9: "Touch me, Stiles."
"Come here and touch me," Malia held her arms out to me.
She was completely naked. Her body overwhelmed my senses. It was like I had no choice but to go to her.
"Malia, I'm afraid," I told her.
"Afraid of what? Of me? You know I would never hurt you, Stiles," Malia claimed.
She gathered me into her arms and squeezed me almost to the point of breaking. She let me go before it became too uncomfortable and matched her lips to mine.
I put my hands on her hips, but she grabbed them and cupped them around her ass, telling me sternly, "I told you to touch me, dammit!"
"Malia, you're too strong! I don't like the way you're treating me!" I argued with her.
Her eyes turned red and narrowed. Her skin started to burn and I tried to pull my hands away, but she held them in place against her ass. I yelled at her, "Stop it!"
"No!" she shouted, but it wasn't at me.
Someone took me by the shoulders and pulled me away from Malia. She reached out for me again, but I was glad to get away.
I opened my eyes and saw Derek lying above me. He brushed my cheeks with his fingertips and said softly, "It's alright, I'm here."
It took me a few seconds to realize he was wiping away my tears. I felt awkward for crying in my sleep, but Derek didn't seem to mind. My neck felt stiff, so I asked him, "Would you massage my neck for me? It really hurts."
"Sure," he answered, and I rolled over so he could work.
Derek gently pinched the nerves of my neck until they were numb, then he worked on the muscles and tendons until the pain stopped completely. I remembered feeling orgasmic the last time he massaged me, but this time, I was too stressed out to joke around.
I didn't want to cry, but the tears continued to fall. I wiped them away and sniffled hard so I didn't feel so pathetic. Derek whispered into my ear, "What's wrong?"
"I just feel like such a pussy," I said.
Derek scoffed and asked, "Why would you say that?"
"Because I'm afraid of some big, fat, stupid, ugly girl!" I retorted.
Derek chuckled and replied, "It's alright to be afraid of Malia. I would be worried if you weren't. Female werewolves can be dangrous. The fact that you tried to negotiate with her has stunned others like us."
"You talk to your werewolf friends about me?" I countered.
"I don't need to talk to anyone about you. News gets around," Derek replied.
"What? Like the werewolf version of social media?" I joked sarcastically.
Derek laughed out loud and it was soothing to hear him sound upbeat again. He told me frankly, "There aren't a lot of us running around. They've all become very interested in you since you bonded to me. It's unheard of that a werewolf and a human can co-exist so well, but when they heard that you managed to have sex with a new female werewolf without being killed, you reached heroic status."
"I'm sure Kate is really happy to hear that," I pointed out.
Derek sniffed and replied hotly, "It doesn't matter what she thinks. She knows she can't do shit to you, now. If she were to even attempt to take you from me, Malia would rip Kate and her pack to shreds."
I rolled back over to face him and argued, "I don't want Malia to rip anyone to shreds! I'm sorry for what happened to Nick! He was an ass but he didn't deserve to die!"
My eyes filled with tears again and Derek pulled me close. He whispered softly to me, "I don't want to see you suffering like this. I'm sorry for trying to keep Malia away from you. I think it did more harm than good and maybe none of this would've happened if I had let her spend some time with you."
"Next time she comes around, I want you to be there. I don't care if she wants to talk or have sex or whatever, I don't want you to leave me alone with her again," I said.
"I don't think she'll like that very much," Derek mentioned.
I looked up at him and stated, "I need you to be there. She's totally unstable and I don't want her going on another rampage because I said something to set her off."
"You're worried she'll kill Lydia," Derek said.
I nodded and explained, "She was so close, Derek. I was sure Lydia was Malia's target at the park. I think the only reason Malia didn't make a move was because she thought Nick was a bigger threat at that moment."
"It is Malia's instinct to kill rival werewolves, and that can't be helped. I'll admit, it's surprising to me she didn't try to kill Lydia the moment she was invited into the house," Derek said.
"So...she showed some restraint, and that might be a good sign, right?" I asked.
Derek frowned as he answered, "I honestly don't know. Female werewolves are unpredictable on a good day. Malia's a firestorm of stress and anger. She was unwillingly turned, she's angry with me, she desperately wants you, and she's trying to overcome a male and another female werewolf for your affections."
"She sounds like the Malia I used to know, sometimes. I feel like she's still that scared, helpless girl she was before, and she hardly knows how to use the strength she has now," I said.
Derek nodded and explained, "Malia had a history of abuse as a human. Turning into a werewolf means that human experiences and emotions are amplified. She may be feeling resentful that she is strong now, but cannot go back and face the people in her past who made her feel so helpless."
"It's like turning into a superhero after all the villains have beaten you and left," I pointed out.
"Exactly," he said.
:-:
Derek drove Justin and I to school the next morning. Justin seemed normal and didn't mention Liam at all. Since Kate and her pack still thought I didn't have any memory of the supernatural world, Derek had to keep up the act by parting ways with me. Once he was gone, I took Justin aside and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yes. Why?" Justin looked at me curiously.
"You went to your room with Liam. What did he do with you?" I asked seriously.
Justin shrugged and answered easily, "We played with action figures."
I stared at him while I tried to process what he said. I couldn't tell if he were using a metaphor for a sexual act, or if he were being totally serious.
"Action figures?" I asked for clarification.
"Yes. He likes to play with the superheroes," Justin answered.
I still thought he might be referring to some kind of sex act. The smile on Justin's face made me think he had least got his dick sucked.
"Are you messing with me?" I asked him suspiciously.
"Why would I mess with you?" Justin returned.
I scoffed and replied pointedly, "High school dudes don't play with action figures."
"I do. Liam does," Justin surmised.
"Fine. Whatever," I waved my hand and walked away, still thinking it had something to do with a sex act.
:-:
"When a guy says he 'played with action figures' with another guy, does that mean a sex thing?" I asked Mason at lunch.
"Uh...are we going to play with action figures?" Mason made a mock face of horror.
I snorted laughter and replied, "I'm serious! Does it mean something?"
Mason shrugged and answered, "I dunno, I guess it could mean a guy like, experimented with another guy or something. Sounds like a stupid metaphor, though. Why not just say 'we fooled around' or something?"
"Yeah, well, maybe some guys talk that way because they're not really mature, yet," I pointed out.
Mason's eyes went wide and he blurted, "Did you play action figures with Justin?!"
A few curious heads turned in our direction. Mason blushed and added sheepishly, "I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
I shook my head and explained, "It wasn't me. He was just with another guy and he says they played action figures together, but I think it means something sexual."
Mason popped a tater tot in his mouth and said with a shrug, "Justin seems like the type who would really be playing with action figures."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," I grumbled.
"So, Derek gave me a call yesterday and told me not to come over because one of the guys at the halfway house had an accident and died. I'm sorry to hear about that," Mason said.
"Yeah, it was really bad," I replied, looking away.
Mason asked curiously, "Did you see him die?"
"Yes," I answered quietly.
He shook his head and told me, "I'm sorry, man. I really am."
"Me, too," I said.
Mason cleared his throat and offered, "Well, let me know when it's a good time and I'll bring my games over to play."
"Do you think about having sex with me?" I asked randomly.
Mason blinked with surprise and answered, "Well, I am a teenage guy. I think about having sex with anything that I can stick it into."
I laughed out loud and more heads turned in our direction. I quieted down and whispered to Mason, "So, is that a yes?"
"No, it's a definite no," he shook his head, making me laugh again.
The people around us were starting to get frustrated. I signaled for Mason to follow me and we dumped our lunch trays, then went outside where it was more private. I asked as I walked with him, "What do you think about werewolves?"
"What, like in the movies?" Mason was confused.
I laughed and replied, "No, I mean real supernatural stuff. Do you believe in any of it?"
Mason shrugged and told me, "I dunno. I used to think that was all crap until I had some weird stuff happen to me at my old house."
"Like what?" I asked curiously.
"I'd hear footsteps outside my door at night, and I swore I kept hearing a little girl call my name in the basement. I told my friends at my old school and they laughed at me," he said.
"Well, what about creatures like werewolves? Do you believe that shit is real?" I asked.
Mason gave me a sideways glance and returned, "Why? Do you think they're real?"
"I dunno," I shrugged.
Mason took a deep breath and explained, "I kind of think of it in a symbolic sense. Like, maybe a 'real' vampire is just a dude who sucks the life out of the room with his bad energy. Maybe a werewolf is just a guy who is super temperamental and has a bunch of friends who follow him around like a pack."
I busted out laughing, again. Mason shook his head at me and said, "Most people don't think I'm that funny. I must be on a roll."
"I just can't believe how right you are about some of this shit," I replied.
"What?" Mason looked at me curiously.
I realized too late that I had said too much. I tried to explain, "I mean, you know, about the symbolic nature of things and stuff."
"Right," Mason said, but I could tell he knew I was referring to more than that.
We walked for a while in silence before he asked, "So are you going to tell me what you really meant by what you said, earlier?"
"Maybe some other time," I replied with a smile.
:-:
At the end of the day, Derek dropped Justin off at the house, but took me back to his cabin. I saw Lydia with Kiki in her lap as soon as I walked into the door, and I remembered that Derek had once offered Scott's room to Lydia if she wanted it.
"Are you living here, now?" I asked Lydia curiously.
She nodded and let Kiki jump down. Kiki came right up to me and brushed up against my legs. I leaned down to pet her and said, "I missed you, Kiki."
She hissed at me and took off before I could touch her. I glanced at Derek and he told me, "She's mad that you haven't come back to visit her in a while."
"Well, tell her I'm sorry but my memory was temporarily erased," I retorted.
A figure came into view on the stairwell and I was stunned as I realized it was Malia. She was wearing a white sun dress and it bounced with her as she trotted down the stairs to greet me. Derek stayed close as Malia wrapped her arms around my neck like we were long lost lovers, reunited at last.
"I'm so glad to see you, Stiles," Malia whispered into my ear.
Despite her friendly nature, I instinctively tried to back away. Malia surprisingly let go of me and stepped back herself, saying solemnly, "I'm sorry I upset you at the park. I thought if I stopped Nick, you wouldn't have to worry about him, anymore."
I knew I should've let it go, but I couldn't help arguing, "You didn't just stop him, Malia! You killed him! You ended his life before he was even old enough to move out on his own!"
Malia bit her lower lip and looked at Derek for guidance. I continued angrily, "Why are you looking at him? He didn't watch Nick die!"
Derek tried to take control of the situation by telling Malia, "You said you wanted to know Stiles' true feelings, and he's expressing them. You should be grateful that he is being honest with you instead of ignoring you completely."
"I am grateful, I am," Malia nodded, looking at me hopefully.
Her little lost lamb eyes made me feel worse, but I repressed the urge to grab her by the throat and I took a deep breath to calm down. Malia stared at me like she didn't understand as she asked, "How long are you going to be mad at me?"
"I'll call you when I'm over it," I started up the stairs to get away from her.
"Is that a joke?" I heard her ask Derek.
"You need to tell him what you told me," Derek told her.
I sat on Derek's bed and waited for Malia to come upstairs. She stood next to me and explained, "I didn't kill Nick just because of you."
"Then why did you do it?" I asked.
Malia frowned and told me somberly, "Nick threatened to hurt me when I was human."
I stared at her wide eyed and asked, "What did he say?"
Malia nodded and explained, "He wanted me to get things for him, like money from Peter's wallet, and Nick would threaten to rape me if I didn't do it."
I swallowed hard and she continued, "I didn't know what that meant when I was human, but I knew it was really bad. One time, Peter caught me and I didn't tell him anything, but Nick stole my underwear to scare me and he told me not to tell on him or he'd light my clothes on fire so I'd have nothing to wear and I'd have to walk around the house naked in front of him and the other boys."
"He said those things to you?" I asked, completely appalled.
Malia nodded and told me, "When you said Nick was trying to get you into trouble, I remembered what he did to me and I knew he wouldn't stop messing with you until he got what he wanted."
I looked away and said, "Well, what he said to you was terrible, but he didn't need to die for it."
"I know. I'm sorry," Malia replied somberly.
There was a pause of awkward silence, then I asked, "So what now?"
"Um...Derek and I are going running in the woods. It's something we do in wolf form for exercise. Do you need anything?" Malia asked sweetly.
"No, I'll just wait until you two get back," I answered.
Malia leaned in to try and kiss me, but I turned away and she ended up kissing my cheek. She frowned like she wasn't satisfied, but she left me alone, anyway. I heard Derek and Malia leave, then Lydia came up to lay down with me.
"Is Malia being nice to you?" I asked her firmly.
She nodded and replied with a chuckle, "As long as Derek is around, she's not so bad."
"Does Kate like that you're living with Derek?" I asked curiously.
Lydia shrugged and replied, "She's not too worried about me at the moment. She thinks your memory is still gone, so she's living the high life, thinking she's won."
I felt kind of tired, so I asked, "Do you mind if I fall asleep with my head on your breasts?"
Lydia laughed and answered, "Why not? They're bigger since I became a werewolf."
I nodded with approval and said, "Don't tell anyone else that. All the guys will be dumping their girlfriends in the forest come full moon time."
"You're so funny, Stiles," Lydia smiled.
I rested my head on her chest and closed my eyes to sleep, listening to the fast rhythm of Lydia's werewolf heartbeat humming through my ears.
:-:
It felt like I was out for only a few minutes, but when I woke up again, Lydia wasn't underneath me and the room was pitch black. I checked the clock at it read after midnight. I got up and slowly made my way to the stairs, thinking maybe Lydia had gone downstairs for a bite to eat.
"Hello?" I called to the lower level.
No one answered me. I became alarmed as I noticed Scott's cats weren't watching me as I came down the stairs. Not even Kiki came out of hiding to meet up with me.
"Hello?" I asked the darkness once more.
Again, no one answered. I wandered to the front door of the cabin and opened it to peek outside and make sure Derek's Jeep was still in the driveway. It was, but another car was parked behind it.
I realized it was Kate's car just as I felt a pair of hands grab my shoulders. They spun me roughly around as I turned to face the devil herself, decked out in a sexy leather outfit like she had expected to spend a wild night with Derek.
"You're not welcome here!" she shouted at me.
Kate let go of me and brought her arms back like she might hit me. I put my hands up defensively, and I felt her teeth sink into the side of my right palm.
The pain of her bite was the most intense I had ever felt in my life. I cried out so loudly, my voice broke. Kate let go and I fell backward, landing on the porch as I clutched my hand.
I could feel my heart thudding in my ears. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and my body started to slip into shock, like I had been bitten by a poisonous animal. My blood dripped from Kate's chin as she stood over me and said with a wicked smile, "Let's see you get out of this one, Stiles."
