Frigid air and pain dragged Derek to consciousness. He winced as he slowly opened his eyes. He found himself on the roof of the cab, staring up at the floor. Glass was littered around his head and body. He pushed himself onto his elbows, wincing at the pain in his chest and head. He brought his hand up to his head and touched the dried remains of blood. The cut had already healed and the blood had dried to his head and hair. Derek took another look around and found himself alone.

Panic filled him instantly. "Mercedes!"

He bent down, peering out the open windshield, only to see no sign of her. Derek climbed out of the cab, crushing glass and snow beneath him. His body ached as he stood up. Derek turned to see all angles, hoping to see Mercedes familiar figure. His eyes found his jacket laying on the side of the road with his cell phone shattered on top.

"Mercedes!" he called out.

Nothing but the wind replied to his call. Snow fell from the sky, beginning to cover whatever tracks were around. But it wasn't enough to cover the scent of blood. It was fresh and it was nearby. Derek immediately followed the scent, trying to tame his racing mind. Henry had said that Mercedes wasn't meant to come out to the body. Could their attacker have taken her with him? Or would he have killed her outright? Derek shook his head and continued following the scent of blood. He walked through the snowbank and off the highway. His foot sunk into the piled snow, sinking down to his knees. Derek gritted his teeth as each step aggravated his sore, and still healing, muscles.

The stench grew louder as he walked further off the road and his heartrate increased in anxiousness in his search. He kicked through the snow, following the stronger scent. Despite the snow that covered the ground, the scent was strong, but there was no other evidence of blood. No drops or streaks that stained the white powder.

He took another step and sunk into the snow. Suddenly a hand latched onto his ankle. Derek's head snapped down to the ground. He stepped back before dropping to the ground. He reached down into the snow and brushed it away, revealing Mercedes battered body. He quickly unburied Mercedes, brushing the bloody snow out into the open.

Derek touched Mercedes cheek. "Mercedes, can you hear me?"

Mercedes groaned and her eyelids fluttered, but she remained unconscious. The initial collision with the windshield has cut up her forehead. The snow had managed to clean some of the blood from her head and seemed to be on its way healing. Derek quickly took survey over Mercedes injuries. The coat had managed to protect her torso from any cuts from the glass before it had been ripped from her body. Her fingers were not as lucky, baring numerous cuts on each finger. The real damage was on her hip and leg. The entire right leg of her pants was bleeding heavily. Derek carefully ripped open the fabric from the bottom. He quickly sucked in a startled breath. Mercedes' tibia had broken in the crash and breached the skin. Tearing the fabric more revealed a swollen knee. Reaching her thigh, though, Derek found nothing. No wound, but there was still blood on her thigh. Confused, Derek searched high, gently pushing up the hem of her shirt. Derek sucked in sharply as he found the wound.

A spiral had been carved deep into her hip. The cut was jagged, meant to cause as much pain and damage without killing her. It was a message, that was why she was still alive. The bastard wanted her to get his message. He was here for revenge. It was going to leave a permanent mark on her, just like the last time.

Carefully, Derek lifted Mercedes into his arms. Mercedes whimpered weekly, but remained unconscious. Derek couldn't help but be thankful for that. She was going to be in a hell of a lot of pain when she did, however. He syphoned a bit of pain, testing just what she was already feeling in her current state. Quickly, Derek started trekking back to the truck. Marius was on his way to Bentley, and they were still too far out to warn the pack.

Scott sighed heavily and stared down at his cell phone. He'd spent the last hour trying to call Mercedes and Derek, only to reach their voicemail every time. It didn't help that he'd heard what appeared to be a car accident, and without reaching them again, Scott was more than a little concerned for their safety.

"Anything?" Lydia asked. She was seated on a loveseat across from Bentley.

After the call had been cut off, Scott and stiles had wasted no time in getting Bentley and Lydia into the library. Bentley was asleep on one of the loveseats, with Lydia watching over him. Despite the high level of tension, Bentley had asked few questions. Scott assumed there must have been numerous nights when Mercedes and Bentley had stayed in the library. It could have been her sanctuary from her family. Whatever the reason, Bentley lay nestled on the loveseat beside Lydia, curled up inside his blanket. His face was buried beneath the blanket, while the blond tips of his hair peaked out.

Scott shook his head. "No."

Stiles shook his head. "So, what do we do? Wait for them to get back? Or wait for Marius to come after us?"

"We do what they said." Scott replied. "We stay inside."

"Scott, if Marius is coming chances are-"

"We're gonna have a fight." Scott finished. "I know."

The very thought of facing this pack reminded Scott of the Alpha pack. They'd known nothing about the pack, and nearly lost everything. By some miracle, they'd stopped them, granted the Darach had kept the alpha pack occupied as well. But Scott wasn't fond of the idea of facing another unknown pack, particularly when there were other species playing a role as well. Their numbers were unknown, and if Derek and Mercedes couldn't handle the bruin up in the park, they were in serious trouble. If it came to a fight, Scott wasn't sure he was going to be able to protect Bentley, Stiles, and Lydia.

The alluring comfort of unconsciousness ebbed away like a roll of the tide. With each passing wave, Mercedes found herself more away of her surroundings. Her first rational thought was that, she was moving. She could feel the cold air on her face, blowing back her hair. A weak attempt at opening her eyes gave her a glimpse of brown and white blurs. She closed her eyes, unaccustomed to the brightness of her surroundings. She tested her hands, finding them in someone's grasp. Red eyes flashed through her mind, spurring her into action. In an instant, she recalled every form of attack and defense she'd ever learn. She tensed her body in an attempt to force the person to stop.

In hindsight, it was not a good idea. The moment her muscles tensed; pain erupted throughout her entire right leg. Her entire mind was thrown into the excruciating pain surging through her body. Her vision warped to blackness, blinding her to every sense outside of the pain. She was ignorant to the motions of the world around the writhing body. The muscles in her jaw clenched, nearly to the point of shattering her teeth. Clenched fists spasmed in the snow, nail piercing the palms of her hands. The thundering of her heartbeat, hammered within her own ears, drowning out the other voice around her.

As the pain began is gradual decent, and the hammering of her own heart eased down, Mercedes could just begin to hear a murmur coming somewhere around her. She was still too far gone to fully comprehend what was happening around her, but she was aware of movement. She could feel the snow around her body, not just around her hands. She could feel a hand on her leg, keeping her steady.

"Breath Cedes." Came a deep, off tune voice. "Just breathe."

Mercedes took a shaky breath. Her lungs filled with the frigid air, shocking her body back. Her body began to shiver from the cold, giving her another focus for her mind than the pain. She opened her eyes to find herself staring up at the grey sky looming above her. A shadowed figure leaned over her head, blocking out the dark clouds. It took another few breaths for her vision finally focused and she found herself staring up at an anxious Derek.

Her eyes drifted to the blood on his head. "Are you okay?"

Derek gave a sigh of a laugh. "That's the first thing you say?"

Mercedes shrugged, giving him a small smile. "Priorities. Besides, you're the one who has a face covered in blood."

Derek snorted. "You're not much better sweetheart."

At his words, Mercedes took the opportunity to check her own well-being. Derek's hand was pressed against her right knee, veins protruding from syphoning her pain. Her jeans were soaked with blood and frozen to her leg. Her leg had been splinted and tied to a large branch. Derek's jacket was wrapped around her body, retaining what little body heat she had. "How bad is it?"

Derek sighed. "You've got a compound fracture on your leg. I've done what I can with a splint, but we have to get you out of here fast."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Marius left a calling card are your hip." He answered.

Mercedes turned her attention to her hip, where the blood had been localized. Her fingers carefully peeled back her shift, revealing the curved carvings of her flesh. The spiral was deep and smeared with her blood, but she could see its full, brutal etch. She winced as the gruesome abomination that was now a permanent mar on her body. Shye grabbed a handful of snow and rubbed it against her side. The cold socked her system, causing her to gasp at the sensation, but she kept at it. She rubbed the snow over the wound. The blood washed away with the melted snow and the flesh inched its way closed, sealing the wound.

"Nice trick." Derek commented.

Mercedes sighed and leaned her head back. It was then she noticed that they were no longer on a road, but in the woods. "Where are we?"

"About five miles north the edge of Beacon Hills Proserv. I figure another ten minutes rest and we'll be at the house in an hour." He explained.

Mercedes shook her head slowly. "No."

Derek frowned at her words. "Do you need more time?"

She met his eyes. "I'm not going with you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not going with you." She repeated. "You're going back on your own."

"The hell I am!" he snapped. "I'm not leaving you to freeze out here!"

"If you stay with me, the others are going to die." She replied sharply.

Derek shook his head. "This is crazy."

"It's the truth." Mercedes stated. "This to me, we're an hour outside of Beacon Hills, an hour and a half from my home. You've been carrying me on your back, weakening yourself syphoning my pain."

Derek's jaw stiffened instantly.

"Marius and his pack are moving for Bentley as we speak. We can agree on that, right?"

Derek nodded. "Right."

"Scott and Stiles are the only ones standing between Bentley surviving and dying. But after what we just encountered; they're not prepared for what is coming for them." She finished. "We don't know how many are in his pack. They need you."

"And I'm supposed to just leave you out here?" Derek demanded. "What if Marius is in the trees, waiting for me to leave you?"

"If he wanted to kill me, he would've done it when we flipped the truck." Mercedes stated. "We both know it. Marius wants me dead, but he wants me to suffer. What better way than to kill me after he's killed my son."

Derek shook his head. "There has to be a better way."

"They don't have that kind of time." Mercedes replied. "None of us do. You have to go, now!"

Derek said nothing. His mind was racing a mile a minute. She was right, damnit. They'd barely survived a run in with the damn Bruin, a single member of Marius' pack. The rest were moving for town. Scott was an impressive Alpha, Derek would gladly admit, but even Scott had his own limitations. The kid had no backup. The pack was divided across the world, with the closest aid being Derek himself. Even with the two of them, they were going to have their hands full. And what was worse, Derek wasn't at his full potential. Alleviating Mercedes pain had taken a toll on him. That is no way meant he enjoyed the idea of abandoning Mercedes in the forest. Leaving her alone in the forest was one thing, but she had a compound fracture and did not handle the cold well.

Without removing his had from her leg, Derek dragged the pack over beside her, having thrown it to the ground when Mercedes showed early signs of waking. He unclipped the sleeping bag from the pack and wrapped it around her shoulders. He dug out the chemical hand warmers and shoved them into the pockets of his coat. Finally, he pulled out the cell phone they'd found in Ford's possessions and placed it in her hands. She was surprised to see it hadn't been taken or destroyed by Marius. She turned it over in her hand, noting the cracked screen that decorated the phone.

"Found it in the car while I was scavenging supplies. Crammed under the seats when we flipped." Derek explained.

Mercedes nodded.

Derek looked up, finally finishing his task. "If anything happens, I mean anything; call the others and I will come for you."

"I'll be fine, Derek." She replied.

With great hesitation and apprehension, Derek released her leg and let his hand fall by his side. Without Derek to take away her pain, Mercedes was immediately assaulted by the excruciating pain she was suffering. Her entire body tensed up, causing her to take a sharp breath. Hers hands balled into tight fists, turning her knuckles white. But through the onslaught Mercedes said nothing, no cry, no whimper, to exclamation of the pain that was coursing through her body. She held her head up, meeting Derek's eyes directly.

"Go." She managed through clenched teeth.

Derek placed a quick kiss to her forehead and sprinted off through the wood. In a second, Mercedes was entirely alone. Her body was shrouded in pain and cold, with only the soft sound of crackling snow to keep her on her guard. Tears blurred her vision, brought on by the pain pulsating through her body. Mercedes inhaled through her nose, just as she had during labor. This was, by no means, the worse pain she had endured, but as it was the most she'd sustain since Bentley's birth, she was having difficulty maintaining her focus and resolve.

She looked down at the phone in her hand. Her fingers slid across the screen, bringing the phone to life. A few more swipes and she was at the main screen. Her brows furrowed at the lack of security on the phone. At the home screen, there was even more lack of identification. The background was standard, and there were nearly no apps on the phone. Mercedes scrolled through contacts, only to find that there were no names linked to the numbers. She moved on to the photos. Immediately she recognized the photos from Ford's pack. They were all of herself and her family. Whomever had owned the phone had been the one to take the photos. Mercedes quickly searched through the remainder of the phone, coming to a recent video.

The video came to life, focusing on Fords beaten face. He was kneeling in the snow, leaving a trail of blood around him. His breathing was heavy, leaving small clouds with each breath. Several men gathered around him. Mercedes recognized the unshifted Bruin standing right behind her half-brother. By the angle of the video, whomever had recorded it, was trying not to get caught.

"It's pointless to try and run." Marius stepped into frame, kneeling in front of Ford. "Did you really think you could warn her? You're not exactly her favorite brother."

The men around chuckled.

"You think I'll just stand by and let you attack them?" Ford replied.

"You have no loyalty to them."

"No, but your kind disgust me more than her." He held Marius' gaze. "You idiots have no idea what kind of a fight you're heading for."

Marius scoffed. "That's where you are wrong, again Ford. I'm starting to think your brother was blessed with brains. You see, your sisters still the same as ever. She still spreading her legs for any wolf that comes along."

Ford snorted, shaking his head. His snort turned into a chuckle, before evolving further into a fit of hysterical laughter. "And you call me an idiot. You narrow-minded, brain-dead morons. I never understood why she ever wanted to be with you. You were never that bright, even then, Marius, but now. It looks like you've regressed in whatever IQ you had before Mercedes killed you."

Marius snarled and lunged forward. His claws raked across Ford's face, leaving trailed of torn flesh and blood spilling from his face. Ford's head snapped to the side from the force, sending a spray of blood across the snow. Mercedes jumped at the sudden brutality of the strike. Ford turned his face back to Marius, showing the deep claw marks that Mercedes had looked at yesterday.

"Remember Ford, however painful or painless your life ends, is up to me, and how much respect you decide to show me." Marius commented.

"Then kill me now, because there's no way in hell that I'm ever going to show you and your abomination of a pack and semblance of respect." Ford snapped.

Marius shrugged. "As you wish."

The bruin came forward and wrapped its claws around Fords face.

"Any final words?" Marius asked.

Ford nodded. "I finally understand the appeal of Hale. Mongrel's actually got some brains. Probably knows how to truly satisfy a woman. More than I can say about-"

Fords words were cut short as the bruins ripped open the left side of his face. Ford's head snapped to the side again with a new spray of blood decorating the snow. The Bruin didn't hesitate to continue his assault. He shifted fully and sunk his teeth into Ford's shoulder, dragging the screaming Quillen into the forest.

The video froze, ceasing Ford's anguished final cries. But Mercedes didn't recognize that. Her eyes were boring down at the phone, but unseeing of the video itself. Her hand trembled around the phone. Her fingers tightened around the device, unconsciously increasing in strength. The phone curved under the pressure. The cracks in the screen grew larger, popping out sections into the snow surrounding Mercedes. Finally, the phone gave out entirely, crumpling in on itself under the pressure. The shards cut deep into Mercedes palm and fingers, but she remained oblivious to the injuries. She sat in the snow, trembling with rage she had not felt in years. Fire coursed through her body, evaporating the chill, and igniting her every nerve. The fire burned deep within her bones, diving deep within the marrow. Mercedes breathed heavily as the snow around her bled. The whiteness that once surrounded her had morphed into a sea of red. As the fire reached its boiling point within her, an inhuman scream of fury ripped from her lips into the sky.

phew...finally got it finished... so next chapter is the big show...Marius meets the others! What will Bentley think? Will Marius get his claws into his son? And what the heck is going on with Mercedes? Tune in next chapter for the answers!