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◤ chapter sixteen: ❛ to keep a promise ❜ ◢
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LATE NIGHT NEVER STOPPED BEACON HILLS FROM ATTACKS. The pieces on the board still moved, people still went missing, and the clock ticked too quickly with time running out before they had a chance to get rid of Jennifer Blake or Deucalion. No, the night sky didn't stop Cooper from joining Scott and Stiles to warn Derek about the darach's true identity.
There was no truce; only the clock ticking and Cooper's growing dread for what came next.
Derek grew solemn at the knowledge of Jennifer's identity but didn't argue. He heard, acknowledged, then accepted with a grim expression. It was only a matter of time before Jennifer showed up at the loft, and they would be ready. Hiding in the shadows with his two...friends (were they friends? They had to be, this had to be friendship, but the revelation still made him grimace) they waited for Jennifer to appear.
Of course, she didn't disappoint.
Rushing in, Cooper could hear her heels tapping loudly and wildly across the floor and her out of breath voice calling out, "Derek?"
"Right here."
"Thank God! Something happened at the recital, at the school, okay? I need to tell you before you hear it, before you hear it from any of them," Jennifer explained in a rush. Cooper rolled his eyes. Stiles echoed the sentiment.
"From who?"
"Scott, Stiles, Cooper..." she listed, "They're gonna tell you things – things you can't believe. You have to trust me, okay? You trust me."
"What is it?"
"Promise you'll listen to me," Jennifer stressed.
So manipulative; the act of you can't believe what you hear and you know me as the version I've presented myself so you have to believe me. God, Cooper hated people like her. He learned a long time ago that if you have to stress your character to others, that character was a lie.
"I promise."
Scott made a face of disgust for reasons Cooper couldn't hear or see. Still, there was silence on the other side with Derek and Jennifer. Then: "They're already here, aren't they?"
Scott started his walk, so Cooper followed with Stiles behind. Jennifer sent them a glare before turning back to Derek, laughing a little. "So, they told you it was me? That I'm the one taking people?"
"We told him you're the one killing people," Scott corrected.
Jennifer scoffed. "Oh, that's right. Committing human sacrifices? What, cutting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour – that way, I can get back to teaching high school English the rest of the day. Makes perfect sense."
