11

*Hello there-Thank you for commenting and reading. Have a good one!

Derek awoke to the sound of a car door slamming and high heels making their way up the walkway and onto the porch. He stood up, noting that everyone around him was still unconscious. He sniffed at the air, his eyes becoming wide. Lena.

Derek walked to the window, noting a taxi just pulling away from the curb. He opened the front door before she had a chance to knock. The stunning blonde woman in her fifties placed her hand on her hip and grinned. "Well darlin' I was gonna ask if I was at the right house but after seein' you I don't care if I'm in the right town." Her deep blue eyes sparkled with mischief.

He couldn't help but smile. "Hi Lena," he said.

"My reputation precedes me," she said, stepping into the house on red five-inch stilettos. She brushed her long curly blonde locks from her shoulders. "And you're the man I saw in my dreams. And that ain't a pickup line, I promise. Although I'll admit I have used that one before."

Derek offered his hand. "Derek Hale."

She gently took his. "Pleased to meet you Derek." She looked around the living room, seeing Jackson just waking up. Scott walked in from the office, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. She suddenly appeared very curious. "I see two more cameos from my dream are here."

Jackson and Scott made their way over to her. Derek watched as the woman regarded both boys with great interest. He knew that she recognized them as the same kind of creature she was, even while they remained in human form. Derek could feel the pack's senses become keener and more excited upon being close to another like them. The woman turned to Derek, searching his eyes, pleading for the truth. "Lena this is Jackson and Scott," said Derek.

"Good mornin' boys," she said, smiling warmly. "This is gonna sound odd," she said. "But I've seen ya'll before."

"But we looked a little different then, didn't we?" asked Derek.

She turned to him and nodded. "Yes. Yes you certainly did."

"Lena!" said Anna, excitedly, as she came down the stairs. Stiles trailed behind her. "I'm so glad you're finally here!"

Lena held her arms out and embraced Anna. "Baby girl, my goodness I'm so glad to see you." She pulled away. "Let me get a good look at you," she said, touching Anna's thick red hair. "Gorgeous, woman you are just gorgeous! And with a house full of men, to boot."

Anna laughed. "Why didn't you call me to come get you from the airport? You didn't have to schlep all the way here without help."

"Oh nonsense," she said, already moving on to another topic. "I was just gettin' to know these nice young men here," she said, gesturing towards the pack. She looked over at Stiles. "And who's this handsome gentleman?"

Anna turned and grabbed Stiles' hand. "This is Stiles."

Lena smiled brightly. "This is Stiles? Oh now I need to give this boy a hug," she said, wrapping her arms around Stiles' waist. "I have heard so many good things about you, honey. Anna's always jaw flappin' about you."

"Hi Lena," said Stiles, smiling. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Danny lifted his head up from the couch. He waved to Lena. "Hi. I'm Danny."

Lena giggled. "Hi there sleepy."

"Lena, let us get your bags," offered Stiles, going out to the porch.

"Thank you darlin'," said Lena, as Stiles and Scott brought in two suitcases and a duffel bag. "Ya'll are sweet."

Just then, Brian Stilinski appeared on the porch, looking extremely pissed off. He went to the open door and cleared his throat, looking between Anna and Stiles reproachfully. "Either one of you care to explain why my son didn't sleep in his own house last night?"

Stiles and Anna exchanged nervous glances. However Stiles was a veteran at lying to his father. "Dad," he said. "Are you feeling alright? You woke up three times last night and told us all to shut up because we were being too loud," he said, looking to Scott. "Didn't he?"

Scott, another expert at lying to Brian, didn't miss a beat. "Yeah, you did. You pulled out all the old classics like, 'Don't make me come up there' and 'You sound like a herd of elephants' and 'Some of us have to work tomorrow' and,"

Brian held up his hand. "Okay, okay Scott thanks for the recap." He looked over at Derek and scowled. "And what the hell are YOU doing here Hale?" he asked suspiciously.

"He's Anna's boyfriend," said Stiles abruptly. He looked over at Anna apologetically and shrugged. "I'm sorry Anna. I know you guys were trying to keep it a secret."

Anna's eyes became wide as Brian turned to her. "Is this true?" asked Brian. "Your…boyfriend? That's why he's been hanging around here so much?"

Anna laughed nervously. "You caught us!" she said, going to Derek's side and taking his hand. "We haven't really made it official, so we've been pretty quiet about it."

Jackson and Danny both stifled giggles. Stiles and Scott expertly kept straight faces.

Derek gave Jackson and Danny a death glare before turning back to Brian. He put his arm around Anna. "Yep. She's my little…love bug," he said dryly.

"Love bug, eh?" Brian looked at them skeptically before turning to Lena. Her large blue eyes and good looks took him off guard. He cleared his throat nervously. "Sheriff Brian Stilinski," he said, extending his hand.

Lena offered a coy smile as she took his hand. "Well hello there, Sheriff," she said in a sugary southern drawl. "I love a man in uniform." She looked him up and down. "You seem to fill yours out quite nicely I must say."

Brian turned a shade of red that made Stiles bite his bottom lip so hard that it almost bled. "Um, I, ma'am, well…Stiles can I see you outside for a moment please?" he said, making a quick exit.

Everyone inside breathed a sigh of relief. Lena looked over at everyone. "That sheriff is one good lookin' man. Is he single?"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Stiles, what the hell is going on over here?" Brian asked.

"What do you mean?" asked Stiles, serving up his best look of pure innocence. He looked down at the ground, noting the blood that spilled from his nose just a few hours earlier. Fighting a gasp, he hurriedly put his foot over the spot.

"Oh don't play cute with me. It's like a circus act over here. First of all, is Anna nuts? DEREK is her new beau? And why do your friends all love hanging around here so much? And who is the blonde woman in the red heels?" asked Brian, folding his arms across his chest.

"As for Anna, yes she is nuts," said Stiles. "She's crazy nuts, uh…in love with Derek. What can I say?"

Brian looked incredulous. "Now she's in love with the guy? I mean she knows his history so why would…?"

"It's your classic good girl, bad boy scenario, you know? Even the smartest of women fall for those bad boys. These things happen, Dad. No one can really determine the chemistry between two people."

Brian looked uncharacteristically sympathetic. "She's cruising for a heartbreak. I mean, Derek Hale? Do you think I should talk some sense into her?"

Stiles shook his head. "I'd say that's a big 'no' Dad. Anna will just to have to learn on her own. Now, as far as my friends, they just like hanging around here because they want to see me. Your son has a magnetic personality that people are naturally drawn to. Just get used to it."

"Uh huh," said Brian, skeptically. "And the woman?"

"That's Anna's aunt Lena. "She's moving in with her. I've probably mentioned that to you several times."

"You have?" asked Brian.

Stiles nodded.

"Oh," said Brian. "She's…very pleasant."

Stiles smirked. "She seems to like you that's for sure."

Brian blushed again. "Never mind about that. I'm concerned about my only son getting into trouble. You're all so secretive. Are you guys doing something illegal? I'm sure that Hell's Angel hasn't been the best influence. You know, I've made two separate meth lab arrests in the past month and, Stiles, I will tell you right now…"

"Dad, what is this, Breaking Bad? We're not running a meth lab! Now you just sound crazy," said Stiles.

"I still think there's shenanigans going on," said Brian.

Stiles struggled for a moment. "We're shenanigan-free, I promise. It's just the usual stuff. Working cases, et cetera." He began to wither under his father's stare so he opted for another of his defense tactics, redirection. "Hey, now something out of the ordinary is what you're working on. Any leads on the dogs?" he pressed.

"Nah," said Brian. "We've got nothing to be honest. I'm going to stop by the animal clinic later today to see if Doc Deaton has any useful information. But I'm not holding my breath. The other two vets I spoke with yesterday were just as confused as everyone else. I tell you, I'm more than done with these weird animal cases. Luckily last night was pretty uneventful, don't you agree?"

Stiles swallowed. "Yeah, oh yeah, nothing going on but a bunch of teenaged boys pissing off the local sheriff. That's pretty much it. Downright boring if you ask me."

Brian nodded. Just then Slider pulled up on his bike. Brian frowned and muttered something under his breath. He looked back at Stiles. "Well I've got to go to the station. Listen, you behave yourself. I'm watching you. I mean it."

"I sure will, you handsome man in uniform!" Stiles shouted as his father walked to his cruiser. He exhaled sharply. "God, that was painful," he said to himself as his father pulled away.

Slider accompanied him back into the house. Stiles was not surprised to be met with a slightly aggravated Anna. "A word," she said, pulling him into the kitchen. "Okay your father has enough issues with me. Did you really have to manufacture a romance between me and Derek?"

"First of all I think we can both agree that I'm not exactly pulling that possibility out of thin air. Second, I'm sorry but it was the only thing I could come up with because my father was giving us both his patented stare down. Look, I promise I'll fabricate a painful breakup in the near future once we get our shit together with this curse," Stiles promised.

"What has your father said about the dogs?" she asked.

"He says he's got nothing. But that doesn't mean he's done pursuing it with his usual gusto," said Stiles.

"Damn," said Anna, looking thoughtful. "Okay, I say you and I head out today and visit some of the animal clinics in town and,"

"My dad's already beat us to that punch. He said none of them knew anything," said Stiles.

"What about Scott's boss? You've mentioned a few times before that he has a lot of knowledge in the supernatural area," said Anna.

"He does," said Stiles. "But the good sheriff is headed there today and neither of us want to risk running in to him."

Anna groaned. "There's got to be a way we can investigate this without setting off your father's radar." She paced the kitchen, twirling her hair. "How about this? We take Clipper with us to see Scott's boss and if we run into your dad, we just explain that Clip had an appointment."

"That's doable," said Stiles. "But he'll remember that he mentioned stopping by the vet's office to me this morning. I probably shouldn't go."

"But you know the right questions to ask and how to interpret the answers," she said. "I really need you there. Please, please, please?" she asked, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

Stiles fought the smile playing at his lips. He scratched his chin deviously. "Will you make me chocolate chip peanut butter pancakes if I acquiesce to your request?"

"If the pack doesn't die then yes I'll stuff you with pancakes until you beg for mercy," she promised. "And points for use of the word 'acquiesce'."

He smiled. "Well…I guess Clipper would really need me there, seeing as he's terrified of going to the vet, right?" he asked, winking.

She smirked. "Oh yeah, petrified. Taking him to the vet is really a two person job."

He chuckled. "Okay. I'll do it for Clip. You know because my presence is essential to his emotional health."

"Thank you," she said. She peeked out at Lena and the pack. "It's pretty amazing how they can identify each other, huh? Did you see how they all converged on Lena because she was the new one? Freaky having such sharp senses."

Stiles giggled. "Yeah, add in a little butt sniffing and I'd swear I was at the dog park."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Derek you are so sweet to help me unpack," said Lena. She looked over at Anna, who was changing the bed linens. "You've got a very nice pretend boyfriend, hon."

"He's the best," said Anna. She cleared her throat, knowing Derek was eager to speak to Lena alone. She smoothed the comforter into place. "Why don't you two get to know each other? Stiles and I need to take a little field trip but we'll be back soon."

As she went to walk out of the room, Lena stopped her. "Well aren't you two lovebirds gonna kiss goodbye? It's bad luck if you don't." The woman turned back to her suitcase and grinned. "If ya'll want that cute sheriff to think you're a couple you best practice when he ain't around."

"Maybe later," said Anna, smirking at Lena's turned back. "But nice try." She turned to Derek and mouthed 'good luck' before exiting.

"So," said Lena, back still turned to Derek, who sat down in a rocking chair. "I'm a little confused about something."

"Maybe I can help," offered Derek.

"I think you can. Rather, I hope you can," said Lena, finally sitting on the bed and facing him. She exhaled. "There's somethin' different about you and the two young men downstairs."

"What do you think that might be?" asked Derek.

"Not sure," said Lena, cautiously. "I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Okay. Tell me this. How did you feel when you walked into the house today? How did you feel when you met the three of us?" asked Derek. "Be honest, Lena. I'm not going to judge you."

"I felt…warm. Like when you step outside into the sunshine and feel it on your skin. When you bask in it and let it sink into your bones until you feel the warmth from inside out," she said.

Derek smiled. "I've never heard it described in quite that way before. But I like how you said it. Now that you've put words to the feeling, what do you think might be different about us? And how is it that you were able to sense it?"

She laughed softly. "I don't know because I've never felt this way before. But if I were to guess, I'd say it's because we're all kindred spirits. In a sense."

Derek nodded and went to the bed. He sat beside her. "We certainly are. In fact, we're much more than kindred spirits. We're really like…family. Blood. We're bonded by something very special and unique."

She hesitated. "Why's that?"

"Because you are the same thing that I am. You're the same as Scott and Jackson. We're creatures cut from the same cloth," said Derek. He took her hand. "Anna told me about you and what you went through for so long…not knowing what you really are. That must have been very tough to bear. I was fortunate enough to spend my life around others just like me. I was born this way, like you were. Scott and Jackson weren't. They were changed by a bite. But there's no distinction between us now. We're united by a force that can't be broken."

She observed Derek quietly for a moment. "What I really am," she said.

"I'm sure you've heard the word in books and in myths. In movies. But no one has ever given that characteristic to you. It must have seemed too fantastical, especially since you spent your entire life surrounded by normal, everyday humans," he said. "The word was never even considered, I'm sure."

Lena gulped. "What word is that baby?"

"Werewolf."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Doctor Eric Deaton's office was rather quiet, as it usually was each day around noontime. Eric typically did all surgeries in the morning, so by twelve, he and his small staff were able to eat and then tackle a busy afternoon of regular appointments. He was just finishing his lunch when he heard the familiar jingle of the front door opening. He smiled. It was Scott's charismatic friend Stiles. The doctor always rather liked the boy as he was good humored and did his level best to keep the young werewolf alive.

He exited his office and went to the waiting room. "I've got it Ginny," he said to his receptionist. He chuckled upon seeing Stiles, joined by a young redhead, giving a pep talk to a large white husky.

"Now Clipper, I promise Dr. Deaton is very nice. There will be no needles today, nor will a thermometer be placed in any orifice. I'd put you on the dog scale, but I think that you would probably break it," he said. The encouragement was a lost cause, as the young dog didn't seem at all stressed by his surroundings. However, he appeared to enjoy the extra attention he was getting from Stiles. He wagged his tail at the boy, eyes gleaming with affection. "I'll be right with you the whole time."

Eric chuckled and extended his hand to Anna. "Eric Deaton."

She smiled. "Anna Mason. Nice to meet you doctor. Thank you for seeing us on such short notice."

"Of course," he said, smiling. "Scott is an excellent worker. If he calls in a favor, I make good on it." He nodded to Clipper. "Let's get him into an exam room."

Ginny looked confused. "Doctor don't you want them to fill out some paperwork first?"

"No worries Ginny," said Eric. "Perhaps next time."

Ginny shrugged. "Okie doke."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"A curse was one of the first things I thought of," Eric admitted. "I've heard of this before."

"You have?" asked Anna. "Similar to what we're dealing with now?"

"Yes," said the doctor. "However, not on such a grand scale. But Peter had a flair for the dramatic, so I'm not surprised at the severity of it."

"Do you know how Peter was able to accomplish this?" asked Anna.

"Some of our theories include gypsies or possibly a hex," said Stiles.

The doctor shook his head. "Modern gypsies have shed many of their old ways. Curses are considered gauche and outdated now. Hexes don't cross dimensional lines, so Peter would never have power in death. They can't affect more than one person either. At least, I have never seen that happen. You see, this particular curse resulted from some sort of an act, most likely a deeply violent one."

"Well Peter was all about the killing when he died," said Stiles. "Beacon Hills was the leader in the violent acts market a month ago."

Eric nodded. "Have either of you ever heard the expression 'there's a fine line between genius and insanity'?"

Anna nodded. "Plenty of times when I was at Northeastern."

"A psych major," said Eric knowingly. "How much do you know about Peter Hale? I mean the man he was before the fire."

"Very bright, but troubled as a kid," said Anna. "His early criminal records were expunged, but I tracked down Adele Laramie, who was his former babysitter when Peter was about nine years old. She told me a real stomach turner. Apparently, some of the neighbors had begun to report that their cats were going missing. Adele always found Peter to be a very odd child, so she suspected that he could have been behind it all. She decided to forego her afternoon soaps one day and spy on Peter while he played outside in the yard. She told me that she saw Peter lure one of the cats into the yard using tuna fish. When the cat got close enough, he grabbed it, sprayed it in the face with Raid and brought it into Adele's tool shed. She freaked, and confronted Peter. When she went into her shed, she found seven other cats in there, all dead. She said some had their feet cut off and their eyes removed."

Stiles cringed. "Heartwarming. They should tell that one every Christmas."

Eric leaned on the exam table. "Peter had a brilliant mind. However he used it for evil rather than good. The catatonia he experienced gave him an entire six years to build up an unbelievable amount of rage. His vendetta surrounding the fire only gave him an excuse to commit the heinous acts that he longed for. His will was so strong, that even now, in death, it's having detrimental effects."

"So we know that it took a violent event to lay the curse on Peter," started Anna.

"But we need to pinpoint exactly which event that was," said Stiles. "Not only that but we still don't know how the effects of the curse become activated in the pack."

"My aunt Lena warned the pack to stay away from any dogs," said Anna.

Eric looked thoughtful. "I would say that a bite or scratch would be the culprit. I'd keep the pack quarantined for the time being. As long as the curse stays dormant, you can use the time to figure out how to reverse it altogether."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Danny stood up from the computer and stretched. "Internet's got jack shit. I need to rest my brain and do something physical for a while. I'm gonna start cleaning out those gutters. You guys let me know if you need me."

Slider stood up and addressed Lena and the pack. "I may as well give him a hand until Anna and Stiles get back. Lena, you're in charge," he said, winking at the woman.

"Was there any doubt?" she asked, smiling. She watched him exit through the front door and turned back to the pack. "Werewolf," she said.

Jackson smiled. "It'll sound less weird over time."

Lena crossed her legs, letting her high heel dangle off her foot. "I wish my father was still alive. He'd have been fascinated by all of this. He was really the one that helped me harness my powers growing up. He researched and trained me for hours upon end. It was a long hard road with a lot of disappointment and fights along the way. But he never gave up on me. Ever."

"Werewolf parents take on those roles," said Derek. "I had the benefit of my mothers knowledge and training to guide me through my childhood. It sounds like your father was quite good with werewolves. He had a special knack for it." He turned to Scott. "Kind of like Stiles."

Scott nodded. "Will you be part of our pack now Lena?" he asked.

"Not until this curse is resolved," Derek interjected. "I'm not putting others at risk. I already have enough to worry about with you and Jackson." He looked over at Lena and smiled warmly. "But when the curse is eliminated then, yes, I would be very glad to have you become part of the pack."

"And I would like that very much," said Lena.

Just then the sound of a car horn was heard, followed by loud crash outside. Jackson stood up, turning pale. "It's Danny. He fell."

The pack went racing outside just as Danny's father, Mike, was exiting his truck with an expression of terror on his face. Danny's pit bull, Brent, was barking excitedly in the front seat. Mike closed the driver's side door and began running towards his son, who was lying face up in the bushes. "I just beeped when I pulled in and he lost his balance on the ladder when he turned," Mike explained.

Slider was kneeling next to Danny, who was on his back groaning. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

"Son," said Danny's father, kneeling next to him and laying a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to,"

"No worries, Dad. I'm good. Just give me a second," said Danny.

Jackson knelt down next to his friend. Slider and Mike stood up. "I think we should get you checked out," said Slider, removing his cell from his pocket.

"No," said Danny. "Seriously, I've taken worse hits in lacrosse. I'm fine."

"Oh baby I don't know. You landed like a ton of bricks," said Lena. "I think you should at least have a doctor take a look at you."

"I'll call," said Mike, his face marred with concern. He pulled his cell from his pocket and walked closer to the back of the house as he spoke to the 911 dispatcher.

Brent continued to bark in the front seat, watching Danny nervously. Derek listened to the animal as its sounds graduated from anxious and excited to dark and malevolent. Brent growled as he put his front feet up on the driver's side arm rest, his snout pressed against the glass. Thick saliva coated the partially opened window. Derek looked at the dog and saw that he was eyeing Jackson, most likely mistaking his kneeling posture as threatening and not as genuine concern for Danny.

Lena looked up at the dog too, her eyes becoming wide. The driver's side door was moving just slightly under the weight of the dog. "The door ain't shut right," she said looking at Derek. "Get yourself and the boys inside!"

Derek took Scott by the shoulders. "In the house, Scott. Now!"

Scott stumbled forward on the steps, taking only a moment to look back at Mike's truck. Brent pounded his paws on the armrest and the door released, cracking open a few mere inches. The dog applied force again, this time pushing the door wide open. He fell hard onto the driveway, but recovered quickly. The animal used its powerful musculature to lift himself up and, in a fit of pure rage, raced wildly towards Jackson.

Derek yanked Jackson by the collar. "Get inside!" he bellowed.

Jackson made it to the bottom step, but Brent was too fast. Derek knew Jackson would never make it into the house without the dog getting to him first. He swallowed, building up his resolve. His instincts as alpha kicked in and he protectively stood between the boy and the dog. Jackson was at the top step when Brent slammed into Derek. They tussled for a few moments before Derek finally righted himself, now facing the dog. Brent snapped his jaws at Derek's throat. The alpha used his powerful arms to hold the dog at bay, not wanting to harm the animal, especially in front of his owners. However, if the dog kept it up, Derek knew he'd have to put Brent down.

Slider came to Derek's aid, attempting to take Brent by the collar. The dog then pivoted and lurched at Slider, going for the man's neck, instead sinking his teeth into his face and right ear. "Derek, get inside!" hollered Slider, as the dog held him tightly in his jaws. He then released his grip, only to go now for Slider's neck. The dog's jaws tore into Slider's fingers as he put his hand out to protect his throat.

Derek knew he couldn't leave the Slider there. He raced towards man and dog, only to be stopped by Lena. "Inside!" she ordered, before sharply elbowing the dog in the ribs. The animal yelped and released Slider, now turning his eyes on the female werewolf. Brent growled and circled her. Derek turned as he got to the front door. His eyes widened as Lena let out a deafening roar, fangs exposed, her eyes donning a deep crimson hue. Derek was stunned. "Alpha," he whispered. Brent, frightened by the powerful creature before him, finally backed off enough for Slider to get a better grip on his collar with his good hand.

Mike, who had walked to the backyard while he called an ambulance for Danny, was shocked to hear what had happened. "I'm so sorry, everyone," he said loading Brent back into the car. "He's never done anything like this before. Really, he's always been such a great dog. I'll pay for your hospital bills. It's the least I can do," he offered to Slider.

Anna and Stiles pulled up just as the rescue was driving away, with both Danny and Slider safely inside the vehicle. Mike followed in his truck. "What the hell happened?" she asked, frantically as they walked in the front door.

Lena took Clipper from Anna. "Long story, but the Reader's Digest version is that Danny fell off the ladder while he was doing the gutters and Slider got attacked by Danny's dog. He might lose two of his fingers and part of his right ear," said Lena.

"Oh my God," said Anna. "Are you guys okay?" she asked everyone.

"We're all fine," said Scott. "Jackson and I would have been a pit bull's lunch had it not been for Derek. He jumped in front of us as the dog ran right for us."

"Were you bitten?" Anna asked nervously.

Derek shook his head. "No, were fine. Really."

Anna exhaled. "Jesus. That was a close call if there ever was one." She patted Derek on the shoulder. "But everyone's definitely okay?"

Derek nodded. "Sure. Just a close call like you said. We're good."

There was something in the tone of his voice that told her he was hiding something. She made a silent gesture for Derek to follow her into the kitchen. Stiles, noting the exchange between the two, decided to follow. "You looked like you could use a drink," Anna said to Derek, pouring him a whiskey. "It must have been a scary few moments, thinking Jackson or Scott could be hurt. Or that the curse could be triggered."

Derek said nothing. Raising the glass to his lips, he took a long pull of the amber liquid. He placed his glass on the counter and looked down. He looked between Anna and Stiles, placing his index finger in front of his lips, signaling that they needed to remain quiet. He lifted up his shirt, revealing a six-inch half moon shaped bite just below his rib cage.

Anna and Stiles gulped. Anna went to Derek, squeezing his hand and looking at him with sympathy. She knew he inevitably blamed himself for setting the curse in motion, but he was only trying to protect his pack.

Stiles' hands were folded into fists, thinking of what was to come. All he could see was Scott on his deathbed, black icy hands pulling him into the darkness, and away from Stiles. He couldn't bear what he was experiencing inside. It was a cold, sickening feeling and he felt as if it would smother him. He couldn't say goodbye to Scott. Not now or ever. With shaky hands, Stiles took Derek's glass and swallowed the remaining whiskey.