Chapter 15 — Anchors and Instinct
Morning came loud.
Not because of alarms.
Not because of urgency.
But because there were too many personalities awake at the same time.
Voices overlapped down the halls.
Footsteps. Doors opening. Someone laughing too loudly.
Somewhere—
Stiles:
"Why are there six different kinds of milk in this house?"
A maid, completely unfazed:
"Preference, sir."
"Preference for what, a dairy-themed personality crisis?"
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Thea woke to warmth.
Nova's leg thrown over hers.
An arm half-wrapped around her waist.
Heavy. Possessive.
Comfortable.
Thea blinked slowly, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before the memories from the past few days settled back in.
The bite.
The change.
The pack.
Everything.
She exhaled slowly.
Nova stirred slightly against her.
"You're awake."
Thea glanced down.
"Yeah."
Nova didn't move.
Just tightened her hold slightly.
"How do you feel?"
Thea flexed her fingers instinctively.
Even without shifting—
Everything felt sharper.
Cleaner.
Stronger.
"...Good."
A beat.
Then—
"...Hungry."
Nova huffed a quiet laugh.
"Yeah. That tracks."
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By the time they made it downstairs—
Chaos.
Controlled chaos.
People everywhere.
Isaac leaning against the counter eating something straight out of the container.
Ethan and Aiden arguing over coffee.
Malia sitting on the counter like she belonged there, eating fruit with her hands.
Kira talking quietly with Lydia.
Derek standing near the window, arms crossed, already awake, already observing.
Scott—
Across the room.
Silent.
Watching.
Not engaging.
Thea noticed.
Filed it away.
Didn't push it.
Not yet.
Nova's hand brushed hers briefly.
Grounding.
Then—
Derek spoke.
"We're going outside."
No preamble.
No discussion.
Thea raised an eyebrow.
"Good morning to you too."
Derek didn't react.
"You need to learn control."
A beat.
"Before something forces it out of you."
Thea smirked slightly.
"That sounds ominous."
Derek met her eyes.
"It's not a suggestion."
Thea's smirk faded.
Thea absorbed all of it.
Then glanced toward Scott.
Still quiet.
Still watching.
Still not speaking.
Thea exhaled slowly.
Then looked back at Derek.
"...Alright."
Her eyes flickered again—
Amber sparking.
"So how do I not lose control?"
Derek's expression didn't change.
But there was approval there.
Just slightly.
"You start by understanding what you're holding onto."
Thea's gaze flicked briefly—
To Nova.
To the house beyond the trees.
To everything she now had.
Then back.
Steady.
"...Got it."
Derek stepped closer.
Too close.
Thea didn't move.
Didn't back down.
But Nova did.
She stepped forward instantly.
"Hey."
Her voice cut through the clearing.
Sharp.
Protective.
"Back off."
Derek didn't even look at her.
"No."
Nova's eyes flashed red.
"She's learning."
Derek finally turned his head slightly.
Just enough.
"And until she has control—"
His gaze shifted back to Thea.
Cold. Assessing.
"She's a threat."
Silence dropped hard.
Nova stiffened.
"She's not—"
Derek cut her off.
"She is."
A beat.
Then, blunt—
"To you."
Another step closer to Thea.
"To the baby."
His voice didn't rise.
Didn't need to.
"To everyone here."
Thea's jaw tightened.
Nova stepped fully between them now.
"She's not going to hurt us."
Derek's eyes flicked down briefly—
To where Nova stood.
Protective.
Defensive.
Then back up.
"You don't know that."
Nova didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
"I do."
Derek held her gaze.
Unmoving.
"You're her anchor."
A beat.
"That's exactly why you're at risk."
That landed.
Nova's expression flickered—
Just slightly.
Thea noticed.
Immediately.
Her hand moved—
Grabbing Nova's wrist gently.
Pulling her just slightly back.
Not away.
Just enough.
"Hey."
Nova looked at her.
Thea's voice was calm.
Steady.
But there was something underneath it now.
Something deeper.
"I'm not going to lose control."
A low rumble vibrated in her chest again.
Not aggressive.
But powerful.
Grounded.
Derek watched that closely.
Very closely.
Then—
He nodded once.
"Then prove it."
Silence.
Tension.
And just like that—
Training wasn't optional anymore.
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The woods stretched wide behind the mansion.
Thick.
Private.
Shielded from anything resembling normal life.
Perfect.
The pack spread out naturally as they walked.
No one really leading.
But somehow still moving together.
Laurel walked with them too, hands in her jacket pockets, observant as always.
Nova slowed slightly, watching everyone ahead of her.
Her pack.
All of them.
Here.
For her.
For Thea.
She exhaled quietly.
Thea noticed.
"You okay?"
Nova nodded once.
"Yeah."
A beat.
Softer—
"Just... grateful."
Thea squeezed her hand briefly.
"Yeah."
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They reached a clearing.
Derek stopped first.
Turned.
"Alright."
The group spread out slightly.
Instinct.
Space.
Awareness.
Derek looked at Thea.
"Come here."
Thea stepped forward without hesitation.
Nova stayed back.
Watching.
Trusting.
Derek studied Thea for a second.
Then—
"Shift."
Thea blinked.
"Just like that?"
"Yes."
Thea exhaled slowly.
Focused.
She felt it now.
That pull.
That instinct just under her skin.
Her eyes flickered—
Amber igniting.
Claws sliding out.
Fangs pressing against her lip.
A low rumble built in her chest—
Not a growl.
Something deeper.
Derek watched carefully.
"Good."
He stepped closer.
"Now stop."
Thea hesitated—
Then forced it back.
Claws retracting.
Eyes dimming.
Breathing steadying.
Derek nodded once.
"Better than most first turns."
Thea smirked slightly.
"I aim to impress."
Derek ignored that.
"What's your anchor?"
Thea blinked.
"...My what?"
Derek crossed his arms.
"Your anchor."
A beat.
"The thing that keeps you human."
Thea's expression shifted slightly.
More serious now.
Derek continued.
"When you shift, you feel it."
He tapped his chest.
"The pull. The instinct. The urge to lose control."
Thea nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
"Your anchor grounds you."
A beat.
"Stops you from becoming just the animal."
Thea glanced back toward the group.
Toward Nova.
Then back at Derek.
"...And if you don't have one?"
Derek didn't hesitate.
"You lose yourself."
Silence.
That landed.
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Derek stepped back slightly, addressing the group.
"Tell her."
Malia went first.
Of course she did.
"I'm a werecoyote."
A beat.
"My anchor is Stiles and Nova."
She said it like it was obvious.
Like it didn't need explanation.
Stiles blinked.
"...Wait, really?"
Malia looked at him.
"Yes."
A beat.
"...Don't make it weird."
Stiles immediately made it weird.
"I'm not making it weird, you made it weird by saying it like that—"
"Stop talking."
Nova smiles smirking "Love you too cousin."
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Isaac shifted where he stood.
All eyes flicked to him.
He hesitated for half a second—
Then stepped forward.
"Werewolf."
His voice was quieter than the others had been.
Less casual.
More... personal.
He rubbed the back of his neck slightly.
"My anchor..."
A pause.
His expression changed.
Not guarded.
Not closed off.
Just... softer.
"...was my dad."
That got a reaction.
Subtle.
But there.
Isaac kept going.
"Not—" he shook his head slightly, correcting himself, "not the way he was at the end."
Another pause.
"Before."
His voice dropped just a little.
"Before everything went bad."
Silence settled over the clearing.
Even Derek didn't interrupt.
Isaac shrugged lightly, like he was trying to make it smaller than it actually was.
"That's what kept me in control."
A beat.
Then he stepped back again.
Done talking.
The weight of it lingered anyway.
His gaze flicked briefly toward the group.
Then away.
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Ethan spoke next.
"Werewolf."
He didn't look at Thea at first.
He looked at Aiden.
Aiden was already looking at him.
That was enough.
Ethan nodded slightly.
"My anchor's him."
Thea blinked.
Aiden smirked faintly, but there was something quieter underneath it.
More real.
"Same."
A beat.
Then he added, a little less cocky than usual—
"It's not just... emotional."
Thea tilted her head.
"...What do you mean?"
Ethan exhaled slowly.
Then said it plainly.
"We can merge."
That got attention.
Even Thea straightened slightly.
"Merge?"
Aiden nodded.
"One body. One mind."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"Stronger. Faster. Alpha-level."
Ethan glanced back at Thea.
"It's not just power."
A beat.
"It keeps us grounded."
Aiden finished it.
"If one of us starts slipping—"
Ethan picked it up immediately.
"—the other pulls them back."
Silence settled over the clearing again.
Thea absorbed that.
Really absorbed it.
Because that—
That sounded familiar.
Her gaze flicked, just briefly—
To Nova.
Then back.
Aiden smirked again, but softer this time.
"So yeah."
A beat.
"Co-dependent supernatural twin thing."
Ethan rolled his eyes.
"Ignore him."
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Kira stepped forward softly.
"Kitsune."
A small smile.
She glanced toward Scott for just a second.
Quick.
Subtle.
But not subtle enough to miss.
Then she looked back at Thea.
A small, almost shy smile forming.
"My anchor is Scott."
That shifted the energy slightly.
Thea noticed.
So did everyone else.
Scott didn't react at first.
But his jaw tightened slightly.
His gaze dropped—just for a second—before he looked away entirely.
He didn't say anything.
But he heard it.
Kira continued, a little more confident now.
"Kitsune spirits can... take over if you're not careful."
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Having someone to focus on—someone steady—helps keep that balance."
Thea tilted her head.
"...So your anchor is a person too."
Kira nodded.
"Yeah."
A small pause.
Then softer—
"It makes it easier to come back to yourself."
Thea absorbed that.
Her gaze flicked briefly—
To Nova.
Again.
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Nova stepped forward last.
Derek watched her closely.
So did Scott.
Nova didn't look at him.
Her eyes stayed on Thea.
"True Alpha werewolf."
A beat.
Then she exhaled softly.
"Anchors... they change."
Thea blinked slightly.
Nova's gaze dropped for just a second.
Then came back up.
Steady.
But quieter now.
"When I first turned..."
She paused.
Just long enough for it to mean something.
Her voice softened.
"...my anchor was Allison Argent."
Silence.
The name carried weight.
Even now.
Even here.
Scott went still.
Not visibly.
Not enough for anyone not looking.
But Thea caught it—
The subtle shift.
The way his shoulders stiffened.
The way his eyes flickered toward Nova—
Then away just as quickly.
Like the name hit something he wasn't ready to deal with.
Nova swallowed.
Her jaw tightening slightly.
"She kept me grounded."
A beat.
"Kept me human."
Her eyes flickered away for a second.
Then back.
"...And when she died..."
The words caught.
Just slightly.
But enough.
"...I started losing control."
The clearing went still.
No one interrupted.
No one moved.
Nova continued, quieter now.
"I didn't have anything to hold onto anymore."
A breath.
Then—
"Melissa—my mom—"
Her voice softened again.
Different now.
Warmer.
"She told me to find a new anchor."
A small, almost humorless huff.
"And I told her I didn't have one anymore."
A beat.
Then, softer—
"So she told me..."
Nova's lips pressed together briefly.
Then she said it.
"...'Be your own anchor.'"
The words hung there.
Simple.
But heavy.
"And I did."
A beat.
"For a while."
Then—
Her gaze lifted.
Locked onto Thea.
Everything about her shifted.
The weight didn't disappear—
But it changed.
Softened.
Warmed.
"But now..."
Her voice was quieter.
But stronger.
"I don't have to do that alone anymore."
Thea's breath caught.
Nova stepped closer.
Just slightly.
"Now it's you."
A beat.
Her eyes flicked briefly—
Toward the house.
Toward where their daughter was.
Then back.
"You... and Allison."
Thea's chest tightened hard.
Something warm.
Heavy.
Real.
Scott's head lifted slightly at that.
A different reaction this time.
Not pain.
Not the same.
Something quieter.
More complicated.
His gaze didn't drop right away.
Instead—
It shifted.
Landed on Nova.
And stayed there.
Too long to be nothing.
Not sharp.
Not angry.
Just... something else.
Something unspoken.
Unresolved.
Like he was looking at her and seeing everything they used to be—
and everything she had become without him.
Thea noticed it immediately.
Her eyes narrowed just slightly.
Not jealousy.
Not quite.
Just awareness.
Laurel saw it too.
Of course she did.
Her gaze flicked between Scott and Nova, sharp and analytical, filing it away without a word.
Malia noticed next—head tilting slightly, instinct picking up on something off.
Even Isaac caught it, his expression tightening just a fraction.
The pack saw it.
Felt it.
That quiet shift in the air.
But Nova—
Nova didn't.
Her focus stayed exactly where it had been.
On Thea.
On them.
On the life in front of her.
Scott's gaze lingered one second longer—
Then dropped.
Like he forced it down.
Buried it.
Locked it away.
Still silent.
Still not engaging.
But now—
Not invisible anymore.
Nova's voice softened even more.
Just for her.
"That's what keeps me grounded now."
A small pause.
Then, almost like she was admitting it to herself too—
"That's what keeps me human."
Silence settled over the clearing.
But this time—
It wasn't heavy.
It was full.
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Thea didn't move at first.
Didn't speak.
She just stared at Nova.
Like she was seeing her—
Really seeing her—
All of it.
The loss.
The strength.
The way she kept going anyway.
Thea swallowed hard.
Her chest felt tight.
Too tight.
Her hand lifted without thinking—
Fingers brushing lightly against Nova's wrist.
Then sliding down—
Intertwining with hers.
Holding on.
Grounding.
"Hey..."
Her voice was quieter than usual.
Rough around the edges.
Nova blinked slightly.
"What?"
Thea shook her head just a little.
Like she didn't even know where to start.
"You don't have to do that anymore."
Nova frowned softly.
"Do what?"
Thea's grip tightened.
Not enough to hurt.
Just enough to mean something.
"Be your own anchor."
A beat.
Her eyes didn't leave Nova's.
"Not by yourself."
Nova's breath caught—
Just slightly.
Thea stepped closer.
Closing the space between them completely now.
Her voice dropped.
Softer.
But steadier.
"You've got me."
Another beat.
Her other hand came up—
Resting lightly against Nova's jaw.
Careful.
Intentional.
"You've got us."
Nova's eyes flickered.
Thea could see it.
Feel it.
So she didn't stop.
Didn't pull back.
"You don't get to carry that alone anymore."
Her voice cracked—
Just slightly.
But she didn't hide it.
"Not after everything you've done for me."
Nova shook her head faintly.
"Thea—"
Thea cut her off.
Gentle.
But firm.
"No."
A beat.
"You chose me."
Her thumb brushed softly along Nova's cheek.
"You took that risk."
Her voice dropped even more.
Almost a whisper now.
"You gave me this."
Her eyes flickered—
Amber sparking for just a second.
Controlled.
But there.
"So I'm not going anywhere."
A low rumble built in her chest again.
This time—
Not instinct.
Not warning.
Something else.
Something deeper.
Protective.
Claiming.
"You're stuck with me."
Nova let out a soft breath—
Half laugh.
Half something else.
Her hand tightened around Thea's.
"Yeah?"
Thea smirked slightly.
Even through the emotion.
"Yeah."
A beat.
Then softer—
More honest than anything she'd said yet.
"You're my anchor too."
That hit.
Harder than anything else.
Nova's eyes stung slightly—
She didn't look away.
Didn't hide it.
Because she didn't have to.
Not here.
Not with her.
Thea leaned forward—
Forehead resting lightly against Nova's.
Just for a second.
Just enough.
Grounding.
Sharing the same breath.
The same space.
The same everything.
And for the first time since all of this started—
It didn't feel overwhelming.
It felt right.
Behind them—
No one spoke.
Even Derek didn't interrupt.
Because that?
That was exactly what he needed to see.
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Silence settled briefly.
Then—
Thea looked around.
Counting.
Noticing.
"...What about you?"
Her eyes landed on Lydia.
Lydia raised an eyebrow.
"Me?"
Thea nodded.
"You didn't say anything."
Lydia stepped forward slightly.
Calm.
Composed.
"I don't have one."
Thea frowned.
"Why not?"
Lydia's expression didn't change.
"Because I'm not like them."
She gestured lightly toward the others.
"I'm a banshee."
A beat.
"We don't shift."
Thea listened.
Focused.
Lydia continued.
"Werecreatures need anchors to hold onto their humanity."
Her eyes flicked briefly toward Derek.
Then Nova.
"To keep control."
Then back to Thea.
"Banshees are different."
A pause.
"We're human."
Another beat.
"...But connected."
Thea tilted her head.
"Connected how?"
Lydia's gaze sharpened slightly.
"We're harbingers of death."
Silence.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Lydia didn't soften it.
Didn't dress it up.
"We feel it."
A beat.
"Hear it."
"Sometimes... we scream it."
Thea blinked slowly.
"...That's intense."
Lydia shrugged slightly.
"You get used to it."
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Thea absorbed all of it.
Then glanced toward Scott.
Still quiet.
Still watching.
Still not speaking.
Thea exhaled slowly.
Then looked back at Derek.
"...Alright."
Her eyes flickered again—
Amber sparking.
"So who is teaching me what first?"
Derek's expression didn't change.
But there was approval there.
Just slightly.
"Me."
A beat.
His gaze didn't waver.
"Nova is my little sister."
Another beat.
"And I won't allow her to be hurt again."
His eyes sharpened just slightly.
"Even if it's an accident."
Silence settled again.
Not tense this time.
Focused.
Thea nodded once.
No hesitation.
"...Got it."
A breath.
Then, steady—
"I never want to hurt the people I care about because I lose control."
Her jaw tightened slightly.
Determined.
"So teach me what I need to know."
And somewhere deep in her chest—
That low, powerful rumble returned.
Not wild.
Not uncontrolled.
But there.
Waiting.
Derek watched her closely.
Measuring.
Testing.
Thea didn't look away.
Didn't back down.
Didn't flinch.
A beat passed.
Then—
Derek nodded once.
Respect.
"Then we start now."
A pause.
"This won't be easy."
Another.
"And it will hurt."
Thea didn't hesitate.
She stepped forward slightly.
Closing the distance just enough.
Her voice steady.
Certain.
"I don't care if it hurts."
A beat.
Her eyes flicked briefly—
To Nova.
Then back.
"I love Nova."
Softer—
But stronger somehow.
"And I love our daughter."
Her gaze locked onto Derek's again.
Unshaken.
"So I'll do whatever it takes to protect them."
A pause.
Then, quieter—
But heavier.
"Even from myself if I have to."
Silence.
The kind that meant something.
Derek studied her for another second—
Then turned slightly.
Already shifting into action.
Because that?
That was the answer he needed.
Behind them—
The pack watched.
And this time—
No one doubted her.
Then—
Laurel let out a quiet breath.
Just loud enough to cut through it.
"Well."
A beat.
She glanced around at all of them—
The tension.
The stares.
The emotional landmines just sitting there waiting to go off.
Then back at Thea.
One brow arching.
"This is a great time to discover you turn into a murder cat."
A pause.
Then, dry—
"Really stellar timing."
Stiles choked slightly somewhere behind them.
Malia snorted.
Even Isaac huffed out a quiet laugh.
The tension cracked.
Just enough.
Not gone.
But loosened.
And Laurel?
She just shrugged slightly like she hadn't done anything at all. 🦁