Chapter Text
Disclaimer: teen wolf does not belong to me in any way, shape or form.
Stiles honestly, hand on heart, thought he was going to die tonight.
The full blown reality of the dangerous situation he and his best friend were now in, all because of a single bite, slapped him square across the face.
Before this semester started, the closest he got to any kind of supernatural stuff was online gaming - because, duh, of course that stuff wasn't real. How ridiculous.
Only now it was.
It all was real.
Everything he thought impossible was now his reality, and a bloodthirsty werewolf was trying to tear their guts out.
Great.
He raced up the stairs and down the next corridor, following Scott as they tried all the classroom doors until Lydia opened one of the chem labs doors and they all raced in, shutting the door behind them and locking it.
Something didn't feel right though. He couldn't quite place what didn't feel right, but something was off. Way off. And no, not just the fact they were getting chased and hunted by an Alpha werewolf, but something else. Something maybe worse.
The sound of heavy paw pads and deep breaths from just outside the door made them all stiffen and recoil back, covering their mouths as they waited with baited breath for the monster on the other side to pass by.
For whatever reason, it did.
Stiles knew it could hear them. Werewolf senses were sharp and unmatched. There was no way he didn't know seven people were huddled and hiding in the classroom.
Wait... seven?
Just as the shadow disappeared from the crack under the door and the small frosted glass window, Stiles quickly looked around, quickly counting the number of people around him.
There was five, excluding him.
But... but that was only a total of six.
There was meant to be seven of them. Six others. Six of his friends, and him.
He was panicking, glancing around the dimly lit room to study five terrified faces, all of which wasn't Kayla.
His chest seemed to tighten that little bit more making his breath harder to catch, the edges of his vision darkening as he turned around on the spot, hoping to catch sight of her.
Maybe he missed her. Maybe she was hiding. Maybe, for whatever reason, he just wasn't seeing her. There was no way she wasn't with them. They wouldn't have just left her behind.
He wouldn't have just left her behind.
He turned a full circle, trying to catch a glimpse of her, searching through the darkness to meet her gaze but it wasn't here.
She wasn't here.
"We're not all going to fit in Jackson's car" Scott whispered in a hushed voice.
"It could fit five if someone sits in someone's lap".
"Five? I barely fit in the back" Allison snapped.
"My car's out there too" Brian interrupted, "if we make a run for it, we could get the hell out of here".
Stiles wasn't listening. He didn't care. Right now he couldn't give a rats ass how they were getting out of here because how could they leave without Kayla?
"Where is she?" he interrupted, five pairs of confused and fearful eyes hyperfixating on him, "where's Kayla?"
His question seemed to cause more panic, each one of them looking around in a flurry of hysteria for their friend, every one of them coming to the sudden realisation that she wasn't there.
"Did we leave her back there?" he asked Scott, the slightest wobble in his voice, "did we leave her alone with that thing?"
He was too worried to even bother trying to keep the supernatural under wraps, his heart thundering against his rib cage.
"I... I don't..." Scott stuttered, grabbing a fistful of his hair and looking around hopelessly, anxiety seeping from his very pores.
"This cannot be happening" Lydia mumbled, shaking huddled up in the corner of the room, "this has to be a bad dream... right?"
Silence fell, the suffocating stillness acting like a fist around Stiles' heart as he tried to focus on breathing - to just keep breathing - but the sudden echo of a high pitched scream vibrating through the very walls themselves made his blood run cold.
It was faint, clearly from far away, but Stiles automatically tuned into it, looking around in panic. The sound acting like a beacon.
He had to do something.
He couldn't leave her out there.
He made a move to the classroom door but Scott was quick and stepped in front of him, his expression tense as he heard the scream too but was slightly more level headed than Stiles, placing his hands against his chest to stop him.
"Scott, get out of my way".
"You can't go out there" his best friend reassured, "it's dangerous".
"I don't care" he snapped, "I can't leave her alone out there".
"I'll go and find her, I will. But we need a plan" Scott promised, "otherwise we're all sitting ducks".
He knew, logically, Scott was right. Of course he was. What was he - Stiles Stilinksi - defenceless, weak Stiles Stilinski going to do against an Alpha?
But when it came to her all logic went out the window. A pull to put himself in danger to save her.
He stood there, tense and still, squaring his shoulders against Scott who was begging and pleading with his gaze to listen to him and, eventually, he did. Relaxing his posture slightly as he fell back a step, the guilt still gnawing away at his gut.
He just didn't understand how it could've happened. They were all together. They were all within feet of each other. How could they have allowed someone to fall so far behind and alone?
His stomach dropped with a daunting realisation, turning his accusatory gaze to Brian who, unlike the others, didn't seem surprised and shaken by the fact one of them could potentially be getting ripped apart right now. In fact, he seemed eerily calm and collected. Surprisingly quiet even. Very unlike his bold and egotistic personality.
"What the hell did you do?" he growled, his voice snapping like thunder across the silent room, everyone's nervous stares staring between him and Brian.
Brian's brows quirked up in surprise and a little bit of embarrassment, looking around nervously before scoffing and mumbling a quick "nothing" under his breath but his stare was quick to anger, those unsettling blue eyes of his turning fiery, like he was warning Stiles to shut up.
"Oh yeah?" he challenged, taking a few steps towards the blonde, "because you were last out that canteen and we all know how pissed off you get when she keeps rejecting your pathetic little advances".
"Shut your mouth".
"Or what?" he continued, not backing down, shrugging off Scott's reassuring hand on his shoulder, "what you gonna do?"
"I will knock your god damn teeth out".
"Yeah?" he antagonised, "try it. I dare you".
Their heated exchange of words was surprisingly broken up by Jackson who stepped between the two, warning them both to back off from each other but Stiles wasn't listening, his ears ringing with unrelenting fury.
"What the hell did you do to her?" Stiles continued, his voice getting progressively louder and louder, his shoulders squared and ready for a fight, "tell me!"
"Her family is nuts" Brian exclaimed, towering over Jackson with a newfound psychotic gleam to his eyes, "McCall said it himself – her cousin is in here trying to murder us. I'm not dying because of that little bitch's family. I locked her down there to protect us – you should be thanking me!"
Stiles saw red. Bright, burning and overwhelming red.
He flipped.
In that moment, he became someone he didn't recognise. Acting out – all because he was scared for someone else's wellbeing.
Jackson's slim frame was no match for Stiles as he pushed him to the side, facing Brian head on and clenching his fist, swinging out so forcefully that when his fist impacted with Brian's eye socket a shock, akin to being electrocuted, shot up his arm and through his shoulder, his entire arm going numb but he was so furious he didn't care. Hell, he didn't even feel it.
He went in for another punch but Jackson was back, pushing him away from Brian that had since slumped to the floor and Scott had wrapped his arms around his chest and pulled him back, Lydia's surprised screech echoing around them.
"Stiles, calm down-"
"If anything happens to her, I swear to god I will kill you" he threatened, shaking with fury, "you hear me? I'll kill you. With my own hands".
Brian was groaning, holding a cupped hand over his right eye that Stiles could see was already beginning to swell.
"I hope that bitch does die" Brian exclaimed, staggering to his feet, "since she got here, trouble has followed. That family is bad news".
Stiles went for him again but this Scott was prepared, keeping a tight grip on Stiles and hauling him back to the other side of the classroom and urging him to take deep breaths and calm down but he was furious, a dangerous kind of adrenaline pumping around his body.
"Dude, stop. Chill. It's okay" Scott reassured, forcing him to sit in one of the stools at the back of the classroom, "calm down. It's okay. She'll be okay. I can go and get the key to the roof and find Kayla. I'm telling you she'll be alright".
"You don't know that" he exclaimed impatiently, "you heard her scream. What if the Alpha… what if he…"
"He didn't" Scott shook his head, "he wouldn't kill her. Not yet anyway".
"Wow. That makes me feel so much better. Thanks".
"She'll be fine" Scott nodded, "and I promise I will find her and keep her safe".
Stiles trusted Scott. He knew his best friend would live up to his word… he just hoped it wasn't too late.
Kayla didn't often get scared but, when she did, she was usually pretty damn good at hiding it. Fear, after all, was a weakness that she couldn't afford. Not with her life. Not with her family.
Yet being trapped in a small three foot by three-foot silver tunnel with barely enough room to turn around was not only terrifying, but also incredibly claustrophobic. She was sore and bleeding, scuttling backwards as the Alpha's head and shoulders tried to squeeze through the small opening, growling and snapping at her ankles.
She suddenly felt very small and very helpless.
Choosing not to hang around any longer, she began to crawl along the metal on her forearms, her useless ankle leaving a trail of blood behind her but when she threw a quick look over her shoulder the Alpha was gone.
She paused, keeping her body still as she strained her ears to hear any movement underneath her but, to her surprise, it was quiet.
Too quiet.
She gulped, ignoring the burning pain of her sliced ankle and continued, not wanting to stay in one place too long. She was – literally – a sitting duck and she loathed that feeling.
She kept dragging herself through the vents, turning left, then right, trying to figure out where the hell she was going when out of nowhere the Alpha's influence smacked her so forcefully in the chest she was left breathless, falling flat on her face as every single emotion he felt raced through her – pain, loss, frustration, fury and – worst of all – this vulnerable and intense type of helplessness that reminded her so much of when she lost her family, the two times, that it brought back a rush of pain that she had tried so hard to bury deep which resulted in her letting out a scream.
It was agony.
She couldn't deal with her own emotions, never mind his. It was suffocating her. Drowning her from the inside out. Her lungs filling with grief and murderous rage in equal amounts. Leaving her a shaking mess.
It was terrifying.
She didn't know how long she lay there, shaking and sweating, forced to feel things she didn't want to feel but the only thing that spurred her on was the thought of keeping her friends safe.
The metal venting system seemed to go on forever, like a silvery hot maze. The tunnels winding and coming to lots of dead ends. Breaking down the rusty grills to pull herself to the next floor. Her bleeding ankle making everything so much harder.
It wasn't until she took the next left that she was sure she heard the faint sound of voices arguing, reigniting that fight within her.
She kept her head down, pulling herself along the metal as quickly as she could, following the voices but, to her annoyance, the vent led to a dead end. Trapping her, yet again.
The heat was becoming unbearable, very sickly and overpowering, so she panicked and turned around, feeling like she was crawling around in circles before accidentally misjudging where the grill was under her hands, the force of her hands slamming down combined with her weight on the rusty old metal grill made it give way.
She let out a small shriek of surprise as her off balanced body fell forward and plummeted through the air like a meteor racing its way to earth. The burning pain in her ankle and the surprise of her fall meaning she didn't have time to even try and stabilise herself to try and land somewhat gracefully before her body collided painfully with something - or rather someone.
With a pained grunt she landed on top of that certain someone, her limbs splayed out and entangled as they knocked over some stools, the metal bouncing off their bodies.
The harsh landing meant it took a few seconds for everything to come into focus, straining her neck to look around the room as she tried to push her body up a little, realising she was now on the floor of the chemistry classroom with multiple pairs of surprised eyes trained on her.
She went to say something, most likely make a joke about her impromptu entrance but a quiet gasp of pain from beneath her made her look down, coming face to face with Stiles.
Because - of course - out of everyone in the room, she just had to fall on top of him, didn't she?
He looked equally as shocked as he did in pain, his face twisted into something what she imagined a rabbit caught in the headlights would look like, probably thinking it was the Alpha pouncing and getting ready to rip him limb from limb.
That look only lasted a second though because as soon as he realised it was her his entire expression softened, blinking up at her in something close to awe and relief. His eyes, once tight and fearful, were now rounded with adoration.
She swallowed thickly, unable to tear her gaze away from him, their chests moulded together as their breaths quickened. His big brown eyes captivating her very soul, pulling her in and not letting go. She was sure she heard voices calling her name but it was muffled and seeming far away, every molecule of her body focused on the boy pinned beneath her.
Dammit Kayla, she thought, don't let yourself fall like this. It's not worth it. It's never worth it.
Logic, which was usually such a normal experience for her, had gone out the window. Instead, she was left gazing down at him from the curtains of her hair and unable to look away. Something about him bewitching her.
She didn't know how long she had stayed like that, body thrown out over his carelessly as they looked at each other, but she was brought back to earth with a violent bang as there was a loud screech of her name.
She blinked and looked up, seeing Lydia just a few feet to her right staring down at her in surprise, their friends beginning to crowd them.
"Oh my god, are you okay?" Lydia asked, completely terrified, "what happened?"
"You're bleeding" Allison pointed out, her bottom lip quivering, "did he attack you?"
There was too many questions being thrown at her, her friends worried and expectant gazes drilling holes through her skull so she simply tried to push herself up, ignoring the sudden cold that chilled her skin when she wasn't touching him, pushing away the disappointment.
She was struggling, trying not to look at Stiles as she manoeuvred herself off him but found Scott holding out a hand to help her, cupping her arms and picking her up from the floor.
"Sit down" Scott instructed gently, leaning down to pick up a fallen stool from the ground, "you're in pain".
"What? Oh yeah, it's nothing" she shrugged off, but accepted the seat, leaning her tired body against the cool metal as she turned her attention to the others, trying her damnest to ignore Scott helping Stiles to his feet, "look... we really have to get the hell out of-"
"Nothing?" Allison shrieked, "It looks like your ankle has been torn apart".
She glanced down, now realising just how bad her injury was. Her sock clad foot was soaked with blood, the bubblegum Doc Martins that had once graced her feet had been torn off, leaving her awkwardly shoeless on her left foot. The delicate skin around her ankle still pumping blood, the skin shredded from the tips of the Alpha's claws.
She waved Allison off, preparing herself to take a step forward to prove her point but as soon as she did the pain flared up to a high ten, her proclamation of "it's fine" turned into a gasp of pain, her legs giving way.
She stumbled forward, ungracefully losing her balance which made Stiles flail towards her and grab her arms to stop her from face-planting the ground.
"Yeah... what were you saying?" Stiles said sarcastically, holding her up, though she could see worry shining in his molten honey eyes.
The awkwardness from moments ago, their shared brief encounter of something she didn't know, was forgotten about as she rolled her eyes and wriggled from his grasp, hopping on one foot. In response he simply rolled his eyes right back at her, pointing to the stool.
"Take a seat before you knock another one of us out".
She didn't even bother arguing - a miracle in itself - and did as she was told, sitting back gingerly on the stool and hiding her wince.
An awkward silence resumed, no one knowing quite what to say and when she looked up, she knew why. Everyone - now including her - was staring at Brian.
She found herself glaring at the teen, a quiet bubbling anger frothing just below the surface. Furious that he was so selfish he actually locked her inside with that monster. His complete disregard for human life yet another red flag.
Brian seemed a little off put by everyone's stares, his eyes snapping between each one of them - even Jackson appeared a little off put by his friend's actions.
"What?" he growled, "quit looking at me like that".
"Sorry your plan failed" she said brusquely, "y'know... the one to get me killed".
"It's your wackjob of a cousin, not mine. Not McCall's. Not Jackson's. Yours" he scowled, Kayla now realising the entire right side of his face was swelling, an angry bruise already beginning to form around his eye.
"Derek isn't doing this" she screeched, "you locked me down there and left me for dead. You're insane".
"Well, lucky for you you're resourceful sweetheart" he scoffed and she almost went for him but when she put any weight on her ankle her whole body crumbled, falling back onto the stool.
There was so much she wanted to say to him - she wanted to chew him out, berate him, call him every name under the sun and more but, at this point, he wasn't even worth it. Why was she wasting her energy on someone like him?
She sent him one last murderous look before turning to Scott.
"So... what's the plan?"
"Uh..."
"Molotov cocktail" Lydia announced, a small shake to her voice as she held up a beaker filled with liquid, "I uh... I read it somewhere".
"Molotov-? Wait, you're going out there?" she looked at Scott incredulously, "you can't. It's dangerous".
"I have to" he whispered, "if we have any chance of getting out of here, I have to find that key".
"Scott-"
"It's our only choice" he shrugged, "if I don't, more people could get hurt. Like you already have".
"I can handle a little scratch" she scoffed, "and if we have to send someone, send Brian. No big loss there" she said, her sentence getting progressively louder so everyone in the room heard it, including Brian, who sent her a thunderous look before turning to sulk in the corner - no doubt nursing his fragile ego.
"I can do this" Scott tried to say confidently though he looked completely terrified, "it's my fault we're all in here. It's on me to fix".
She sighed, accepting they really didn't have any other options.
"Okay, I'm not gonna stop you" she shrugged, keeping her voice low as to not alert the others, "but whatever you do, do not let the Alpha roar at you okay? He changed you. He has power over you. He could forcefully change you and even control you, do you understand?"
Scott nodded, fear flitting through his brown eyes.
"But how do I not make him roar? if he knows about how much power it possesses then won't he just do it anyway to turn me?"
"Probably" she told him truthfully, "and, to be honest, you probably couldn't stop him anyway but maybe if you're aware of it you can be more prepared to fight against it" she told him, giving his arm a squeeze, "you're stronger and better than you give yourself credit for".
"Thanks Kayla" Scott smiled, "and maybe you should get that ankle checked out" he added playfully, obviously trying to go for a more light-hearted mood.
"You get us outta here, it'll be the first thing I do, I promise" she replied, saluting him as he walked over to Lydia to collect the Molotov cocktail and say goodbye to Allison, who immediately protested. Begging him not to go.
She understood why - to the others, it was a death wish. They didn't have the same information they had. To them, it looked as though Scott was being reckless.
She kept her gaze down, feeling like she was intruding on Scott and Allison's very intimate goodbye, their kiss so full of emotion Kayla wanted to gag but realised this wasn't the right time to joke about, the silence heavy as Scott left the room.
The tense silence resumed - Lydia keeping close to Jackson's side, Allison pacing the length of the classroom as she bit her thumb nails in worry, Brian leaning carefree against the wall next to the door - no regret or remorse for his actions - and Stiles, well...
He was over by Mr Harris' desk, opening and going through every drawer before finally letting out a quiet "a-ha" and pulling out a small first aid kit.
She pretended not to be aware of what he was doing, keeping her gaze trained the other way until he was standing awkwardly in front of her, holding up the first aid kit.
"Uh... can I... y'know-" he waved his hand towards the floor, "-bandage you up?"
She pretended to ignore the jump her heart gave at that question, asked with such a gentleness she wasn't used to. No one is her life really treating her with such kindness.
She nodded silently, watching from the corner of her eye as he grabbed a stool and pulled it up in front of her, slightly at an angle, sitting down and tapping his hands along his thighs.
She quirked a brow but did as he asked, carefully lifting her leg and rested it along his thighs, watching as he winced.
"That's nasty" he grimaced, gagging slightly at her ankle.
"Scared of a little blood?" she asked, hiding her wince.
"Does that make me a wuss?"
"Totally" she smirked, watching as he opened the first aid kit and pulled out a couple of antiseptic wipes packets, tearing them open with his teeth.
"So uh... you can't get turned with a scratch can you?"
"Turned?" she asked, surprised by that question, "as in... into a werewolf?"
He nodded silently, taking the wipes from their packets.
"I... I don't know" she shrugged, "I've never heard of it. And anyway, this is superficial. If a scratch were to turn someone, it would need to be deep".
"This is superficial?" he asked with a surprised scoff, "Kayla, it's not stopped bleeding. You're probably going to need stitches".
Honestly, to her, it wasn't that bad. She had had worse. Much worse. But chose not to try and correct him because he looked to be on the verge of freaking out.
He tilted her ankle inwards slightly with gentle fingers, wincing again as he reached out to peel her blood soaked sock off and place it on the chemistry table before using the wipe to clean the blood from her foot.
"Sorry for completely flattening you back there" she apologised, keeping her tone light and playful, "did I hurt you?"
He shook his head but she could tell he was sitting at an awkward angle, like his ribs were sore.
"Nah, all good. Probably just a bruise" he dismissed, "I'll take it though. It's not everyday I get a girl falling head over heels for me".
She snorted at his words.
"Well, there is that".
He was taking his time with her ankle, clearly not wanting to hurt her as he cleaned her up and she found herself watching him closely, studying his expression. His face was tense and clearly still worried but she could tell he was trying to remain calm, focusing solely on her ankle and nothing else.
She wasn't used to being looked after or cared for. Not recently anyway. It was such a foreign feeling she almost felt awkward with it, unsettling her to the core. Like it made her weak. Hence why she began to fidget, squirming a little on her stool.
He noticed, glancing up and quirking a brow at her.
"Uh... you good?"
"What? Oh" she mumbled, caught off guard, "yeah. Why?"
"You're fidgeting".
"I always fidget".
"More than normal".
"How do you know what my normal is?"
"Because I pay attention" he stated before his eyes widened a little at that 'out there' statement, "uh... I mean... I... I just know".
"Right. Um... looks like Brian got quite the shiner" she changed the subject, not willing to engage in any feelings in this moment in time, "and I can't imagine Scott did it".
Stiles' hands paused, his entire body tensing as he shot the boy in question a curious glare.
"Bastard deserved it" Stiles mumbled under his breath, "and a lot more".
She wasn't used to seeing him so angry, discovering this whole new side to him that she hadn't experienced before. A side that she knew all too well. Her life having been lived with so much rage and anger.
"I'm not gonna dispute that" she smirked, happy to see the bruise under Brian's eye still darkening, "he's a sociopath for sure".
"I suppose this means you aren't going to go to San Francisco with him this weekend then?"
She let out a small chuckle because of course that's what Stiles was focused on. Could his jealousy be anymore obvious?
"Obviously not" she smirked, "not that I was going to anyway. Trying to make better life choices, remember?"
His brows pinched together, peaking up at her through the flutter of eyelashes.
"Then... then why say yes to him?"
Ah yes... the big question. Why did she? Was she acting self-destructive again? Or was Lydia right and she was trying to get back at Stiles and make him jealous?
Both options did not seem appealing to her.
"Uh... I... I don't know" she shrugged, shaking her head, "but after tonight, dude is definitely at the bottom of my list of potential dates".
He remained quiet, using the wipes to now clean up the gashes that had split her skin open, the harsh stinging making her gasp under her breath but she did her best to remain still and unfazed, keeping that calm mask on that she had practiced so many times over her lifetime.
"Out of uh... y'know... curiosity..." Stiles mumbled, hyper focused on her ankle and not daring to look up at her, "who... who uh... who's at the top of the list?"
She noticed he was blushing lightly, obviously trying to play it cool but failing - yet again. Avoiding her stare at all costs.
"It was a figure of speech. I-I have no list. Me and dating is like me and sushi - not a good combo".
He remained silent again, taking his time to continue cleaning her wound before picking up the bandages and unrolling the wad of material before wrapping it around her ankle, the white material stemming the blood flow.
"Thanks" she muttered, preparing to take her leg back but he was resting his hands across her shin, completely zoning out, so she kept it there, not having the heart to pull away from him just yet.
"Scott will be fine" she reassured gently, "he's... he's different to pretty much every other werewolf I've ever met. Especially a bitten one. He's managing damn well and I think he's destined for some pretty great things".
"I hope so" Stiles whispered, "I just never thought that looking for a dead body in the middle of the night would lead to, well... this".
"Life takes unexpected turns" she shrugged, "if you knew then what you did now back in that night in the woods, would you change things?"
That question seemed to surprise Stiles, catching him off guard as he looked up at her with a crinkle between his brows.
"Uh... I don't... I don't know".
"This supernatural stuff sucks a lot sometimes. Okay, most of the time" she added with a chuckle, "but I can't imagine living a life sheltered from everything that goes bump in the night. It comes with a lot of responsibility though. Knowing what we know... it's a tough secret to keep under wraps".
"Have you ever told anyone?"
She shook her head in response to Stiles' question.
"No. Not even my friends back in Louisiana. And when I told you about Scott, you already sort of knew. It was one of those things that was drilled into me at a young age - 'protect the secret'" she quoted, "hiding this kind of stuff just became second nature. You get really good at lying and covering up stuff. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise...?"
"People don't cope well with things that go against everything they were brought up to believe" she explained, "to them-" she nodded towards their friends on the other side of the classroom, "-werewolves are a tale of fiction. They're something out of movies and children's stories. To them... it's incomprehensible. To us... it becomes normal. We're living in two completely different worlds to them. And until you get used to hiding such a big secret, it will tear you up. You'll feel guilty. You'll feel like the worst person on this earth"
"Wow, thanks for the pep talk".
She smirked at his sarcasm, rolling her eyes.
"I can tell you feel bad" she explained, "especially not telling your dad. After all, he is the sheriff. If he knew he could manage situations like this much better".
"But it could also get him killed".
"Exactly" she sympathised, "anyone that knows is in danger. That's why I lie to Lydia. Why I lie to Allison. I have to lie to keep them safe".
"You don't have to lie to me" he mumbled before coughing to clear his throat, "uh... or Scott. Obviously".
"Exactly. It's refreshing" she smiled, "for the first time in, well, forever - I have friends I don't have to tip toe around".
"You... you can always be honest with me".
He was sincere, she could tell. She had gotten pretty good at knowing when people were lying or being deceptive, but with Stiles he never was. Her hardened soul softening to trust him.
"Yeah... I know" she nodded, "that's what I love about you".
The words sort of slipped out, not meaning to come across so vulnerable and mushy - something she wasn't, by the way - but luckily for her, before anything could be said about it or before Stiles could react, a loud thundering roar reverberated through the walls.
She winced, throwing her hands over her ears as a loud ringing shot through her head and Jackson fell to his knees and screamed in pain, cupping the back of his neck.
The Alpha's influence was back, trying to poison her mind and corrupt her to be the very worst version of herself, but she couldn't let that happen. Not again. Whilst Lydia and Allison raced forward to help Jackson, her hand shot out to grab a hold of Stiles' - whatever it was about him, it grounded her, helped her keep in control when she needed it the most, so she squeezed his hand as tight as she could as she got herself back in control.
"What the hell is happening?" Stiles exclaimed, accepting her hand and squeezing back, giving her a lifeline.
She didn't know what to say, trying to breathe through the haze of pins and needles attacking her brain, squeezing his hand that little bit harder until she felt able to push away the Alphas influence and gain back control of herself, just as Jackson stopped screaming and looked around in terror.
She didn't know what, but something was up with him. He shouldn't have reacted that way to the Alpha's roar, not if he was human...
She dropped Stiles' hand with a startled gasp, looking at Jackson in new-found wonder.
Was he a...?
No. Surely not. She would know. She was good at picking out werewolves among the humans and Jackson had been his usual arrogant self for weeks now.
Okay... so he wasn't a werewolf, but something was definitely up with him. Something supernatural.
Stiles was just as intrigued, taking a few steps forward and hovering over Jackson's crouched frame as Allison wrapped her arms around him.
"No, I'm fine" Jackson insisted, "like, seriously, I'm okay".
Allison frowned in dubious wondering, "that didn't sound okay at all".
"What's on the back of your neck?" Stiles asked, leaning over but Jackson pushed him back and slapped his hand away. She tried to stand up to see what all the commotion was about but her ankle was beginning to swell, and she couldn't weight bear.
"I said I'm fine" Jackson snapped, covering whatever was on the back of his neck with his hand.
"It's been there for days" Lydia interrupted, a shake in her voice, "he won't tell me what happened".
Jackson scoffed, "as if you actually care".
"All right, can we not argue for half a second here?"
She tried to stand up again, hiding her pain as she half limped-half hopped towards the tense group, peering her head to the side to try and see Jackson's neck and noticed claw marks embedded in the back of his neck.
"Who did that to you?" she asked, pointing to the back of her own neck.
"No one".
"Did it happen the night at the movie store?"
"Quit it" Jackson snapped, standing up and stepping away from them all, "it's nothing. Leave me alone".
She shared a tense look with Stiles, both thinking the same thing which was pretty much along the lines of 'uh oh'.
"Where's Scott? He should be back by now" Allison fretted and within a few seconds they saw a shadow on the other side of the door - a shadow remarkably similar to Scott's.
Allison noticed it too, rushing to the door and banging her hands on the wood.
"Scott! Scott!"
He never answered, but they all heard the door handle snap off from the other side - effectively locking them all in - before the shadow slinked away.
"Scott. Scott. Scott! Scott!"
"He didn't kill us" Kayla whispered, shooting Stiles a relieved look, "he controlled himself".
"Stop. Stop! Do you hear that?" Lydia shrieked, "Listen!"
Everyone, apart from her, rushed to the window but she still saw the luminous red and blue lights from the sirens outside, followed by the screech of multiple vehicles pulling up into the parking lot.
She sighed in relief, falling back on the stool in complete and utter exhaustion that this night was finally over.
"Miss Hale, I highly suggest you go to the hospital to get checked-"
"Holy god, for the last time - no. It's just a scratch, no big deal" Kayla exclaimed, shaking her head in aggravation. The sheriff had insisted she go get one of the paramedics to check out her ankle, and she did, just to be polite - something she was actively working on by the way - but was now wishing she hadn't.
"You may require stitches in order fo-"
"I don't require anything" she insisted, "and no hospitals. I'll sign a waiver if I have to".
The paramedic, who had been dealing with her for the last twenty minutes, was exhausted by her protests and simply sighed, sending her an unimpressed look.
"If it gets infected, you could lose a foot".
"Well, you could lose your teeth if you don't back off".
The paramedic gave up, throwing her hands up in exasperation and left the back of the ambulance, fed up with her theatrics. Kayla couldn't blame her - Hales, after all, were stubborn creatures.
The sheriff must've clocked that she was done getting treated because he looked over in her direction, pointing at Scott and Stiles who he was speaking to in the distance, no doubt telling them to "stay right here" before moving in her direction.
Dammit.
She looked around quickly, hoping she could get the hell out of there to avoid the awkward intrusive questions but she was sitting on the gurney in the back of the ambulance with only one good leg... she didn't have many options.
The sheriff appeared at the back of the ambulance several seconds later, giving her a curious once over.
"How's the foot?"
"Still attached" she replied, looking down at her bare bandaged foot that was so wrapped up it looked like it had doubled in size.
"Always good" the sheriff smiled before it faltered, pointing into the ambulance, "may I?"
"Free country" she shrugged, remaining seated as he climbed into the ambulance and perched himself on the singular seat opposite her, pulling out his pad and pen.
Her eyes flitted to Scott and Stiles in the distance, both hovering by the railings of the steps, watching on eagerly but nervously - no doubt wondering what she would say, scared she would contradict everything they had already told the sheriff.
"So..." the Sheriff began, "your cousin - Derek - his name has come up multiple times tonight. His car is also here, but no sign of him. Can you tell me anything about that?"
They didn't really have time to corroborate their stories, the rush of relief at the police presence and the speed at which everything happened afterwards meant they only had a few seconds to cement their accounts of the night.
"Say Derek was here to have your back" Scott whispered in her ear as he helped her down the stairs, "say Brian was stalking you or something".
"He kinda is" she scoffed, "or was. Before he tried to get me killed".
"And the janitor-" Scott continued, "-we heard a scream and saw blood, but didn't see who killed him".
"Noted".
Nothing else was said as she was coaxed away to the ambulance and Scott wasn't allowed to follow her, leading her to the little pickle they were now in.
She looked across at the sheriff, keeping her expression neutral.
"He was looking out for me" she explained, "Derek is... protective. After everything that's happened to our family... arson, murder... I'm sure you can understand why".
The sheriff glanced at her sympathetically, nodding in understanding.
"He... he wasn't comfortable with the fact that a boy in my class was persistent. He didn't want anything to happen to me".
"Who was being persistent?"
"Brian" she answered innocently, "Brian Murdock. He was here tonight. He says I messaged him to come here, but I lost my phone hours ago".
The sheriff frowned in concern but took the notes on his pad of paper, scribbling down her words.
"Derek was just looking after me" she shrugged, "he didn't do this Sheriff. He got hurt too".
"Did you see this?"
"Yes" she answered confidently, "but it was dark. I didn't see who did it".
"And your ankle?" he continued, "how did that happen? It looks like claw marks?"
She could feel Scott's gaze in the distance boring holes through her skull, no doubt anxiously listening to every word she was saying, but she wasn't panicked. She had lied to cops multiple times - especially about the supernatural - this was a walk in the park.
"I tore it on one of the vent grates" she lied smoothly, "hurt like a son of a bitch".
The sheriff remained quiet but nodded along to what she was saying, buying into her words. She had that effect somehow, like she was able to lie and coax others into believing her. Maybe it was the eyes. She did do an awesome innocent doe eyed look that people seemed to fall for.
"Well... we haven't found Derek, or the janitor" he sighed, "we've searched every inch of the school".
"Sorry I couldn't be of more help".
"Don't be silly" he smiled lightly, "it's been a long and stressful night for you all I'm sure. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but someone has accused Derek of doing this. They say they saw him".
She knew straight away who that certain 'someone' was, her entire body tensing.
"Brian?"
The sheriff nodded, placing his notepad in the top pocket of his jacket.
"He's coming down to the station tomorrow to give a full statement and confirm positive ID. If that happens, Derek will be charged with the murder of the janitor - given we can find his body - and the previous murders".
She remained in stony silence, looking down at the floor of the ambulance, an unrelenting fury burning through her body.
That bastard.
How dare he?!
She was furious. Wanting to just scream and punch things, anything in reach, her inability to remain cool and calm making her like a taut piece of string ready to snap and god help anyone in vicinity of that.
But instead of lashing out, the sensible part of her brain was telling her to fight Brian at his own game. If he wanted to lie to the police - maybe she could too.
"I want to give my own statement" she said, "about Brian and his credibility as a witness. Tonight he lied, he deceived, he locked me in the canteen knowing full well a serial killer was after us because I was the scapegoat to save his ass and he punched Stiles. I want that on record. Do a lie detector test if you have to, because I guarantee I'll pass and he won't".
The sheriff seemed surprised at her words, his eyebrows creasing.
"Brian... he... he did that?"
She nodded in response.
"Okay. Um... how about you come to the station tomorrow morning and we'll interview you. All on the record".
"Sounds great, Sheriff".
If Brian wanted to play with fire, she hoped he knew that he was the one that was going to get burnt.
"We haven't been able to get a hold of your mom yet to pick you up" he continued, "how about I give you a ride home? There's just a couple of things I need to do first".
Of course her mom would be unreachable, especially in an emergency. How predictable.
"Yeah, sounds great. Thanks Sheriff".
He nodded, pointing to her sitting on the gurney.
"Stay here and rest your leg. I'll come and get you when we're ready to go".
He jumped from the ambulance and disappeared from sight and just when she thought she could get a few minutes of peace to rest and come to terms with everything that had happened tonight, another figure not so subtly appeared by the doors of the ambulance, awkwardly giving a two-fingered wave.
"Uh... hey..."
She tilted her head to the side, seeing Stiles rolling backwards and forwards on the balls of his feet.
"Hey" she replied, her voice flat and exhausted, "how's your ribs?"
He indistinctively touched the left side of his torso, hiding a wince.
"Nor broken" he smirked, "guess I make a pretty good landing mat, huh?"
She couldn't help but snort in amusement, "and you seem pleased with that for some reason?"
"It just feels good to be the knight in shining armour for once, y'know, saving my lady and all that" he chuckled and Kayla rolled her eyes in response.
"Yeah, well... don't get used to it, in the future I think you'll find it will be me saving your ass".
"And that is when I will say goodbye to whatever masculinity I have left" Stiles teased before the awkwardness returned to his expression, his cheeks slightly flushed.
"Uh... can I, um..." he pointed into the ambulance, but his nervous expression told her he expected her to say no.
"The doors are open".
He looked around, as if just noticing that fact before clumsily climbing in next to her, choosing to sit at the bottom of the gurney beside her.
"Crazy night huh?" he chuckled, ramping the awkwardness up to a high ten, wringing his hands nervously on his lap.
"It sure was eventful" she agreed, watching him fidget uncomfortably.
"Uh... about, y'know, the other night..." he mumbled, clearly struggling to find the right words, "I was an ass. I'm sorry".
"You've apologised already. It's no big deal".
"But it is a big deal" he insisted, "I... I just got overwhelmed and I'm sorry. I don't want you to resent me for it".
"I don't" she promised, "it's fine".
He sighed, peaking over at her from the corner of his eye, his gaze shy and reserved.
"Was uh... was it fine? Y'know... the um..."
"The lip locking?" she smirked, much to his embarrassment, "are you fishing for a rating or...?"
"Oh no. God no. I just... it was my-my first... first... uh... and you have way more experience than me and-"
"Wow" she chuckled, "are you calling me a floozy?"
His entire face turned red, looking like the entire floor had fallen from beneath his feet.
"What? No. Oh my god. N-No. Y-You're the furthest thing from... oh god... I'm just gonna shut up now".
She giggled, unable to stop the smile from infectiously spreading across her face.
"Stiles, relax" she smirked, "I'm messing with you".
"Right" he muttered, blowing out a long breath, "heh... of course you are".
She playfully nudged him, "lighten up. After tonight, we need a laugh".
"Not gonna argue with that".
Silence resumed for a few seconds, comfortable and endearing silence that made her feel safe and happy but it wasn't long before she could sense Stiles' need for answers beginning to stir inside him, causing him to begin to fidget again.
"So, uh-"
"Stiles" she interrupted, "I know what you want to ask me but, for the sake of our friendship, I would highly suggest you don't".
She knew he was slipping into that dangerous territory of wanting answers from the other night... wanting to address their kiss and any potential feelings that could be there. To her; that was the scariest talk of all.
He bit his lip, glancing down at the floor of the ambulance.
"Yeah... yeah maybe you're right" he said, "why ruin an already good thing huh?"
"Exactly".
"Good".
"Great".
The silence that followed returned to being awkward and uncomfortable, both sitting just inches from one another but suddenly feeling miles apart.
"But..." he said after an agonising couple of minutes, "what if that already good thing could be a great thing if we just... consider it?"
"Stiles..." she sighed, "I meant what I said. I don't date. Like, at all".
"Yeah, I heard you the first hundred times you said that" he muttered, "I just... why did you kiss me then?"
She sent him an affronted look, "you kissed me".
"I promise you, I didn't".
"You so totally did" she shot back.
"Regardless-" he blushed, "-you didn't feel anything? At all?"
The problem was, she did.
That kiss had catapulted her into feeling too fucking much. Something she wasn't used to feeling.
"You like Lydia" she shrugged, "always have, always will. Even if I did - and I'm not saying I do - I don't want to be second best. And I don't want to lose a friend".
Stiles was watching her closely, his deep brown eyes studying every inch of her expression like she was some meticulous piece of art work, completely infatuated by her.
"I get it. I do. But... I think it's worth the risk".
"Is it?" she asked, "there's lots of stuff you don't know about me. About my past. What I've done-"
"I don't care-"
"You should" she insisted, "you should care. You're so - innocent- to all of this. To girls, to werewolves, to the bad things in the world. I'm not. I was one of those bad things in the world. My past is... eventful. Shameful. You're too good to get entangled in that".
"That's not how I see you" he shook his head, "you're not a bad person. Brian? Now that's a terrible person. Like, the worst. The Alpha? Again, terrible. You? Not a chance. Don't demonise yourself".
"I'm not. I'm just being honest" she shrugged, "and uh... yeah. The kiss was pretty good" she added with a smirk, changing the subject, "could definitely improve though".
"Oh. She got jokes now, does she?"
"Naturally" she grinned, " inappropriate humour is sort of my forte".
"Well, inappropriate comments are mine so... how about a second chance? Y'know... at the whole kissing thing" he squeaked, "and uh... I promise not to run away this time".
She found herself laughing at him, admiring the fact he actually had the balls to say that.
"And I thought I was forward".
"Can't blame a guy for trying".
She didn't know what was next for them. Hell, she didn't even know if they would both survive whatever the Alpha had planned, but she admired him for his honesty - and his bravery. It wasn't often humans could handle this much responsibility. It was admirable.
She admired that.
She twisted her body to face him, reaching out to slip a finger under his chin and tilt his head around, their faces just inches apart.
"I uh... I guess it's only fair everyone gets a redo" she mumbled, watching his entire expression dissolve into shock, "one time offer Stilinski. Take it or leave it".
The ball was in his court this time. An offer she knew he couldn't - or wouldn't - refuse. A part of her wishing he would just take it. Take her. Make her soul melt.
For so long, she had been impenetrable. An entire wall wrapped around her heart. Before coming here, it was solid. Unshakable. Nothing was getting through. Then she moved to Beacon Hills and got entangled in the dramas of a new werewolf and his sarcastic best friend and that wall around her heart began to crumble. In fact, it was still crumbling. Falling at a rate she couldn't keep up with.
It was terrifying and she promised herself she wouldn't indulge...
... But he was like chocolate cake. She had already had a taste and she wanted more. One more little taste wouldn't hurt, right?
She watched him gulp, his entire face frozen in shock as he inched towards her, slowly moving into her orbit until she could feel his heated breath brushing her lips.
It was soft, sweet and burning all at once. Shivers dancing across her skin as she found herself holding her breath, waiting for the inevitable feel of his lips on hers that she was yearning for. It was so close. millimetres away from the metaphorical fireworks that people usually described erupting when-"
"You ready to go kid-oh"
At the sound of his dad's voice, Stiles literally yelled and jumped as if he had been burnt, scuttling away from her and falling off the edge of the gurney.
Sheriff Stilinski - AKA the cockblock.
Guess they weren't meant to get their redo after all.
A/N) OOOOOOOOOH DAMN. Loved this chapter and the length haha hope you all did too. (9000 ish words wow). Excited to hear your thoughts on this and the development :) see you all soon xxx