Reaper

“Name one reason that I shouldn’t snap your neck right now,” Sawyer growled, tightening his grip on Iris’ neck.

Despite the situation, Iris remained annoyingly calm. She smiled, somewhat sadistically, and raised one of her hands. She pointed mutely to Sawyer’s hand on her throat, and gave him a look. Sawyer released his grip.

Saphira looked between the two, puzzled at the unspoken tension that was raging between them. She had known about what went down when Sawyer had been held captive, but apparently she didn’t know everything. It was strange seeing the two interact with one another. Sawyer clearly hated Iris, but she seemed to have a respect for him that wasn’t mutual. They had clearly spent a lot of time together, and whether Sawyer had liked it or not, Saphira got the idea that maybe Iris hadn’t been entirely opposed to it.

Iris stretched her neck from side to side, taking in a deep breath. “Really, now, that’s how you greet old friends?”

Sawyer flexed his hand in front of her throat.

Iris rolled her eyes, but held her hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Alright, tough guy, we don’t need to use our fists for everything.” She elbowed her way past Sawyer, who gaped at her.

Saphira’s blood ran cold as Iris approached her, suddenly way more interested in her than in Sawyer. The way she moved was unnerving - it seemed much to graceful to be natural, even by a Reaper’s standards. Saphira started to crawl backwards to put some space between herself and Iris, but it was no use.

Iris knelt down in front of Saphira, who was now pinned against the opposite wall. Iris’ white hair fell like a waterfall around her inhumanly beautiful face. Suddenly Saphira was self-conscious. While she had seen Iris from afar before, this was the first time she had really been this close, and it was beginning to unsettle her.

“Pretty thing, aren’t you?” Iris purred, reaching a hand out to touch Saphira’s face. She didn’t flinch away from it, but it took most of her willpower. She suddenly realized what Charlie must have felt like, being around all the Reapers who treated her like a sideshow act. “You didn’t tell me about this one, S. How’d you get so hung up on the redhead when this one was around?”

That was a blow that Saphira hadn’t been expecting.

Sawyer rolled his eyes. “I’m not one to hit women, Iris, but right now you’d definitely deserve it.”

Iris huffed and stood up. She was wearing a loose white dress that echoed her body movements, practically floating around her body. She was ghostly looking, ethereal.

“Alright,” she spat, turning around to face Sawyer. “Fine. If you must know, I’m here to offer my assistance.”

There was a brief pause.

“I’m sorry, what?” Sawyer asked, incredulous.

Iris folded her arms over her chest. “I heard about your encounter with the Hunters,” she started, and took off pacing around the room, much like Sawyer had been moments ago. “It seems as though they’re not as powerless as I had hoped. Perhaps if we all joined forces, we could stand a chance.”

Sawyer and Saphira locked eyes for an instant. She wasn’t exactly sure what was happening in Sawyer’s mind - only that he looked like he was trying very hard to process what he had just heard.

Then he promptly burst out laughing.

SMACK.

Saphira sat still as she watched Iris turn on Sawyer, slapping him directly across the face. Sawyer let it happen, his head snapping to once side from the force of the blow. He hadn’t stopped laughing, but instead it was reduced to a chuckle. He giggled, holding one of his hands to his cheek, and turned back to face Iris.

Iris was fuming, her fists balled at her sides.

“I advise you to take this seriously, Sawyer, all pleasantries aside. We wouldn’t want a repeat of what happened with your last alpha male.”

The laughing had subsided, but there was still a goofy smile plastered on Sawyer’s face. “You are treading into dangerous waters, friend. I advise you take a step or two back.” Saphira was unsettled by the way the threat had been paired with a grin.

Iris brushed a flawless strand of white hair away from her face. “Fine. Touchy.” Sawyer scoffed. “Look,” Iris continued, “The tech that the Hunters have isn’t going anywhere, and it’s not looking great for us, okay?”

Sawyer clenched his jaw, but made no other response.

“If we could strike as one, we could probably take them on. We’d win. Be free from the fear of being struck down for no reason.”

Sawyer scoffed. “No reason? Clearly you haven’t been paying attention to your track record.”

“Just because you feel guilty for existing doesn’t mean we all do,” Iris countered.

Saphira could sense the hurt that Sawyer was feeling from that comment. He was reeling, but trying to maintain his composure. He was being a leader. But she could tell, that had really hit home for him. He had been struggling with his influence on Charlie, on Hunter - could it be that Sawyer thought it was his own fault? How could he carry around a burden like that and not tell anyone? Surely he trusted Saphira enough to let her in?

Or not. This was Sawyer, he didn’t let anyone in. At least, he never used to - Saphira was getting the feeling that that was starting to change, slowly.

“Sawyer, help us take them down. We have the wolves on our side - the vampires are staying out of it, fine, but at least they won’t be working with the Hunters. Their weapons threaten all of us - that-that chemical has proven itself to be destructive on all of our kinds. Charlotte’s journey has shown that. If that’s what’s in those weapons, we have a serious problem on our hands.”

As much as Saphira didn’t want to admit it, Iris had a point. Charlotte was a threat to all of them, and especially with what had been happening around the country lately, the humans were terrified. The Hunters had every reason to strike if their weapons were ready and their manpower was there. It could mean the end of them all if they didn’t strike now while they still had a chance. Given all of the human fear, they could only grow in numbers - it was as simple as handing a human a normal gun, and they could put an end to the supernatural.

Sawyer seemed to be thinking all of this as well, because his face was worn. “And what exactly do you plan to do about this?” he asked wearily, as though he was afraid of the answer.

Iris smiled a cheshire-cat smile. “I’m glad you asked.”

Sawyer clenched his jaw again, but said nothing.

“First, we need to take the Hunters down a few pegs while they’re still growing. They’re gonna get a lot of help soon because of that damned news channel, but it won’t help if there’s no one left for them to join.” Iris was taking small steps toward Sawyer as she talked, hardly moving, floating on air. “Second, we take away their patient zero.”

Saphira gasped.

“After all of that, you want to take Charlie? Again[i/]?” The words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Iris blinked mutely at her.

Sawyer looked angry. “Saphira, this business doesn’t concern you. It would be best if you wait outside while we… discuss.”

Saphira’s blood boiled. “Like hell it doesn’t concern me! I’ll risk my life for you, but not for this pain-in-the-ass. Or did you forget all of the shit she’s pulled with you over the last year? Because I sure didn’t!”

But as the words were leaving her mouth, she realized with a sinking feeling that she wasn’t going to win this one. Sawyer’s eyes spoke volumes - she needed to get the hell out of there before she said something she would regret.

“Fine,” she muttered, pulling herself up off the floor with a huff. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

With that, she stalked out of the room and slammed the front door behind her. Naturally, though, she immediately pressed her ear against the door so that she could hear what they were saying.

Sawyer sighed and turned back to face Iris, who had since made herself at home on the motel bed. One emotional outburst was enough for him to handle without worrying that Saphira would say something to mess this up. He wasn’t sure exactly what would come out of this, but he realized that it was a delicate situation. He needed to handle it like a pack leader - he needed to handle it alone. At least for the time being.

“Where were we?” she purred, patting the space on the bedspread next to her.

Sawyer’s stomach turned. “I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.”

Iris sniffed and sat up. “Look, Sawyer, I know we’ve had our differences here,” she admitted, suddenly taking on a serious tone that he hadn’t been prepared for. “But I mean it when I say that I think this is a problem, and I think that this is the way to solve it.”

Sawyer folded his arms across his chest. “I think you’re mostly right.”

Iris blinked at him. “What?”

Sawyer looked unamused. “I think you have a valid point, and I’m inclined to agree to work with you.”

Iris stood up quickly. “That’s good to hear, because -”

“On one condition.”

The smile that spread over Iris’ face could only be described as wicked. “There’s always a catch, huh?”

Sawyer held up a hand to stop her. “Charlotte gets out unharmed.”

Iris rolled her eyes, huffed, and sank back down onto the bed. “Again with this ‘forbidden fruit’ nonsense? Really, Sawyer, it’s painfully unoriginal. You couldn’t have found yourself a girl that wasn’t bred to kill you? Or do you really hate yourself that much?”

Sawyer flinched. “Do you want my help or not? My team has already been hit with enough of this shit, Iris, I won’t put them on this path unless there’s a reason for it.”

Iris stared at him for a moment as though she was trying to read his face, completely ignoring his comment. She seemed to be thinking, he could see it behind her inquisitive eyes. It made him very uncomfortable, like she could see into his soul. Then, as if she had come to a sudden realization, her eyes widened.

“She’s your mate,” she said, almost to herself. She covered her mouth as the words left it, taken aback with surprise. “God, this is just a nightmare. No wonder everything is so difficult for you. Jesus.”

Sawyer turned his face away.

He heard Iris stand up, but she didn’t move anywhere. She sighed. “I know what being mated to someone feels like, Sawyer.”

He turned to look at her. Her face was solemn, stony, serious - relatively out of character for her.

“He was killed many years ago by one of the first Hunters. She was an awful redheaded woman - stabbed him straight in the heart with a poisoned stake like a lowly vampire. I have been looking for a way to take them down ever since.”

Sawyer froze. Redheaded woman? No, it couldn’t be - Mrs. Scott? Charlotte’s mother? Charlotte’s mother created the monster that has been tormenting her since day one? Did Iris know that Charlotte was the daughter of the woman who killed her mate?

Based on the look on her face, he judged that no, she probably didn’t.

“You need me, Sawyer. If you want any chance of seeing Charlotte alive again - and clearly you do - you need me to help you.” She ran a shaky hand through her hair. “And if I want to get out of there alive, I need you - there’s too many of them to take on with the idiot wolves.”

The two of them stared at one another. The tension in the air was palpable, and Sawyer shifted uncomfortably.

Finally, after an eternity, he broke the silence. “Why should I trust you, after all you’ve done?”

With a flourish, Iris flipped her long white hair over her shoulder. She let out a low, ominous chuckle as she headed towards the door.

“My dear, you definitely shouldn’t - but it doesn’t sound like you have a choice, do you?”

And with that, she was gone, leaving Sawyer staring at the musty door in stunned silence.

After what seemed like forever, Saphira quietly knocked on the door before letting herself in. Sawyer was sitting on the bed, stunned, staring at the wall in front of him, his body rigid. He seemed unable to process what had happened - Saphira was having trouble with it herself.

Of course, she had heard everything from the other side of the door.

“You know something,” she said. It wasn’t a question - there was a missing piece to this, she could feel it.

Sawyer nodded curtly. “The Hunter that killed her mate…” He trailed off, before blinking himself out of his trance. He turned toward her, his eyes wide. “That’s Charlotte’s mother.”

The weight of the realization hit her, hard. This was not good.

“If Iris finds out - “

“She’ll kill her.”

Saphira sunk down on the bed next to him silently. “What are you going to do?”

Sawyer sat for a moment, rubbing his jaw with his hands. “I have to stay close to her. When the time is right - we take Charlie and Jesse, and we get the hell out.” He rested his forehead on his hands. “We’ve done it before, we can do it again.”

Saphira bit her lip. “S, are you sure? You’d be taking Charlie away from an entire fortress of people who can protect her.” She reached up to touch his shoulder in a way that was supposed to be comforting. “I know how much you care about her, but you’re only one person - there’s only five of us in this pack, we can’t protect her from everything like they can.”

Sawyer tensed.

“Do you want to do this because you think it’s best for Charlotte? Or because it’s what’s best for you?” she asked, barely audible.

Sawyer leapt up from the bed and strode across the room.

“Get out.”

Saphira looked up at him, confused, and hurt. “W-what? I’m just trying to help -”

“Get. OUT!” he roared.

She had never heard him sound so much like a pack leader until that moment. His nostrils were flared, his entire body was tense, ready to attack. She had seen the transformation happen right in front of her - but still, it was unsettling.

When it took her too long to move, Sawyer let out a sarcastic scoff. In a flash, he had bolted out the door and slammed it behind him, disappearing into the night.