Darkness of the Moon

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Her name was Artemis Moon.

Her life had once been a simple one, filled with the ordinaries of a regular teenager's life. But her life was anything but normal now. On the eve of her junior year of high school, Artemis Moon was bitten by an Alpha werewolf and became a lycanthrope. In the time that followed, Artemis struggled to control her inner beast with the help of her childhood friend and fellow lycanthrope, Derek Hale, while trying to find a cure for her curse. During that time, they learned the Alpha's identity and why he was killing people—he was Derek's uncle and taking revenge on those who'd slaughtered his family in the infamous Hale Fire, but not before he killed Derek's sister, Laura, to become an Alpha wolf.

Against Derek's wishes, Artemis befriended the youngest in a long line of werewolf hunters, Alison Argent. While trying to balance her new double-life, Artemis had sought a cure for her lycanthropy (which was rumored to be killing the Alpha that bit you) and also had to deal with her growing feelings for Derek and discover how she was suddenly able to feel his emotions and see into his memories. Later it was revealed that Alison's Aunt Kate had been the one to disregard the hunters' code and commit genocide. Kate had been killed by Peter in a final act of revenge as a result and Alison was brought into the supernatural world.

However, when the time came for Artemis to get the cure she sought, she refused it as no one knew for sure if Artemis killing her sire would remove her lycanthropy and Artemis feared it would just make her like Peter. So, Derek killed Peter to keep him out of their lives and to help Artemis better. Following that, Derek revealed that the link he and Artemis shared meant they were true mates, as werewolves only truly love one person once in their lifetimes. They professed their love for one another and chose to face the world together as werewolves.

For a brief time, there had been peace in Beacon Hills among the werewolves and the hunters, but then that peace was shattered.

In an effort to increase their strength, Derek had turned three of Artemis's classmates, Erica, Isaac and Boyd, into werewolves. They'd joined the pack out of their own free will and enjoyed being part of it as now they were stronger and even better, they'd all gained close friends and a family.

Artemis and Alison had been forced to end their friendship publicly as Alison's mother, Victoria, had threatened to kill Artemis with a gun full of wolfsbane bullets, if she came near Alison again. Chris had no problem with his daughter's friendship as Artemis had yet to do anything to get herself hunted, (at least in his opinion as he followed the hunter's code) but Alison and Artemis had agreed to fake the ending of their friendship and were secretly continuing it behind Victoria's back as they refused to let anything stand in the way of their friendship.

The situation worsened when Alison's grandfather, Gerard, came to Beacon Hills and declared war between the hunters and werewolves out of a desire for revenge for Kate's death. Things worsened further when Jackson, who'd found a vial of Peter's werewolf venom in his locker and used it to turn himself into a werewolf. The plan backfired as Jackson had some problems in his past that resulted in him turning into a kanima, a creature sworn to take vengeance on murderers on behalf of its master.

While trying to stop Jackson and learn his master's identity, Derek and Lydia were the victims of Peter's backup plan. When Peter had bitten Lydia, he knew the bite wouldn't kill or turn her because she was immune. For weeks, he tormented Lydia from beyond the grave until she finally gave into his demands and used Derek to resurrect Peter. He was just a weakened Beta wolf now, but no one trusted him and he was kept on short leash.

Jackson's master was eventually revealed to be Matt, a boy from Artemis's school with a heavy grudge against those that that had wronged him and an obsession over both Artemis and Alison. Matt was eventually stopped, but Gerard became the kanima's master and tried to use him as a way of controlling Artemis. It was revealed that Gerard had terminal cancer and sought to become an Alpha wolf in order to cure himself and grant himself power. But Artemis tricked him into taking werewolf venom laced with mountain ash, which stopped him for good.

With the combined efforts of Lydia, Derek and Peter, Jackson was freed of the kanima's curse and became a blue-eyed Beta wolf. The war between werewolves and hunters ended and things became somewhat quiet. But as expected, the peace in Artemis's life didn't last long. Trouble came in the form of an Alpha pack led by Deucalion, a.k.a. the Demon Wolf, who sought to either have Artemis join his pack or kill her if she didn't as she was the True Alpha, a very rare type of werewolf who could ascend from Beta to Alpha by goodness of heart and sheer force of will rather than conquest or death.

Artemis had been shocked to learn that her older sister Kali, who was believed to be dead, was alive. She was devastated to learn that Kali was also an Alpha and part of Deucalion's Alpha pack. The two fought on opposite sides of the battlefield until Kali learned of Deucalion's plans for Artemis, which caused her to defect and the sisters to reconcile to the point where Kali sacrificed her status as an Alpha in order to save Derek's life from mistletoe poisoning.

Despite his plans for Artemis and her disdain for him, Artemis joined forces with Deucalion in order to defeat the Darach, Jennifer Blake, Kali's former druidic emissary who'd sought vengeance on Kali and the Alpha pack by sacrificing innocent lives in order to acquire power. The night of the lunar eclipse, the Darach was finally defeated; Artemis completed her ascension from Beta to Alpha and Deucalion left Beacon Hills, being the only Alpha left of his Alpha pack, but victory did not come without cost. Tragically, during the fight against the Darach, Kali sacrificed herself to save her sister's life, leaving Artemis devastated.

Now things were quiet once again, how long the peace would last this time, no one could say.

XXX

It was late one night as Artemis lay sleeping in her bed.

She was not sleeping peacefully as she was trapped in a dream she couldn't wake up from. She was reliving the night of Kali's death and enduring the feelings of helplessness, grief and anger all over again. It was driving her crazy.

Artemis then woke up, breathing hard and sweating. She saw that she was in her room and she began to calm down, but she still shook and silent tears slid down her cheeks. How many times did she need to relive her sister's death? When would the world quit taunting her of her failure to save Kali's life and leave her in peace? Artemis had enough to deal with as it was with watching for signs of Beacon Hills's beacon being relit, dealing with her father's unwanted presence in her life and controlling her newfound True Alpha wolf abilities. She did not need to keep reliving Kali's death!

"You okay, Arty?"

Artemis's head shot up and her eyes widened at the sight of her sister standing in the doorway, looking perfectly fine and well.

"Kali?" she gasped. "You're here, but how? You died. I saw you die. The Darach killed you." But how could that be true if Kali was here? Had everything she'd experienced, Kali's death, the Darach's defeat and her ascension from Beta to True Alpha, just been one terrifying dream? "You left me again."

Kali gave her a sympathetic look as she sat beside Artemis on the bed and held her close. "I'm sorry, Artemis. I should've known you weren't completely over my leaving. But it's going to be okay. I'm here now and I'm never leaving you again, I promise. Even the Darach can't take me away from you again."

Artemis sighed in relief as she returned Kali's embrace for a moment. Perhaps she'd just had one horrifying nightmare. Kali wasn't really dead. That meant the Darach was still out there, but she could live with that for the time being as it meant Kali was still here and not dead and buried.

But when Artemis broke apart from her sister's embrace, she frowned. "Kali…"

"Yes, little sister?" asked Kali.

"Let me see your hand," said Artemis.

Without waiting for a reply, Artemis grabbed Kali's left hand and was horrified by what she saw. Stiles had told her that one of the ways to tell the difference between dream and reality was the number of fingers on a person's hand. Kali's right hand had seven fingers.

"You're not real," whispered Artemis, as she backed up against the headboard. "This is a dream. I need to wake up. WAKE UP!"

Artemis then woke up for real and this time she was screaming. Moments later, the light switched on as Melissa ran into the bedroom and held Artemis tightly in her arms as Artemis cried out and clutched her mother for dear life.

"It's okay, sweetheart. It's okay," said Melissa, soothingly. "I'm here. It's okay."

She went on like that until Artemis had calmed down somewhat and then Melissa got her a glass of water and anxiety pill, which Artemis didn't hesitate to take.

"Are you feeling better now?" asked Melissa, as she placed the now empty glass of water on Artemis's bedside table.

"Depends on your definition of 'better,'" said Artemis. She didn't feel like screaming and nor did she feel scared, but Artemis was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to be truly better as it had been months since Kali's death and she was still hurting badly. There were days when Artemis felt strong and was able to get through the day with some cheer and other times when she was a mess of grief and guilt over Kali's death as Artemis missed Kali fiercely and couldn't help but blame herself for Kali's death. "I miss Kali so much, Mom. I want to remember her. But not like this."

Melissa's face softened as she tucked a strand of Artemis's hair behind her head. "I know, honey. I miss her too. I know how hard it is, but you will get past this." The loss of Kali had taken a toll on Melissa as well as Melissa had lost her daughter a second time and had had to bury her, which was something no parent should ever have to endure.

Artemis sighed. "I want to believe that. But it seems like every time I actually think I can, I end up reliving that night again and the tears and guilt crashing down on me." Losing Kali the first time had been difficult enough but this time it was worse Kali had died in Artemis's arms and there was no chance of her ever returning.

"Guilt?" repeated Melissa. "Artemis, honey, it wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for what happened."

"How can I not? Jennifer was trying to kill me. That sword's blow was meant for me. If I had just moved or done something, Kali wouldn't have needed to sacrifice herself for me," said Artemis, as fresh tears slid down her cheeks. "And if that's not enough, I keep wondering how long it's going to be before I lose someone else I love. How long is it before the next big bad comes here and someone else sacrifices their life for mine or worse, I fail to save that person from whatever's out there or more innocents die because I'm not quick enough to deal with the latest threat?"

It wasn't just Kali's death that been weighing on Artemis. Kali's death had sparked questions in Artemis's mind and her heart had been aching with guilt at not being able to save the innocents who'd been caught in the crossfire of the supernatural battles or those who had been targets of a supernatural creature and killed for it. She couldn't help but wonder who she would fail to save next and how long she'd have to suffer for it.

Melissa held Artemis close. "Artemis, listen to me. I may not have all the answers to your questions, but I do know that whatever happens, you will get through it. And you won't be alone. I'm here for you and so is Derek and Stiles and the rest of your pack. You've been through a lot but you haven't let it beat you down and for that, I'm so proud of you. You're going to be okay. It's just going to take time."

Artemis couldn't help but smile at this. "Thanks, Mom."

"Besides, I don't think you've got to worry about any bad big anytime soon. Besides, aside from you and your pack shifting on the full moon, nothing supernatural has happened in months. It's quiet out."

"For now," said Artemis. She sighed yet again. "But I doubt it's going to last much longer. It's never quiet for more than a little while and besides, both Deaton and Deucalion said that Jennifer's actions turned Beacon Hills into a beacon for the supernatural. Something nasty's going to come and soon. I just know it."

"Well, nothing's happening now. So, I suggest you try and get some sleep. You've got your first day back at school tomorrow," said Melissa.

Right. How could I forget what tonight is?

It had been one full year since the eve of Artemis's junior year when she'd first been bitten by Peter and turned into a werewolf. Much had changed in that brief time and Artemis had no doubt that much would change yet again by the time another full year had come and gone.

"Yeah, I know," said Artemis. "But I don't think I can sleep like this." How could she go back to sleep after the dreams she'd just had? They were out of sleeping pills and couldn't get more until morning, which made the chance of a restful sleep even less likely than before.

Right on cue, there was a tapping on her window. Melissa got up and opened the blinds to reveal Artemis's boyfriend and mate, Derek, waiting patiently outside. As always, he was watching over her and ready to make her feel better. He must've sensed Artemis's distress through their link or heard her cry of pain.

"Well, I think your sleeping problem's solved for tonight," said Melissa.

Somehow, Artemis slept better when Derek was with her. He had a way of making her feel unafraid and safe.

Artemis smiled. "It looks that way."

Melissa unlocked the window and opened it, allowing Derek entrance. As Derek cuddled up with Artemis and the young girl quickly fell asleep in the safety of her boyfriend's protective embrace, Melissa left the room with a smile on her face, knowing there'd be no more nightmares for her daughter that night.

XXX

The following day, instead of taking up Derek's offer of a sick day and take time to herself, Artemis had him drop her off at the high school after promising to let him know if she needed to bail for any reason. But in all honesty, regardless of her problems, Artemis knew she needed to maintain her routine and move forward with her life if she was to ever find peace. Keeping busy with school would help her. One way or another, she would get past her pain. It was just going to take time.

When she arrived at school, she was met by Alison, Stiles, Lydia and the rest of the pack's Beta wolves, who all looked at her with concern. Ethan and Aiden were not among them as they were out of town for a few days on a vacation.

"Hi, guys. What's going on?" asked Artemis.

"We were about to ask you the same thing. Are you okay, Arty?" asked Stiles.

Artemis nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired. I didn't sleep that well last night."

Jackson snorted. "That's an understatement."

Artemis's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"He means we all heard you screaming last night," explained Cora. "It woke us all up. And no offense, but have you looked in a mirror lately? You look awful. You're all pale and you've got bags under your eyes."

Artemis sighed. "I'm sorry I woke you up and scared you guys. It wasn't intentional." She wasn't surprised that the pack had heard her screaming, but at the same time, she wished they hadn't. "And don't worry about how I look. I'll just put on some blush and cover-up in the bathroom before anyone else notices."

"That's not the point, Artemis," said Alison, testily. "The point is, you're clearly not fine. You're still struggling and you kept it from us."

"Alison's right. We're a pack. We're supposed to help each other out with this kind of stuff. Why didn't you tell us?" asked Isaac, looking hurt.

"Because my sleep problems aren't that big of a deal and even so, it's something I've got to deal with. There's nothing you guys can do to fix it," said Artemis. "Besides, I'm the True Alpha. It's my job to look after and protect you guys."

She appreciated their concern, but unless they had a way to fix her insomnia and rid her of her constant nightmares, there was nothing to be done except to try and cope with it.

"And what do you think our job is, Artemis? Looking after one another and protecting each other goes both ways. It's not a one-way street. You don't need to face your problems alone," said Erica. She took Artemis's hand in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. "You don't always need to be the powerful Alpha. You've always been there for us when we needed you, even if it was something you couldn't fix. Let us be there for you now."

Artemis sighed yet again. They had a point. She couldn't deny it. And she had to admit that if their roles were reversed, she'd be doing the same thing they were doing now. Her pack was her family and even if they couldn't completely fix her problems, they could at least be there for her or at least try to find a solution of some sort.

So, with some reluctance, Artemis told them of what had occurred last night and how she'd had to scream herself awake in order to snap out of her dreams, as they all walked to their first class of the day.

"…you couldn't wake up at all?" said Boyd, frowning.

"No. And it was beyond terrifying," said Artemis, shuddering as she thought of her nightmares. "I had to scream myself awake to snap out of it, literally."

"Well, it sounds like a case of sleep paralysis," said Stiles.

Artemis looked at him in confusion. "Do I even want to know what that is?"

"You've had a lot of dreams when you can't move or talk, right?" When Artemis nodded, Stiles continued. "Sleep paralysis happens because during REM sleep, your body is basically paralyzed. It's called muscle atonia. That way if you start dreaming about running, you don't actually start running in your bed. But sometimes your mind can wake up before your body does. So, for this split second, you're actually aware that your body's paralyzed. You can feel like you're falling or drowning, or in your case, in the place where really bad stuff happened."

"Makes sense," she admitted. The sleep paralysis basically turned her peaceful slumber into a nightmare she had trouble waking up from. "So, basically, I'm still being affected from that night, and it's not just grief. I'm suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder."

"Basically, yes," admitted Lydia. "PTSD can happen to anyone at any time depending on the situation. Honestly, I'd be surprised if you actually were completely fine after what happened that night." Having been traumatized by Peter and forced into her new life as a Banshee, Lydia was something of an expert on the subject. "Besides, after all the dangerous adventures you've been through in the past year and considering that you're now a powerful Alpha, it was bound to catch up with you sooner or later."

"Great," muttered Artemis. She wasn't at all happy about it. She had enough on her plate as it was without adding more to it. She had PTSD, nightmares and sleep paralysis. What was next, hallucinations? "That's just perfect."

"If it's any consolation, you're not the only one who wishes they could forget that night," said Stiles, as he became pale. "I almost lost my dad that night and it's scared me so much that I've been having nightmares too. Not as bad as yours, but you get the point."

Artemis gave her best friend's hand a sympathetic squeeze. "I know. I'm sorry about that, I really am." She sighed yet again. "I don't know. Maybe I just need a little more time to get back to normal."

Stiles didn't look convinced. "Yeah, try not to forget that a crazed, vengeance-seeking Darach hit the reset button on a supernatural beacon for supernatural creatures and you became a True Alpha wolf. There's a pretty good chance things are never getting back to normal."

"He's got a point," said Isaac. "Besides, when have any of us really been normal?"

"True," admitted Artemis. "But there's something else I haven't told you guys. My stress and anxiety isn't just because of Kali or the True Alpha business. My father's determined to become part of my life again and won't take no for an answer. It terrifies me that he might actually win my mom back and move back in and I'll have to deal with him on a daily basis again."

Those among Artemis's friends who didn't know the past history between Artemis and her father, Rafael, looked at her in confusion.

"Why's that a problem?" asked Boyd. "He's your dad. Don't you want him back?"

"Heck no!" said Artemis, with vehemence. She'd never wanted Rafael back into her life before he'd divorced her mother and left her before and she certainly didn't want him back now. "You don't understand. Rafael Moon's never been a dad to me, at all. He's just the bozo who helped create me, nothing more. Now, he might never have hurt me physically, but he did a lot of emotional damage. The man was never there for me because he was being a workaholic, and even when he was home, he made me feel like his emotional punching bag, especially when he'd had a bad day at work.

"For a number of years, I tried my hardest to make him proud but I eventually gave up because I realized it was all for naught because nothing I ever did was good enough for that man! Heck, the only times I felt welcome in my own house was when he wasn't around! And let's not forget, he's the reason I lost Kali in the first place! So, you tell me, why on earth should I let Rafael Moon back into my life when it's just a setup for me to get hurt again. He says he's changed, but that's a crock of crap. People like him are incapable of changing. I just want him gone, out of town and out of my life, for good."

Artemis felt a surge of anger and tears burning in her eyes as she spoke of all her father had put her through but she forced it back. Now wasn't the time to get emotional or trigger a shifting. It was time to be calm. Rafael Moon was never her dad. He was her father, the man who'd created her and Kali, nothing more. In Artemis's opinion her true dad was Dr. Deaton. She'd managed just fine over the last decade without Rafael in her life. She hadn't needed him then and she didn't need him now. She was better off without him.

Most of her friends looked sympathetic while Jackson whistled low.

"Well, maybe you should just sic Derek on him. That'd get rid of him," said Jackson.

That made Artemis laugh and she felt considerably better as the bell then rang and they took their seats in the classroom.

XXX

During history class just a few days later, the new history teacher, Mr. Ken Yurikuma, introduced himself and unintentionally embarrassed his daughter, the school's new student, in the process.

"Good morning everyone. My name is Mr. Yurikuma. I'll be taking over for your previous history teacher," he said, smiling. "My family and I moved here a month ago. And I'm sure by now, you all know my daughter, Kira. Or you might not, as she's never mentioned anyone from school or brought home a friend for that matter."

There was the sound of a thud as Kira's head hit her desk and she buried her face in her arms, causing everyone to turn and look at her and others to snigger softly at Kira's humiliation as the teacher proceeded with his lesson.

When Kira's head rose up from her desk, she caught the sympathetic look and soft smile that Artemis gave her. Kira smiled back and looked at her gratefully, happy that Artemis wasn't laughing or impolitely staring.

While Mr. Yurikuma wasn't looking, Artemis quickly scribbled out a note that read, 'My name's Artemis Moon. Want to sit with me and my friends at lunch?' and passed it to Kira.

Artemis had decided she wanted to make a new friend and from what she'd seen of Kira over the last few days, she knew Kira would be a good choice.

Kira took the note, read it and then smiled and eagerly nodded in Artemis's direction.

Artemis smiled back. It was the beginning of a new beautiful friendship.

XXX

Later that day, before Artemis went to lunch, she was washing up in the single-stall bathroom when suddenly, something unexpected and unexplainable happened. The bathroom suddenly became as cold as a winter's eve. Cold wind blew, Artemis saw her breath while frost and ice crackled as it formed on the bathroom mirror.

"What on earth—?" murmured Artemis.

She scraped some of the frost and ice off the mirror and had to force herself not to scream when she saw Kali's reflection in the mirror in the now cleared off spot. When she turned around, Kali was still standing there, looking the same as she did the night she'd died except there was a faint scar where the sword wound had been.

When Artemis dared to try and touch Kali, her hand went through Kali as though she wasn't there, like she was a ghost or an illusion. What was even more startling was the feeling of cold and ice that went through Artemis's hand as she tried to touch her sister.

"Not quite the welcoming I was expecting, but I'll take it," said Kali, smirking.

Frightened, Artemis backed up into the bathroom sink. "I'm either dreaming, hallucinating or I'm losing my mind. Either way, this isn't happening. You're not here. You're not real. You're dead! You're not real!" she repeated to herself.

Kali chuckled. "Even if that were true, which it isn't, how could you possibly prove it?"

Artemis realized Kali was right and she swallowed painfully. "Kali? You're here? You're really, actually here?" It was a childish question but it escaped before Artemis could stop herself.

"In a manner of speaking," admitted Kali. "I'm not alive, but I am here. You're not losing your mind, Artemis. This is real."

Artemis's heart skipped a beat as she realized what Kali meant. She was talking to a ghost. An actual ghost. The more rational part of her was shocked and still in disbelief, but her inner wolf seemed to remind her that after all she'd faced—werewolves, a kanima, hunters and Darach—a ghost wasn't that far-fetched. And all that aside, she had mixed feelings at seeing Kali again. She felt glad but at the same time, hurt and confused as to why Kali was showing up now of all times.

"Why're you here? Why now? I've been grieving for you and longing to see you again for months. Why're you here now of all times?" asked Artemis.

Kali looked regretful. "If I could've come earlier, I would have. I've missed you so much. But the rules Up There are clear. My…visits have to be limited and only when necessary. Besides, you and I both needed time to adjust. And before you ask, I'm not allowed to tell you about what it's like Up There."

Kali's explanation made a bit of sense, even if Artemis didn't like it. "But you are happy, aren't you? You're at peace with Ennis?" She needed to know that much at least.

Kali nodded.

Artemis heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed. "Good. I'm glad to hear it. Now, back to my other question. Why're you here now?" Glad as she was to see Kali again, Artemis suspected her sister's visit from the grave wasn't a social call, especially since Kali said her visits were supposed to be limited and only when necessary.

Kali looked grim. "Right. I almost forgot." Her tone became serious. "I don't have much time left, so I'll cut to the chase. There's danger coming, Artemis. What happened at the Nemeton the night I died, will cause history to repeat itself and only you can keep it from ending the same way. Don't give up on your friend even when others do. The fox and the wolf, though normally enemies, must become allies if there's to be victory. And be warned, someday soon, an enemy you thought was gone will return in a way you will never expect."

Artemis felt a wave of fear and confusion. "What're you talking about? What's coming?" And what on earth had Kali meant about the fox and wolf and the not giving up on her friend? She'd said 'friend,' singular, which meant one among Artemis's pack was in danger and she couldn't give up on whoever it was. But who was it and why? "Why're you so being cryptic?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't be any clearer. You just have to trust me and remember what I said," said Kali. She began to fade away. "I'll see you again, I promise. I love you sis. Be careful."

"Kali, wait—!"

But it was too late, Kali was gone and Artemis was left alone in the bathroom, feeling shaken. For a moment she wondered if it truly had been a hallucination, but the sight of the frost and ice still on the mirror proved that it wasn't.

Quickly, Artemis grabbed her backpack and left the bathroom and called Derek on her cellphone, asking him to meet her at lunch with the others and informing of what just happened. It was time for a pack meeting.

XXX

At lunch, there was a pack meeting outside.

No one was worried about being overheard as the chill of the autumn day was keeping everyone else indoors, which made it the perfect meeting spot for the pack to discuss what was happening and what Artemis had just witnessed.

"I still can't believe you actually saw a ghost. How cool is that?" said Stiles.

"I would think better of it if Kali hadn't given me that warning," said Artemis. The warning concerned her as it confirmed her suspicions that the Darach's actions had indeed caused them some trouble. "I don't know what's worse, the ominous warning or that I would think I was having a hallucination."

"How do you know you weren't?" asked Lydia. "When Peter got into my head, half the things I thought were real, weren't."

"Because the ice and frost were still on the mirror when she left," said Artemis. There was a hint of exasperation in her tone. "It wasn't there until I was about to leave and even then, the door was locked and I was the only one in there until she showed up. I didn't make it, and besides, all the ghost lore I've ever read says that the temperature drops in the presence of a ghost. And I can't believe I just said that."

"Considering everything we've been through the past year, I can believe it," said Derek. Granted there was a way for a werewolf to converse with of their deceased kin, but this wasn't one of them last he'd heard. Derek was stunned that Artemis had actually seen and conversed with a ghost, but he still believed her as his mate was no liar and stranger things had happened. "Let's think about what Kali said. She said an enemy we thought was gone would come back unexpectedly. That could mean Deucalion or even Peter. But she also what happened at the Nemeton was going to cause history to repeat itself. What happened at the Nemeton?"

"Not much. The storm just about wrecked it. We almost didn't get out," said Alison, shrugging. "Some jars and shelves were broken but that's it."

"I fail to see how that's going to cause history to repeat itself," said Jackson. "And what about the fox and the wolf gibberish? What's all that about?"

"In nature, foxes and wolves don't get along. But I'm guessing that's not the kind of fox Kali was talking about," said Alison. "Any ideas, guys?"

"There're kitsunes, Japanese fox tricksters. They're not known for having the best relationships with werewolves," explained Derek. "They're dangerous and crafty. It's not a great idea to cross one wrong and they can be a bit rare."

"Yeesh," said Artemis. Just what she needed, another dangerous supernatural foe. "And if we meet one, what then? Tell him or her that my dead older sister told me that we need to be allies in a fight against a foe we don't know squat about?"

Everyone winced and realized how absurd that sounded.

"Forgive me, but as much as I want to believe all this, aren't we forgetting all the trauma we've been through since that night?" pointed out Cora. "How do we know any of this is real? How can we prove this isn't some trick our minds are playing on us?"

Artemis shot Cora a glare. "Okay, fine. Let's say, for argument's sake that what I experienced in the bathroom wasn't real, just like the dreams I've been having. Then what the heck's going on? What happens to someone who has a near-death experience and comes out of it seeing things?"

"And is unable to tell what's real or not?" added Stiles.

"And is being haunted by visions of dead relatives?" added Alison.

"They're all locked up because they're insane," said Jackson, sounding bored.

Derek's eyes briefly flashed their Alpha red at Jackson. "Unless you can be helpful, shut it." He didn't take such insults lightly, especially when they were directed at his mate.

Jackson looked annoyed, but didn't protest.

"Hi, Artemis," said Kira, startling them.

"Kira, hey," said Artemis. She felt a stab of guilt as in all the excitement, she'd forgotten she'd invited Kira to sit with them during lunch. "Let me move my bag so you can join us." She moved her backpack off the bench, making room for Kira. "Guys, this is Kira Yukimura. She's my new friend. I invited her to sit with us. I hope that's okay."

Her tone was friendly but there was a slight edge to it that sent a clear message to the others to allow Kira's presence at their table without protest or argument.

Thankfully, no one protested. Some of them even looked interested and friendly.

"Kira, this is my boyfriend Derek, and these my friends, Jackson, Lydia, Stiles, Alison, Isaac, Erica and Boyd," said Artemis.

"Nice to meet you," said Kira, smiling as she sat down. "Uh, forgive me but I couldn't help but overhear some of the stuff you were talking about and I think I might actually know what you're talking about."

"You do?" said Derek, surprised.

Kira nodded. "There's a Tibetan word for it. It's called 'Bardo.' It literally means, 'in-between state.' The state between life and death. What you guys were talking about, all of that happens in Bardo. There are different progressive states where you can have hallucinations. Some you see, some you just hear. And you can be visited by wrathful deities."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Wrathful deities?" he repeated. "Like what?"

"Like demons."

"Demons," repeated Stiles. "Why not?" It sounded quite ludicrous, but after everything they'd encountered over the past year, a demon was just one more thing to add to the list.

Artemis frowned. "Wait, if there are different progressive states, then what's the last one?"

Kira looked a bit grim. "Death. You die."

Most of the pack exchanged either frightened or concerned looks while Artemis just shook her head. She knew she wasn't crazy or experiencing Bardo. What she'd dealt with was real. And no matter what the others thought, she wasn't in danger of dying, at least not at the moment.

Have I mentioned how glad I am that you're not experiencing Bardo? said Derek, via their link.

Not until now, no, replied Artemis. She squeezed his hand under the table. I'm going to be fine, Derek, I promise. We'll figure this out. We always do.

I know, said Derek. I love you.

I love you too, said Artemis. Aloud she said, "Thanks for the intel, Kira. That was really helpful." She then changed the subject and the rest of the lunch hour went on without any further mention of the supernatural or Bardo. Instead, everyone chatted about their summers and got to know Kira.

XXX

Later that night, Stiles went to visit his father the police station to deliver his dinner. He went to his father's office, but didn't see the sheriff.

"Dad, where are you? I got dinner," said Stiles. He'd order their favorite takeout, consisting of roast beef sandwiches, curly fries and cherry turnovers from Arby's. "Dad?"

"Down here."

Stiles looked down to see a mess of cardboard boxes and files on the floor and Sheriff Stilinski was kneeling on the floor, going through them.

"Dad, what're you doing and what is all this?" asked Stiles, beckoning to the messy office.

"I was working and now I'm eating because I'm starving," said Sheriff Stilinski. He rose up and took a seat before he and Stiles began eating their dinner. "I've been looking over some old cases from a more illuminated perspective, if you know what I mean."

Stiles briefly glanced through one of the files. "'Witnesses claim seeing a bipedal lizard man on the dance floor.' I remember that one." How could he forget the time they'd been chasing Jackson when he was the kanima and he'd paralyzed Danny and six others at a club under Matt's orders?

"And that's going into the kanima pile," said Sheriff Stilinski. He took the file out of Stiles' hand and dropped it among some others.

Stiles gave his father a look. "Dad, you're not seriously going through back through all your old cases to see if any of them had anything to do with the supernatural, are you?" He liked his father's new perspective, but at the same times, Stiles didn't want the sheriff to know everything he and the others had gotten themselves into over the past year. Not to mention, most of the stuff in the files would probably give his father nightmares for the rest of his life.

Sheriff Stilinski looked sheepish. "I admit that the recent opening of my eyes to the greater mysteries of the universe has got me reassessing. There're at least a hundred cases here where I can look at the details and ask myself, 'if I knew then, what I know now, would I have solved the case?'"

Stiles nodded in agreement as he'd done stuff like that before. "But are you sure you want to go down this path?"

"Do I have a choice?" Sheriff Stilinski pulled up a file from off his desk. "There's one case in particular that I can't get out of my head. Eight years ago, I had to tell a man by the name of Tate that not only had his wife and two daughters died in a car accident, but as best we could tell, the body of his nine-year-old daughter, Malia, had been dragged away by a coyote. We didn't even find the car until three days later. By the looks of it, they'd driven into a pretty deep ravine and there were signs of an animal attack."

Stiles grimaced and almost lost his appetite. The car accident was a terrible tragedy on its own, but to not be able to bury one of your own offspring was even worse. But that didn't explain why his father thought the case might've had something to do with the supernatural world.

"Why does this case stand out to you?" asked Stiles.

"Because of when the car accident happened," said Sheriff Stilinski. He pointed to a small calendar in the file that marked the lunar cycle. "Look familiar?"

Stiles' grimace faded. "The night of a full moon." The night of a full was the worst night of the month for a supernatural being. Any number of things could've happened. "So, the accident might not have been an accident. A werewolf might've caused it."

Sheriff Stilinski nodded. "Exactly."

Stiles then frowned when he noticed the labels on the boxes. "Dad, why're these going to the office of Rafael Moon?"

Sheriff Stilinski sighed. "Son…there's something we need to discuss."

XXX

The following night after her shift, Artemis spoke with her boss, Dr. Deaton about what she'd been going through and of Kali's visit and message. Deaton confirmed that while it was quite rare, it wasn't unheard of for supernatural beings like werewolves to converse with their loved ones from beyond the grave, especially if they had attachments such as their bodies or a trinket from their mortal life, in this case it was Kali's locket that Artemis had been wearing since Kali's death.

Unfortunately, Deaton didn't know what exactly Kali had meant, aside from that of the kitsune, but he promised to look into it and let Artemis and the others know if his research turned up anything. He also advised Artemis to take the message seriously and to be on her guard, because, according to Deaton, warnings from the dear departed were never a joke and always came to pass, especially when one least expected it.

Artemis promised she would and then left the vet's clinic. She was about to head home when Sheriff Stilinski pulled up in his jeep. He looked concerned as he came out of it and approached her.

"Sheriff. Good evening. What brings you here?" asked Artemis, concerned.

"I'm here because I need your help, Artemis," said Sheriff Stilinski. "Well, I need your help and Derek and Stiles'."

Artemis looked concerned. "What? Why? What's happened?"

"Eight years ago, almost an entire family died in a car accident," said Sheriff Stilinski. "One of the bodies, a young girl named Malia, was never found. We assumed a coyote had run off with it, but here's the thing, the car accident happened on the night of a full moon. That and all the rest of the evidence has me thinking that a werewolf caused the crash."

"Ah," said Artemis. She understood now. "So, you want me and Derek to try to pick up a scent, try to find her trail and her body, and Stiles to find any clues we might miss."

Sheriff Stilinski nodded. "If you wouldn't mind."

"No. I don't mind at all. But Sheriff, it was a werewolf, what do you intend to do? You can't keep one imprisoned unless it's with a mountain ash barrier," said Artemis. She understood the seriousness of the situation. If it was a werewolf, then there was a killer on the loose, one who needed to be brought to justice. But even so, there was no way to keep one locked up without risk of exposure of the supernatural world to humans.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said Sheriff Stilinski. "Now, will you do it?"

"Of course," said Artemis. She couldn't possibly refuse. "Just tell me where and when."

XXX

Sheriff Stilinski had them enact his plan on the following Sunday, which meant Artemis wouldn't be missing school and her absence from the house could be explained as being away with her friends if Rafael asked. She'd informed the pack of what was going on and Derek had agreed to help her pick up Malia's scent at her house while Stiles looked for any helpful clues.

While Sheriff Stilinski spoke with Mr. Tate downstairs in the living room to keep him distracted; Artemis, Derek and Stiles snuck into Malia's old bedroom wand began searching through it to try and find something that would help them find Malia's body as quickly and quietly as they could.

"Have you guys found anything?" asked Stiles, as he rifled through Malia's possessions.

"No. Just an animal scent and something odd," said Artemis, frowning as she sniffed a stuffed animal. "Derek, is that coyote I smell?" There was another animal scent there too, but it was the coyote scent that didn't sit right with her.

"It's faint, but it's there," said Derek, as his nose wrinkled. "But there's something off about it. But I can't put my finger on it."

Stiles stared at them. "Dudes, why would a coyote be in a little girl's room?"

"How're we supposed to know?" snapped Artemis, in irritation.

The coyote scent didn't make much sense, but that and the dog smell was all she was picking up at the moment. Malia hadn't set foot in her room in years, so naturally any scent of her was more or less gone or too stale for use.

"Uh…guys, I think I know where other animal scent came from because we've got company," said Stiles, stiffening.

A large Doberman was standing in the doorway and judging by the growling noises, it was not happy to see the intruders in Malia's bedroom.

"Huntress, you want to handle this or should I?" asked Derek.

"I'll do it," said Artemis. She'd been training and learning to control her new Alpha abilities for months. Now was as good a time as any to put them into practice. She approached the dog and flashed her Alpha red eyes at it, causing the dog to cease growling and instead sit down in submission to the Alpha.

Derek smiled. "Good work."

Unfortunately, keeping the dog quiet and snapping a picture of a photograph of Malia and her younger sister before the car crash was the only good luck they had. They ended up meeting the sheriff outside to inform him of their fruitless search.

"We're sorry. We tried as hard we could, but the trail's gone cold," said Derek. "If it had been a while earlier, we might've been able to find something."

Sheriff Stilinski looked disappointed, but not angry. "It's okay, it was a longshot. In fact, it was a pretty terrible idea." He seemed upset. He'd had to tell Mr. Tate that the police were looking into reopening the case and classifying it as an unsolved murder, something that shaken up the poor man quite a bit. "I think I reopened that poor man's old wounds. I never should've brought you three here. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Sheriff, it wasn't a bad idea. If I could've had someone looking for a supernatural explanation for Kali's disappearance all those years ago, I would've jumped at it too," said Artemis. "We'll keep looking and something will turn up, I know it." She knew it was a longshot, but there was little chance of her backing out of it now.

Sheriff Stilinski shook his head. "No. That's okay, Artemis. Thanks for trying, though. Stiles, I'll see you at home." He then got into his car and drove off.

Derek frowned as the sheriff left. "Why's your dad suddenly looking into this case? Unsolved cases happen all the time, don't they?"

Stiles sighed. "Yeah, but I think he felt like this was one he could solve, especially now that he knows what we know and he wants to solve as many he can while he's still the sheriff."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'still the sheriff'?"

Stiles realized his slipup and tried to cover it up but Artemis and Derek persisted and Stiles soon revealed that Artemis's father, Agent Rafael Moon, was filing an impeachment case against the sheriff for 'lack of resolution and ability to solve cases.' Needless to say, Artemis wasn't happy and resolved to speak with her father that evening as he was joining her and her mother for dinner.

XXX

Later that evening, Rafael came by for dinner. He'd been visiting the house a few times a month, one of his many attempts to get back into his daughter's life.

Artemis let him in and escorted him to the living room where they'd wait for Melissa to come home from work before eating and then without warning, she slapped him hard. Not enough to do any serious damage, but enough to make her feelings known.

"Ow!" said Rafael, as he cradled her jaw. There was a handprint forming where Artemis had hit him and bruises were making themselves known. "You know it's illegal to assault a federal agent, especially when it's your own father who's done nothing to deserve to be treated like that."

"Yeah, tell that to someone who actually gives a crap!" snapped Artemis. She was too angry to care about any legal consequences from hitting him. "And you're a fine one to talk about respect and courtesy. As far as I'm concerned, you deserve none, especially now after what you've done! Were you seriously naïve enough to think I wouldn't find out about the impeachment case or think that I'd be happy with it when I found out?"

Rafael's eyes flickered down to his feet. "Oh, that."

"Yes, that!" growled Artemis. She couldn't believe Rafael. She knew he was a jerk with no love for Stiles' father but this was the lowest of the low. "How dare you! There's no reason for Stiles' dad to lose his job! He's caught the culprit of every big case that's happened within this year alone!"

"If you're referring to the last three big cases, then you're sorely mistaken. All three culprits were found dead and weren't arrested," said Rafael, sternly. "I don't call that progress."

"Whatever! He still solved and closed the cases!" said Artemis, as she threw up her hands. "What is the deal between you two anyway?"

"There's nothing between us," said Rafael, stiffening. His heartbeat quickened. He was lying. "I'm just doing my job and that is to do what's best for this town!"

"Bull shark!" spat Artemis, angrily. "You've been at the sheriff's throat since before you left, Rafael!" What it was, she had no clue as the sheriff was a good man who'd done a lot of good work. "This isn't for the good of the town! This is you, justifying whatever petty feud to get him fired!"

Rafael's eyes narrowed and darkened in anger. "Now, listen here, young lady. I'm your father and you will address me as such and you will not talk to me like that!"

"Or what? You'll lock me up on some trumped-charges?" scoffed Artemis. "And FYI, I'm eighteen now and you gave up your rights to me over a decade ago! I'll address you and talk to you however I darn well see fit! You've never been a dad to me, so I'll be darned if I call you as that anytime soon! You are just completely unbelievable!"

"Artemis—"

"You come back here after a decade of no contact and suddenly act like you can interfere in my life and the life of my best friend just because of your stupid badge!" interrupted Artemis. "You claim that you've changed and want to do better by me, but guess what, you will never change and even if you could, getting Stiles' dad fired isn't going to win me back! And you know what, you can say you're just doing your job, but you and your job, sucks! So, why don't you just do what you do best and get the heck out of town and go back to where you came from and just disappear for another decade?"

Artemis then paused to take a breath and angrily glare at her father just as Melissa entered the room with a concerned look on her face.

"I heard yelling. What's going on?" asked Melissa.

"Rafael's investigating the sheriff, trying to get him fired," said Artemis.

Melissa looked outraged. "You're what?! Rafael, how could you? I knew you were capable of a lot of things, but stooping this low wasn't one of them! You're so ticked off that you'd really get him fired just to satisfy your anger?"

Rafael looked both irritated and at a loss for words. "I'm not doing this to hurt anyone or quench my anger. I'm just doing my job! Stilinski's lack of resolution and ability to close cases is what's going to get him fired, not me. I'm just here to collect information. It's the job my superiors have given me."

"Your job sucks," said Melissa, echoing Artemis's earlier opinion.

Artemis clenched her hand into a fist and then forced herself to try and calm down. "Mom, I'm sorry, but I can't be here for dinner tonight. I'm going out. Don't wait up."

Melissa just nodded, as she'd seen the anger in her daughter's eyes and knew how badly Artemis needed to get out of the house.

So, without further ado, Artemis left the house, slamming the door behind her as she did so.

XXX

That night, Artemis decided to continue the search for Malia's body. She called Derek and Stiles to help her search and had the rest of the pack do research or search elsewhere as the less people who turned up results meant less unneeded and unwanted questions from the police.

"You know, if my dad's right, then it means there's another werewolf in town. One we haven't met yet," said Stiles, as they walked through the woods.

"That thought had crossed our minds, yes," said Artemis, as she checked the map on her cellphone. "But I think we can probably handle it."

"Glad you're so confident," said Stiles. "But seriously, if it turns out to be something like triplets who form into a three-headed hound of perdition, I am really not up for it."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Would you relax? We'll be fine. You've got two Alphas right next to you and we can always howl for backup."

"Yeah, I know," said Stiles. He tried to relax, but at the sound of a coyote howling, Stiles ended up knocking into Artemis on accident in fright, causing her to fall down a hill and next to some large rocks. Stiles looked apologetic. "Sorry. My bad."

Derek just glared as he quickly went down and helped Artemis to stand up. Aside from some bumps and bruises, she was fine and even those were quickly healing.

"It's okay, Stiles," said Artemis. She checked the map again. "We're close. Should just be a few feet away from here."

They walked a few more feet and then came upon the scene of the car crash. The car was still there, upside-down, marked by animals and overrun by nature.

"Holy cow," murmured Artemis. "I'm surprised they didn't move it. Isn't it evidence?"

"Yeah, but it's probably too big a pain to tow it," said Stiles. He aimed his flashlight at the claw marks on the car door. "Guys, look at these. If a normal animal had made these marks, wouldn't they be closer together?"

"A lot closer," said Derek, frowning as he ran his hand over the claw marks. "It looks like your dad was right. This wasn't an animal attack."

"But if it was a werewolf, why don't I smell one?" asked Artemis. Werewolf scent stuck out like a sore thumb. But Artemis didn't smell any besides that of herself and Derek.

"I don't know, but I don't like this," said Derek.

Stiles was quiet as he looked inside the car and pulled out a doll. It was the same one from the photo of Malia and her sister. It wasn't in perfect condition, but it was in better health than expected and its batteries were still working. The doll then talked.

"I'm hungry," said the doll, in a soft electronic voice.

Stiles let out a girly shriek as he dropped the doll.

"I hate talking dolls. They're creepy! Remember that episode of Twilight Zone?" said Stiles.

Artemis rolled her eyes. After everything they'd faced in the last year, that was what bothered him? Really? But they didn't have time to deal with that at the moment. They had much bigger issues at hand.

"Just put the doll back and let's get on with this," said Artemis. "We're burning moonlight."

Just then, a growling sound caused them to look up and spot a large female coyote. It was snarling and growling at them, signaling its anger. But that wasn't the strange thing. Its eyes had a strange blue tint to them.

Without thinking, Artemis then shifted and chased after the coyote as it took off. Since her ascension from Beta to True Alpha, Artemis's powers had expanded and she was now capable of choosing what wolf form she wanted, be it the one she was accustomed to, a humanoid wolf like Peter or even a wolf form like that of Talia Hale's. At that moment, Artemis was a great, big dark brown wolf with glowing red eyes. It was quite a fearsome sight.

Artemis chased the coyote for what seemed like many, many miles until they finally jumped over a large chasm and landed on the other side. It was then that Artemis and the coyote's eyes were locked onto each other and Artemis saw that the coyote's eyes were glowing bright blue just Jackson and Peter's. Suddenly, Artemis understood what had happened that night of the car crash and she shifted back into human form so that she might voice her suspicions as she could not speak English while in her wolf form.

"Malia?" gasped Artemis. "Malia Tate, is that you?"

The coyote nodded, confirming Artemis's suspicion and then took off into the night.

Now Artemis knew why Malia's body was never found. It was because there wasn't a dead body to be found. There was no werewolf involved and Malia hadn't been carried off by a coyote. She was the coyote, more specifically, she was a werecoyote.

Oh, this was going to be a long night.