don't know if Gerard didn't give them any bullets," Theo's voice gets more stern when he sees Luna roll her eyes, "so you're providing back-up."

Luna steps toward Theo and, with an austere tone of voice, says, "When I shift, I'm not back-up."

Liam steps in between the couple and moves them a few feet away from each other. The tension between them is more than the current conflict. Theo likes seeing the power and the dominance come out of her. He could tell she liked it, too.

"Alright, enough of that," Liam scolds, not liking any of it one bit. "We'll give you time to shift, but we're helping you fight them. Remember, we don't want to kill them if we can help it."

"Fine," Luna agrees and turns towards the door.

Theo follows her lead and does the same.

"Fine," he says.

Liam mocks them, "Fine."

Luna positions herself behind them. Liam presses the button to open the door. The elevator dings and as soon as they see the first two men standing not so far away, they growl and charge. Luna moves quickly out of the elevator and to the side as the men start firing the guns. She tosses the cane to the side and begins shifting. Her and Theo were worried for naught because shifting into the Beast is as easy as it always was. The best part? She has full reign of her leg.

Luna roars as she steps around the corner to face the fight. They have already made it halfway down the hall but the three men closest to her are still conscious and reach for their gun. Remembering the plan of not killing them, Luna snatches one gun and bends it in half. Shocks of electricity sounds behind her make her turn around in time to see Melissa taser one guy. Nolan from the zoo comes around her to grab a gun and hit the other guy, but he falls back when he sees the Beast. Luna hits the guy Nolan was going for into the wall, only hard enough to knock him out.

"Don't worry. She's with us," Melissa reassures him. Nolan avoids looking at her and instead looks to Theo and Liam. Luna does the same and sees that kid, Gabe who tested Corey, standing behind her boys with a gun pointed at them as they're looking her way.

As she takes off down the hall, Nolan yells, "Get down!"

Theo and Liam start running towards her, and she jumps over them to cover them but not before they take hits and hit the ground. Gabe's shooting with a semi-automatic. The bullets don't even bother her. She glances over her shoulder to make sure they're okay. With that confirmation, Luna returns her attention to the teenage boy. She runs, full charge, at Gabe who continues to shoot at her. He doesn't show it but she can tell he's scared as she rams into him. Hard, but not as hard as she'd like to. His body flies through the air into the wall. Someone starts to shoot at Luna with bullets the size of her human hand. These ones start to hurt but not like Monroe's bullets. The bullets keep knocking her back, so she steps back into the hall for cover.

Luna shifts back into her human form and hurries to where Theo and Liam's taken cover. Her toes keep tripping her up until she falls next to Theo. He pulls her up beside him. One of the bullets hit her in the shoulder and when she pulls her shirt and her jacket back, a huge bruise is still there. She groans as she leans back against the wall. They hear Gabe grunt as he gets up and heads back towards them. Liam doesn't hesitate to run towards him despite Gabe having a gun. Luna tries to follow him, but Theo holds her down. A couple of shots go off as Liam and Gabe struggle. Theo lurches forward as if he is going to help.

The man who was shooting at Luna, now with a smaller gun, speaks into a walkie talkie, "I can't get a shot. What do you want me to do?"

"Just shoot him." Luna can hear Monroe through the radio. "Shoot both of them."

A few seconds later, nine shots go off before they stop. Luna can't see where Liam is.

"No!" Luna yells and launches over Theo to get to Liam. He lets her go. Liam is already standing by the time Luna gets to where she saw him last. If he was shot, they didn't go through him. She limps around him and sees he's just fine, save for the shot in his leg. "Oh, thank God."

Luna yanks him into a hug way harder than she intended but made sure to squeeze him as hard as she could out of pure relief. Nolan had hit the man in the head with a fire extinguisher, knocking him unconscious. The hug didn't last as long as Luna wanted it to, but Gabe is crawling across the floor and everyone can hear his blood smearing on the tiled floor as well as him spitting up his blood. Theo grunts as he stands up from the floor, weary of the wound in his shoulder as the pain starts to subside. Luna turns to watch him walk her way instead of watching the young Hunter sit up against the wall she'd knocked him into earlier.

Gabe coughs up more blood and says, "It hurts. It hurts."

Theo brushes past Luna, running his hand softly across her shoulder as he does, and walks towards the dying boy who keeps repeating how much it hurts. Luna's eyes stay on her boyfriend's back as he follows the blood trail. Everyone stops to watch Theo to see what he's going to do. Some would never believe he was doing the boy a favor, but Luna saw him down in the sewers trying to help Mason. She knew it bothered him that he couldn't take his pain, and that's what this boy needed to pass peacefully. Mason and Corey appear down the hall by the elevators.

"Does it hurt anymore?" Theo asks, not taking his eyes off of Gabe.

Gabe answers with a sigh of relief, "No."

"Good."

A swell of pride erupts inside of Luna. She never had any expectations for Theo to do the right thing, even though she knew he was capable of it. The fact that he was doing the right thing even for someone who was trying to kill them a few minutes ago, someone who shot him a few minutes ago, meant the most to Luna. Especially since he wasn't doing it for her.

Almost immediately after Theo takes his pain, Gabe passes away as the lights in the hospital flicker. Melissa places her hand on Luna's shoulder as the latter still has her arm around Liam to hold him up. Two pairs of footsteps approach Luna, Liam, and Melissa from behind. Luna turns around in time to see Corey, who wraps his arms around her. The girl relaxes into his hug and holds him tight. One of her hands reaches for Mason as she looks at him over Corey's shoulder, and he takes it without question. They stand there for a few moments as they bask in the relief that they're okay. When Luna lets go, she notices Melissa stiffening as Theo makes his way back over to the group. Nolan is already gone.

"Hey, Melissa?" Luna says quickly. Melissa turns her attention to the girl. "There's a cane down that hallway by the elevators. Could you go find that for me?"

Melissa smiles and nods as she says, "Of course, hun."

One of the men's walkie-talkies is still on as chatter comes through it. Everyone recognizes the voice.

"This is Monroe. Someone report with a status. Now." There's a moment when it's silent. The group, minus Melissa, steps over to the man's unconscious body. "Someone respond. Someone talk to me. What's happening? Someone pick up the radio and tell me what's happening."

Liam bends down to pick up the radio and says only two words, "You lost."

Monroe doesn't respond, and it makes everyone smile at their victory. Everyone except Luna. Monroe not responding means she's about to do what all cowards do.

Run.

〰〰〰

Luna's plan is working so far. Granted, so far, the plan was just Asher, Jonah, and Charlie waiting outside the school for Monroe to come out. Charlie stays in the truck at one entrance with Asher not too far while Jonah is at the other entrance on the other side of the building. Luna told them when the war tipped in their favor, Monroe would be the first one to abandon. None of the boys have seen her yet, but they trust their sister. Charlie is in charge of keeping tabs through the radio on the tides of the war. At the moment, Monroe's calling out for a status report and Liam's the only one who answers her.

"The tide's turning. Be ready," Charlie says into his phone that's on a three way call with the other two. His brothers don't respond but he knows they've heard him.

Jonah's the one who sees her first. A woman matching the thorough description Luna provided comes running out of the school. He mentions it on the phone but silences it so the sounds of voices don't give him away. His eyes follow her as she keeps running down the street. Jonah's always been light on his feet and starts chasing after her, keeping to the shadows casted by the trees against the moon. His werewolf speed closes the distance quickly. Just as she's passing by an alley, Jonah hits her over the head with a solid piece of wood. Monroe drops to the ground, falling unconscious straightaway. As fast as he can, Jonah drags her body into the dark alley.

He grabs his phone and says, "I got her. Come pick me up at the alley."

Asher hurries to the truck and climbs into the passenger seat. Charlie takes his time driving so he doesn't draw attention to them. He makes his way to the road closest to the other entrance and turns right where he can see Jonah standing down the street. When he pulls into the alley and stops, Asher jumps out to help Jonah get Monroe into the backseat. They sit her up in the seat to make it easier for Asher to tie her up on their way back to their house. As the two round the truck to get in on the passenger side, they check their surroundings. The last thing they needed is witnesses and someone following them home.

Charlie drives the speed limit through the side streets of town. Main street would be busy soon, and Sheriff Stilinski will have his men rounding up the last of the Hunters and their guns. When he turns down the street leading directly to the Louve house, he glances at Jonah.

"Call her," he says. Jonah nods and grabs his phone.

In the same moment, Monroe starts to stir in her seat. Asher panics and hits her in the head again to knock her back out again. Jonah stares at Monroe then at Asher.

"She kinda freaks me out," is all Asher has to say. The tense moment is broken, and Jonah and Charlie laugh at their younger brother. It's rare for Asher to admit anything scares him.

Jonah's still laughing when he calls Luna. The Alpha Beast is on her way down to the first floor after making sure Liam and Theo's wounds heal like they were supposed to. On the way, she explains to Melissa, Liam, Corey, and Mason what happened to her knee with the shortest version of the story she could. The group meets Stilinski, Parrish, and Rafael handcuffing more Hunters. Melissa separates herself from the others to speak with them. Everyone finds seats as they try to get ahold of Scott and others to find out what's going on on their end. Luna receives a call herself and steps away to answer it.

Jonah's laugh breaks through the other line as he says, "We have her. Almost there now."

"Good, I'm glad you're okay. What's so funny?" Luna asks, a smile on her face at the sound.

"Asher." Luna nods as if she knows. It dawns on her that she doesn't know much about Asher or Jonah. After everything is over, she's gonna work on that. "Jesus, Charlie, you can't just drive through the yard full speed. You're gonna make ruts doing that shit."

Charlie's voice can be heard through the phone as he says, "Okay, asshole, you wanna drive?"

"I'm just saying-"

"Alright, I'm gonna let you go now. Don't piss Charlie off," Luna interrupts whatever snide comment Jonah was going to make. The smile on her face didn't fall once through the conversation. Their bickering will get old fast, but for now she reveled in it. There's a lot of things a person misses when separated from people they've known all their life.

Jonah scoffs and says, "Yeah, Charlie shouldn't piss me off."

"What was that?" is all Luna hears before she hangs up the phone.

Melissa approaches Luna before Theo can. Luna smiles at her mother-figure as she comes into her eyesight. She notices the woman is carrying a brace of some kind.

"I went and found this in the back. From what you said happened to your knee, this will probably make walking a hell of a lot easier," Melissa says with a breathy laugh.

Luna accepts the gift without much fuss and examines it.

"An ankle brace?"

"Since you can't feel the muscle that lifts your foot and that causes the instability you feel, a brace will give your ankle some support. You might have to loosen your laces or get better shoes, but it'll improve your mobility."

Luna stares at Melissa with tears in her eyes as she explains the brace. It feels nice to have someone care about her the way that Melissa does. The way a mother should. It's one of the few times she realizes how much she needed her mother growing up. The fact that Melissa has accepted her as one of her own made her feel...normal. Luna tugs the woman into a hug.

"Thank you," Luna says, "so much. For everything you've ever done for me."

"Oh, hun, of course."

Melissa hugs her tight, and it almost makes her burst into tears. Almost.

Luna pries herself from the hug and says, "I'll let you go now. You probably want to find Scott," while wiping away the almost tears.

"Yeah, I'm meeting him back at the house. Are you gonna be okay?"

All she needs is a nod, and she's on her way. Theo's waiting off to the side for their conversation to be over. He got into a conversation with Mason and missed Luna's phone call. As Luna's making her way to a seat near Mason, Corey, and Liam, Theo tries to stop her before she gets there. There's no luck as she ignores any of his attempts. She can tell he wants to talk to her about what her brothers are doing but knew he wouldn't do so with the others around.

"So, what are you guys going to do now?" Luna asks her best friends as she takes her right shoe off. They all sigh in sync.

Mason answers first, "I need sleep, but I don't know if my body's calm enough."

"I don't even remember the last time I slept," Liam says, leaning back against his seat.

"If you guys need a place to stay where you feel safe, I have plenty of room at my house. I'm sure the boys won't mind," Luna offers. She's gotten the brace on and is now working on loosening her shoe.

Theo's gaze is burning a hole in the side of her face because if the call went how he thought, that meant Monroe is pinned up somewhere in her house. Having more people in her house makes it harder to hide what she sent her brothers to do. But Luna knew better. Having people in her house gave her and her brothers an alibi when people realized Monroe is missing. The Louve's don't own any other properties other than their home, so there isn't any other place they can hide the devil woman. If Liam and the others stayed, they will be able to concur no one else was there. As for the sound? Well, there's a reason none of the neighbors knew the Louve's were werewolves.

"We might take you up on that," Corey says with a relieved sigh, taking Mason's hand.

Luna nods as she puts her shoe back on and says, "I'll text you my address. Come over whenever you want. I'll probably be up for a while."

Sheriff Stilinski comes to pull Liam, Mason, and Corey for a chat about what happened in the hospital. Luna and Theo will probably be questioned next. After they walk away, Luna stands up to test out the brace. The first step is already easier.

"Oh, yeah, I can get used to this," Luna states, walking around in circles.

Theo crosses his arms over his chest and questions her, "So, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Luna keeps walking around. Her ignoring him only makes him irritated and talk more. "I heard you back at the Animal Clinic. Don't shut me out of this."

His girlfriend turns to him with a sweet, adoring smile on her face. It only brightens more as his face gets more annoyed the longer she doesn't answer him. Theo doesn't move while Luna walks over. He stares down his nose at her as she places her hands on his hips.

"I love you," she says, and Theo melts. Just a little bit. "Trust me."

He places his hands on her shoulders and says, "I do, but you gotta trust me, too."

Luna's face softens, and she moves her left hand to his cheek. He relaxes into her touch by closing his eyes and sighing.

"I'm proud of you." His eyes snap open. Those weren't the words he was expecting to hear. "You were able to take Gabe's pain, which means you care. And it also means you're willing to show that you care."

He scoffs in a self-deprecating way and says, "It's just because of you."

"No," Luna disagrees instantly. "It's because of you."

Theo shakes his head pulling away from her hand. Luna drops her cane and encases his face between her hands. She stares deeply into his eyes so he knows her words are true.

"It's you because you have always been in charge of who you are and what you believe in. You know who you want to be, and it may never be what anyone wants or expects from you, but no one can make you change. I would know. What happened up there happened because you believe what I've always believed. You are capable of good. It might come out in a different shape than most but it's there. I promised I would be here no matter who you chose to be. Little did you know it looks a little more like how I already see you than the version you've created of yourself."

Theo never knew he would be lucky enough to live in a world where he finds someone as accepting and forgiving as Luna. For as much as Theo's put her through, he will forever wake up each day wondering how she's still by his side. She knows him better than anyone could ever possibly understand. But she's wrong about why he was able to take Gabe's pain. The only reason he wants to change is because of her. Luna makes him want to be better and do good. He will never be able to take back all the pain he's caused for everyone around him, but she makes him want to try.

There's tears in his eyes when she finishes speaking, and he kisses her to force them away. He can't help but take her in his arms and in the air. They hold each other tightly as if the moment they let go, they'll disappear. The kiss doesn't last long but they stand there with their foreheads together, just breathing each other in.

"Sorry to interrupt," a voice says from behind Luna. Theo lowers her back to the ground before they turn to whoever is speaking. It's Parrish. "We found your motorcycle."

Luna's eyes widen in shock as she nearly yells, "No way! Where?"

"It was parked at one of the properties Monroe's army was working out of. It'll be a couple of days before you can take possession of it, but I wanted to keep you updated."

Luna bends down to pick up her cane and says, "I figured they would've stripped it for its parts, so I'm glad it's still in one piece. Thanks, Parrish."

"Alright," Sheriff Stilinski says as he walks over with Liam, Corey, and Mason, "it's getting late as it is, and I don't want to keep you kids out all night. Go home, get some sleep. Luna, Theo, I want you at the station bright and early for your statements."

Luna salutes him.

"Aye, aye, Captain."

Stilinski doesn't think she's too funny while Corey and Mason chuckle at her antics. Everyone but the law and the guilty make their way out of the front of the building. The hospital's front entrance is bustling with people. Melissa McCall didn't make it out like she was trying to as she had to separate who worked there and were innocent from who worked there and were part of Monroe's Army.

Corey stops Luna and Theo before they all go their separate ways. The three young ones are looking at her as if they're nervous to ask her about something. Luna keeps her eyes on Corey with the same softness she's had since he returned to the land of the living.

"Are you sure we can stay the night at your place?" Corey finally asks. His expression is hopeful. Mason's is, too, while Liam avoids eye contact. Luna smiles her infamous bright smile.

She replies, "I changed my mind actually." A panicked look crosses their faces. "You guys have to stay at my place tonight. I won't be able to sleep if you don't. Follow us back to my house. Don't argue, it's useless."

Smiles all around, besides Theo since he's still confused, now that she's taken off the pressure of being a burden. They break off and head to their own vehicles. Luna and Theo hold hands until they get to the truck where Theo holds the door open for her and he helps her inside. He's able to keep his questions contained until he's inside and starts the truck. Luna texts Jonah that they're expecting company.

"Okay, Luna, time to clue me in," Theo says as he pulls out of the parking lot, setting course for her house. Luna props her chin up on her hand and smiles cheekily at her boyfriend.

All she answers is, "Do you know how pretty you are?"

"Seriously, Luna."

"I am dead serious, Theo. You're probably one of the prettiest people I've ever met."

Theo sighs and shakes his head.

"Is there at least a reason you're not telling me?"

Luna's smile falters as she drops her hand.

"Of course there is."

"A reason that isn't just you not trusting me."

Her hand reaches over to touch his forearm.

"Theo, I trust you. Wholeheartedly. But I love you more. The last thing I need is you mixed up with this."

"So you're protecting me? You think I can't handle it?"

Luna shakes her head and says, "That's not it and you know it."

Theo is having a hard time understanding why she can't trust him with what's going on with Monroe. She loves him, she trusts him, but she doesn't want him to help her. He's better with these kinds of things. He has the experience. He's the one she should rely on rather than her brothers. She knows better than anyone—

"It's because of what happened with Scott. You don't want me to be a suspect."

Luna not answering is an answer in and of itself. Theo feels stupid he didn't think of it earlier. He takes the hand that's on his arm and interlocks their fingers to kiss the back of her hand. It's silent. A sense of calm washes over them.

"You are the prettiest person ever," Theo states, referring to what Luna said earlier.

Luna's laugh rings through the truck as Jonah reads her text from down in the basement of their house. Asher already chained Monroe to the wall inside the room where each werewolf child spent full moons. The chains were supernatural proof, so there is no way for Monroe to get out. Even if she did, not only were there seven dead bolts on the inside, there is another set of seven dead bolts on the outside. Asher is working on those now. Jonah taps him on the shoulder to let him know about the text.

"Luna's bringing her friends so we have to make sure no one can get down here," Jonah says.

Asher asks over his shoulder, "How many? Does Theo still not know?"

"She didn't say. Safest bet is to pretend we don't."

After Asher locks all the dead bolts, they take turns trying to open it with just a little bit of werewolf strength. The door didn't budge. Jonah follows his younger brother up to the main floor. As a precaution, he locks the basement door with one of the master keys. They find Charlie in the kitchen eating a ham sandwich. All of the ingredients are sprawled out on the island but no premade sandwiches are waiting for them.

"What the fuck? You didn't make us a sandwich?" Asher asks in a playful tone that's only half serious. Charlie motions to the bread before taking a bite.

With his mouth full, he says, "You can make your own. You're a big boy. Is Luna on her way?"

"Yeah, with friends," Jonah answers and grabs the bread bag before Asher can. Charlie rolls his eyes and leans against the counter.

"I just want to go to bed. Now we've gotta entertain a bunch of teenagers?"

Asher laughs and looks from Charlie to Jonah who's trying not to laugh.

"Yeah because a group of teenagers want to be entertained by a thirty-year-old," Asher says as Jonah passes him the bread.

Jonah says, "Go to bed, Charlie."

A vehicle pulls into the driveway followed by two more, ceasing their conversation. Someone will have to park in the yard since the driveway isn't big enough to park six cars. Luna directs Theo to park in the yard in front of the house. Liam and Mason's cars will just fit in the driveway, a few feet from the road. Luna reaches for her bag just as Theo does. She shakes his hand off her bag.

"You've got your own to carry in," she tells him. Theo narrows his eyes at her.

He asks, "What are you talking about?"

Luna mimics his facial expression.

"You're living with me."

"Since when?"

"Since now?"

"But-"

"Why do you always have to argue with me? I'm not letting you live in your truck." Theo shakes his head. "Come on, it's not like I'm chaining you up in my bedroom. I'll give you your own room if you want. We have the space, Theo."

Although, Luna thinks, he did look really good in those chains Liam put him in.

"Fine. But when I find a job, I'm paying rent."

Luna raises her hands in surrender and agrees, "Fine. We don't have a mortgage and have plenty of money, but you can pay rent if you want to."

It's silent for a moment as they stare at each other. A smirk appears on Theo's face as his voice switches into a huskier tone.

"You can chain me up if you want to."

Luna bites her lip and leans in close. Theo involuntarily leans in as well.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Raeken."

Theo growls as Luna opens her door and hops down to the ground. She reaches back in for her cane and her bag and winks at Theo. When she closes the door and turns around, she notices Liam, Corey, and Mason are gathered around Mason's car waiting for her. She just smiles and motions to the side of the house where the porch is as she starts walking that way. Corey comes over and takes her bag from her.

"You don't-" Luna starts before he interrupts her.

"Lead the way."

Her head tilts and she pats his cheek in appreciation. She continues walking up to the porch where she's met with Jonah and Asher. They look extremely tired.

Asher speaks first but it's just to get on her ass, "Damn, what took you so long? That bum leg didn't make you that fucking slow."

Luna clocks his sarcasm as he bites back a smile while he opens the screen door. She matches his energy with a sarcastic laugh and shoves him inside.

"You're such a dick. Get in there."

Everyone follows her inside besides Theo who's still grabbing all of his things. As they fill up the living room, they all stare at each other in an awkward silence. Luna realizes they don't know each other.

"Oh, shit, okay. Asher, Jonah, this is Corey, Mason, and Liam. Guys, this is Asher and Jonah." At the perfect moment, Charlie walks into the living room from the kitchen already changed for bed. "And you guys know Charlie."

Charlie nods at her friends before saying, "I'm heading to bed. Don't be loud."

Luna rolls her eyes as her oldest brother hugs her from the side. He disappears up the steps without another word.

"Where's Theo?" Jonah asks. As if summoned, Theo steps into the house with two bags.

"Aw, I didn't know you cared," Theo says sarcastically.

Jonah smiles but it's more of a grimace.

"Not a chance, asshole."

"Okay!" Luna interrupts their banter before it gets worse. She turns to the boys. "You guys hungry?"

Liam sighs and says, "Starving."

He doesn't hesitate to move to the kitchen.

"Help yourselves," Luna states and motions Corey and Mason to follow the Beta. Theo grabs Luna's bag from the seat where Corey dropped it and carries it upstairs without a word. Luna points to Asher. "Can you get them a change of clothes?" Asher nods and hops to it. She points to Jonah. "Can you get the air mattress and blow it up for me? I'll move the coffee table."

Jonah's off to do it before she can even finish her sentence. She uses her good leg to push the coffee table towards the fireplace, creating a big enough space for the full-sized air mattress. Her stomach growls as she gets a whiff of the sandwiches. Before she can stop herself, she's in the kitchen making a sandwich for herself. At the first bite she's convinced it's the best sandwich she's ever had.

"It's not just me, right? This is good?"

Mason replies, "Oh, no, this beats anything I've ever eaten."

"I think we're just hungry," Corey concludes.

"I want to marry this sandwich," Liam states, and everyone starts laughing. Harder than the joke calls for. Soon, each person has tears in their eyes from laughing so hard that when Theo and Asher come into the kitchen, they're sure the kids have lost their minds.

Jonah speaks up from behind Theo and Asher, "Jesus, they're like kids at a slumber party."

Luna calms down enough to say, "Man, I haven't had one of those in, like, ten years."

The comment should've made her sad, but it only made her laugh harder. The other three goons laugh with her.

"There hasn't been this many people in my house in who knows how long."

"They've lost it," Theo states to Asher and Jonah, and the two nod in agreement. Jonah goes to blow up the mattress, and Asher hands out clothes to each of the boys. Everyone has begun to calm down with a few chuckles here and there. Luna wipes the tears from her eyes and finishes her sandwich. The air pump is loud enough to deter any more conversation. Asher steps over to Luna.

He says, "I'm going to bed. Need anything else?"

"Nope." Luna shakes her head and steals a hug from her brother. He stiffens before lightly tapping her on the back. "Goodnight, I love you."

"I love you, too. Goodnight," Asher mumbles. The returned affection makes Luna smile as he swiftly leaves the kitchen.

She smiles up at Theo as if to say, "Did you see that?"

All at once, the air pump stops and the silent air feels as if their ears should've popped. Everyone tilts and shakes their heads to clear their ears. Jonah tests the bed then hops up to look at the teenagers.

"Alright, if that's all I'm needed for, I'm going to bed." He steps over to Luna to hug her and say goodnight before he disappears up the stairs.

Luna directs the younger boys to separate rooms to change: Liam to the laundry room, Mason to the bathroom, and Corey to the office off the living room. Her and Theo stand in comfortable silence in the kitchen, staring into the abyss as their tiredness catches up with them. Then, Luna remembers that they're going to need blankets. She walks into the living room and opens the hall closet where she stores the extra blankets and the few pillows she has. She tosses a pillow and a blanket on the couch, and two pillows and blankets on the air mattress. Mason and Corey shouldn't mind sharing a bed. If they do, Liam will probably share with Mason. One by one the boys came out, freshly changed, and went straight for their spot to sleep.

Like Luna thought, Corey and Mason are on the air mattress and Liam made himself comfortable on the couch. Theo tugs at her hand to pull her upstairs after they've locked all the doors and turned off every light except for the light above the stove and the hallway light to the bathroom.

Before he can take her all the way upstairs, Luna yells down, "Goodnight, guys! I love you!"

A chorus of "goodnight's" and "I-love-you-too's" follow her up the stairs. It's all she can do to not head straight for her bed but she needs to change her clothes. She doesn't bother making Theo turn around as she quickly switches into pajamas, mainly because he is changing as well. As they lay down in bed, the two make it long enough to kiss each other goodnight before they are sound asleep with their arms around each other.

〰〰〰

Four days. That's how long Luna waits to go down into the basement. One day to fill out her statement at the Sheriff's Station. Another day for people to notice Monroe is gone. Day three is so no one suspects her family. The fourth day is for people to assume Monroe's in hiding. Four days of her chained up without any food or water. Luna didn't know what she was walking into, but it didn't smell good from this side of the door.

Luna unlocks every dead bolt slowly. A scare tactic she knew Monroe was familiar with. After she clicks the last one out of place, she waits a moment before opening the door. The smell is worse on the inside, but Luna refrains from making a face. What she sees sitting in front of her is a different sight than the smell would lead someone to believe. Monroe sits poised on the bench, the chain just long enough for her to rest arms on her legs, and stares Luna directly in the eye. Neither have a hint of emotion on their faces, but Luna can smell the uncertainty and the fear radiating off the woman.

No one else is in the house. All the boys, including Theo, are helping the McCall pack pick up the pieces the Hunters left behind. Everyone thinks she's getting her bike checked out at a garage in the next town over who specializes in motorcycles. It was. She just wasn't there. They gave her a three hour estimate to come pick it up after they finished a full inspection. A substantial bribe to a cab driver to keep her drive off the record brought her back to an empty house. Now she has a clean alibi and plenty of time to spend on Monroe. As she's learned, murder doesn't take long.

Luna grabs the stool sitting outside the room and carries it inside. It's a slow process, but she sits it down a few feet from Monroe who keeps her composure and her eyes on the wolf. Taking a seat, Luna situates her cane in front of her with her hands folded over the handle. The Hunter's eyes flicker to the cane, and she smirks.

"New injury?" Monroe asks.

Luna smiles and says, "Nothing I can't handle." She takes an exaggerated deep breath through her nose. "Having fun down here?"

Monroe's smirk drops at the comment, but Luna's smile never falters. There's a twinkle in her eye that frightens her captive. Monroe feels as if she misjudged who Luna is. She thought because the Beast used to be in the McCall pack she would be against murder. Even over the past four days she didn't think Luna would go through with it, but the look in the wolf's eyes tells her differently.

"Let me get this right. You killed Halwyn, the Hellhound; Brett and Lori, Liam's friends; Satomi and the entirety of her pack, including Jiang and Tierny; Gabe, who wasn't supernatural; and so many more people that I probably couldn't name off on my two hands. And that's just who you killed. It's not including everyone you hurt."

Monroe rolls her eyes and says, "The only thing I killed on that list you named off is that Hellhound."

"You see, people ordering the kills are also charged with murder. It's called being an accessory to murder."

"Not in war."

Luna leans in, eyes unmoving as she stares directly into Monroe's brown eyes, and begins in a whisper but gets louder as she speaks, "This wasn't war. This was a cult murdering innocent people because they were afraid of them!"

"They weren't people. They were monsters."

"Not all monsters do monstrous things!" Luna takes a deep breath. Her mind flashes to the man who killed her human sister. "I've seen the worst monsters, and they were all human. You can't judge someone based on who you think they are."

"Did you kidnap me to try to change my mind about who you and Theo Raeken and Scott McCall and all these werewolves are? Is this a scared-straight tactic because I have to say it's lousy and useless. I know exactly who you are because I've seen it. There is no good monster. The only differences between your kind are those who are easy to kill and those who put up a good fight. All of you need to be exterminated."

"Jesus, are you done?" Luna asks, shaking her head.

It's the first time Monroe is caught off guard. She had started to believe, the longer Luna talked, that she was only locked in that basement to be brainwashed.

"Maybe you're confused about why you're here, but it's not so I can convert you. I do not care what you believe in, I do not care if you're still a person who deserves a chance at life. I am not Scott McCall. You know exactly who I am. That's why you shot me with those special bullets, right?" Luna smirks as she watches the memory flash across the woman's face. "Guess you wish you worked through that trauma with a therapist, huh? Maybe you would've gotten the job done if you had." Luna sighs and stands up. "I suppose we should get this show on the road."

She carries the stool back into the hallway outside of the room. Again, it's a slow process with her limp, but the slowness is an advantage because it makes Monroe resort to begging. All the usual stuff people see in movies: we can figure something out, how much money do you want, let me see the sky one more time, blah, blah, blah. Luna doesn't care. If anything, it disgusts her.

"I knew you were a coward, but I never took you for a begger," Luna says, closing the door as she comes back into the room. "You can beg all you want, I mean don't because it's annoying, but it's not going to change anything. You hurt the people I love. You don't care who gets killed as long as there's one less monster in the world. My grandfather should've finished the job and killed you in that bus because the only thing you've done in this world is cause misery. I know I said not all monsters do monstrous things but this monster?" Luna flashes her Alpha Beast eyes. "She does."

Monroe starts to shake and heavily breathing as Luna transforms into the Beast who haunts her dreams. She's transported back to the night in a bus with a terrible horror standing over her and dead bodies surrounding her. There's no hope of surviving this. Luna uses her abnormally long claws and stabs them into Monroe's abdomen, feeling a sense of relief as she lifts the devil woman into the air and breaks the chains from the wall. Blood drips through Luna's hands and onto the floor and seeps out the corners of Monroe's mouth as she hopes death will come soon. As if Luna's reading her mind, the Alpha Beast rips her throat out with its teeth.

Life continues on. Some people change, some stay the same, and some become who they already thought they were. Luna was labeled a murderer when she was eight and couldn't control her shifts for ten years. Not until Theo returned. The truth came out, and it was like every bad memory, every bad thought, every bad day, was lifted off her chest and she could finally breathe. Only for another weight to take its place as the person she loved and trusted the most betrayed her. Only for another weight to add to that as she gains a power no one knows how to handle. Only for another weight to add to that as she realizes the only person she wants to be with is the man who betrayed her. For months, the weight held her down so deep she thought she was drowning. Until Theo returned for a second time. She could breathe again. He was the only one who would accept her for who she was turning into, and she knew she could forgive him and accept him for who he was.

Luna Louve is a friend, a sister, a lover, and a murderer. A friend to those who are a friend to her: the ones who supported her in her most vulnerable moments, the ones who had no one else but her to look to for help, and the ones who stayed regardless of her decisions. A sister to those who left her all alone: the one who is overwhelmed and overprotective, the one who is free spirited and chill, the one who is witty but heavy-hearted, and the one who was horrid and innocent. A lover to the only person who is made for her: the one who understands her better than anyone else, the one who loves her, and the one she can spend her life with. A murderer to those who didn't deserve another moment in the world where they only caused devastation.

The Alpha Beast of Beacon Hills is capable of more than just the monstrous things her ancestor did. She is not filled with rage and anger which forces her to kill anything that crosses her path. She is filled with love and compassion for everyone she knows, and she uses her powers to protect them from every danger. Luna will protect Beacon Hills so all the people she loves have a place to call home. Her friends will leave to chase their dreams, to get away from their trauma, to heal, and she will be there when they find their way home. Everyone will return in time.

Hi, guys! Sorry I forgot to post yesterday. This is the end before the epilogue. I might cry when I do post the epilogue. It's not quite finished (I had to take a little break) but I will try to finish it by next Monday.

How are y'all feeling right now?  I hope it meets the expectations you've made over the last 5 years. There's a little more of where everyone's at in the epilogue, but this chapter really marks the end of everything.

Is this how you thought the story would end? Is it better than you expected? What'd you think about the sibling dynamic between Luna and her brothers? How'd you feel about Theo feeling left out of the plan? Do you really think Luna's leg will never heal?

I can't wait for y'all to read the epilogue and see where Luna and Theo and the rest of the pack ends up.

I hope you liked the chapter! Please vote and comment what you think!

-chelsie
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