At first, Hayden thought that she'd imagined it all. She'd managed to convince herself that Liam was delusional when he said that they were all looking at them. She'd just about determined that Beacon Hills High School was still a place where their secret was safe. That was before Lucy Harrington had refused to sit next to her in Biology. Later that same day, Clark Burgess had all but choked on his lunch when she walked too close.

Now, as her back hit the cold metal of Gabe's locker, his hands pushing down hard on her shoulders, she knew she couldn't deny it any longer. The students of Beacon Hills were no longer innocent bystanders. They could no longer be satisfied by stories about mountain lions and freak accidents.

They knew.

It was that knowledge that held Hayden's back straight as she allowed herself to be pressed harder against the lockers. She pretended to wince in pain as Gabe forced her head back against the door, but she knew he wasn't strong enough to hurt her without a weapon.

"You think you can just walk around this school and we won't come for you?" he hissed.

Hayden's eyes scanned the corridor behind him for Liam, a teacher, any body that would help her escape into the boiler room before the fury coursing through her veins could force her to change. Despite what Scott might claim, Hayden knew that part of her soul was pure animal, and now, backed into a corner, it was this part of her that was desperate to break free. All of this she knew, but instead she said,

"I don't know what you're talking about. What the hell are you doing?"

She tried to push against his chest to punctuate her words, but he was stronger than she had thought and she was eager not to use too much strength. Drawing more attention to herself wouldn't help.

That didn't mean she was drawing any attention already. The corridor was teaming with students. Most of them ignored her completely or pointedly turned their faces away from her. A few of them joined the small circle that had begun to form around Gabe, but Hayden could see that their eyes were alight with morbid satisfaction. They were spectators at her execution, Hayden realized. Witnesses to the death of her secret.

"We know what you are," Gabe growled low in her ear. "We have a list, and we're coming for all of you." He paused and smirked. "Unless, of course, you can pass the test."

His eyes were swimming with barely contained excitement, the thrill of the hunt. Hayden's brows drew close in confusion. Her shoulders were beginning to ache and there was a padlock buried into her spine.

The animal was stirring.

"A test?" she ground out. "You attack me in the hallway and I'm the one who has to do some kind of test? I'm leaving," she informed him coolly and finally shoved him aside.

Gabe stumbled backwards into the crowd that had formed around them. Hayden grabbed her bag roughly from the floor, dusted it off, and began to stride away. Her breaths came in heavy gasps as she fought to regain control of the claws beginning to grow from her fingertips.

She needed to tell Liam, to tell Scott what was happening. This wasn't just about hunters. This was fear. This was what the Anuk-Ite was doing to them all.

Chaos and strife. Neighbor against neighbor.

The next few moments happened in such a whirlwind of movement that even Hayden's heighten senses couldn't prevent them. A rough hand caught hers and yanked her around harshly. She felt the bones in her hand almost splinter as Gabe crushed it against the locker that had once belonged to Stiles.

"Wait," she had time to protest before a flash of silver emerged from Gabe's sleeve and the length of a Swiss army knife disappeared into her palm.

The scream that ripped from Hayden's throat lasted no more than a second before it was cut off by a blow to the chest that knocked the air from her lungs. Thick, crimson blood burst from the hole the blade left behind but she could feel it already beginning to heal.

Hayden swiped the blood away with her fingertips and wiped both hands on her jeans for good measure before turning her attention to the commotion happening around her. She knew immediately that the bloody hand prints she had smeared over her jeans didn't matter anymore. They wouldn't be returning to school when this was over.

The scene before her was a tableau of claws and teeth.

Liam, fully transformed and snarling struggled desperately against Scott's arms that held firm around his shoulders. It was startling to see him completely changed in the one place they had always said they couldn't. She had seen them all shift when the school was deserted at night, or hidden in the basement, but right now he was exposed. Hayden's heart pounded a stampede against her ribs.

"Liam," she croaked cautiously as she stepped forwards.

Liam barely registered her voice as he broke free of Scott's hold and launched himself at a stricken Gabe. He lurched backwards, dropping the bloody knife, and fell over his own feet.

Liam crouched low as Gabe scrambled away. His legs seemed to have failed him and he reached out wildly for a hand to pull him to his feet. He was disappointed however as he glanced frantically around him to find the hallway littered with cowering students. Hayden noticed that many of those running away in panic were those who had stood to watch her fail her 'test' only moments ago.

"Liam," Scott growled as he stepped between Gabe and Liam. His eyes were afire. "Liam, you can't do this here. They've already seen you, if you hurt someone you'll only make this worse."

Liam responded with a single howl and a long scrape of his claws across the floor. Hayden and Scott flinched against the sound.

"Liam, please, let's just go," Hayden pleaded. She reached a hand out to place it on Liam's shoulder but retreated again as Scott shot her a warning glance.

"You can shift back, Liam, or I can make you. The choice is yours." Scott bent down until he was eye level with Liam. "What three things can not long be hidden?"

For a moment it seemed to be working and Hayden took a deep, calming breath as Liam recited,

"The sun. The moon. The truth."

"Good. Again," said Scott.

"The sun. The moon. The truth."

"Again."

"The sun. The moon. The truth!"

Hayden's heart began to quicken as Liam's breath began to burst from his mouth in ragged huffs.

"Scott, I don't think it's working. Scott!" Hayden exclaimed.

Liam sprang into the air, his legs propelling him higher as he launched himself over Scott towards Gabe. His feet never found the ground however as he crumpled sideways in the air and hurtled into a display case of old trophies.

The thud of cold metal against bone seemed to reverberate in the air as Stiles held a smooth cobalt blue bat in front of him and eyed it admiringly.

"Huh," he grunted in approval and raised an eyebrow at Scott. "Seriously, every time I leave you guys alone the whole world falls apart."

Lydia huffed behind him and rolled her eyes as she strode passed him with Hayden in tow. Lydia swept glass cautiously away from Liam's face as Hayden pulled him to his feet. Stiles' stomach clenched as he saw himself doing exactly that to Lydia, gently thumbing glass away from her eyes and mouth.

As Liam limped towards the door, Scott turned towards Gabe.

"We don't want to hurt you. We just want peace."

Gabe's eyes were still wide with horror, but he had dragged himself to his feet. Scott hadn't expected him to say anything in return, but it still hurt when he spat at his feet before stalking towards the locker room.

Scott's face began to prickle as he felt another set of eyes on him and he locked his gaze with Tamora Monroe for no more than a second before he turned away and followed Stiles back to the Jeep.