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𝐀 𝐋 𝐎 𝐍 𝐄

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Coach had finally called a timeout. Dax was thankful for it even though he knew the entire time out was just so that Coach could yell at Greenburg, "Hey, you look hot scoring and all, but maybe could you stop so that we don't run out of time?" Dax asked as they walked.

"You don't think I've been trying? You guys suck. You suck so bad that it's impossible to lose against you," Brett said.

"I warned you earlier," Dax admitted.

"What are we supposed to do?" Liam asked.

"Try not sucking," Brett said before jogging off.

"Your boyfriend is really helpful," Liam rolled his eyes as the two sat down on the bench.

"It's fine. We got this," Dax nodded to himself, "We will be ball hogs the rest of the game and we'll actually score some so that it isn't one to five."

"Maybe if you weren't distracted-"

"Liam, are you lecturing me on being distracted?"

"All I'm saying is that every time you and Brett see each other you make faces."

"Yeah, and who took- Nope. No, I'm not saying that. It's too mean."

Hayden came up behind them and tapped Liam on the back, "Hey."

"Hey," Liam responded. Dax looked up at him with a satisfied smirk. Liam glared at him.

"I'm with you," Hayden said.

"What?" Liam asked as his eyes snapped from Dax to Hayden.

"I'm with you. All of you," Hayden said.

"Why?"

"Cuz you're right about Scott... and whatever happens next, I wanna be with you," Hayden and Liam smiled at each other. Liam leaned in and kissed her.

"So I get scolded for winking at my boyfriend, but you get to make out with your girlfriend?" Dax crossed his arms as he sassed.

"It's a timeout," Liam said defensively.

"And?"

The whistle blew before their conversation could continue. The two boys jogged out onto the field. They ran up to Stiles who was staring at the vans, "Something's wrong. I don't think Malia's gotten all of the vans."

"It's fine. We'll go into overtime," Dax nodded to assure himself.

"How the hell are we going to do that?" Stiles asked.

"Just give us the ball," Liam said before the three of them put on their helmets and jogged up.

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Dax and Liam had managed to get the score tied on their own. They made it into overtime just in time, "Looks like you're going to have to go back to trying," Dax smirked as he raised his brows.

Brett narrowed his eyes at him, "Turns out you have two good players."

"Did you just compliment Li-" Dax was cut off by the loud ringing coming from the news vans. Dax's eyes screwed shut as he covered his ears but to no avail. Luckily, it wasn't quite as bad as the banshee screech so he was able to move, but he couldn't stand on his own. Brett pulled him off the ground.

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Dax got into the library to see Scott bloody and out of breath. Dax looked at him like he had gone insane. He was about to say something to the Alpha when he noticed that most of the people from the game had gone in there to hide. The two boys made eye contact once they heard a loud growl.

"Go upstairs," Scott whispered, "Can you do a boundary spell?"

Dax shook his head as the two boys readied themselves to fight, "Whatever the dread doctors broadcasted... I can't focus enough to make feathers float let alone a boundary spell that would keep that thing out," Dax rambled quietly.

The Beast came into the library and roared. Scott and Dax returned the roar and  Dax lunged at its legs while Scott went for its head.

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"We need to separate," Brett panted slightly as he stood up, "That thing can hear heartbeats just like we can."

"Isn't that a reason we should stay together?" Stiles said as he looked at Brett panicked, "So it can't pick us off one by one?"

"The less of us there are to hear, the less likely it is to attack us," Brett said as he stood up, "The thing is a serial killer. I don't think it's targeting anyone in particular. The biggest group is going to be the first to die."

"Should you be standing right now?" Liam asked as he looked at Brett like he was insane.

"Vampire blood is a lot faster than upgraded werewolf healing," Brett responded, "I don't know your school very well, but the safest places seem like the locker rooms."

"Damn, you really are his type,  Brett. Smart, quick, strong, and you're quick to start a fight," The blonde said as he walked in with a girl with curly black hair on his tail, "But who am I kidding? He can't date anyone who doesn't have most of those qualities, or else they'd be dead by the time he went on a first date. I applaud you for making it this far Brett, but I'm afraid this is the end of the line for you."

"Sono," The curly-haired woman muttered. Stiles, Hayden, and Liam hit the floor. They were unconscious.

"The hell do you want, Alex?" Brett asked as he looked up to the hybrid and his witch without a trace of fear in his eyes. He growled lowly.

"Revenge," Alex smirked as he stepped into the room. He very slowly made his way to Brett, "Your boyfriend thought he killed me. I was going to kill him right then and there when I saw him and his little witch friends, but then...Then I got my memories back and I thought, how can I make him suffer... Then I remembered you. And I thought what better revenge than to kill my replacement?" He asked as he traced his fingers on Brett's cheek. Brett removed Alex's hand from his cheek.

Brett roared and used his claws to tear into Alex's face. Alex smiled as he turned back to Brett. Brett growled as he felt an invisible force pushing him into the ground. He looked over to see the witch chanting something with her hands directed towards him.

"I am sorry, Brett, but he killed me, and I have to get revenge somehow," Alex said as he looked down at Brett with a frown. Alex used his claw to scratch down Brett's cheek. Brett growled as his eyes glowed bright yellow, "Just remember, this is his fault," Alex smirked. Alex wrapped his hands around Brett's head. One hand placed at his jaw and the other was placed at the back of his head. Alex twisted until he heard a crack. He released Brett and watched as his body fell to the ground. Brett was on his side. His arms were laid out in front of him and his knees were bent. His eyes faded from golden yellow to blue.

"Come on, we need to get the hell out of here," Alex said as he grabbed his witch and dragged her out by her wrist.

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Scott was thrown across the room into some bookshelves when he lunged at the beast. Dax gathered his bearings and landed a hit with his claws as he lunged at the beast, but it did little to no harm and the beast hit him back and into the stairs. His back broke on impact and he was stuck for a moment as he waited for it to heal.

Thankfully Scott grabbed its attention. He landed a hit on its face by getting it from the back. Scott landed next to Dax and helped him up. The two boys were ready to fight it, but Braeden and her shotgun beat him to it. 

Dax didn't keep count of how many shots she put into the beast, he was just thankful it wasn't he and Scott taking the blows. The beast realized the damage the shotgun was doing. It roared at Braeden before jumping out of the window. 

"You didn't seriously think you were going to have a chance against that thing, did you?" Braeden asked.

"No," Scott answered honestly.

"Speak for yourself, Scott," Dax panted as he rested his hands on his knees and hunched over "A few more minutes and I would have won," Braeden and Malia hummed unconvinced as they looked Dax up and down.

"But I got its scent," Scott added.

Dax's face fell slightly as he stood up, "Something's wrong," He said as he looked around.

"Actually, we're all still alive, so I call it a win," Malia corrected him.

"No," Dax shook his head as he looked to the library entrance. Malia looked at him confused as did Scott and Braeden. Dax ignored their stares as he pushed through his haze to try and figure out what was bothering him, "Something is off... There was another witch here."

"Aren't you friends with witches?" Scott asked.

"Not usually," Dax answered. He continued to concentrate for a moment. Dax used his vampire speed to get back to the classroom he had left Brett, Stiles, Liam, and Hayden in. Dax slowly stepped into the classroom. Dax took a deep breath as he took in their appearance. Stiles was paler than usual and he had one hand on his head with the other on his hip as he stared at the floor. His mouth was slightly open. Hayden was stood next to Liam and she was staring at the floor just out of Dax's line of sight as well. Liam was holding onto Hayden tightly. His eyes were widened slightly and he had a hand covering his mouth, "Where is Brett?" Dax asked as worry bubbled in his chest. Liam pointed in the direction all three teenagers were staring. Dax didn't want to believe it.

He slowly walked into the room and peeked around the teacher's desk. He gasped as he looked down at Brett. There was no sign of life in his appearance, and Dax couldn't hear his heart beating. He bit his lip as his eyes began to water. His lip quivered as he stared at his boyfriend's lifeless body. Brett was pale and his jersey was covered in blood.

Brett's eyes held no life. They were staring at the desk in front of his body. His lips were slightly parted. His arms were laid out like he had been reaching for help. Dax knew that he died instantly, but his mind played the image of Brett reaching out for him anyway. Dax couldn't help but imagine Brett muttering help as the life slowly drained from his eyes.

"Who killed him?" Dax asked with a low growl as his eyes lit up with a golden yellow and the veins under his eyes darkened as blood rushed to them.

"I- I- We-" Liam tried to get words out but he couldn't manage.

"We don't know," Stiles clarified.

"How can you not know?" Dax snapped as he glared at Stiles.

"We were knocked out by someone like you," Stiles answered as he stared at Brett.

Dax began to pant. His fists balled as he stared at his boyfriend's corpse. Dax grabbed the wooden desk and threw it into the wall as he let out a loud but short string of curse words. The desk shattered like glass and left a relatively large dent in the wall. Dax cursed loudly as his hands flew into his hair. He tugged on his hair as he struggled to breathe. Dax sobbed as he crumpled to the ground. He gasped for air as he brought his knees to his chest. He hugged his knees tightly.

"It's all my fault... It's all my fault... It's all my fault," Dax muttered continually as he rocked himself on the floor.

"Dax," Liam sighed. He had tears in his eyes as he hugged Dax.

"Get the hell off of me!" Dax yelled as he shoved Liam off. He hit his head on his knees as he broke down. He didn't want to be held because he didn't deserve it. It was all his fault.

Dax's heart shattered. He always knew that was a risk of caring about someone again, but he convinced himself that it would be okay. He convinced himself that Brett could handle himself and that he could leave Brett alone, but he was wrong. He convinced himself that he didn't have to be alone, and he shouldn't have. It was all his fault.

He couldn't be responsible for that, not again. He couldn't do it. He was losing Brett, and he could have stopped it, but he didn't. He didn't want to deal with that guilt. It was suffocating, and it was all his fault.

Dax struggled to breathe as he sobbed on the floor. He had lost another person, and he was going to lose more. His aunt Rebekah was going to go off and take the cure one day and live out the rest of her days. Freya and Keelin would die eventually, and Nik would follow them. Despite what Kol said, Davina's death would send him off the edge for at least a few hundred years. Ray was just a normal vampire. All it took was a stake to kill him. Erika and Kol could still be killed by Marcel's venom. Hope was coming across new creatures from the Malivore pit left and right. His pack would be lucky to make it to their twenties at the rate they were going. He was going to be alone one day, and that scared him more than anything. 

He didn't want to be alone. He didn't want to lose anyone else. He didn't want to have to be okay with losing everyone. He didn't want to get over it because it meant that they were nothing more than memories. It meant they were gone and he was never going to hear their voice again, or get to make them laugh. He didn't want to go through that again.

He didn't want to be alone.

"Breath, Dax, it's okay," Dax sobbed harder as a pair of strong arms wrapped around him.

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This is the most evil I have felt in a very long time... I cried while writing this...