Sorry for the major delay on this. I explain more in the Author's Note at the end of the chapter, so feel free to read first. Enjoy!


The next time I woke, I was still alone. I don't know how much time had passed, but I knew one thing. I needed food, and water. My stomach was starting to ache, telling me I'd for sure been here for at least twenty four hours. But if I didn't get water soon, I'd become dehydrated, and a dehydrated witch could easily lose control of her powers when she starts to become disoriented. I wet my lips slowly, looking around me and blinking. My eyes had adjusted to the low light.

There was a backpack about seven feet to my right, just sitting on the floor. My knowledge on kitsunes was extremely limited, but I knew enough to know they were tricksters. And if the Nogitsune was the worst of kitsunes, then it was possibly a trap. So I went against my instincts to survive and ignored it.

About an hour later, counting the seconds and minutes slowly, my curiosity got the better of me. I moved carefully, my wrists sore from the cold metal and wormwood oil on my skin. Unfortunately, even when I stretched myself as much as possible, my foot couldn't even make contact with the bag.

I swore under my breath, resting my forehead on the cool, cement floor. I racked my brain for the symptoms of dehydration. My mouth didn't seem to be drying out yet, but I could feel the start of nausea. Yes, a full day had definitely passed since I was in the hospital. Probably longer.

Raising my head from the floor, I looked at my chained wrists. If I had water, I could also wash off the wormwood oil a bit, hoping beyond hope that some of it hadn't soaked into my skin. I didn't feel any signs of being poisoned, but if even the smallest amount had soaked into my skin, then they magical effects would still repress my magical abilities.

So, there was really only one thing I could do. Wait.


I must have dozed off again, leaning against the pipe that my chains were wrapped around, for when I opened my eyes, I could hear shuffling to my right. I turned my head, noting that the backpack was now gone. Licking my lips, I noted the slightly drier feeling in my mouth and frowned.

"Ah, good morning." Stiles' voice reached my ears and I frowned, looking up at the Nogitsune.

"Screw you." I hissed, voice rough from not using much in the past twenty four plus hours. He grinned at me, turning around and grabbing something before moving towards me. I didn't have it in me to fight him when he came into my reach. Great, another sign of dehydration: weakness.

"Here." He said once he'd knelt down in front of me, holding out a bottle of water.

I didn't move to grab it, glaring at the object instead. "What you lace it with? Wolfsbane?" I accused. "Black nightshade?"

He raised an eyebrow and brought the bottle back towards him. What I wasn't expecting was for him to open the bottle and take a drink. I watched his throat as he swallowed, glaring at his smirk. "Trust me now?" He asked, offering me the now open bottle again.

"No." I answered truthfully, but took the bottle from him anyways. I took a large drink, relishing in the cool liquid as it slid down my throat. "Why are you doing this?" I asked after a moment, looking at the ground between us to avoid is gaze.

"Keeping you alive, or keeping you here?" He asked.

"Both." I raised my gaze back up to meet his, frowning at his amused expression.

The Nogitsune gave a soft hum as he shifted, sitting on the floor across from me and copying my position down to the crossed ankles and hands in my lap. There were a few inches of air separating our feet. "You can thank Stiles for that." He stated with a small shrug. "Like I said earlier, he's fighting so very hard for me to let you live. It's actually quiet annoying, having his voice yelling at me in this head of his."

I snorted, holding back the smile that threatened to appear on my face. 'Go Stiles.' I thought. "So, he knows you have me."

"He does, but that doesn't mean he knows where we are right now." The Nogitsune replied with a grin. "Nor will I say it allowed so you can say it at random in hopes that he'll be able to pick up on it. Not that I'm going to let him have control again anytime soon, no, I have some plans for the both of you. I'll let Stiles go when it's in my best choice to do so."

I let out a shaky breath, glaring at him. "You know Stiles is dying right?" I asked, seeing the recognition cross his features. "His brain is shrinking, it's killing him. Something tells me it started when you decided to choose him as a host. So maybe he'll die before I'm faced with the choice to either kill him, die at his hands, or love him. Is it really a good idea to have a dying host? It might just end up killing you as well."

He raised an eyebrow at me, then grinned slowly. "Are you offering me your body in exchange?"

I hesitated. Truthfully, the idea hadn't crossed my mind. But if the Nogitsune was the cause for Stiles' illness, then there was a chance, small, but there, that completely ridding the Nogitsune from Stiles could help him heal. I closed my eyes for a moment. Such a small chance, but, it was worth the reward.

"And if I said I was?" I asked, opening my eyes slowly to look at him, my features emotionless.

The Nogitsune tilted his head to the side, studying me for a few moments before a smirk spread across his features. "Sorry, but I choose my host for a reason. Stiles serves a purpose, the boy who cries wolf. I'm not letting him go that easily, dying or not."

My face twisted as I growled at him. "Just let him go!" I snapped, jerking forward, but we held back by the chains on my wrists. I was careful not to let them cut into my skin, knowing the consequences would be swift if the wormwood oil entered my bloodstream. "Please." That single word sounded so weak, but I ignored it.

"Oh Lani, your pain is so exquisite." The Nogitsune nearly purred, leaning in so his face was barely an inch from my own. "Keep yourself alive Lani. When I let you out, you'll just be another pawn on the board. Yes, I'll love it when I get to watch you die, but not yet. You'll die when I'm ready for you to."

He pulled away then, walking over to the backpack and tossing it to my side. My eyes never left him till he walked up a set of stairs and out of my sight. I looked at the backpack, moving it to within the more comfortable range of the chains before opening it. Inside was a high schooler's junk food dream, plus a few healthier options. I shook my head, pushing it away, though still within range, and scoffed.

It wasn't long before my eyes turned back to the bag and my stomach growled, snapping my resolve. I reached in, pulling out a granola bar, and sighed softly. "It'll have to do." I said softly before opening the package.


When my head was clear again, no longer feeling the effects of dehydration, I went through the entire contents of the bag, taking mental inventory of what was inside. There was enough, if I ate small amounts four times a day, for me to last at least four days. Six days, maybe, if I only ate three times per day. Add in the four bottles of water, which were more important, I was good for a while, just not for long.

The limited amount of water was my biggest issue. Even if I limited myself on the consumption, there was still one thing that concerned me: the wormwood oil. Even if I had washed the oil off with some of the water as best as I could, it had still soaked into my skin. Though it wouldn't poison me, it still limited my magical abilities.

I closed my eyes, trying to make a choice. With a cry of frustration, I kicked the bag of food, watching it move a foot, but still within my reach.

"I feel so useless."


Time was a curse, especially when trapped in the dark, alone. Counting the minutes was useless. I did the math. Sixty seconds in a minute, 3,600 seconds in an hour, 86,400 seconds in a day. It was too much counting, especially since I was sleeping time and again. The sleeping through me off, for I never knew how long I slept at a time. It could have been an hour or ten, and I'd have no idea.

I hadn't seen the Nogitsune since he'd given me the backpack full of food. I'd gone through half of the contents already, eating only when I was at my hungriest. There was only a bottle and a half of water left, even though I only took a sip or two at a time to keep myself hydrated. I was going to run out soon, sooner than I'd hoped.

Staring down at my chained wrists, I felt conflicted. I could waste a bit of water, take the chance that it would be enough for me to at least do something to free myself. Wormwood had enough magical properties to see my fire as a threat, to stop me from using it. Maybe, if I washed off what I could, I'd be able to create enough heat to melt part of the chain and free myself.

But, if it didn't work, I would have much less water than I did. And that just meant possibly dying faster, no matter what the Nogitsune had planned for me. I wondered how painful it would be, dying from dehydration and starvation. Most likely, quite a bit.

I closed my eyes, wishing for some sort of sign to tell me what to do. Out there, somewhere, the Nogitsune was plotting. And he was using Stiles as a means to an end. Whatever that end was, though, I wouldn't find out. Not until it came to that point.

Willing myself to calm down, my heart racing in fear of what could be going on outside this dark room, I slipped back into sleep.


I must have been dreaming. There was no breeze to tickle my cheek in the dark room where the Nogitsune had me chained. Nor was there any light to warm my skin.

"Lani?"

Yes, I was most definitely dreaming. Derek was out there, free. If he hadn't been able to find me yet, I doubted he'd been able to find me now, after however much time had passed.

But then I felt a pressure on my shoulder, light and comforting. I squirmed under the touch, the body heat almost scalding against my skin. I hadn't been touched since the first day the Nogtisune had chained me up. It almost felt foreign, but that's because it wasn't real.

"Lani, you need to wake up."

When I was younger, I'd loved hearing Derek's voice. He'd been my night and shining armor when I was in my pre-teens, especially after the events of my mother's death. But now it just made me want to cry, because his voice was just in my head, a ghost of a memory. Derek wasn't here, he couldn't be.

"Lani, don't make me hit you."

I scowled slightly, moving to brush the hand away. "Not real." Was all I was able to say, turning onto my side and buried my face into the softness of the pillow under my head.

My eyes snapped open suddenly, and I was looking into Derek's loft. Sitting up quickly, I came face-to-face with non-other than said knight.

"Derek?" I asked, voice barely a whisper. "Is…is this real?"

He nodded slowly, reaching up cautiously to cup my face in his large palm. I turned into the touch, breathing shaky as I closed my eyes. "Scott found you in the woods." He told me softly. "He carried you all the way here. Where have you been?"

I opened my eyes again to look at him. "The Nogitsune, he wanted me out of the way for a while. He kept me in this room, some sort of basement, maybe. It was so dark Derek." I shook my head. "Derek, has anything happened?"

"No, it's been quiet. Stiles and you have been missing for two and a half days." He said, frowning. "Did he do anything to hurt you?"

"No." I told him, shaking my head. "No, he said Stiles was fighting him, yelling at him about hurting me." I blinked and let out a shaky breath again, trying to stay calm. "Derek, the Nogitsune, he said that he'd only let me go when he said he was ready to make his move with me as a pawn. He's planning something Derek, something big. I just don't know what."

"We're doing all we can to figure out what's going to happen. But the Nogtisune is smart, we haven't found anything." Derek's words made me frown. "Lani, tell me what happened."

I looked at him, still not as calm as I'd like to be. I opened my mouth a couple times, trying to form words, but it was difficult. Taking a steadying breath, I looked down at my hands, a thumb rubbing over my wrist. "Do you know anything about androgynous souls?" I asked softly.

Before Derek could answer, the door to the loft slid open quickly. I sat up straighter, body tense until Scott came into view.

"You're awake." He let out a breath, sounding relieved.

I blinked, frowning slightly at his concern. Last time I'd seen him, he was still hesitant with me, looking at me like a dog that could turn rabid at any moment. "Yup." Was all I said, swallowing.

I saw shocked when he came to the side of the bed, next to Derek, and sat down before pulling me into a hug. His arms were wrapped around my shoulders, holding me against his chest. I blinked before I closed my eyes to prevent tears, as my arms wrapped around his torso, hugging him back.

Scott pulled away slowly, offering me a small smile.

"I thought you didn't like me much." I said softly, leaning back against the pillows on Derek's bed.

Suddenly sheepish, Scott reached up to scratch the back of his neck as he chuckled nervously. "I just wasn't sure if I could trust you. So much has been going on lately that I wasn't sure what to think of you."

I smiled softly and nodded. "Thank you." I told him, before my attention was pulled back to Derek.

"What were you saying before, about androgynous souls?" He asked.

Scott looked between the two of us, confusion on his features. "What souls?" He asked.

"Androgynous souls, souls that are equally male and female." I started, swallowing around a lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. "If I remember correctly, the Greek philosopher, Plato, wrote about them. In his writings, it was stated that the gods made up three genders: man, woman, and the Androgynous. It's believed that they were stronger than normal humans, having great strength and threatening the power of the gods. So, instead of slaughtering them, Zeus decided that by splitting them in half, not only would they weaken the Androgynous, but he'd also double the number of worshipers who would pay tribute to the gods, giving them more strength. But separated, the Androgynous were beginning to die off. They couldn't live apart from their other half. So Apollo reconstructed their bodies so they could be more stable, but the souls stayed separated. So they would seek the other out, doing everything they could to find their other half."

"Sounds a lot like soul mates." Scott said, once I hadn't spoken for a moment.

"Because that's pretty much what they are." I told him.

"What does this have to do with you?" Derek asked.

I looked at him and swallowed. "You know how I've been getting along with Stiles really well? I think once I told you that it was like there was this thread, connecting us." Derek nodded slowly, understanding slowly dawning on him as Scott looked at me, confused still. "That's because we're an Androgynous soul. Stiles is my soul mate."

Scott's eyes widened to an almost comical size, his jaw clenching in an attempt to keep it from hanging open. Derek continued to frown, his jade green eyes hardening slightly.

"There's something else though, isn't there?" The older male asked, causing me to look down at my hands again. "Lani." His voice warned, causing me to sigh.

"The Nogitsune told me something, and I know that I shouldn't believe him, but something about what he said makes sense." I said, closing my eyes. "He said that Androgynous souls are always meant to meet their other half during a lifetime, and there will only be three options of how them meeting will turn out: love, death, or kill. Androgynous souls are continuously reincarnated until they fall in love, live their life together, and allow their separated soul to join into one once again, allowing them to pass on."

"What does that mean?" Scott asked, his eyebrows knitted together in his confusion.

"It means their souls, Lani's and Stiles', has been reborn again and again, only to die in the hands of the other." Derek said slowly. When I looked up and nodded in confirmation, his jaw set. "You need to go to San Francisco. Get out of Beacon Hills, today." He told me.

I blinked and sat up straighter. "No way in hell!"

"With the Nogitsune in Stiles, you're more likely to be the one to die here Lani!" Derek barked, his voice edged with worry. "You are going where you will be safe!"

"I am not going anywhere!" I snapped at him. "Derek, I'm a grown girl, I know what I'm getting into."

"I'm not going to watch another person close to me die Lani!" Derek said, his voice almost pleading me to go. "Please, do the smart thing and go to your father. You'll be safe there."

I shook my head violently, frowning. "Don't you get it Derek?" I asked, my voice a whisper. "It's too late for me. I'm already falling in love, I'm not going to walk away from him."

Silence followed my words. It was something I'd thought about while I was alone, chained up and shivering in that dark room. If I was meant to die by Stiles' hands, the least I could do was do everything in my power to rid the Nogitsune from his being. Because I was falling for Stiles, I was falling hard and fast.

"Because of the Nogtisune, Stiles is probably feeling the worse effects from our connection. He wants to trust me, to learn to love me, but because of the dark influence currently gripping his soul, Stiles doesn't think he can." I told him, voice cold as I tried not to break down. "If I have to die, at least I can die knowing Stiles' soul has been cleansed. We can always try again in the next life time."

Derek shook his head slowly, fear, pain, and cold understanding in his eyes. "You aren't going to give up on him, are you?" He asked softly.

"Never."


Sorry you guys had to wait nearly a week for this chapter, I promise you, I've been taking as much time as I currently have avaliable to me to work on this. Thursday, the day after I posted chapter 7, where I live we got hit by a bunch of snow. Even now (Tuesday) the roads are still pretty bad. Friday morning, a close family friend of mine, who I'd practically grown up with, got into a really bad car crash. She died on impact, leaving behind a loving husband and three children. The youngest of her kids turned one last November. It was a really tough weekend for those that knew her, and between mourning and work, I've barely had a moment to spare. The funeral is tomorrow, and I'm doing all I can to help prepare for it, so I ask that you understand the delay for this chapter and the next few.

Your reviews are much appreciated, since I posted the last chapter, you guys left me with six of them! I want to give a shoutout to a few of you: Sadie22, Holly Graham, and pandafulprincess. Sadie22 actually pointed out to me that it was a bit confusing about the way Stiles seems almost cold to Lani, which I can see. So the reason for that was explained in this chapter. I actually kind of like the interactions between Lani and the Nogitsune, how they've played out so far. I think it leaves me with a few options on what is going to happen. And I'm going to admit, a little part of my cried at the whole Stiles/Malia events in 'Echo House', but in a way, it'll fit right into the plot for this fan-fiction. Anyways, the next chapter will start the same day Scott and the twins find Stiles/the Nogitsune in the school basement, just to give you an idea on where this story is at in the show plot. Basically, this chapter takes place the day before, late afternoon.

I wouldn't expect the next chapter to be up until next week, probably Tuesday again, but I'll do everything I can to get it up before Thrusday for sure. My focus will be on other things for a while, so it's going to be hard to find time to work on this.