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A/N: I really can’t excuse my absence. School has bogged me down since it’s my final year at university, but some of my motivation has come back to continue this fic. I never realized how popular it had gotten, and it was never my Intention to keep you all hanging.
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Zara felt her body being shaken and heard what sounded like “Wake up,” but she was too sleepy to be sure. She cracked her eyes open, and the blurry shape of Kurtz came Into view. “What?” she muttered, closing her eyes again and nestling Into her pillow.
Meanwhile Kurtz was panicking, trying to awake Zara after hearing his emissary’s words. “…a red headed girl…” Who else could that be other than the banshee of the Red Circle. “Zara, wake up!” he shouted, shaking the girl harder now. “It’s urgent!”
After the third or fourth shake, Zara become more coherent and asked, “What’s going on? What’s urgent?” She sat up quickly, blinking as a slight wave of dizziness overcame her. Looking out the window, she sighed. “It’s the middle of the night, Kurtz. Couldn’t it have wait ’til morning?”
“No!” he yelled lowly, remembering Zara’s mother sleeping down the hall. “Your banshee friend is in danger.”
Zara looked up at him with worried eyes. “W-what do you mean? How do you know?”
“My emissary, he saw a vision. The next attack would be on a red headed girl. Do you know that many red heads in Riverdale, let alone those who were taken In by the Sisters?”
“Oh my god, Cheryl,” Zara whispered, getting up from her sleeping bag. Straightening out her shirt, she said, “We have to warn Archie!”
Leaving the house quickly, the two entered the car in the woods, and Kurtz sped down the empty 3 am streets of the town until Archie’s suburban home came Into sight. Zara unbuckled her seat belt quickly, but before she could open the door, Kurtz wrapped his hand around her other wrist. “Doesn’t Archie live with his father?” Kurtz asked, turning off the ignition. “I’ll climb up to Archie’s room-“
“Oh, that’s rich. You think Archie wants to see you right now?” Zara asked angrily. “There’s a thing called a cellphone, smart one,” she said, raising her phone up to her ear. “Archie, it’s me. Come outside, it’s urgent… Yes, I’ll explain.”
The pair In the car watched as the alpha climbed out of his bedroom window and jump down onto the side lawn. Then, he broke out into a run towards the car. Zara exited the car and went up to hug Archie, but stopped herself, remembering the events from two days ago. “Hey,” she said meekly. “Uh, Kurtz found out something.”
“Did he now?” Archie replied, acid dripping from his tone. “Go ahead; what is it?”
“Your banshee’s life is In peril,” Kurtz chimed In as he stood near the car door, his elbows folded on top of the roof of the vehicle. “We came to warn you.”
“And, why should I believe anything you say?” Archie asked, crossing his arms across his chest. “It’s not like you want to help my pack, lone wolf.”
“I have a duty to make a new, sustainable pack In this town, and In order to do so, I have to play nice with the only other alpha here. Excuse me if I want peace for a change.”
Archie let out a dark chuckle. “Let’s say you are telling me the truth, why Cheryl? She’s one of the most powerful creatures in this world. Her magic is hard to come by, let alone able to be absorbed by dark powers.”
“I have no idea, Andrews. My emissary saw the vision; I’m just relaying it back to you, but if you’re too much of a thick-headed fool to understand-“
“Kurtz,” Zara said sternly before looking back at Archie. “It’s not that far fetched to see her on the hit list, seeing as she was admitted to the Sisters of Quiet Mercy. Maybe, our killer is getting bold.” She looked back at Kurtz, who was scanning the surroundings. “Regardless of what you think of him, even if his story is false, we still should protect Cheryl. She doesn’t even know the full extent of her powers; she’s practically defenseless.”
Archie looked at her pensively, which Zara understood. In all honesty, it was a wonder why he even agreed to see her after the events that transpired between the three of them. But, Zara hoped that, despite all of the bad blood, Archie would get passed that and understand that he needed to protect Cheryl.
Cheryl may be a friend, but she was an unique chess piece no other pack had on their side of the board. She was an emissary, but better. And, it was still a shock to most that she received those powers when she should’ve transformed Into a wolf when her brother Jason attacked her under the full moon and was subsequently shot by Hiram Lodge. She was unconscious for three days, and when Zara checked her wounds, none of them had healed. Cheryl was allowed to be a human despite her brush with lycanthropy, and she was gifted on top of that.
At first, she hated being able to find dead bodies around the town, namely because Hiram’s handy work with omegas was rather gruesome to see. But, she never backed down. Day by day, her powers grew, but they weren’t fully fleshed out for her to be able to protect herself during an attack from a magic-hungry dark wizard.
Archie’s expression was unreadable, but finally, he nodded. “Okay, I’ll call her. But, I still don’t trust him.”
“Neither do I,” Zara replied to which Kurtz winced slightly. “However, if she’s truly In danger-“
“I have to protect her, I know.” Archie pursed his lips while the line rang. “Yes, Cheryl, I realize you need your beauty sleep, but you’re In danger… Uh, I can’t exactly tell you how I know, just that you are… Please, Cheryl, try to understand. I’m coming over to yours In a bit. Stay safe until then. Use your senses.” He hung up and looked at Zara. “Well, let’s go. I definitely need you when she starts throwing a fit.”
XXXX
“Why is the circus rat here?” Cheryl promptly asked, looking at the three visitors. Kurtz snarled, but Zara put a hand on his wrist, and he calmed down. Archie noticed the exchange and clenched his jaw.
“Are you okay?” Zara asked, stepping into to the foyer of Thornhill.
“I’m fine. I have still yet not received an answer as to why you think I might be. Well?”
“Kurtz said-“
“Ah, so Kurtz said, and I’m just supposed to believe him. I’m meant to hate him after the stunt he pulled with Archie a mere days ago. But, I’m just supposed to take that you three are buddies again?” She cross her arms across her chest and tapped her foot impatiently.
“You don’t need to believe me, but rather in the supernatural. My emissary had a premonition, something akin to your powers. Trust in his ability as you trust in yours,” Kurtz replied, his commanding presence unwavering.
Cheryl glared at him before sighing. “Well, I assume we’re all staying up tonight? And, here I thought I would finally get a decent night’s sleep. But, this is Thornhill and-“ A crash from upstairs startled the group, and Archie held up a finger to his lips to keep the rest silent. He slowly ascended the stairs and went to the source of the noise. Zara looked at Kurtz and said, “Keep her safe.” She then followed Archie, but she knew Kurtz wanted to protest. When she entered the room, she fought hard not to vomit. On Cheryl’s bed laid Ethel Muggs, throat slit with her hands spread.
XXXX
“How could we have forgotten that Ethel was a viable option?” Betty said, frowning. She rested her head in her hands, elbows on a table at Pop’s. Jughead rubbed her back slowly as he shook his head.
Cheryl rolled her eyes. “It’s Ethel Muggs. She’s the most forgettable person in the school. It made way more sense that it could’ve been me. I mean, the monster broke in to my home! Clearly, he was trying to do something to me. Now, Daddy’s being Interrogated by the police, and he’s done nothing wrong.” She then looked at Zara. “I’m just glad that the three of you cleared out before the police suspected you.”
Zara nodded, furrowing her brows. “Ethel being planted in your house was obviously deliberate, and I think I might know why.” She cleared her throat as she folded her hands on top of the table. “Ethel’s father works with Hiram in his side job.”
“You mean-“ Betty started.
“That a member of Archie’s pack had a the dead body of a hunter’s daughter in it? Yeah, that’s exactly what she means,” Jughead finished. “Definitely not a coincidence.”
“Do you think V might try something?” Betty asked Zara, to which Zara replied with a shrug. “To be honest, I’m not too sure what Veronica Is capable of these days,” Zara whispered.
“But, this is enough motivation for the hunter’s council to deem our pack a threat. Before, it was just petty threats from Hiram. Now, it’s going to be a full blown war between us, the hunters, and the-“
“Siphon,” Zara said in realization. “I didn’t pay attention to this in Greendale as much as I should’ve, but one of the book in the Academy had a chapter on siphoning magic. People with true dark abilities can siphon magic from any supernatural creature.”
“How does this help us, though?” Betty asked, furrowing her brows. “We knew from the beginning that he took magic from the people he sacrificed. Why does knowing what he is add on to this information?”
“Because every supernatural creature has a weakness. It’s a means by which nature corrects the perversion. Every wizard has their own weaknesses, but siphons have the same. It was on the last page of that book.” Zara rammed the table forcefully, shocking the rest of the guests. “I have to call Sabrina. She’s the only one that can give us our weapon.”
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A/N: hey guys changing things up with a shift in narrative
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To say Kurtz was mortified would be an understatement; he wanted to bury himself into the deepest ditch possible. For the first time in his life, he regretted his words. He rubbed his chest as he stared up at the ceiling of Zara’s room, the trowel texture eating him alive as his heart started thumping faster and faster. Rejection, clearly, did not sit with him well.
Becoming dizzy from gazing at the ceiling, Kurtz swung his legs over the bed and gripped the edge of mattress tightly. Turning his head, he looked down at the sleeping girl and sighed. For her to reject him so easily was, honestly, quite a shock to him. Not that he believed he was some sort of a ‘catch,’ but he believed that they had bonded somewhat over the trials they had faced this past month alone.
Gritting his teeth, he tried to stop himself from getting infuriated. How dare she… Kurtz had never felt this way about anyone before, and he expected Zara to reciprocate the feelings because she was his first love. Selfish wouldn’t even cover that thought process, but the omega couldn’t care less. He wanted her, needed her. A few obstacles never killed anyone, least of all him.
XXXX
“Did you talk to Archie after I left?” Zara asked Jughead quietly, who sat across from her in the cafeteria. It was just the two of them now, seeing as the rest of the pack were still mentally recovering from the last meeting.
“I tried, but he was a little too distraught and yelled at me and Betty to leave-“
“I’d imagine,” she whispered.
“I feel like you know something about that fight you’re not letting on,” Jughead inquired, squinting his eyes.
“Of course, there is, but who said you were privy to that information?”
“Well, we are a pack-“
“It was a redundant question,” Zara deadpanned. “Listen, Kurtz has a fucked-up mind. Archie feeding straight into it was stupidity on his part. Kurtz wanted to rile him up, and the boy wonder fell into the trap.”
“I really think it should be you who talks to Archie first. I mean, he clearly likes you-“
“So I’ve been made aware,” Zara sneered. “If it wasn’t for those pesky feelings, we wouldn’t have made an enemy out of Veronica fucking Lodge. I mean, Hiram was holding off until now. Who’s to say he won’t just release all of his psychotic hunters on us because we hurt his mija.”“I’m not saying Archie wasn’t stupid-“
“And yet, I’m the one who has to make amends. Even though I didn’t ask for any of this!” she yelled but sank down into her seat as the whole cafeteria turned towards the source of the outburst. Much quieter now, she explained, “I cannot be held accountable for Archie’s or Kurtz’s actions. You need to go talk to Archie because he’s your best friend.” Zara stood up from the bench and begrudgingly, threw out her uneaten lunch all the while imagining starving children.
XXXX
As Zara descended the steps of the school, she contemplated calling Sabrina so that she could talk to someone who didn’t know of the whole high school romance drama. Before she could take out of her phone thought, a hand grabbed her from the bottom of the stairs and dragged her off to the side of the building. She went to yell at the snatcher but instead scowled, looking up at Kurtz’s face. “What the hell do you want?”
“You to like me back-“
“And, as I’ve stated before…” Zara trailed off as Kurtz began to laugh. “What’s so funny?”
“See, you’re under this false impression that I care. I was patient with all of the bullshit I had to put up with ever since I moved in with you and played house with the Red Circle. That ends now. You all have gotten absolutely nowhere in the case and instead, are focused on the romantic life of your alpha. News flash, I don’t care if Archie likes you. He’s just an obstacle for me.”
Zara opened her mouth, but she couldn’t think of an appropriate reply. What was going on with Kurtz? “Why are you acting like this, all of a sudden? Is this what happens when someone rejects you? Get used to it; you’re not the slightest bit boyfriend material.”
“You think this comes down to mere relationship status?” He chuckled, all the while, gripping Zara’s shoulders tighter. “I want you as my mate. You know, I always thought that there was something missing from my pack, and now I know. I needed an anchor, a support. All this while, I had been searching for an emissary, I didn’t realize how much I needed you as well.”
“What do you mean ‘had?’” Zara asked, diverting the conversation. “You stopped searching for an emissary?”
“Yes, because I found one. Long while back after your accident, someone finally tolerated the drugs and gave me accurate visions.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this before? We could’ve told Archie! When we decided that having a magic wielder on our side would be advantageous, why didn’t you-“
“You think I want Archie’s gang to utilize my weapon? I spent weeks recovering from my loss, only for the almighty Red Circle to reap the benefits of my pack’s demise.”
“Archie did no such thing-“
“Are you certain of that? Him having dated Veronica Lodge at the time and finally becoming the alpha of the only pack in Riverdale, you’d say that he didn’t find pleasure in the fact that he was no longer being persecuted or fighting for territory?” Kurtz smirked as Zara looked down at her shoes, unable to deny the things he said. “You’d rather care about the emotions of someone who takes pleasure out of other people’s misery? Be my fucking guest. Just know that I have done more for you in under a month than those people have for two years. You don’t even realize-“ Kurtz cut himself off as he saw a tear escape from Zara’s eye. During this hesitation, the girl broke free of his grasp. “Zara, I-“
“Save it; you’re not wrong,” she said lowly, sniffling. “I’ve always done everything slightly logistical for them, and now, they’re all shunning me for not accepting Archie’s love.”
“Wolves will always follow their alpha, even if you are to be more credited for their survival,” Kurtz informed. “I’m… sorry for making you emotional.”
“And, I’m sorry for hurting you,” Zara replied, wiping tears from her cheeks. “Let’s go home.”
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“You know what I’ve realized?” Zara asked, rolling herself away from her desk.
“What?” Kurtz inquired, sitting up in bed, reading his textbook. “That the pack is every bit as pathetic as I believe?”
Zara rolled her eyes. “No. I just realized there hasn’t been a sacrifice since the warlock’s henchman tried to kill me. It’s just really weird for them to take such a long break…”
“Two weeks is hardly a break. They used to do weekly killings. Now, they just skipped one.” Kurtz shut his textbook. “Unless, you’re thinking that they might be planning something. Something bigger.”
“I don’t know what to think. A part of me wishes…”
“What?”
“That there would be another sacrifice.” Zara shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. “It sounds awful, but I hate having to be concerned for Betty, Polly, and all of the others who were ever at the Sisters. Because even if your beta or emissary was killed first, there is a clear trend with the ‘mortals’ being killed.”
“I couldn’t care less for your friends, but… I understand your qualms.” Kurtz stood up from the bed and slipped on his shoes. Zara raised a brow at his actions, and he explained, “I’m going to see my emissary. Have him actually hone in his visions to what we need.” He walked over to the window and pushed it open. Swinging a leg over, he looked back at the girl. “Be awake when I come back. I’ll need to someone to rehash all of the info to before I forget it.” Zara nodded and then, Kurtz jumped down to the grass.
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Kurtz parked his car at the edge of the woods near the rail tracks. Stepping out of the vehicle, he listened closely to see if anyone was around him. He heard a singular heartbeat in the forest, and he smelled that it was his emissary. Transforming, Kurtz ran into the woods and shifted back once he saw the familiar dark hair. “Thanks for meeting with me on such a short notice,” he greeted.
The other man nodded. “Of course. What do you need me to do?” he asked.
“I need you to find out who’s next.”
“K-kurtz I-I don’t think I can do that,” the man stuttered. “I mean, it’s been barely a couple of weeks since I found out I could do stuff like this.”
“Listen, the more pressure you’re under, the faster you learn.” Kurtz then brought out fizzle rocks from his backpack and passed the packet to the other. “Now, chew.”
The two sat down on the clear ground, waiting for the effects of the drugs to settle in. Kurtz kept a strong gaze on the emissary, who had his eyes closed. “Okay, I think I’ve meditated enough,” the man huffed out.
“How do you feel?” Kurtz asked, listening to the calm heartbeat from the other.
“Amazing… What do you need me to see?”
“Who’s going to be sacrificed next.” The emissary’s heart rate spiked. “Calm down, otherwise you’ll be taken out of the mindset. Just focus on what I’ve told you about the warlock and go from there.” The emissary nodded and then, the forest was quiet except for the two men breathing.
It was about thirty minutes before the emissary gasped and opened his eyes. Kurtz got closer to him and held the man’s head. “What did you see?” he asked loudly.
“His next sacrifice… a red headed girl. Couldn’t get a clear image of her face, but she’s next…”
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The hallways of the Academy of Unseen Arts were dimly lit and silent when the front doors creaked open with Sabrina’s magic. “Technically, no outsiders of non-magical blood are allowed into the academy, but considering I’m the de facto leader of this school, I can bend some rules,” the witch said with a smirk to the Riverdale trio. She continued through the school with the others in tow.
Deep in the building sat a candle lit library. Aside from a student sleeping on a desk deep in the shelves, there was no one to report on the mortals. Nonetheless, the group creeped around the room while Sabrina looked at the various book titles closely. Being a naturally curious girl, Zara longed to flip through the books labeled with the oddest titles relating to such problems like appropriate cauldron material. But, she kept her curiosity at bay by reminding herself why she was here in the first place. The group kept weaving around the shelves until Sabrina stopped and whispered, “This might be it.” She stood in front of red book with black lettering. When she pulled the monster sized book off the shelf, Zara peered down at the title. It read The Lycanthropy Curse.
Jughead chuckled quietly and muttered ‘curse.’ Sabrina glared at him at him for a moment and then, went back to examine the book. She started flipping the pages while Zara peered over her shoulder. Various chapters explaining the full moon, the bite, and transformations filled the book, but none of it was useful to them at this point. Sabrina stopped flipping and sighed. “Let me make this process go a little faster,” she whispered. She waved her hand around the book and quietly uttered words, which, from Zara’s brief knowledge, sounded like a spell. Suddenly, the book began flipping on its own rapidly until stopping at a page with a morbid illustration. It was of a dark-haired woman with her hands above her head, fingers pointing towards a massive beast. Her mouth was open in a scream. Peeling her eyes away from the picture, Zara went in front of Sabrina to read the adjacent page.
Witches and werewolves have been mortal enemies since the warlock Lycan was cursed by the Dark Lord to live a life as half man, half wolf. Satan also put into this spell that the only beings who could control werewolves to do their bidding are witches and warlocks.
“No wonder we’re enemies,” Kurtz commented, glancing at Sabrina. Zara looked at the both of them before reading the rest of the passage.
Sacrificing werewolves to Satan can allow magical beings access to the untapped force of nature. However, a group of warlocks in the late seventeenth century abused this power, leading Satan to condemn this practice.
“Well, that answers one of the sacrifices,” Zara huffed. “What about the rest?”
Sabrina pursed her lips and responded, “Maybe, the werewolf sacrifice only gives them the initial opening to the magical core. Probably, the warlock needs to keep sacrificing in order to continue the access. And, transfer that magic to lesser magical beings.”
“That still doesn’t answer why the warlock is only attacking past residents of the sisters,” Jughead added.
“We wouldn’t be able to find that information here, Jug,” Zara responded.
Sabrina led the three out of the school without a hitch and transported them back to the train station. Zara gave her a small hug on the platform and waved goodbye while Jughead returned the rental car on his phone and Kurtz swayed on the balls of his feet.
“Next train arriving in five minutes. Please stand clear of the edge.”
Zara approached Kurtz slowly, taking note of his empty expression. Kurtz heard her footsteps and exhaled deeply. “If I had better management of my pack, there would’ve been no sacrifices.”
“Kurtz...” Zara started. “You can’t blame yourself. You couldn’t have known.”
The wolf turned to face her, but said nothing. In response, Zara looked up at him. The train zoomed passed them, but the two paid no attention to it.
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Kurtz’s eyes lingered on Zara as she went to lie down in the sleeping bag. “What are you doing?” he whispered softly.
Zara didn’t turn as she replied, “Going to sleep. Why?”
“You can sleep in the bed,” he said, raising the comforter on the empty side. Zara eyed him for a moment and then, shook her head. “Why not?”
“Look, just because we slept in the same bed last night does not negate the fact that it was an act. Go to sleep, Kurtz.” Zara should’ve followed her own command instead of staring up at the ceiling the entire night. She crawled out the sleeping bag around six in the morning to use the bathroom. Her face was sallow, dark circles now seemingly permanent under her eyes. When she opened the door into her bedroom, she saw Kurtz sitting up, his feet on the ground. He didn’t bother looking at her as he brushed passed her to go into the bathroom. Zara shut her eyes for a brief moment to control her emotions and then, proceeded to get dressed.
When the two quietly walked out of the house, they didn’t speak to each other while walking to school. Right before they walked through the school entrance, Zara grabbed Kurtz’s hand and planted a smile on her face. Kurtz didn’t question it and kept his face neutral.
“Zara!” The pair turned around in the direction of the voice. Veronica walked towards them, heels clicking against the linoleum. “How was your trip to Greendale?” she asked with a grin.
“It was perfectly fine,” Kurtz replied, not giving Zara a chance to.
“I wasn’t asking you, sewer rat,” she gritted out.
Zara frowned. “Don’t talk to my boyfriend like that. And, to add on to his response, the trip was good. Shame you can’t hear about it. I don’t really trust werewolf hunters.” Dragging Kurtz along with her, Zara walked away to her locker. When the coast was clear, Zara let go of his hand. She looked at him briefly and opened her locker. “You okay?”
“You didn’t need to defend me,” Kurtz replied, leaning against the lockers. “I’m perfectly capable of doing so myself.”
“I know you are, but we have to keep up appearances.” Kurtz didn’t say anything after and walked to his locker. Zara shut her locker and pulled out her phone, sending a short text to Jughead
“Pack meeting at lunch. Don’t let Veronica come. I’ll explain there…”
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Jughead walked down to boiler room, Archie in tow. Zara was already there with Kurtz, talking softly. “I decided not to bring Betty. V and B are a package,” Jughead said, coming closer to the couple. “Are you going to tell us why we shouldn’t have brought Veronica?”
Archie beat Zara to respond and said, “I agree with Zara on her decision. Veronica can’t be trusted with sensitive information.” Zara nodded when Jughead looked over at her. “So, what happened in Greendale?” Archie stayed quiet while the three rehashed the events.
Jughead paused to let Archie ask any questions, but he shook his head. “I was up last night, thinking about motives. Archie… I honestly think the hunters may be behind this.”
“I wouldn’t put it passed them,” Kurtz added, clenching his fists. “But, how did they get their hands on a warlock? Sabrina never mentioned a close connection between their kind and hunters.”
Zara pulled out her phone and said, “Let me just send her a text. Even if they have no connection, she might still know something.”
As Zara texted the young witch, Kurtz looked closely at Archie, who looked pensive. “What’s on your mind, Andrews?” Kurtz deadpanned.
“I have to ask Veronica,” the red head responded. Jughead let out a long sigh and shook his head. “Jug, if anyone’s gonna know-“
“I would rather wait for a response from Sabrina,” Jughead interrupted.
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The train ride to Greendale was pleasantly quiet, a needed break from the mayhem in Riverdale. Zara leaned her head back and shut her eyes lightly. Why am I here? Jughead and Kurtz could’ve handled this themselves. No, Zara didn’t trust Kurtz around Jughead. Sure, Zara and Kurtz had an agreement between themselves, but she didn’t want to risk something going wrong between two temperamental werewolves.
She cracked her eyes open a fraction and saw the omega glaring at her. “Kurtz, I’m not gonna apologize for coming here,” Zara said, facing towards him. “You and Jughead negotiating together is a recipe for disaster.” She looked down the walkway to see that Jughead still hadn’t exited the bathroom.
“I’m not gonna start something. If anything, it’ll be Jones,” Kurtz grumbled.
“I don’t care. We don’t need a werewolf fight in the midst of witches,” she whispered angrily. A few minutes later, Jughead exited the bathroom and came back to sit down in front of them. They had gotten one of the four seater sections, Zara sitting on the aisle next to Kurtz and Jughead across from her with an empty window seat to his right.
“Plan of attack anyone?” Jughead asked, leaning back. “We have to be careful around witches. From what I’ve read online, witches have a tendency to hate all other supernatural creatures.”
Zara turned to face Kurtz. “So maybe this is why the families hate you. You turned their kids into werewolves.”
“They wanted the bite,” Kurtz sneered.
Zara squinted her eyes and went back to face Jughead. “If they hate all other supernatural creatures, then we can’t have you two talk to them straight out of the gate.” She sighed. “You two should be lucky I came. I’ll get the conversation rolling and then we can hit them with the ‘who done it.’”
“Sounds like a plan,” Jughead said, but his eyes lingered on the two. He cocked an eyebrow at Zara and added, “You know... you two don’t really act like a couple...”
Zara had the overwhelming urge to look at Kurtz, but that would set Jughead even more off. School your emotions, Zara. “Sorry if we liking keeping ourselves low-key,” she replied, chuckling softly. Jughead furrowed his brows, so she added, “You and Betty have a little too much PDA for my tastes.” She laughed while Jughead glared at her. Once Jughead shut his eyes, she looked over at Kurtz who nodded, signifying that whatever she did was good enough for now.
//
“Next stop Greendale. Carefully exit the train when it has stopped. Thank you.”
Zara shifted in her seat, waking up from her nap. Both Jughead and Kurtz were already awake, looking out the window at the forest surrounding the tracks. “Where are we going first?” she asked softly.
Jughead turned his head away from the window to look at her. “We should probably put our bags down somewhere. There are some cheap motels, none as sketchy as Riverdale’s of course,” Jughead said with a chuckle. Zara cracked a smile. Kurtz looked at the two with a blank stare, but something about how he was feeling causes Jughead to stop laughing.
Kurtz then cleared his throat and added, “We can’t linger too long there. We need to go talk to the families.” Pulling out his phone, he looked over the home addresses.
“Which house should we go to then?” Zara asked, not even remembering to ask who Kurtz knew in the town.
“I should probably go and pay my respects to Riddle’s family,” he mumbled.
“Who’s Riddle?” Jughead asked, leaning forward in his seat.
“The beta who got sacrificed.”
//
Zara stood outside a wrought iron gate, eyes fixated on the statues of headless men placed across the front lawn. She turned back to see Kurtz and Jughead a few feet away from her. “Are we talking to a sane person, Kurtz?” she gritted out. Kurtz smirked and crossed his arms across his chest.
Rolling her eyes, she pushed open the gate, a few vines snapping in the process, The actual house was far down the driveway and not facing the gate. It became clear that the mansion was placed in a way to fool people into believing that the gate surrounded nothing. As the path began twisting to the left, Zara got increasingly nervous about how to begin an interrogation with a witch. They have magic, she doesn’t. They hate werewolves, she’s part of a pack. “This should go well,” she muttered to herself.
As she approached the house, she began to take in the odd details. The manor’s exterior was of deep gray stone with marble molding around the balconies and windows, of which no light shone through. On the corners of the house were giant statues of... bats? For a rather odd ancient looking house, the front door was more modern, window panes in the middle of both doors making the entrance. Zara rang the doorbell on the left side of the double doors and waited.
And waited.
She pressed the bell once more and checked her phone to see that ten minutes had already passed since she first pressed the bell. Before she could send a text to Jughead about the situation, the door swung open to reveal a small child with a mop of black hair. He looked at her, stone-faced, then he yelled, “Ma, some stranger’s here!”
He didn’t usher her into the house, but he left the door open so Zara followed the boy into the foyer. A large iron chandelier hung low from the ceiling, cobwebs lining the bulbs. The wallpaper was peeling in this room, which made Zara feel weird. Why is this so stereotypical?
She started looking into golden framed mirror on the side of the door and got startled by a woman directly behind her. Turning quickly, she apologized. “I did not hear you coming, ma’am.” She extended her hand out. “My name is Zara Fatehi. I’m from Riverdale.”
“I know,” the woman sneered. “I am a... seer of sorts. Fortune tellers as you mortals would call it. What is your business here?”
“Why? Can’t predict that?” Zara replied, looking at the witch with a bored expression.
The woman raised a brow and chuckled softly. “I apologize for the harsh greeting. My name is Greer Peterson.” She then looked around the room. “I think I should lift up the glamor, don’t you?”
Zara furrowed her brows in response, but then her eyes widened when Greer waved her hands and the room transformed around them. The peeling wallpaper was replaced with black marble, there were no cobwebs on the chandelier, and the foyer had rich artwork on every alternate wall.
Greer looked over at the young girl and roared in laughter. “Oh this is nothing, darling. Magic is quite wonderful, don’t you think?” Zara nodded slowly. Greer’s smile faded after a moment as she asked, “What is your business here, really?”
Zara cleared her throat. “I am here to ask for some assistance,” she said softly.
Greer ushered her into the living room on the right, a room filled with red couches and a large fireplace. “I am aware of the sacrifices occurring in your town,” she said, sitting down on the couch gracefully. In contrast, Zara plopped onto the couch and was embarrassed afterwards.
“I knew that you would be aware considering...” Zara trailed off, unable to form the words.
“Considering my son was sacrificed, you mean.”
Zara gulped. “Right. My mother’s a deputy, and I’d like to make her job easier by finding more evidence.”
“And because your pack is in danger.”
Zara was shocked, but considering Greer could see into the future, it would be a logical conclusion as to how she knew. “Yes, Ma’am. I know the magical community does not look fondly upon werewolves.”
“You would be correct in that assumption.”
Zara crossed her legs. “I know your son’s... death has hit you hard. I cannot begin to imagine how you feel, but if there’s any way you can prevent more deaths.”
“My son’s death means absolutely nothing to me. I sent him to the sisters for a reason.”
Zara squinted her eyes at Greer, disgusted by this woman. “You know the alpha who made your son into a werewolf is standing right outside your gate? He cared for your son,” she gritted out. “Clearly more than you.” With that, the front door slammed open. Kurtz and Jughead both came into the house, walking into the living room. Greer glared at the two, scrunching her nose as if she smelled something bad. “If you don’t talk, we will make you,” Zara threatened.
Greer smirked and stood up from the couch, looking straight into Kurtz’s eyes. “Two werewolves, especially non-alphas, are no match for a witch.”
Kurtz and Jughead looked at each other, expressionless. Zara was still glaring at the witch. “If you don’t help us, more people will start pointing fingers at the witches. One of the followers of this murderer believes he’s sacrificing for the dark lord. I am sure you know who the dark lord is.”
Greer gaped and looked away from the trio. “That isn’t right... we do not participate in sacrifice of mortals or other creatures. We haven’t done so in centuries.” She paused and turned to face them again. “Whoever this person, is no friend of Greendale witches. They must be a Riverdale resident, there’s no doubt about that.”
Zara stood from the couch and approached Greer slowly. “You mean to tell me that this psychopath is living amongst us.” In order for Greer to explain more, Zara went into more detail about the evidence already procured.
Greer looked puzzled as Zara finished the story of her near sacrifice. “If the man wanting to kill you has been promised powers, this witch has the power to harness nature’s energy and funnel it through a mortal. I do not believe that the almighty Satan would allow such perverse actions. He believes that magic must stay within those who are worthy to wield it.”
“Sounds supremacist,” Jughead mumbled. Speaking louder, he questioned Greer of how to find this person. “We only know two things about him. Nothing extremely identifiable.”
“That I cannot help you with, I’m sorry to say.”
The three bid the woman goodbye and drove back to the motel. Zara sat at the edge of the bed nearest the window, facing the other bed. “We’ve got more information than before, but it still isn’t enough to make a good deduction,” Zara said dejectedly.
Jughead, who was pushing his bag into the closet, nodded. “There must be more people we can talk to. Kurtz?”
Kurtz sat down next to Zara and clasped his hands together on his lap. “There are more, but I feel like it will be a wasted trip. If only Greer said more about who’s in charge of the magical community...”
“In charge?” Zara inquired.
“There always has to be a head person,” Jughead replied, sitting across from the two. “If we can meet with another family...” he trailed off looking at Kurtz.
Kurtz ignored him and went to lie down on the bed. “It’s late. We’ll resume tomorrow morning.” He sat up to strip off his jacket and pulled the covers over him. Zara looked back at him and gulped. It would look suspicious to Jughead if she opted to sleep on the floor, so she had to lay next to Kurtz.
“I’m going to get ready for bed,” she said, clearing her throat. Jughead nodded and took off his beanie, preparing for sleep himself. When Zara got out of the restroom, her heart started pounding. Luckily Jughead was snoring softly, so he wouldn’t pick up on the noise. She walked slowly to her bed and sat down. Slowly blinking once, she sighed and then, went under the covers. She tried creating as much distance from between her and Kurtz as possible, but she still felt his body heat.
“Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep...” Zara whispered repeatedly. Ultimately, sleep overtook her, and she relaxed. The next morning, the light shone through the curtains. Cracking her eyes open a fraction, Zara was blinded momentarily by the sliver of light hitting her eyes directly. She looked down, away from the curtains, to see a blurry face only a few centimeters away from her face. The more she blinked her eyes, the more the face got clearer. It was Kurtz. She widened her eyes and attempted to move away, but she found herself trapped by a hand wrapped around her torso.
Trying to remove his hand, Zara was stopped by a small voice saying, “Relax.” Kurtz was barely awake. “Jughead will be suspicious.” Zara looked behind her and saw that Jughead was still sleeping. “He’ll wake up soon,” Kurtz whispered. Zara’s lingering gaze didn’t go amiss by the wolf, and he smirked slightly.
After awhile, when the two got hungry, and Jughead awoke, they ventured out to eat and investigate some more. Zara took out her phone in the car and looked up where they could eat. “So, there’s a place called Dr. Cerberus’s,” she suggested. “You have to take a right here, Jug.”
The three entered the small shop and stopped by the door to take in the appearance. It looked as if it was decorated for Halloween. But, considering Halloween happened five months ago, the get-up seemed a bit peculiar to the three. Jughead sent a puzzled expression Zara’s way to which she responded, “They have four and a half stars on Yelp.”
After a few minutes, they ordered their food and sat down at a booth next to a group of chattering friends. “Kurtz, what family can we see next?” Jughead asked before taking a bit of his burger.
Kurtz leaned back against the faux red leather and shrugged. “There are two other families we could talk to, but after the hostility from Greer... And, she didn’t even care about her son’s death. I can’t guarantee the other families won’t be pissed.” There was rage emanating from the omega, and Zara didn’t need wolf senses to know that.
As she stuffed her mouth with curly fries, Zara’s ears picked up tidbits of the conversation from the booth next to theirs. “...The school’s gotten weirder ever since we found the prophecy. People are treating me as if some sort of dark savior from the dark lord. I really don’t get it.” Zara’s head swiveled to their direction at the mention of the dark lord. The two wolves also picked up on it if them not stuffing their faces anymore was an indication.
Before anyone could say anything, Zara got up from her seat and walked over to the table. She saw a girl with short, platinum blonde hair, styled with a black headband. The girl in question looked up at Zara, raising a groomed brow. “May I help you?” she asked with a grin.
“You were talking about the dark lord,” Zara started.
The girl widened her eyes but masked it immediately with a bigger grin. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Cut the bullshit. I need you to talk to me, now.”
The girl looked at her friends and ushered them away. Zara slipped into the now empty side of the booth, staring at the girl across from her. The girl cleared her throat and introduced herself, “My name is Sabrina Spellman. I am a witch.”
“I assumed,” Zara drawled. “My name is Zara Fatehi. I’m from Riverdale. I’m sure you’ve heard of what’s going on there.”
“A bit, yes. Why do you think I can help you?”
“The man going around ‘sacrificing’ people serves what his followers call the dark lord. Wanna explain that to me?”
Sabrina furrowed her brows. “I’m not sure I understand. Are you sure the sacrifices are for the dark lord?”
“No, actually. The last witch I interrogated said that the man was perverse, trying to give mortals magic under the guise of the dark lord’s wishes.”
“Perverse is one way to say it. Let’s just say my father is in a way, racist against mortals. He wouldn’t want them to have magic.”
“Hold on; your father is the dark lord? Satan?”
Sabrina sighed and confirmed, “Yes, unfortunately. I’m in a sort of ‘cold war’ with him.”
“So that means you’re the head witch?”
Sabrina chuckled and shrugged. “I guess so.”
“How do we take down this man, then? He clearly has magic to funnel it into his followers. The batty seer said he couldn’t possibly be from Greendale, but that doesn’t narrow down our suspect list.”
“You mean you went to see Greer the Seer? Yikes, she’s a handful. But, if she confirmed the man to be in Riverdale, there’s not much I can add on for details, I’m afraid to say. I pretty much have tabs on all magical folk in Greendale, but other towns are new territory.” Zara nodded dejectedly. “However, I might be able to do additional research for you.”
Zara wanted to go home. But, her mother insisted that she stay for her own safety. In other words, her mother was working late tonight even though her own daughter almost died.
Most of her friends had to leave upon their parents’ orders, Betty being the last. As she started to exit the room, Zara grabbed her wrist and look at her with concerned eyes. “Betty, are you going to be okay?”
Betty took a deep breath, trying to prevent tears. And then, she said, “I hated him so much, Z, but I can’t help it. He was my dad before he became a menace to my mom and Polly. The only reason my mom’s dealing with this is because I have no guardian at home anymore. She’s left the Farm long enough to convince Social Services, but after that, I’m all alone.” She took a deep breath. “I’m scared.”
Zara looked at her for a moment and said, “Being scared isn’t a weakness. Not seeking help from your friends is. We’re all here for you. We’re a pack, a family.”
Betty chuckled and said, “You’re beginning to sound like Archie.” The two girls laughed before Betty’s mom whisked her away from the room. As soon as she left, Zara’s broody roommate entered through the door. “Why haven’t you left?” Zara asked, looking away from him to check the time. “Isn’t it time for your game?”
“I’m not going tonight,” Kurtz responded, putting down his third coffee cup on her forgotten food tray. “We need to talk.”
“Oh joy. What do you wanna talk about, wolfy? Wanna chat about Gryphons and Gargoyles? Or maybe about the fact that you killed our only source of information about the sacrifices? What’s it gonna be, Kurtz?” Zara asked, clenching her fists.
“How about the fact that you were foolish enough to go back to a crime scene? Of a killer who managed to kill a werewolf. Just what exactly were you hoping to accomplish? You’re a weak human.”
“And you’re a weak werewolf.” Zara crossed her arms across her chest and scrunched her eyebrows in frustration. Glaring at him for a while, Zara eased up a bit and said, “This conversation is going nowhere. We need to set some ground rules, you and me. We’re constantly fighting, and it needs to end.”
“Agreed. Number 1: you’re not investigating this case without me from now on.”
“Now, just hang on a moment-“
“Not even with the others. They don’t know what’s going on.”
“And you do?” Kurtz stayed silent. “Beautiful. How about this for number 2? No more secrets.”
“I can’t promise that.”
“Why not? What is so important that you’re hiding from me?” Zara asked, her voice raising an octave.
“Something that I don’t want reaching the ears of Hiram Lodge,” Kurtz replied quietly.
Zara furrowed her brows and asked, “Why would I feed information to Hiram?”
“You tell Archie. Archie tells Veronica. And, I don’t trust that bitch.”
“Veronica hasn’t said anything to her father!” Zara exclaimed, exasperated at constantly defending Veronica from the rest of the pack and now from Kurtz.
“And, you can vouch for that?” Kurtz asked, raising a brow.
“Well…” Zara paused. “Come to think of it, there are times when… the hunters just managed to stumble upon the pack. But, that could just be coincidence...” Not really, she thought, recalling an event that happened just a few months ago. Winter vacation when Archie and Jughead went skiing… How did the hunters know Archie would be in the same area Cassidy Bullock got murdered? “There was a guy, a wannabe werewolf hunter named Cassidy Bullock. He tried to go after Archie and Jughead while they were on a skiing vacation. Archie fought him off quite easily and left the ski lodge quickly after that, but the hunters ambushed them, pinning them for the guy’s murder. The only way they could’ve known that Archie had an altercation with this man is if…”
“Veronica told Hiram,” Kurtz finished. Zara looked at him in surprise. “It’s not that shocking. You people really thought a hunter’s daughter wasn’t going to be loyal to her father,” he said with a chuckle.
“Veronica hates her dad. She wants to be with Archie-“
“Who wants to be with you,” Kurtz deadpanned.
“Excuse me?!”
“Oh please. Have you not noticed how much he respects you, more so than his own girlfriend. He listens to you first. He consults you first. And, you should’ve felt his emotions when we found you. The amount of love he has for you-”
“Will never be reciprocated. I don’t love Archie,” Zara said pointedly.
“Try telling that to a jealous, teenage girl.”
Zara sat back against her pillows, looking away from Kurtz and instead opting to gaze at the night sky through the window. She tried digesting the information, but it was too confusing. However, she decided to concede. “Fine… I won’t tell Archie anything about you. Now, will you come clean?”
“… Very well. What do you want to know?”
“Why did your pack get involved with Gryphons and Gargoyles?”
Kurtz was silent, collecting his thoughts. Then, he replied, “You know what an emissary is, don’t you?”
“Of course. They’re druids who offer counsel to alphas. Practically every seasoned pack has one.”
Kurtz nodded. “My emissary was a seer of sorts. He used the G&G board as a vessel for his prophecies. He had the craft down so perfectly that we knew where hunters would be, other supernatural creatures, even the police. Then, the hunters were suspicious. To them, this made us too powerful.” Kurtz laughed with a sinister look in his eyes. “They figured it had to be something magical, and the one thing my emissary couldn’t predict was them abducting him. Hiram and his goons tortured him until he gave the location of where we would be in the woods. We’re not a flawless pack; we’ve committed crimes. Bodies have piled up.”
“Like Dilton Doiley…” Kurtz nodded. “That must have been when your pack got massacred,” Zara said quietly, trying to process the story.
“After he dealt with everyone in the pack aside from me and one of my betas, he killed my emissary.”
“So, why do you keep the board if he’s dead?”
“I got pissed at you last night for a reason. You were right; I am trying to rebuild my pack. But, this time I’m starting with an emissary. I recruit people from school to play the game and see if they can predict anything.”
“But, no one is doing it as well as your emissary did.” Kurtz nodded. “What about the drug addiction?”
“My emissary needed a hallucinogen to accurately make predictions, so I cooked fizzle rocks for him. But, I can’t give them to potential emissaries unless I test them first in front of them.”
“And, the drug’s so addictive that now, you can’t stop.” Zara sighed. “Why are you doing this to yourself? You know you can’t be alpha again, right?”
“Wrong. I can if my bite takes on another human. If it doesn’t, the human dies.”
“So, you’re willing to kill someone to test your theory?” Zara asked fearfully.
Kurtz gave her a wide grin and replied, “Anything for power.”
“I’m surprised you’re back at school,” Veronica said to Zara as they both took their seats AP biology. “Thought you would take some time recuperating at home.”
Zara looked at Veronica through her peripheral vision and replied, “I can’t miss too much class. Finals are coming up.” Stop talking to me, stop talking to me, stop talking to me…
Luckily, their teacher came in then to begin the class. When the bell rang, Zara rushed out of class before Veronica could talk to her and went to the rest of her classes without a hitch. As soon as the lunch bell rang, she ran to Kurtz’s locker, and the boy was putting away his backpack when he saw her almost trip while running towards him. He rolled his eyes and asked, “What is it?”
“I’m avoiding Veronica,” Zara replied which elicited a dark laugh from Kurtz. She glared at him, and the two made their way to the cafeteria. Betty saw Zara enter and waved her over to the table, but Veronica was already sitting there with Archie snug against her. Zara said quietly to Kurtz, “The weather’s nice outside. Let’s sit outside today.” Kurtz said nothing but followed her out once the two got their trays.
When they sat down, Kurtz said sternly, “They’re your pack. You can’t separate yourself from them.”
“I’m not separating myself!” Zara exclaimed. “I’m just trying not to get on Veronica’s bad side. The more I stay away from her and Archie, the better. I’ll just see them at pack meetings and that’s that.”
“I’ve got a better idea; get a boyfriend. Make yourself less threatening,” Kurtz suggested as he stuffed some mac and cheese into his mouth. Zara blushed at the suggestion to which Kurtz ordered, “Stop getting flustered. It’s just a suggestion. But, it would stop the ginger alpha from pining after you and his manic girlfriend from wanting to skewer you.” Zara didn’t say anything in response but was contemplating the idea. Problem was, she spent all her time running around after monsters with other monsters that she had no interactions with boys. At all. She scrunched her nose, and Kurtz laughed quietly. “What’s the problem?”
“I don’t know any boys to actually ask them out,” Zara gritted out. She then went to take a sip of her water.
“How about you go out with me?” Zara spat out her water all over her tray. “You’re such a loser,” Kurtz said, rolling his eyes.
“Well, excuse me if I’m shocked at the most appalling idea I’ve ever heard. I don’t want anything to do with you aside from giving you room and board at my house.” She started cleaning up her lap and sighed at her soggy sandwich.
“It doesn’t have to be real. Just a façade so that the pack’s convinced.”
Zara rolled her eyes and said, “The pack will sense me lying, smart one.”
“Lying can be sensed because someone’s pulse is accelerated, and their voice is shaky. This can all be attributed to first relationship jitters.” Kurtz’s response actually sounded smart, smart enough to convince Zara that it could work, but…
“What if they block me out because I’m going out with you? News flash, they don’t like you.”
“They’re not going to drop you just because you’re going out with me. They have faith in you, especially Archie.”
“Yeah, don’t remind me. He’s the reason we’re even thinking about this stupid plan. Also, how do you know they’re not listening in on us right now?”
“The cafeteria is too loud for their senses to parse through it to reach us. So, are you down?”
Pausing for a bit, Zara said, “Fine. Let’s date.”
In Unity, There is Strength Part 6 Riverdale AU (Kurtz X OC)
Masterlist
Guide for the Characters
Meet the OC
A/N: Hello everyone! Since I’ve gotten so many people to read my story, I am gonna make a tag list soon. But, for now, I will tag the readers who want notifications of a new chapter. Thank you so much for following the progress of the story @the-gargoyle-queen, @-thatgirloverthere-, @that-idiot125, and @kurtzyoufunkylittledruggyprimary
Zara just about had enough when a certain blonde ponytail swished in the air for the umpteenth time. “Betty, you need to calm down. Pacing isn’t doing anything for you.” At the statement, the girl in question looked at Zara still with her thumb in her mouth, mid-stride. Then, she pulled the seat from the desk in the Blue and Gold office. Zara had opted to lean against the doorframe, watching over the worried blonde until Jughead had finished talking to his dad, who had just been made sheriff.
What Zara hadn’t anticipated was Betty shedding tears for the mass murderer’s death. At the noise of sobbing, Zara squinted her eyes at Betty in judgment, but she knew better than to speak on it. Grief works in mysterious ways, she thought. Betty, aware of the attention she brought on herself, looked at Zara and wiped the tears away. “Zara, I don’t know why I’m crying. He’s terrible; I shouldn’t feel anything for him,” she choked out.
Zara sighed and walked over to Betty. She tentatively put a hand on Betty’s shoulder and rubbed lightly. “No one is going to blame you for crying over your dad’s death,” Zara said softly. After a few minutes of silence, footsteps alerted them of someone approaching the room. Jughead walked in with a concerned look on his face and said, “Zara, I know you were going to tell us about a pattern. Now’s the best time.”
“Well, me and Kurtz figured out that the victims are all people who stayed with the sisters. That’s the only correlation,” Zara said while Jughead came over to them to put Betty Into a tight embrace.
Hearing this, Betty looked up at Jughead with calculated look in her eyes. “Juggy, all of us are in danger. Me, Polly, Cheryl... Oh my god, what are we going to do?” She looked about ready to cry again, and Jughead tried to console her while also nodding to Zara to leave the room.
In the hallway, Kurtz was standing next to a row of lockers and, upon hearing Zara’s footsteps, started walking towards her. Zara said nothing as the two exited the school. It was 6 PM, and Kurtz looked slightly jittery, which made Zara roll her eyes. The omega saw it and asked, “What?”
“Gonna get your midnight fix tonight as well?” Zara asked with a biting tone. She then sighed. “Not that I can give a damn; there’s too much going on right now.”
“You told them about the pattern, I presume?” Kurtz asked, and Zara nodded in response. “What about Hiram?”
“No, I didn’t have time. Betty is kinda... losing it, so I left Jughead to deal with that.”
“Some friend you are,” Kurtz said quietly, while digging inside his oversized jacket for his phone.
Zara stopped next to the bike rack and clenched her fists. “You have no friends, so don’t pretend to know anything about friendship. Jughead wanted me to leave!”
Kurtz turned around to look at her and smirked. “I smelled your judgement from that room. You don’t care about your friend’s grief at all.” He turned back around and started walking towards the parking lot.
Zara cracked her neck to the right and then to the left. She was sitting at her desk doing mind-numbingly easy math homework while Kurtz laid on the bed, reading his English textbook. Occasionally, the girl would look back at the wolf but only for a moment. She noticed that his hands weren’t very stable as the textbook shook in his hands every now and then.
Finishing her last problem, Zara looked at the time to see that it was 10. She got up from her desk to go to the bathroom in order to do her nightly routine. Turning on the shower to boiling temperature, the girl stripped down and entered.
After about an hour, Zara exited the bathroom, rubbing her hair with a towel. The first thing she noticed was the breeze in the room coming from the open window, and then she noticed her missing roommate. Her breath was then coming out rapidly with the amount of anger coursing through her body. She said she didn’t care, but she did. Trust meant nothing to the omega, and clearly he wanted to remain the ‘lone-wolf.’ If he couldn’t tell Zara anything, what made him good for the pack? Trust was everything to Archie.
Quietly, Zara creeped out of her room and down the stairs to see that her mother was nowhere to be found, but there was a note in the kitchen stating that the deputy would be working late yet again. She wished she could tell her mother everything, all of the supernatural stuff afoot, but she didn’t want to drag her into a world that Zara couldn’t get out of even if she wanted to. Zara went back to her room and settled into her sleeping bag after turning off the lights, but still kept the window open.
At about 2 AM, the sound of boots thumping onto the ground near her head woke Zara up. Knowing who it was, the girl jumped up rapidly, blinking away her sleep. In a deep and booming voice, Zara asked, “Where the hell were you?! I want answers! You can’t keep-” She was cut off with soft lips pressing into hers. With wide eyes, Zara looked at Kurtz and began pounding her fists against him to get him to let go, but he had a strong grip against her head, and he was much stronger than her. Then, the noise of a toilet flushing flooded into her room, and the pair heard footsteps retreating into a room and a door shutting. Kurtz pulled away from her then, and Zara was silent in shock.
“Your mom would’ve heard you screaming. I had to shut you up,” Kurtz whispered with a smirk. Zara still didn’t say anything as the boy brushed past her and laid down on the bed after taking his shoes and jacket off.
Zara turned to look at Kurtz. She cleared her throat before whispering, “You didn’t answer my questions. Where the hell were you?”
“I don’t need to tell you anything,” he sneered. Then, he pulled the covers over his head. Zara marched over to him and pulled the covers aside. He glared at her, but then smirked. “If you wanna sleep with me, you could’ve just asked instead of being so forceful.” That made Zara flare her nostrils and clench her right hand to punch him. “Just joking. You’re such a short fuse.” Zara still stood next to the bed, and Kurtz sighed. “Listen to me, you don’t want to know what’s going on. It has nothing to do with the case, so I have no reason to tell you. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to sleep.” He went to pull up the covers again only to see Zara wrench open the nightstand drawer of where he kept his journal. She took out his journal before he could grab her wrist and walked over to her desk. She then quickly flipped through the pages until her eyes landed on the words “Gryphons and Gargoyles.”
“So, you’re still playing the game? You know, the game that caused your betas to go psycho around town and then Hiram killed them for it!” Zara clenched her jaw and threw the notebook at Kurtz who caught it before it caused too much noise. He watched the girl pace for a bit after putting his journal back in the nightstand and then, she asked, “Who is playing with you? Your pack is dead. Are you trying to create a new one? News flash, you freak, when an alpha loses his entire pack, they are no longer alpha. You can’t just recruit a fresh batch of mindless teens.”
“I’m not trying to recruit. Gryphons and Gargoyles isn’t just a game,” Kurtz huffed out, getting intensely angry by the minute.
“No, of course not. It’s also where you get your fix of fizzle rocks, you junkie,” Zara spat out. Seething, Kurtz got up from bed in a flash and raced towards the girl to pin her against the wall roughly.
He whispered, “I have tolerated enough from you tonight. My lifestyle isn’t harming anyone, so stop butting into my business. Your weak, mortal ass couldn’t stop me anyways.” He let Zara go and went back to bed. Zara rubbed her arms after the tight pressure on them and decided not to prolong the argument. She fell asleep in her sleeping bag soon after.
