Lydia was fuming. She had called three times and been sent to voicemail three times. Where was Jackson? Anger prickled at her eyes but she refused to cry. He's supposed to be perfect. He was perfect. What is he doing? She glared at the desk she stood over, remembering as Jackson invited Scott, Stiles, and Isaac to sit with them at lunch. Why? Sure, at least two of them were getting better on the team, but still? She looked hopelessly into the mirror and sighed. Well, they weren't cool by themselves, but maybe it could be forgiven if they at least had cool girlfriends. Or dated Danny. But none of them did. Instead, she knew them as uncool twerps she vaguely remembered from her childhood.
Lydia Martin would be a name to remember. Lydia Martin would be someone who everyone would see in their yearbook and say "God, I wish that were me." Lydia Martin was supposed to live out the rest of her high school days as a queen. This was unqueenly. Jackson had finally gotten back into lacrosse and was doing way better than last year. Which was remarkable considering he was already pretty good. She hadn't remembered him being that good when she'd shown up to watch him practice as she painted her nails between reading a book over the summer.
Was he trying to outdo her?
Wait. Could he be? Lydia squinted at herself in the mirror. A feeling of competition roused up from within her. Had he been secretly practicing? What if he was holding back when she was with him? No way… Jackson wouldn't go that far. That was more like something she would do. And he wasn't that bright either. They both loved the way that being together made them the power couple of the school. And well… he was easy enough to keep by her side until someone better came along. She started to hope he'd come along sooner.
Lydia fussed with her curls in the mirror. Tossing her hair with confidence, she grinned at herself. She wondered if she should go visit him. Rolling her eyes, she figured he was probably watching more lacrosse videos. She sat at her desk and looked over her textbooks. Well, after her homework she'd go pay him one of her special visits. Who cared about a curfew anyway?
It wasn't like Jackson was too dumb. He also had that sense of stinginess when it came to the people he surrounded himself with. She doubted he'd be able to see something she couldn't, but still, she'd be able to make it work. Besides, two of the three boys were getting exceptionally better at lacrosse…. Maybe even good enough to be hers. Her hands stilled in her hair, finding herself genuinely worried. It wasn't like she disliked Jackson. Maybe it wasn't obvious, but he was sweet and…. At the moment, Jackson was still at the top of the social hierarchy. If she had anything to do with it, he'd be there for at least a little longer. Watching herself with satisfaction, she went back to studying.
Xxx
When he thought his dad had fallen asleep, Isaac sneaked out the window again. He felt that odd calling to him he'd sensed the night he first met Scott at the convenience store. It clouded his head, but not as much as before. A howl sang off in the distance and he felt drawn to something. A sense of connectedness encouraged him to seek it out. Getting into a light jog, he looked for it with some impatience, but more curiosity. Slipping into the woods, he let his wolf eyes see for him instead of the moon. They glinted gold in the darkness.
At a familiar scent, he changed directions and began to run on the street again. But this was… at school. Just as he came upon the scene, a figure ran off quickly. Some sort of impulse, perhaps a wolf instinct, made him lung in that direction towards a school bus, but immediately he was halted by something that moved to stand in his way. Something.
Isaac took a few steps back and watched the tall creature. It looked… it looked like that thing that had bitten him. Although he hated himself for it, fear seized him, sizzling along with his fuming anger.
The form shifted and a snarling face turned into a pleasant smile. "Is that any way to look at the one who gave you such a gift?" Blood was smeared against his face and speckled his chest. His claws formed into fingers and were dressed in the same sweet metallic smell.
Isaac took several more steps back at the sudden appearance of a naked man. Feeling some instant stranger danger, he decided to leave. "Wait." The voice commanded. Isaac was startled at feeling himself pause. "Turn around." The voice growled. "Isn't this better?"
"Why are you naked?" Isaac mumbled, looking away.
"It's easier to pretend you're just a big scary wolf if you're not wearing any clothes."
"Aren't you one though?"
"It's half the truth." The werewolf said with a shrug. "But, if it'll make you more comfortable." He went up to the dead body and frowned at it. "Are you sure?" when Isaac didnt say anything, the stranger put on its pants. "Better?"
Isaac didn't make eye contact, but looked disgusted.
"A bit macabre, sure, but-" He shrugged. "I've done worse."
"Are you the one who bit me?" Isaac glared at the concrete ground.
"Can you blame me?" When Isaac didn't say anything, he took a few steps closer. "It isn't all that bad is it?"
Isaac's eyebrows pinched together briefly. He glanced in the creature's direction but didn't say anything, didn't look into his face. Isaac hated how small he felt. Anger built up in his shoulders, making his neck hot. He felt himself shift, not just in that half assed form he was using. In his throat, a low growl in warning-
"See? You like it."
Confused, Isaac glanced in his direction again, but never quite at the creature itself. "No-"
"You're not like the others are you? You don't want to hide from yourself… from your anger… your rage…."
He felt his throat choke up, as if he were in danger. Smaller and smaller he felt. Cold. The smell of plastic and the weight of a locked magnetic door filled his senses.
"You know you don't have to hide it anymore." He said it as if it were a fact.
"You don't know me." Isaac said, but still he didn't look up.
"You've embraced the monster within you, but you're still holding back…" The voice tsked at the boy. "What are you afraid of? Or are you just unused to power?"
Isaac's eyes met the stranger with ferocious speed, but with his head low. He eyed the stranger suspiciously, then looked him up and down. "Why…" He gulped. What would happen if he asked that question. Glancing at the school bus, he finally stopped ignoring the smell. A body… a… human body? Was it dead? The smell of the torn fake leather of a the bus seat mixed with the scent of blood. It looked as if a fight had happened here. Staring at the torn open bus, shattered glass at its sides, he decided to ask. With some hesitancy he met eyes with the stranger, watching his face for any signs of danger. "Why…"
"Did I kill it?" The stranger asked, cocking his head to the side with a patient smile.
So he did kill it. Isaac thought, his eyes wide and meeting the floor. Shit was real now. True, he'd felt some sort of… bloodlust? But still… Isaac glanced at the man again. Would this be his future? Killing people in the dead of night?
As if choosing his words carefully, the stranger began to say "Your pack mates… they're… a bit slow on the pick up. I've been trying to help them… so we can grow stronger together. The stronger you are…." He stopped and glanced at the boy, as if catching himself. "Well, the stronger we'll be." He had a chilling smile. Walking towards the end of the bus where the carcass likely lay he said, "I've tried to help them… to show them what they can do. I keep forgetting to be patient. I thought I would see you all on the full moon." He didn't quite look over his shoulder, but it seemed as if he were waiting for some explanation.
Isaac put his hands in his pockets.
The creature's eyes flickered red in the darkness. "You're… Isaac, is that right?"
He looked up in surprise. "Yeah?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously at him. Why did his name keep rolling off the tongue of strangers? "What's your name?"
The creature looked up into the moonlight. "I have some things to take care of before I can tell you. I don't want to get… interrupted. You should come with me some time. On a hunt." Isaac glanced at the torn open bus. "I'll teach you how to use your powers… for their intended purpose." Isaac watched, but with the stranger's back towards him, he couldn't read his expression. "We werewolves have been… too docile for too long."
Isaac felt a sense of nervousness rise up from within him. There was something strange about how this person talked. It put him on edge.
"There's no point in being docile if…" The creature rubbed his fingers together before slipping them over his face tenderly as if remembering old scars. "... they won't respect our treaty anyway. Besides, since when were wolves domestic animals?" He looked over his shoulder with a grin. "Talk to the others, won't you? Show them our way. They're too hesitant. I know that it's because they're still pups but… well if you can be like this on your own, surely with a little help they'll turn out just fine." As he said this, the werewolf turned to face Isaac with that chilling smile.
Xxx
Scott woke with a familiar creeping feeling. His body in a cold sweat, he was only glad he'd opened his eyes to stare at his ceiling instead of the trees again. He'd never been one to remember his dreams much, but he also hadn't been one to wake up from nightmares he couldn't remember. He remembered waking up in his living room to find out Stiles had found him covered in blood. Or in the woods the night after he'd been turned. At least he was clean this time. Maybe he'd really just stayed asleep and wasn't sleepwalking somewhere doing… who knew what.
He sat up and looked at his hands in the moonlight before turning on his bedroom light. I don't want to hurt anyone. Feeling like he could use some cold water, he walked into his bathroom and splashed his face. Why couldn't he remember what happened that night Stiles had found him? He wondered if the others had experienced the same thing.
The next day he went over to Stiles' house for advice, and the two decided that at school on Monday, they'd ask the others if they'd ever experienced the same thing. That night, Scott found himself in a dream again. But this time when he woke up in a cold sweat, he remembered it. The screaming. The power. The desire.
As soon as he woke up he rushed to dress and leave his house. The sun wasn't quite up yet, but by the time he arrived, it was yawning hello. He rang again, hesitating at the doorbell.
"Hello?" A voice answered on the other end of a phone.
"Jesus, Stiles, why didn't you pick up?"
He could hear a muffled yawn on the other end of the line. "Uhn? Scott… you called me like…"
"A lot. What were you doing?"
"Sleeping…"
Oh… right.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah I just… I just…" Relief overcame Scott then and he squatted on the floor, hugging his knees. "I had this weird dream… it felt so real…"
"Wait a second…"
Scott could hear a window above him slide open. He looked up to see Stiles looking down at him. "Scott!" He said, yelling and whispering at the same time.
The wolf grinned back up at him.
"What are you doing?" Stiles grinned back, intrigued and somewhat entertained. His bare shoulders hung outside the window and he squinted just as golden morning light painted itself over his face.
"I just…" Scott hesitated on the truth. "...wanted to see you." It wasn't a lie.
"Wait a sec." The boy disappeared. A few moments later, the front door opened. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants that appeared to be rushed on. "Hey." And then he left the doorway for Scott to follow in. He scratched at his bare chest. "So… what's up? Does this have to do with you being in tune with me or something? You're not-" He made a snarling face and pretended he had claws, feigning a quick lunge at Scott. "-trying to bite me are you?"
Scott huffed out a short laugh. "No."
"So then, what's up?"
Scott looked at the countertop of the kitchen's island. His eyebrows pinched together briefly as he leaned an elbow on it. "I just had this-" he flashed back to a bus. "-weird dream. It felt…" He remembered lips pressing against each other. "...g-" Interrupting himself, he instead said, "real." His eyebrows pinched together again and he breathed out a sigh. "And scary." Then he looked up at Stiles, "I dreamed I'd…"
Stiles searched his eyes, trying to understand.
Scott looked away, almost embarrassed. "You promised I wouldn't hurt anyone."
Stiles shrugged, "I just that you wouldn't do it on purpose." When Scott didn't say anything, Stiles reached out to touch his arm. "Scott… what happened? What did you dream?"
At his touch, Scott felt relief. Still, he hesitated. "I dreamed… that I killed you."
Xxx
"I mean he didn't even tell me. I just found out when I walked in there." Lydia said, obviously unhappy.
Alison touched her arm sympathetically, "It is nice of him though. Wouldn't you want someone to help you if you couldn't stay home anymore?"
Lydia frowned unhappily, but nodded. As they walked into their morning class both waved hello to Scott and Stiles. Stiles, of course, felt a shudder go down his spine. "Since when did Lydia say hello to us?" He asked, dreamily watching her walk off.
"Since we joined her boyfriend's werewolf gang, I guess." Scott said with a chuckle.
Stiles looked back up at him with a smile. As they all settled into their seats, it became apparent that there was some sort of animal attack the night before. The class watched in pity, fear, and a nervous excitement as a body rolled into an ambulance. Alison turned to Lydia, but as she looked over at her, she was startled by a face of horror that was somehow different from the rest. It was as if… she looked back out the window and then back at Scott. Thinking he was just being weird, she shook off the strange feeling that rustled in her chest in warning.
At lunch, Scott had said he knew the person who had died. Alison waved it off as a coincidence, but still, a strange caution built up within her. Today, Lydia was extra flirtatious to Jackson. "So Danny," Lydia said leaning forward, "Anyone you like recently?"
Surprised, he chuckled in response. "Not particularly."
"Really? That's a shame, you're such a catch." She said, leaning back in her seat with her arms crossed. Jackson raised an eyebrow at Lydia in question, but she didn't look at him. Her eyes scornfully looked over at the three new boys of her lunchtime group. Then as if suddenly having a thought, "We should all hang out sometime, right Alison?"
"Uh… yeah sure." Alison said, a hesitant glance in Scott's direction. "That could be fun, what should we do?"
Xxx
During practice, the boys watched out for each other on the field. It was odd but felt good to have this secret connection they shared and supported each other with. Even Stiles, who wasn't really a werewolf, felt like he kind of belonged with them. Like he was in on the big secret. Derek watched them play together, on edge. Always he wondered, would they be able to control themselves? Could they hide their identity and keep each other safe? If humans found out… But, seeing the way Jackson supported Danny who seemed the most uncomfortable with his newfound powers, the practiced werewolf thought to himself, Maybe they'll be alright, before vanishing.
After practice, the five werepups hanged out on the field instead of heading into the locker rooms right away. Stiles nudged Scott to speak up, but he hesitated. "We were wondering-" Stiles began.
"Wait." Scott said, "The bus…"
Jackson raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? What about it?"
"You didn't…" Danny said, eyes narrowing.
"I-I don't know. I've been having weird dreams." Scott said. "I was wondering if you guys were having any too."
"Or sleepwalking." Stiles added.
The group went quiet. "I mean, I always have weird dreams." Isaac said with a shrug.
"Yeah, but any that are different." Scott said. Danny glared into the grass while Jackson crossed his arms.
"Yeah, almost prophetic." Stiles said with a shrug and exaggerated frown.
Before Isaac could say anything, Danny said, "You dreamed about killing the man on the bus." It wasn't a question.
"Well, not exactly." Scott eyed Stiles cautiously before saying, "I dreamed… I dreamed that I killed Stiles. On the bus." And other things.
"It could just be a coincidence." Jackson said with a shrug.
"Unlikely." Danny kept his gaze locked on Scott, making him uncomfortable.
Isaac stared into the grass, picking at the ends of his sleeves.
"You killed him." Danny said. The group turned to him in horror.
"I-I-" But even Scott began to doubt himself.
"It wasn't Scott." Isaac burst out finally. "I… I met someone last night. The one who did kill him. I don't know his name, but…" Isaac looked up at them all. "He can help us."
"By teaching us to kill people." Danny stared down Isaac, making him feel small. Isaac gripped his fists and stared at the ground quietly gritting his teeth.
Stiles said, "If anything that was probably whoever killed the woman in the woods!"
"Oh yeah." Scott said, remembering what had started all this chaos.
"Wait, was it Derek?" Stiles asked. Isaac shrugged, unfamiliar with the name. "It was probably him. He's a werewolf. On the night you all turned he found us at my house-" Isaac glanced at them, realizing he'd been left out. "-and tried to get them to shift. That dick. I knew he was the one who did this!" Stiles said. "First the body in the woods, and now this guy. Why is he killing people? I mean, couldn't he slow down just a bit?"
"What about the dream?" Danny asked, eyes still on Scott.
"I mean, I dreamed about Stiles." Scott said nervously, uncomfortable with the way Danny seemed to glare at him. Still he couldn't shake off how real the dream had felt. But to admit it here? With the way Danny seemed convinced Scott was somehow involved? "But someone else died…. I just thought it was strange." But something about the way Scott avoided Danny's eyes made him even more suspicious.
"So you think it's just a coincidence that you dreamed about where a murder took place and then someone was actually killed there? You said you knew him. During lunch, you said you knew the man who died."
"Danny, chill." Jackson said, nudging him as Scott stammered out, "Yeah-but-I mean-"
Stiles stood up for Scott then, "Danny, cool off. I'm still here, right?"
"But someone is dead-" Danny insisted.
"And Isaac says he knows who killed him!"
Scott glanced at Stiles then. "I think we should look for Derek."
"Well, we can't just ask him if he's been murdering people." Jackson said.
"We have to keep him away from you guys." Stiles said. "I mean, what if he's been-" He glanced at Scott, "-trying to convince you to murder people too?"
Scott felt his heart fall into his stomach. "You mean-"
"Painting." Isaac muttered.
"What?" Danny and Jackson asked, but Stiles moved on.
"The safest way to keep him away is to get him in jail. If we find the other half of the body-"
Scott interrupted then, adding, "The murdered girl, her body was split in two."
"Gross." Jackson said.
Stiles continued, "It's got to be linked to Derek. If we find it, he'll get arrested." And so the boys concocted a plan.
Xxx
Meanwhile, Alison had invited Lydia over to her house. They had just finished up their homework and were on Alison's bed in a conversation that drifted between topics.
Alison said, "Well, I don't know. We have a lot of history in Beacon Hills. My family used to live here a long time ago. They don't really talk about it much, but it kind of seemed like they didn't want to come back. Then all of a sudden it was like nothing could stop them from coming back. I mean, I'm glad because I got to meet you, but it's just weird, you know?"
"Yeah, I guess. I've lived her my whole life." Lydia said with a shrug.
"I just, I don't know. And my dad keeps going out with his poaching group in the middle of the night. I think he thinks we don't notice, but we do. Mom always waits up for him. I tried asking her about it, and she just said what she always does, 'You'll understand one day.' So annoying."
"I thought you said your mom used to do that too?"
"What, poaching? Yeah, but she doesn't anymore. Says she'd rather be home with me. I mean, I don't know why though. She always looks like she wants to go with him whenever he leaves. It's like they don't trust me to be home by myself. It's not like I'm going to throw some wild party-I mean, your party was fun though." Alison said with a smile.
"Wasn't it?" Lydia lay on her back, reminiscing. "And who cares if Jackson and Danny left, we had fun." But still a frown fell on her face. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong. He won't see me as often anymore. He barely has time for me anymore. And I told you about how Danny is living with him now right? I mean, it's not that I don't trust Danny, or that I think Jackson is gay-"
"I mean, he could be bi-"
"But still." Lydia said in exasperation. "It's weird. It's like he doesn't have time for me anymore. For me. His girlfriend. I just don't get it." Lydia turned onto her stomach then and said, "I'm glad we became friends. To be honest... I didn't realize how few friends I had left after dating Jackson. I mean you kind of have to be picky with your friends when you're like me, but it's nice to hang out with someone not on the lacrosse team. Your timing couldn't have been better." She said with a happy smile, touching Alison's arm.
Alison smiled back lovingly. "I'm glad I did too, no offense to Jackson."
"Of course."
Xxx
After their huddle, the group headed to the hospital's morgue to get a scent of the body. "Guys, you can't all go in there." Stiles said, "Maybe one person could sneak in but-"
"I'll go then." Jackson said.
"Why you? You don't even know what she looks like. Scott is the only one who saw her." Stiles said while crossing his arms.
"I'm team captain."
Stiles looked at Jackson in shock. "Are you serious right now?"
Danny elbowed Jackson before saying, "We can't let Scott go. He might be a part of this too." Danny shrugged as if to apologize but didn't seem all that apologetic. Scott shifted uncomfortably and crossed his arms next to Stiles.
"Scott didn't do anything." Isaac insisted.
"Thank you!" Stiles said.
"I think." Isaac added, remembering Scott's 'painting session' and glanced over at Stiles who frowned back at him. Jackson was already heading towards the morgue during this last bit of conversation.
"W-wait!" Stiles whispered loudly.
"He's gone." Danny said and moved to sit down. "He'll figure it out."
Some minutes later, Jackson came back. "Hey… who'd you say died on the school bus?"
"Garrison Myers?" Scott asked.
"That body… that was messed up." Jackson said, eyes a little lost. Danny held his elbow, but Jackson shrugged him off.
"Are you okay?" Danny asked. Jackson's frowned in disapproval. "Did you get the scent?"
"Yeah, let's go." That night, they wandered through the woods, waiting for Jackson to say whether or not anything smelled like the body.
"What makes you think we'll find anything? Didn't the police already search the woods?" Isaac asked.
"Because I can smell it, dumbass. They only had their eyes to look for it." Jackson said.
Tired and chilly, Isaac said. "What if those hunters are out here?"
"Hunters? What hunters?" Stiles asked.
Danny gripped his fists. "So they are back."
"What? Who!?" Stiles asked, grabbing Danny's arm.
Danny sighed loudly and shrugged out of Stiles' grip.
Stiles frowned and went to walk next to Scott again who made a pitiful smile and put his arm around Stiles. Isaac watched them with a bit of jealousy. When was he going to feel that close to someone? Jackson had Danny, and Scott had Stiles. Again, he felt left out. Even together with them all, bonded by this one secret, he wondered if he really fit in.
"The hunters…" Danny began, "They've been here almost as long as this place has had monsters. They're what kept us safe from them. I heard they left some years ago. Left us unsafe obviously." He remembered his parents thinking they should leave. How they had said that with the fire, they would all be safe and they didn't have to. That they had outlived many monsters in Beacon Hills and would be able to surpass more. For a long time they debated the risks, but ended up staying, unable to part from this town they'd inherited for generations.
"They were chasing me-me and some other guy who found me in the woods." Isaac said.
"Derek?" Stiles asked urgently.
Isaac picked up his pace and walked evenly with Stiles, "I don't know, but he was a werewolf like us. He found me on the full moon-"
"Probably Derek." Stiles insisted.
"But, I thought you said Derek was probably the one who killed the guy on the bus."
"Yeah." Stiles agreed, looking over at Isaac curiously.
"But they weren't the same person." Isaac said. The group stopped to turn at him. Nervously, he watched them before they turned around and kept walking.
"So there's someone else…" Stiles said.
"But who else could it be?" Danny asked, "I thought everyone else died in the-Laura."
"Laura-who's- oh Derek's had a sister right? The other person in the Hale family who-"
"-didn't die in the fire. Yeah." Danny nodded. He remembered his family warning him against the Hale pack. They were bad people, they'd said when he was a child and too young to understand. Now he understood. "The other person must be her."
"But, the person I met was definitely a guy." Isaac insisted.
"What do you mean?" Stiles asked.
Isaac made an exaggerated shrug and said, "I just know."
Danny then said, "She could just be a masculine kind of girl. Or trans. I haven't seen her in a while."
"No, that's not what I meant- Just trust me, okay?" None of them seemed too convinced. Scott shifted his feet, wanting to trust his new packmate.
The group was now close to Derek's property. They noticed his car driving away in the darkness. "Wait…" Jackson began, "I think I smell something." He followed the scent to a pile of dirt. "Do you think she's buried here?" He scrunched up his nose and added, "It smells kind of weird though." The boys approached the pile and decided to come back later with shovels.
When they did, they found a wolf's head. Danny and Stiles recognized the wolfsbane and Stiles unwound the illusion to find the other half of the body. Danny thought she looked vaguely familiar in the same way an adult might look if you only saw them as a child, but couldn't quite place who she might be. Satisfied, the boys called the police. Jackson looked unpleasantly at the flower. At noticing Stiles putting it into his bag, he said, "You're going to keep that?"
Danny looked over at Stiles and said, "Well, it wouldn't be a bad idea for a human."
"What do you mean, for a human?" Stiles asked.
"Those things are bad for werewolves-" Danny replied.
Jackson interrupted with, "-Make you feel like crap. But maybe it'll keep you safe from whoever bit us."
"We'll be safe soon enough." Danny said. When the police came the next day, the group of boys stood to watch as Derek was arrested.
"Wait-" Isaac said with wide eyes. "That's not the guy who turned us."
"What? What do you mean, that's Derek Hale." Danny said.
"Who else would have done it?" Stiles asked.
"The guy I met… he… it wasn't him." Isaac finally said.
Jackson scoffed and said, "So we just made enemies with someone who might have actually been trying to help us?"
"It's not like he didn't have a dead body buried in his backyard." Danny pointed out.
Scott looked over at the man being put in the police car. "Well, now what do we do?"
Stiles, plagued by a question, went into the police car when no one was looking, trying to understand the mysterious power of the murdered girl.
"Hey, uh… So I hear you might not be the guy."
"The guy?"
"Yeah, you know… the murderer."
Derek stared at Stiles apathetically.
"Right, well-" He asked about the girl but, instead of answers, Derek warned, "You should be more worried about your friends. They're gonna get killed if they keep answering the calls of a power hungry alpha. They're reckless and they're not only putting themselves in danger."
Then Stiles was dragged out of the car and lectured by his dad before heading home with the boys. "He said we shouldn't go chasing after an alpha."
"Alpha? You mean like alpha males in a wolf pack?" Jackson asked. Putting a hand to his head, Jackson pushed Stiles to make some distance, "Your wolfsbane-keep it away."
Stiles shrugged away from him and walked closer to Scott, a little annoyed.
"Derek-" Isaac said, "He was talking about an alpha. He said that was the guy who was turning people into werewolves. I wouldn't be surprised if he murdered anyone." Isaac said, holding one of his arms.
"Great so the real murderer, the real threat is still out there." Jackson said.
Danny shook his head, "That doesn't mean Derek is innocent. He's still suspicious even if he isn't the one who turned us. Maybe we should see a druid."
"A druid?" Scott asked.
"Augh." Scott moaned out. "Stiles, just get rid of it."
Danny continued as Stiles begrudgingly tossed the wolfsbane. "They're like, these people who help keep the peace between humans and monsters. Like supernatural gatekeepers. Stiles, my mom has some wolfsbane at home." He hesitated, unsure if he should explain his family's connection to Beacon Hill's strange creatures.
In his pause, Isaac said. "We're not monsters, Danny."
"You don't think a werewolf is a monster?" Danny challenged.
"I've seen monster, and I'm not that." Isaac remembered the dead body and the broken bus.
"A supernatural furry murder machine isn't a monster to you?" Danny asked, stepping towards Isaac. Jackson, noticing Danny's pressure point being hit, grabbed Danny's arm.
"Hey, chill out." He warned. "Maybe he's right though. Maybe we should stop thinking about ourselves like we're-"
"We are monsters Jackson." Danny said. "The better we remember that, the safer the people we care about will be. That's how everyone else will see us. Lydia, your parents, they'll only see us as monsters. What if we lose control? Maybe seeing us as monsters will be what saves them from us." Jackson's eyebrows pinched together, his grip loosening as he wondered what his parents would think if they saw him transform. How unlucky to pick him out of all the orphans. Guiltily, Jackson stared at the leafy forest floor and said nothing.
"Look," Danny said turning to the group, "Maybe you all want to deny what we are, but we have to accept this. Not because we have to like it, but because when we think of ourselves as monsters, it forces you to be careful. We can't just-tear everything apart because we have an identity crisis. You'll just scare the people you care about."
"Yeah, but accepting that I'm a werewolf, doesn't mean I have to hate myself for it." Isaac said. "I don't know about you, but this feels pretty good to me."
Danny shook his head, looking angry. "You're a fool and you'll kill everyone you care about." He felt himself begin the shift in his frustration.
"Danny!" Jackson said, getting between the two. "Danny-just-"
But even Jackson's voice was enough to stop the transformation. Danny put a hand on Jackson's shoulder and gave him a reassuring though unhappy smile. "Sorry." He muttered, embarrassed that he lost his cool.
Xxx
Soon the big game had begun. With all of the boys knowing the strength of the other, and looking out for each other, they killed the scoreboard. There were four werewolves on the team. It was difficult to win against them, especially with the way they worked together. Sure, sometimes Jackson felt the tug of his ego and would let that competitive spark allow him to hog the ball instead of pass, but for the most part, they worked well as a team.
Lydia and Allison- the only Argent in the stands- cheered along with everyone else. Happy parents like Ms. McCall and Mr. Stilinski among them. Stiles could be heard excitedly running amok at the sidelines, making Scott and Isaac grin in glee. They glanced at each other and shook their heads. Still their smiles couldn't leave their faces. Scott suddenly remembered his dream about Stiles and a funny question tugged at his heart. The dream also reminded him of what he might have done to Garrison Myers and he worried. With his teammates looking out for him, he was able to keep his head in the game. Eventually, they became so far in the lead that coach started sending people from the bench into the field. Even Stiles got to run around during the winning game.
How could life feel so right? Danny was the first to get switched out. As he sat on the sidelines, the excitement of it all wearing off, he started to wonder if it was really okay to win like this. Sure, some people took steroids, but being a werewolf? He looked at his gloved hands as he gripped his fists. Right then, he decided that from now on he would play as if he were human. He tried focusing on his breathing and relaxing to shake off the adrenaline from the game, trying to calm his heart rate. It was easier to stop from shifting when he had people looking out for him.
Jackson, of course, was loving this. When coach tried to pull him out he said, "What? Are you kidding me? I'm making the game right now!" Coach laughed and nodded but still left Jackson on the sidelines, patting him on the back. He sat down heavily onto the bench and elbowed Danny. When he didn't respond, Jackson took off his helmet and looked into Danny's. "Hey, you good?"
Danny, finally able to regain composure said, "Yeah," and straightened his back. "I'm good. You were killing it out there."
"Right?" Jackson said with a grin. Danny finally took off his helmet, about to question the morality of it all. At seeing Jackson's intent but gleeful eyes watching the game continue, he hesitated. Well, at least for now he'd let it go.
When Stiles got onto the field, he and Scott high fived. "Yes!" Scott said, nearly jumping in joy.
Stiles grinned back and said, "Now let's see how long I'll last out here."
Scott shrugged and said, "There's not much you could do to hurt what we made for you."
"Oh yeah? You don't think I could contribute? I could score a few goals-" As he said this, Isaac jogged over.
"I didn't say that." Scott said, trying not to laugh.
Stiles scoffed while smiling, "Alright, tough guy."
"Welcome to the field." Isaac said, slapping a hand against Stiles' back.
From the stands, coach could be heard saying, "Hey! Hey- don't hold up the game!"
Shaking his head and breathing out a laugh, Scott hit his lacrosse stick against Stiles' and said, "Show 'em what you got."
When Isaac stole the ball he passed it to Stiles who ran up the field and then passed it to Scott. The three worked smoothly as a team, alternating passes, and scored another goal. "Ha, not so bad a player after all." Stiles said confidently, looking over at coach.
When all the wolves were off the field the score remained unbeaten, but became less dramatic. Still a significant lead, but something easier to swallow. At the end of the game, Stiles jumped onto Scott and Isaac leapt up into the air excitedly. Scott was surprised by an impulse that was only interrupted by the clashing of helmets. Blinking away as his face turned red, Scott put Stiles down. Stiles laughed, "What? Were you gonna kiss me?" Isaac looked over at them in awe. Scott coughed awkwardly as the other boys of the team, also wanting to share in the moment, rushed the field hooting and hollering. Danny sat on the bench watching it happen as Jackson bolted over. Expecting Danny to be close behind him, Jackson turned to smile at him, but instead found a troubled face looking back at him.
After the game, Mr. Stilinski got a call saying Derek had been let out of jail. Lydia sauntered onto the field and gave Jackson a congratulatory kiss. Alison looked away wondering if she'd be able to care about and share something like that with someone soon.
Xxx
Stiles had offered Scott and Isaac a ride home. In the car, Scott talked about his dream again. "It was weird. I know I didn't say this before, but it felt real."
Isaac put a hand on Scott's shoulder from the backseat. "Maybe it was real."
"What-" Stiles began in protest.
"No wait-seriously. I was there that night when it happened. Something ran away when I got there. Maybe that something was you." Isaac said with a shrug. Scott didn't say anything as he nervously played with his fingers.
"Or maybe it was you." Stiles said.
"What-you don't think it's weird that Scott had a dream about the murder the night it happened?"
Stiles remembered Derek's warning then. "Maybe… maybe we should ask Derek for help."
Scott shook his head, "Are you kidding? We just got him in thrown in jail."
"Well... he's not there anymore." Stiles said. "He just got let out."
"So he was innocent?" Isaac asked.
"More like, whatever killed her was animal. Look, Danny's right. Just because Derek isn't the alpha or whatever, doesn't mean he-" Stiles drummed his hands on the steering wheel. "But it wouldn't make sense."
"What wouldn't?" Scott asked.
Licking his lips, Stiles said, "Remember how we were talking about Laura Hale? That's the dead girl." At their silence, Stiles went on, "I mean, you're right. He might not trust us anymore after we tried to get him arrested, but he might be our best chance at figuring out what happened that night."
"What if he was the other one Isaac saw?" Scott asked.
Stiles gripped the steering wheel with uncertainty.
